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Request For Applications (RFA)

Male Contraceptive Initiative

Purpose: Nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended. Furthermore, male contraceptives are limited to condoms and vasectomy, which do not provide adequate variety in characteristics to meet the needs of all users.

Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI), a US-based 501(c)3 nonprofit, is a funding agency and advocate for safe, effective, and reversible contraceptive solutions for sperm-producing people.

Background: The male contraceptive field has matured meaningfully over the past ~5 years. A small, mechanistically diverse number of programs have advanced to clinical-stage development, and a robust pipeline of leads are emerging from academic pursuits. However, several structural challenges remain: limited capacity for follow-through on early academic discovery work, slow progress on promising leads due to lack of specific expertise or fragmented funding, and insufficient capital for a growing field.

MCI’s core grants are the backbone of MCI's research portfolio, designed to maintain field health and continuity. These grants facilitate product development, help projects move from discovery toward defined translational milestones, and emphasize clear go/no-go criteria. Core grants support credible programs that demonstrate strong scientific rationale and a plausible translational trajectory.

For the 2026 cycle, core grants will support programs ranging from discovery through preclinical and clinical development, with clear prioritization given to programs advancing toward translational milestones. This includes projects in hit-to-lead optimization, lead optimization, preclinical development, and IND-enabling studies, while also remaining open to earlier-stage screening and discovery objectives that demonstrate strong alignment with field priorities.

Maximum Award Budget

Up to $400,000 in total costs over a 24-month project period, at a maximum of $200,000 per year.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

🧬 1. Strong Focus on Male Contraception (Non-Negotiable)

Projects must directly address:
- Male contraceptive development
Especially:
- Non-hormonal
- Reversible methods

👉 Off-topic reproductive or general fertility research → low success probability

🔄 2. Translational Pathway Toward Real Products (Top Predictor)

MCI funding is designed to:
- Move discoveries toward usable contraceptives
Includes:
- Target validation
- Preclinical → clinical development

👉 Key question:
“Will this lead to a viable male contraceptive method?”

MCI actively funds projects progressing toward market-ready solutions

🚀 3. Innovation in Non-Hormonal & Reversible Methods (Critical)

Core strategic focus:
- Non-hormonal contraception
Examples:
- Sperm function inhibition
- Reversible vas-occlusive methods

👉 Innovation must be practical and scalable

🎯 4. Addressing a Major Unmet Need (High Impact Factor)

There are currently:
- Very limited male contraceptive options (condoms, vasectomy)
Strong demand exists for:
- New, user-friendly methods

👉 Proposals that clearly address this gap score highly

🧪 5. Feasible, Milestone-Driven Research Plan

Funding often supports:
- Early-stage or pilot projects
Must include:
- Clear milestones
- Achievable outputs

👉 Overly ambitious or vague proposals are commonly rejected

👩‍🔬 6. Early-Career Researcher Development (Major Priority)

MCI strongly supports:
- Graduate students, postdocs, and trainees
Programs include:
- Fellowships
- Career development funding

👉 Evaluation includes:

Research potential
Career alignment with male contraception

🤝 7. Engagement with the Male Contraception Research Community

MCI encourages:
- Participation in:
  - Conferences
  - Collaborations
  - Networking

👉 Applicants engaged in the field have an advantage

🌍 8. Global & Public Health Relevance

Projects that:
- Improve reproductive autonomy and access globally
Particularly relevant for:
- Low-resource settings

👉 Broader impact strengthens applications

🧠 9. Interdisciplinary Approaches (Advantage)

Successful projects often combine:
- Biology + chemistry
- Reproductive science + engineering

👉 Cross-disciplinary innovation improves competitiveness

📈 10. Potential for Follow-On Funding & Development

MCI funding acts as:
- Catalytic/seed funding
Strong proposals:
- Lead to:
  - Clinical trials
  - Venture or institutional funding

👉 Clear next-step pathway is important

📊 Summary: Key Predictors (Ranked)

Highest impact factors:

Male contraception–specific focus
Translational pathway to product
Innovation (non-hormonal, reversible)

Moderate predictors:
4. Unmet need relevance
5. Feasibility
6. Early-career development

Supporting factors:
7. Community engagement
8. Interdisciplinary approach
9. Global health relevance

💡 Insider Insight

Compared to NIH or general reproductive funders:

Male Contraceptive Initiative is:
👉 highly niche (male contraception only)
👉 strongly product- and translation-driven

👉 Winning formula:
Non-hormonal idea + clear path to real contraceptive + feasible pilot study

✔️ What wins:

Novel reversible male contraceptive targets
Translational drug/device development
Early-stage, high-impact innovation

❌ What struggles:

General reproductive biology
Pure basic science without application
Lack of feasibility or development pathway

Specialties

Clinical Trials

Eligibility Requirements

This application is open to global academic institutions, for-profit organizations, and other entities. Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and internal or external resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator (PI) is invited to submit an application through their institution.

Applicants may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct. Current MCI grantees are eligible to apply for funding through this mechanism. Applicants may submit proposals covering new or existing projects, as long as the work proposed is scientifically distinct from previously funded work. MCI values representation and diversity in the scientific community. Applications from women, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, and other historically marginalized groups are encouraged.

Projects that are not responsive to this announcement include: Approaches developing contraceptives delivered to female users only. Approaches that permanently inhibit fertility or cause sterility. Male or female barrier development (e.g., condoms). Approaches involving administration of steroid hormones to manipulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. Approaches that induce active immunity. Applications focused on molecular targets for which there is no human ortholog. Proposals based on mechanisms that may act post-fertilization. Proposals focused on mechanisms that could only function through administration in the female body (e.g., intrauterine devices, products acting via oviduct or uterus). Applications that are duplicate or highly overlapping with grant awards from other funding agencies.

Proposals better suited to other MCI funding mechanisms may be redirected during review. Applicants with questions regarding eligibility or funding mechanisms are encouraged to contact MCI in advance of developing an application.

Special Invitation - Continued Grants Projects funded by MCI grants that closed out up to 18 months ago or are within 6 months of closeout (as defined by contract period) are eligible for "Continued Grant" consideration. MCI Fellowships are also eligible to "graduate" to a Continued Grant. These applications will be given special consideration at the Letter of Intent stage and are more likely to be invited for full application submission

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Male Contraceptive Initiative

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 811 Ninth Street, Suite 120 #255, Durham, NC 27705

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