NIH Seeks Human-Based Infection Research Centers
The National Institutes of Health has opened a funding opportunity to establish specialized centers using human cell-based microphysiological systems for infectious disease research.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Life Sciences
The National Institutes of Health issued funding opportunity RFA-AI-28-012 to establish Translational Centers that use human cell-based microphysiological systems to study infectious diseases. The NIH anticipates funding approximately 7 to 11 awards in fiscal year 2028.
Why it matters
The opportunity follows recent NIH and Food and Drug Administration initiatives in new approach methodologies, which aim to better reflect human biology while reducing reliance on animal studies. Eligibility is limited to U.S. for-profit, nonprofit, and governmental organizations, and animal studies are excluded.
The NIH anticipates funding roughly 7 to 11 awards in FY 2028, with each project capped at a five-year period. Applications are due January 29, 2027, and the extraction does not state total available funding or the number of applicants expected.
The players
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The NIH is the primary U.S. federal agency for biomedical and health research, funding studies across diseases and conditions nationwide.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA is the federal agency responsible for regulating drugs, medical devices, and biological products, and it has been advancing new approach methodologies that reduce reliance on animal testing.
The details
Each funded Translational Center must include an Administrative Core, a Qualification Core, one or more Scientific Cores, and multiple Research Projects. Applicants must use human-derived microphysiological system platforms, demonstrate technical reproducibility, and refine validated human tissue models to a level consistent with regulatory qualifications.
Timeline
January 29, 2027: Application deadline, 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
January 2028: Expected start of funded projects.
FY 2028: Anticipated funding of approximately 7 to 11 awards.
Roadmap
The funding opportunity extends the NIH and FDA new approach methodologies initiatives, which seek alternatives to animal testing, into infectious disease research. It positions human-cell microphysiological systems as candidates for regulatory-grade evidence in place of legacy animal models.
U.S. research institutions and organizations may compete for funding to build centers that study infections using human tissue systems rather than animals. Over time, this could shape how new infectious disease treatments are tested before reaching patients.
The takeaway
Organizations interested in infectious disease research should review the eligibility rules and the January 29, 2027 deadline well in advance. The shift toward human-based testing signals where federal research funding is heading.
What happens next
Applications for RFA-AI-28-012 are due January 29, 2027, by 5:00 PM local time, with funded projects expected to begin in January 2028.
Further reading
Explore more Life Sciences coverage to see how laboratory methods are reshaping biomedical research.
More information
Read the RFA-AI-28-012 full announcement and application guide for eligibility details and application requirements.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Altex.
