Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 15 506
This grant opportunity, RFA-DK-15-506, is a limited-competition NIH cooperative agreement (UC4) focused on extending and leveraging the existing Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study to better understand how epigenetic changes and infectious exposures influence the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. TEDDY is a long-running epidemiological cohort that has tracked children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes, collecting extensive clinical information along with biological samples over time. The central idea behind this FOA is that TEDDY is uniquely positioned to answer questions about how early-life exposures and biological regulation interact over childhood to shape autoimmune risk, but doing so requires continued, coordinated follow-up and high-quality management of data and biospecimens.
The funding is specifically intended for the TEDDY Data Coordinating Center (DCC) that has been involved since the beginning of the consortium, meaning the competition is restricted to an incumbent or similarly situated center with deep, continuous involvement in TEDDY study design, operational coordination, and the acquisition and management of TEDDY data and biosamples. The DCC is expected to provide the research infrastructure and coordination needed to continue following TEDDY participants and to support TEDDY collaborators who want to conduct additional studies using TEDDY samples, particularly studies that measure and analyze epigenetic marks (for example, DNA methylation or other regulatory signatures) and infectious exposures (such as evidence of viral or other pathogen encounters). In practice, this emphasizes maintaining the cohort, preserving the integrity of longitudinal data, ensuring biosample availability and quality, and enabling rigorous downstream analyses by the broader research team.
Because the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, the project is structured around substantial NIH program involvement rather than functioning like a standard investigator-initiated grant. That typically means close coordination with NIH on milestones, governance, data sharing expectations, and consortium-wide priorities, reflecting the high-impact, infrastructure-heavy nature of supporting a large longitudinal cohort and its associated repository of data and specimens.
From an administrative and funding perspective, the opportunity sits within NIH and is categorized under health-related funding activities, with CFDA numbers listed as 93.847, 93.855, and 93.856. The FOA lists an award ceiling of $22,000,000 and anticipates a single award, reinforcing that this is meant to sustain a single coordinating hub rather than fund multiple independent projects. The original closing date was March 3, 2016, and the announcement was created October 2, 2015. Eligible applicant organizations include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and other entities, and it explicitly notes that non-U.S. (foreign) organizations may be eligible as well, which fits TEDDY's international, multi-site character.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as continued support for the TEDDY coordinating infrastructure so the cohort can keep being followed and so the field can capitalize on TEDDY's uniquely rich longitudinal samples and exposure data to investigate how infections and epigenetic regulation contribute to the onset and progression of autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. The deliverable is not just new scientific findings, but the sustained ability of the TEDDY consortium to generate them by maintaining a well-run, high-quality data and biosample ecosystem.Apply for RFA DK 15 506
- The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Understanding How Epigenetics and Infections Impact Autoimmunity and Diabetes in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes In The Young Study (TEDDY) (UC4)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847, 93.855, 93.856.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-02.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-03-03. (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 $22,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is RFA-DK-15-506?
RFA-DK-15-506 is an NIH funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for a limited-competition cooperative agreement (UC4). It is designed to extend and leverage the existing Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study to improve understanding of how epigenetic changes and infectious exposures influence the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The main purpose is to provide continued support for the TEDDY Data Coordinating Center (DCC) so TEDDY participants can continue to be followed over time and so the consortium can effectively use TEDDY's longitudinal clinical data and biological samples to study links between early-life exposures, epigenetic regulation (such as DNA methylation), infections, and autoimmune risk.
What study does this FOA build on?
This FOA builds on TEDDY (Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young), a long-running epidemiological cohort study that follows children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes and has collected extensive clinical information and biospecimens over time.
What types of scientific questions is TEDDY considered uniquely positioned to address under this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, TEDDY is positioned to address how early-life exposures and biological regulation interact across childhood to shape risk for islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes, with particular emphasis on infectious exposures and epigenetic changes.
What does the FOA mean by epigenetic changes?
In the context provided, epigenetic changes refer to regulatory signatures such as DNA methylation and other marks that can influence how genes are regulated without changing the underlying DNA sequence.
What does the FOA mean by infectious exposures?
Infectious exposures in this FOA refer to evidence of viral or other pathogen encounters that may be associated with the onset or progression of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes risk.
Who is this funding intended to support?
The funding is specifically intended for the TEDDY Data Coordinating Center (DCC) that has been involved since the beginning of the TEDDY consortium. The opportunity is described as limited competition, meaning it is restricted to an incumbent or a similarly situated center with deep, continuous involvement in TEDDY study design, operational coordination, and management of TEDDY data and biosamples.
Why is this a limited-competition opportunity?
It is limited because the work depends on deep institutional knowledge and continuous involvement in TEDDY operations, including study design history, ongoing operational coordination, and long-term stewardship of data and biospecimens. The FOA indicates the competition is restricted to an incumbent or similarly situated coordinating center.
What is a UC4 cooperative agreement in this context?
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement (UC4), which means the project involves substantial NIH program involvement. Rather than operating like a standard investigator-initiated grant, the FOA anticipates close coordination with NIH on milestones, governance, data sharing expectations, and consortium-wide priorities.
What are the expected responsibilities of the TEDDY Data Coordinating Center (DCC) under this FOA?
The DCC is expected to provide research infrastructure and consortium coordination to support continued follow-up of TEDDY participants and to enable TEDDY collaborators to conduct additional studies using TEDDY samples. This includes maintaining cohort operations, preserving longitudinal data integrity, ensuring biosample availability and quality, and supporting rigorous downstream analyses focused on epigenetic marks and infectious exposures.
Is this FOA primarily funding new standalone research projects?
No. Based on the description provided, the FOA is best understood as support for the coordinating infrastructure and ecosystem that enables the TEDDY consortium to generate scientific findings. The deliverable includes sustained, high-quality management of data and biospecimens, continued participant follow-up, and support for collaborator-driven analyses using TEDDY resources.
How does this FOA support studies conducted by TEDDY collaborators?
The DCC is expected to support TEDDY collaborators who want to conduct additional studies using TEDDY samples, particularly studies measuring and analyzing epigenetic marks (for example, DNA methylation) and infectious exposures (such as pathogen encounter evidence). This implies enabling access to high-quality longitudinal data and ensuring biospecimens are available and well managed for downstream analysis.
How many awards does NIH anticipate making under this FOA?
The FOA anticipates a single award, which aligns with the goal of sustaining one central coordinating hub rather than funding multiple independent centers or projects.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount listed in the FOA?
The FOA lists an award ceiling of $22,000,000.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered through NIH and is categorized under health-related funding activities.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this funding opportunity?
The CFDA numbers listed are 93.847, 93.855, and 93.856.
When was the FOA created and when was it originally due?
The announcement was created on October 2, 2015, and the original closing date was March 3, 2016.
What types of applicant organizations are listed as eligible?
Eligible applicant organizations include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and other entities.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA explicitly notes that non-U.S. (foreign) organizations may be eligible, which aligns with TEDDY being international and multi-site in character.
Why does the FOA emphasize coordinated follow-up and management of biospecimens?
Because the goal is to leverage TEDDY's uniquely rich longitudinal clinical data and biological samples, the FOA emphasizes maintaining cohort operations, preserving data integrity over time, and ensuring biosample availability and quality so infectious and epigenetic analyses can be performed rigorously.
What is the overall intended outcome of this funding opportunity?
The overall intended outcome is sustained support for the TEDDY coordinating infrastructure so the cohort can continue being followed and so the field can use TEDDY data and samples to investigate how infections and epigenetic regulation contribute to the onset and progression of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. The deliverable is the continued ability of the consortium to generate high-quality findings through a well-run data and biosample ecosystem.
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