Key Dates

Related Announcements

• December 18, 2024 - Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-25-305.
• December 18, 2024 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-25-301.
• November 14, 2024 - Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Grant Program (R01 Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PAR-25-167.
• November 8, 2024 - Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional). See NOFO PA-25-253.
• November 5, 2024 - Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trials Optional). See NOFO PAR-25-104. 
• November 7, 2024 - Modular R01s in Cancer Control and Population Sciences (R01 Clinical Trial Optional). See NOFO PA-25-172.
• October 18, 2024 - NCI Small Grants Program for Cancer Research (NCI Omnibus) (R03 Clinical Trial Optional). See NOFO PAR-25-078.
• April 25, 2024 - Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24 Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-24-187. 
• April 25, 2024 - Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-188.
• April 24, 2024 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-24-175.
• April 24, 2024 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-176.
• April 24, 2024 - Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 – Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-24-181.
• April 24, 2024 - Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-182.
• April 24, 2024 - NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-24-193. 
• April 24, 2024 - NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-194.
• April 09, 2024 - Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23 – Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-24-184. 
• April 09, 2024 - Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-24-185.
• November 8, 2023 - NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-23-286.
• November 8, 2023 - NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PAR-23-287.
• May 10, 2022 - Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional). See NOFO PAR-22-105. 
  
  
   

Issued by

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Tribal Health Research Office (THRO)

All applications to this funding opportunity announcement should fall within the mission of the Institutes/Centers. The following NIH Offices may co-fund applications assigned to those Institutes/Centers.

Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Disease Prevention (ODP)

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)

Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO)

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

Office of Nutrition Research (ONR)

Purpose

The purpose of this NOSI is to encourage and support research and career development training to elucidate the mechanisms and consequences of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination in children and adults with overweight or obesity. A secondary objective is to evaluate the effects of obesity-related interventions or policies that address weight bias and/or its consequences (e.g., weight stigma and discrimination) in affected groups. Applications may propose investigations of biological, psychosocial, behavioral, and societal mechanisms and consequences of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination through observational studies or clinical trials, utilizing quantitative, qualitative, and/or community-based research methods. Intervention research may address mechanisms of action, mechanisms of prevention, implementation strategies, or evaluation of interventions or policies to prevent or address weight stigma, bias, or discrimination. Projects may focus on weight stigma and bias across multiple levels and systems, including biological and behavioral pathways and in diverse populations and settings (i.e., children or adults, healthcare providers, schools, facilities or programs for older adults, or healthcare systems). Studies investigating the effects of systemic weight-related bias and discrimination on health outcomes and disparities, healthcare access, quality of care, educational and occupational opportunities, or involvement in the justice system are of interest. Applications examining intersectional stigma, bias, and discrimination in individuals with multiple marginalized identities or multiple chronic conditions who have overweight or obesity are strongly encouraged. The overall goal of this initiative is to better understand the mechanisms and harmful effects of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination as well as effects of relevant policies or programs to inform intervention development and evaluation and ultimately reduce health disparities and improve equitable health outcomes. The specific research interests of participating NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices are detailed below.

Background

Obesity is a chronic disease of increasing prevalence that is exacerbated by weight stigma, bias, and discrimination.  Although weight stigma, bias, and discrimination are pervasive in our culture, research on this topic has been limited, especially among minority populations in the U.S. Weight stigma negatively affects a variety of health outcomes by decreasing adherence to treatment recommendations, willingness to seek medical care, provider trust, and increasing discrimination stress. This NOSI calls for innovative research to understand the impact of multiple intersecting forms of stigma in diverse populations as well as the underlying mechanisms by which weight stigma, bias, and discrimination affect health outcomes. Understanding the impact and mechanisms of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination is necessary to prevent or treat the detrimental effects of weight stigma. Additionally, rigorous scientific evaluation of policies and programs to address weight stigma and bias can help build an evidence base to better inform policy or educational approaches to prevent weight stigma, bias, and discrimination and their harmful effects. In summary, this NOSI encourages a variety of research approaches to investigate weight stigma, bias, and discrimination in children or adults from diverse backgrounds with a goal to improve health outcomes and health equity.  

