NIH Advances Organoid Infrastructure and Support for Animal Retirement

By: Galen Cobb
Thursday, October 9, 2025
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced several developments at the agency, including research infrastructure for new approach methodologies (NAM), funding policy for research animal adoption, and agency leadership.

Standard Organoid Modeling Center Announced
NIH is launching a new Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Center with $87 million in contracts for the first three years. Housed at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) among other NIH Institutes, the center will serve as a national hub for developing reproducible, human-based organoid models of lung, liver, heart, and intestine tissues, with plans to expand into additional systems.

More information is available in NIH's announcement and on the SOM Center webpage.

Grantees Can Use Funds for Animal Retirement
Effective October 1, 2025, NIH grant recipients may now use grant funds to cover costs associated with the rehoming or retirement of research animals, including expenses related to socialization, transportation, and adoption. Previously, NIH policy allowed reimbursement for acquisition, care, and use of animals but explicitly disallowed post study disposition costs.

Full details are available in NIH Notice NOT-OD-25-163.

Leadership Announced for ORIVA 
In an interview published October 3 by STAT, NIH Acting Director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives Nicole Kleinstreuer, PhD, named Warren Casey, PhD, DABT, to lead the newly formed Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA). Dr. Casey currently serves as Senior Science Advisor at NIEHS and previously directed the NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM), where he played a key role in advancing non-animal testing strategies. The office, first proposed in April 2025, is intended to coordinate and promote non-animal research methods across NIH.

Dr. Kleinstreuer’s full interview with STAT is available to read on their website.