Implementation Research on Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors among Low- and Middle-Income Country and Tribal Populations Living in City Environments (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 319

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 319

This funding opportunity, PAR 23-319, is an NIH R01 grant (clinical trial optional) focused on implementation research to reduce major noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors in city environments. It is being offered by participating NIH Institutes and Centers in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD). The central aim is not to invent entirely new clinical treatments, but to generate practical, real-world evidence on how to get proven interventions, policies, tools, and guidelines adopted and sustained where they are most needed, especially in settings where social and structural barriers make prevention and long-term management difficult.

The FOA targets two broad population contexts: (1) people living in World Bank-defined low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and (2) American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal Nation populations living in cities in the United States. A key feature is its emphasis on city environments, using a broad definition of "cities" that includes formal urban centers as well as informal settlements, slums, and peri-urban areas. In practice, that means applications can focus on the full range of urban living conditions that shape NCD risk, including overcrowding, food environments, transport systems, occupational exposures, housing conditions, access to preventive services, and the local policy landscape.

The research encouraged under this announcement is implementation-focused, meaning it prioritizes studying how evidence-based NCD risk-reduction strategies can be successfully delivered, adapted, integrated into existing systems, scaled up beyond pilot programs, and sustained over time. The FOA explicitly calls for work that identifies and addresses barriers to uptake, whether those barriers are at the level of individuals, communities, health systems, local governance, or broader policy and economic constraints. It also welcomes studies that strengthen dissemination and implementation science itself, such as developing or refining methods and measures that can be used to evaluate implementation success in diverse city settings and among disadvantaged populations.

From a topic standpoint, the FOA is framed around "risk factors for common NCDs" rather than a single disease category, which typically includes major, modifiable drivers such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, and related cardiometabolic risks like obesity and hypertension. In the spirit of GACD and NIH implementation priorities, the work is expected to produce actionable findings that policymakers, health departments, tribal organizations, community practitioners, and health systems can use to improve prevention and/or management outcomes, particularly where inequities and limited resources make standard approaches less effective.

Eligibility is broad and designed to support cross-sector and community-engaged implementation research. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments, public housing and Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as faith-based and community-based organizations, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander serving institutions (AANAPISIs), tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), reflecting the global and community-centered nature of the work.

Administratively, this is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity under the R01 mechanism, with clinical trials allowed but not required ("clinical trial optional"), which gives applicants flexibility to propose rigorous implementation studies that may or may not include intervention testing in human participants. The CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity include 93.113, 93.242, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, and 93.989. The original closing date listed for the opportunity is 2024-03-11, and the posting date (creation date) is 2023-12-12. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, which is common for NIH announcements where budgets depend on project scope, institute participation, and available funds.

Overall, the opportunity is designed for teams that can bridge public health evidence with on-the-ground realities in urban and peri-urban settings, including strong partnerships with communities, health systems, and decision-makers. Competitive applications will typically align with the FOA by focusing on real implementation challenges (not just efficacy), using appropriate implementation frameworks and outcomes, and producing results that can guide scale-up and sustainability for NCD risk reduction among disadvantaged city populations in LMICs and/or AI/AN communities in U.S. urban environments.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Implementation Research on Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors among Low- and Middle-Income Country and Tribal Populations Living in City Environments (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.242, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, 93.989.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 23 319

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