Development of Animal Models and Related Biological Materials for Down Syndrome Research (R24 Clinical Trials Not-Allowed) | PAR 22 247

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is an NIH funding opportunity announcement (FOA) identified as PAR 22-247 under the INCLUDE Project. It supports R24 resource-related grants intended to strengthen Down syndrome (DS) research by creating, improving, and thoroughly characterizing animal models and closely related biological materials.

2) What is the main goal of PAR 22-247?

The core goal is to expand the quality, availability, and usability of preclinical DS research tools, and to make information derived from these models easier for the broader research community to access and apply.

3) What type of NIH grant mechanism is being used?

The opportunity uses the NIH R24 mechanism, which generally emphasizes building research-enabling resources with broad utility to the field, rather than narrowly hypothesis-driven work designed to benefit only a single lab or project.

4) What kinds of projects fit this announcement?

The scope is intentionally broad, as long as the work is centered on building and sharing resources that enable DS research. Projects may include development or refinement of DS-relevant animal models, creation of supporting genetic resources, and production of detailed characterization outputs that make models more informative and easier for other investigators to use.

5) Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?

No. Clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement.

6) What kinds of DS research areas should the resources support?

The resources should clearly enable targeted studies or basic science investigations that are highly relevant to DS. This includes DS biology and DS-associated co-occurring conditions across the lifespan.

7) Does the FOA only support creating brand-new animal models?

No. Expected outputs are not limited to new organisms or strains. The FOA also supports biological materials and enabling resources that increase the value of existing DS models.

8) What are examples of outputs that would be considered a “resource” under an R24?

Examples described or implied by the announcement include well-documented characterization datasets, reference maps and atlases, validated assays, harmonized phenotyping pipelines, curated data platforms, and other community-facing resources that help investigators select appropriate models, interpret results consistently, and reduce duplicated effort.

9) What does “thoroughly characterizing” animal models mean in this context?

Based on the description, it refers to generating detailed, well-documented information about DS-relevant models and related materials, potentially including deep phenotyping, standardized measurements, and reference baselines that improve comparability and reproducibility across laboratories.

10) Are single-cell or subcellular atlases within scope?

Yes. The FOA highlights production of detailed atlases that map tissues, cell types, and biological pathways at single-cell or even subcellular resolution as a good fit.

11) Does the FOA encourage bioinformatics, AI, or machine learning approaches?

Yes. Advanced informatics approaches are highlighted as a strong fit, including tools that apply artificial intelligence or machine learning to analyze, integrate, or disseminate datasets derived from DS models.

12) What does the FOA mean by integrating multiple animal models and technology platforms?

The opportunity emphasizes integrating multiple models and platforms in ways that improve rigor and reproducibility. In practice, this typically means enabling better cross-model comparisons, standardizing measurements, improving the depth of phenotyping, and making protocols, data, or reference baselines easier to replicate across labs.

13) Is the emphasis more on hypothesis-driven science or community resources?

The emphasis is on resource development and broad utility to the field. Projects should produce assets that are designed to be shared and used by many investigators, rather than focusing on a narrow question that mainly benefits a single research group.

14) Who is the sponsoring agency?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

15) What is the funding instrument?

The funding instrument is a grant.

16) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad for U.S.-based organizations. The announcement includes (among others): public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.

17) Are certain institution types explicitly called out as eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly notes additional eligible applicant categories including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and tribal governments or organizations (including some categories other than federally recognized tribal governments).

18) Are foreign institutions or non-U.S. entities eligible to apply?

No. Foreign institutions and non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply.

19) Can a U.S.-based applicant include a non-U.S. (foreign) component?

Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, the announcement notes that foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may include certain foreign elements when justified and permitted under NIH policy.

20) What is the closing date listed in the notice?

The original closing date listed is 2025-05-25.

21) Does the provided text state an award ceiling or number of awards?

No. The notice text provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

22) Where should applicants look for budget size, allowable costs, and data/resource sharing expectations?

Because those details are not specified in the provided text, applicants would typically consult the full FOA (PAR 22-247) and NIH budget guidance for information on likely project sizes, allowable costs, and any expectations for data sharing, resource distribution, or community access plans.

23) What kinds of “closely related biological materials” are relevant here?

The announcement indicates support not only for animal models themselves but also for biological materials that increase model utility. The provided examples include characterization datasets, validated assays, reference maps, and other enabling materials that help the broader community apply model-derived information.

24) What practical community benefits are these projects expected to provide?

Projects are expected to help investigators select appropriate DS models, interpret results more consistently, improve rigor and reproducibility, reduce duplicated effort, and make model-derived information easier to access and apply across the broader DS research community.