Limited Competition: Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Clinical Centers (U01 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA RM 23 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 23 010

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Clinical Centers (U01 Clinical Trial Required)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-23-010; CFDA 93.310) is a limited competition announcement designed to support the completion of ongoing human studies within the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC). It is not aimed at launching brand-new, independent projects; instead, it focuses on finishing key remaining work in the existing MoTrPAC clinical research program, specifically completing participant recruitment and follow-up activities that are already underway.

The scientific and operational purpose of the award is to bring MoTrPAC clinical studies to completion, including both mechanistic randomized controlled trials and observational studies. The mechanistic trials target sedentary adults and children and are intended to test how structured physical activity influences biological pathways and measurable molecular changes. In parallel, the observational components focus on highly active adults and children, allowing researchers to compare molecular signatures associated with sustained high levels of physical activity. Taken together, these study arms are meant to strengthen the consortium-wide understanding of how physical activity "gets under the skin" at a molecular level across different ages and activity profiles, while ensuring the clinical datasets are complete, consistent, and analyzable.

This announcement uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U01), which signals substantial NIH program involvement and an expectation of close collaboration rather than a hands-off grant. In practical terms, awardees are expected to operate as part of a coordinated consortium, align timelines and deliverables with NIH and other MoTrPAC partners, and contribute to shared goals around standardized implementation and data generation. The "Clinical Trial Required" designation indicates that the funded work includes clinical trials as defined by NIH, and the application must be structured to meet NIH clinical trial expectations and reporting requirements.

A central requirement is adherence to the consortium's uniform, Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol. Applicants are expected to implement the standardized protocol rather than propose divergent designs, which helps ensure that data collected across multiple clinical sites can be pooled and compared without introducing site-specific methodological differences. In addition, applicants must conduct their research approaches in accordance with guidance from the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), particularly as it relates to the analysis of clinical trial data. This underscores NIH's emphasis on participant safety, trial integrity, and consistent analytical decision-making across the network.

Eligibility is tightly restricted. Only current MoTrPAC clinical center awardees are eligible to apply under this limited competition, meaning new institutions or teams outside the existing MoTrPAC clinical center group cannot compete for these funds. While the notice lists "Other Eligible Applicants" categories such as eligible federal agencies and U.S. territories or possessions, the key practical limitation remains that the applicant must already be a MoTrPAC clinical center awardee. Foreign institutions are explicitly not eligible, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not allowed. In addition, foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are prohibited, reinforcing that the supported work must be conducted within allowable domestic organizational structures.

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary health funding administered by NIH, with the original closing date listed as May 15, 2023, and a creation date of March 22, 2023. Some administrative fields such as award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided excerpt, which typically means applicants need to consult the full announcement for budget parameters, project period details, review criteria, and any consortium-specific milestones or performance expectations tied to recruitment and follow-up completion. Overall, the funding opportunity is best understood as a targeted mechanism to ensure the MoTrPAC clinical studies reach completion with standardized protocols, coordinated oversight, and high-quality, DSMB-aligned clinical trial conduct and analysis across participating clinical centers.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Clinical Centers (U01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-03-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-05-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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