Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

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.

NIH recognizes that cutting-edge physical infrastructures are essential for the conduct of novel, advanced research and the support of specialized research-enabling operations. Dedicated collaborative research facilities and shared-use resource spaces, such as clean rooms for barrier housing or GLP-compliant spaces for compound synthesis, as well as biosafety-level laboratories for research involving human participants, are critical to support specialized equipment and technologies, emerging experimental protocols, and enhance institutional research capacity. Modern physical infrastructure necessitates the implementation of advanced engineering designs that comply with required engineering standards to sustain the intended operation over many years.

Therefore, all construction design must conform to the latest edition of the NIH Design Requirements Manual (DRM) and its referenced policies, codes, standards, and technical criteria. For applications submitted to this NOFO, it is expected that each project will implement the best engineering solutions and modern technologies. In situations where animal facilities are proposed, the proposed animal facilities must be compliant with the Required Codes and Standards as specified in Section 1.2.1, including the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Policy) and Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide).

Note: There is no maximum for the total cost of a construction project under this NOFO. Each of the two programs, however, allows a different range of the Total Federal Funds Requested. Specifically, the Total Federal Funds Requested allows the range of $2,000,000 to $8,000,000 for applications under the BRF program and $2,000,000 to $4,000,000 for the HRF applications.

Moreover, the HRF program supports HIV/AIDS-related research that aligned with the NIH OAR priorities, including implementation science for preventing HIV infection, facilities for manufacturing safe HIV interventions/treatments with more effective viral eradication or sustained viral suppression for viruses in their latent reservoirs, or vaccines more potent to suppress viruses with high mutational potential or multiple genetic variants. 

While this NOFO permits a nominal level of supports for fixed equipment listed in Section IV, it is not intended for applications requesting research instruments, replacement of aging or failing equipment, or funding for routine operational needs. Requests for these purposes are not appropriate and will not be supported. Applications for billable medical care, office space, or classrooms are not appropriate in response to this NOFO.

Applicants may request funds to cover design and implementation costs of the project. Specifically, the allowable costs include the architectural and engineering design fees, contingency fees, construction and fixed equipment expenses, and fees for commissioning of the facility. See the Funding Restrictions section for further details on allowable and non-allowable costs. Applicants are encouraged to follow sustainable design principles and to use green technologies.

To appropriately conceive, develop, construct, and successfully complete the project, a Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) should possess knowledge of the relevant scientific field(s) to be served by the proposed facility, demonstrate leadership skills, and assemble a team with technical expertise related to all aspects of the project. The PD/PI does not need to be a currently NIH-funded investigator but is expected to have an appropriate standing in the institutional administration and the research community to lead and oversee the project.

The project should meet the following criteria and documentation requirements:

• The project must be essential for biomedical research activities supported and the space involved will be used for these activities.
• The facility must be utilized for the biomedical research purposes for which it was constructed or improved for at least 10 years beginning on the date of beneficial occupancy of the space.
• For modernization and renovation projects, the structure must be architecturally and physically suitable for conversion to the type of research space required.
• If the space is rented, evidence must be provided that the terms of the lease and expected subsequent use of the facility are consistent with the proposed project. Specifically, a signed document from the building owner must be provided, detailing that the terms of the lease agreement and subsequent use of the facility will comply with the 10-year term of the Notice of Federal Interest (NFI) requirement following the occupancy of the facility. A statement of agreement by the owner of the space must be included at the time of application submission. These documents will be verified if/when the application is considered for funding.
• If the project affects a site listed (or eligible for inclusion) in the National Register of Historic Places, the requirements specified in "Preservation of Cultural and Historic Resources" must be followed.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts to discuss their planned projects before submitting applications. For additional guidance, visit the C06 Frequently Asked Questions web page.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Higher Education Institutions - Includes all types

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Applicant organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information. 

• System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.

• NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)- A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.  PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed construction as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.

