Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) (U54) | RFA MD 17 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MD 17 006

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) (U54) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MD-17-006) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to strengthen the nation s health research enterprise by building and expanding research capacity at institutions that have a clear, demonstrated commitment to educating underrepresented students and, in many cases, delivering clinical services in medically underserved communities. As a U54 cooperative agreement, this program is structured for substantial NIH involvement beyond standard grant oversight, typically meaning the awardee and NIH program staff work in a more collaborative partnership to achieve the program goals and to ensure the center develops in a coordinated, sustainable way.

At its core, the RCMI Program aims to create or enhance specialized research centers that can support strong basic biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research programs. One major emphasis is institutional capacity building: improving the physical, administrative, and scientific infrastructure needed to conduct competitive, high-quality research. That can include developing shared resources, strengthening research support services, improving governance and evaluation processes, and creating a research environment where investigators can move ideas into fundable projects and impactful studies.

A second central goal is to help investigators at all career stages become more successful in securing competitive external research funding, with a particular focus on NIH support. The program explicitly prioritizes research that addresses diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect minority populations and other health disparity groups. In practice, this means RCMI centers are expected to create pathways for investigators to sharpen grant-writing skills, generate preliminary data, build multidisciplinary teams, and successfully compete for R-series and other extramural awards. The emphasis is not only on producing research outputs, but on improving the long-term competitiveness of the institution s investigator pool.

Career development is another pillar of the program, especially the advancement of new and early career investigators. RCMI centers are meant to foster a supportive environment for professional growth, mentoring, and career enhancement. This includes building a culture where junior faculty and emerging researchers have access to experienced mentors, structured development opportunities, and the kinds of resources that help them transition from promising ideas to independent, externally funded research programs. The intent is to build a durable pipeline of investigators who can sustain and expand the institution s research profile over time.

The opportunity also highlights research quality and relevance, with a clear expectation that centers will enhance the overall caliber of scientific inquiry and actively promote research on minority health and health disparities. In other words, the program is not simply about increasing the volume of research activity; it is about strengthening rigor, improving study design and execution, and aligning research priorities with the needs of populations experiencing disproportionate disease burdens and unequal health outcomes.

Community engagement is explicitly built into the program through the goal of establishing sustainable relationships with community-based organizations. Applicants are expected to form partnerships with organizations that can collaborate with the RCMI institution, helping ensure that research questions, recruitment strategies, dissemination approaches, and potential interventions are grounded in real community needs. The long-term expectation is that these relationships are not one-off collaborations, but durable partnerships that persist beyond a single project cycle and support mutual trust, bidirectional communication, and practical impact.

Eligibility focuses on U.S.-based institutions of higher education and other qualifying entities. The opportunity notes eligibility for public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and other eligible applicants that include 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. In addition, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed, reinforcing that the program is intended to build domestic capacity at eligible U.S. institutions.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, with the activity category listed as health and the CFDA number identified as 93.307. The posting indicates a creation date of 2017-08-25 and an original closing date of 2017-12-15. While the provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the overall structure and goals make clear that the program is meant to support center-level efforts that are broad, strategic, and designed for lasting institutional impact rather than narrow, single-project support.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) (U54)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.307.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for RFA MD 17 006

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