Federal Income Security and Social Services Grants

The purpose of the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented, NIH-supported, independent investigators. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers with a research and/or clinical doctorate degree from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. The program will provide independent NIH research support during this transition in order to help awardees to launch competitive, independent research careers. Frequently Asked Questions for NOT-HL-23-083 General Questions Q: What is the purpose of the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) NOT-HL-23-083? The NOSI on Assessing Real-World Effectiveness and Implementation of Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication among Rural Communities (NOT-HL-23-083) aims to support research that generates evidence on the real-world effectiveness of telehealth collaboration among healthcare providers for consultation, second opinions, and other purposes, referred to as provider-to-provider telehealth (PPT). The NOSI is intended to support the use of telehealth interventions and tools for the prevention, management and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep conditions, as well as cancer, in rural communities. Q: Are foreign applications allowed under this NOSI? Yes. Non-domestic entities (Foreign Institutions) and Non-domestic components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply under the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) relevant to this NOSI (PA-20-185; PAR-22-105; PAR-21-035; PAR-21-341) – additional information regarding eligibility is available in Section III. Eligibility Information of each NOFO. Q: How is “rural” defined for the purposes of this NOSI? Different definitions of “rural” are used by various entities for different purposes. Rurality can be conceptualized based on administrative boundaries, land-use patterns, or economic influence; can reflect several different dimensions, such as population density, population size, and degree of remoteness; and can be delineated at different spatial scales (e.g., zip code, county, census district). Applicants should operationalize “rural” in the way that best serves the aims of their study. However, applicants should clearly state how they are defining rural in their application and provide a justification for the criteria they are using. A few widely used classification systems for defining rural and urban areas are provided below. Additionally, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides a tool on their website that enables users to see whether a specified geographic area is considered “rural” for the purposes of HRSA Rural Health Grant eligibility: https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/rural-healthexternal link. This may be a good starting point for assessing whether an area of interest might be considered “rural”. Census Bureau Urban-Rural Classificationsexternal link - The Census Bureau delineates urban areas by applying specified criteria to the decennial census and other data. For the 2020 Census, an urban area comprises a densely settled core of census blocks that meet minimum housing unit density and/or population density requirements of having at least 2,000 housing units or a population of at least 5,000. This includes adjacent territory containing non-residential urban land uses. Rural areas encompass all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Countiesexternal link – NCHS has developed a six-level urban-rural classification scheme for U.S. counties and county-equivalent entities. The scheme is based on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) delineation of metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas, as well as Vintage postcensal estimates of the resident U.S. population. The scheme has two levels nonmetropolitan counties. USDA Rural Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC)external link - Rural-Urban Continuum Codes are a 9-level classification scheme that categorizes metropolitan counties by the population size of their metro area, and nonmetropolitan counties by their degree of urbanization and adjacency to a metro area. USDA Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codesexternal link - RUCA codes categorize census tracts based on measures of population density, urbanization, and daily commuting patterns. This classification system consists of 10 levels that delineate metropolitan, micropolitan, small town, and rural commuting areas based on the size and direction of the primary (largest) commuting flows. These 10 codes are further subdivided based on secondary commuting flows. USDA Urban Influence Codesexternal link (UIC) – Urban influence codes are a 12-level classification scheme that distinguishes metropolitan counties by the population size of their metro area, and nonmetropolitan counties by the size of the largest city or town and proximity to metro and micropolitan areas. There are two metro and ten nonmetro categories. Frontier and Remote Area (FAR) Codesexternal link – Developed by the USDA Economic Research Service, Frontier and Remote Area codes are based on ZIP-codes. The term "frontier and remote" is used to describe territory characterized by some combination of low population size and high geographic remoteness. FAR areas are defined in relation to the time it takes to travel by car to the edges of nearby Urban Areas (UAs)external link. Four levels are necessary because rural areas experience degrees of remoteness at higher or lower population levels that affect access to different types of goods and services. Q: My project focuses on “direct-to-consumer/ direct-to-patient” telehealth, would