Development of Novel Nonsteroidal Contraceptive Methods (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA HD 24 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 24 002

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Development of Novel Nonsteroidal Contraceptive Methods (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-HD-24-002; CFDA: 93.865) is designed to push forward new contraceptive options that do not rely on steroid hormones. The core focus is on creating and advancing innovative contraceptive products for both men and women that work prior to fertilization, meaning the supported approaches should prevent fertilization from occurring in the first place rather than acting after conception. The overall intent is to help promising, well-justified ideas move through the kinds of multidisciplinary development steps needed to become strong candidates for later-stage clinical development, while explicitly not supporting clinical trials under this announcement.

This FOA uses an R61/R33 phased innovation mechanism, which generally supports early, milestone-driven development work followed by a second phase that continues or expands the project once predefined goals are met. In practical terms, applicants are expected to propose a clear development path with measurable milestones that demonstrate progress toward a validated, future-ready contraceptive method. The emphasis on positioning technologies for future clinical development signals that NIH is looking for projects that go beyond basic discovery alone and instead build a credible bridge toward eventual translation, such as optimization of candidate compounds or devices, proof-of-concept validation in appropriate preclinical models, assessment of mechanism and on-target activity, safety and reversibility considerations where relevant, and other preparatory work that reduces risk before human testing. Because the FOA states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," projects must remain preclinical and should be structured to avoid any study that meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial.

The opportunity sits within the federal funding activity category of Health, Income Security and Social Services and is offered as a discretionary grant. The listed award ceiling is $500,000, indicating the upper limit of anticipated funding per award under the terms described in the source information. While the source data shows "ExpectedAwards:" without a specific number filled in, the ceiling provides a sense of scale for budgeting and project planning, especially for teams assembling multidisciplinary collaborations across fields such as reproductive biology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, biomaterials, bioengineering, formulation science, and translational product development.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive, spanning many common applicant types and a wide range of institution categories. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, or township governments; 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 Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants 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), and other Indian/Native American Tribal Governments that are not federally recognized. It further notes that eligible applicants can include eligible agencies of the federal government, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility suggests NIH is encouraging participation from diverse research environments and communities, including global and regional partners, as long as the work aligns with NIH requirements and the FOA scope.

Key administrative details from the source data include the original closing date of 2023-03-29 and a creation date of 2022-10-13. In summary, this NIH FOA is essentially a targeted push to expand the pipeline of nonsteroidal contraceptive candidates by funding structured, milestone-driven preclinical development work that can validate new approaches and de-risk them for future clinical testing under later, appropriate mechanisms.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of Novel Nonsteroidal Contraceptive Methods (R61/R33 - 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): 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-10-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-03-29. (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 $500,000.00 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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