Research to Action: Assessing and Addressing Community Exposures to Environmental Contaminants (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 260

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 260

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity "Research to Action: Assessing and Addressing Community Exposures to Environmental Contaminants (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-18-260) supports community-engaged research that does two things in sequence: first, it helps a community and research team investigate environmental exposures the community is worried about and assess potential health risks; second, it pushes the work beyond study findings by requiring an environmental public health action plan that uses the results to drive real-world changes. The central aim is practical impact: reducing or preventing harmful exposures and improving health outcomes at the community level, rather than stopping at data collection or publication.

A defining feature of this announcement is the emphasis on community-engaged methods. In practice, that means communities are not treated as passive subjects but as active partners who help shape the research questions, identify exposure concerns, guide how data are collected and shared, interpret findings in context, and participate in deciding what actions make sense locally. The contaminants and exposure scenarios are community-defined, so the focus can range widely depending on local conditions, such as industrial emissions, contaminated water or soil, legacy pollution, household or consumer-product exposures, or other environmental hazards that residents experience and prioritize. The "Research to Action" framing signals that NIH is looking for projects designed from the start to produce evidence that can support decision-making, risk communication, and interventions that reduce exposure.

The award mechanism is an NIH R01 research project grant, and the opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose a clinical trial if it fits the project goals, but a clinical trial is not required. This gives teams flexibility to design studies that match the problem, including observational exposure assessment and health risk evaluation, community-level monitoring, biomonitoring where appropriate, or intervention-oriented approaches that test exposure-reduction strategies. Regardless of design, the expectation is that the research will culminate in an actionable public health plan grounded in the findings, with a clear pathway to implementation and measurable changes that matter to the community.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants listed for this opportunity include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Higher education institutions are eligible across multiple categories, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Tribal participation is supported through eligibility for federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments). The announcement also allows nonprofit organizations, both those with 501(c)(3) status and those without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education), as well as for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses. In addition, the opportunity explicitly highlights a range of other eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility aligns with the community-engagement requirement, since effective projects often involve partnerships among academic researchers, local governments, public health entities, and community organizations.

At the same time, the announcement draws a firm line around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In addition, foreign components, as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In practical terms, NIH is restricting this funding to domestically led projects and domestic project components, likely to ensure the work is directly tied to U.S. communities and to simplify compliance and oversight.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program run by NIH, and it falls under CFDA numbers 93.113 and 93.361, which correspond to NIH research and environmental health-related assistance programs. The opportunity was created on 2017-11-03, and the source listing includes an original closing date of 2019-09-07. The posted source data does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so applicants typically would need to consult the full FOA text and NIH guidance for budget expectations, project period norms, and review criteria.

Overall, this opportunity is designed for teams that can combine rigorous environmental health science with strong community partnership and a credible plan to translate results into concrete exposure-reduction steps. NIH is essentially funding a full pipeline: community-identified environmental concern, research that characterizes exposure and potential health impacts, and an evidence-based action plan meant to produce meaningful improvements in environmental conditions and community health.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research to Action: Assessing and Addressing Community Exposures to Environmental Contaminants (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): 93.113, 93.361.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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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