Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants (R34 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants (R34 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a funding opportunity provided by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This initiative is specifically designed to support federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, Tribal health programs, Tribal colleges and universities, and Tribal organizations. Its primary goal is to enable these entities to conduct preparatory work required to develop competitive NARCH S06 grant applications, thereby promoting self-directed health research capacity and infrastructure development within Tribal communities. The program was established following a Tribal consultation and formal evaluation in 2021. The consultation emphasized the need for planning support to increase participation in the NARCH S06 program. The planning grants are intended for Tribal entities that do not currently hold a NARCH S06 award or an active planning grant. Successful applicants are expected to formulate specific goals for their future applications, assess administrative and infrastructure needs, define potential research questions, and identify collaborators or consultants. The planning phase must lay a coherent groundwork for a robust NARCH application that aligns with community needs and values. Funding provided through the NARCH Planning Grant may not exceed $225,000 in annual direct costs, with a maximum project duration of two years. When partnering with non-Tribal entities, at least 75% of the direct costs must be allocated to eligible Tribal applicants. The grant does not support clinical trials, and successful recipients are expected to submit a subsequent NARCH S06 application within one year of the planning grant's end date. Applicants must submit only one application per due date, and the opportunity does not allow for renewal of the planning grant. Eligibility is strictly limited to federally-recognized Tribal entities that meet the defined statutory criteria and are not current recipients of NARCH awards or planning grants. Foreign institutions are ineligible, although foreign components may participate if the involved Tribes have ancestral lands crossing international borders. Applicants must complete several registrations (SAM, Grants.gov, eRA Commons, etc.) well in advance of submission, and program directors or principal investigators must meet affiliation and credential requirements. Applications are submitted electronically via Grants.gov or the NIH ASSIST system, following SF424 (R&R) guidelines. A Letter of Vision and Commitment from a senior Tribal official, as well as Tribal Resolutions or Letters of Support, are mandatory inclusions. Applicants must clearly articulate their planning strategies, community engagement efforts, capacity assessments, and anticipated components of the future application. The Research Strategy should detail all proposed activities and include a timeline. Budget requests must adhere to modular budget requirements and submission deadlines are strictly enforced. Applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit based on significance, innovation, investigator qualifications, approach, and environmental support. Reviews will consider the cultural appropriateness and community alignment of the proposed planning activities. Applications are evaluated by NIH peer review groups, and successful applicants will receive a formal Notice of Award (NoA). Contact persons include Dr. Crina Frincu for scientific/research matters and Christy Leake for financial issues. Applications for the next cycles are due July 8 of 2024, 2025, and 2026 respectively, with the earliest award start dates in April of the following year.