Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements (PCTAS) (Clinical Trial Optional Admin Supp) | PA 18 926

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 926

The Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements (PCTAS) funding opportunity (PA-18-926) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) administrative supplement program designed to help postdoctoral scientists stay scientifically productive while they are also handling primary caregiver responsibilities. Instead of creating an entirely new research award, this FOA adds support onto an already active, NIAID-funded research grant by paying for additional hands in the lab. The core idea is practical: when a postdoc is balancing intensive caregiving demands with the day-to-day pace of experimental work, progress can slow through no fault of the scientist. These supplements are meant to prevent loss of momentum by funding a laboratory technician (full-time or part-time) who can keep the project moving forward in coordination with the postdoctoral researcher.

The funding mechanism is an administrative supplement, meaning the requested funds must be used to carry out work that remains within the scientific scope and aims of the parent NIAID grant. In other words, the supplement is not intended to launch a new line of investigation, add unrelated experiments, or expand the project beyond what was originally peer reviewed and awarded. The technician supported by the supplement is expected to contribute directly to the postdoctoral scientist's existing project on that NIAID-funded award, helping maintain output and continuity during the period when caregiving responsibilities might otherwise reduce available research time. The FOA is listed as "Clinical Trial Optional," signaling that the supplement can support work on grants that may or may not involve clinical trial activities, as long as the work is permissible under the parent award and remains within scope.

Eligibility is broad in terms of organizational types that may hold NIH grants and request supplements, reflecting NIH-wide standards for many grant-related opportunities. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and a range of nonprofit and for-profit entities (including small businesses). It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories 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.

At the same time, the opportunity is clear about foreign restrictions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. In addition, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed under this FOA. Practically, that means the supplement-supported activities and personnel must be structured so the work remains domestic and consistent with NIH policy for this specific program.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the health funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.855 and an opportunity creation date of September 18, 2018. The listed original closing date is September 9, 2021. Because it is an administrative supplement, the award details such as an award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source information, and typical supplement budgets are generally tied to what is reasonable and justified for the requested technician support and consistent with NIH and NIAID supplement policies. Overall, PCTAS is structured as a targeted retention and productivity tool: it helps preserve the research trajectory of postdoctoral scientists in NIAID-funded labs during periods of primary caregiving by funding technical assistance that keeps experiments, data generation, and other core lab tasks moving forward without changing the underlying scientific commitments of the parent grant.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements (PCTAS) (Clinical Trial Optional Admin Supp)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-09-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-09-09. (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 PA 18 926

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