Elucidating the Role of Nutrition in Care and Development of Preterm Infants (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA HD 22 023

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 22 023

Elucidating the Role of Nutrition in Care and Development of Preterm Infants (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary funding opportunity that supports research focused on major unanswered questions about how nutrition affects the clinical care, growth, and developmental outcomes of preterm infants. The central aim of the announcement is to close priority knowledge gaps by funding rigorous studies that improve the scientific understanding of nutritional needs and nutritional interventions in this vulnerable population, including how early-life feeding strategies may influence both short-term medical outcomes in the neonatal period and longer-term development.

The mechanism is an R01 research project grant, and the opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose either clinical trial research or non-trial research, depending on what best fits the scientific question. In practical terms, this allows projects ranging from mechanistic or observational work (for example, studies linking specific nutrient exposures to biomarkers, growth trajectories, microbiome changes, or neurodevelopmental outcomes) to intervention-based studies (for example, trials comparing feeding approaches, supplementation strategies, fortification methods, or nutrition delivery protocols), as long as the proposed work directly addresses the role of nutrition in preterm infant care and development.

The program sits within the Health, Income Security and Social Services activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.865. The opportunity number is RFA-HD-22-023, and the original closing date listed is March 30, 2022, with a creation date of October 27, 2021. The posted award ceiling is $499,999. While the listing includes an "Expected Awards" field, no specific number is provided in the source data shown, so applicants would typically look to the full NIH announcement or related NIH budget guidance to understand the likely scale and competitiveness.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; and independent school districts. Academic institutions are eligible across categories, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Tribal participation is explicitly supported through eligibility for federally recognized Native American tribal governments, as well as Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. Housing-related public entities such as public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities may also apply. The announcement also permits nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses, along with an "Other" category that NIH sometimes uses to capture additional eligible organizational forms.

In addition to the standard eligibility categories, the announcement emphasizes inclusion of a wide range of institution types and community-embedded organizations. Specifically noted as "Other Eligible Applicants" are Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal government agencies; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations. This framing signals that the NIH is open to applications from diverse settings and partnerships, including those that can bring unique populations, care environments, or expertise to studies of preterm infant nutrition.

Overall, the opportunity is designed to stimulate high-impact research that clarifies what nutritional approaches best support preterm infants, why they work, and for whom they work best. Competitive applications would be expected to clearly identify the specific evidence gap being addressed, justify the relevance to preterm infant outcomes, use appropriate study designs and measurements for nutrition and development, and demonstrate the capacity to conduct neonatal-focused research in a way that can inform clinical practice, guidelines, or future larger-scale studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Elucidating the Role of Nutrition in Care and Development of Preterm Infants (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): 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-30. (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 $499,999.00 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.

Apply for RFA HD 22 023

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