Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (NORCs)

The Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (NORCs) program, administered by the National Institutes of Health under the Department of Health and Human Services, is a funding opportunity (RFA-DK-27-120) designed to establish core centers that integrate nutrition and obesity research. The program focuses on three primary activities: the establishment of two to five biomedical research cores providing specialized technical resources, a Pilot and Feasibility (P and F) program to catalyze new research ideas, and a Scientific Catalyst program to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The overarching goal is to advance basic science, clinical studies, and implementation research while strengthening the biomedical research workforce. Applications are subject to a scientific merit review focusing on the significance of the research base, the institutional environment, and the strength of the clinical elements. Budgetary limits are set at 750,000 dollars in direct costs per year, with up to 150,000 dollars of that allocated specifically for the Pilot and Feasibility program. The Center Director must commit a minimum of 2.4 person months of effort to the center. Eligible applicants must maintain active SAM registration, a Unique Entity Identifier, and ORCID registration for all principal investigators. Applications must be submitted as multi-component packages including Overall, Administrative Core, Research Core, and P and F Program sections, adhering to specific page limits for each.