# Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption (APEx) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/rfa-de-27-002-accelerating-product-excellence-in-innovation-and-for/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359128

> National Institutes of Health offered grants of up to $4.0 million to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. It expected to make $6.0 million in total. Applications closed on July 10, 2026.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | RFA-DE-27-002 |
| Agency | National Institutes of Health |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | July 10, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | $4.0 million |
| Award floor | not stated |
| Expected awards | not stated |
| Total funding | $6.0 million |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 93.121, 93.846, 93.867 |

## Who can apply

- 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 (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility. Foreign Organizations/Foreign CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

## What the grant funds

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) solicits cooperative agreement research applications to support a multidisciplinary program titled "Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption" (APEx), that will facilitate advancement of promising strategies and products for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TE/RM). APEx will be composed of Resource Centers (RCs) and associated Interdisciplinary Translational Projects (ITPs) in the area of therapeutics (including adult stem cell-based treatments), sensors, and diagnostics. RCs will capitalize on their available clinical, scientific, industrial, regulatory and commercialization expertise, to deliver technical support, research capacity, administrative infrastructure and regulatory and commercialization support to the ITPs and guide them to complete pre-clinical studies toward initiation of clinical trials. During this funding cycle, APEx will complete validation, manufacturing, and preclinical testing of the most promising products, which may include, but are not limited to products for detecting or treating tissue damage caused by congenital defect, traumatic injury, or chronic disease. Products that support early detection of chronic pathologies, monitoring of validated biomarkers of health or disease, as well as approaches to reduce or prevent resulting damage, are especially encouraged. The outcome of APEx will be TE/RM products with their regulatory approvals in place for first-in-human studies, along with associated clinical study protocols, and synthesis and manufacturing protocols ready for initiation of clinical trials.

## Questions people ask

### Is RFA-DE-27-002 still open?

No. It closed on July 10, 2026.

### Who can apply for Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption (APEx) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?

National Institutes of Health accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

### What is the deadline for Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption (APEx) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?

Closed July 10, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

### How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $4.0 million each. About $6.0 million in total.

### Who has won Oral Diseases and Disorders Research grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Regents of the University of Michigan, The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco, University of Southern California. The program made 2,263 awards worth $1.9 billion in that time.