The PD/PI should hold appropriate stature within the institutional administration structure and research community to be able to oversee various facets of the entire project. The PD/PI should also have a demonstrated record of leadership skills to recruit and guide expert Key Personnel with complementary technical and scientific skills to successfully accomplish the construction project.

For the description of roles of Key Personnel, see Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Only one application per institution (identified by NIH IPF number) is allowed.

NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application.  This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. See the administrative office for instructions for plans to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise (in this NOFO, in a policy notice, or other notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

All page limitations described in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

The following exceptions or additional requirements apply:

• For this NOFO, there is no Research Strategy.

The Project Information attachment of the SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information form is limited to:

• Overview (in lieu of Specific Aims): 1 page
• Scientific Justifications and Development of the Facility sections: 12 pages in total, excluding Line Drawings and specifically required Tables

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply - Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Estimated Project Funding: Applicants must provide the 'Total Federal Funds Requested', 'Total Federal and Non-Federal Funds', and 'Estimated Program Income’.

Is Application Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372 Process: Applicants should indicate "yes" and provide the date the application was submitted to the State.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Title: The title must start with either “BRF:” or “HIV:” to ensure applications are properly grouped for review, funding consideration and reporting.

Project Summary/Abstract: The Project Summary/Abstract should contain a succinct and accurate description of the proposed construction project emphasizing the critical need for the facility and its expected long-term impact. The application's broad, long-term objectives should be stated, concisely describing how the facility will enhance the infrastructure and biomedical research at the applicant institution. For example, it should describe how a proposed collaborative research facility will advance HIV/AIDS, human health, or chronic disease research in adults or explain how a well-structured core facility will provide integrated research and services to meet the needs of regional researchers. 

NOTE: The Project Summary/Abstract must be no longer than 30 lines of text.

Project Narrative: In this section, using no more than two or three sentences, describe the project and the relevance of this project to public health. Be succinct and use plain language that can be understood by a general, lay audience. In addition, if an IEE Status is claimed, use this section to declare the IEE status of the applicant institution and briefly explain the justification, such as indicating the specific populations with health status deficit that will benefit from the biomedical research supported by the proposed project.

Bibliography & References Cited: List only publications that are applicable to the construction proposal.

Facilities & Other Resources: Not Applicable. Do not include an attachment here.

Equipment: Not Applicable. Do not include an attachment here.

Other Attachments:

For this NOFO, the following 12 components are expected in the Other Attachments.

1) Overview (required) (File Name: Overview).

The Overview cannot exceed 1 page and must summarize the project, stating its goals, and outlining the proposed approaches to achieve them. Specifically, this section should include a description of the space affected by the project and any equipment which is requested in this application – Tables 1 and 2 may be referenced to simplify the presentation. A short statement should also be included to summarize how the project will enhance institutional-wide research programs and benefit research groups. As a part of this statement, if applicable, an IEE applicant must identify and briefly justify its status. In this section, as part of the justification, an applicant should state the long-term goals of improving a particular research or research training capacity or enhancing a research or research training area and how the proposed investments in the physical infrastructure will advance the institution to excellence in that domain.

2) Scientific Justification and Facility Development (required) (File Name: Scientific Justification and Facility Development)

This space is used for Scientific Justification and Development of the Facility. It is up to the PD/PI to allocate the 12 pages allowed for the project description to the sections: Scientific Justification and Development of the Facility. A successful application does not need to reach the page limitation; however, it must justify the request from a scientific perspective and describe technical design approaches with enough details to make clear the merits of the overall project. These merits include plans for long-term use of the space by many researchers.

The Scientific Justification section should focus on how the proposed project will expand the institution’s biomedical research capabilities or enhance its research-support infrastructure. The request must be driven by clearly defined scientific needs, such as spaces to accommodate specific instrumentation specialized laboratory and research settings. Applicants should describe how the new or modernized facility will directly support research activities—for example, by enabling high-throughput computational models to interpret biological systems, or developing advanced data analysis software. The PD/PI must: describe the current institutional infrastructure and its limitations; explain how those limitations hinder ongoing or planned biomedical research; and detail how the proposed upgrades will meet the evolving needs of the research community. Applications should also connect the infrastructure improvements to the research community that will benefit—whether institution-wide, regional, or national. For instance, a core facility modernization aimed at supporting chronic disease research should outline infrastructure gaps specific to studies involving targeted populations and how the proposed improvements will address those needs. Finally, applicants are strongly encouraged to provide 10-year projections of the research services and/or resources the new facility will deliver once operational, emphasizing long-term impact and sustainability.

