NEI Center Core Grant for Vision Research (P30 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

---

Description

This opportunity, offered by the National Eye Institute (NEI) at NIH, provides Center Core Grants (P30) to support the establishment of shared Resource and/or Service Cores for groups of NEI-funded R01 investigators. The goal is to enhance research productivity, consolidate resources, avoid duplication, and improve cost-effectiveness by providing centralized services or facilities that would be too costly or inefficient for individual labs to maintain independently.

The program is designed to:

• Enhance the research environment and capabilities for vision research at the applicant institution.
• Facilitate collaborative studies of the visual system and its disorders.
• Promote new research directions within the NEI mission and strategic plan.

Each Center Core must include at least three Resource and/or Service Cores, plus an Administrative Core. Examples of supported cores include microscopy, imaging, tissue/cell culture, genotyping, data management, and technical services (e.g., electronics or machine shops).

Note: Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity.

---

Due Dates

• Application Deadline: September 30, 2025 (for new, renewal, resubmission, and revision applications)
• Review and Award Cycles:
  • Scientific Merit Review: March 2026
  • Advisory Council Review: May 2026
  • Earliest Start Date: July 2026

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.

---

Funding Amount

• Institutions with 8–19 eligible NEI R01 grants: Up to $2,000,000 direct costs over 5 years.
• Institutions with 20 or more eligible NEI R01 grants: Up to $2,500,000 direct costs over 5 years.
• Maximum project period: 5 years.
• No cost-sharing required.
• Number of awards: Contingent on NIH appropriations and the number of meritorious applications.

---

Eligibility

• Applicant organizations must have at least 8 active NEI-supported R01 grants (administrative extensions, supplements, revisions, and subcontracts do not count).
• Eligible organizations:
  • Public and private institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
  • For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
  • State, local, and tribal governments
  • Independent school districts
  • Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
  • Faith-based and community-based organizations
  • Regional organizations
  • U.S. territories and possessions
  • Eligible federal agencies

Not eligible:

• Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and components

• Foreign components as defined by NIH policy

• PD/PI Requirements: Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as PD(s)/PI(s) may apply. The Administrative Core Director does not need to hold a qualifying R01, but Resource/Service Core Directors must have an active NEI R01.

• Limited Submission: Only one application per institution per cycle.

---

Application Process

• Application forms: Use the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

• Submission systems: NIH ASSIST, institutional system-to-system, or Grants.gov Workspace.

• Required components:

  • Overall component
  • Administrative Core (max 1)
  • At least 3 Resource/Service Cores

• Key attachments:

  • Table of "Grants Supporting the Research Community"
  • Biographical sketches for all research community investigators
  • Data Management and Sharing Plan (in Overall component)
  • Letters of institutional support

• Page limits: See NIH Table of Page Limits (e.g., 6 pages for Overall, Admin Core, and each Core).

• Budget: Prepare detailed budgets for each component. Equipment requests over $25,000 require special justification.

• No clinical trials: Applications proposing clinical trials will not be reviewed.

• Registrations required: SAM, eRA Commons, Grants.gov, and UEI.

---

Additional Information

• Review criteria: Significance, investigator(s), innovation, approach, and environment, with specific attention to how the Center Core will increase efficiency, collaboration, and research impact.
• Data Management and Sharing: All applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan.
• No cost-sharing or matching required.
• No support for clinical methodology cores focused solely on outcomes, epidemiology, clinical trials, or health services research.
• No support for research outside the NEI mission.
• No support for clinical trials.

---

External Links

• NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (PAR-23-175)
• Grants.gov Opportunity Listing
• NEI Strategic Plan
• NIH SF424 (R&R) Application Guide
• NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy

---

Contact Information

For additional details, see Section VII. Agency Contacts in the full announcement.

---