Funding Announcements

National Institutes of Health

This funding opportunity is designed to support research in understanding how to engineer intrinsic characteristics of stem cell-derived islet cell products that can result in improved cell replacement therapy outcomes. Unlike cadaveric human islets, stem cell-derived islet cell products are generated from well-defined and highly controlled cell bank sources. Their banking, manufacturing, and quality control processes can be used to instill optimized cell characteristics resulting in more resilient and durable graft viability and function. This funding opportunity aims to stimulate studies on targets and pathways amenable to such engineering approaches and to encourage preclinical testing and validation of such strategies. This NOFO is associated with the Special Diabetes Program (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/research-areas/diabetes/type-1-diabetes-special-statutory-funding-program/about-special-diabetes-program) which funds research on the prevention, treatment, and cure of type 1 diabetes and its complications, including unique, innovative, and collaborative research consortia and clinical trials networks.

Posted: December 3, 2025
Full grant due: March 7, 2026

The New Investigator Gateway Award in T1D Research is designed to support a robust pipeline of innovative projects and talented new investigators in T1D research. In addition to providing support for preliminary research, the Gateway program provides an opportunity for new Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) to pursue their studies within the intellectual environment of a select number of large, ongoing collaborative research programs. Embedding awardees within an established scientific framework in each of these consortia will provide unique opportunities for New and Early Stage Investigators to increase their understanding of key questions in the field, to network, and to establish unique and potentially long-lasting collaborations that will propel their careers forward. Bringing New and Early Stage Investigators into existing collaborative research networks will also benefit the networks by providing new ideas and perspectives.

This NOFO is associated with the Special Diabetes Program which funds research on the prevention, treatment, and cure of type 1 diabetes and its complications, including unique, innovative, and collaborative research consortia and clinical trials networks.

Application due date:

March 6, 2026

Funding Opportunities

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Engineering Improved Stem Cell-Derived Islet Cells for Replacement Therapies (R01 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-DK-26-306)

New Investigator Gateway Awards for Collaborative T1D Research (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-DK-26-009)

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