Chronic Kidney Diseases of UnceRtain Etiology (CKDu) in Agricultural Communities (CURE) Research Consortium - Field Epidemiology Sites (U01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 20 017

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 20 017

The Chronic Kidney Diseases of UnceRtain Etiology (CKDu) in Agricultural Communities (CURE) Research Consortium - Field Epidemiology Sites opportunity (RFA-DK-20-017) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U01) that funds field-based human research sites to help build a coordinated consortium focused on CKDu, a form of chronic kidney disease seen in agricultural communities where the underlying cause is not clearly established. The main purpose is to generate high-quality, comparable epidemiologic and exposure data across multiple locations so researchers can better understand what is driving CKDu, how it progresses over time, and what modifiable risk factors might point toward prevention strategies or future therapeutic targets. Even though the long-term vision includes informing interventions, this specific FOA does not fund clinical trials or prevention/treatment intervention studies.

Funded Field Sites are expected to do the on-the-ground work of identifying and enrolling participants who show evidence of CKDu, along with appropriate control participants, and then conducting standardized evaluations. A central emphasis is recruiting people with early manifestations of CKDu, since early disease can provide clearer clues about initiating causes before later-stage complications and treatment effects complicate interpretation. Field Sites also have a major responsibility for collecting and managing both biological samples (for example, biospecimens relevant to kidney function and exposure assessment) and environmental samples (reflecting potential agricultural, occupational, or community exposures). The intent is to support discovery-oriented science by creating well-characterized participant groups and well-curated sample collections that can be analyzed using shared approaches across the consortium.

The overall consortium structure is designed to make the work comparable and interoperable across sites rather than isolated studies that cannot be combined. In addition to multiple Field Sites, the consortium includes a Scientific Data Coordinating Center to harmonize data systems and shared study operations, a Renal Analytic Core to support specialized kidney-related analyses, and the NIEHS Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR) to strengthen exposure measurement and environmental health analytics. A key expectation is active collaboration: the consortium will jointly develop common protocols for clinical evaluation and phenotyping of participants, agree on shared strategies for biological and environmental sampling, and align analytic plans so that data and specimens collected at different locations can be pooled or compared in valid ways.

Several boundaries are clearly stated. The FOA is limited to human studies, and applications that include animal studies or model systems are considered non-responsive. It also explicitly excludes intervention trials intended to prevent or treat CKDu, reinforcing that the supported work is observational and discovery-focused rather than interventional. The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means NIH will have substantial programmatic involvement, with awardees expected to coordinate closely with NIH and other consortium components as protocols and shared resources are developed.

Eligibility is broad and includes many typical NIH applicant categories: state, county, and local governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other organizations. The FOA also highlights inclusion of institutions and organizations serving specific communities, such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISISs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations. Importantly, non-U.S. entities are eligible to apply, foreign institutions can apply directly, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are allowed, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are permitted, reflecting the global distribution of CKDu hotspots and the need for internationally comparable field data.

Administrative details from the source listing include the opportunity category (discretionary), the activity areas (environment, food and nutrition, health), and CFDA numbers 93.113, 93.847, and 93.989. The original closing date listed is November 10, 2020, and the creation date is July 24, 2020. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided fields, implying applicants would need to consult the full FOA text for budget guidance, project period expectations, and any site capacity requirements.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chronic Kidney Diseases of UnceRtain Etiology (CKDu) in Agricultural Communities (CURE) Research Consortium - Field Epidemiology Sites (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): 93.113, 93.847, 93.989.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-07-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-11-10. (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.

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