Forecast to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) (U54 - Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the Department of Health and Human Services, intends to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program, which operates through U54 Cooperative Agreements and includes optional clinical trials. The initiative is led by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). The RCMI program was established in 1985 to support less research-intensive academic institutions that confer doctorate degrees in health professions or health-related sciences and to build their capacity to conduct health disparities research. The primary objectives of the RCMI Specialized Center awards are to enhance research capabilities in biomedical, behavioral, population-based, and clinical health services research, foster competitive extramural funding acquisition especially from NIH, support career development for early-stage investigators, improve biomedical research infrastructure, and promote community-based partnerships for research and dissemination. The program is designed to enable institutions to define the necessary resources for achieving these outcomes, with flexibility in selecting research support components. Each RCMI Center must include specific core components: an Overall Core, Administrative Core, Research Capacity Core, Investigator Development Core, and Community Engagement Core. Additionally, centers are required to support up to three research projects focusing on basic biomedical, behavioral or social sciences/population sciences, and clinical or health services research. To qualify for the maximum budget, applicants must propose one project in each of these three areas. The emphasis should be on participant-engaged research and interdisciplinary collaboration across scientific disciplines. Eligible applicants must be domestic institutions located in the United States or its territories. These institutions should have received less than $50 million per year or less than $25 million per year in NIH R01 total costs over the past three fiscal years and must offer doctorate degrees in relevant health disciplines. The eligibility specifically includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, as well as private institutions of higher education. Applications are not currently being accepted. This is a forecasted opportunity to allow institutions ample time for planning, forming collaborations, and developing proposals. The estimated post date for the funding opportunity is September 24, 2025, with a due date for applications anticipated on November 26, 2025. Awards are expected to be announced by March 25, 2026, and projects may start as early as May 1, 2026. The total estimated funding available for this cycle is $22 million, and approximately five awards are expected to be granted. No cost-sharing or matching is required. For additional information or to make inquiries, interested parties can contact Nathan Stinson, Jr., PhD, MD, MPH at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities by phone at 301-594-8704 or via email at [email protected].