Time-Sensitive Evaluation of Policies Affecting Health Behaviors and Chronic Disease Risk (R01-Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The "Time-Sensitive Evaluation of Policies Affecting Health Behaviors and Chronic Disease Risk" grant, issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports accelerated research to evaluate imminent policies or programs that are likely to influence diet, physical activity, sleep, and weight. This funding opportunity is jointly offered by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), with potential co-funding by the Office of Disease Prevention (ODP). The NIH’s broader mission is to seek knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, especially among populations at risk for health disparities. This NOFO is aimed at evaluating the impact of large-scale public or organizational policies and programs—initiated independently of NIH funding—that influence chronic disease risk factors through behavioral change. The applications must propose studies on real-world interventions like food taxation, nutrition labeling, urban planning for physical activity, or policies related to health and insurance systems. These interventions must already be planned or underway and must offer a rare, time-sensitive research window. The program does not fund new program implementation or retrospective analyses; instead, it supports the prospective evaluation of external initiatives to generate empirical evidence quickly. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based entities: public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit businesses including small businesses, local and state governments, tribal organizations, housing authorities, and certain faith-based or community organizations. Foreign organizations and components are not eligible. Applicants must demonstrate readiness through required registrations with SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. The project must involve rigorous and objective primary outcome measurements, ideally through gold standard methods like 24-hour dietary recalls, actigraphy, and purchasing or utilization data. While secondary outcomes such as implementation feasibility and unintended consequences are encouraged, self-reported data should not be primary. The review process includes scoring based on research significance, approach, and investigator qualifications. Applications are assessed on whether they seize an uncommon research opportunity and whether meaningful, unbiased, and timely results can be achieved. Budget proposals are not limited but must reflect actual project needs, with a maximum project period of five years. Applications exceeding $500,000 in direct costs require advance NIH contact. The funding announcement originally posted on January 10, 2025, allowed rolling monthly deadlines from February 2025 through January 2028, but has since expired as of May 21, 2025. Exceptions for late submissions may be allowed under NIH’s late policy. All applications were due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization and had to comply strictly with NIH application protocols. For support, applicants can contact NIH’s eRA Service Desk or specific scientific, peer review, or financial contacts listed in the notice. For example, scientific inquiries can be directed to Mary Evans or Jean Lawrence at NIDDK, Layla Esposito at NICHD, or Jill Reedy and David Berrigan at NCI. The evaluation process concludes with a Notice of Award for successful applicants, and awardees must comply with NIH’s extensive reporting and data sharing requirements.