Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NR 23 003
This NIH funding opportunity (RFA-NR-23-003) supports R01 research projects that assess the ongoing and longer-term health effects of pandemic-era government actions that targeted two core social determinants of health: food and nutrition security, and housing security. The central idea is to move beyond short-term pandemic response metrics and rigorously evaluate what happened after these policies and programs were implemented, especially whether they improved health outcomes and reduced inequities, or whether benefits were uneven, temporary, or accompanied by unintended harms. The FOA is explicitly focused on policy and programmatic actions taken at multiple levels of government, including local, state, tribal, and federal efforts, and it invites studies that can link these actions to measurable changes in health and health equity among individuals, families, and communities.
A key priority is understanding impacts in health disparity populations. For this FOA, that includes Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minority populations. Applicants are expected to center these communities in the research questions and analytic approach, not as an afterthought or a generic subgroup analysis. In practice, that means evaluating whether pandemic-era food and housing supports reached these populations, how program design and implementation shaped uptake, and whether changes in food access or housing stability translated into improved health outcomes or narrowed gaps that existed before the pandemic.
The types of policies and programs of interest include pandemic-era interventions intended to lessen economic and social disruption by improving access to food or stabilizing housing. On the food and nutrition side, this can encompass government actions that expanded or modified food assistance, school meal access, nutrition benefits, or other public programs meant to reduce food insecurity and improve dietary adequacy. On the housing side, it includes measures such as housing assistance, protections aimed at preventing housing loss, and programs designed to maintain housing stability during and after the acute phases of the pandemic. The FOA emphasizes evaluating both ongoing effects (what is still happening now) and long-term effects (what persists, fades, or evolves over time), recognizing that the health consequences of food insecurity and housing instability often accumulate and may not be fully visible in the short run.
The research outcomes of interest are broad as long as they are tied credibly to food/nutrition and housing security pathways and are relevant to health equity. Projects might examine physical health outcomes (for example, chronic disease control, cardiometabolic indicators, maternal and child health outcomes), mental and behavioral health outcomes (such as stress, depression, substance use, or wellbeing), healthcare access and utilization, or other health-related measures that reflect the downstream consequences of meeting basic needs. A strong application under this FOA would typically make clear how the policy or program exposure is defined, how health outcomes are measured, and how the study will address equity by identifying differential impacts, mechanisms, and contextual factors that shape who benefits and why.
The award mechanism is an R01, with clinical trials allowed but not required (Clinical Trial Optional). That signals NIH is open to a range of rigorous designs, from observational and quasi-experimental evaluations of real-world policies to intervention studies when appropriate, as long as the work fits NIH definitions and requirements. In many cases, policy evaluation approaches could include natural experiments, difference-in-differences analyses, interrupted time series, cohort studies, mixed-methods implementation evaluations, and community-engaged research strategies that help interpret quantitative findings and capture lived experience. While the FOA text provided does not list a specific award ceiling or the number of expected awards, it clearly frames the scientific and public health importance around evaluating real policy actions and their lasting health implications in populations that experienced disproportionate harms during the pandemic.
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types that are positioned to study policy impacts at scale. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other organizations. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, though foreign components (as NIH defines them in policy) may be allowed, which can matter for projects that involve international expertise or limited overseas activities tied to a primarily U.S.-based research effort.
Administratively, the opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health as a discretionary grant in the health and education activity category, with CFDA numbers 93.242, 93.307, and 93.361. The original closing date listed is May 1, 2023, and the FOA was created on February 27, 2023. Even with that timeline, the substance of the announcement is useful as a guide to NIH priorities in this area: generating high-quality evidence on how pandemic-era food and housing policies affected health, identifying which design features and implementation choices mattered most, and producing findings that can inform future decisions aimed at reducing disparities and improving health equity.Apply for RFA NR 23 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evaluating the Impact of Pandemic Era related Food and Housing Policies and Programs on Health Outcomes in Health Disparity Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.307, 93.361.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-02-27.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-05-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity number and agency?
This opportunity is NIH RFA-NR-23-003. It is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What grant mechanism is supported under this opportunity?
The award mechanism is an R01 research project grant.
What is the overall purpose of this FOA?
The FOA supports research that evaluates the ongoing and longer-term health effects of pandemic-era government policies and programs that targeted two social determinants of health: food and nutrition security and housing security. The goal is to move beyond short-term pandemic response metrics and rigorously assess what happened after these policies were implemented, including whether they improved health and reduced inequities, whether benefits were uneven or temporary, and whether there were unintended harms.
What types of government actions does the FOA focus on?
The FOA is explicitly focused on policy and programmatic actions taken at multiple levels of government, including local, state, tribal, and federal efforts, as long as they relate to improving access to food/nutrition or stabilizing housing during and after the pandemic.
Which social determinants of health are central to this FOA?
The two core social determinants of health emphasized are: (1) food and nutrition security and (2) housing security.
Is the FOA limited to short-term pandemic impacts?
No. A central theme is evaluating both ongoing effects (what is still happening now) and longer-term effects (what persists, fades, or changes over time). The FOA recognizes that health consequences related to food insecurity and housing instability may accumulate and not be fully visible in the short run.
What does NIH mean by assessing "policy impacts" in this context?
Based on the FOA description, policy impact studies should credibly link a specific pandemic-era government policy or program exposure (how the action was implemented and who was reached) to measurable changes in health and health equity among individuals, families, or communities.
What kinds of food and nutrition policies or programs are in scope?
Examples described include pandemic-era government actions that expanded or modified food assistance, school meal access, nutrition benefits, or other public programs intended to reduce food insecurity and improve dietary adequacy.
What kinds of housing-related policies or programs are in scope?
Examples described include housing assistance, protections aimed at preventing housing loss, and programs designed to maintain housing stability during and after the acute phases of the pandemic.
What health outcomes are responsive to this FOA?
The FOA allows a broad range of outcomes as long as they are credibly tied to food/nutrition and housing security pathways and are relevant to health equity. Examples mentioned include physical health outcomes (such as chronic disease control, cardiometabolic indicators, maternal and child health outcomes), mental and behavioral health outcomes (such as stress, depression, substance use, or wellbeing), and healthcare access and utilization.
Is there a required list of outcomes applicants must use?
No specific required list is provided in the information given. The key expectation is that applicants clearly define how policy or program exposure is measured, how outcomes are measured, and how the work will address equity through differential impacts, mechanisms, and contextual factors.
How important is health equity in this FOA?
Health equity is a major priority. The FOA emphasizes evaluating whether pandemic-era supports improved health outcomes and reduced inequities, or whether benefits were uneven, temporary, or accompanied by unintended harms.
Which populations are considered "health disparity populations" for this FOA?
The FOA identifies health disparity populations as including: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minority populations.
Does the FOA expect disparity populations to be central to the study design?
Yes. The FOA states applicants are expected to center these communities in the research questions and analytic approach, rather than treating them as an afterthought or a generic subgroup analysis.
What does it mean to "center" health disparity populations in the research?
As described, it means designing the study to evaluate whether food and housing supports reached these populations, how program design and implementation shaped uptake, and whether changes in food access or housing stability translated into improved health outcomes or narrowed pre-existing gaps.
What kinds of study designs are suggested or aligned with this FOA?
The FOA indicates NIH is open to a range of rigorous designs. Examples mentioned include observational and quasi-experimental evaluations of real-world policies, natural experiments, difference-in-differences analyses, interrupted time series, cohort studies, mixed-methods implementation evaluations, and community-engaged research strategies to interpret findings and capture lived experience.
Are clinical trials required?
No. The mechanism is described as "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning clinical trials are allowed but not required.
What kinds of research settings or units of analysis are relevant?
The FOA highlights linking policies to measurable changes in health and health equity among individuals, families, and communities. Government actions at local, state, tribal, and federal levels are all in scope.
Does the FOA emphasize implementation details of policies and programs?
Yes. The FOA highlights understanding whether supports reached priority populations and how program design and implementation shaped uptake and outcomes.
Is the FOA interested in unintended harms?
Yes. It explicitly notes evaluating whether benefits were uneven, temporary, or accompanied by unintended harms.
Does the FOA provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards?
Not in the information provided here. The text notes that a specific award ceiling and the number of expected awards are not listed in the provided FOA summary.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include many organization types, such as state/county/city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other organizations.
Are specific institution types explicitly called out as eligible?
Yes. The FOA also calls out eligibility for groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are any foreign activities allowed at all?
The FOA notes that foreign components (as NIH defines them in policy) may be allowed, which may matter if a primarily U.S.-based project involves international expertise or limited overseas activities tied to the research effort.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant in the health and education activity category.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this NIH opportunity?
The CFDA numbers listed are 93.242, 93.307, and 93.361.
When was the FOA created and what was the original closing date?
The FOA was created on February 27, 2023, and the original closing date listed is May 1, 2023.
Is the opportunity still open based on the dates provided?
The information provided lists an original closing date of May 1, 2023. Based on that, the listed due date has passed, but the content can still be used to understand NIH priorities described in the announcement.
What is the main takeaway about NIH priorities reflected in this FOA?
The FOA frames NIH priorities around generating high-quality evidence on how pandemic-era food and housing policies affected health, identifying which program design and implementation choices mattered most, and producing findings that can inform future decisions aimed at reducing disparities and improving health equity.
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