Exploratory Grants for Climate Change and Health Research Center Development (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)

Overview

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to solicit P20 planning grant applications for Climate Change and Health Research Centers (CCHRCs). A major goal for this program is to build research teams as well as collaborations with communities and other key partners. The program seeks innovative research and pilot/feasibility projects that utilize transdisciplinary approaches to address questions relevant to climate change impacts on health. Applications for these CCHRCs should propose planning and development activities in preparation to build institutional research capacity for future proposals addressing climate and health. Each CCHRC is expected to: (1) plan and develop sustainable research capacity by establishing centralized resources and research infrastructure; (2) develop the Center’s thematic science area through transdisciplinary research activities; (3) enable research that will develop into new programs of science and research applications supporting independent investigators; (4) establish or build upon and maintain authentic partnerships to engage communities most likely to be impacted by climate change in all phases of the research process; and (5) actively participate in the NIH Research Coordinating Center to Support Climate Change and Health Community of Practice activities (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-22-003.html).

Required Components for CCHR Centers

Each CCHRC must address an interrelated set of activities relevant to a central theme that will provide new knowledge about how climate change impacts health.

Applications must contain the following:

• At least one, but no more than two, hypothesis-driven research Project(s) 
• An Administrative Core including a data infrastructure plan and career development plans for any underrepresented biomedical researchers.
• A Community Engagement Core describing an engagement plan for research partners such as impacted communities or expected users of any tools or technology developed.
• No more than two, additional Core(s) describing plans for research capacity building that could include: the development of pilot or feasibility projects, approaches for building a transdisciplinary research team, facilities or services to be provided on a continuing basis to the research project(s) or pilot studies. 

Central Theme Areas
Each P20 should be centered around a central theme that will provide new knowledge about how climate change impacts health and informs action-oriented solutions. Examples of central theme areas that would be considered appropriate in response to this NOFO include, but are not limited to: 

• Integrate large-scale climate and health data into a data exploration interface including tools to explore climate and health links in these large datasets
• Engage transdisciplinary teams of geophysical and health scientists to explore the feasibility of innovative solutions-based approaches to address health impacts of climate change and health disparities
• Investigate the feasibility, acceptability, uptake and spread of interventions to promote preparedness and adaptation to anticipated health impacts of climate change at individual, community, regional, or national levels
• Explore co-benefits of interventions that mitigate the drivers of climate change and improve health (e.g., mitigating emissions of coal power plants), as well as identifying potential unintended consequences of these actions
• Examine changing risks from climate-related disasters and approaches to improve preparedness to protect the health of impacted community members, first responders, post-disaster volunteers, and field researchers
• Assess effects of climate change on health and population dynamics including fertility, mortality and morbidity, and population movement, distribution, and composition
• Identify climate-related vulnerabilities in nutritional security in disadvantaged communities to inform culturally sensitive and sustainable solutions

Research Project Topics
Applications should include one or more scientific Project, each with a specific focus and linked together under the center’s theme with the overarching goal of informing action-oriented solutions. At least one project should be a well-described hypothesis driven research project. Other CCHRC activities in the development core can include plans to develop the feasibility of future research or establish partnerships over the course of this development grant period in support of future research endeavors of the center. 

Examples of project topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Proof of principle experiments to demonstrate the role of climate change-related exposures in disease etiology
• New methodologies to integrate multiple stressors into health risk assessments, including those exacerbated by climate change 
• Adapt existing evidence-based interventions to promote resiliency in communities disproportionately impacted by climate change
• Communication science research on climate change-related environmental health literacy of key stakeholders including but not limited to community residents, healthcare/public health professionals, decision makers, and educators.
• Develop new or adapt existing implementation strategies to promote the uptake of evidence-based interventions addressing climate change and human health

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) October 7, 2023
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. The letter of intent should be sent to: 
Linda K. Bass, PhD
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Telephone: 984-287-3236
Email: [email protected]

Application budgets are limited to $850,000 direct costs per year

The maximum project period is 3 years. 

NIH intends to fund up to 17 awards.