REsearch Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Virtual Resource Centers (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AT 23 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AT 23 004

The REsearch Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Virtual Resource Centers funding opportunity (RFA-AT-23-004) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U24) designed to build research capacity across accredited complementary and integrative health (CIH) clinical institutions. The central idea is to create "virtual resource centers" that connect multiple CIH schools and programs and give their faculty practical, ongoing support to become more competitive for external research funding. These centers are meant to function as shared infrastructure rather than a single research project, strengthening the ability of clinician-scientist faculty in fields like acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, naturopathy, physical therapy, and music and art therapy to participate in rigorous clinical research and to collaborate across institutions.

The program emphasizes partnership-building and resource-sharing across participating CIH clinical institutions. Instead of focusing on running clinical trials (this FOA is "Clinical Trial Not Allowed"), REACH centers are expected to support a broad range of clinical research activities that can include observational and epidemiological studies, mechanistic clinical research, mixed methods research, and feasibility or pilot work. The research emphasis is aligned with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) strategic priorities, especially around symptom management, meaning applicants should frame their supported activities around improving the evidence base for approaches that address symptoms and related outcomes in real-world clinical contexts.

A major component of the REACH model is the set of core services a virtual center provides to clinician-scientist faculty. The FOA highlights administrative support and research support as foundational, alongside grantsmanship assistance to help investigators develop stronger, more fundable proposals. Mentoring and training are also central, with the expectation that centers will offer structured guidance, skills development, and career support appropriate for faculty who may have heavy clinical responsibilities and limited access to traditional research infrastructure. Team building is another key element, because the program is explicitly intended to help CIH investigators form multi- and interdisciplinary research teams, including collaborations across partnering CIH institutions and potentially with other research-intensive partners when useful.

The outcomes NIH expects from REACH centers are practical and measurable. First, centers should increase both the quality and the number of federal grant applications submitted by clinician-scientist faculty at CIH clinical institutions, reflecting improved competitiveness and better-developed research ideas. Second, they should actively facilitate cross-institution partnerships and multi-disciplinary collaborations, reducing isolation and creating networks that can sustain research programs over time. Third, the centers are expected to strengthen the overall research environment at participating CIH institutions by improving systems, supports, mentorship, and readiness for externally funded research. Fourth, REACH is meant to help create and sustain a pipeline for clinician-scientists trained in CIH practices to pursue research careers, supporting longer-term workforce development rather than one-off training events.

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which usually implies substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared to a standard grant. While the details of that involvement are not listed in the provided excerpt, applicants typically should be prepared for active coordination with NIH staff, structured milestones, and strong expectations around collaboration and shared deliverables. The maximum award amount listed is up to 750,000 (award ceiling), and the assistance listing (CFDA) associated with the opportunity is 93.213. The original closing date shown is August 22, 2022, and the opportunity category is discretionary within the health funding activity area.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local 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; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses, along with other categories. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), 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.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. 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 not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant may be able to include certain foreign activities or collaborations as part of the project structure if they meet NIH definitions and requirements, even though a foreign institution cannot serve as the applicant organization.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as an infrastructure-and-capacity initiative: it funds coordinated virtual centers that equip CIH clinician-scientists with the mentoring, administrative backbone, methodological support, and collaborative networks needed to develop competitive, symptom-management-oriented clinical research programs and to submit stronger federal grant applications over time, without directly supporting clinical trials under this particular announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "REsearch Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Virtual Resource Centers (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): 93.213.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-08-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-08-22. (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 $750,000.00 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.

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