Community-Based Participatory Research to Advance Data and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) for Optimizing Oral Health for All (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)

The Community-Based Participatory Research to Advance Data and Practice Transformation for Optimizing Oral Health for All funding opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with participation from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and other NIH offices. The program is designed to support research that advances oral health outcomes across populations by addressing systemic, social, and behavioral determinants of disease. It reflects NIH’s broader mission to improve health through scientific discovery and translation, with a specific focus on reducing disparities in oral health and integrating care across sectors. The purpose of this opportunity is to fund phased cooperative agreement research projects that evaluate, implement, or test population-based interventions. These interventions must address social and chronic disease risk factors and barriers contributing to oral disease burden. Projects are expected to leverage cross-sector partnerships involving both healthcare and non-healthcare entities, and to operate at community or societal levels of influence. Funded projects will participate in a broader consortium known as ADAPT, which includes a data coordination hub and access to shared platforms and consultation resources to enhance collaboration, data use, and community engagement. Funding is structured as a two-phase award mechanism consisting of an initial UG3 exploratory phase and a subsequent UH3 implementation phase. The UG3 phase supports up to two years of planning, feasibility testing, and partnership development, while the UH3 phase provides up to five years for full implementation and evaluation of interventions. Budgets are capped at 300000 dollars per year for the UG3 phase and 650000 dollars per year for the UH3 phase in direct costs. The total project period may not exceed seven years. Transition from UG3 to UH3 is contingent upon meeting predefined milestones and availability of funds, and is not guaranteed. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based organizations such as higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit entities, and government bodies at the state, local, and tribal levels. Foreign organizations and components are not eligible. Applicants must establish cross-sector partnerships and demonstrate meaningful community engagement, including collaboration with community stakeholders as equal partners in the research process. Multiple principal investigators, including community partners, are encouraged to ensure shared leadership and equitable participation. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using NIH-approved systems such as ASSIST or institutional system-to-system solutions. Applicants must complete required registrations, including SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov, prior to submission. Required application components include detailed research strategies for both phases, milestone plans, data management and sharing plans, and letters of support from community and organizational partners. Applications are evaluated through NIH peer review based on criteria such as significance, innovation, rigor, feasibility, and strength of partnerships. The application timeline includes an earliest submission date of September 16, 2026, with standard due dates of October 16 annually through 2028. Applications are reviewed in cycles, with scientific review occurring approximately five months after submission and earliest project start dates beginning in July of the following year. The funding opportunity expires on November 17, 2028, and follows an annual recurring cycle. Additional details and full announcement are available in the official notice.

Ensure strong cross-sector partnerships and measurable milestones; align intervention with community-level factors; demonstrate feasibility and rigorous study design