Centers for Accelerating Phage (Bacteriophage) Therapy to Combat ESKAPE Pathogens (CAPT-CEP) (P01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AI 24 069

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 24 069

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity to create Centers for Accelerating Phage (Bacteriophage) Therapy to Combat ESKAPE Pathogens (CAPT-CEP) under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AI-24-069. The program uses the P01 center-style grant mechanism and is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applicants should not propose a clinical trial as the primary activity. Instead, the emphasis is on building coordinated, multi-project centers that strengthen the foundational work needed to move phage therapy forward, particularly against ESKAPE pathogens, a well-known group of bacteria that frequently drive hospital-acquired infections and exhibit high levels of antimicrobial resistance (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species).

The core purpose of CAPT-CEP is to accelerate the field by developing and standardizing the kinds of preclinical assays, tools, and models that make phage therapy research more reliable, reproducible, and translational. In practical terms, NIH is looking for centers that can generate robust R and D capabilities such as validated laboratory assays for measuring phage activity, resistance development, host range, potency, and interactions with antibiotics; improved in vitro and in vivo models that better predict how phages will behave in real infections; and enabling tools and workflows that can be shared, scaled, and used to support clinical research readiness. Although clinical trials themselves are not allowed under this announcement, the NOFO makes clear that these centers should still "advance phage clinical research" by producing the preclinical evidence base and methodological infrastructure that de-risks future clinical studies, improves comparability across studies, and supports eventual regulatory-quality development.

This is a health-focused funding opportunity (FundingActivityCategory: Health) with CFDA number 93.855. The award ceiling is listed as $1,200,000, indicating the maximum amount NIH expects to provide per award under this announcement. The opportunity record also lists "ExpectedAwards:" but does not provide a number, so applicants should plan with uncertainty around how many centers may be funded. The original application due date (OriginalClosingDate) is January 28, 2025, and the opportunity was created on October 23, 2024, which helps situate it in NIH's annual funding cycle and gives applicants a sense of the lead time NIH allowed for center-level planning and collaboration building.

Eligibility is broad and includes most common U.S. applicant types as well as several explicitly named categories meant to encourage participation from diverse institutions and communities. Standard eligible applicants include state, county, and local 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 that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions when specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In addition, the NOFO highlights other 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); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; U.S. territories or possessions; and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations. Taken together, this signals NIH interest in building a wide, collaborative phage therapy ecosystem rather than restricting the effort to a small set of research-intensive universities.

At a high level, a competitive CAPT-CEP application would likely read like a coordinated center plan: a set of complementary projects that tackle key preclinical barriers to phage development for ESKAPE infections, supported by shared resources and harmonized methods so results can be compared and reused across the field. The strongest fits for this NOFO are proposals that do more than run isolated experiments and instead create center capabilities such as standardized testing pipelines, reference materials, data practices, model systems, and other enabling infrastructure that can directly feed into and strengthen future clinical research programs.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers for Accelerating Phage (Bacteriophage) Therapy to Combat ESKAPE Pathogens (CAPT-CEP) (P01 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): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-28. (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 $1,200,000.00 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 RFA AI 24 069

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: