NCCIH Research Blog

Two months ago, NCCIH released a new Strategic Plan that emphasizes which areas of research on complementary and integrative health are of strategic interest to the Center—including those designated as high-priority.

In addition to other funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) being issued to implement the Strategic Plan, NCCIH has just issued a new program project grant (P01) FOA, PAR-16-379, “Center of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Integrative Health (CERCIH).” The CERCIH program is designed to promote synergistic research across three to four projects in basic, mechanistic, and/or translational science. Each CERCIH should be well-aligned with the NCCIH Strategic Plan and investigate a scientific area designated by NCCIH as being of high research priority.

I’d like to tell you about a few other important points. NCCIH will fund up to two new CERCIH awards per fiscal year. Each CERCIH should be led by an outstanding, nationally or internationally recognized scientist, and the leaders of the multiple projects should all be highly experienced scientists in their relevant disciplines. Each application should be designed to accomplish all of the following:

• Explore research questions highly relevant to NCCIH’s mission
• Address areas of high research priority at the Center
• Have one central, unifying theme
• Employ basic, mechanistic, and/or translational approaches (please note that clinical trials are not allowed in any of the projects)
• Enable or facilitate collaboration across disciplines by outstanding scientists
• Support at least three coordinated projects (plus an optional research core) that will show significant scientific advantages and synergy compared to supporting the same projects independently.

If you may be interested in submitting an application, it’s important that you contact the NCCIH Division of Extramural Research (see the FOA for contact information) as early as possible to discuss your proposed concept and whether it aligns with this FOA and the NCCIH research priorities. You may also write the Division at nccihderinquiries@mail.nih.gov, and we will refer your inquiry to the most appropriate program director for response. The first receipt date is December 26, 2016, with additional standard receipts available through January 2020.