This guide catalogs federal agency programs and private philanthropic initiatives relevant to COMPS’ mission: advancing organoids, microphysiological systems (MPS), iPSC technologies, and computational modeling as New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for disease modeling and drug development. Resources are grouped by primary category (Federal Agencies, Private Foundations & Philanthropy) and sub-category (sponsoring agency or program family). Each entry links directly to the program’s website.
Federal Agencies
NIH — NCATS & NIDDK
Tissue chip, translational science, and kidney-disease-specific mechanisms.
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Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA)
Agency / SponsorNIH Websitedpcpsi.nih.gov
ORIVA will expand NIH funding and training in human-based approaches and increase awareness of their value in translational success. New funding opportunities will include evaluation criteria that assess methods based on their suitability for the research question, context of use, translatability, and human relevance.
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Tissue Chip for Drug Screening Program
Agency / SponsorNIH / NCATS Websitencats.nih.gov
NCATS' flagship program supporting bioengineered organ-on-chip and microphysiological systems (MPS) devices to predict drug safety and efficacy; originated as an NIH-DARPA-FDA partnership.
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Translational Centers for MPS (TraCe MPS)
Agency / SponsorNIH / NCATS + FDA Websitencats.nih.gov
~$31M, five-year program funding Translational Centers (incl. University of Pittsburgh) that help investigators move tissue chips toward FDA-ready drug development tools.
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Clinical Trials on a Chip
Agency / SponsorNIH / NCATS + partner ICs Websitencats.nih.gov
Supports MPS-based models (including a Pitt-led award) used to inform clinical trial design, patient stratification, and endpoint selection for common and rare diseases.
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NCATS Funding Opportunities Search
Agency / SponsorNIH / NCATS Websitencats.nih.gov
Searchable index of all open NCATS funding announcements, including recurring Tissue Chip and translational science NOFOs.
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P30 Center Core Grant
Agency / SponsorNIH / NIDDK Websiteniddk.nih.gov
Supports shared cores and facilities enabling a multidisciplinary group of investigators to pursue a common categorical research theme (e.g., kidney disease).
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Complement-ARIE
Goal is to speed the development, standardization, validation, and use of human-based New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)
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U01 Research Project Cooperative Agreement
Agency / SponsorNIH / NIDDK Websiteniddk.nih.gov
Funds a discrete, PI-defined research project with substantial NIH programmatic involvement; used across NIDDK kidney initiatives such as KPMP.
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Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP)
Agency / SponsorNIH / NIDDK Websiteniddk.nih.gov
Multi-site U01 consortium generating a kidney tissue atlas; recruitment-site NOFOs (e.g., RFA-DK-27-301) fund ~$450K/year per site for biopsy-based precision medicine research.
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NIDDK Current Funding Opportunities
Agency / SponsorNIH / NIDDK Websiteniddk.nih.gov
Central listing of active NIDDK Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), including kidney-, liver-, and diabetes-relevant NAMs mechanisms.
FDA
Regulatory qualification pathways for NAM-based drug development tools.
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ISTAND (Innovative Science & Technology Approaches for New Drugs)
Agency / SponsorFDA / CDER Websitefda.gov
Permanent Drug Development Tool qualification pathway (converted from pilot in 2025) for novel tools out-of-scope for existing programs — including organ-on-chip, AI-based, and complex in vitro models.
BARDA (Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response)
Medical countermeasure development using humanized in vitro and MPS platforms.
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DRIVe MPS / ImmuneChip+ Solicitations
Agency / SponsorBARDA (ASPR) + NCATS Websitedrive.hhs.gov
Funds development of advanced MPS/tissue-chip platforms that integrate a human immune-system component with a validated tissue (lung, heart, kidney) for medical countermeasure screening.
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https://drive.hhs.gov/partner.html
Agency / SponsorBARDA (ASPR) Websitemedicalcountermeasures.gov
Continuously open, rolling-submission vehicle supporting advanced R&D of medical countermeasures; explicitly lists organoids, organ chips, and humanized in vitro systems as fundable technologies.
DARPA & ARPA-H
High-risk, high-reward engineering and health-innovation funding, including organ chip and digital twin platforms.
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ARPA-H Open Funding Opportunities
Agency / SponsorARPA-H Websitearpa-h.gov
Rolling Innovative Solution Openings (ISOs) across ARPA-H's mission offices; supports transformative, milestone-driven biomedical technology via Other Transaction awards.
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PRINT Program
Agency / SponsorARPA-H Websitearpa-h.gov
Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue program. Funds multi-institutional teams (Wyss/MIT/Columbia, up to $25M/5yr) building engineered, transplant-ready organ grafts using liver organoids and iPSC-derived tissue.
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CIRCLE Program
Agency / SponsorARPA-H Websitearpa-h.gov
Supports computational "Digital Twin" development from patient data; organ-on-chip/organoid platforms are in scope as data-generating components of integrated proposals.
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ARPA-H Small Business (SBIR/STTR)
Agency / SponsorARPA-H Websitearpa-h.gov
Streamlined non-dilutive contracts up to $600K (Phase 1) and $3.5M (Phase 2) for milestone-driven health technology, including NAMs-relevant platforms.
Private Foundations & Philanthropy
Non-federal funders supporting human-relevant model development, disease-specific organoid platforms, and open science infrastructure.
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HOPE (Human Organs, Physiology, and Engineering)
Agency / SponsorWellcome Leap Websitewellcomeleap.org
$50M program funding bioengineered human organs, organoids, and immune-response platforms to reduce reliance on animal models and improve transplant outcomes, including kidney/dialysis-relevant work.
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Wellcome Leap Open Programs (rolling)
Agency / SponsorWellcome Leap Websitewellcomeleap.org
Wellcome Leap
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CZI Science Requests for Applications
Agency / SponsorChan Zuckerberg Initiative Websitechanzuckerberg.com
Recurring RFAs supporting single-cell biology, live-tissue omics, imaging technology, and organoid-based disease modeling (e.g., Technologies for Spatiotemporal Omics in Live Tissue).
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PKD Foundation Research Grants
Agency / SponsorPKD Foundation Websitepkdcure.org
Funds polycystic kidney disease research, including iPSC-derived kidney organoid and tubuloid model development.
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PKD Research Resource Consortium (PKD RRC) Pilot & Feasibility Grants
Agency / SponsorNIDDK-supported Consortium Websitepkd-rrc.org
Pilot funding for innovative iPSC-organoid/tubuloid PKD models, informatics, and AI approaches; awardees join the national PKD RRC network.