Cellular Senescence Network: Consortium Organization and Data Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA RM 21 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 21 010

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting applications under FOA RFA-RM-21-010 for a Cooperative Agreement (U24; clinical trial not allowed) to establish and run the Consortium Organization and Data Coordinating Center (CODCC) for the Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet). SenNet is a large, collaborative research effort focused on understanding cellular senescence, specifically the diversity and functional differences among senescent cells across many human tissues, across health and aging, and at single-cell resolution. In practical terms, the program is aiming to move beyond the idea of senescence as one uniform cell state and instead map how senescent cells vary by tissue context, biological conditions, and lifespan-related factors, and how those differences matter biologically.

The CODCC is positioned as the operational and informatics hub of the entire SenNet consortium. Its core mission is to enable the network to function like a unified program rather than a collection of separate labs. That means the CODCC is expected to coordinate consortium activities, support collaboration, and, most importantly, manage the end-to-end data life cycle for SenNet-generated outputs. The FOA emphasizes that the CODCC will be responsible for collecting, storing, curating, and disseminating SenNet data and related resources, including raw and processed datasets, associated metadata, analytical and visualization tools, computational models, and aggregate results produced across the network. A central deliverable is a searchable Atlas of Cellular Senescence that makes these data and tools findable and usable for both consortium members and the broader research community.

A major theme in the opportunity is ensuring that SenNet data are not only archived but also standardized, well-annotated, interoperable, and easy to explore. The CODCC is therefore expected to implement strong data curation practices and metadata standards so that data coming from different sites, tissues, assays, and pipelines can be meaningfully compared and integrated. Beyond technical hosting, the CODCC must actively promote the utility of the database by enabling search, access, and analysis workflows that researchers can realistically use, and by building or supporting analysis and visualization capabilities that help translate complex single-cell and multi-tissue senescence data into interpretable insights. The FOA also highlights community engagement as part of the CODCC role, meaning the center is expected to promote collaboration across the SenNet network and support engagement with the wider scientific community so that the Atlas becomes a shared resource rather than a closed repository.

This award uses the NIH cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally signals substantial programmatic involvement by NIH staff compared with a standard research grant. Applicants should therefore anticipate an environment where NIH has an active partnership role in shaping milestones, coordinating across funded components, and ensuring that the network-level goals are met. The “clinical trial not allowed” designation indicates the funded activities cannot include clinical trials as defined by NIH policy, even if human specimens and human data resources are central to the program’s purpose.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses, as well as other eligible entities. The FOA explicitly 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions (non-U.S. entities) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization; however, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and “foreign components” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign activities or collaborations if they meet NIH requirements and are justified scientifically.

Key administrative details from the source information include the funding activity category (Health), CFDA number 93.310, and the original application due date of March 22, 2021. The source text does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, indicating those details were not specified in the provided excerpt. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a network-enabling, infrastructure-heavy award intended to create the coordinating backbone and shared data platform for SenNet, with the Atlas of Cellular Senescence as the flagship public-facing resource that consolidates and disseminates consortium outputs.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cellular Senescence Network: Consortium Organization and Data Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-01-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 RFA RM 21 010

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