In the case of an IEE application under the BRF program, the PD/PI should outline ongoing efforts at the institution for the advancement of biomedical research and relate these efforts to the long-term growth plans at the institution. As part of the justification for this project, the PD/PI should specify in what area they are striving to achieve excellence and explain how this project helps advance the research capacity or research training capacity, and how the infrastructure will help the institution to reach the goal. Plans to solve deficits in the available research infrastructure and funding should be a part of the justification of needs for the new infrastructure. This justification should be specific about the research area to be supported and address the relevant expertise and other available resources on which plans for the research expansion are built. Current NIH research funding is not an eligibility requirement but if available should be included in this project’s justification, along with research funding from other sources, such as other Federal agencies, private foundations, and the institution (e.g., endowments). Table 3 may be included, as applicable. IEE applicants should be striving to establish research or research training capacity that serves the needs described above.

For facilities that support NIH funded research projects, explaining how the new or improved infrastructure will advance the conduct of the selected active NIH-funded research projects. Centers and other resources that support a regional or nation-wide community of researchers should describe their role in enabling specific research activities and justify how the NIH-funded research projects will be directly enhanced by the proposed infrastructure improvements. Long-term plans for support of infrastructure and research programs should be outlined to illustrate the institutional commitment for the scientific program. Table 3 should be used to reference these projects, active at the time of the application submission.

For all applications, this section should be made clear that there will be a strong research community at the institution to rely on the new infrastructure, even when the listed grants expire. It should also provide a bridge between the long-term institutional vision for biomedical research and the proposed infrastructure development. The narrative of this section should describe how the facility will be used by or provide services to many researchers. This section should conclude with a paragraph about how the PD/PI will work with the project Key Personnel on overseeing the planning process and its execution. The team members’ individual roles and their responsibilities at different stages of the project should establish their expected contribution towards the overall goal. It is also important for the PD/PI to describe how the team will be organized and demonstrate how its members will work together at different stages of the project. The PD/PI should document that the team as a group has expertise and skills necessary to design and construct the facility so that the scientific objectives are met.

The Development of the Facility section should present technical specifications, details of the architectural and engineering design, and the proposed construction processes. The PD/PI should provide enough details about implementation of the project, including technical challenges that will need to be overcome. This narrative should start with the location of the building in which the facility is to be housed (if a new structure is to be erected) or the location of the existing building (if a present facility is to be modernized) in relation to other buildings in the immediate area. In either case the narrative should also describe the location of the project in the building. The level of detail of the application's Line Drawings, data in Tables 1 and 2 and the narrative of this section must provide sufficient information for reviewers to determine the functionality of the overall design plans, and the safety and reliability of the proposed facility. The design specifications must adhere to the federal and industry standards and meet the requirements set by standard operating procedures described in the section Scientific Justification, as applicable. Professionally made schematic drawings are encouraged in order to clarify the specifications and avoid potential design related questions.

In the narrative, all requested fixed equipment should be justified as being relevant to the function of the facility. Fixed equipment may include infrastructure equipment, such as HVAC units serving the facility and other large, fixed equipment that is built into the building structure such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. In addition to these very essential items for building operations, requests can be made for casework, fixed laboratory equipment or other equipment required to achieve full functionality of the facility as proposed. Also, the installation needs of all fixed equipment in the context of the engineering aspects of the project, such as MEP specifications for their installation, should be presented - see data in Table 2, below.