it still be responsive to this NOSI? No. This NOSI focuses on “provider-to-provider” telehealth (PPT), which is a telehealth modality that fosters collaboration among healthcare providers for consultation, second opinions, and other purposes. Please refer to the “Background” section of the NOSI for some examples of PPT in heart, lung blood, sleep and cancer conditions. Q. My university/institution is located in an urban area, would I still qualify for this NOSI? There is no restriction regarding the location of the Principal Investigator’s university, institution, or center and if it is in an urban or rural area. The limiting factor is the population of interest. The focus of this NOSI is the use of provider-to-provider telehealth (PPT) to benefit rural communities. For the definition of rural areas, please refer to the previous questions “How is “rural” defined for the purposes of this NOSI?” Q. One of the components of my research involves a center or hospital located in an urban center/hospital, would I still qualify for this NOSI? It depends. The focus of this NOSI is the use of provider-to-provider telehealth (PPT) to benefit rural communities. As such, considering a hub-and-spoke telehealth model, the healthcare providers who require consultation and their patients (spoke component) must be in a rural area, assuring that the benefited population served by the PPT intervention is rural. Example 1: If both communicating sides of providers (hub and spoke) are in urban areas, it is not responsive to this NOSI. Example 2: If the provider receiving the consultation or training (spoke) is in a rural area, and the consulted team (hub or hub-less provider) is in an urban area, it is responsive to this NOSI, given that the population of interest benefitted by the PPT intervention is still in a rural area. For the definition of rural areas, please refer to the previous questions “How is “rural” defined for the purposes of this NOSI?” Q. Is the NOSI restricted to telemedicine between physicians? No. The focus of the NOSI is not just telemedicine, but telehealth, which goes beyond the communication between physicians, and would include a series of healthcare providers, allied health providers, and their teams. For some examples, please refer to the “ Background” section of the NOSI. Q: What are some of the research examples that might be responsive to this NOSI? There are a series of research projects that might be of interest for this NOSI. For some examples, please refer to the ones listed in the “Selected Research Examples ” section of the NOSI. Please be aware that these are meant to illustrate some of the projects of interest for this NOSI, and other research projects not exemplified here might still be of interest. Investigators are encouraged to reach out to the Scientific and Research Contacts listed in the NOSI to discuss their research ideas and their relevance to the NOSI as well as institute funding priorities. Q. Who do I contact for more information from specific participating Institutes, Centers, and Offices? To whom should I direct my questions regarding this NOSI? To access the complete list of contacts, please refer to the “Inquiries” Section of the NOSI, which includes Scientific and Research Contacts and Financial/Grants Management Contacts. For programmatic questions at NHLBI, please contact Dr. Fernando P. Bruno fernando.bruno@nih.govmailto:, for programmatic questions at NCI, please contact Dr. Robin C. Vanderpool robin.vanderpool@nih.govmailto:. If you have submission questions, please contact the eRA Service Desk. Application Preparation and Submission Questions Q: NHLBI and NCI are collaborating on this NOSI. If an applicant has a proposal that is relevant to both cancer and to heart, lung, blood, and sleep conditions, which institute will the application be assigned to? Applicants are advised to make use of the Assignment Request Form to request the institute they would prefer to act as the “Awarding Component.” These requests are taken into consideration. Applicants are further advised to consider the institute they plan to choose on the Assignment Request Form when framing their specific aims. The Awarding Component Section of the PHS Assignment Request Form * All assignment suggestions will be considered; however, not all assignment suggestions can be honored. Applications are assigned based on relevance of the application to an individual awarding component mission and scientific interests in addition to administrative requirements. * Applicants may enter up to three preferences for primary assignment in the boxes in the "Suggested Awarding Component(s)" row. Note: the application will be assigned based on the most appropriate match between it, the terms of the FOA, and the mission of each possible awarding component, with your preference(s) taken into consideration when possible. Applicants do not need to make entries in all three boxes of the "Awarding Component Assignment Suggestions" section. Q: If a proposal has aims that might be responsive to more than one eligible Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – should an investigator submit an application that is targeted at two different eligible funding opportunities, or separate those aims into two different applications and submit one to each corresponding NOFO? Each application in response to this NOSI must target only one of the eligible NOFOs. An applicant can elect to submit two different applications to two different NOFOs as long as the specific aims are sufficiently distinct. If the Division of Receipt and Referral determines there is significant overlap between the two applications, the applicant could be asked to withdraw one of them.

