National Institute of
General Medical Sciences

NIGMS is committed to reducing health disparities that affect AI/AN populations, while supporting research opportunities for the enhancement of students, faculty and researchers concerned with AI/AN health. NIGMS also supports capacity/infrastructure building within AI/AN communities to ensure sustainability of biomedical research, and the ability to address pertinent health issues within the communities. Examples of NIGMS's research interest.

NCI is committed to eliminating cancer related disparities through etiology/risk, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Specifically, research that informs and promotes health equity along the cancer continuum are encouraged. For this FOA, NCI will accept projects focused on addressing factors that influence cancer-related outcomes -- from early detection through end of life. Projects submitted to NCI may focus on cancer etiology/risk, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and/or survivorship based and provide a conceptual model identifying hypothesized pathways or mechanisms to cancer-related outcomes. Areas of specific interest to NCI include multilevel studies/interventions focused on addressing structural barriers to improve cancer outcomes and interventions that address several determinants of health that effect cancer outcomes.

NCI areas of interest in intervention research include, but are not limited to:

• Multi-level, multi-component studies as well as other determinants of health to prevent cancer, improve cancer care for patients, and/or improve cancer outcomes.
• Intervention research examining family, organization, neighborhood, cultural and tribal/community factors that may moderate social conditions for improved cancer prevention and care.
• Research focusing on the prevention of cancer that incorporates risk and resilience factors in response to structural racism such as historical trauma, school and language-based discrimination, housing and criminal justice practices, etc.
• Research on development of cancer treatment interventions and service delivery approaches that address systemic racism and structural barriers health services such as staff training, service delivery settings and schedules, use of digital platforms, language and health literacy barriers, costs, etc.
• Mechanistic studies of the effects of discrimination-based trauma and/or chronic experiences on biological processes (e.g., epigenome, inflammation, microbiome, or other molecular/cellular processes) that contribute to poorer cancer and overall health outcomes.

The NCCIH is interested in supporting basic, mechanistic, and clinical research on complementary approaches for the following high-priority topic areas: symptom management—particularly for chronic pain syndromes; reduction of prescription drug (opioid) use or abuse in patients with chronic pain; enhancement of medication adherence; treatment or prevention of post-traumatic stress (disorder), traumatic brain injury, sleep disorders or disturbances, anxiety, depression, obesity, and smoking; promotion of psychological resilience or well-being; and promotion of healthy eating and physical activity. Complementary approaches include natural or dietary products such as botanicals, probiotics/microbials, naturally derived peptides, dietary supplements, and special diets, as well as mind and body approaches delivering psychological and/or physical input, including AI/AN traditional medicine approaches. NCCIH will not fund research proposing efficacy or effectiveness clinical trials through this FOA (please see NCCIH Clinical Trial Funding Opportunities instead). Investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their research plans with NCCIH program staff prior to submitting their application.

NHGRI will support the development of resources, approaches, and technologies that will accelerate genomic research on the structure of genomes, the biology of genomes, and the biology of disease; that will use genomics to advance the science of medicine; and that will incorporate genomics to improve the effectiveness of healthcare. NHGRI will also support genomic research in several cross-cutting areas, including the ethical, legal and societal implications of genomics and genetics research, bioinformatics, technology development, and research training and workforce development. NHGRI is also committed to supporting genomics research that addresses health disparities.

In general, NHGRI supports studies that provide generalizable methods and knowledge. Applications for studies relevant only to a particular disease or organ system should be directed to the appropriate Institute or Center. NHGRI strongly encourages potential applicants to contact program staff in the early stages of developing your application.

NIA promotes genetic, biological, clinical, behavioral, social, and economic research related to aging and life course health, including research on Alzheimer’s disease. A strategic priority of NIA is the understanding of health differences and development of strategies to improve the health status of older adults in diverse populations. NIA encourages comparisons between racial/ethnic groups, i.e., AI/AN versus other race/ethnic groups, and research on factors affecting health and longevity, such as cultural affiliation, socioeconomic and geographic inequality, sex​ differences, discrimination, and stress, among AI/AN groups. For applications considering interventions, the NIH stage model should be followed. NIA interests in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Understanding mechanisms that produce disparate life expectancy, morbidity or disability in AI/AN populations including stigma, bias, discrimination, racism, and inequity.
• Structural or institutional factors that mitigate or exacerbate disparities such as access to health care or services.
• Social, cultural and behavioral factors over the life course, such as early life adversity, education, employment, health behaviors (e.g., substance use and physical exercise/inactivity), and cultural beliefs, that may influence cognitive aging and dementia and explain the link between the aging process and morbidity and mortality.
• The development of data resources for studying disparities, including nationally representative samples with AI/AN group oversamples, and also smaller, more local samples that are targeted toward disparities questions.
• Approaches to enrolling and retaining samples of participants who represent AI/AN groups, as well as approaches to engaging systems that serve AI/AN groups but may be under-prepared to take part as research settings and collaborative partners.
• Studying the impact of funds on research to support the development of comprehensive and sustainable approaches to addressing Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia, focusing on awareness, recognition, diagnosis, assessment, management, and support for caregivers.