The PD/PI should provide engineering and architectural criteria as relevant to the project, including:

• MEP specifications, such as hot and cold water, and steam requirements; number of air changes per hour, and any special ventilation requirements;
• fire protection requirements; building automation systems; security/surveillance;
• biohazard and radiation safety requirements; chemicals used;
• width of corridors and doors and surface finishes;
• quality of life issues (e.g., light levels, natural lighting, noise, vibration, and additional housing facilities);
• functional relationships and zoning of the area.

All these criteria should be justified in the context of the specific function(s) of the requested facility, and a description of how they will be met should be provided. Construction design for the NIH-funded facilities shall conform to the latest edition of the NIH Design Requirements Manual (DRM).

In summary, all requests must be justified in terms of both the scientific needs and the corresponding technical requirements for the facility. In particular, to address the rationale for the technical design, plans for the use of the facility must be clearly outlined. Attention must be paid to federal and industry biosafety standards and codes, so upon the completion of this project, the occupancy permit can be secured, and the facility can serve its research purpose.

Whenever practicable, the applicant should employ sustainable design practices and green technologies. Sustainability is the outcome of an integrated process of facility development and operation, incorporating a balance of life-cycle cost, environmental impact, and occupant health, safety, security, and productivity. The sustainable design should consider the following primary elements of energy use efficiency; water use efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and material and resources selection, as applicable:

• Optimize Energy Efficiency: Implement strategies to minimize energy consumption through optimized building energy performance, energy-efficient lighting, and renewable energy sources where possible;
• Protect and Conserve Water: Protect and conserve both indoor and outdoor water resources. Use water-efficient products, water process, natural site drainage, and stormwater retention strategies;
• Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality: Ensure healthy indoor environments by optimizing ventilation, humidity control, and thermal comfort. Incorporate daylighting strategies to improve energy performance and occupant well-being;
• Use Environmentally Responsible Materials: Reduce environmental impact by selecting low-emission building materials, avoiding ozone-depleting substances, and prioritizing materials with high recycled or bio-based content. Reuse construction waste where possible and implement robust recycling plans.

If an award is made, for all improvements and repair projects that impact 40% or more of the overall floor area of a building, the applicant must obtain certification, during the design phase, from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes System Certification rating system.

3) Annotated satellite and/or map views of the envisioned construction site (required): illustrate the location of the construction and relationship with respect to adjacent buildings, areas, and roads (name the attachment: Annotated map views).

4) Line Drawings (required, name the attachment: Line drawings): Each line drawing must be formatted to fit on an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper. (Do not submit "blueprints".) All floor plans must be legible, with the scale clearly indicated on each page. The floor plans must indicate the location of equipment and illustrate safety clearances and workspace. If applicable, submit drawings of the existing and proposed space. The drawings must indicate:

• functional layout of the entire area;
• size dimensions, function, and the net and gross square feet for each room;
• location of the proposed construction/renovation area in the existing building including building name/ address and the floor(s) affected) with affected/ renovated areas clearly marked;
• changes or additions to existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; notes that annotate these changes may be made directly on the plan;
• functional layout of the proposed facility, showing the location of entries and exits, egress routes, clearances, and the location of fixed equipment.

Note, construction designs for NIH-funded facilities shall conform to the latest edition of the NIH Design Requirements Manual (DRM). Although the line drawings do not count toward the page limits, do not include additional text.

5) Table 1 (required): list the size (dimensions) and square footage of each component (e.g., clean room, laboratory, closet etc.) that will be directly affected by the project. (name the attachment: Dimension Table)

6) Table 2 (required): list of requested fixed equipment. Table 2 should include information such as the manufacturer, model number, size, capacity, total cost, and location in the facility. Total cost of each item must be supported by vendor quotes in the Budget Justification and Vendor Quotes attachment (see below). (name the attachment: Equipment Table)

7) Table 3 (optional): list of active research grants which are directly related to the project. This table must have the following columns: (1) Funding Agency; (2) Grant Number; (3) PD/PI Name; (4) Annual Direct Costs for the current fiscal year; (5) Start and End Dates. Do not list more than 12 relevant grants. (name the attachment: Active grants)

8) Project timeline (required): To demonstrate how the project will be completed within the five-year budget and award period. Please include the major steps in the project. (name the attachment: Project timeline).

