Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 235
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms and Consequences of Sleep Disparities in the U.S. (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-17-235) supports exploratory, early-stage research focused on why sleep deficiencies are more common or more severe in U.S. populations that experience health disparities, and how those sleep problems may contribute to unequal health outcomes. The program uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is designed for developmental and high-impact pilot work that can generate early evidence, test new ideas, develop measures, or establish proof-of-concept findings that can later grow into larger, more definitive studies.
The central goal is twofold. First, it encourages research that digs into the underlying mechanisms that drive sleep deficiencies in health disparity populations. "Mechanisms" can include biological pathways (for example, stress physiology or cardiometabolic regulation), behavioral and psychosocial factors (such as chronic stress, discrimination, shift work, caregiving burden, or mental health comorbidity), and environmental or structural conditions (like housing quality, neighborhood noise and light exposure, crowding, safety concerns, and work schedules). Second, it promotes research that links sleep deficiencies to downstream health disparities, meaning it seeks to clarify how insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality, irregular sleep timing, sleep disorders, or circadian disruption might help explain differences in rates of disease, symptom burden, functional outcomes, or mortality across populations. In practice, a strong application would typically connect sleep to measurable health outcomes and articulate a plausible pathway for how sleep contributes to inequities rather than treating sleep as an isolated behavior.
This opportunity sits in the NIH education and health funding activity space and is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.273, 93.307, 93.393, 93.395, 93.399, 93.866), reflecting how sleep intersects with several NIH institutes and mission areas. The emphasis on exploratory work means applicants are generally expected to propose focused aims that are achievable within an R21 scope and budget, such as developing or validating sleep measures in underrepresented populations, identifying mediators or moderators of sleep-health relationships, testing small interventions or natural experiments, or using novel data sources (for example, actigraphy, wearable data, ecological momentary assessment, or neighborhood-level exposure data) to illuminate sleep disparity pathways.
A wide range of applicants are eligible. Eligible organizations include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education under those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also explicitly highlights eligibility for institutions and organizations that often serve health disparity communities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs). It also notes that eligible agencies of the federal government, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions may apply. That broad eligibility is consistent with the topic area, since sleep disparities research often benefits from partnerships among academic researchers, healthcare systems, community organizations, housing authorities, employers, and local or tribal governments.
There are important restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply directly, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. applicant organization can include a foreign element in the project when it is well-justified and adds unique expertise, resources, populations, or scientific value that cannot be readily obtained in the United States. In other words, the application must be led by an eligible U.S.-based applicant organization, but certain internationally based activities or collaborations may be permitted if they meet NIH requirements.
In terms of funding scale and timing, the listed award ceiling is $200,000, which aligns with the smaller, developmental nature of the R21 mechanism. The original closing date shown is July 11, 2019, and the FOA record indicates it was created on March 29, 2017. While those dates suggest this specific listing reflects an earlier competition cycle, the program description still clearly communicates what NIH was seeking: innovative, targeted studies that explain why sleep deficiencies cluster in disparity-affected groups and how those sleep problems translate into unequal health outcomes. Applicants responding to a similar or reissued announcement would generally be expected to frame their proposed work around disparity-relevant populations and contexts, present a clear conceptual model linking determinants of sleep to sleep outcomes and then to health outcomes, and show that the project will produce actionable knowledge or a strong foundation for subsequent, larger NIH grant applications.Apply for PAR 17 235
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms and Consequences of Sleep Disparities in the U.S. (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273, 93.307, 93.393, 93.395, 93.399, 93.866.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-29.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-07-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding opportunity number for this NIH grant?
The opportunity is titled "Mechanisms and Consequences of Sleep Disparities in the U.S. (R21)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-17-235.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
This NIH opportunity supports exploratory, early-stage research that focuses on (1) why sleep deficiencies are more common or more severe in U.S. populations that experience health disparities, and (2) how those sleep problems may contribute to unequal health outcomes.
What does the R21 mechanism mean for the type of research NIH is looking for?
The R21 mechanism is designed for developmental, high-impact pilot work. It is meant to generate early evidence, test new ideas, develop measures, or establish proof-of-concept findings that can later grow into larger and more definitive studies.
What are the two central research goals emphasized in this program?
The program emphasizes two connected goals: (1) identifying mechanisms that drive sleep deficiencies in health disparity populations, and (2) clarifying how sleep deficiencies link to downstream health disparities in health outcomes.
What kinds of "mechanisms" are relevant to sleep disparities under this FOA?
Mechanisms can include biological pathways (such as stress physiology or cardiometabolic regulation), behavioral and psychosocial factors (such as chronic stress, discrimination, shift work, caregiving burden, or mental health comorbidity), and environmental or structural conditions (such as housing quality, neighborhood noise and light exposure, crowding, safety concerns, and work schedules).
What types of sleep problems or sleep-related outcomes are within scope?
The FOA highlights insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality, irregular sleep timing, sleep disorders, and circadian disruption as relevant sleep-related issues that may contribute to disparities.
Does a strong application need to connect sleep to health outcomes?
Yes. A strong application would typically connect sleep to measurable health outcomes and describe a plausible pathway for how sleep contributes to inequities, rather than treating sleep as an isolated behavior.
What does "downstream health disparities" mean in the context of this opportunity?
It refers to differences in health outcomes across populations (for example, disease rates, symptom burden, functional outcomes, or mortality) and how sleep deficiencies may help explain or contribute to those differences.
What is the maximum funding amount listed for an award?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000, reflecting the smaller and developmental nature of the R21 mechanism.
When was this FOA created and what is the listed closing date?
The FOA record indicates it was created on March 29, 2017, and the original closing date shown is July 11, 2019.