NIAID supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases, with the goal of developing new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies (including but not limited to data science and bioinformatics). Research areas include microbiology and infectious diseases, AIDS and AIDS -related research, immunology, allergy, transplantation, and biodefense. The pursuit of NIAID’s research mission requires innovation, collaboration, and broad-mindedness. Programs that transcend individual diseases or immunological conditions form an important part of our research agenda. NIAID seeks to further promote diversity in research and research capacity building programs by development programs that support the participation of investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from nationally underrepresented groups (see NIH’s Interest in Diversity), within NIAID mission areas.

The NIAMS supports efforts to conduct research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of research progress to improve the public health. Goals specific to the AI/AN communities involve research addressing the career enhancement of researchers and ensuring inclusion of Native communities in clinical research studies. Details of NIAMS's research interests can be found at: https://www.niams.nih.gov/grants-funding/funding-opportunities/supported-scientific-areas.

The prevalence of oral diseases in American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) communities is amongst the highest in the U.S. Oral diseases share common behavioral and physiologic risk and protective factors with many other diseases and conditions, while those impacting health disparities and inequities are also known to be influenced by a range of social determinants of health such as education, employment, housing and food security, and distance to health care facilities. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is interested in multi-disciplinary and community-based participatory research that addresses social determinants of health contributing to oral health disparities and inequities in dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral and pharyngeal cancer in AI/AN populations. These studies should not focus on oral health in isolation from general health. NIDCR welcomes culturally-appropriate research that addresses structural and system level factors in AI/AN communities to generate and/or test holistic and sustainable intervention strategies to promote oral health and disease prevention across the lifespan.

NIDDK conducts and supports medical research and research training and disseminates science-based information on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutritional disorders, and obesity; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases, to improve people’s health and quality of life. The American Indian and Alaska Native communities suffer disproportionately from diseases in the mission area of NIDDK.

The Institute also believes that a wide range of skill sets and view¬points borne of diverse backgrounds is necessary. Therefore, we support efforts to bring new investigators from all backgrounds, including women, minority, and underrepresented populations, into biomedical research careers, ensure that new investigators can realize their potential to contribute to biomedical research and that today's generation of aspiring scientists will view research as a viable career.

Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (DEM)

DEM is interested in research and support for basic and clinical research in the areas of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders, including cystic fibrosis; endocrinology and endocrine disorders; obesity, neuroendocrinology, and energy balance; and development, metabolism, and basic biology of liver, fat, and endocrine tissues. Some of the topics of interest to the Division include: Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes; Symptoms and Causes of Diabetes; A1C Test and Diabetes; Carbohydrate Counting and Diabetes; Continuous Glucose Monitoring; Diabetes and Foot Problems; Diabetes and Pregnancy; Diabetes and Sexual and Urologic Problems; Diabetes Diet, Eating, and Physical Activity; Diabetes, Gum Disease, and Other Dental Problems; Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke; Diabetes Tests and Diagnosis; Diabetic Eye Disease; Diabetic Kidney Disease; Gestational Diabetes; Insulin, Medicines, and Other Diabetes Treatments; Low Blood Glucose (Hypoglycemia); Managing Diabetes; Monogenic Forms of Diabetes: Neonatal Diabetes and MODY; Nerve Damage (Diabetic Neuropathies); Pancreatic Islet Transplantation; Prediabetes and Insulin Resistance; and Preventing Diabetes Problems. Some of the endocrine diseases and disorders of interest include: Acromegaly; Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease; Cushing's Syndrome; Cystic Fibrosis; Graves' Disease; Hashimoto's Disease; Human Growth Hormone and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease; Hyperthyroidism (Overactive Thyroid); Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid); Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS); Pregnancy and Thyroid Disease; Primary Hyperparathyroidism; Prolactinoma; and Turner Syndrome.

Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition (DDN)

DDN is interested in research related to digestive diseases, including the alimentary tract, liver and pancreas, nutrition and obesity. Some of the topics of interest include: Acid Reflux (GER & GERD); Anatomic Problems of the Lower GI Tract; Appendicitis; Barrett's Esophagus; Bowel Control Problems (Fecal Incontinence); Celiac Disease; Colon Polyps; Constipation; Crohn's Disease; Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome; Diarrhea; Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis; Dumping Syndrome; Food Poisoning; Gallstones; Gas; Gastritis; Gastroparesis; GI Bleeding; Hemorrhoids; Indigestion (Dyspepsia); Inguinal Hernia; Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction; Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS); Lactose Intolerance; Liver Disease; Ménétrier’s Disease; Microscopic Colitis; Ostomy Surgery of the Bowel; Pancreatitis; Peptic Ulcers (Stomach Ulcers); Proctitis; Short Bowel Syndrome; Smoking and the Digestive System; Ulcerative Colitis; and Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. The following topics related to diet and nutrition are also of interest: Healthy Weight; Binge Eating Disorder; Celiac Disease; DASH Eating Plan; Diet for Kidney Stone Prevention; Dieting and Gallstones; Food Allergies; Fruits and Veggies; Health Risks of Being Overweight; Healthy Meals and Snacks for Teens; Keeping Active and Healthy Eating for Men; Keeping Active and Eating Right for the Whole Family; Lactose Intolerance; Nutritional Needs During Pregnancy; Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging; Stay Healthy and Fit; Weight-loss and Nutrition Myths.

Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (KUH)

KUH is interested in research funding and support for basic, translational, and clinical research studies of the kidney, urinary tract, and disorders of the blood and blood-forming organs. Areas of research interest include: Chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, polycystic kidney disease, hypertensive nephrosclerosis, acute kidney injury, kidney donation, congenital kidney disorders, IgA nephropathy, hemolytic uremic syndrome, fluid and electrolyte disorders, kidney repair and regeneration, and normal and abnormal kidney development and physiology. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, stones, erectile dysfunction, urologic chronic pelvic pain syndromes (including interstitial cystitis and chronic prostatitis), congenital urologic disorders, repair and regeneration of lower urinary tract organs, and normal and abnormal lower urinary tract development and physiology. Blood and blood-forming organs, hematopoiesis, hemoglobin disorders, iron metabolism, sickle cell disease, bone marrow failure, iron deficiency, Cooley's anemia (thalassemia), and hemochromatosis. Specific topical areas of interest include: Anemia in CKD; Causes of CKD; CKD Tests and Diagnosis; Diabetic Kidney Disease; Eating Right for CKD; High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease; Managing CKD; Mineral and Bone Disorder in CKD; Nutrition for Advanced CKD; Preventing CKD; Eating and Nutrition for Hemodialysis; Hemodialysis; Kidney Transplant; Peritoneal Dialysis; Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease; Amyloidosis and Kidney Disease; Diabetes Insipidus; Ectopic Kidney; Glomerular Diseases; Goodpasture Syndrome; Henoch-Schönlein Purpura; IgA Nephropathy; Kidney Dysplasia; Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis); Kidney Stones; Lupus Nephritis; Medullary Sponge Kidney; Nephrotic Syndrome; Pain Medicine and Kidney Damage; Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD); Renal Artery Stenosis; Renal Tubular Acidosis; Simple Kidney Cysts; Solitary Kidney; Bedwetting; Bladder Control Problems and Nerve Disease; Bladder Control Problems (Urinary Incontinence); Bladder Infection (UTI); Cystocele (Prolapsed Bladder); Diet for Kidney Stone Prevention; Erectile Dysfunction; Hematuria (Blood in the Urine); Hydronephrosis; Interstitial Cystitis (Painful Bladder Syndrome); Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis); Kidney Stones; Penile Curvature (Peyronie's Disease); Perineal Injury in Males; Prostate Enlargement (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia); Prostate Inflammation (Prostatitis); Sexual and Urologic Problems of Diabetes; Urinary Diversion; Urinary Retention; Vesicoureteral Reflux.

NIDA is interested in supporting research that will reduce health disparities in drug abuse and related health and social consequences among AI/AN. Studies should employ the methodologies required by the NARCH, including that studies be developed and implemented using community based participatory approaches.

NIEHS conducts and supports environmental health science research to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives. A particular focus is innovative research that improves public health by preventing disease and disability. All applications must be aligned to NIEHS's mission, research priorities and strategic plan, particularly the goals of addressing environmental health disparities and environmental inequities that disproportionately affect AI/AN communities, and promoting bi-directional communication with AI/AN communities engaged in research. NIEHS is interested in supporting projects that include, but are not limited to, the following categories:

• Environmental health disparities research that integrates disproportionate environmental exposures with social and structural determinants of health.
• Cumulative exposure research that examines chemical environmental pollutants, and exposures from the microbiome, nutritional sources, and stress.
• Translational science that moves fundamental environmental health science research findings into a public health or medical application and uses culturally relevant languages and formats for disseminating results to tribal communities.
• Education and training to increase the involvement of AI/AN individuals in environmental health sciences research, to strengthen the environmental health literacy of AI/AN communities, and to promote culturally appropriate skills of researchers to work in partnership with AI/AN communities.

