RFA-RM-24-012: In Vivo Non-Invasive Optical Imaging Approaches for Biological Systems (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trials 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 2024.
National Institutes of Health offered grants to nonprofits, colleges and universities, small businesses and businesses. Applications closed on March 7, 2025.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed December 2, 2024. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeUG3
- Clinical trialsNot allowed
- Funded byNIDA
- Median yearly award$2.4 million
- Typical project length2 years
- UG3, Exploratory/Developmental Phase I Cooperative Agreement. The first phase of a phased cooperative agreement. Moving on to the UH3 phase depends on meeting agreed milestones. Other open UG3 notices.
Projects funded under RFA-RM-24-012 were run by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, 4 projects). Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your project before you apply; the notice lists them.
Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read RFA-RM-24-012 in the NIH Guide.
Key dates
| Posted | December 2, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | March 7, 2025 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | April 12, 2025 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, small businesses and businesses.
All 7 applicant types the notice lists
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- 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)
Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the program's money (72% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The purpose of the Advancing Non-Invasive Optical Imaging Approaches for Biological Systems initiative is to overcome the problem of light scattering in biological systems. Current optical imaging techniques that are non-invasive and allow rapid assessment of tissue function and structure suffer from strong light scattering within biological tissues, limiting the penetration depth and resolution. This funding opportunity encourages development of next-generation non-invasive or minimally-invasive optical imaging techniques to overcome these issues and to allow deeper imaging of biological systems with high spatial and temporal resolution.
Funded under RFA-RM-24-012 so far
NIH funded 4 projects under RFA-RM-24-012 in fiscal 2025, at 4 institutions. The median yearly award was $2.4 million.
| Project | Institution | Fiscal year | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deepening optical imaging with next-generation photoacoustic computed tomography | California Institute of Technology | 2025 | $3.2 million |
| Image Deeper with Synthetic Waves: A Novel Non-Invasive Optical Approach for Skin Lesion Assessment at Multiple Scales | University of Arizona | 2025 | $1.7 million |
| Breaking the Scattering Barrier: Multimodal Non-invasive Deep Tissue Imaging Using Reflection Matrix Based Wavefront Shaping | University of California-Irvine | 2025 | $3.0 million |
| Combined shortwave infrared fluorescence and Raman for real-time, high-resolution imaging through tissue | Stanford University | 2025 | $1.8 million |
Who has won Trans-NIH Research Support grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Trans-NIH Research Support (93.310) awarded $5.9 billion across 4,433 grant awards, an average of $1.3 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University | North Carolina | 66 | $219 million |
| The Leland Stanford Junior University | California | 104 | $176 million |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | Pennsylvania | 82 | $154 million |
| The Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | 95 | $152 million |
| Yale Univ | Connecticut | 85 | $149 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-RM-24-012 still open?
No. It closed on March 7, 2025.
Who can apply for In Vivo Non-Invasive Optical Imaging Approaches for Biological Systems (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trials Not Allowed?
National Institutes of Health accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, small businesses and businesses. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for In Vivo Non-Invasive Optical Imaging Approaches for Biological Systems (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trials Not Allowed?
Closed March 7, 2025. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
Who has been funded under RFA-RM-24-012?
NIH RePORTER lists 4 projects funded under RFA-RM-24-012 in fiscal 2025, at 4 institutions. The most were at California Institute of Technology, University of Arizona, University of California-Irvine.
Who has won Trans-NIH Research Support grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Duke University, The Leland Stanford Junior University, University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. The program made 4,433 awards worth $5.9 billion in that time.
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