Novel Methods for Obtaining Molecular Information from Archived Tissue Samples (R43/R44) | RFA ES 16 012

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 16 012

The Novel Methods for Obtaining Molecular Information from Archived Tissue Samples (R43/R44) funding opportunity (RFA-ES-16-012) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant program designed to help small businesses develop new technologies that make it easier and more reliable to extract meaningful molecular data from archived tissue specimens. The central goal is to expand what researchers can learn from tissues that have already been collected and stored, including banked frozen samples and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks. Because enormous collections of rodent and human tissues exist in research repositories and clinical archives, improvements in how these materials can be analyzed at the molecular level could unlock new scientific and public health insights without requiring new sample collection.

The FOA highlights a long-standing technical gap: traditional preservation methods are often a tradeoff between keeping tissue structure intact for histology and keeping biomolecules intact for downstream molecular assays. FFPE preservation, for example, is widely used because it preserves tissue architecture and is practical for long-term storage, but it can degrade or chemically modify DNA and RNA and can complicate protein and small-molecule measurements. Even frozen tissues can suffer from variability in collection, handling, freezing methods, storage conditions, and freeze-thaw cycles, all of which can reduce the quality of nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. This opportunity is looking for technologies that reduce those limitations and allow higher-quality, more comprehensive molecular profiling from archived material.

Projects responsive to this program would generally focus on innovations that improve the preservation and/or recovery of DNA, RNA, proteins, and small molecules from stored tissues while maintaining the histologic features needed for pathology and tissue-based interpretation. The emphasis is not only on analyzing what is already archived, but also on developing better approaches to preserve biomolecules during the initial collection and storage of biological samples, so that future archives are more compatible with modern molecular methods. In practical terms, the program is aimed at tools, reagents, workflows, or preservation systems that increase yield, integrity, and interpretability of molecular measurements from challenging specimens.

The funding mechanism is SBIR using the R43/R44 structure, which is typically associated with a phased development path that supports early proof-of-concept work and subsequent development toward a more mature, potentially commercializable product. Eligibility is centered on small business concerns, with the FOA indicating that other eligible applicants may exist as described in the full announcement, but the primary target applicant type is small businesses. The activity category listed is Environment and Health (CFDA 93.113), reflecting the broader public health relevance of enabling better molecular analyses in studies that may include environmental exposures, toxicology, disease mechanisms, and biomarker discovery.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant with an original closing date of 2016-12-05 and a creation date of 2016-08-05. While the summary information provided does not list an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the core purpose is clear: support the development of novel, practical technologies that preserve tissue morphology while enabling high-quality molecular information retrieval from archived and banked tissue resources, including both rodent and human specimens.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Novel Methods for Obtaining Molecular Information from Archived Tissue Samples (R43/R44)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-12-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for RFA ES 16 012

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: