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NIH offering up to $13.1M in Targeting RNA in Disease with Novel Technologies (TRDNT) Challenge

TRDNT Challenge graphic

While ribonucleic acid (RNA) has often been used as a treatment for disease, it has rarely been utilized as a therapeutic target.

The Targeting RNA in Disease with Novel Technologies (TRDNT) Challenge aims to change this by encouraging the development of innovative approaches that modulate RNA for disease treatment.

The NIH will award up to $13.1 Million in prizes across three phases.

In Phase I (Planning and Proposal Development), participants will:

  • Describe a novel RNA-targeting technology
  • Explain the health need it addresses
  • Outline how the approach could be developed into a prototype in a future phase

The challenge also supports solutions that improve how we target, edit, degrade or modulate RNA in our cells to advance human health.

Phase I applications due July 15, 2026.

Learn more about the TRDNT Challenge and how to submit an entry at trdntchallenge.com.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is launching the Targeting RNA in Disease with Novel Technologies (TRDNT) Challenge to spur the development, validation, and dissemination of novel technologies that target RNA in human disease. TRDNT is the latest initiative from NIH's Common Fund Venture Program, supporting short-term projects with long-term impact across NIH Institutes, Centers, and the Office of the Director.

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Have news or an announcement to share? Contact Michelle Maclay at michelle_maclay@med.unc.edu

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