NEI Audacious Goals Initiative: Preliminary Studies for Translation-Enabling Models of the Visual System (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA EY 19 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA EY 19 001

The National Eye Institute (NEI) Audacious Goals Initiative funding opportunity titled "Preliminary Studies for Translation-Enabling Models of the Visual System" (RFA-EY-19-001) is a discretionary NIH grant mechanism that uses the R21 exploratory/developmental format and explicitly does not allow clinical trials. The central aim is to support short-term, proof-of-principle projects that can quickly generate convincing preliminary data, with the expectation that these early results will position the field for a later, future funding opportunity focused on building and validating new model systems of the human visual system. In other words, this FOA is meant to pay for the critical early work that shows a proposed model is feasible, informative, and worth scaling into a more mature, translation-oriented program.

Scientifically, the FOA is focused on developing biological models that better emulate key aspects of human visual system anatomy and physiology, as well as the mechanisms of human ocular disease. NEI is looking for models that do more than reproduce a superficial phenotype; the intent is to create systems that meaningfully reflect human disease processes and can be used to test therapeutic strategies in a way that is relevant for translation. The announcement highlights the creation of specific defects or disease-like features using a range of approaches, including transgenic gene insertion and/or deletion, gene editing, and chemical or physical methods. A major theme is building models that either mirror characteristics of human retinal disease or generate defined defects that are particularly well suited for evaluating cell-replacement and/or regenerative therapies, aligning with the Audacious Goals Initiative emphasis on restoring vision through repair or replacement of damaged retinal cells.

A notable priority in the FOA is the encouragement to use non-human primates or other cone-dominant species, because these species can be more representative of human retinal structure and function than commonly used rod-dominant laboratory animals. This is especially relevant for translational work targeting the macula and cone-rich regions of the retina, where many human visual disorders have their greatest impact. While non-human primate and cone-dominant models are strongly encouraged due to their closer resemblance to the human retina, the FOA also makes it clear that other biological models can be proposed, as long as they meet the overall objective of enabling translation by better capturing human-relevant anatomy, physiology, or disease biology.

From a program and funding standpoint, this is an NIH grant opportunity categorized under Health (CFDA 93.867). The award ceiling is listed at $200,000, reflecting the R21 purpose of enabling exploratory, early-stage work rather than large, multi-year model-building efforts. The application window shown in the source data includes an original closing date of March 8, 2019, and the FOA was created on December 20, 2018. The opportunity is structured as a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant), under the NIH as the sponsoring agency, specifically through NEI.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and 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; and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. The FOA also allows participation by public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. In addition to these categories, the FOA explicitly names a wide range of other eligible applicants, 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, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals NEI interest in pulling in diverse institutional capabilities and perspectives, including specialized research centers, community-linked organizations, and international groups with unique model-system expertise.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a stepping-stone mechanism: it is designed to de-risk and validate new or improved translation-enabling visual system models by supporting targeted preliminary studies. Successful projects under this FOA would typically deliver early evidence that a proposed model can be created reliably, reproduces important aspects of human visual system biology or pathology, and is suitable for downstream therapeutic testing, particularly in areas like cell replacement and regenerative repair where model relevance is often the deciding factor between an interesting laboratory result and a credible path toward human application.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NEI Audacious Goals Initiative: Preliminary Studies for Translation-Enabling Models of the Visual System (R21 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): 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-12-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-03-08. (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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