Key Dates

Related Announcements

• September 12, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31-Diversity). See NOFO PA-23-271. 
• September 07, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship for Students at Institutions Without NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs (Parent F30). See NOFO PA-23-261. 
• September 07, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32). See NOFO PA-23-262. 
• August 17, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31). See NOFO PA-23-272. 
• August 16, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship for Students at Institutions with NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs (Parent F30). See NOFO PA-23-260. 
• August 02, 2023 - Institutional Network Award for Promoting Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Research Training (U2C - Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-23-248.April 03, 2023 - NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-23-137. 
• January 26, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T32). See NOFO PA-23-048. 
• January 20, 2023 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T35). See NOFO PA-23-080. 
• December 20, 2023 - NIDDK Education Program Grants (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-24-074. 
• March 17, 2022  - KUH Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO RFA-DK-21-033. 
• August 17, 2021 - Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-21-271. 
• August 17, 2021 - Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PAR-21-272. 
• February 10, 2021 - NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-21-151. 
• May 12, 2020 - Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-203. 
• May 12, 2020 - Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-205. 
• May 12, 2020 - Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23 Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-20-206. 
• May 7, 2020 - Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-20-197. 
• May 7, 2020 - Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-199. 
• May 6, 2020 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-20-176. 
• May 6, 2020 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-190. 
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Required). See NOFO PA-20-187. 
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-188.  

Issued by

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Purpose

Background

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to stimulate workforce development in biomedical research areas to eliminate health disparities and improve health equity within the scope of NIDDK’s mission diseases and conditions. NIDDK conducts and supports research and research training to improve health and quality of life for people with diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic disorders; liver, intestinal, and other digestive diseases; obesity; nutritional disorders; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. Many of these diseases and conditions disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority populations and others who are medically underserved. 

Creating pathways to health for all people in the U.S. to live the longest and healthiest lives possible is essential to foster vibrant, healthy communities and the country’s overall productivity. Therefore, cross-cutting themes of NIDDK’s Strategic Plan for Research emphasize the need to achieve optimal health for all individuals across the lifespan by strengthening training and enhancing diversity of the biomedical workforce across the spectrum of NIDDK science (basic, clinical, translational). Achieving these objectives requires nurturing talented multidisciplinary investigators and research teams comprised of individuals with a breadth of lived experiences and advanced research competencies that include skills to effectively collaborate with communities who would benefit from, or be impacted by, NIDDK’s research.

Applicants should carefully review the objective and scope of this NOSI and refer to NOT-DK-24-007 for more information about NIDDK’s additional interests in supporting research that addresses health disparities and health equity. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult NIDDK program staff prior to submission to determine relevance for NIDDK and the most appropriate NOSI to cite, as some mechanisms may be available for both NOT-DK-24-007 and this NOSI.

Objective and Scope

This NOSI invites applications focused on training and workforce development activities to improve health disparities and health equity research within the scope of NIDDK’s mission diseases and conditions. Applications may focus on individual or institutional research training and workforce development activities across the spectrum of basic, clinical, behavioral, social, and translational biomedical sciences relevant to NIDDK’s mission.

Applications submitted in response to this NOSI should also include activities to equip researchers with competencies to embed equity-centered strategies across the spectrum of NIDDK science and address skills and training needed to respond to research recommendations in the “Pathways to Health for All” report from the NIDDK Advisory Council Working Group on Health Disparities and Health Equity. The report outlines research opportunities that require advanced understanding of the science related to social, environmental, structural, and systemic drivers of population health and health disparities. It also emphasizes the importance of building partnership with communities affected by NIDDK diseases and conditions and engaging organizations and individuals that people trust with their health information.

The Pathways to Health for All report is not intended to reflect an exhaustive list of research and training areas as health disparities and health equity research involve broad multidisciplinary skill sets and represent quickly evolving fields of study. Therefore, examples of applications responsive to this NOSI include, but are not limited to, training and workforce development activities and resources to enhance the research capabilities of investigators and investigative teams in the following areas:

• Skills in study designs and methodologies to develop and assess the effect of multilevel interventions that address the social determinants of health or structural contributors to health disparities, and the various factors (e.g., behavioral) that can make it challenging for individuals to stay healthy.
• Strategies to enhance community engagement and robust participation of relevant diverse populations across the spectrum (basic, clinical, translational) of NIDDK’s research and activities (e.g., development of culturally/linguistically acceptable study materials and approaches).
• Methodological skills in dissemination and implementation science to rapidly move efficacious strategies into real-world health care and community settings; and mixed methods designs for collecting, analyzing, and integrating quantitative and qualitative data in research.
• Skills and tools to advance cross-disciplinary (i.e., multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary) research and multi-sectoral partnerships to address the complex, multilevel factors that contribute to health disparities, including research training activities with community health practitioners, advocates, and organizations to enhance and facilitate readiness for community-level research projects.
• Data analytical skills appropriate for assessing complex, longitudinal datasets and “big data” such as advanced bioinformatics and statistical methodologies, computational biology, artificial intelligence, and other machine learning applications, as appropriate.
• Techniques and training to facilitate the effective democratization of data and research processes that allow more rapid access and use of research data and findings by diverse communities (e.g., patients, health care systems, policy makers).

NIDDK places a high priority on training and workforce development activities that consider and incorporate approaches consistent with tips for pursuing competent health equity research (refer to the Pathways to Health for All Report, Appendix G). Applications submitted under this NOSI should consider additional strategies mentioned in the Report to embed equity into research processes (e.g., adopting cultural humility, engaging and partnering with affected populations, using a strengths or asset-based perspective, tailoring research strategies to participant cultures/preferences/priorities, and demonstrating an understanding of historical and contemporary factors that may create and sustain health inequalities). 

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after April 8, 2024 and subsequent receipt dates through April 7, 2027. 

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

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) 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-DK-24-015” (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 Scientific/Research, Peer Review, and Financial/Grants Management contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity.