Kidney Precision Medicine Project Tissue Interrogation Sites (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 20 028

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 20 028

The Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP) Tissue Interrogation Sites (TIS) funding opportunity (RFA-DK-20-028) is an NIH cooperative agreement (U01) that supports specialized research sites focused on deep, standardized analysis of human kidney tissue. The overall goal is to help build a high-resolution Kidney Tissue Atlas using biopsy samples from people with acute kidney injury (AKI) or chronic kidney disease (CKD). By carefully interrogating these tissues, the program aims to improve how kidney diseases are defined and classified, moving beyond broad clinical labels toward biologically grounded subgroups that reflect what is actually happening at the cellular and molecular level in patient kidneys.

Under this FOA, Tissue Interrogation Sites are expected to work as part of a coordinated national consortium rather than as stand-alone labs. TIS awardees collaborate closely with KPMP Recruitment Sites (which obtain biopsies and participant data), the Kidney Tissue Atlas Coordinating Center (KTACC), and a Central Hub (CH). In practical terms, this means the TIS receive or access kidney biopsy material collected under KPMP protocols and apply advanced analytic methods to evaluate the tissue. The intended outputs include integrated tissue datasets, consistent quality-controlled measurements, and interpretive findings that can be merged across sites to populate and refine the Kidney Tissue Atlas. A central scientific objective is to identify the critical cell types, interstitial and structural components, molecular pathways, and disease mechanisms that can point toward new therapeutic targets and more precise treatment strategies.

The scientific emphasis is on detailed tissue interrogation that can reveal disease-relevant features that are not obvious from routine clinical evaluation alone. By comparing and integrating results across AKI and CKD samples, the consortium seeks to define disease subgroups and signatures that may explain differences in patient trajectories and treatment response. Although the FOA text provided does not enumerate specific platforms, the framing strongly reflects multi-omic and high-dimensional tissue biology approaches typically used in atlas-building efforts, along with the expectation that results will be generated in a way that is harmonized across the consortium so data are comparable and can be combined into a unified resource.

Administratively, this is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the National Institutes of Health under CFDA 93.847, categorized under health (and listed in the source as Food and Nutrition, Health). The mechanism is explicitly marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applicants should propose tissue and data analysis research activities rather than interventional clinical trials. As a cooperative agreement (U01), substantial NIH programmatic involvement is part of the model, and awardees should expect ongoing coordination, shared governance expectations, and adherence to consortium-wide standards, milestones, and data-sharing practices typical of NIH team-science programs.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education where noted); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, tribally controlled colleges and universities, eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and certain tribal governments that are not federally recognized (as specified). Foreign institutions and non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH definition in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which typically means a U.S. applicant organization may include a foreign collaboration component with appropriate justification and compliance.

Key dates and identifiers in the source include an original closing date of October 25, 2021, and a creation date of April 22, 2021. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source text, so prospective applicants would normally confirm budget limits, project period, and award counts in the full FOA and any related notices. Overall, the opportunity is designed to fund the tissue-analysis engine of KPMP: coordinated sites that can turn human kidney biopsy material into rigorous, shareable, and biologically meaningful insights that help redefine kidney disease and accelerate discovery of new therapeutic directions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Kidney Precision Medicine Project Tissue Interrogation Sites (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-04-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-10-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA DK 20 028

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