Notice of NINDS Participation in RFA-ES-23-007 "Exploratory Grants for Climate Change and Health Research Center Development (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)"
Notice Number:
NOT-NS-23-078

Key Dates

Release Date:

March 24, 2023

Related Announcements

RFA-ES-23-007 - Exploratory Grants for Climate Change and Health Research Center Development (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)

Issued by

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to inform applicants of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's (NINDS) participation in RFA-ES-23-007 “Exploratory Grants for Climate Change and Health Research Center Development (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)”. This notice is effective for the May 1, 2023 due date and subsequent due date(s). Changes to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are shown below.

Currently Reads:

Part 1. Overview Information 

Components of Participating Organizations

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
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)

Assistance Listing Number(s)

93.113, 93.989, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.233, 93.361, 93.865, 93.855, 93.307, 93.242, 93.866

Part 2. Full Text Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity

Information Specific to the National Institute on Aging’s Interest

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is interested in understanding the biological, behavioral, and socioecological processes related to climate change and extreme weather that affect the health and wellbeing of older individuals, including those living with Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias (AD/ADRD), as examined in human and/or other animals. Applicants are encouraged to consider innovative methods and research designs to facilitate studies within groups (e.g., racial/ethnic, urban/rural, veteran/non-veteran) as well as between groups, recognizing within-group heterogeneity that would be biological and/or contextual (e.g., individuals’ access to resources and lived experiences). Applicants should reference the NIA Health Disparities Research Framework. Research topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The impacts of climate change or extreme weather on health and/or well-being, rate of aging, and aging-related physiological processes, and functional abilities in humans or other animals across the life span. “Other animals” may include domestic, captive, or wild populations. Physiological processes may include immune function, metabolism, circadian rhythms, etc.
  • The contribution of extreme weather events and related natural disasters on biological processes and rates of aging in studies of domestic or wild animals.
  • Interactions or additive effects of environmental exposures or changing environmental hazards (e.g., particulates including heightened amounts of air pollutants, endocrine disrupters, residuals from manufacturing or other toxins, changes in pesticide or herbicide application practices, extreme heat or cold, disasters exacerbated by climate change) on molecular, cellular, toxicologic, and physiological perturbations that impact health and/or well-being across the lifespan as well as affective, social, behavioral, and cognitive functions (including brain health) over the life course.
  • Midlife and older adult health promotion, adaptation, recovery, and resilience in the face of climate change and in the aftermath of extreme weather events.
  • Effects of extreme weather events or changing environmental hazards on older adults, including those from different racial, ethnic, and sexual and gender minority groups, those living with disabilities, and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, effectively managing health conditions (e.g., diabetes, cholesterol, weight management, various types of arthritis, etc.) and financial burdens that may be exacerbated by changes in the environment (e.g. loss of livelihood during periods of extreme heat and drought or other extreme weather events).
  • The impact of age-related change in affective, social, and cognitive factors on individual responses to climate change, and on how individuals initiate and maintain the behavior changes needed for preparedness and adaptation to extreme weather events.
  • The contribution of extreme weather events and related natural disasters, to social structure and social adversity, and their effects on aging processes across the life course, in studies of animals in their natural habitats.
  • Health services delivery and healthcare infrastructure preparedness in the context of climate change and extreme weather events.
  • Health care policies that may promote or sustain adopting preventive measures taken to mitigate overall rates of mortality or morbidity that are associated with, or caused by, extreme weather events or changing environmental hazards. Specifically, rates among older adults, including those from different racial, ethnic, and sexual and gender minority groups, those with disabilities, and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Cross-national analyses of nationally representative data, particularly analyses that include low- and middle-income countries, including data from the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS), International Family of HRS studies, and the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) available in the HRS and several international studies to measure cognitive outcomes.
  • Studies on organizational policies and practices for reducing healthcare facilities’ and systems’ emission contribution to climate change.
  • Policy, economic, and systems analysis research towards system changes for preparedness or response to climate change and extreme weather events.
  • Studies that develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of communication or educational resources about health impacts of climate change for older adult populations or stakeholders, including individuals living with AD/ADRD and individuals and institutions that provide care for these individuals.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Arielle S. Gillman, PhD, MPH
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Phone: 301-402-1366
E-mail: arielle.gillman@nih.gov

Liz Perruccio, MS, PhD
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-402-8084
Email: liz.perruccio@nih.gov

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Priscilla Grant, JD
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Phone: 301-594-8412
E-mail: pg38h@nih.gov

Ron Wertz
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-594-2807
Email: wertzr@mail.nih.gov

Modified to Read:

Part 1. Overview Information 

Components of Participating Organizations

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
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)

Assistance Listing Number(s)

93.113, 93.989, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.233, 93.361, 93.865, 93.855, 93.307, 93.242, 93.866, 93.853

