Prevention Research in Mid-Life Adults (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 153

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 153

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity titled "Prevention Research in Mid-Life Adults (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA 18-153) supports early-stage, exploratory research focused specifically on adults ages 50 to 64. The core idea behind the announcement is that mid-life is a critical window for prevention: health behaviors, risk factors, and early physiological changes during these years can strongly shape whether people stay healthy and independent as they get older, or instead develop chronic illness, functional limitations, or disability. Projects funded under this FOA are meant to generate practical knowledge that can guide prevention strategies, strengthen health and wellness as individuals age, and reduce the likelihood or severity of later-life disease.

This is an R21 mechanism, which generally signals NIH support for innovative, developmental, or pilot work that may be higher risk but has the potential to open new directions. In that spirit, the FOA is aimed at studies that build foundational evidence, test novel approaches, or create new lines of inquiry around prevention in mid-life. The "clinical trial optional" label means applicants may propose either studies that do not involve a clinical trial or studies that do, depending on what is appropriate for the research question. In practical terms, that flexibility allows applications ranging from observational or mechanistic studies that identify leverage points for prevention, to preliminary intervention studies that explore whether a prevention strategy is feasible, acceptable, or shows early signals of benefit in this age group.

The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant under the broader activity areas of education and health, and it is associated with CFDA numbers 93.361 and 93.866. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, indicating the maximum amount available under the announcement (as provided in the source data). While the source data includes an "ExpectedAwards" field, it is not populated here, so the summary cannot specify how many awards NIH anticipated making from this announcement.

A notable feature of this FOA is its broad eligibility. In addition to typical applicants such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and government entities, NIH explicitly includes a wide range of organizations that can be central to prevention research and community-engaged work. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, as are Native American tribal organizations and tribal governments that are not federally recognized. Both nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status may apply (outside of higher education institutions), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses are included alongside small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Faith-based and community-based organizations are specifically called out, reflecting NIH interest in reaching mid-life populations through trusted local partners and real-world settings. The announcement also allows participation by eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations, which can be important when prevention questions benefit from diverse populations, different health systems, or cross-cultural comparisons.

Key administrative details from the provided record include an original closing date of May 7, 2018, and a creation date of November 3, 2017. Overall, the FOA is designed to spark research that helps answer a straightforward but urgent public health question: what can be done in the 50-to-64 age range to preserve health, delay or prevent the onset of chronic conditions, and reduce disability risk later in life, using methods that may include (but do not require) clinical trials and that can be led by a wide variety of institutions and community partners.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Prevention Research in Mid-Life Adults (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-05-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• 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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