Institutional Network Award for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training (U2C - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 20 220

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 220

The Institutional Network Award for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training (PAR-20-220) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity that supports the creation of an institutional training network designed to strengthen and speed up research progress in kidney disease, urology, and hematology. It uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U2C paired with TL1), which generally means NIH expects to be actively involved as a partner in shaping the program and ensuring the network functions as an integrated, high-impact training environment. Clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement, so the training and supported research activities must stay within non-clinical-trial boundaries as defined by NIH policy.

A central goal of the program is integration: building a tightly connected community of trainees, mentors, and shared resources rather than separate, loosely affiliated training efforts. NIH is explicitly encouraging institutions to submit a single, unified U2C/TL1 application that lays out one coordinated strategy to engage, recruit, train, and retain the next generation of researchers across these three related scientific areas. The emphasis is on cultivating a true trainee community, which implies coordinated mentorship structures, shared educational programming, networking across departments and disciplines, and intentional efforts to sustain career development so participants remain in the kidney, urologic, and hematologic research workforce over the long term.

Geographic cohesion is also a priority. Applications that cover a single metropolitan area are strongly encouraged, reflecting NIH interest in networks where trainees can realistically interact frequently, participate in shared programming, and access common facilities or institutional resources without the friction that can come with long-distance coordination. In practice, this typically favors local or regional consortia of universities, research institutes, hospitals, and community partners located within the same urban area, organized around a single training vision and governance structure.

The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: public and private institutions of higher education; state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities. The announcement also explicitly calls out a number of organizations that are particularly encouraged or included among eligible applicants, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. This breadth signals an intent to expand and diversify the training ecosystem and to support institutions serving groups that have been historically underrepresented in biomedical research.

At the same time, the opportunity sets clear limits on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, “foreign components” are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. applicant can incorporate certain well-justified international elements into the program (for example, specific collaborations, resources, or experiences) as long as they fit NIH rules and the overall award remains anchored in an eligible U.S. applicant organization.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and sits within NIH’s health-related activity area (CFDA 93.847). The original closing date listed is October 14, 2022, and the award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided listing. Overall, the program is best understood as NIH support for building a coordinated institutional network that recruits and develops researchers in kidney, urology, and hematology through structured training, shared infrastructure, and a deliberately connected trainee cohort, without supporting clinical trial activities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institutional Network Award for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training (U2C - 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): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-05-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-10-14. (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 PAR 20 220

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: