Facilities or Research-Resource Facilities (C06 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) administers two extramural construction programs: the Biomedical Research Facilities (BRF) program and the HIV/AIDS Research Facilities (HRF) program. These programs support the construction and modernization of biomedical research facilities that advance basic, translational, clinical, or behavioral science research, including those dedicated to the HIV/AIDS research. The primary goal of this NOFO is to support the development of modern, shared-use facilities that enhance collaborative biomedical research with broad and high impact, create research training opportunities, cultivate the future generations of the biomedical research workforce, and sustain critical biomedical research resources for broad and long-lasting impact.

The BRF program solicits applications from eligible higher education and research institutions to construct new or modernize existing shared-use research facilities. BRF facilities support biomedical and behavioral research in all scientific areas, especially research in emerging scientific areas with strong potential for impact. Supported facilities must serve a wide research community, locally (within the applicant institution), regionally (across several institutions), or nationally, demonstrating value beyond a single research group or department. Appropriate facilities include but are not limited to: institution-wide multidisciplinary collaborative research spaces, core laboratories, state-of-the-art facilities to house advanced technologies such as imaging centers, biorepositories, and other shared-use facilities that support emerging new approach methodologies or human-based research technologies. Additionally, these facilities can play a crucial role in advancing implementation science by providing the physical infrastructure necessary to develop, test, refine, and scale evidence-based interventions, ensuring their effective integration into real-world applications. Facilities that solely or primarily focus on supporting animal research or animal care activities are not among the priorities of this NOFO.

The HRF program supports the development or modernization of shared-use research facilities that the supported research must align with the HIV/AIDS research priorities established by the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR). These facilities are expected to strengthen a sustainable infrastructure that enables cutting-edge, collaborative biomedical and behavioral HIV/AIDS research, enhances preservation and advancement of critical HIV/AIDS research resources, and offers robust training opportunities to foster the next generation of HIV/AIDS researchers.

This NOFO encourages applications from eligible institutions across all geographic regions of the country, including Institutions of Emerging Excellence (IEEs) in biomedical research, as defined in 42 USC 283k(c)(2)(D), to contribute to strengthening our nation’s biomedical research capability. All proposed projects must align with an institution’s current infrastructure and long-term strategic vision and demonstrate lasting benefit for the broader research community. Successful projects are expected to provide shared, collaborative environments that advance a broad range of research teams and promote institutional excellence. Laboratory spaces dedicated solely to individual investigators or single research groups are not supported under this NOFO.

NIH intends to allocate at least 25% of the funds appropriated to the BRF program to support IEE projects. IEEs are expected to have demonstrated emerging excellence in a biomedical or behavioral research field and are located in a geographic area facing significant public health challenges, such as limited access to healthcare services or inadequate research infrastructure. Per 42 USC 283k(c)(2)(D), eligible IEEs must be actively engaged in addressing the health deficit of the populations they serve. While many IEEs reside in regions that traditionally receive fewer NIH or other federal research grants, such as Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible states, geographic location alone does not determine IEE eligibility. For example, an institution in a non-IDeA state may qualify if it lacks essential research infrastructure and demonstrates a focused, mission-driven effort to advance research in areas aligned with the unmet health needs of its local population.

For the BRF program, to be considered as an IEE under this NOFO, an applicant institution must explicitly identify itself as such and justify its status in the Project Narrative section. IEE applicants must clearly articulate the biomedical or behavioral research focus they are striving to establish or expand and describe how the proposed facility project will significantly advance that goal. Applications should also demonstrate how the institution is building research capacity and training the next generation of scientists to address regional health deficit. While IEE faculty is expected to dedicate significant time to teaching, this NOFO does not support projects with purely instructional or didactic activities.