NIMHD Centers of Excellence in Investigator Development and Community Engagement (P50 - Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MD 23 011

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MD 23 011

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), released this funding opportunity to support the creation or strengthening of Centers of Excellence focused on investigator development and community engagement in minority health and health disparities research. The award mechanism is a P50 specialized center grant, and clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants may propose clinical trial-related work if it fits the center's goals, but they are not required to do so. Overall, the program is designed to build durable institutional capacity by developing a structured, center-based environment where early-career researchers can be trained, mentored, and supported to conduct rigorous, impactful research addressing inequities in health outcomes and health care.

A central emphasis of the opportunity is workforce development in minority health and health disparities science. The center is expected to enhance research training and education for academic faculty and near-faculty trainees, specifically including postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty, and other early-stage investigators. In practical terms, this means the grant is aimed at helping institutions establish organized programs that can move promising investigators toward independence through mentorship, skill-building, research opportunities, and exposure to best practices in conducting research with and alongside communities experiencing health disparities. The framing also signals that NIMHD wants these centers to be more than isolated projects; the intent is to create an integrated hub that supports investigators and strengthens the local research ecosystem in ways that persist beyond a single study.

Community engagement is an explicit pillar of the center concept in this notice. While the short description does not list required cores or components, the title and purpose statement make it clear that successful applications are expected to build meaningful connections with communities affected by health disparities and to incorporate community-engaged approaches into investigator training and research activities. That typically implies partnerships with community organizations, health systems, and other stakeholders, and a focus on research that is responsive to community needs and conducted in ways that build trust, relevance, and real-world impact. The combined focus on investigator development and community engagement reflects NIMHD's broader mission of improving minority health and reducing health disparities through research that is both scientifically strong and grounded in the lived realities of the populations it aims to serve.

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, along with other eligible organization types as allowed by NIH policy. The notice highlights that certain institution types are explicitly included among eligible applicants, such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). These categories align with the program's goal of strengthening capacity where it can directly support the development of investigators and research programs that address minority health and health disparities.

At the same time, the opportunity places clear limits on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, meaning foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, which generally prevents a U.S. institution's foreign branch or foreign operating unit from serving as the applicant component. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. In NIH terms, that usually means a U.S. applicant may include a defined foreign component in the research plan when it is scientifically justified, but the primary applicant and awardee must still be a domestic entity.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary NIH grant funding opportunity under CFDA number 93.307, with the funding opportunity number RFA-MD-23-011 and the title "NIMHD Centers of Excellence in Investigator Development and Community Engagement (P50 - Clinical Trial Optional)." The agency is NIH, and the original closing date noted is August 4, 2023. The award ceiling shown in the source data is $500,000, indicating the listed maximum award amount for the opportunity as captured in the summary data. The goal of the funding, as described, is not simply to support one-off training events, but to establish or enhance center-based infrastructure and programming that can produce a pipeline of well-trained, community-engaged minority health and health disparities researchers positioned to compete successfully for future funding and to contribute sustained scholarship and impact in this area.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIMHD Centers of Excellence in Investigator Development and Community Engagement (P50 - Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.307.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-05-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-08-04. (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: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for RFA MD 23 011

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: