The National Institutes of Health (NIH) participating Institutes and Centers (ICs), in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), invite applications for implementation research focused on addressing risk factors for common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in World Bank-defined low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations in the United States (US). Air, water, and soil pollution; lack of greenspace; urban heat islands; lack of safe infrastructure for walking, cycling, and active living; lack of access to healthcare facilities, lack of health insurance, and cost of medications; housing condition; and wide availability of tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy foods and beverages contribute to the NCD epidemic in city environments. In the context of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), "cities" include urban centers, informal settlements, slums, and periurban areas. This FOA supports applications that propose implementation research to reduce the risks of NCDs in the context of cities in LMICs and/or among AI/AN populations in US cities, with the potential to equip policymakers and practitioners with evidence-based strategies for prevention and/or management of NCDs among disadvantaged populations globally. NIH defines implementation research as the scientific study of the use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions into clinical and community settings to improve individual outcomes and benefit population health.
This FOA uses the bi-phasic, milestone driven R61/R33 grant mechanism. Awards made under this FOA will initially support a one-year milestone-driven initiation (R61) phase, with possible transition to an implementation (R33) phase of up to four additional years. Only projects that meet the scientific milestones and award requirements of the R61 phase may transition to the R33 phase. Applications submitted in response to this FOA must address both the R61 and R33 phases.
All applications must be within the scope of the mission of one of the Institutes/Centers listed above (see "Components of Participating Organizations," excluding the Fogarty International Center which manages this program but does not support awards). Applications will be accepted from US and World Bank-defined LMIC institutions only.