NIH Complement Animal Research in Experimentation NAMs Reduction to Practice Challenge
The NIH Complement Animal Research in Experimentation NAMs Reduction to Practice Challenge funds innovative, human-based NAMs to replace or supplement animal models in biomedical research.
Funder: NIH Challenges
Due Dates: March 1, 2026 (Phase 1 Submission Deadline) | March 22, 2027 (Phase 2 Milestone 1 Submission Deadline) | October 19, 2027 (Phase 2 Milestone 2 Submission Deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $7,000,000 in total cash prizes; Phase 1: $80,000/winner (up to 20); Phase 2: $150,000/winner (up to 10) for Milestone 1, $200,000/winner (up to 7) for Milestone 2; Phase 3: $1,000,000 grand prize, $500,000 for each of 3 runners-up.
Summary: Three-phase NIH challenge supporting innovative, human-based combinatorial NAMs to replace or complement animal models, emphasizing validation and practical application.
Key Information: Only Phase 1 winners may advance; non-U.S. entities or individuals cannot receive monetary prizes.
Description
This NIH challenge seeks to accelerate the development, validation, and qualification of innovative combinatorial new approach methodologies (NAMs) that use human-based solutions to complement or replace animal models in biomedical research and regulatory testing. The competition is structured in three phases:
- Phase 1: Proof-of-concept and feasibility studies for integrated NAMs platforms.
- Phase 2: Prototype development and achievement of two key milestones (prototype construction and internal validation).
- Phase 3: Prototype delivery for independent validation and qualification.
Priority areas include chronic disease, neurobiological models, personalized medicine, cross-disease pathogenesis, toxicology, and human health protection. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged to integrate advanced in vitro, in silico, and in chemico methods into cohesive, practical platforms. Validation and qualification support is provided via the Complement-ARIE Validation and Qualification Network (VQN).
