U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 75 years: 1950-2025 75 years: 1950-2025
  1. Home
  2. Research & Funding
  3. Funding Process
  4. Apply
  5. About Funding Mechanisms
  6. RC2

RC2: High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science in NIDDK Research Areas (Clinical Trial Optional)

Most recent NIDDK funding announcement: PAR-22-069

The RC2 at NIDDK

There are two ways that researchers can address scientific challenges using an interdisciplinary team approach. These include:

  • Multiple-Principal Investigator Initiated Research Project (Multi-PI R01)- PA 20-185 (clinical trial not allowed) and PA-20-183 (clinical trial required)
  • RC2 mechanism for High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science- PAR-22-069

A Multi-PI R01 has a focused, more narrow thrust that addresses an overall hypothesis.  There are typically two or more PIs working collaboratively to address two or more related Specific Aims.  Supporting preliminary data is essential as a foundation for the studies being proposed.

In contrast, the RC2 at NIDDK is a single project using an interdisciplinary team approach that generates a research resource for the community, is discovery based and/or hypothesis generating. NIDDK looks for these RC2 projects to accelerate critical breakthroughs in biomedical research that is relevant to the mission of NIDDK. These will be high impact ideas that may lay the foundation for new fields of research and be groundbreaking, high impact, cross-cutting, hypothesis-generating research.

NIDDK envisions that RC2 projects will:

  • take novel approaches to address specific knowledge gaps in the field of interest to NIDDK
  • take advantage of scientific opportunities
  • develop new technologies; and/or
  • generate data or research methods that are useful for the scientific community

An important aspect of the RC2 projects is that the team will share data and/or resources with the scientific community-and include a sustainability plan for the sharing of the data/resources beyond the period of RC2 funding.

While prior collaboration among the team of investigators is not required, the team must provide a plan for working together that will enhance integration and collaboration. This separate attachment to the RC2 application should address:

  • how the team will facilitate interactions
  • how the RC2 will enhance integration and collaboration
  • the overall organization of the team including lines of communication

 More information on and a comparison among these collaborative grant mechanisms supported by NIDDK can be found in the collaborative grants comparison table.

Applying

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss proposed studies with NIDDK staff and generate a Pre-approval letter at least 3 months, and preferably 6 months before submission. The pre-approval process is key as program staff will consider the following:

  • Relevance to the NIDDK
    • Importance of the complex problem or resource to the NIDDK mission
  • Programmatic Priority
    • Will the proposed research significantly advance the mission of NIDDK?
  • Programmatic Balance
    • How does the proposed research relate to currently funded research in NIDDK and by the investigative team?
  • Activity Code
    • Is the proposed work appropriate for the RC2 activity code?
    • If your proposed project does not fit the RC2 mechanism, staff will suggest other options for your proposed research

Deadlines

New Applications

  • June 1, 2022
  • November 2, 2022
  • June 1, 2023
  • November 2, 2023
  • May 30, 2024
  • October 30, 2024

FAQs

RC2 Frequently Asked Questions

Staff Contact

Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition
Patricia Greenwel, Ph.D.

Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
Chris Mullins, Ph.D.

Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases
Norann Zaghloul, Ph.D. 

Last Reviewed November 2023