CCRP Initiative: Chemical Threat Agent-induced Pulmonary and Ocular Pathophysiological Mechanisms (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA ES 24 005

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 24 005

This NIH funding opportunity (RFA-ES-24-005) is an R01 research grant under the Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP) and the broader NIH CounterACT program. It focuses on basic and translationally oriented mechanistic research that explains how chemical threat agents cause damage in two particularly vulnerable organ systems: the lungs (pulmonary injury) and the eyes (ocular injury). The central goal is to map the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of toxicity and, based on those mechanistic insights, pinpoint molecular or genetic targets that could be leveraged to reduce or prevent the acute harmful effects that follow exposure. The expectation is that strong target-identification work from this NOFO can feed into later-stage efforts aimed at developing medical countermeasures, including early development activities supported elsewhere within CounterACT.

Scientifically, the emphasis is on understanding “how” injury happens at a level that is actionable for countermeasure discovery. That typically includes defining key signaling pathways, cell and tissue responses, inflammatory cascades, barrier disruption processes, neural or vascular contributions, and other biological events that explain acute injury progression in pulmonary and ocular tissues after exposure to chemical threat agents. Projects should be designed to produce clear mechanistic conclusions and to connect those conclusions to specific intervention points (for example, a receptor, enzyme, transcriptional program, epigenetic regulator, or other molecular node) that could plausibly be targeted to blunt immediate injury. While the NOFO is positioned as foundational research, it is intentionally aligned with downstream therapeutic exploration, meaning applicants should aim for results that can realistically inform countermeasure concepts rather than purely descriptive findings.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health within the environment and health-related funding categories and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.113, 93.855, and 93.867. The mechanism is an R01, and clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement, so the work must stay on the non-clinical side of the translational spectrum (for example, mechanistic studies, target validation, and related preclinical approaches that do not meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial). The posted original closing date is September 23, 2026.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and 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; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories as stated in the listing); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly calls out several categories as “other eligible applicants,” including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign participation is restricted in a way that often confuses applicants, so it is worth stating plainly. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components” are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant may include certain well-justified foreign elements in the project (such as specific collaborations, resources, or performance sites) if they meet NIH’s definition and are appropriately documented and justified.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at teams that can connect exposure-driven lung and eye injury to concrete biological mechanisms and then translate that understanding into credible molecular or genetic target options for future countermeasure development within the CounterACT/CCRP pipeline. The best-fitting proposals will typically be those that are hypothesis-driven, mechanistically deep, and structured to produce results that can be acted on in subsequent therapeutic discovery and early development programs, while staying clearly outside the bounds of a clinical trial.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CCRP Initiative: Chemical Threat Agent-induced Pulmonary and Ocular Pathophysiological Mechanisms (R01 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): 93.113, 93.855, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for RFA ES 24 005

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