Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaborative Research Centers (CRC) (U24 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) | RFA NS 22 020

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 22 020

The NIH funding opportunity RFA-NS-22-020 is a discretionary cooperative agreement (U24) to establish and run a Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaborative Research Centers (CRCs). In plain terms, this award is meant to fund the central “hub” that supports a network of ME/CFS research centers by providing the shared infrastructure they need to collect, manage, harmonize, analyze, and share research data, and to help coordinate access to ME/CFS biospecimens. The FOA is explicitly framed around basic experimental studies with humans required, meaning the supported effort sits in a research ecosystem where human-based studies are central, and the DMCC must be built to responsibly handle human-subjects-related data workflows, governance, and sharing expectations.

The core purpose of the DMCC is coordination and enablement rather than running a single stand-alone research project. The center is expected to make data collection across participating CRCs more efficient and consistent, which typically implies creating common data elements, standardized case report forms, shared protocols for data capture, data dictionaries, quality control processes, and secure submission pipelines. On top of simply storing information, the DMCC is expected to support data mining and data sharing, which signals an emphasis on making the combined, multi-site dataset usable for discovery, cross-study comparisons, and secondary analyses, while also ensuring appropriate privacy protections and controlled access where needed. A major additional responsibility is coordinating tools that help researchers identify and access existing ME/CFS biospecimens, which suggests the DMCC should function as a connector between biospecimen resources and the investigators who need them, with clear metadata, inventory visibility, and policies for requesting and distributing samples.

The FOA also situates the DMCC within a broader CRC network mission. The ME/CFS CRCs are described as establishing a network to facilitate: (1) collaborative basic and/or clinical research on ME/CFS, (2) provision and maintenance of tools for data and biospecimen sharing, (3) access to ME/CFS information for a wide audience that includes researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public, and (4) community outreach and engagement in research activities. In practice, that means the DMCC is not just a backend database. It is expected to be a coordinating entity that helps the network function as a cohesive program, keeps shared resources maintained and up to date, and helps translate network activity into accessible information and engagement mechanisms for stakeholders beyond the immediate research teams.

Administratively, the mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which is different from a typical grant in that NIH anticipates substantial programmatic involvement during the project period. Applicants should interpret that as an expectation of close coordination with NIH staff, responsiveness to evolving program needs, and participation in network-level governance, meetings, and consensus processes. The opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health, and it lists multiple CFDA numbers (93.213, 93.233, 93.273, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.853, 93.855), reflecting that NIH programs and institutes associated with these assistance listings may be relevant to the broader funding and oversight context.

The applicant eligibility is broad and includes many common U.S. organizational types: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it draws clear limits on foreign participation: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may include certain types of foreign collaborations or performance sites if they meet NIH’s definition and requirements for a foreign component.

Key timeline and budget details included in the source data indicate the FOA was created on 2022-02-15, with an original closing date of 2022-05-24. The award ceiling is listed as $500,000, which functions as a stated maximum level for the award as presented in the summary data. The expected number of awards is not provided in the supplied excerpt, so applicants would typically look to the full announcement for clarity on how many DMCC awards NIH intended to make, as well as the anticipated project period, any direct cost limits per year, and any required milestones or deliverables tied to continued funding.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as NIH funding for a centralized, network-serving coordinating center that makes multi-site ME/CFS research work better: cleaner and more harmonized data collection, stronger quality control, usable shared datasets, practical systems for biospecimen discovery and access, and coordinated dissemination and engagement activities that connect the CRC network to clinicians, researchers, patients, and the broader public.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaborative Research Centers (CRC) (U24 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213, 93.233, 93.273, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.853, 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-02-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-24. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 NS 22 020

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