9) Budget Justification and Vendor Quotes (required, name the attachment: Budget Justification and Quotes): Justify and describe the application budget for the project. All vendor quotes should be attached here. In addition to supplying vendor quotes as applicable, the budget justification should include detailed breakdowns of the costs that comprise each of the budget categories:

• Administrative and legal expenses;
• Land, structures, rights-of-way, appraisals, etc.;
• Relocation expenses and payments;
• Architectural and engineering fees:
• Site preparation work;
• Demolition and removal;
• Construction;
• Equipment;
• Project inspection fees;
• Contingencies.

10) Institutional Support Letter (required, name the attachment: Institutional Support Letter(s)). A letter from a high-ranking institutional official (e.g., Dean, Provost, President) indicating institutional support for the research activities to be conducted in the new facility and to document that it will be used as proposed. The letter must be co-signed by an institutional Signing Official. This letter should include plans to support such expenses as future operating and maintenance costs, staff salaries, and user training (if needed). Additionally, institutional commitment to cover unforeseen expenses during the construction phase is strongly encouraged.

11) Certification of Title to Site (required, name the attachment: Certification of Title to Site): Applicants must include a legal opinion describing the interest the applicant institution has in the performance site. The legal opinion should describe any mortgages or other foreclosable liens on the property, including the principal amount of the mortgage (and rate of interest); the dates of the mortgage; the terms and conditions of repayment; the appraised value of the property; and any provisions designed to protect the Federal interest in the property. The facility must be utilized for biomedical research purposes for which it was approved for at least 10 years beginning on the date of beneficial occupancy of the space. Any lease agreement must cover a length of time sufficient for the usage requirement and be a minimum of 10 years in length from the completion of the facility.

12) Support Letters (optional): A maximum of seven optional support letters may be attached. Attach all the support letters in a single file (name the attachment: Support Letters).

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

The Key Personnel must have complementary scientific and technical skills. The PD/PI is expected to be a senior PhD-level scientist who has a significant role at the applicant institution to ensure the success of the construction/modernization project, for example, a College Dean who oversees research space, Director of an Institute or Center, or a Scientific Director of a Core Facility. Also, an individual with technical proficiency in engineering or architectural matters who will serve as a Construction Project Manager must be identified. This person's responsibility will include oversight of the design, implementation of the project, and communication between the scientific and technical staff at every step of the development of the application and subsequent execution of the project. A project role for this person should be specified as "Other" or "Other Professional" and a bio-sketch with relevant information about professional qualifications and expertise should be attached. This person will closely work with the PD/PI and an outside consulting firm on all technical aspects of the project, including planning, designing, constructing, completing, and commissioning of the facility. A project role for this person should be specified as “Other” or “Other Professional” and a biographical sketch with relevant information about their professional qualifications and expertise must be attached.

Depending on the scope of the project, other Key Personnel, such as a Facility Manager in an ABSL3 facility or Imaging center, may be identified. The Facility Manager should provide appropriate expertise to assist with setting scientific requirements for the technical design and to make possible the immediate use of the completed facility. Often, this person would be a PhD-level scientist, for example, a scientist/core director if a specialized-used facility is planned.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

The Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF424C) must be used to attach an overall application budget page for the total requested funds.

Applicants must provide the “Total Federal Funds Requested”, “Total Federal and Non-Federal Funds”, and “Estimated Program Income’ on the SF424 (R&R) Cover form.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time.  If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

Funds will be awarded in a single action using a fifty-six -month budget and project period. The requested budget can support design, construction activity, and purchase of fixed equipment and its installation costs. The fixed equipment may include infrastructure equipment, such as HVAC units serving the facility and other large-fixed equipment connected to the building structure and services, and specialized equipment used in the indoor housing or outdoor corral to support the operation of the breeding facility. Also, requests can be made for fixed laboratory equipment and its installation costs. Examples of such equipment include, but are not limited to:

• fume hoods and laminar flow stations;
• biosafety cabinets;
• casework and laboratory benches;
• autoclaves and other sterilizing equipment;
• telemetry equipment for monitoring and measuring subject physical activities and physiological conditions or biobehavioral monitoring and recording.

