Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) (P50) | RFA NS 19 031

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 19 031

The Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) (P50) funding opportunity (RFA-NS-19-031) is a National Institutes of Health program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that supports the creation or continuation of specialized, interdisciplinary research centers focused on muscular dystrophy. This announcement is a reissue of an earlier solicitation (RFA-AR-18-001), and it is designed to fund centers that can tackle muscular dystrophy research questions more effectively through coordinated teams and shared infrastructure than would be possible through separate, stand-alone research project grants. The emphasis is on building a center environment where basic science, translational work, and clinical research inform one another, accelerating progress from discovery to potential patient impact.

A central purpose of the MDSRC program is to promote collaboration across disciplines and across stages of research. Instead of isolated projects, the expectation is that the center structure will drive synergy: investigators work together around a coherent theme, share core resources, standardize methods where helpful, and create a hub that benefits both the funded investigators and the broader muscular dystrophy research community. Alongside the research itself, these centers are intended to provide important resources that can be used nationally, which often implies shared tools, datasets, models, technologies, clinical research capabilities, or other specialized services that individual labs might not be able to sustain on their own.

The FOA also places strong value on innovation and on pursuing problems that are particularly well-suited to a center model. In practical terms, this means the program is looking for research that requires coordinated expertise (for example, combining molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, imaging, clinical phenotyping, and trial-ready infrastructure), or research that depends on shared platforms and sustained collaboration. The goal is to support high-impact work in muscular dystrophies where the added value of the center structure is clear, and where outcomes would likely be weaker or slower if the same science were split into independent R01-type projects without formal integration.

Training and workforce development are another explicit priority. The centers are expected to provide strong environments for training new scientists who want to build careers in muscular dystrophy research, particularly in areas considered high priority for the field. While the announcement does not list specific training mechanisms in the text provided, the intent is clear: these centers should function as talent pipelines by offering mentorship, exposure to team science, and access to specialized resources and patient-centered research activities. This helps ensure the field continues to grow and that early-career researchers gain the skills and networks needed to sustain progress over time.

Patient-centeredness and community engagement are not optional add-ons in this program; they are built into the expectations for center investigators. Awardees are expected to engage patient and advocacy communities in ongoing conversations that increase awareness of research, encourage patient participation, and incorporate the perspectives of these communities into how research is designed and conducted. This signals that the NIH wants these centers to be connected to the lived experience of muscular dystrophy, improving relevance, recruitment, retention, and trust, and helping align scientific priorities with patient and family needs.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity using the NIH P50 center grant mechanism. The posted award ceiling is $1,000,000, and the NIH anticipated making about three awards under this announcement. The opportunity was created on May 8, 2019, with an original closing date of October 31, 2019. The program is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.837, 93.846, 93.853, 93.865), reflecting NIH’s cross-institute involvement in related health research areas.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations that commonly apply for NIH funding. Eligible applicants listed 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 and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities as described in the FOA’s additional eligibility language. In short, the program is structured to allow a wide range of institutions to propose a center, as long as they can credibly deliver the interdisciplinary research, shared resources, training environment, and community engagement expected of a Wellstone MDSRC.

Overall, this FOA funds muscular dystrophy research centers that operate as collaborative hubs: they integrate basic, translational, and clinical research; develop and share resources that strengthen the national research ecosystem; train the next generation of investigators; and maintain meaningful engagement with patients and advocacy groups to support patient-centered research and participation.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) (P50)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.837, 93.846, 93.853, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 31, 2019. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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