REsearch Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Virtual Resource Centers (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AT 24 009

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AT 24 009

The REsearch Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Virtual Resource Centers funding opportunity (RFA-AT-24-009) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U24) from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) designed to strengthen research capacity and research training at accredited complementary and integrative health (CIH) clinical institutions. Rather than funding a single research study, this program supports the creation of virtual, partnership-based resource centers that help CIH clinician-scientist faculty become more competitive for external research funding and more connected to multidisciplinary research networks. Clinical trials are not allowed under this U24, and the emphasis is on building infrastructure, support services, and collaboration pathways that enable higher-quality clinical research planning and grant submissions.

At its core, REACH aims to foster institutional partnerships across CIH schools and related organizations, especially in fields such as acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, naturopathy, physical therapy, and music and art therapy. The centers are expected to operate virtually, meaning the main value is in shared expertise, coordinated support, and accessible resources that can reach investigators across multiple sites, even if they are geographically dispersed. The program is closely tied to NCCIH strategic priorities in symptom management, so applicants should expect that the support they provide to investigators (for example, topic selection, proposal refinement, and team formation) should align with symptom-focused research priorities relevant to NCCIH.

REACH virtual resource centers are expected to offer a menu of practical services that directly address common barriers faced by clinician-scientist faculty at CIH institutions. The NOFO highlights several core categories of support: administrative support (help with coordination, operations, compliance-oriented guidance, and logistical backbone), research support (study design consultation, methods support, data-related planning, and navigation of research processes), grantsmanship (help with identifying opportunities, crafting competitive NIH-style applications, responsiveness to review criteria, and strengthening specific aims), mentoring and training (structured guidance for investigators at different career stages, skills development, and ongoing professional development), and team building (facilitating collaborations across disciplines and institutions, connecting clinicians with methodologists, and creating multi-institutional partnerships). The intent is to help clinician scientists form multi- and interdisciplinary teams capable of conducting rigorous clinical research and competing successfully for federal funding.

Importantly, the program is oriented toward supporting investigators pursuing clinical research that is not a clinical trial. Examples called out include observational studies, epidemiological research, mechanistic clinical research, mixed methods research, and feasibility studies. In practice, this means the virtual centers should be prepared to help faculty develop strong, fundable research questions; choose appropriate designs and measures; address feasibility and implementation realities in clinical environments; and build the kinds of collaborations and preliminary groundwork that reviewers often expect. Since the U24 mechanism is a cooperative agreement, NIH typically has substantial programmatic involvement compared with a standard grant, so awardees should anticipate active coordination with NCCIH staff and a focus on well-defined milestones, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.

The NOFO lays out clear expected outcomes for these centers. First, they should improve both the quality and the quantity of federal grant applications submitted by clinician-scientist faculty at CIH institutions, meaning more submissions and stronger submissions that are better aligned to NIH expectations. Second, they should actively promote the formation of multi- and interdisciplinary partnerships across participating CIH institutions, building networks that outlast any single proposal and make collaboration routine rather than exceptional. Third, they should help strengthen the overall research environment at CIH institutions by normalizing research activity, improving access to expertise and support, and reducing institutional friction points that can derail promising investigators. Fourth, they should help develop a pipeline of clinician scientists trained in CIH practices who can pursue sustained research careers in clinical institutional settings, which implies attention to mentorship structures, skills development, and career progression support.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common U.S.-based organizational types, such as state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and certain tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other organizations as allowed by NIH policy. The NOFO also explicitly mentions additional eligible applicant categories 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, eligible agencies of the federal government, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. Non-U.S. (foreign) organizations are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible; however, foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means certain project elements may occur abroad under specific conditions and approvals while the applicant organization remains U.S.-based.

Key administrative details provided include the original closing date of 2024-09-07, a maximum award amount (award ceiling) of $850,000, and the CFDA number 93.213. The overall activity category is health, and the opportunity is discretionary. While the notice excerpt does not specify the exact number of expected awards in the provided text, it indicates that awards are anticipated and that applicants should plan around the cooperative, deliverables-driven nature of a U24 center program rather than a single research project budget structure.

In practical terms, a competitive REACH application would typically describe a well-organized virtual center with clear leadership, defined partner institutions, a concrete set of core services, and a credible plan for reaching and supporting clinician-scientist faculty across participating CIH institutions. It would also be expected to show how the center will track outcomes (such as submissions, resubmissions, scores, funding outcomes, partnership formation, and training participation), how it will deliver consistent mentoring and methods support, and how it will build sustainable research culture and collaboration pathways aligned with NCCIH symptom management priorities, all while staying within the boundary that clinical trials are not allowed under this specific U24 opportunity.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "REsearch Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Virtual Resource Centers (U24 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): 93.213.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-07. (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 $850,000.00 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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