Integrated Physiology of Exocrine and Endocrine Pancreas in Type 1 Diabetes (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 22 022

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 22 022

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Integrated Physiology of Exocrine and Endocrine Pancreas in Type 1 Diabetes (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DK-22-022) is a discretionary grant program designed to push Type 1 diabetes (T1D) research beyond a narrow focus on pancreatic islets alone and toward a more complete, whole-organ view of the pancreas. The central goal is to support multidisciplinary research teams that can investigate how the exocrine pancreas (the enzyme-producing portion) and the endocrine pancreas (the hormone-producing islets, including insulin-producing beta cells) interact with one another in both healthy physiology and in T1D. NIH is specifically interested in studies that can define and explain the direct and indirect "crosstalk" between these compartments, identify the biological mechanisms that drive that communication, and determine how those interactions may become disrupted in T1D and potentially other forms of diabetes.

A key emphasis of the announcement is integrated physiology: proposals are expected to address the pancreas as an interconnected system rather than treating the endocrine compartment in isolation. This means projects might examine how inflammation, immune activity, acinar cell biology, ductal changes, local signaling molecules, neural inputs, vascular factors, extracellular matrix remodeling, or enzyme-related processes in the exocrine tissue may influence islet health and function, and conversely how endocrine dysfunction could feed back on exocrine structure or activity. The opportunity also allows for projects that develop or refine assays, tools, or platforms that make it easier for the wider research community to study these exocrine-endocrine relationships. In practice, that could include new measurement approaches, experimental systems, or analytic pipelines that enable researchers to probe pancreas-wide interactions more broadly or more reproducibly.

The mechanism is an NIH R01 research project grant, and it is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applicants should propose non-clinical-trial research activities (for example, mechanistic studies using human biospecimens, animal models, organoids, advanced imaging, multi-omics, or other translational approaches that do not meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial). The program sits within NIH’s health-related research portfolio (CFDA 93.847) and falls under the broad activity category of Food and Nutrition, Health, reflecting its placement in NIH’s diabetes and metabolic disease research ecosystem.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the categories specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is limited in a way that is typical for many NIH opportunities. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, which generally means a U.S. applicant can include certain well-justified parts of the project being conducted outside the United States when they provide unique expertise, resources, populations, or environments that meaningfully strengthen the science.

Key administrative details included in the source information are that the opportunity was created on July 28, 2022, and had an original closing date of February 21, 2023. The listed award ceiling is $500,000, indicating an upper bound on the amount that may be awarded under the announcement’s terms (often interpreted in the context of NIH budgeting rules and any specific limits described in the full announcement). The listing does not specify the expected number of awards in the provided excerpt, but the overall intent is clear: NIH is trying to catalyze research that clarifies how exocrine and endocrine pancreas biology is linked in T1D, what breaks down during disease, and what experimental approaches are needed to map those relationships in ways that can ultimately inform better understanding, prevention strategies, or therapeutic directions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Integrated Physiology of Exocrine and Endocrine Pancreas in Type 1 Diabetes (R01 - 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 2022-07-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-02-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA DK 22 022

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