Human Islet Research Network - Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics (HIRN-CHIB) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 18 011

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 18 011

The Human Islet Research Network - Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics (HIRN-CHIB) funding opportunity (RFA-DK-18-011) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to bring new teams into an existing, highly collaborative research network focused on Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), this program supports the creation of a microphysiological system (MPS) that can model key features of human islet biology and immune attack in a controlled laboratory setting. The emphasis is on building advanced, human-relevant in vitro platforms that move beyond standard cell culture by recreating a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment where pancreatic islet cells and immune cells can interact in ways that resemble the autoimmune process that drives T1D.

At the core of this opportunity is the development of biomimetic islet models that incorporate either primary human islets or engineered islet spheroids. These spheroids are described as assembled islet organoids containing human endocrine cell types such as beta, alpha, delta, and potentially other supporting cell populations. The intent is not simply to keep islet cells alive in culture, but to engineer conditions that allow researchers to study how immune cells engage, infiltrate, damage, and potentially spare or regulate islet tissue within a 3D setting. By doing this in an MPS platform, investigators can examine dynamic cellular cross-talk, inflammatory signaling, immune-mediated cytotoxicity, and mechanisms of immune regulation with a level of realism that is difficult to achieve in conventional two-dimensional assays.

A major long-term goal is to produce in vitro human disease model systems that recapitulate meaningful aspects of the complex pathophysiology of T1D. The FOA specifically highlights the importance of using T1D patient-derived islets created via induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), paired with autologous immune components. In practice, that means deriving islet-like tissue from a patient (through iPSC differentiation approaches) and combining it with immune cells from the same individual to model patient-specific autoimmune interactions. This type of personalized, human-based model is meant to help the field better understand why and how human beta cells are lost in T1D, and to provide a testbed for exploring strategies to protect beta cells, modulate immune responses, and ultimately inform therapeutic development.

The opportunity sits within the broader Human Islet Research Network (HIRN), which has an overall mission of supporting innovative, cooperative translational research to clarify mechanisms of human beta cell loss in T1D and to accelerate strategies to protect and replace functional beta cell mass. CHIB is presented as a consortium within HIRN, meaning awardees would be expected to contribute to a coordinated network effort rather than operate as isolated projects. Because the funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, NIH program staff typically have a more active role than in standard research project grants, often including involvement in steering committees, shared milestones, data/resource sharing expectations, and coordination across sites to ensure interoperability and collective progress toward consortium goals.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, and it is labeled UG3/UH3 (clinical trial not allowed). The UG3/UH3 structure commonly reflects a phased approach in which early-stage activities focus on feasibility and development (often with explicit milestones), followed by a later stage supporting more advanced implementation once initial objectives are met. While the detailed milestone language is not included in the excerpt you provided, the mechanism signals that applicants should be prepared to define clear, measurable deliverables for developing and demonstrating the MPS platform and its ability to model islet-immune interactions in a biomimetic manner. The program is categorized under health-related funding (CFDA 93.847) and is administered by NIH/NIDDK. The listed award ceiling is $750,000, and the original closing date for the referenced solicitation was December 11, 2018.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizational types, reflecting NIH’s interest in drawing expertise from academia, nonprofits, industry, and government. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out inclusion of a wide range of institution types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear limits around foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or performance sites if they are justified, appropriately structured, and compliant with NIH policy.

In practical terms, this FOA is aimed at teams capable of integrating human islet biology, stem cell-derived islet engineering, immunology, and bioengineering approaches such as microfluidics, organ-on-chip systems, or other MPS technologies. The expected outcome is not just a new assay, but a robust and reproducible biomimetic platform that can help the field study immune-islet interactions in a human context, generate mechanistic insights into T1D, and provide a foundation for evaluating interventions intended to prevent, slow, or reverse beta cell loss.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Human Islet Research Network - Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics (HIRN-CHIB) (UG3/UH3 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): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-08-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-12-11. (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 $750,000.00 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.

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