The National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), is accepting renewal applications under RFA-HD-27-012, Limited Competition: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers 2027 (P50 Clinical Trial Optional).
This competition supports the next cycle of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRCs) designed to advance the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and amelioration of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Centers must operate multidisciplinary IDD research programs built around three to four total Cores and at least two but no more than three Specific Research Projects, with strong translational, interdisciplinary, outreach, engagement, and dissemination components. Clinical trials are optional.
Deadline: Applications are due October 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. The opportunity opened September 2, 2026. Applications are submitted through NIH ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system solution and tracked in eRA Commons.
Funding: NICHD intends to commit approximately $12.15 million in direct costs, or $18 million in total costs, in FY 2027 to fund up to 15 awards. Direct costs are limited to $800,000 per year for each award. The maximum project period is three years. Cost sharing is not required.
Eligibility is strictly limited: Only organizations that are current recipients of IDDRC P50 awards funded under RFA-HD-20-016 or RFA-HD-21-009 may apply. Only one application per institution is allowed. Foreign organizations, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations, and foreign components are not eligible. Required NIH registrations must be active by submission.
Center structure: The application must use NIH Multi-Project instructions and include an Overall component, Administrative Core, Clinical Translational Core, other permitted Cores, and Specific Research Projects. Centers must demonstrate a strong institutional IDD research base, interdisciplinary resources, engagement with persons with lived experience, dissemination, resource sharing, and appropriate data management and sharing. The NOFO emphasizes translational science, biomarker assessment, outcome measure development, tool validation, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, therapeutic development, replication and reproducibility, and development of the next generation of IDD researchers.
Atlas fit: This is a high-value disability, child health, neurodevelopmental research, translational science, clinical research, and academic-health opportunity, but it is a limited competition. Dr. Miltie is not a viable prime applicant unless it is itself one of the specifically eligible current IDDRC P50 recipients, which is not established. Preferred posture: Existing-IDDRC-Only / Partner Support. Organization-specific routing should be limited to the current IDDRCs funded under RFA-HD-20-016 or RFA-HD-21-009, with no broad applicant outreach.