Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 25 013
This funding opportunity (RFA-AI-25-013) is a limited-competition NIH cooperative agreement designed to continue day-to-day and surge-capable operations support for the two National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs) that serve as key U.S. high-containment resources: the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas, and Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. The overarching purpose is not to fund clinical trials, but to keep these specialized national assets fully functional, compliant, and ready to support NIAID priorities in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases through pre-clinical and laboratory-based work.
The NOFO focuses on sustaining the infrastructure and operational capabilities that make high-containment research possible and safe. Supported areas include facility maintenance and operations (keeping complex containment spaces, critical building systems, and specialized equipment running reliably), biosecurity (protecting facilities, personnel, and materials from theft, loss, or misuse), environmental health and safety programs (ensuring day-to-day safety practices and adherence to required standards), regulatory compliance (meeting applicable federal, state, and local requirements tied to hazardous biological agents and high-containment laboratory work), and specialized research support services that enable investigators to perform in vitro and in vivo studies involving hazardous pathogens. In practice, this kind of award typically underwrites the operational backbone that allows scientists to conduct high-risk research without interruption while maintaining rigorous containment, documentation, oversight, and safety performance.
A central theme of the opportunity is the NBLs role as a national resource. These laboratories provide capacity to conduct testing and pre-clinical research on hazardous biological agents in support of NIAIDs biodefense and emerging infectious disease research efforts. Beyond steady-state research support, the NOFO also emphasizes readiness for national emergencies: during a biodefense or emerging infectious disease event, the NBLs may be expected to rapidly shift priorities and realign activities to support the U.S. response, under NIAID direction. That implies a need for operational flexibility, staffing and scheduling adaptability, and the ability to scale or pivot safely while staying compliant.
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally means substantial involvement by NIH staff in coordinating or overseeing elements of the project compared to a standard grant. The activity category is health, and the listing is associated with CFDA 93.855. While the Eligible Applicants field includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, eligibility for this specific limited competition is effectively restricted to the two named organizations: UTMB and Boston University. Foreign participation is explicitly restricted: non-U.S. entities cannot apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.
Key administrative details provided include an original application due date of 2025-11-07 and a creation date of 2025-09-18. The NOFO title also specifies "UC7 Clinical Trials Not Allowed," reinforcing that the supported activities are operational and pre-clinical/laboratory in scope rather than clinical trial execution.Apply for RFA AI 25 013
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs) Operations Support (UC7 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-18.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-11-07. (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, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - RFA-AI-25-013
1) What is the funding opportunity RFA-AI-25-013 about?
RFA-AI-25-013 is an NIH limited-competition cooperative agreement intended to continue day-to-day operations support and surge-capable readiness for the two U.S. National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs): the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas, and Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts.
2) What is the main purpose of this NOFO?
The purpose is to sustain and keep fully functional two specialized national high-containment laboratory assets so they remain compliant, safe, and ready to support NIAID priorities in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases through pre-clinical and laboratory-based work.
3) Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?
No. The NOFO title specifies "UC7 Clinical Trials Not Allowed," and the description emphasizes that the overarching purpose is not to fund clinical trials.
4) What kinds of activities are intended to be supported?
The NOFO focuses on sustaining the infrastructure and operational capabilities that make high-containment research possible and safe. Supported areas include:
- Facility maintenance and operations (containment spaces, critical building systems, specialized equipment)
- Biosecurity (protecting facilities, personnel, and materials from theft, loss, or misuse)
- Environmental health and safety programs (day-to-day safety practices and adherence to standards)
- Regulatory compliance (federal, state, and local requirements for hazardous biological agents and high-containment work)
- Specialized research support services enabling in vitro and in vivo studies involving hazardous pathogens
5) What does "operations support" mean in the context of this award?
Based on the description provided, operations support refers to the operational backbone needed to keep complex high-containment laboratories running reliably and safely. This includes maintaining containment and building systems, ensuring safety and security programs function daily, and sustaining documentation, oversight, and compliance performance so research can proceed without interruption.
6) What is meant by "surge-capable" operations?
"Surge-capable" refers to readiness for national emergencies such as biodefense or emerging infectious disease events. The NBLs may need to rapidly shift priorities and realign activities under NIAID direction to support the U.S. response, which implies flexibility in operations, staffing, scheduling, and the ability to scale or pivot safely while remaining compliant.
7) What role do the National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs) play according to the NOFO?
The NBLs are described as key U.S. high-containment resources and a national resource providing capacity to conduct testing and pre-clinical research on hazardous biological agents in support of NIAID biodefense and emerging infectious disease research efforts.
8) Which organizations are the NBLs covered by this opportunity?
The two laboratories named are:
- University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas
- Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
9) Who is eligible to apply?
While the Eligible Applicants field includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, this is a limited competition that is effectively restricted to the two named organizations: UTMB and Boston University.
10) Can other U.S. universities apply if they meet the general eligibility category?
Not under the information provided. The opportunity is described as a limited competition effectively restricted to UTMB and Boston University.
11) Are foreign organizations allowed to apply?
No. Foreign participation is explicitly restricted: non-U.S. entities cannot apply.
12) Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. The NOFO states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
13) Are foreign components allowed under NIH policy for this opportunity?
No. Foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.
14) What is the award mechanism for this opportunity?
The mechanism is a cooperative agreement. The description notes that this generally means substantial involvement by NIH staff in coordinating or overseeing elements of the project compared to a standard grant.
15) What does substantial NIH involvement typically imply here?
Based on the information provided, it implies NIH staff may coordinate or oversee elements of the supported operations and readiness activities more directly than they would under a standard grant, consistent with a cooperative agreement model.
16) What scientific scope is emphasized: clinical research or pre-clinical/laboratory work?
The emphasis is on pre-clinical and laboratory-based work, including in vitro and in vivo studies involving hazardous pathogens, along with the infrastructure and services that make that work possible in high-containment settings.
17) What kinds of research support services are referenced?
The NOFO references specialized research support services that enable investigators to perform in vitro and in vivo studies involving hazardous pathogens. The specific services are not enumerated beyond that description.
18) What kinds of compliance obligations are highlighted?
The NOFO highlights regulatory compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements tied to hazardous biological agents and high-containment laboratory work, along with day-to-day environmental health and safety practices.
19) What security expectations are mentioned?
The NOFO calls out biosecurity as a supported area, including protecting facilities, personnel, and materials from theft, loss, or misuse.
20) What is the CFDA listing associated with this opportunity?
The listing is associated with CFDA 93.855.
21) What is the activity category for this funding opportunity?
The activity category is health.
22) What is the application due date?
The original application due date provided is 2025-11-07.
23) What is the creation date listed for the opportunity?
The creation date provided is 2025-09-18.
24) What does it mean that this NOFO is intended to keep NBLs "fully functional" and "ready"?
From the description, it means ensuring the laboratories remain operationally reliable and compliant by sustaining facility operations, safety and biosecurity programs, regulatory requirements, and specialized support services so the labs can continuously support NIAID priorities and rapidly adjust during emergencies.
25) Is this opportunity focused on building new facilities or maintaining existing ones?
The information provided emphasizes sustaining infrastructure and operational capabilities, including facility maintenance and operations for existing complex containment spaces and critical systems, rather than describing new construction.
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