October 6, 2023
- February 6, 2023 - Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Addressing the Etiology of Health Disparities and Health Advantages Among Immigrant Populations. See NOT-MD-23-002.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applicants that the NHLBI is participating, effective immediately, in NOT-MD-23-002 "Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Addressing the Etiology of Health Disparities and Health Advantages Among Immigrant Populations."
Research Objectives
For NOSI NOT-MD-23-002, NHLBI is interested in multidisciplinary and multilevel research to understand the interplay of factors that cause health inequities or health advantages in heart, lung, blood, or sleep (HLBS) diseases and outcomes among underserved immigrant populations and the mechanisms through which they operate. Applications that focus on critical life periods and interaction with different phases of the immigration process across the lifespan, and at the individual, family, intergenerational, community, and society levels are encouraged. In addition to the NOSI’s call to use multiple approaches (biological, sociocultural, or behavioral), additional approaches may include epigenetics, microbiome, climate health, environmental toxins, and data science strategies to illuminate the causes and interactions among multilevel factors. Research topics proposed in applications are expected to be relevant to the NHLBI Strategic Vision. Further, applications are encouraged to use a common set of tools and resources for collection of comparable data on social determinants of health (SDoH) across studies (i.e., PhenX toolkit, ADOPT, NCCOR). Applications that utilize existing NHLBI study cohorts are also strongly encouraged.
Research Examples
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Examination of experiences of immigrants pre- and post-migration, including acculturation stress and discrimination, that lead to health inequities in HLBS diseases and outcomes
- Examination of the mechanisms and pathways for multiple factors influencing risk for chronic disease (particularly HLBS diseases and conditions) and comorbidities before and during the immigration process, and during adaptation to new cultural, social, political, and ecological environments
- Examination of mechanisms and pathways of chronic disease and comorbidities, particularly HLBS-related, while considering immigrant populations' exposures (stressors/environment) to climate change and the environment
- Leveraging available population data sources to understand the interplay of multiple factors that cause HLBS health disparities or health advantages among underserved immigrant populations and the mechanisms through which they operate
- Exploration of how socioeconomic status, immigration stress, social mobility within the U.S., acculturation, and time living in the U.S. may influence HLBS health outcomes among immigrants
- Prospective studies to examine the impact of children’s migration, whether as part of migrating family, a fragmented family or as an unaccompanied minor, on adverse HLBS outcomes and resilience factors
- Understanding the impact of geographic distribution of health and social services (e.g., cardiac catheterization, food banks, etc.) on prevention and management of HLBS conditions in immigrant populations
- Exploration of the impact of shiftwork on immigrant populations cardiovascular and sleep health outcomes
- Examination of factors contributing to lower or higher risk of pregnancy-related hypertension and maternal morbidity among different immigrant populations compared to US-born counterparts
- Understanding resilience factors and support mechanisms that enable health advantage or disadvantage of immigrant subpopulations (e.g., Mexicans, Vietnamese, Caribbeans, etc.)
- Examination of access to healthcare, and diagnosis and management of health conditions in immigrants from regions with a high prevalence of HLBS disorders, such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease
- Research that uses predictive modeling, machine learning approaches, or data-driven analysis of HLBS disorders in diverse immigrant communities
Note: For NOT-MD-23-002, NHLBI will only accept applications that target PA-20-185 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) and PA-20-183 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required). For PA-20-183 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required), NHLBI only accepts mechanistic studies that meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial.
Applications addressing efficacy or effectiveness clinical trials must apply using the PAR-22-189 Single-Site Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required) or its reissue; or the PAR-22-192 Clinical Coordinating Center for Multi-Site Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials (Collaborative UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required) or its reissue. Do not reference NOT-MD-23-002 in applications when using the R61/R33 or UG3/UH3 mechanisms, but applicants may indicate their interest in a cover letter.
Scientific/Research Contact(s)
Rebecca Campo, PhD.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-594-1047
Email: rebecca.campo@nih.gov
Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)
Tyrone Smith, M.S.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-827-8053
Email: smithty@nhlbi.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
