RFA-OD-21-008 Emergency Awards: Community-engaged COVID-19 Testing Interventions among Underserved and Vulnerable Populations – RADx-UP Phase II (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are issuing this funding FOA in response to the declared public health emergency issued by the Secretary, HHS, for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). This FOA provides an expedited funding mechanism to support Phase II of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics – Underserved Populations (RADxSM-UP) initiative. These two-year Testing Research Projects will (1) expand the scope and reach of RADxSM-UP testing interventions to reduce COVID-19 disparities among underserved and vulnerable populations and (2) address scientific questions on interventions to increase access and uptake of COVID-19 testing given the increasing availability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The funding for this program is provided from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The Office of the Director (OD) is issuing this FOA to address the objectives described below. This FOA is one of four related RADxSM-UP funding opportunities. This Testing Research Projects FOA will support research teams with established community-engaged partnerships to address the scientific objectives described herein.

The related program initiatives include:

  • NOT-OD-21-103– Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Emergency Competitive Revisions for Community-engaged COVID-19 Testing Interventions among Underserved and Vulnerable Populations – RADxSM-UP Phase II (Emergency Supplement -Clinical Trial Optional)
  • NOT-OD-21-101- Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Administrative Supplements for Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics-Underserved Populations (RADxSM-UP) Phase I Projects to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake
  • RFA-OD-21-009- Emergency Award:RADxSM-UP -Social, Ethical, and Behavioral Implications (SEBI) Research on Disparities in COVID-19 Testing among Underserved and Vulnerable Populations (U01, Clinical Trial Optional)
  • NOT-OD-21-097- Notice of Intent to Publish a Research Opportunity Announcement for RADxSM-UP Return to School Diagnostic Testing Approaches (OT2 Clinical Trial Optional)

Collectively, projects supported under these funding opportunities will join the RADxSM-UP consortium of community-engaged research projects across the United States to understand and mitigate COVID-19 health disparities, and to test interventions that improve the reach, uptake, and sustainability of COVID-19 testing in various settings.

NIH expects that all RADxSM-UP projects will actively coordinate, collaborate, and share data with other Testing Research Projects, the Coordination and Data Collection Center (CDCC), and research supported by the social, ethical, and behavioral implications (SEBI) program, as allowed, and with considerations under tribal Institutional Review Board (IRB) and data sovereignty processes. Researchers applying to this FOA are strongly encouraged to read all interrelated funding opportunities.