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity

Information Specific to the National Institute on Aging’s Interest

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is interested in understanding the biological, behavioral, and socioecological processes related to climate change and extreme weather that affect the health and wellbeing of older individuals, including those living with Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias (AD/ADRD), as examined in human and/or other animals. Applicants are encouraged to consider innovative methods and research designs to facilitate studies within groups (e.g., racial/ethnic, urban/rural, veteran/non-veteran) as well as between groups, recognizing within-group heterogeneity that would be biological and/or contextual (e.g., individuals’ access to resources and lived experiences). Applicants should reference the NIA Health Disparities Research Framework. Research topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The impacts of climate change or extreme weather on health and/or well-being, rate of aging, and aging-related physiological processes, and functional abilities in humans or other animals across the life span. “Other animals” may include domestic, captive, or wild populations. Physiological processes may include immune function, metabolism, circadian rhythms, etc.
  • The contribution of extreme weather events and related natural disasters on biological processes and rates of aging in studies of domestic or wild animals.
  • Interactions or additive effects of environmental exposures or changing environmental hazards (e.g., particulates including heightened amounts of air pollutants, endocrine disrupters, residuals from manufacturing or other toxins, changes in pesticide or herbicide application practices, extreme heat or cold, disasters exacerbated by climate change) on molecular, cellular, toxicologic, and physiological perturbations that impact health and/or well-being across the lifespan as well as affective, social, behavioral, and cognitive functions (including brain health) over the life course.
  • Midlife and older adult health promotion, adaptation, recovery, and resilience in the face of climate change and in the aftermath of extreme weather events.
  • Effects of extreme weather events or changing environmental hazards on older adults, including those from different racial, ethnic, and sexual and gender minority groups, those living with disabilities, and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, effectively managing health conditions (e.g., diabetes, cholesterol, weight management, various types of arthritis, etc.) and financial burdens that may be exacerbated by changes in the environment (e.g. loss of livelihood during periods of extreme heat and drought or other extreme weather events).
  • The impact of age-related change in affective, social, and cognitive factors on individual responses to climate change, and on how individuals initiate and maintain the behavior changes needed for preparedness and adaptation to extreme weather events.
  • The contribution of extreme weather events and related natural disasters, to social structure and social adversity, and their effects on aging processes across the life course, in studies of animals in their natural habitats.
  • Health services delivery and healthcare infrastructure preparedness in the context of climate change and extreme weather events.
  • Health care policies that may promote or sustain adopting preventive measures taken to mitigate overall rates of mortality or morbidity that are associated with, or caused by, extreme weather events or changing environmental hazards. Specifically, rates among older adults, including those from different racial, ethnic, and sexual and gender minority groups, those with disabilities, and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Cross-national analyses of nationally representative data, particularly analyses that include low- and middle-income countries, including data from the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS), International Family of HRS studies, and the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) available in the HRS and several international studies to measure cognitive outcomes.
  • Studies on organizational policies and practices for reducing healthcare facilities’ and systems’ emission contribution to climate change.
  • Policy, economic, and systems analysis research towards system changes for preparedness or response to climate change and extreme weather events.
  • Studies that develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of communication or educational resources about health impacts of climate change for older adult populations or stakeholders, including individuals living with AD/ADRD and individuals and institutions that provide care for these individuals.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) will accept applications that study the effect of Climate Change on the development, progression, and recovery of neurological disorders across the lifespan. This includes environmental effects of climate change that affect neurological disorders within the NINDS mission (see NINDS). Applications with a primary focus on climate change and health outside of the United States (U.S.) would be considered non-responsive to this funding announcement. Applications that propose research on toxins or other factors that are not related to climate change will also be considered non-responsive to this funding announcement. Applications that build on existing programs and cohorts involving at-risk groups and underserved populations in the U.S. are encouraged. We are accepting applications from the following announcement: RFA-ES-23-007 (P20 Clinical Trial Optional). For this notice of funding opportunity, only the following types of clinical trials will be supported:

  • Mechanistic trials, defined as studies designed to understand a biological or behavioral process, the pathophysiology of a disease, or the mechanism of action of an intervention (i.e., HOW an intervention works, but not IF it works or is safe).
  • Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH), defined as basic research studies involving humans that seek to understand the fundamental aspects of phenomena.

However, NINDS will not support clinical trials that seek to answer specific questions about safety, tolerability, clinical efficacy, effectiveness, clinical management, and/or implementation of pharmacologic, behavioral, biologic, surgical, or device (invasive or non-invasive) interventions, preventive, therapeutic, and services interventions. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NINDS Scientific/Research staff prior to their submission to discuss the responsiveness of their application.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Arielle S. Gillman, PhD, MPH
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Phone: 301-402-1366
E-mail: arielle.gillman@nih.gov

David A. Jett, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-6035
Email: jettd@ninds.nih.gov

Liz Perruccio, MS, PhD
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-402-8084
Email: liz.perruccio@nih.gov

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Priscilla Grant, JD
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Phone: 301-594-8412
E-mail: pg38h@nih.gov

Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Email: ChiefGrantsManagementOfficer@ninds.nih.gov

Ron Wertz
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-594-2807
Email: wertzr@mail.nih.gov

All other aspects of this NOFO remain unchanged.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

David A. Jett, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-6035
Email: jettd@ninds.nih.gov