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Closed on Jul 10, 2026

Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption (APEx) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · Opportunity number RFA-DE-27-002

Details summarized from the official notice as of Jun 28, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.

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This opportunity is closed as of Jul 10, 2026. It is kept here for reference. See the related open opportunities below, or check the official listing in case the agency posts a new cycle.

Key facts

Opportunity numberRFA-DE-27-002
AgencyNational Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA)93.867, 93.121, 93.846
PostedMay 4, 2026
DeadlineJul 10, 2026
Award ceiling$4,000,000
Estimated total program funding$6,000,000
Cost sharing or matching requiredNo
Funding typeCooperative agreement
CategoryHealth
Last updated hereJun 28, 2026

Summary from the notice

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) solicits cooperative agreement research applications to support a multidisciplinary program titled "Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption" (APEx), that will facilitate advancement of promising strategies and products for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TE/RM). APEx will be composed of Resource Centers (RCs) and associated Interdisciplinary Translational Projects (ITPs) in the area of therapeutics (including adult stem cell-based treatments), sensors, and diagnostics. RCs will capitalize on their available clinical, scientific, industrial, regulatory and commercialization expertise, to deliver technical support, research capacity, administrative infrastructure and regulatory and commercialization support to the ITPs and guide them to complete pre-clinical studies toward initiation of clinical trials. During this funding cycle, APEx will complete validation, manufacturing, and preclinical testing of the most promising products, which may include, but are not limited to products for detecting or treating tissue damage caused by congenital defect, traumatic injury, or chronic disease. Products that support early detection of chronic pathologies, monitoring of validated biomarkers of health or disease, as well as approaches to reduce or prevent resulting damage, are especially encouraged. The outcome of APEx will be TE/RM products with their regulatory approvals in place for first-in-human studies, along with associated clinical study protocols, and synthesis and manufacturing protocols ready for initiation of clinical trials.

Who can apply

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:

  • State governments
  • County governments
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Independent school districts
  • Public and state colleges and universities
  • Federally recognized tribal governments
  • Public and Indian housing authorities
  • Other Native American tribal organizations
  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
  • Private colleges and universities
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Small businesses
  • Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)

Who should take a closer look

  • Small businesses
  • Nonprofits
  • Colleges and universities
  • State governments
  • Local governments
  • Tribal governments and organizations
  • Larger for-profit companies

Not listed as eligible

  • Individuals

Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.

Eligibility details from the notice

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/Foreign 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.

Registrations you will likely need

Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.

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