NIDDK Centers for Diabetes Translation Research (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DK 20 002

FAQs: NIDDK Centers for Diabetes Translation Research (CDTR) (RFA-DK-20-002)

What is the CDTR grant opportunity?

The Centers for Diabetes Translation Research (CDTR) opportunity (RFA-DK-20-002) is a discretionary NIH center grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). It uses the P30 center mechanism, with clinical trials listed as optional.

What is the purpose of the CDTR program?

The program is intended to build or support institutional centers that speed up real-world impact from diabetes research. The overall goal is to improve population health by accelerating innovation in how diabetes prevention and care strategies are delivered, adopted, sustained, and scaled in real-world settings.

What kinds of research does this FOA emphasize?

The FOA emphasizes T2 to T4 translational research. This includes work that moves evidence from clinical and bedside findings into routine clinical practice, health systems, and community settings. It also explicitly includes dissemination and implementation research.

What does "T2 to T4 translational research" mean in the context of this opportunity?

In this context, T2 to T4 translation focuses on getting proven approaches into real-world use: routine clinical practice, health systems workflows, and community settings. The emphasis is on practical adoption, implementation, sustainment, and scale, rather than discovery or early-stage development alone.

Is this opportunity designed to fund a set of independent research projects?

No. A central expectation is that the applicant proposes a CDTR structured around shared cores and services rather than a collection of unrelated projects. The center is meant to function as coordinated infrastructure that multiple investigators use.

What are "cores" and why are they important for a CDTR?

Cores are shared services and resources that provide specialized expertise, tools, training, methods support, and other infrastructure. The FOA expects the CDTR to be organized around these cores to increase productivity, collaboration, and synergy across investigators in a coordinated and cost-effective way.

What is meant by "synergy" in the CDTR center model?

The center model is designed to create synergy by making key resources available in a coordinated way and encouraging cross-cutting methods and novel ideas that would be difficult for individual labs or projects to build alone.

What is the role of dissemination and implementation research in this FOA?

Dissemination and implementation research is included within the FOA's focus on T2 to T4 translation, reflecting the intent to study and improve how evidence-based diabetes strategies are delivered, adopted, sustained, and scaled in real-world settings.

How does the FOA address health equity and diabetes-related disparities?

Health equity and reduction of diabetes-related health disparities are major emphases. Applications are encouraged to incorporate novel methods and research approaches that directly address inequities in diabetes outcomes and care.

Can applicants propose innovative cores that are not explicitly framed as disparities-focused?

Yes, the announcement allows innovative cores that improve broader person-centered, community, or population health outcomes, as long as the application clearly explains how the resulting strategies, findings, or tools could be adapted to meaningfully inform disparity-reduction efforts.

What real-world barriers does the FOA suggest applicants consider?

The FOA points toward approaches that consider barriers such as access to care, structural and social determinants of health, cultural tailoring, implementation in resource-limited settings, and sustainability across diverse populations.

What kind of institutional environment is expected for a CDTR?

The FOA expects a strong scientific base anchored in an academic institution, supported by a network of diverse collaborators.

What types of collaborators or partners are specifically mentioned?

Examples of partners noted include healthcare systems, community-based organizations, health departments, and human services organizations. This reflects the premise that improving outcomes at scale requires collaboration across clinical settings, public health infrastructure, and community institutions.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. 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; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when applicable under those categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other organizations.

Are certain institution types explicitly highlighted as eligible?

Yes. The FOA highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?

No. Foreign participation is explicitly restricted. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply.

Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component in its application?

No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed under this opportunity. The proposed center and its supported infrastructure must be fully domestic in scope and operations.

What is the sponsoring agency for this opportunity?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

What is the grant mechanism and activity type?

The opportunity uses the NIH P30 center grant mechanism. Clinical trials are listed as optional.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 93.847.

How is this opportunity categorized in the listing?

The activity category is listed under food and nutrition and health.

When was the FOA created and what was the original closing date?

The FOA was created on 2020-05-20, with an original closing date of 2020-10-20.

Does the provided listing specify an award ceiling?

No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided listing.

Does the provided listing specify the expected number of awards?

No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided listing.

What is the intended impact of funding CDTR centers?

The intended impact is faster real-world improvement in diabetes prevention and care by building coordinated, shared infrastructure that supports collaborative translational research and strengthens the ability to deliver, implement, sustain, and scale evidence-based strategies across clinical and community settings.