Do the dates mean the opportunity is from an earlier cycle?
Yes. The listed dates suggest this specific listing reflects an earlier competition cycle, even though the description clarifies the kinds of studies NIH was seeking.
What kinds of projects fit well within an R21 scope for this topic?
Examples mentioned include developing or validating sleep measures in underrepresented populations; identifying mediators or moderators of sleep-health relationships; testing small interventions or natural experiments; and using novel data sources (such as actigraphy, wearables, ecological momentary assessment, or neighborhood-level exposure data) to understand pathways that produce sleep disparities and related health inequities.
What are "focused aims" in the context of this R21?
Within the R21 framework, applicants are generally expected to propose focused aims that are achievable within an exploratory, pilot-scale project and are appropriate for the R21 scope and budget.
What kinds of data sources does the FOA suggest might be used?
The FOA notes novel sources such as actigraphy, wearable data, ecological momentary assessment, and neighborhood-level exposure data.
Is this opportunity limited to biomedical mechanisms only?
No. The FOA explicitly includes biological, behavioral, psychosocial, environmental, and structural mechanisms that may drive sleep deficiencies in health disparity populations.
Which types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible organizations include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); tribal organizations not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education under those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities.
Are organizations that serve health disparity communities specifically highlighted as eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights eligibility for institutions and organizations that often serve health disparity communities, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, TCCUs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISISs.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA notes that faith-based or community-based organizations may apply, as long as they fit within the eligible entity categories described.
Can federal government agencies apply?
Yes. The FOA notes that eligible agencies of the federal government may apply.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA indicates that U.S. territories or possessions may apply.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply directly?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply directly under this opportunity.
Can a U.S. organization include a foreign component in the project?
Yes, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant organization may include a foreign element if it is well-justified and adds unique expertise, resources, populations, or scientific value not readily available in the United States.
Are non-domestic components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
What does it mean that "foreign components are allowed"?
It means the application must be led by an eligible U.S.-based organization, but certain internationally based activities or collaborations may be permitted if they meet NIH requirements and are justified by unique value.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA numbers: 93.273, 93.307, 93.393, 93.395, 93.399, and 93.866.
Why does the FOA have multiple CFDA numbers?
The multiple CFDA numbers reflect that sleep intersects with several NIH institutes and mission areas.
What kinds of partnerships does this opportunity seem to support?
The description suggests that sleep disparities research can benefit from partnerships among academic researchers, healthcare systems, community organizations, housing authorities, employers, and local or tribal governments.
What framing elements are implied for applicants responding to a similar or reissued announcement?
The description indicates that applicants would generally be expected to frame the work around disparity-relevant populations and contexts, present a clear conceptual model linking determinants of sleep to sleep outcomes and then to health outcomes, and show that the project will produce actionable knowledge or a strong foundation for later, larger NIH grant applications.
Is this opportunity focused on U.S. populations?
Yes. The FOA is focused on sleep disparities in the United States and on U.S. populations that experience health disparities.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PAR 17 235) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Innovative Research in Cancer Nanotechnology (IRCN) (R01) Apply for PAR 17 240 Funding Number: PAR 17 240 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Mechanisms and Consequences of Sleep Disparities in the U.S. (R01) Apply for PAR 17 234 Funding Number: PAR 17 234 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Fostering Research Training and Education Programs for Native American Students at NCI-designated Cancer Centers (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 17 241 Funding Number: PA 17 241 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Avenir Award Program for Research on Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS (DP2) Apply for RFA DA 18 004 Funding Number: RFA DA 18 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate the Genetic Architecture of Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R21) Apply for PA 17 243 Funding Number: PA 17 243 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate the Genetic Architecture of Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R01) Apply for PA 17 239 Funding Number: PA 17 239 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Activities to Promote Research Collaborations on Immune-Related Adverse Events (APRC-irAEs) Associated with Cancer Immunotherapy (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 17 248 Funding Number: PA 17 248 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Collaborative Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (Collaborative R01) Apply for PAR 17 244 Funding Number: PAR 17 244 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Extracellular Vesicles and Substance Use Disorders (R21) Apply for PAR 17 242 Funding Number: PAR 17 242 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (R01) Apply for PAR 17 245 Funding Number: PAR 17 245 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Extracellular Vesicles and Substance Use Disorders (R01) Apply for PAR 17 250 Funding Number: PAR 17 250 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Expanding Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in the Context of the SAMHSA Opioid STR Grants (R21/R33) Apply for RFA DA 18 005 Funding Number: RFA DA 18 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Nasal Delivery of CNS Therapeutics (R43/R44) Apply for RFA DA 18 006 Funding Number: RFA DA 18 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Nasal Delivery of CNS Therapeutics (R41/R42) Apply for RFA DA 18 007 Funding Number: RFA DA 18 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Role of Myeloid Cells in Persistence and Eradication of HIV-1 Reservoirs from the Brain (R01) Apply for RFA MH 18 300 Funding Number: RFA MH 18 300 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Role of Myeloid Cells in Persistence and Eradication of HIV-1 Reservoirs from the Brain (R21) Apply for RFA MH 18 301 Funding Number: RFA MH 18 301 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Genomic Community Resources (U24) Apply for PAR 17 273 Funding Number: PAR 17 273 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| In Vitro and Animal Model Studies on HBV/HIV Co-Infection (R01) Apply for PA 17 280 Funding Number: PA 17 280 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| HIV and Hepatitis B Co-Infection: Advancing HBV Functional Cure through Clinical Research (R01) Apply for PA 17 279 Funding Number: PA 17 279 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Wearable to Track Recovery and Relapse Factors for People w/ Addiction(R43/R44) Apply for RFA DA 18 010 Funding Number: RFA DA 18 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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