Research infrastructure & impact
External Advisory Committee · November 9, 2026 · Phase II accomplishments and Phase S readiness
RECA | Building recruitment capacity
RISE (Reaching Individuals for Study Enrollment) compares recruitment approaches to support future CIRCA research.
Recruitment yield by platform
Final selected sample as a percentage of consented participants, following screening and quality control.
Willingness to participate remotely
Percentage willing or very willing (response 4–5). Intentions do not necessarily predict participation.
Recruitment platform characteristics
| Characteristic | Meta | ResearchMatch | Prolific |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age | 35.4 | 42.2 | 40.7 |
| Female | 77% | 60% | 61% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 49% | 68% | 48% |
| Hispanic/Latinx | 17% | 13% | 3% |
Descriptive comparisons only; these platforms recruit different populations.
Next development milestone
Additional participants planned through OpenClinica (formerly Build Clinical), the remaining recruitment approach to evaluate.
Planned next steps: project-specific recruitment queries and preparing the dataset for analyses.
Biological Systems | Analytical throughput
Static October 2026 assay progress snapshot. Sample counts and assay counts are shown separately where reported.
Completion by analytical category
Reported baseline analytical output
Reported: 6,750 plate-based biomarker analyses; 199 flow cytometric analyses; 1,869 PCR analyses. Their sum is 8,818, while the supplied narrative states 8,224 baseline analyses. Reconciliation required before quoting a single grand total.
Administrative Core | Grant success
Annual Phase II Year 1–5 worksheets are authoritative. Explore applications, awarded entries, funding agencies, and investigator performance.
Annual worksheet reconciliation
Counts are source entries, not necessarily distinct proposals. For audit, export filtered rows with source worksheet and row numbers. 56 records found only in the consolidated All sheet are excluded from primary totals.
Awarded dollars by calendar year
Awarded dollars by agency type
Annual P2Yr1–P2Yr5 worksheets are the source of truth. Annual worksheets are authoritative; 56 consolidated-only entries (exact investigator/title matching) are excluded from totals pending review. Investigator name variants are consolidated; no-dollar potential repeat records are excluded. All grant awards are recorded in Phase II, not Phase I. Internal/university awards are excluded from extramural dollar totals.
Grant record detail
| Investigator(s) | Year | Project year | Grant / proposal | Role | Agency | Status | Amount recorded |
|---|
Amounts are as entered in the source and may represent full project awards, subawards, requested budgets, or multi-investigator contributions. Do not interpret as OSU-CHS retained revenue. Current affiliation is not verified. Funding is not necessarily attributable to OSU-CHS; amounts may be full multi-institutional awards. “Awarded entries” are not confirmed distinct awards.
COBRE Phase 3 → Phase S | What changes?
Comparison of the former transitional-center NOFO (PAR-23-216) with the new COBRE-S requirements in PAR-27-055. This page distinguishes funding requirements from CIRCA planning implications.
NOFO requirements side by side
| Dimension | Historical Phase 3 · PAR-23-216 | Phase S · PAR-27-055 |
|---|---|---|
| Program emphasis | Solidify research programs and infrastructure; implement long-term sustainability. | Sustain research excellence while continuing faculty growth and consolidating research cores. |
| Investigator funding | Required Pilot Projects Program; independent investigators of all ranks eligible, with ESI/NI priority. | Required Scientific Research Program; SIs must meet defined ESI, NI, first-RPG-renewal mid-career, or at-risk criteria. |
| Investigator appointment | Pilot leaders must be independent investigators; prior NOFO did not use the same SRP eligibility framework. | SIs must hold independent multi-year faculty appointments at the applicant organization and lead their own research programs. |
| Concurrent IDeA support | PPLs could not simultaneously receive project-lead research support from another IDeA parent award. | SIs cannot receive simultaneous research support from another IDeA program award (subject to supplement exception). |
| Investigator effort | PPL minimum one person-month per pilot project. | SI minimum six person-months annually. |
| Research cores | Existing cores could be enhanced; new cores possible when essential. | Existing cores may be supported or consolidated; no new cores in Phase S. |
| Application research plans | Individual pilot projects not described in the application; post-award approval required. | Describe SI selection, pool, future hires, budget and career development; no individual-project Specific Aims in the application. |
| Clinical trials | Clinical trials optional. | Clinical trials not allowed under this NOFO. |
| PD/PI qualification | Established scientist with mentoring and administrative experience. | Additionally must lead at least one active peer-reviewed externally funded research grant in the center's broad scientific area. |
This is a concise operational comparison, not a substitute for reading the full NOFO and subsequent NIH notices.
What Phase S requires CIRCA to demonstrate
Investigator pool: an eligible group of CHS-appointed researchers with sufficient protected effort, plus a credible faculty-development and recruitment plan.
Research infrastructure: a compelling case for continuing and consolidating existing core capabilities based on research demand and sustainability.
Institutional alignment: evidence that research capacity will remain at the applicant organization and serve its long-term strategic priorities.
Planning implications — CIRCA interpretation
Review each prospective SI's eligibility, current IDeA support, independent appointment and ability to commit six person-months.
Determine how RECA capabilities and Biological Systems services fit within a compliant, consolidated core structure.
Define measurable commitments for faculty recruitment, protected research time, and core sustainability.
These are proposed CIRCA planning actions, not additional NOFO requirements.
Phase S application and transition timeline
Planning assumption: Phase II no-cost extension (NCE) continues through June 30, 2028. NIH dates below follow the May 25, 2027 submission cycle in PAR-27-055.
CIRCA planning milestone; not an NIH deadline
5:00 p.m. applicant-organization local time
NIH anticipated review month
NIH anticipated council month
NOFO earliest start date, not a guaranteed award or actual start
Center planning assumption; contingent on NIH approval of the extension
Funding contingency | Plan A and Plan B
Plan B assumes the May 2027 application is not funded and CIRCA submits an A1 resubmission at the next cycle. Dates are anticipated, not guaranteed.
| Milestone | Plan A · Initial submission | Plan B · A1 resubmission |
|---|---|---|
| Application due | May 25, 2027 | January 25, 2028 |
| Scientific merit review | November 2027 | July 2028 |
| Advisory Council review | January 2028 | October 2028 |
| Earliest Phase S start | April 2028 | December 2028 |
| Phase II NCE ends | June 30, 2028 (assumed first NCE) | Need for a second NCE to bridge beyond June 30, 2028 |
Decision point: Review the November 2027 critique promptly and confirm whether the January 2028 A1 cycle is feasible. A second NCE is a request, not an entitlement: it would depend on NIH approval, allowable project-period limits, and available unobligated funds. Without an approved extension or bridge funding, Plan B could leave a July–November 2028 operating gap.
Transition consideration: the NOFO’s April 2028 earliest start precedes the assumed June 30, 2028 NCE end by approximately three months. The actual Phase S start and any overlap or closeout arrangements must be coordinated with NIGMS and institutional grants administration; this timeline does not assume concurrent funding is approved.
Source: PAR-27-055, Key Dates — May 25, 2027 application cycle.
Primary sources
PAR-23-216 — historical COBRE Phase 3 · PAR-27-055 — COBRE-E/S