Small Grants on Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (R03) | PAR 17 332

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 332

The NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement PAR-17-332, titled "Small Grants on Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (R03)," is a discretionary grant program designed to fund focused, short-term research projects that advance understanding and treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs). The FOA emphasizes practical, targeted studies that can be completed with limited resources, making it a good fit for pilot work, proof-of-concept experiments, or early-stage projects that generate preliminary data for larger future applications. The funding mechanism is the NIH R03 small grant, which is intended for small, self-contained projects rather than large, multi-year research programs.

The scientific scope centers on primary immunodeficiency diseases and supports several complementary research directions. One major area is ex vivo work using human specimens, meaning studies performed outside the body on patient-derived samples (for example, blood cells, tissue samples, or other biospecimens) to investigate immune function, genetic or molecular defects, or responses to candidate treatments. Another priority is research using existing or newly developed animal models of PID, including projects that refine models to better match human disease biology or that test new therapeutic concepts in vivo. The FOA also highlights novel clinical strategies aimed at improving how PIDs are detected and diagnosed, how their molecular causes are identified, and how innovative therapies are developed, evaluated, or optimized.

A notable feature of this opportunity is its explicit encouragement to use existing clinical data and biospecimens housed in PID registries, consortium databases, and repositories. This includes secondary analyses of already-collected datasets, as well as research that leverages stored samples linked to clinical information. By promoting the use of these established resources, the FOA aims to accelerate progress by reducing the need for entirely new patient recruitment and enabling investigators to address important PID questions through well-curated real-world clinical cohorts.

The R03 mechanism under this FOA supports several project types. These include pilot and feasibility studies (to test whether an approach is workable), secondary analysis of existing data (to answer new questions using already available datasets), small self-contained research projects (narrowly scoped investigations with clear endpoints), development of research methodology (creating or improving approaches such as assays, study designs, or analytic pipelines), and development of new research technology (tools or platforms that enable better measurement, diagnosis, or experimental testing relevant to PID). Overall, the expectation is that projects are tightly focused, achievable on a short timeline, and do not require extensive infrastructure or high-cost resources to succeed.

This announcement also explicitly encourages applications from investigators who have not yet received independent NIH funding, or who have not previously held independent NIH funding specifically in this field. In practice, that means the FOA is structured to help bring newer independent investigators into PID research, support early independent ideas, and enable preliminary work that can later scale into larger NIH mechanisms.

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic organizational types, spanning government, academia, nonprofit, and industry. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education, since those are separately covered); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizational categories. The FOA further calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

There are important restrictions related to non-U.S. applicants. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply as applicant organizations. However, the FOA allows foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may be able to include certain foreign elements within the project when appropriately justified and structured under NIH rules.

From the administrative details provided, the agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the activity falls under the health category with CFDA numbers 93.855 and 93.856. The listed award ceiling is $50,000. The original closing date shown is 2019-07-16, and the FOA creation date is 2017-07-20.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Small Grants on Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (R03)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855, 93.856.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-07-16. (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 $50,000.00 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.

Apply for PAR 17 332

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