RFA-DE-27-002: Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption (APEx) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of National Institutes of Health notices from 2026.
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.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed May 4, 2026. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$4.0 million
- Total funding$6.0 million
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeU24
- Clinical trialsNot allowed
- U24, Resource-Related Research Project Cooperative Agreement. Shared research resources such as data centers or coordinating centers, with substantial NIH involvement. Other open U24 notices.
Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read RFA-DE-27-002 in the NIH Guide.
Key dates
| Posted | May 4, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | July 10, 2026 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | September 8, 2026 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.
All 15 applicant types the notice lists
- 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.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the money in the 3 programs behind this notice (75% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
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.
Who has won Vision Research grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Vision Research (93.867) awarded $3.4 billion across 3,275 grant awards, an average of $1.0 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | 137 | $139 million |
| The Leland Stanford Junior University | California | 87 | $96.5 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 78 | $89.9 million |
| Duke University | North Carolina | 79 | $75.5 million |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 57 | $73.9 million |
Who has won Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research (93.846) awarded $2.6 billion across 2,897 grant awards, an average of $908,766 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 104 | $104 million |
| Brigham & Womens Hospital Inc | Massachusetts | 89 | $95.7 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 84 | $93.3 million |
| The Washington University | Missouri | 88 | $72.4 million |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 73 | $68.0 million |
Who has won Oral Diseases and Disorders Research grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Oral Diseases and Disorders Research (93.121) awarded $1.9 billion across 2,263 grant awards, an average of $818,037 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 76 | $89.2 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 84 | $80.5 million |
| University of Southern California | California | 41 | $78.6 million |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | Pennsylvania | 58 | $55.9 million |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 66 | $51.5 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
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.
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