Research Objectives

The objective of this NOSI is to encourage research and career development training applications to elucidate the mechanisms and consequences of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination in children and adults with overweight or obesity. A secondary objective is to evaluate the effects of obesity-related interventions or policies that address weight bias and/or its consequences (e.g., weight stigma and discrimination) in affected groups. Applications may propose observational studies or clinical trials utilizing quantitative, qualitative, and/or community-based research methods. Intervention research may address mechanisms of action, mechanisms of prevention, implementation strategies, or evaluation of interventions or policies to address weight stigma, bias, or discrimination. Projects may focus on weight stigma and bias across multiple levels and systems, including biological and behavioral pathways and in diverse populations and settings (i.e., children or adults, healthcare providers, schools, facilities or programs for older adults, or healthcare systems). Studies investigating the effects of systemic weight-related bias and discrimination on health outcomes and disparities, healthcare access, quality of care, educational and occupational opportunities, or involvement in the justice system are of interest. Applications examining intersectional stigma, bias, and discrimination in individuals with multiple marginalized identities including those from NIH-designated populations that experience health disparities who have overweight or obesity are strongly encouraged. The inclusion of individuals with lived experience of obesity and weight stigma through community-engaged approaches (e.g., community advisory boards) and throughout the research process, including prioritization of research foci, study design and implementation, analysis, and dissemination of results, is highly encouraged. In addition, mixed-methods approaches that include both quantitative and qualitative methods are encouraged to provide richer information on the lived experiences of individuals with weight stigma and multiple marginalized identities.

Research projects within the scope of this NOSI may include, but are not limited to: 

Observational, epidemiological, and secondary data analysis studies that: 

• Investigate effects of structural and commercial determinants of health (CDoH), e.g., laws, public and organizational policies, media messages, product design and packaging, or marketing on internalized weight stigma, health outcomes, and/or financial, occupational, or educational outcomes
• Investigate how healthcare provider weight bias affects healthcare delivery, including referral for obesity treatment and prescription of anti-obesity medications (AOMs), and health outcomes, particularly for patients from culturally diverse backgrounds
• Examine effects of intersectional discrimination related to race/ethnicity, gender (including identity and expression), sexual orientation, social position, and weight/size on internalized stigma and health outcomes
• Assess the impact of “lived experiences” of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination in adults and youth with obesity through narrative research methods and qualitative analyses to inform development of interventions 
• Investigate effects of school-based anti-bullying policies or programs on internalized weight stigma in youth and/or weight bias in educators
• Investigate the prevalence of weight stigma, bias, and/or discrimination in organizations (such as military branches) and effects on members’ cardiometabolic and mental health
• Investigate effects of internalized weight stigma on health behaviors (e.g., dietary choices and purchases, physical activity, social interactions) and associated health outcomes
• Evaluate existing or develop and validate new weight stigma measures to fully capture the experience and internalization of weight stigma among people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized communities, ensuring their applicability across diverse groups
• Leverage existing NIH adult and pediatric cohorts to analyze secondary data or propose ancillary studies to collect new data on weight stigma or discrimination and associated health outcomes in these cohorts

Mechanistic clinical trials to:

• Understand the biological, psychosocial, behavioral, and societal mechanisms by which internalized or experienced weight stigma impacts health, including cardiometabolic risk factors and related diseases, health behaviors, and weight
• Understand the mechanisms by which weight management or other interventions affect internalized weight stigma
• Identify methods to decrease weight stigma and bias

Dissemination and implementation research to:

• Identify optimal strategies to implement evidence-based interventions for weight stigma and bias in real world clinical or educational settings
• Investigate the implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability of established obesity bias training for medical providers across medicals schools or healthcare systems
• Evaluate the effectiveness of engagement methods to determine best practices for including those with lived experience in the research process and increasing community-led research
• Identify barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based interventions for weight stigma and bias in real world clinical, educational, organizational, or culturally-specific settings 

