Limited Competition Emergency Awards: Shared Personal Protective Equipment Resources for COVID-19 Related Vaccine and Treatment Clinical Trials and Clinical Studies (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 276

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 276

This funding opportunity (PAR-21-276) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) emergency award designed to solve a very practical problem that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic: making sure clinical research teams have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely run NIAID-supported COVID-19 vaccine and treatment clinical trials and clinical studies. The intent is not to fund new scientific questions or expand trial scope, but to provide shared PPE resources that directly support on-the-ground clinical activities and the in-person interactions required to enroll, monitor, and treat participants. In other words, the program is focused on operational readiness and participant and staff safety so that critical COVID-19 studies can continue without being disrupted by PPE shortages or inconsistent access to protective supplies.

The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area (CFDA 93.855) and is labeled as an S10 mechanism with “Clinical Trial Not Allowed,” meaning applicants are not seeking support to conduct a clinical trial under this award. Instead, the award supports infrastructure-like needs tied to PPE resources that enable already-funded NIAID COVID-19 clinical trials and clinical studies to proceed safely. The emphasis on “shared” PPE resources signals that the supported PPE capacity is expected to benefit relevant study activities broadly at an institution or across a set of NIAID-supported COVID-19 studies, rather than serving as a standalone research project.

Eligibility is intentionally limited and tied to NIAID emergency COVID-19 appropriations. Applicants must be recipients conducting COVID-related clinical research and clinical studies supported by NIAID using emergency funds provided through several major federal COVID response laws: the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021; and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This limitation reflects the program’s purpose as targeted emergency support for a defined portfolio of NIAID-backed COVID-19 clinical activities, rather than an open competition for any COVID-related work.

Within those constraints, the eligible applicant types span a broad range of domestic U.S. organizations and governmental entities that might be hosting or coordinating NIAID-supported COVID-19 clinical research. The listed eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education, which are listed separately); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other applicant types. The opportunity also calls out categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions as potentially eligible where they meet the core requirement of being part of the relevant NIAID emergency-funded COVID clinical research effort.

The announcement includes specific restrictions for non-U.S. involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply as applicant organizations. At the same time, “foreign components,” as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. Practically, that means the applicant organization must be U.S.-based and eligible under NIH rules, but certain elements of the work or collaboration may include foreign components if they meet NIH policy requirements and are justified within the scope of supporting NIAID’s COVID-related clinical research needs.

Key administrative details included in the source data are that the sponsoring agency is NIH, the funding opportunity was created on July 16, 2021, and the original closing date listed is July 15, 2022. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full NIH announcement for budget limits, allowable cost categories, and any expectations about how PPE purchasing and distribution plans should be structured and tracked. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a time-limited emergency support mechanism meant to stabilize and protect the clinical research environment by ensuring PPE availability for NIAID’s COVID-19 vaccine and treatment trial and study operations.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition Emergency Awards: Shared Personal Protective Equipment Resources for COVID-19 Related Vaccine and Treatment Clinical Trials and Clinical Studies (S10 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): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-07-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-07-15. (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 21 276

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