This funding opportunity is designed to support small-scale research projects at health professional and graduate schools that have limited NIH funding, helping to enhance research capabilities and engage students in meaningful research experiences.

This grant provides funding to state and territorial agencies to support part-time community service training for low-income older adults, helping them gain employment and reduce poverty.

This funding opportunity supports research aimed at improving drug safety and effectiveness for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children, encouraging innovative studies that address their unique health needs.

This funding opportunity provides access to a specialized facility for researchers developing innovative, safe, and effective non-hormonal contraceptive methods for men and women, supporting preclinical studies necessary for future clinical trials.

This program will support projects to identify and characterize factors associated with gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) that may impact/contribute significantly to the prevention and treatment of HIV and/or co-infections with other sexually transmitted infections (STI)s in transgender individuals. For this funding opportunity GAHT is defined as a medical intervention, including but not limited to estrogen and/or testosterone treatment, that results in acquisition of secondary sex characteristics that align with an individual's gender identity. A growing body of data indicates that GAHT may impact the effectiveness and implementation of biomedical HIV prevention or treatment strategies and/or co-infections with other STIs. A number of factors in transgender populations present research challenges including variability in GAHT regimens, use of auxiliary drugs during GAHT care, access to participants, and access to existing cohorts, datasets, and samples. Consideration of appropriate controls, including cis-gender men and women is also a barrier. Recent studies demonstrating recruitment and retention of participants undergoing GAHT provide the opportunity to build on those studies and provide confidence that these critical studies are feasible.Letter of Intent Due Date(s) 30 days prior to the application due date

This funding opportunity supports researchers in analyzing existing data to better understand the developmental patterns and risk factors associated with late talking in children, while promoting data sharing and inclusivity in research.

The purpose of the Title V Competitive SRAE Program is to fund projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education that teaches participants how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity. Successful applicants are expected to submit plans for the implementation of sexual risk avoidance education that normalizes the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-marital sexual activity, with a focus on the future health, psychological well-being, and economic success of youth. Applicants must agree to: 1) use medically accurate information referenced to peer-reviewed publications by educational, scientific, governmental, or health organizations; implement an evidence-based approach integrating research findings with practical implementation that aligns with the needs and desired outcomes for the intended audience; and 2) teach the benefits associated with self-regulation, success sequencing for poverty prevention, healthy relationships, goal setting, and resisting sexual coercion, dating violence, and other youth risk behaviors such as underage drinking or illicit drug use without normalizing teen sexual activity. The Title V SRAE legislation requires unambiguous and primary emphasis and context for each of the A-F topics to be addressed in program implementation. Additionally, there is a requirement that messages to youth normalize the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-marital sexual activity.

The Equitable and Affordable Solutions to Electrification (EAS-E) Home Electrification Prize offers up to $2.4 million in prizes for innovative solutions that advance the electrification retrofits of residential homes across all building types and geographies. The goal is to make electrification more affordable and accessible in existing U.S. homes, with a focus on equitable solutions for all homeowners, including those in low-income and under-resourced communities. The prize supports design solutions, tools, and technology innovations that enable the switch to electric products and reduce carbon emissions. Low-power electrification solutions are strongly encouraged. The competition consists of two phases: Phase 1 focuses on presenting proposed solutions and up to five winners receive a $5,000 cash prize and a $75,000 voucher to work with DOE national laboratories. Phase 2 involves finalizing teams, demonstrating functional prototype solutions, and up to three winners receive prizes, with a top prize of $1 million. The competition is open to individuals, private entities, nonfederal government entities, and academic institutions. For more information, refer to the official rules document.

