RFA-DK-26-306: Engineering Improved Stem Cell-Derived Islet Cells for Replacement Therapies (R01 - 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 2025.
National Institutes of Health offered grants of up to $500,000 to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. It expected to make about 6 awards worth $3.0 million in total. Applications closed on March 7, 2026.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed December 3, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$500,000
- Total funding$3.0 million
- Expected awards6
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeR01
- Clinical trialsNot allowed
- R01, Research Project Grant. NIH's standard grant for a defined research project led by a named investigator, usually for up to five years. Other open R01 notices.
Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read RFA-DK-26-306 in the NIH Guide.
Key dates
| Posted | December 3, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | March 7, 2026 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | April 10, 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/International 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.NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. This new requirement was effective, May 1, 2025.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research awards averaged $1.2 million; this notice allows up to $500,000 per award.
- Most of the program's money (70% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
This funding opportunity is designed to support research in understanding how to engineer intrinsic characteristics of stem cell-derived islet cell products that can result in improved cell replacement therapy outcomes. Unlike cadaveric human islets, stem cell-derived islet cell products are generated from well-defined and highly controlled cell bank sources. Their banking, manufacturing, and quality control processes can be used to instill optimized cell characteristics resulting in more resilient and durable graft viability and function. This funding opportunity aims to stimulate studies on targets and pathways amenable to such engineering approaches and to encourage preclinical testing and validation of such strategies. This NOFO is associated with the Special Diabetes Program (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/research-areas/diabetes/type-1-diabetes-special-statutory-funding-program/about-special-diabetes-program) which funds research on the prevention, treatment, and cure of type 1 diabetes and its complications, including unique, innovative, and collaborative research consortia and clinical trials networks.
Who has won Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research (93.847) awarded $9.6 billion across 7,877 grant awards, an average of $1.2 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 273 | $345 million |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 187 | $272 million |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | Pennsylvania | 209 | $238 million |
| The Washington University | Missouri | 187 | $227 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 176 | $208 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-DK-26-306 still open?
No. It closed on March 7, 2026.
Who can apply for Engineering Improved Stem Cell-Derived Islet Cells for Replacement Therapies (R01 - 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 Engineering Improved Stem Cell-Derived Islet Cells for Replacement Therapies (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
Closed March 7, 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 $500,000 each. About $3.0 million in total across about 6 awards.
Who has won Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Regents of the University of Michigan, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. The program made 7,877 awards worth $9.6 billion in that time.
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