Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 19 159

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 159

Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Required) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-19-159) that supports collaborative bioengineering research aimed at solving clearly defined biomedical problems. The central focus is on bringing together expertise from the life sciences and the physical sciences to pursue multidisciplinary, engineering-driven solutions that can move promising tools, methods, or techniques closer to real-world use. In practice, this means projects are expected to do more than invent something new in isolation; they should integrate and refine approaches, optimize performance, validate that they work as intended, and translate them toward adoption in basic research, translational research, or clinical settings. The announcement is explicitly oriented toward accelerating uptake of promising technologies or methodologies for a specific research or clinical problem, rather than broad, unfocused platform development.

The mechanism is an NIH R01, which generally supports substantial, multi-year projects, and this particular announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Required," meaning applications are expected to include a clinical trial component as defined by NIH. Proposed research can be design-directed (engineering and design driving the research plan), developmental (iterative building and improvement), discovery-driven (using bioengineering approaches to uncover new biological or clinical insights), or hypothesis-driven (testing specific mechanistic or clinical hypotheses). The opportunity is framed as a good fit for small teams that can genuinely integrate disciplines rather than operating as loosely connected collaborators. The intended outcome is a cohesive, integrative project that increases understanding of biological, clinical, or translational processes and produces solutions that are more ready for use by the broader scientific or medical community.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of domestic U.S. applicant types as well as certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other organizational types. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, tribal governments other than federally recognized entities, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This breadth is intended to encourage participation across institutional types and communities, including organizations that serve historically underrepresented populations.

From the source details provided, the opportunity sits within NIH funding activity categories that include education and health, and it is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.273, 93.286, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399, 93.853, 93.866), reflecting the fact that multiple NIH institutes or centers may participate or that awards can align with several NIH program areas. The record shows a creation date of 2019-01-08 and an original closing date of 2022-05-07. No award ceiling and no expected number of awards are specified in the provided data, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full NIH announcement and the participating institute guidance to understand budget expectations, scope alignment, and any institute-specific priorities.

Overall, this BRG R01 opportunity is best understood as NIH support for interdisciplinary bioengineering teams that can take a promising tool, method, or technique and push it through the practical steps that make it usable and credible for a targeted biomedical application, with clinical trial activity included as a required element under NIH definitions. The emphasis is on integration, optimization, validation, and translation, with the goal of accelerating real adoption in research or clinical practice rather than stopping at proof-of-concept.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273, 93.286, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399, 93.853, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-07. (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 19 159

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