IC Specific Application and Submission Information

Applicants must select the IC and associated NOFO to use for submission of an application in response to the NOSI, per the Application and Submission Information below. The selection must align with the IC requirements listed to be considered responsive to that NOFO.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is interested in research on weight stigma, bias, or discrimination relevant to its Strategic Vision (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/strategic-vision), to promote and maintain heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) health. As such, NHLBI is especially interested in research on weight stigma, bias, or discrimination that evaluates effects on HLBS outcomes, and/or in populations with HLBS conditions or risk factors. Proposals that leverage existing NHLBI adult and pediatric cohorts (e.g., RECOVER) and/or NHLBI resources such as BioData Catalyst (BDC) are encouraged. While the development and testing of culturally-centered, multilevel interventions to address weight stigma across settings (e.g., healthcare, education, military) and populations (e.g., students, patients, providers) are of interest to NHLBI, these efficacy trials are not permitted under the R01 mechanism and should be proposed using NHLBI’s suite of clinical trial mechanisms (R34, R61/R33, UG3/UH3/U24; see the NHLBI Clinical Trial Continuum). K applications, however, may propose a range of study designs and methods, including clinical trials to test feasibility, acceptability, or efficacy of interventions to address weight stigma or bias. Applications proposing any type of clinical trial may require Milestone Accrual Plans and/or other performance milestones prior to award (see https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/grants-and-training/policies-and-guidelines/accrual-of-human-subjects-milestones-policy). Investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their plans with NHLBI program staff prior to submitting their application.

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is interested in supporting research that advances understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination in people with overweight and obesity across the cancer control continuum. NCI also encourages research that evaluates the effects of interventions or policies that address weight stigma, bias, and discrimination in affected individuals across the continuum and in diverse populations with the goal of reducing cancer disparities and improving health outcomes. Priority areas include, but are not limited to, research focused on:

• Examining the relationship between weight stigma, bias, and discrimination and health behaviors related to cancer risk and recurrence or second malignancies such as dietary intake, physical activity, tobacco use and cessation, sleep, and alcohol use
• Understanding how weight stigma, bias, and discrimination influence access to, engagement with, and quality of 1) cancer prevention and screening services; 2) cancer treatment; and 3) survivorship care
• Exploring the intersection between weight stigma and other stigmatized identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual and gender identity, poverty status) and the associated impact on equitable cancer care
• Examining how weight stigma interacts with other health-related stigmas (e.g., smoking stigma, cancer stigma) to affect engagement in cancer prevention and control (e.g., tobacco cessation, lung cancer screening)
• Understanding how weight stigma contributes to and is affected by screening, diagnosis, and treatment of obesity-related early onset cancers
• Assessing and addressing the influence of weight bias at the provider and health system levels on cancer care across the continuum (e.g., patient-provider communication, availability of appropriate medical equipment to accommodate all body sizes, timely referral for screening, receipt of guideline-concordant cancer care)
• Adapting and evaluating existing evidence-based behavioral change and health communication interventions developed in other stigma settings to address the impact of weight stigma across the cancer control continuum
• Assessing cancer prevention and control efforts to identify areas that might perpetuate or normalize weight stigma, or conversely, identify efforts to address and mitigate such stigma
• Testing intervention strategies to mitigate weight stigma internalization and build resilience, perseverance, and positive coping among individuals with overweight and obesity to improve health behaviors and outcomes across the cancer control continuum

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is interested in supporting research that advances understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). Specifically, NIA is interested in studies that will elucidate the impact of obesity and weight bias for people and families living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) (e.g., ability or inability of persons with ADRD and obesity or severe obesity to participate in adult daycare, long-term care, and routine clinical care in outpatient and inpatient settings).

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) supports research aligned with our mission and strategic priorities, conducted by scientists from any discipline. NINR discovers solutions to health challenges through the lenses of health equity, social determinants of health, population and community health, prevention and health promotion, and systems and models of care. Drawing on the strengths of nursing’s holistic, contextualized perspective, core values, and broad reach, NINR funds multilevel and cross-sectoral research that examines the factors that impact health across the many settings in which nurses practice, including homes, schools, workplaces, clinics, criminal legal settings, and the community.

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is part of the NIH Office of the Director. ORWH works with the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers to advance rigorous research of relevance to the health of women. ORWH does not award grants but co-funds women's health-related applications and research projects that have received an award from one of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) listed in this NOSI. Applications seeking ORWH co-funding, in response to this NOSI, should ensure that the proposed work is aligned with at least one goal and objective outlined in the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women.

For this NOSI, ORWH encourages research on the influence of social and structural determinants on weight stigma, bias, and discrimination experienced by girls and women. ORWH is particularly interested in sex and/or gender influences on the mechanisms of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination as well as the associated health and nutrition related consequences. ORWH is also supportive of research that evaluates the effects of obesity-related interventions or policies that address weight bias and/or its consequences in girls and women through the lifespan. Research that focuses specifically on the health of women in underrepresented, underserved, and underreported populations (U3) is encouraged.  

Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO)

The SGMRO develops and coordinates health- and research-related activities for sexual and gender minority (SGM; defined for NIH research in NOT-OD-24-169) populations independently and in conjunction with the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. The Office also serves as a liaison with the public and the research community to ensure SGM populations are considered and represented in relevant activities across the agency. The SGMRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants. The Office can only support grants approved for funding after review by one of the Institutes or Centers (ICs) participating in this announcement and after a co-funding request is initiated through the IC. More SGM- and SGMRO-specific information is available in the NIH Strategic Plan to Advance Research on the Health and Well-being of Sexual and Gender Minorities FY 2021-2025 and on the Office’s Research Resources webpage.

For this NOSI, SGMRO encourages research across the life course (including social, behavioral, mechanistic, prevention, intervention, and implementation research) for SGM communities and SGM people who are members of other populations that experience health disparities and inequities. The Office is particularly interested in research for specific SGM populations for whom data indicates disparities in overweight or obesity or for whom there is a lack of data on overweight or obesity. When appropriate, SGMRO encourages consideration and incorporation of relevant concepts (e.g., minority stress, social safety, intersectionality), research strategies (e.g., community-led or -engaged research, trauma-informed research, strengths-based approaches), and frameworks (e.g., the SGM Health Disparities Research Framework and NIMHD Research Framework). Please reach out to the relevant scientific office identified in this announcement with any questions about IC specific research priorities and funding.

Tribal Health Research Office ((THRO) | DPCPSI))

THRO (Tribal Health Research Office (THRO) | DPCPSI) serves as the central point of contact at NIH for federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes throughout the United States (U.S.) and is the synergistic hub for all Tribal health research activities and research workforce development at NIH. The mission of THRO is to improve Native health, enhance capacity for health research in Native communities, and promote opportunities for the next generation of AI/AN researchers. THRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants; however, THRO can co-fund grants deemed scientifically meritorious after review by one of the institutes or centers (ICs) participating in this announcement.

For this NOFO, THRO is interested in research that examines consequences of weight stigma, bias, and discrimination and/or effects of obesity-related interventions in AI/AN populations or Tribal communities with overweight or obesity

 Application and Submission Information

Applicants must select the IC and associated NOFO to use for submission of an application in response to the NOSI. The selection must align with the IC requirements listed to be considered responsive to that NOFO. Non-responsive applications will be withdrawn from consideration for this initiative.

In addition, applicants using NIH Parent announcements (listed below) will be assigned to those ICs on this NOSI that have indicated those NOFOs are acceptable and based on usual application-IC assignment practices.

This notice applies to due dates on or after February 12, 2025 and subsequent receipt dates through May 08, 2028. 

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following notices of funding opportunity (NOFO) or any reissues of these announcements through the expiration date of this Notice.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the notice of funding opportunity used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:

• For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-HL-24-032” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to the contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity with the following additions/substitutions:

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Laurie Friedman Donze, Ph.D. 
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-827-1408
Email: [email protected]

Tanya Agurs-Collins, PhD, RD
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6956
Email: [email protected]

Robin Vanderpool, DrPH
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6558
Email: [email protected] 

Priscilla Novak, PhD, MPH
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-496-3136
Email: [email protected]

Sylvia E. Long, PhD, CPH
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 240-276-6136
Email: [email protected]

JoyAnn Courtney, PhD
Office of Disease Prevention (ODP)
Phone: (301) 402-3911
E-mail: [email protected]

Andrew Bremer, MD, PhD, MAS
Office of Nutrition Research (ONR)
Telephone: 301-402-7886
Email: [email protected]

Annina Catherine Burns, PhD, RD
ORWH - Office of Research on Women's Health
E-mail: [email protected]
 

Peer Review Contact(s)

Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Francesca Alicia Hunter
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Phone: none
E-mail: [email protected] 

Crystal Wolfrey
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6277
Email: [email protected]

Jeni Smits
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
E-mail: [email protected]

Jenna Briggs
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-480-0639
Email: [email protected]