ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity RFA-HD-28-004

Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC)

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) is a forecasted federal grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of October 1, 2027; forecast dates can change. Individual awards are listed as up to $1M, with about 3 awards expected. 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 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research).

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

Key facts

Aug 20, 2026Forecast posted
Jul 30, 2027 (est.)Full notice expectednext date
Oct 1, 2027 (est.)Application deadline
Jul 1, 2028 (est.)Est. award date

Posted: Aug 20, 2026
Est. close date: Oct 1, 2027
Est. award date: Jul 1, 2028
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: $1,000,000
Est. total funding: Not specified
Expected awards: 3
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2028

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;

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.

This renewal of the Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRCs) continues a legislatively-mandated Centers of Excellence program, which aims to expand and intensify research on muscular dystrophy. The Centers advance basic, translational, and clinical muscular dystrophy research through interdisciplinary collaboration and shared resources for the research community. They support innovative, center-based projects that would be less effective as stand-alone grants, and provide strong training environments for emerging scientists. The Centers also engage patient and advocacy communities to raise research awareness, encourage participation, and ensure patient-centered perspectives inform study design and conduct. Grant authorities that allow NICHD to forecast this opportunity are as follows: 42 U.S.C. 281 (Sec. 401); 42 USC 283g (Sec. 404E); 42 U.S.C. 285g (Sec. 448); 42 USC 284h (Sec. 409D)

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 July 30, 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 earlyNICHD Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch (IDDB) · NICHD_IDDB_NOFOs@mail.nih.gov Open ↗
Submit before October 1, 2027Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

93.865Child Health and Human Development Extramural ResearchProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 93.865

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$1.28B

FY25

$1.33B

FY26

$185M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.865. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 93.865

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 6,805 grant awards had funding actions under Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research, with 5,427 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN$111M
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON$99.9M
THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY$92.1M
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE$77M
TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, THE$74.4M

Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

NICHD Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch (IDDB)
NICHD_IDDB_NOFOs@mail.nih.gov
Please contact via e-mail

Quick answers

Is “Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC)” 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 July 30, 2027. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC)”?

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 “Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC)”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as up to $1m and the agency expects to make about 3 awards.

How do I apply for “Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC)”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity RFA-HD-28-004), 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.

OpenResearchALN 93.173, 93.213…