National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank for Translational Research (U24) | RFA OH 16 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OH 16 010

The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank for Translational Research (NMVB) (U24) is a cooperative agreement funding opportunity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) intended to keep building and improving a national research resource focused on malignant mesothelioma. Originally launched in 2006, the NMVB was created to give investigators a centralized, well-curated way to access mesothelioma biospecimens and the kinds of linked information that make those samples truly useful for translational research. In practical terms, this FOA is about strengthening a shared infrastructure so scientists can more quickly study disease mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and support work that may lead to better diagnostics, treatments, and understanding of outcomes in this rare and aggressive cancer. The NMVB has published materials describing the resource and its use, with references available through the program website (http://www.mesotissue.org/publications).

A major focus of the opportunity is expanding what the NMVB can offer to the research community, both in the number and variety of biospecimens and in the depth and quality of the associated data. The bank can provide multiple specimen types collected from mesothelioma patients, including fresh frozen tumor tissue and matched control tissues, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, and blood-derived materials such as blood samples and DNA. What makes this especially valuable is that specimens are paired with key contextual data. That includes demographic and epidemiologic information like age, sex, race, occupational history, and other exposure-related details, as well as clinical information such as stage at diagnosis, treatment history, and survival outcomes. This combination supports the kinds of analyses researchers need when trying to connect molecular findings to real-world patient characteristics and disease course.

Beyond physical specimens, the NMVB functions as a virtual registry and “virtual repository,” meaning it is also designed to help investigators discover what exists, request access, and use common tools and shared datasets. The FOA emphasizes that the NMVB offers a broader library of research assets, including reagents and molecular data types that are often central to modern translational studies, such as genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data. In effect, the resource is meant to reduce duplication of effort across labs, raise the consistency of research inputs, and speed up collaborative science by making high-value samples and data more findable and shareable.

Administratively, this opportunity is issued as a discretionary award using the cooperative agreement mechanism (U24), which typically means substantial involvement or partnership from the funding agency in shaping goals, milestones, and oversight during the project period. The funding opportunity number is RFA-OH-16-010, and it is categorized under Health with CFDA 93.262. The listing indicates an anticipated single award (ExpectedAwards: 1) with an award ceiling of $1,100,000. The original posting date is January 19, 2016, and the original closing date is March 18, 2016.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants across government, academic, nonprofit, and private sectors. Eligible entities listed include state, county, and municipal governments (including townships and special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments, other tribal organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies. Nonprofits are eligible whether or not they have 501(c)(3) status, and both for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also listed as eligible. The FOA also explicitly includes a range of institution types such as Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, along with faith-based or community-based organizations and regional organizations. Foreign organizations are included as eligible as well, defined as public or private nonprofit or for-profit entities located outside the United States and its territories and operating under the laws of their home country. Finally, the notice mentions “bona fide agents” applying on behalf of a state or local government; in that case, the applicant must provide a legal, binding agreement documenting that status, submitted with the application as an attachment through Grants.gov.

Taken together, this FOA is best understood as support for a national-scale, shared mesothelioma resource that combines specimen banking, structured clinical and exposure-related data, and a virtual platform for distributing data and materials. The intent is to help the broader research community conduct higher-quality translational studies by ensuring that rare and valuable mesothelioma samples are collected, curated, linked to meaningful metadata, and made accessible in a responsible, standardized way.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank for Translational Research (U24)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.262.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-01-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-03-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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