NIMHD Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (R21 - Clinical Trial Optional)

Overview

<p>The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) invites applications to support short-term exploratory or developmental research projects that have the potential to break new ground in the fields of minority health and/or health disparities or extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications that can directly contribute to improving minority health and/or reducing health disparities in the U.S. While scientific and technological discoveries have improved the health of the U.S. population overall, many populations, including racial/ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups, continue to bear disproportionate burdens of disease and adverse health conditions. The purpose of this FOA is to encourage new exploratory or developmental research projects that have the potential to break new ground in the fields of minority health and health disparities or extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications that can directly contribute to improving minority health or reducing health disparities. Long-term projects or projects designed to incrementally increase knowledge in a well-established area are not appropriate for this FOA.</p> <p>NIMHD has organized its extramural scientific programs around three broad research interest areas: 1) Clinical and Health Services Research, 2) Community Health and Population Sciences, and 3) Integrative Biological and Behavioral Sciences.</p> <p><strong>Research Objectives</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>Projects are expected to focus on human and population-based studies in the biomedical, clinical, population, behavioral or social sciences. <span>Projects must include a focus on one or more NIH-designated health disparity populations in the US, which include Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities (SGM). </span><span>Projects are expected to use multidisciplinary approaches encompassing multiple domains of influence (e.g., biological, behavioral, socio-cultural, environmental, physical environment, health system) and multiple levels of influence (e.g., individual, interpersonal, community, societal) to understand and address minority health and health disparities and fall into one of three broad categories:</span></p> <ol> <li><span>Secondary analysis of existing data - projects in this category are expected to use quantitative analytic approaches. Quantitative data analysis may be supplemented or complemented with qualitative data collection as appropriate for the research questions posed.</span></li> <li>Development and application of novel research measures, methodologies or analytic approaches - projects in this category are expected to offer innovative, multidisciplinary research approaches to advance the science of minority health and health disparities.</li> <li>Development and pilot testing of new or adapted interventions - projects in this category are expected to focus primarily on testing the feasibility, acceptability and/or preliminary efficacy of new or adapted interventions for improving minority health and reducing health disparities in the US. Testing preliminary efficacy refers to the examination of the impact of the intervention on short-term outcomes related to health attitudes, cognitions, behaviors, or health status. It is not expected that pilot project results will be used to generate effect sizes for future studies. Projects should be supported by a conceptual model that includes a rationale for why new or adapted interventions are needed for the target population.</li> </ol>