Cellular Senescence Network: Technology Development and Application in Murine Systems (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA RM 22 005

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 22 005

The NIH funding opportunity titled "Cellular Senescence Network: Technology Development and Application in Murine Systems (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-22-005; CFDA 93.310) is a discretionary, health-focused cooperative agreement designed to speed up the development of new tools for finding and precisely mapping senescent cells in mouse tissues. The central scientific goal is high-resolution identification and spatial mapping of senescent cells, paired with analytics that can handle the complexity and heterogeneity of senescence across different tissue types. The program is framed around creating practical, scalable technologies that can move beyond a single proof-of-concept experiment and become robust methods that work across multiple murine tissues.

This FOA uses a two-stage UG3/UH3 structure meant to push projects quickly from development into broader validation and application. The first stage is the UG3 phase, lasting up to two years, and it supports the early development of emerging technologies along with a clear demonstration that the approach is feasible for detecting and mapping senescent cells in murine tissues. The emphasis in UG3 is on accelerated proof-of-principle: teams are expected to show that the method works, that it can generate interpretable outputs, and that it has a credible path toward being integrated and scaled. The second stage is the UH3 phase, which supports what comes next once feasibility is shown: optimization across multiple contexts, scale-up, and generation of production-level datasets. In UH3, the technology is expected to be applied in a way that actually describes cellular senescence over a mouse life-course scenario, such as across development or throughout the lifespan, rather than remaining confined to a narrowly defined experimental setting.

A defining operational feature is that applicants must submit UG3 and UH3 components together as a single, integrated application. Transition from UG3 to UH3 is not automatic; it depends on meeting quantifiable milestones laid out in the proposal. Projects that hit these milestones can be administratively considered and prioritized by NIH staff for transition to the UH3 phase, with the final decision also dependent on the availability of funds. Because this is a cooperative agreement, the award mechanism generally implies substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared with a standard grant, meaning the agency may have an active role in stewardship, coordination, and ensuring milestones and deliverables stay on track.

The opportunity is intentionally broad in who can apply, reflecting a network-building and technology-development orientation. Eligible applicants include many types of U.S. government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Academic eligibility spans public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education. The FOA also welcomes nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. It explicitly highlights additional eligible groups 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), and other tribal government or tribal organization categories (including tribal governments that are not federally recognized). Faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are also included, signaling an intent to attract wide-ranging technical expertise and capabilities.

Key administrative details in the source listing include the sponsoring agency (National Institutes of Health), the creation date (2021-10-28), and the original closing date (2022-01-19). The FOA is marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means the supported work must stay within preclinical or non-clinical trial research boundaries; in practical terms, applicants should structure aims around murine systems technology development, validation, and application rather than human clinical testing. Overall, the program is aimed at accelerating the field’s ability to detect, locate, and characterize senescent cells in vivo or in tissue contexts with high resolution, and then to apply those capabilities systematically across tissues and across time in the mouse to illuminate how senescence emerges, changes, and contributes to biology over the life course.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cellular Senescence Network: Technology Development and Application in Murine Systems (UG3/UH3 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): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-01-19. (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 RFA RM 22 005

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