Glial Plasticity in the Aging Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 21 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 21 010

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Glial Plasticity in the Aging Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AG-21-010; CFDA 93.866) supports basic and mechanistic research focused on how glial cells change during aging and how those changes shape brain health over time. The central idea behind the announcement is that glia are not uniform cell populations; instead, they show major spatial and temporal diversity, meaning that glial cells of the same broad type can differ depending on where they are in the brain, when they are observed, and what conditions the brain is experiencing. The opportunity emphasizes that this within-cell-type heterogeneity appears to evolve as organisms age, potentially giving rise to distinct glial subpopulations with different physiological roles. NIH is seeking projects that fill key knowledge gaps about whether, how, and why these emerging glial subtypes contribute either to vulnerability (increased risk of decline, dysfunction, or pathology) or resilience (maintenance of function and protection against age-related stressors) in the aging brain.

This is an R01 research project grant mechanism, which generally indicates support for well-developed, hypothesis-driven studies that can deliver clear, publishable advances in understanding. The "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" designation signals that applications should not propose clinical trials; the intent is to fund preclinical, foundational, or other non-trial human research that advances biological understanding rather than testing an intervention in a clinical trial framework. In practice, competitive projects for a topic like this commonly center on identifying and characterizing glial subpopulations, mapping their distribution across brain regions and across the lifespan, determining how aging reshapes their gene expression and functional properties, and clarifying how these changes influence neuronal circuits and overall brain function. The announcement is framed around "glial plasticity," so studies that illuminate how glia adapt, transition between states, or shift roles during aging are especially aligned, particularly when those state changes can be tied to mechanisms that might explain resilience versus susceptibility to age-related cognitive or neurological decline.

The eligibility criteria are broad and include many organization types across the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and 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 and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional categories captured under "others." The announcement also highlights a wide range of "other eligible applicants," underscoring an inclusive posture toward institutions and organizations that serve specific communities or operate in unique jurisdictions. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible agencies of the federal government; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized; and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, meaning foreign organizations can apply.

Key administrative details provided in the source data include an original closing date of 2020-06-17 and a creation date of 2019-12-17. The award ceiling listed is $250,000, indicating the upper limit specified in the opportunity materials for budget considerations as presented in the dataset. The opportunity category is discretionary, the funding instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is health, consistent with NIH biomedical research support. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at accelerating a more precise, subtype-level understanding of glial biology in aging, with the expectation that clarifying which glial subpopulations drive harmful versus protective aging trajectories will sharpen the field's ability to explain brain aging and identify future therapeutic directions, even though this particular announcement does not support clinical trials.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Glial Plasticity in the Aging Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-12-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-06-17. (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 $250,000.00 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 AG 21 010

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