MoTrPAc Phase 2 Animal Studies (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA RM 20 009

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 20 009

The MoTrPAC Phase 2 Animal Studies funding opportunity (RFA-RM-20-009) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U01; clinical trial not allowed) aimed at expanding the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans Consortium (MoTrPAC). The core idea is to add more Preclinical Animal Study Sites (PASS) that can run rigorous, mechanistic animal experiments to explain how exercise triggers molecular signals and how those signals, in turn, produce health-relevant effects across the body. This initiative is positioned as a direct complement to the MoTrPAC human clinical study, with the animal component designed to go deeper into biological mechanisms and to access organs and tissues that cannot be sampled comprehensively in people.

Scientifically, this Phase 2 effort builds on an earlier standardized PASS exercise protocol (referenced as RM 15-013) that helped identify candidate molecular compounds associated with physical activity. The new awards are intended to support detailed follow-up studies on those candidate "molecular transducers" of exercise, focusing on questions like where the molecules come from (their tissue or cellular sources), what signaling pathways they engage, what physiological targets they act on, and what functions they ultimately influence. A major emphasis is on teasing apart feedback loops, cross-talk, and interaction effects among tissues and pathways, since exercise responses are systemic and coordinated rather than isolated within a single organ. Applicants are expected to propose strong experimental strategies for understanding how multiple mobilized compounds may work together (synergize) to produce a whole-body homeostatic response to exercise, rather than treating each molecule as acting alone in a vacuum.

From a program structure standpoint, NIH anticipated supporting roughly 4 to 6 additional PASS awards under this announcement, bringing more teams and capabilities into the larger MoTrPAC consortium. Because the mechanism is a cooperative agreement (U01), awardees should expect substantial NIH program involvement and coordination requirements typical of consortium science, including alignment with shared goals, data standards, and collaborative decision-making. Importantly, while applicants can propose which candidate transducers to prioritize and what mechanistic angles to pursue, final decisions about the actual compounds to be advanced for future screening and deeper study will be made in consultation with the MoTrPAC Steering Committee. That detail signals that projects need to be both innovative and flexible enough to integrate with consortium-wide priorities as the overall dataset and hypotheses evolve.

In terms of what NIH is trying to gain, the expected payoff is a clearer, causally grounded map of how exercise-induced molecular changes drive tissue adaptation and health benefits. The PASS studies are framed as both confirmatory and expansive: they are meant to corroborate signals observed in the human arm of MoTrPAC while also extending analyses into multi-organ sampling, invasive tissue interrogation, and experimental perturbations that are not feasible in human participants. The emphasis on mechanistic links to functional effects means proposals should go beyond descriptive profiling and aim to connect candidate molecules to physiological outcomes in specific tissues, ideally clarifying which pathways matter, under what conditions, and how different organs coordinate responses over time.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and can include various levels of government, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and tribal entities, among others. The announcement also highlights inclusion of institutions serving specific populations (such as HBCUs, HSIs, TCCUs, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. At the same time, foreign participation is explicitly restricted: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH Grants Policy) are not allowed.

Administratively, this is categorized under health (CFDA 93.310) with NIH as the sponsoring agency. The opportunity was created on January 10, 2020, and had an original closing date of March 20, 2020. The award ceiling and expected award count fields are not specified in the provided source details beyond the program expectation of 4 to 6 additional PASS sites. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a consortium expansion effort focused on rigorous animal-based mechanistic work to explain, validate, and extend the molecular story of how physical activity produces systemic health effects.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MoTrPAc Phase 2 Animal Studies (U01 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): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-01-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-03-20. (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 RFA RM 20 009

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