Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Centers for Flaviviridae and Togaviridae (U19 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AI 23 019

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 23 019

The Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Centers for Flaviviridae and Togaviridae (U19 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) opportunity (RFA-AI-23-019) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to build a network of coordinated research centers focused on pandemic preparedness. The program is looking to support comprehensive centers, led by a single institution or a consortium, that can carry out both basic and translational research aimed at speeding the development of medical countermeasures before an outbreak becomes a crisis. Rather than waiting for a novel virus to appear and then starting from scratch, this FOA emphasizes proactive research on representative, or "prototype," viruses within two virus families, Flaviviridae and Togaviridae, because insights gained from these prototypes can often be translated to closely related viruses that may later emerge or expand their geographic range.

At its core, the FOA is structured around the idea of platform-like preparedness: develop vaccine approaches and monoclonal antibody (mAb) strategies against selected prototype pathogens, then leverage shared functional and structural characteristics across the virus family to rapidly adapt those tools to other members of the family. In practical terms, applicants are expected to build an integrated research program that can generate deep understanding of virus biology and immune responses (basic research) while also pushing candidates along a pipeline toward preclinical readiness (translational research). The centers are intended to be cooperative and comprehensive, meaning they should bring together the expertise, facilities, and project management needed to move from discovery to usable countermeasure concepts in a coordinated way, in alignment with the broader ReVAMPP Network.

This specific announcement is limited to work on viruses in the Flaviviridae and Togaviridae families. These families include multiple pathogens of significant public health concern, often transmitted by arthropod vectors and capable of causing outbreaks with major clinical and economic impacts. The FOA seeks centers that can select and justify prototype pathogen(s) within these families and then design vaccine and monoclonal antibody development strategies that are generalizable. The long-term value is in building a knowledge base and a set of technical approaches that remain useful even as specific threats shift, whether due to viral evolution, ecological change, or the spread of vectors into new regions.

The funding mechanism is a U19 cooperative agreement, which signals that NIH expects substantial programmatic involvement in the funded work compared with a standard research project grant. In cooperative agreements, awardees typically collaborate closely with NIH staff and other network participants, share data and resources where appropriate, and align with network goals, milestones, and coordination activities. The announcement also specifies "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means the supported activities should not include clinical trials. The work is therefore centered on preclinical and translational readiness, such as antigen design, immunogen discovery, antibody isolation and optimization, assay development, animal model work, and other non-clinical steps that position candidates for later-stage development under separate funding or programs.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding under the health activity category, with CFDA number 93.855, and it was released by NIH with a posting date of March 16, 2023. The original closing date listed is June 8, 2023. The award ceiling shown is $10,000,000, indicating that NIH anticipated large, center-scale budgets suitable for multi-project, multi-core efforts typical of U19 awards. While the number of expected awards is not specified in the provided source excerpt, the framing makes clear that NIH intends to build a network of centers rather than fund isolated, independent projects.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic U.S. organizations as well as certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants explicitly include 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; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education when applicable); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other applicant types. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant categories, including 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, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals a strong interest in assembling the best-qualified teams and infrastructure, whether housed in a single institution or distributed across a consortium.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a center-based, networked R&D investment focused on preparedness: building durable scientific and technical capabilities to design vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for high-risk virus families, using prototype pathogens as springboards for rapid adaptation to future threats. The key themes are cooperative, milestone-driven translational science; cross-family generalizability of countermeasure concepts; and the deliberate exclusion of clinical trials in favor of foundational and preclinical work that can be quickly mobilized when new flaviviruses or togaviruses begin to pose pandemic-level risks.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Centers for Flaviviridae and Togaviridae (U19 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): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-03-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-06-08. (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 $10,000,000.00 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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