Institutional Network Award for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training (U2C - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 23 248

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 248

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting applications for the Institutional Network Award for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training, a cooperative agreement mechanism known as U2C (specifically the U2C-TL1 component). The program is designed to build a highly connected, well-supported training network that brings together trainees and early career investigators working across kidney, urology, and hematology research. A core idea behind this opportunity is not just funding training slots, but intentionally creating an integrated cohort and a shared set of career development resources that help participants move more quickly and confidently into productive research careers in these fields.

A central feature of the announcement is the emphasis on integration and community. NIH is looking for a single, unified application that lays out how an institution (or a group of institutions) will engage, recruit, prepare, and sustain the next generation of scientists. The intent is to avoid fragmented or siloed training efforts and instead create a true trainee community with coordinated programming, shared mentorship and professional development resources, and structured opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The notice strongly encourages applications that represent multiple institutions within a single metropolitan area, reflecting NIH's interest in building dense local networks where trainees can more easily interact, access complementary expertise, and share research infrastructure.

This funding opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement instrument, meaning awardees should expect a more substantial level of involvement from NIH compared with a standard grant. The activity sits within the health domain (listed under Food and Nutrition, Health) and is associated with CFDA number 93.847. The opportunity number is PAR 23 248, and the original closing date provided is September 26, 2025. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided excerpt, so applicants would typically confirm those details in the full funding opportunity announcement and related NIH policy documents.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses, as well as other eligible entities. The announcement also calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

The geographic and foreign participation rules are specific. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which typically means a U.S. applicant organization may include certain approved elements of the project that involve foreign activities or collaborations, provided they meet NIH requirements and are appropriately justified.

Finally, this opportunity is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed." In practical terms, that means applicants should propose training and career development activities and research experiences that do not meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial. Programs can still be highly translational and patient-relevant, but applicants need to ensure that the supported activities do not cross into clinical trial territory under NIH definitions, and they should align all planned trainee research experiences and program elements accordingly.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institutional Network Award for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training (U2C - 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 2023-08-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-09-26. (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 PAR 23 248

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