NEI Translational Research Program (TRP) on Therapy for Visual Disorders (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 20 319

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 319

The NEI Translational Research Program (TRP) on Therapy for Visual Disorders (R24 Clinical Trial Optional), funding opportunity number PAR-20-319, is a National Institutes of Health grant designed to push promising vision research out of the lab and toward real-world clinical use. The central emphasis is translational work that bridges discovery and patient impact, specifically by supporting projects that can rapidly and efficiently convert innovative laboratory findings into therapies, devices, or other practical resources that clinicians can use to treat diseases or disorders of the visual system. In other words, the program is meant to help multidisciplinary teams do the key development and validation steps that often sit between a strong basic-science result and something that is truly ready to move into a clinical setting.

A defining feature of this program is its focus on generating strong preclinical evidence and development packages that de-risk a therapeutic concept and make it viable for clinical translation. The FOA explicitly highlights the kinds of interventions it is looking to advance, including biological interventions such as gene therapy, cell-based therapy, and pharmacological approaches, as well as medical devices. Rather than simply funding more exploratory basic research, the TRP is aimed at the practical work needed to move candidates along a development pathway, such as optimization, proof-of-concept testing, prototyping, and collection of preclinical data that would support next-stage development and potential clinical evaluation. The ultimate goal is straightforward: to make technological, biological, and pharmacological resources available to clinicians and their patients, meaning the output should be positioned to become usable in real clinical workflows and to address genuine unmet needs in visual health.

The activity mechanism is an R24 (resource-related research project) and the announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which signals that proposed work may include a clinical trial component but does not require one. This provides flexibility for teams whose most critical near-term milestones are still preclinical or translational development tasks, while still leaving the door open for clinical evaluation where it is appropriate and well-justified. The funding instrument is a grant, the activity category is health, and the CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 93.867.

In terms of who can apply, the program is broadly open across public and private sectors, reflecting the multidisciplinary, development-oriented nature of translational therapy and device work. Eligible applicants 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; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. These inclusions underscore the program's openness to a wide range of institutions that can assemble capable teams and deliver translational outputs.

There are important boundaries around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means an otherwise eligible U.S.-based applicant can include certain foreign collaborations or performance sites when they are well-justified and comply with NIH policy. This structure supports international scientific collaboration while keeping the applicant institution and primary administrative responsibility within the U.S. eligibility framework.

The opportunity is administered by NIH (through the National Eye Institute, as implied by the NEI program title). The original closing date listed for this specific opportunity record is 2022-10-14, and the award ceiling shown is $15,000,000. The record also lists an expected awards field, but without a number provided in the source data included here. The opportunity was created on 2021-02-09, and it falls under the discretionary funding category.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as targeted support for teams that are ready to do the translational heavy lifting: assembling clinicians and scientists to mature a therapeutic or device concept for visual disorders into something that is credible, validated, and usable enough to attract downstream adoption, additional development funding, regulatory advancement, or eventual clinical use. The program is explicitly about practical deliverables that move vision-related therapies and tools closer to patients, not just incremental knowledge generation.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NEI Translational Research Program (TRP) on Therapy for Visual Disorders (R24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-02-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-10-14. (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 $15,000,000.00 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.

Apply for PAR 20 319

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