Single Source for the Continuation of the Physiology of the Weight Reduced State (POWERS) Study (U01- Clinical Trials Required) | RFA DK 27 122

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 27 122

The funding opportunity titled "Single Source for the Continuation of the Physiology of the Weight Reduced State (POWERS) Study (U01 - Clinical Trials Required)" is an NIH Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that supports the continuation of an ongoing clinical trial known as POWERS. POWERS is focused on a central problem in obesity and weight management research: many people are able to lose weight through lifestyle interventions, but a large proportion regain some or all of that weight over time, and the degree of regain varies widely from person to person. The study is designed to dig into the physiology behind that variability, looking for the biological and metabolic processes that influence who maintains weight loss and who is more likely to regain.

The immediate purpose of this NOFO is not to launch a new project from scratch, but to ensure the existing POWERS clinical trial can be completed as planned and that the substantial data and biospecimens already collected can be fully analyzed. In practical terms, the award is meant to keep the trial infrastructure operating through completion, support required clinical-trial coordinating activities, and enable the downstream scientific work that turns participant measurements and specimen collections into interpretable findings. The emphasis on analyzing both collected data and biospecimens signals that the continuation work is expected to include rigorous statistical analysis and laboratory or biomarker-related analysis based on stored samples, rather than focusing only on additional recruitment or new experimental arms.

This is a single-source competition, meaning NIH is explicitly seeking one application from a specific entity rather than inviting broad competition across many institutions. The NOFO invites an application from the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) for the POWERS consortium, and NIDDK specifically indicates the continuation will be at the University of Pittsburgh. Even though the general eligibility list includes a wide range of applicant types (such as state and local governments, tribal entities, nonprofits, higher education institutions, and for-profit organizations), the single-source language and the reference to Section III eligibility effectively limit who is expected to apply. The structure reflects a common NIH approach when a complex, multi-year clinical trial is already underway and continuity is critical; switching coordinating centers midstream can create avoidable risk, inefficiency, and disruptions to established protocols, data systems, and oversight processes.

The award mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement with clinical trials required. A cooperative agreement differs from a standard research grant in that NIH staff typically have substantial scientific and/or programmatic involvement during the project period. For a clinical trial, this often translates into active collaboration on milestones, performance monitoring, data quality and harmonization expectations, and oversight of safety, compliance, and reporting requirements. Because the NOFO is tied to an ongoing clinical trial, the continuation award is essentially positioned to maintain the operational backbone needed to meet trial obligations and deliver final scientific outputs.

Administratively, the opportunity is issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) as the institute requesting the single-source competition. The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-DK-27-122, and the Assistance Listing/CFDA number provided is 93.847, which corresponds to diabetes, endocrine, and metabolic disease research support. The activity category is listed as Health, consistent with the clinical focus on obesity-related physiology and metabolic outcomes.

The NOFO anticipates making one award (Expected Awards: 1), reinforcing that this is intended to fund a single coordinating entity to carry the trial to completion. The posting lists an original closing date of 2026-11-17, and a creation date of 2026-10-15. While an award ceiling is not specified in the provided text, the cooperative agreement format and the one-award expectation imply a targeted continuation budget aligned with the needs of trial completion, coordination, and analysis, rather than a broad exploratory funding pool.

Finally, even though the competition is single-source, the application is still expected to go through standard NIH peer review. The NOFO makes clear that peer review will occur under NIH processes and that only meritorious applications will be considered for funding. In other words, NIH is signaling both the importance of continuity for this particular trial and the expectation that the continuation plan must still demonstrate scientific value, operational readiness, appropriate stewardship of the trial and its datasets, and a credible path to completing analyses and producing impactful results.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Single Source for the Continuation of the Physiology of the Weight Reduced State (POWERS) Study (U01- Clinical Trials Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-10-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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.

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