Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 19 004
The Sponsored Programs Administration Development (SPAD) Program (UC2 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity designed to strengthen the research administration backbone at U.S. colleges and universities. The main goal is to help domestic institutions either create an Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) from the ground up or expand and professionalize the services of an existing OSP (or a similar sponsored-research support unit). In practical terms, this program targets the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that helps faculty and staff find funding, prepare competitive grant applications, manage awards responsibly, and stay compliant with federal rules. By investing in these administrative capabilities, NIH aims to make it easier for institutions with growing research ambitions to compete for and manage biomedical research and research training grants.
A key emphasis of the program is support for primarily undergraduate institutions that are building or scaling biomedical research and/or undergraduate research training programs. The intent is not simply to add administrative capacity, but to enable more successful participation in the federal research ecosystem, especially for institutions where faculty may have heavier teaching loads and fewer internal resources for grant development. The FOA also highlights a strong interest in broadening participation across institutions that have historically been underrepresented in federal research funding, explicitly naming several categories of eligible institutions such as 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement (UC2), which generally signals that NIH expects substantial involvement from the agency during the project rather than a hands-off grant relationship. The activity category is Health, and the opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.310. Importantly, the FOA specifies "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the funded work cannot include clinical trials as defined by NIH. The project focus is therefore on administrative and institutional capacity building around sponsored programs, not on conducting clinical research involving human participants in a trial framework.
Eligibility is limited to domestic applicants. U.S.-based public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are eligible, as are nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) and certain other organizations as described in the listing. However, foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In addition, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not permitted under this FOA, reinforcing that the supported capacity building must be U.S.-based.
From the published source details, this discretionary funding opportunity is identified as RFA-RM-19-004, was created on 2019-05-17, and had an original closing date of 2020-06-26. The maximum award amount (ceiling) is listed as $200,000. The posting also indicates expected awards, though the specific number is not provided in the supplied text. Overall, SPAD is structured to help institutions build sustainable systems for sponsored program administration so that investigators and students at emerging research institutions have a stronger platform to pursue biomedical funding and manage awards effectively.Apply for RFA RM 19 004
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sponsored Programs Administration Development (SPAD) Program (UC2 - 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): 93.310.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2019-05-17.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-06-26. (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: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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FAQs: Sponsored Programs Administration Development (SPAD) Program (UC2 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
What is the SPAD Program (UC2) and what is it meant to support?
The Sponsored Programs Administration Development (SPAD) Program is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity designed to strengthen the sponsored research administration capacity at U.S. colleges, universities, and other eligible domestic organizations. It focuses on building the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that supports identifying funding opportunities, developing competitive applications, managing awards, and maintaining compliance with federal requirements.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The main goal is to help domestic institutions either (1) create an Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) from the ground up or (2) expand and professionalize the services of an existing OSP (or a similar sponsored-research support unit). The intent is to build sustainable systems that make it easier for institutions to compete for and responsibly manage NIH and other federal awards.
What types of activities or improvements does NIH want to enable through SPAD?
Based on the description provided, the program is aimed at institutional capacity building for sponsored programs administration. This includes strengthening support for faculty and staff to find funding, prepare strong grant applications, manage awards, and ensure compliance with federal rules. The emphasis is on administrative and institutional support functions rather than funding a biomedical research project itself.
Is this opportunity focused on research projects or administrative capacity building?
This opportunity is focused on administrative and institutional capacity building related to sponsored programs administration. It targets the infrastructure and services that support research and research training grants rather than directly funding a research study.
Who is the intended audience or primary beneficiary of the program?
The program is intended to benefit domestic institutions that are building or scaling biomedical research and/or undergraduate research training programs, particularly where limited internal resources and heavier teaching loads can make it harder for faculty to compete for federal funding without strong administrative support.
Does the FOA emphasize any specific types of institutions?
Yes. A key emphasis is on primarily undergraduate institutions that are building or scaling biomedical research and/or undergraduate research training programs. The FOA also highlights a strong interest in broadening participation among institutions that have historically been underrepresented in federal research funding.
Which historically underrepresented institution types are explicitly named?
The information provided explicitly names the following categories as examples of eligible institutions of interest: 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
What does UC2 mean in this context?
UC2 is the cooperative agreement award mechanism. In general, a cooperative agreement indicates that NIH expects substantial involvement from the agency during the project rather than a fully hands-off relationship typical of some other grant mechanisms.
Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?
No. The FOA states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the funded work cannot include clinical trials as defined by NIH. The supported activities should remain focused on sponsored programs administration capacity building rather than conducting clinical research in a trial framework.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is Health.
What CFDA number is associated with this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.310.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to domestic applicants. Eligible applicant types listed in the provided information include U.S.-based public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), and certain other organizations as described in the listing.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply under this FOA.
Can a U.S. organization apply if the work will be done by a non-U.S. component?
No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. In addition, foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not permitted, reinforcing that the supported capacity building must be U.S.-based.
What is the maximum award amount (funding ceiling)?
The maximum award amount (ceiling) listed is $200,000.
How many awards does NIH expect to make?
The posting indicates expected awards, but the specific number is not provided in the supplied text.
What is the funding opportunity identification number?
This discretionary funding opportunity is identified as RFA-RM-19-004.
When was this opportunity created and what was the original closing date?
The published source details state the opportunity was created on 2019-05-17 and had an original closing date of 2020-06-26.
What problem is SPAD trying to solve for institutions?
SPAD targets gaps in sponsored programs administration capacity that can hold institutions back from successfully participating in the federal research ecosystem. By strengthening administrative infrastructure, the program aims to make it easier to pursue biomedical research and research training grants, manage awards responsibly, and comply with federal requirements.
What is meant by "creating an OSP from the ground up" versus "expanding an existing OSP"?
Creating an OSP from the ground up refers to establishing a new Office of Sponsored Programs (or similar unit) where one does not currently exist. Expanding an existing OSP refers to strengthening, scaling, and professionalizing the services of a current sponsored-research support office to better support grant development, award management, and compliance.
Is the program intended to directly fund biomedical research experiments?
The description provided frames the program as focused on administrative and institutional capacity building for sponsored programs administration. Its purpose is to strengthen the platform that supports investigators and students pursuing biomedical funding, rather than directly funding a clinical trial or other research project as the primary activity.
What does "sponsored programs administration backbone" refer to?
In this context, it refers to the institutional systems and services that support sponsored research and training funding across the lifecycle of an award: identifying opportunities, preparing proposals, managing awarded funds and obligations, and ensuring compliance with federal rules.
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