RECOVER launches new funding opportunity for pathobiology research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the RECOVER Initiative invite researchers to apply for a new Research Opportunity Announcement (ROA), ROA OTA-21-015L, which funds pathobiology studies that advance our understanding of the biological mechanisms driving Long COVID. Investigators can propose studies using data and biosamples from RECOVER’s observational studies and clinical trials.

This opportunity encourages researchers to propose pathobiology studies that address critical and emerging gaps in the understanding, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Long COVID. Proposed studies should expand RECOVER’s foundational clinical and translational research, including identifying and validating Long COVID biomarkers, uncovering mechanistic pathways that point to treatment targets, and developing and validating bioassays that can be used in clinical studies.

Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with the Long COVID community, selecting eligibility criteria and study outcomes that are co-developed with Long COVID patients and reflect their lived experiences. 

Clinical trial data and biosamples now available

Interested researchers can draw on one of the world’s most comprehensive Long COVID datasets—including more than 82 million datapoints and 1.5 million biosamples—that reflects the people and communities most affected by COVID-19 in the United States. The scale of these resources allows researchers to examine specific demographics or health histories and uncover patterns that smaller datasets might miss.

Researchers can now request access to data and biosamples from the RECOVER Clinical Trials (RECOVER-CT) program—RECOVER’s first phase of clinical trials—as part of a study proposal. Clinical trial biosamples allow researchers to study which participants responded to which Long COVID treatments—a unique research opportunity not available through observational data alone.

RECOVER-CT includes 8 clinical trials and 13 possible treatments across 5 focus areas: autonomic dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, exercise intolerance and fatigue, sleep disturbances, and viral persistence. Approximately 3,100 adults took part in the 8 trials. Prospective applicants can preview the clinical trial samples available for study by reviewing the Biospecimen Inventory Summary on the RECOVER-CT website.

This opportunity also continues to encourage use of observational study data and biosamples available for research projects. RECOVER observational studies include adult (pregnant and non-pregnant), pediatric, and autopsy cohorts. RECOVER adult and pediatric observational cohorts will continue to contribute to RECOVER’s repository of data as these studies continue into their next phase.

Prospective investigators proposing studies that analyze observational study data can use BioData Catalyst Powered by PIC-SURE to understand study feasibility or sample size. No fees or data access requests are required. Review recaps from our R3 Seminar Series for more information on observational study data and observational study biosamples.

Who can apply

Researchers with expertise in related scientific disciplines—such as virology, immunology, tissue or organ pathology, and cell biology, as well as medical specialties like neurology, cardiology, pulmonology, sleep medicine, and infectious disease—can help answer important questions about how Long COVID affects different body systems.

Investigators from higher education institutions, government agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and other eligible institutions are encouraged to apply, including those who have previously received funding for a RECOVER pathobiology study. Proposals that integrate multidisciplinary approaches are particularly welcomed.

ROA OTA-21-015L follows the RECOVER pathobiology research opportunity ROA OTA-21-015K, which closed April 24, 2026. Researchers who were preparing a proposal for the previous opportunity are also encouraged to apply.

Available funding and how to apply

Budgets for proposed studies may be up to $800,000 in total costs per year for up to a 2-year period of performance. Studies that plan to use RECOVER data and biosamples that are readily available should specify a project period of up to 12 months; strong scientific justification is required for a 2-year period.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. This opportunity will remain open until the NIH determines that the objectives of the program have been met or that the opportunity should otherwise be closed. NIH will provide a minimum of 8 weeks’ notice prior to closing the opportunity.

Before submitting a full application, applicants must submit an online request form to confirm the data and samples needed for their proposed study are available.

To read the full announcement and start the application process, visit the Research Opportunity Announcement OTA-21-015L webpage.