ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity RFA-AI-28-018

Improved Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) for Mycobacteria

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

Improved Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) for Mycobacteria is a forecasted federal cooperative agreement opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of May 28, 2027; forecast dates can change. Total estimated funding is $3M across about 3 awards. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 10 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Jun 24, 2026Forecast posted
Mar 12, 2027 (est.)Full notice expectednext date
May 28, 2027 (est.)Application deadline
Jun 1, 2028 (est.)Est. award date

Posted: Jun 24, 2026
Est. close date: May 28, 2027
Est. award date: Jun 1, 2028
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: $3,000,000
Implied average award: $1,000,000 calculated
Expected awards: 3
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2028

Typical awards for this program (SAM.gov listing for ALN 93.855, not this notice): from $2,500 to $6,395,901 and the average $426,165.

Implied average = estimated total funding ÷ expected number of awards, calculated by GrantsJunction. Actual awards vary.

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Public & Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) seeks to advance its mission by supporting research to develop improved drug susceptibility tests (DSTs) for mycobacterial drugs, including those currently used for treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and clinically important non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections, new drugs and drugs in late-stage clinical development. TB is a leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide and drug-resistant strains of TB, including those resistant to new drug regimens, are increasing. In the United States, rates of NTM lung disease are rising, especially among women and older adults, while TB cases have surged to their highest level in ten years. Current assays utilize slow, culture-based processes that do not allow for the rapid testing of mycobacterial strains and their drug susceptibility. Improved DSTs are essential for guiding effective treatment, reducing drug-resistant mycobacterial rates, and preventing new transmissions. This program will support the development of innovative DST assays, including rapid genotypic and improved phenotypic methods that do not require full culture growth. Grant authorities that allow NIAID to forecast this opportunity are as follows: Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200.

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Watch for the full noticeThe agency estimates posting it around March 12, 2027. Save this grant to track changes.
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyNIAID DST (Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) · NIAIDDST@mail.nih.gov Open ↗
Submit before May 28, 2027Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

93.855Allergy and Infectious Diseases ResearchProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 93.855

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$4.07B

FY25

$4.38B

FY26

$4.3B est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.855. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

NIAID DST (Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases)
NIAIDDST@mail.nih.gov
Please contact via email.

Quick answers

Is “Improved Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) for Mycobacteria” open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around March 12, 2027. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “Improved Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) for Mycobacteria”?

The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 3 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “Improved Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) for Mycobacteria”?

Per the notice, total estimated program funding is $3,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 3 awards.

How do I apply for “Improved Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) for Mycobacteria”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity RFA-AI-28-018), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

ForecastedResearchALN 93.310, 93.855