Development of Collaborative Research Facilities or Research-Resource Facilities (C06 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) and the Office of AIDS Research (OAR), is soliciting applications under Funding Opportunity Number PAR-26-106 to support the construction or modernization of collaborative research facilities. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is a reissue of PAR-25-061 and aims to strengthen biomedical and behavioral research infrastructure across the United States through two key programs: the Biomedical Research Facilities (BRF) program and the HIV/AIDS Research Facilities (HRF) program. Both programs fall under the NIH’s broader mission to advance public health by enabling high-quality, collaborative research. The BRF program supports the development of shared-use biomedical research facilities that serve local, regional, or national research communities. It emphasizes the construction or renovation of multidisciplinary laboratories, core facilities, or specialized centers like imaging centers or biorepositories. These facilities are designed to enhance research capabilities in emerging scientific areas and to provide long-term, institution-wide benefit. Preference is given to facilities that enable advanced technologies and collaborative research across multiple scientific fields. Notably, facilities solely supporting animal care are not prioritized under this NOFO. The HRF program is dedicated to supporting infrastructure that facilitates HIV/AIDS-related research aligned with the NIH OAR priorities. This includes research aimed at preventing HIV infection, managing long-term health impacts, and developing advanced HIV treatment or prevention technologies. Applications to this program must clearly align with these thematic areas and demonstrate broad benefit to the HIV/AIDS research community. Applicants are expected to justify how the infrastructure supports collaborative, sustainable, and cutting-edge research, and how it promotes training for the next generation of HIV/AIDS researchers. Both BRF and HRF applications must request a minimum of $2 million in direct costs, with maximums of $8 million and $4 million respectively. Awards will cover architectural and engineering design, construction, fixed equipment, and commissioning costs. However, applications requesting funds for non-fixed equipment, research instruments, or routine operations will not be considered. Funds are awarded in a single installment with a maximum five-year project period. Design and engineering fees are available immediately upon award, but remaining funds are restricted until the design receives ORIP approval. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based higher education institutions and nonprofits. Foreign entities or components are not eligible. Only one application per institution (identified by NIH IPF number) is allowed. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a senior scientist with institutional authority and the ability to lead the project through design and construction. Institutions identified as Institutions of Emerging Excellence (IEE) in biomedical research are strongly encouraged to apply and must provide justification of IEE status in the application narrative. Applications must be submitted through NIH’s ASSIST system, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution. They must follow the SF424 (R&R) application guidelines, with additional requirements such as project justification, detailed engineering plans, institutional support letters, and sustainability considerations. Facilities must comply with the NIH Design Requirements Manual (DRM) and relevant biosafety codes. The application due dates are April 6, 2026; January 25, 2027; and January 25, 2028. Review and award decisions are made on a rolling basis following scientific peer review, with earliest start dates approximately nine months after the due date.

Ensure NIH DRM compliance and justify long-term collaborative research value; incomplete or non-compliant applications will be rejected.