Allowable costs also include:

• appraisals;
• bid advertising;
• inspection and commissioning fees;
• project management;
• contingency fees (Allowable contingency fees are limited to 15 percent of the total allowable costs before bids are received and must be reduced to 10 percent after a construction contract has been awarded.)
• filing fees for recording of Notice of Federal Interest.

Unallowable costs include:

• personnel costs not related to actual construction;
• bonus payments to contractors;
• consultant fees not related to actual construction;
• damage judgment suits;
• non-fixed/movable equipment and furniture;
• scientific instruments (e.g., microscopes, biomedical imagers, spectrometers);
• FDA approval process following the completion of the construction project;
• F&A costs;
• supplies;
• fund-raising expenses;
• interior and exterior decorating fees (e.g., purchase of artwork, sculpture, etc.);
• parking lot construction, exterior bike racks, electric car charging stations, and/or exterior landscaping.

To protect the Federal interest in improved real property, grantees will be required to file an NFI in the Land Record Office of the jurisdiction where the facility will be located as required by 45 CFR 75.323 and the NIH GPS. The NFI is required when use and disposition conditions apply to the property as stated in the NoA. The time of its recordation shall be when construction begins. A copy of the recorded NFI must be provided to the Grants Management Office within 10 days following the date of recordation - see Section VII Agency Contacts Funds will be awarded in a single action using a five-year budget and project period.

If awarded, all funds will be restricted except for Project Design and Engineering Fees. NIH must approve the design documents before releasing the restricted funds. The awardee will be asked to submit the design documents for technical review, in agreement with the NIH DRM. The purpose of the NIH design review is to ensure that applicable design standards are incorporated into the drawings and specifications so that the program requirements can be met. It is expected that the technical review process will be conducted in three stages for:

• Schematic Design Documents (SDDs) (15-30%),
• Development Design Documents (DDDs) (50-65%), and
• Construction Design Documents (CDDs) (95-100%).

Review at each stage may take 4-6 weeks. The applicant must submit SDDs within 4 months following the receipt of the Notice of Award (NoA), but considering the overall technical review timeline, the earliest possible submission of the design documents is encouraged following the receipt of the NoA. In general, most applicants require 16 months to complete the technical design phase.

Note, changing scope of a construction project requires substantial redesigns, extra round of submissions of all three phases of design documents, and additional technical design reviews. Changing project scope inevitably increases the costs and shortens the available time for construction. Therefore, it is unlikely to obtain an approval of a request for major changes of the scope of the construction project after the technical review process is completed and the revised NoA is issued. As the C06 budget period cannot be extended, the institution must pay for any construction components completed after the budget period of the C06 award.

The Environmental Analysis Form is not required at the time of the application submission. Instead, a Grants Management Specialist will request this information as part of the Just-in-Time process (NOT-OD-10-120).

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.  Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with preparing the electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit the How to Apply - Application Guide. If applicants encounter a system issue that threatens the applicant's ability to complete the submission process on-time, the applicant must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PDs/PIs must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed. 

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200.113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.1.35.

Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov. 

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy.

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by CSR, in accordance with NIH peer review policies and practices, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

• May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.

• Will receive a written critique.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review
• Scientific merit of the research activities that will be carried out in the proposed facility
• Availability of funds under NIH extramural construction appropriation
• Relevance of the project for which construction is proposed to the objectives and priorities of the particular program authorized by the Public Health Service Act
• Scientific or professional standing or reputation of the applicant and of its existing or proposed officers and research staff
• Availability, by affiliation or other association, of other scientific or health personnel and facilities to the extent necessary to carry out effectively the program proposed for the facility, including the adequacy of an acceptable biohazard control and containment program when warranted
• The need for the facility and its total effects on similar or related facilities in the locale, and the need for appropriate geographic distribution of similar facilities
• The project cost and design in relevance to institutional financial commitment
• The overall risk assessment, including financial capability and financial risk assessment, on timely completion of the proposed project

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.5.1. Just-in-Time Procedures. This request is not a Notice of Award nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding.