Applicants are encouraged to establish research collaborations with NIEHS-funded investigators and/or with NIEHS's Centers (Centers, Interagency Collaborations, and Consortia).

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-21-300.html

NIMH Area of Interest: NIMH is interested in research consistent with the NIMH Strategic Plan (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports), especially research on suicide prevention and postvention, research to explore implementation and operations research to focus on barriers, facilitating factors and outcomes of mental illness prevention, and treatment interventions with known effectiveness, research to expand HIV prevention and treatment for men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs and other priority populations, and scaling-up HIV prevention, among other topics.

NIMHD leads scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities, to realize an America in which all populations will have an equal opportunity to live long, healthy, and productive lives. To accomplish this, NIMHD raises national awareness about the prevalence and impact of health disparities and disseminates effective individual-, community-, and population-level interventions to reduce and encourage elimination of health disparities. NIMHD is interested in projects including, but not limited to, the following:

• Interventions derived from local culture in strategies, process, implementation and evaluation.
• Projects that directly address methodological issues inherent in research small populations such as those in many native communities.
• Culturally-leveraged community based interventions focused on existing practices that support strengths and resilience factors that may be applicable and useful in other communities.
• Projects that collect data to address risk factors for health disparities where aggregated data obscure disparities and data gaps.
• Projects that document efficacy and monetize traditional healing practices for coverage by insurance.
• Projects that develop innovative approaches to the provision of non-stigmatizing and resilience supportive prevention and treatment interventions.
• Projects that build community understanding and capacity for equal participation in health promotion and disease prevention research, including development of community health needs assessment, tribal health research review capacity, and tribal Institutional Review Board capacity.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) supports basic, translational, and clinical research on the brain and nervous system and uses that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease for all people (NINDS Health Disparities Research). NINDS is committed to supporting research to address the significant disparities and needs of the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population related to reducing the disproportionate burden of neurological diseases and stroke experienced by the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. NINDS commits to addressing health disparities due to risk factors including adverse childhood events, social determinants of health and internal and external exposures across the lifespan (neural exposome) and training the next generation of health equity investigators. NINDS will not support research proposing efficacy or effectiveness clinical trials through this FOA (please see NINDS Clinical Research instead). Investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their research plans with NINDS program staff prior to submitting their application.

The Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) leads implementation of the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science through scientific, technical, and operational collaboration with the institutes, centers, and offices that comprise NIH. ODSS is committed to growing a stronger and broader community in data science and ensuring that data science advances in biomedical and health research can benefit all populations. ODSS is interested in supporting NARCH projects that enhance institutional data science capacity, advance data science training and education, and/or integrate data science approaches in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social science research. Examples of such projects include, but are not limited to:

• Support for activities that help students, scientists and other health professionals to develop knowledge, skills. and proficiency in foundational competencies that will facilitate eventual data science-related careers.
• Support for institutional efforts that enhance the researchers’ ability to conduct data science-relevant biomedical and health research.
• Enhancement of researchers’ access to controlled and registered datasets.
• Support for activities that encourage research with computational tools and datasets available in secure workspaces or workbenches of NIH cloud resources, for example, through the NIH Cloud Platform Interoperability (NCPI) effort, the NIH Science and Technology Research Infrastructure for Discovery, Experimentation, and Sustainability (STRIDES) Initiative, and the Science Collaborative for Health disparities and Artificial intelligence bias REduction (ScHARe) platform.
• Training for members of Institutional Review Board (IRB) on the review of proposals for secondary analyses of existing data from clinical research and clinical services.

The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is part of the Office of the Director of NIH, and its mission is to enhance research related to diseases, disorders, and conditions affecting women, to help ensure that women are appropriately represented and included in biomedical research supported by the NIH, and to improve the advancement of women in biomedical careers and investigators conducting research addressing women’s health issues.

For this announcement, ORWH is interested in supporting research projects that address AI/AN women’s health and health disparities across the lifespan. ORWH encourages interdisciplinary approaches and partnerships to support research on the maternal health of AI/AN women during the peripartum period to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and address rising rates of maternal morbidity and mortality among women in the United States.

The projects can include:

• Research or pilot projects to study culturally appropriate interventions that support strengths and resilience factors, prevention, and treatment of women’s health conditions. These projects should also, when possible, leverage interventions derived from the local culture to inform strategies, processes, implementation, and evaluation.
• Career Enhancement Projects to build professional capacity to train AI/AN investigators interested in conducting research to address women’s health issues in their communities, including nurse practitioners, medical assistants, and other non-traditional health caregivers.

ORWH co-funds applications that have received an award from the NARCH program whose research goal is aligned with at least one of the strategic goals and objectives outlined in the Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research (https://www.nih.gov/women/strategicplan).