This funding opportunity supports researchers in developing innovative animal models and biological resources to advance the understanding of Down syndrome and its related health conditions.

This funding opportunity supports researchers from various fields in developing innovative methods to study brain changes over time, focusing on both healthy individuals and those with specific cognitive or emotional challenges.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for small-scale biomedical research projects at institutions with limited NIH funding, focusing on enhancing research experiences for health professional, undergraduate, and graduate students.

ACL recognizes senior centers as valued partners in the Aging Network that support community living by keeping older adults active, informed, and healthy. Many senior centers serve as important focal points for the delivery of comprehensive services. In 2021, to better ensure that senior centers have the tools and resources necessary to develop and implement programs that meet the current and future needs of the Nations older adults, ACL established a Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center.ACL is seeking applications to fund one cooperative agreement that will continue the operation of the Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center to provide technical assistance and training to senior centers as well as serve as a clearinghouse for innovative programs and strategies that can be successfully replicated at the local level.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) seeks applications for funding to develop the 2025 National Crime Victims Rights Week (NCVRW) Resource Guide. This program furthers the DOJs mission by producing a comprehensive kit that will serve as a resource for the victim services field in their efforts to heighten public awareness of crime victims issues nationwide during NCVRW in April 2025 and throughout the year. OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, OVC seeks to support the development of a comprehensive guide for the crime victims advocacy field to increase public awareness of crime victim issues nationwide during National Crime Victims Rights Week (NCVRW) in April 2025, and throughout the year, and begin preparations for the 2026 NCVRW theme narrative. This program furthers the DOJs mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

This grant provides financial support for early-career clinician-scientists to conduct patient-oriented research in pain management, focusing on developing effective strategies to address chronic pain and the opioid crisis.

This grant provides funding to states with a federally-facilitated health exchange to modernize their Essential Health Benefits plans, ensuring they better address healthcare access, equity, and advancements in medical care.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) plans to solicit applications for awards to support researchers conducting secondary analyses of data to address key questions of relevance to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). CCDF is the primary federal funding source for child care subsidies and aims to help eligible low-income working families access child care and to improve the quality of child care for all children. CCDF also aims to improve implementation of high-quality child care programs to 1) promote childrens healthy development and learning and 2) support the education, training, and well-being of child care workers through efforts that include child care licensing, quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) and professional development opportunities. Analyzing existing data sets may provide researchers an efficient and cost-effective method for answering critical research questions of relevance to CCDF. Findings from these awards are intended to inform policy, program administration, and future research.Topics of particular interest to ACF may include, but are not limited to: reducing barriers to access and/or improvements in access to child care and early education, particularly high-quality programs for those most in need of services; consumer education; recruiting and retaining a qualified early care and education (ECE) workforce; stabilizing the supply of high-quality care and education programs; improving teacher and caregiver competencies through professional development; supporting workforce well-being; and, approaches to engage, support, and meet the needs of families. Data sets of particular interest to ACF may include, but are not limited to, the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education and state- or territory-level workforce registry, subsidy, Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), licensing, monitoring, Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR), or Preschool Development Grants B-5 data.

This funding opportunity supports students enrolled in dual-degree medical and research training programs, helping them develop into independent physician-scientists through mentored research and clinical training.

This funding opportunity supports pain research projects at eligible educational institutions, promoting collaboration between students and experienced researchers to advance understanding and management of pain while addressing the opioid crisis.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and tribal agencies, community organizations, and collaborations focused on improving safety and well-being for families affected by domestic violence and child welfare issues.