Prior to making an award, NIH reviews an applicant’s federal award history in SAM.gov to ensure sound business practices. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the Responsibility/Qualification records available in SAM.gov.  NIH will consider any comments by the applicant in the Responsibility/Qualification records in SAM.gov to ascertain the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and performance record of managing Federal awards per 2 CFR Part 200.206 “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.”  This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

A Notice of Award (NoA) is the official authorizing document notifying the applicant that an award has been made and that funds may be requested from the designated HHS payment system or office. The NoA is signed by the Grants Management Officer and emailed to the recipient’s business official.  

In accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Any pre-award costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the applicant's own risk.  For more information on the Notice of Award, please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 5. The Notice of Award and NIH Grants & Funding website, see Award Process.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

The following Federal wide and HHS-specific policy requirements apply to awards funded through NIH:

• The rules listed at 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
• All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the terms and conditions in the Notice of Award (NoA). The NoA includes the requirements of this NOFO. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities.

All federal statutes and regulations relevant to federal financial assistance, including those highlighted in NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4 Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates.

By applying for or accepting federal funds from HHS, recipients certify compliance with all federal antidiscrimination laws and these requirements and that complying with those laws is a material condition of receiving federal funding streams. Recipients are responsible for ensuring subrecipients, contractors, and partners also comply.

Applicants and recipients are strongly encouraged to refer to the NIH Director’s Statement of Priorities, entitled “Advancing NIH’s Mission Through a Unified Strategy.” 

Recipients are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable federal regulations. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.340, by accepting an NIH award, the recipient agrees that continued funding for the award is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds, recipient satisfactory performance, compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the award, and may also otherwise be terminated, to the extent authorized by law, if the agency determines that the award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities, in line with 2 CFR 200.340(a)(4).

Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, Div. N, § 405, Pub. Law 114-113, 6 USC § 1533(d), the HHS Secretary has established a common set of voluntary, consensus-based, and industry-led guidelines, best practices, methodologies, procedures, and processes.

Successful recipients under this NOFO agree that:

When recipients, subrecipients, or third-party entities have:

1. ongoing and consistent access to HHS owned or operated information or operational technology systems; and
2. receive, maintain, transmit, store, access, exchange, process, or utilize personal identifiable information (PII) or personal health information (PHI) obtained from the awarding HHS agency for the purposes of executing the award.

Recipients shall develop plans and procedures, modeled after the NIST Cybersecurity framework, to protect HHS systems and data. Please refer to NIH Post-Award Monitoring and Reporting for additional information. 

Not Applicable

3. Data Management and Sharing

Consistent with the 2023 NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. 

Not applicable for construction awards.

4. Reporting

Progress reports for multiyear funded awards are due annually on or before the anniversary of the budget/project period start date of award. The reporting period for multiyear funded award progress report is the calendar year preceding the anniversary date of the award. Information on the content of the progress report and instructions on how to submit the report are posted at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/myf.htm.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.6 Closeout. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR 200.301. Following completion and occupancy of the facility, recipients must certify on a yearly basis for 20 years that the facility is used to conduct biomedical research.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk - Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues.

Grants.gov Support Center - Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and services (e.g., Workspace, subscriptions).

Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
Phone: 301-594-1187
Email: oripconstruction@od.nih.gov

Office of AIDS Research (OAR)
Email: OARrinfo@nih.gov

Applicants should examine their eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

Office of AIDS Research (OAR)
Email: OARrinfo@nih.gov

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) – ORIP Team
Phone: 301-480-6854
Email: nhlbioripogm@nhlbi.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may impact an applicant's application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

As congressionally mandated, awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284), 42 USC 283k, and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52b and 2 CFR Part 200.