Development of Animal Models and Related Biological Materials for Research (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

grants.gov listing Full announcement (NOFO)

Dealbreakers No cost share required Audit: not stated

Not reimbursement-only

“Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.” — From the announcement

Award range: Up to $200,000
Expected awards: Not specified
Application deadline: Jan 7, 2028
Posted: Nov 15, 2024
Last verified: Yesterday

At a glance

AI summary

This program funds innovative research to develop, improve, characterize, preserve, and validate animal models, related biological materials, and animal-model-based methods and technologies, including some non-animal methods that complement animal research. It is for projects with animal models that address multiple NIH institutes and multiple body systems or disease categories, not projects focused mainly on one disease or one institute’s mission. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S. organizations, including nonprofits, universities, governments, small businesses, and faith-based or community-based organizations; foreign organizations and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, though foreign components are allowed. Awards are grants with no cost sharing, and applications may request up to $200,000 in direct costs per year and up to $275,000 in direct costs over a two-year period. The announcement does not state a fixed number of awards.

AI-generated summary — verify against the announcement

What it funds

Health
Research & Discovery
Researchers & Scholars
Biomedical & Disease Research
Research Infrastructure, Instrumentation & Data

Official description from grants.gov

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) encourages innovative research to develop, improve, characterize, and preserve animal models as well as animal model related biological materials, technologies, and new approach methodologies (NAMs) for studies relevant to human health and disease. This NOFO also seeks projects aimed at improving the diagnosis and control of diseases that could confound or interfere with animal use in biomedical research. The proposed project must have broad applicability to multiple NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs) to align with the NIH-wide mission of the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP). The proposed studies must include animal models and explore multiple body systems or multiple categories of diseases. Applications that develop models focused on a specific disease or area of research, or only propose studies primarily relevant to a single NIH IC, will be considered not acceptable to this NOFO and will be withdrawn.

Who can apply

City or township governments
County governments
For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Independent school districts
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized)
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
Others
Private institutions of higher education
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
Small businesses
Special district governments
State governments

Geographic restriction None found in the announcement — likely nationwide

Program history

USASpending.gov

Assistance listing 93.351 · Research Infrastructure Programs

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.351), not just this notice.

Fiscal year	Awards	Median award	Middle half
FY 2026 (so far)	139	$607,409	$418,448 – $813,252
FY 2025	168	$596,737	$349,073 – $1,388,571
FY 2024	188	$571,633	$349,563 – $966,019
FY 2023	197	$590,126	$340,122 – $1,345,699
FY 2022	223	$571,482	$334,100 – $755,338
FY 2021	163	$589,686	$399,709 – $999,500

For comparison, this notice advertises Up to $200,000.

Dollar figures are based on the 1,000 most recent awards we store, not all 1,078 — award counts are complete.

Who wins it Higher education (818), Nonprofit (186), Business (39) of 1,078 awards — categories can overlap.

Top states CA (125) · NY (89) · MA (80) · TX (64) · PA (35)

Largest recent awards

OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY $16,992,533 · FY 2022
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM $6,307,489 · FY 2023
BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE $5,213,369 · FY 2021
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS $4,023,900 · FY 2023
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE $3,694,446 · FY 2025

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 30, 2026