Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 169
Biomarkers: Bridging Pediatric and Adult Therapeutics (R21) is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity designed to speed up pediatric therapeutic development by leveraging what is already known from adult biomarker research. The core idea is practical and translational: many biomarkers are first discovered, refined, and clinically explored in adult populations, but the same tools often cannot be assumed to work in children without careful adaptation. This FOA invites projects that take biomarkers developed in adults and responsibly extend them to pediatric use, focusing on how those biomarkers can support pediatric diagnosis and prognosis, track disease progression over time, detect or predict toxicity, and measure response to therapy. The emphasis is on application and validation in pediatric settings rather than starting from scratch with entirely new biomarker discovery.
The funding mechanism is an R21, which typically supports early-stage, exploratory, and potentially high-impact studies that generate proof-of-concept data and address key feasibility questions. Within that scope, a strong application would generally be expected to show a clear path for translating an adult biomarker into pediatric contexts, including considerations like developmental biology, age-related baseline differences, pediatric disease phenotypes that may not mirror adult presentations, and practical issues such as sample volume limits, assay sensitivity, and pediatric-friendly collection methods. Projects could involve adapting thresholds or reference ranges for children, testing whether the biomarker correlates with clinically meaningful pediatric endpoints, or demonstrating that the biomarker can reliably predict treatment response or adverse effects in pediatric patients.
The listing identifies the National Institutes of Health as the sponsoring agency and classifies the opportunity under the Health, Income Security and Social Services funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.865. The opportunity number is PAR 17 169, and it is categorized as a discretionary grant. The award ceiling is listed as $200,000. The original closing date shown in the source data is 2020-05-07, and the FOA creation date is 2017-02-21, which is important for applicants to note because it indicates the opportunity information reflects a specific posting window and may now be archived or superseded by reissued announcements.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic applicants: state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), 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, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign organizations. In plain terms, NIH is signaling that a wide range of institutions, including those serving historically underrepresented communities and organizations outside the United States, can apply if they can carry out the proposed research.
Overall, the opportunity is aimed at closing a common translational gap: adult biomarker evidence is often robust, but pediatric evidence lags due to ethical, logistical, and biological complexities. By funding targeted, exploratory studies that validate and adapt adult biomarkers for children, this FOA supports work that can make pediatric trials more informative, reduce uncertainty about dosing and safety, improve early detection of toxicity, and ultimately help bring more effective and safer therapies to pediatric patients faster.Apply for PAR 17 169
- The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Biomarkers: Bridging Pediatric and Adult Therapeutics (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-02-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-07. (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 $200,000.00 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the “Biomarkers: Bridging Pediatric and Adult Therapeutics (R21)” opportunity?
This is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity that supports exploratory projects aimed at speeding up pediatric therapeutic development by adapting and validating biomarkers that were originally developed and studied in adults for use in pediatric populations.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The focus is to close a translational gap: adult biomarker evidence is often strong, but pediatric evidence can lag due to biological, ethical, and practical constraints. The FOA encourages projects that responsibly extend adult biomarkers to children so they can be used in pediatric diagnosis and prognosis, disease monitoring, toxicity detection or prediction, and measuring response to therapy.
Is this grant for discovering brand-new biomarkers?
No. The emphasis is on application and validation in pediatric settings rather than starting from scratch with entirely new biomarker discovery. Projects should leverage what is already known from adult biomarker research and translate it to pediatric use.
What types of biomarker uses are supported under this opportunity?
Supported uses include adapting adult biomarkers for pediatric diagnosis and prognosis, tracking disease progression over time, detecting or predicting toxicity, and measuring response to therapy in pediatric patients.
What does the R21 funding mechanism imply for the project scope?
The R21 mechanism typically supports early-stage, exploratory studies intended to generate proof-of-concept data and answer key feasibility questions. For this opportunity, that generally means producing evidence that an adult biomarker can be translated and made useful in pediatric contexts.
What would a competitive project generally be expected to address?
Within the exploratory R21 scope, a strong project would typically show a clear path for translating an adult biomarker into pediatric settings and address practical and biological considerations such as developmental biology, age-related baseline differences, pediatric phenotypes that may differ from adult presentations, sample volume limitations, assay sensitivity, and pediatric-friendly sample collection methods.
What are examples of pediatric adaptation activities that may fit this FOA?
Examples described include adapting thresholds or reference ranges for children, testing whether the biomarker correlates with clinically meaningful pediatric endpoints, and showing that the biomarker can reliably predict treatment response or adverse effects in pediatric patients.
Who is the sponsoring agency?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is PAR 17 169.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.865.
How is the opportunity categorized?
It is categorized as a discretionary grant, and it is listed under the Health, Income Security and Social Services funding activity category.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is listed as $200,000.
What are the key dates mentioned, and why do they matter?
The FOA creation date is 2017-02-21, and the original closing date shown is 2020-05-07. These dates matter because they indicate the listing reflects a specific posting window and may now be archived or superseded by reissued announcements.
Is eligibility limited to universities?
No. Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of applicant types beyond institutions of higher education.
What domestic organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible domestic applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities.
Are organizations serving underrepresented communities specifically included?
Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly highlighted as eligible applicant categories.
Can federal agencies apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies are explicitly included among highlighted eligible applicant categories.
Can organizations in U.S. territories or possessions apply?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly mentioned among highlighted eligible applicant categories.
Are non-U.S. organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA indicates that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign organizations are included as eligible applicant categories.
What is the overall problem this FOA is trying to address?
It targets the common translational gap where biomarkers are often discovered and clinically explored in adults, but cannot be assumed to work in children without careful adaptation and validation due to ethical, logistical, and biological complexities in pediatric research.
How can projects funded under this FOA help pediatric therapeutics?
By validating and adapting adult biomarkers for children, funded studies can help make pediatric trials more informative, reduce uncertainty about dosing and safety, improve early detection of toxicity, and support faster development of safer and more effective therapies for pediatric patients.
Does the FOA assume adult biomarkers will work in children as-is?
No. A core premise is that adult biomarkers often cannot be assumed to work in children without careful adaptation, including attention to developmental and age-related differences and pediatric-specific practical constraints.
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