Limited Competition: Chimpanzee Biomedical Research Program (U42) | PAR 16 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 001

The Limited Competition: Chimpanzee Biomedical Research Program (U42) funding opportunity (PAR-16-001) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to support the continued care and management of NIH-owned and NIH-supported chimpanzees housed at a small set of existing, established institutions. It is intentionally structured as a limited competition, meaning it is not open to new organizations broadly; instead, it targets institutions already participating in the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)-supported Chimpanzee Biomedical Research Program, now referred to as the Chimpanzee Biomedical Resource Program (CBRP), as well as institutions that are already funded to support NIH-owned chimpanzees or chimpanzees supported by NIH/institutional arrangements. The overall goal is not to launch new chimpanzee research, but to ensure responsible, high-quality stewardship of chimpanzee colonies that have been used, are currently used, or may be used in NIH-sponsored research, with an emphasis on meeting the complicated needs of an aging population.

This FOA uses the U42 mechanism, which is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. In practical terms, that signals substantial NIH involvement and oversight in the supported activities. The work is categorized under health-related funding (CFDA 93.351) and sits within NIH infrastructure and resource stewardship priorities rather than typical hypothesis-driven research funding. The program traces back to the original CBRP established in 1986, highlighting that NIH is maintaining a long-running national responsibility for animals that were integrated into federally supported biomedical research over decades. The announcement makes clear that recipient organizations are expected to provide for the chimpanzees complex social, behavioral, and medical needs, which is especially important as the animals age and require more intensive veterinary care, specialized housing, and enrichment that supports welfare and social stability.

Eligible applicants are limited to certain domestic organization types: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding universities, since those are listed separately). However, despite those broad categories, the key eligibility constraint is participation in the existing ORIP-supported program or current NIH funding to support relevant chimpanzee populations. The FOA explicitly excludes non-U.S. entities: foreign institutions cannot apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. This restriction keeps the supported colonies and associated oversight entirely within U.S.-based institutions and governance frameworks.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding with an original closing date of December 16, 2016, and a creation date of October 2, 2015. The source information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which often means interested eligible institutions would need to consult the full FOA text and NIH budget guidance to understand funding levels, allowable costs, and the anticipated scale of awards. Even without those figures, the intent is clear: NIH is funding the infrastructure, staffing, veterinary care, husbandry, and programmatic capacity needed to responsibly maintain these chimpanzee colonies over time, consistent with NIH obligations to animals previously supported by federal research dollars and consistent with the specialized welfare requirements of chimpanzees, particularly older individuals.

In short, PAR-16-001 is a targeted NIH cooperative agreement opportunity meant to sustain a small, existing network of U.S. institutions responsible for long-term chimpanzee colony care under NIH stewardship, with a strong focus on comprehensive animal welfare (social, behavioral, and medical) and explicit limits on eligibility to current program participants and domestic organizations only.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Chimpanzee Biomedical Research Program (U42)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-12-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for PAR 16 001

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