Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 22 242

Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (PAR-22-242) - FAQs

What is this funding opportunity?

The Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) opportunity (PAR-22-242) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program that supports bioengineering research projects using the R01 grant mechanism. The funding opportunity title is "Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)."

Which agency is offering this grant?

The agency listed for this opportunity is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What grant mechanism does BRG use?

BRG uses the NIH R01 mechanism.

Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?

No. The opportunity is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applications proposing clinical trials are not permitted under this announcement.

What is the main goal of the BRG program?

The core goal is to advance collaborative bioengineering research that genuinely integrates life sciences with physical and engineering sciences to solve a clearly defined biomedical problem. NIH is looking for projects where bioengineering is central to the strategy rather than an add-on.

What types of biomedical problems are in scope?

The announcement targets a clearly defined biomedical problem and emphasizes biological, translational, or clinically relevant challenges, as long as the project does not include a clinical trial.

What does NIH mean by "bioengineering component is central"?

NIH is seeking proposals in which the engineering and physical science contributions are fundamental to how the biomedical problem is addressed. The intent is that the multidisciplinary bioengineering approach is a core driver of the solution, not a peripheral supporting element.

What is the emphasis on translating tools toward real-world use?

A major emphasis is moving promising tools, methods, and techniques closer to real-world use in research or clinical practice. The focus is on showing that an approach is ready to be used, trusted, and extended for a specific problem, rather than presenting an isolated prototype.

What kinds of activities fit the "move closer to real-world use" emphasis?

Examples described in the opportunity include integrating multiple components into a cohesive system, optimizing performance to make a tool reliable and practical, validating that it works as intended (including reproducibility and appropriate benchmarking), translating it to new settings or users, and otherwise accelerating adoption by the broader scientific or clinical community.

Is this opportunity limited to a specific research style?

No. The scope is intentionally broad. Applications may be design-directed (with defined performance targets), developmental (iterating and refining a tool or platform), discovery-driven (using engineering-enabled approaches to reveal new biology), or hypothesis-driven (testing a defined scientific hypothesis using bioengineering methods).

What does "design-directed" mean in this announcement?

Design-directed projects are described as engineering a solution with defined performance targets.

What does "developmental" mean in this announcement?

Developmental projects are described as iterating and refining a tool or platform.

What does "discovery-driven" mean in this announcement?

Discovery-driven projects are described as using engineering-enabled approaches to reveal new biology.

What does "hypothesis-driven" mean in this announcement?

Hypothesis-driven projects are described as testing a defined scientific hypothesis using bioengineering methods.

Does NIH encourage team science or collaboration for BRG?

Yes. The announcement is especially suitable for small teams that bring complementary expertise and apply an integrative approach.

What does "integrative approach" mean for team structure?

The collaboration should be structured so that disciplines are tightly coupled rather than operating in parallel. In other words, the engineering and life science components should be interdependent and coordinated as a single strategy.

Who can apply for this grant?

Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types that commonly apply for NIH funding. The opportunity lists governmental entities, educational institutions, nonprofits, for-profits (other than small businesses), and small businesses, among others.

Are state and local governments eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments.

Are school districts eligible to apply?

Yes. Independent school districts are listed as eligible applicants.

Are colleges and universities eligible to apply?

Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions) and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions) are listed as eligible applicants.

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and the opportunity also explicitly includes Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized. It also lists tribal organizations that are not federally recognized.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly listed among additional eligible applicants.

Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly lists non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) as eligible applicants.

Are minority-serving institutions specifically called out as eligible?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly notes additional 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); and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly noted as additional eligible applicants.

Are public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicants.

Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible federal agencies are explicitly listed among additional eligible applicants.

What is the opportunity category and funding instrument type?

The opportunity category is discretionary, and the instrument type is a grant.

What are the CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers associated with this opportunity?

The listed CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers are 93.121, 93.173, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399, 93.846, 93.853, and 93.867. These reflect the cross-cutting nature of bioengineering across NIH institutes and centers.

When was this opportunity posted?

The posting was created on 2022-09-08.

What is the closing date for this opportunity?

The original closing date provided is 2025-09-07.

Is there an award ceiling listed?

No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided data.

Is the expected number of awards listed?

No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided data.

What should applicants do if they need budget expectations or limits?

Because the award ceiling and expected number of awards are not provided in the supplied information, applicants typically need to consult the full announcement for budget expectations, limits, and any institute-specific guidance.