Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption (APEx) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency: National Institutes of Health
Assistance Listings: 93.121 -- Oral Diseases and Disorders Research
93.846 -- Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research
93.867 -- Vision Research
Last Updated: May 13, 2026
Description
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.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Government
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Public and Indian housing authorities
Education
- Independent school districts
- Public and state institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
Nonprofit
- Other Native American tribal organizations
- Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
- Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
Business
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
Miscellaneous
- Other
Additional information
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.
Grantor contact information
Description
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
APEx-NOFO@nih.gov
APEx-NOFO@nih.gov
Documents
| File name | Description | Last updated |
|---|---|---|
| RFA-DE-27-002-Full-Announcement.html | RFA-DE-27-002-Full-Announcement.html | May 4, 2026 01:04 PM UTC |
Link to additional information
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Closing: July 10, 2026
Award
$6,000,000
Program Funding
--
Expected awards
$--
Award Minimum
$4,000,000
Award Maximum
Funding opportunity number:
RFA-DE-27-002
Cost sharing or matching requirement:
No
Funding instrument type:
Cooperative agreement
Opportunity Category:
Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
--
Category of Funding Activity:
Health
Category Explanation:
--
History
Version:
1
Posted date:
May 4, 2026
Archive date:
September 8, 2026
