Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for High-Priority Behavioral and Social Research Networks  (R24 Clinical Trial Optional)

Key Dates

None

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

This Notice informs the research community that the National Institute on Aging (NIA) intends to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) for new and renewal applications to provide critical network support for advancing development in the following specific high-priority areas of behavioral and social research on aging: (1) Stress Measurement, (2) Life Course Health Disparities at Older Ages, (3) Aging Research on Criminal Justice and Health Disparities, (4) Rural Aging, (5) Genomics of Behavioral and Social Science, (6) Behavioral and Social Research on Aging in Animal Models. R24 network infrastructure projects are intended to build resources for advancing aging-relevant research in the field at large; attract new researchers in aging; infuse a focus on health disparities into aging research; and address ongoing needs to foster transdisciplinary integration in aging research, as recommended by the 2019 Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) National Advisory Council on Aging (NACA) Review. Network activities include, but are not limited to: meetings to develop novel research areas and strategize on the development of infrastructure; small-scale pilots to develop data, theoretical frameworks, empirical methods, etc.; dissemination and outreach activities; and educational activities such as intensive summer institutes, series of workshops and related network activities, advanced seminars on methodology, or short-term residential opportunities.   

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.  

The NOFO is expected to be published in Fall 2023 with an application due date in November 2023. 

This NOFO will utilize the Resource-Related Research Projects (R24) activity code. Details of the planned NOFO are provided below. 

NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) supports basic behavioral, social, psychological, and economic research and research training on the processes of aging at both the individual and societal level. A summary of BSR research objectives is available on the NIA website and in the report from the 2019 NACA Review of the BSR program. Though a significant portion of research supported by BSR in pursuit of NIA's mission falls within a specific discipline or field, the division encourages transdisciplinary approaches to behavioral and social research.  

While typical research grants support research and data production for many areas of behavioral and social science in aging, some emerging, transdisciplinary, and high-priority research areas require more nimble resources to flourish. These areas are typically developing rapidly and require ongoing, flexible, and dynamic infrastructure in order to advance the production of high-quality research, to maintain and enhance data collection efforts, to develop new tools and methods, and to facilitate transdisciplinary collaborations. They also require training new investigators and recruiting the best scientists to aging research to ensure continued growth in these fields. NIA has successfully fostered emerging, transdisciplinary, and high-priority research areas through the development of research “networks,” flexible programs intended to support the creation of innovative research and research resources. This NOFO invites applications to support continued innovation in specific high-priority areas of behavioral and social research on aging.  

This NOFO will support six research networks, each designed to broadly engage the research community and support the growth of a specific high-priority area of aging-relevant behavioral and social science. Applications must propose efforts to advance one of the following research areas:  

1. Stress Measurement: Advancing the science of psychosocial stress measurement to enhance behavioral and social surveys of aging and strengthen lab-survey linkages in the study of stress, health, and disease over the lifespan.   
2. Life Course Health and Disparities at Older Ages: Advancing interdisciplinary research to address questions about how state and local contexts shape trends and disparities in health and longevity at older ages along socioeconomic, geographic, and racial/ethnic dimensions.  
3. Aging Research on Criminal Justice and Health Disparities: Fostering behavioral and social research on aging and on health disparities and drivers of health inequities in the growing population of older adults with current or past involvement in the criminal justice system.  
4. Rural Aging: Advancing research on factors affecting the health and well-being of older people living in rural areas in the United States, and on new approaches to programs, policies, environmental modifications, and care to improve well-being, health, and function within this population.  
5. Genomics and Omics of Behavioral and Social Sciences: Facilitating coordination of genetic association studies for social science outcomes and the introduction of multiple omics into relevant studies, including developing platforms for interdisciplinary collaboration, supporting the development of new methods for data analysis, and developing and publicly disseminating materials that will assist non-technical audiences in understanding the strengths and limitations of social genomics.  
6. Behavioral and Social Research on Aging in Animals: Furthering behavioral and social research on aging in animals to deepen the understanding of social and behavioral phenomena and processes and their links to human health and aging.  

This NOFO is designed to address the network development needs of researchers interested in advancing transdisciplinary aging-relevant research agendas in the social and behavioral sciences, incorporating a health disparities perspective, a life course lens, and attention to biobehavioral and biosocial integration. The goal is to produce resources that will serve the field at large. Applications should include plans for new high-impact activities that are not feasible with existing resources. For the purposes of this NOFO, aging-relevant research is that which addresses issues of importance to the well-being and health of either mid-life or older adults and can include data spanning the entire life course. Applicants need not have a prior history of conducting research in aging.  

Network support includes all activities designed to bring together leading scientists across disciplines and institutions to develop an emerging priority area. Examples of network support activities include, but are not limited to:  

• Meetings, both large and small, to develop novel research areas and strategize on the development of infrastructure.  
• Small-scale pilots to develop data, theoretical frameworks, or empirical methods, or to support the development of novel or high-risk approaches requiring interdisciplinary collaboration.  
• Dissemination and outreach activities to draw researchers from relevant disciplines into the field.  
• Educational activities such as intensive summer institutes, series of workshops and related network activities, advanced seminars on methodology, or short-term residential opportunities.  

The networking, education, and infrastructure-building activities required for these efforts are rarely covered under an individual grant and often do not fit the timelines for typical support mechanisms. Furthermore, the researchers that can support a successful network in an emerging area often span multiple disciplines and are rarely located at a single institution. Therefore, this NOFO is designed to provide the research resources and network development needed to create opportunities to shape the direction of an emerging field. 

Funding Information

Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
Private Institution of Higher Education
Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)
Small Business
For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
State Government
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)
County governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization (Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
U.S. Territory or Possession
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized)
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity (Foreign Organization)
Regional Organization
Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government

Applications are not being solicited at this time. 

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Laura Major, DrPH 
National Institute on Aging (NIA) 
Telephone: 301-827-4464 
Email: laura.major@nih.gov