Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 17 014
Apply for RFA HD 17 014
- The HHS-NIH11 in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Animal-Assisted Interventions for Special Populations (R03)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865,.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 08, 2016 and posted on Apr 08, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 2016. (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 $50,000.00 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
Animal-Assisted Interventions for Special Populations (R03) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that supports small, focused research projects examining how animals can be incorporated into therapy, rehabilitation, and related supportive programs for people with specialized needs. The central purpose of the announcement is to encourage rigorous research on both safety and effectiveness when animals are included as part of interventions aimed at improving health and functional outcomes. The target groups include children and individuals with disabilities, neurological conditions, and behavioral, emotional, or mental health challenges, as well as other special-needs and at-risk populations. The FOA also emphasizes outcomes beyond symptom reduction, such as encouraging healthy behaviors and improving learning-related outcomes where animal-assisted approaches may be used to increase engagement, participation, or motivation.
The opportunity uses the NIH R03 mechanism, which is designed for pilot or feasibility studies, early-stage or exploratory work, secondary analyses, or other small projects that can produce preliminary data and help establish whether a larger study is justified. In practice, this mechanism typically fits projects that are tightly scoped and methodologically clear, such as testing an animal-assisted therapy protocol in a small cohort, evaluating the feasibility of recruitment and retention in special populations, developing and standardizing intervention procedures, or collecting initial safety data and outcome signals that can later support a larger clinical or community-based trial.
Key research themes encouraged by the FOA include evaluating whether animal-assisted components add measurable benefit to therapy or rehabilitation, identifying which populations or settings benefit most, and clarifying the mechanisms by which animals might influence outcomes (for example, stress reduction, social facilitation, increased adherence to therapy exercises, or improved attention and motivation). The announcement is also explicitly concerned with safety, which can include physical safety (bites, scratches, falls), infection control and allergies, animal welfare considerations, and program implementation factors such as handler training, screening and certification of animals, and risk management protocols in clinical, school, or community environments.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic applicants: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The listing notes that additional eligibility details may be provided in the full FOA text, which is common for NIH announcements when clarifying applicant types, partnership expectations, or administrative requirements.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant in the Health, Income Security and Social Services activity area, associated with CFDA numbers 93.865. The FOA was posted on April 8, 2016, with a closing date of July 29, 2016. The award ceiling is listed as $50,000, reflecting the small-grant nature of the R03 mechanism and reinforcing that the intended projects are limited in scope but expected to be well-designed and informative. The agency is identified as HHS-NIH11, indicating NIH as the awarding component.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH support for carefully designed, small-scale studies that can strengthen the evidence base for animal-assisted interventions in special and at-risk populations. It prioritizes demonstrating whether these approaches are safe and effective, clarifying what outcomes they influence (health, behavior, emotional well-being, rehabilitation progress, learning and engagement), and establishing practical and ethical implementation standards that can be scaled or tested in larger follow-on research.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Animal-Assisted Interventions for Special Populations (R03) opportunity?
Animal-Assisted Interventions for Special Populations (R03) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It supports small, focused research projects that study how animals can be incorporated into therapy, rehabilitation, and related supportive programs for people with specialized needs.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central purpose is to encourage rigorous research on both safety and effectiveness when animals are included as part of interventions intended to improve health and functional outcomes. The announcement also encourages studies that look beyond symptom reduction to outcomes like healthy behaviors and learning-related results.
What kinds of interventions are covered under this announcement?
The opportunity covers animal-assisted approaches used within therapy, rehabilitation, and supportive programs. It is focused on research that evaluates animal-assisted components as part of an intervention, including how they affect outcomes and how programs can be implemented safely and responsibly.
Who are the target populations for the research supported by this FOA?
The target groups include children and individuals with disabilities, neurological conditions, and behavioral, emotional, or mental health challenges, as well as other special-needs and at-risk populations.
Does the FOA focus only on symptom reduction outcomes?
No. In addition to symptom reduction, the FOA emphasizes outcomes such as encouraging healthy behaviors and improving learning-related outcomes, particularly where animal-assisted approaches may increase engagement, participation, or motivation.
What is the NIH R03 mechanism and why does it matter for project scope?
This opportunity uses the NIH R03 mechanism, which is designed for small research projects such as pilot or feasibility studies, exploratory or early-stage work, secondary analyses, or other tightly scoped studies. The R03 structure generally fits projects that are limited in size but methodologically clear and capable of producing useful preliminary data.
What types of projects are a good fit for an R03 under this FOA?
Examples described in the opportunity include testing an animal-assisted therapy protocol in a small cohort, assessing feasibility of recruitment and retention in special populations, developing and standardizing intervention procedures, and collecting initial safety data and early outcome signals to support later, larger studies.
What research questions or themes does the FOA encourage?
Key themes include evaluating whether animal-assisted components add measurable benefit to therapy or rehabilitation, identifying which populations or settings benefit most, and clarifying mechanisms by which animals may influence outcomes (such as stress reduction, social facilitation, improved adherence to therapy exercises, or improved attention and motivation).
How does the FOA address safety in animal-assisted interventions?
The FOA is explicitly concerned with safety. Safety topics may include physical safety risks (bites, scratches, falls), infection control and allergies, animal welfare considerations, and implementation factors such as handler training, screening and certification of animals, and risk management protocols in clinical, school, or community settings.
Are animal welfare and ethical implementation considered in this opportunity?
Yes. The FOA notes animal welfare considerations as part of its safety emphasis and also highlights practical program factors like animal screening and certification, handler training, and risk management protocols.
What settings are mentioned for implementing animal-assisted interventions?
The opportunity references implementation in clinical, school, or community environments, particularly in the context of safety planning, training, screening/certification, and risk management.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic applicants: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
Can small businesses apply?
Yes. Small businesses are included among the eligible applicant types listed for this opportunity.
Can for-profit organizations apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and it also separately includes small businesses.
Can nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status, with the note that these categories are not institutions of higher education.
Are tribal governments or tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
Are there additional eligibility rules beyond what is listed?
The listing notes that additional eligibility details may be provided in the full FOA text, which is common for NIH announcements when clarifying applicant types, partnership expectations, or administrative requirements.
What agency is offering this funding?
The awarding agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The agency component is identified as HHS-NIH11.
What is the activity area for this discretionary grant?
This is a discretionary grant in the Health, Income Security and Social Services activity area.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 93.865.
When was the FOA posted and what was the closing date?
The FOA was posted on April 8, 2016, and the closing date listed is July 29, 2016.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed as $50,000, consistent with the small-grant nature of the NIH R03 mechanism and the expectation that projects will be limited in scope.
What is the overall goal of NIH support under this opportunity?
Overall, the opportunity is intended to support carefully designed small-scale studies that strengthen the evidence base for animal-assisted interventions in special and at-risk populations, including demonstrating safety and effectiveness, clarifying which outcomes are influenced (health, behavior, emotional well-being, rehabilitation progress, learning and engagement), and establishing practical and ethical implementation standards that can be scaled or tested in larger follow-on research.
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Previous opportunity: Animal-Assisted Interventions for Special Populations (R21)
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