Key Dates

NOT-OD-20-119 - Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Emergency Competitive Revisions for Social, Ethical, and Behavioral Implications (SEBI) Research on COVID-19 Testing among Underserved and/or Vulnerable Populations

NOT-OD-20-120 - Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Emergency Competitive Revisions for Community-Engaged Research on COVID-19 Testing among Underserved and/or Vulnerable Populations

NOT-OD-20-121 - Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Limited Competition for Emergency Competitive Revisions for Community-Engaged Research on COVID-19 Testing among Underserved and/or Vulnerable Populations

RFA-OD-20-013 - Emergency Awards: RADx-UP Coordination and Data Collection Center (CDCC) (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)

NOT-OD-21-065 - Notice of Intent to Publish a Research Opportunity Announcement for RADx-UP Return to School Diagnostic Testing Approaches (OT2 Clinical Trial Required)

NOT-OD-21-103 - Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Emergency Competitive Revisions for Community-engaged COVID-19 Testing Interventions among Underserved and Vulnerable Populations RADx-UP Phase II (Emergency Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional)

Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is issuing this Notice to alert the community about four upcoming Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) as part of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) initiative to solicit intervention research on COVID-19 diagnostic testing among underserved and vulnerable populations. The FOAs are expected to be published in April, and NIH acceptance of applications will depend on the time frame outlined in each opportunity announcement, but will be no later than July 31. The FOAs will include two Requests for Applications (RFAs) and two Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs). The goal is to make awards as early as October 2021.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants additional time to develop responsive applications.

Research Objectives

The goal of RADx-UP is to reduce COVID-19 associated morbidity and mortality disparities for those vulnerable and underserved populations that are disproportionately affected by, have the highest infection rates of, and/or are most at risk for adverse outcomes from contracting the virus. Phase I of RADx-UP established ?a consortium of community-engaged research projects focused primarily on increasing access to and uptake of COVID-19 diagnostic testing among underserved and vulnerable populations across the U.S. Projects also seek to understand the social, ethical, and behavioral implications (SEBI) of testing. In the program’s first phase, RADx-UP funded 69 projects and a Coordination and Data Collection Center (CDCC).

Phase II? of RADx-UP will? advance the scientific mission described above while being responsive to the changing ?diagnostic landscape,?continued? need? for? behavioral mitigation strategies, and ?the effects of the implementation and scale-up of COVID-19? vaccine distribution efforts.?This Notice encourages researchers to leverage partnerships with key stakeholders to conduct community-engaged research to understand COVID-19 disparities and implement testing interventions to mitigate these disparities in the context of vaccine implementation and uptake among underserved and vulnerable populations. Applicants will be strongly encouraged to develop partnerships with the Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities awardees within the same geographical region, where appropriate.

NIH plans to publish two RFAs and two NOSIs:

1. To seek research on testing interventions to reduce COVID-19 disparities and address scientific questions on testing in the context of vaccine implementation and uptake among underserved and vulnerable populations. (RFA)
2. To seek research that expands the scope and reach of RADx-UP testing interventions to reduce COVID-19 disparities and address scientific questions on testing in the context of vaccine implementation and uptake among underserved and vulnerable populations. (NOSI)
3. To seek research to understand the social, ethical, and behavioral implications (SEBI) of COVID-19 testing in underserved populations. (RFA)
4. Administrative supplements to RADx-UP Phase I projects to understand and address vaccine hesitancy and to encourage testing and vaccine uptake among underserved and vulnerable communities, collaborating with Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities research teams in the same geographical region, where appropriate. (NOSI)

The NIH intends for the awardees of the four FOAs (2 RFAs and 2 NOSIs) to participate in RADx-UP as part of the consortium of interlinked, community-engaged, intervention projects across the United States to improve the reach, acceptance, uptake, and sustainability of testing and ultimately mitigate COVID-19 health disparities. Awardees will be expected to partner and align with the RADx-UP Coordinationand Data Collection Center (CDCC) at Duke University for guidance on data collection and common data elements, benchmarking, and data harmonization and sharing.

Researchers planning to apply are strongly encouraged to read all four of these interrelated funding opportunities.

Applications are not being solicited at this time.

Please direct all inquiries to:

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Jonathan W. King, Ph.D.
301-496-3136
kingjo@nia.nih.gov (preferred contact method)

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD):
Nancy Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
301-594-8945
nancy.jones@nih.gov

Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (OD):
Elizabeth R. Walsh, Ph.D.
301-480-8127
elizabeth.walsh@nih.gov (preferred contact method)