Behavioral and Social Research on Disasters and Health (R21) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the "Behavioral and Social Research on Disasters and Health (R21)" opportunity (PA-06-452)?

It is a discretionary NIH research grant funding opportunity designed to stimulate early-stage, exploratory behavioral and social science research on how disasters affect health. The intent is to build knowledge that can help prevent negative health outcomes or reduce their severity through better preparedness, response, recovery supports, and targeted interventions, especially for vulnerable populations.

What is the primary purpose of this funding opportunity?

The central purpose is to support research that goes beyond documenting harm after disasters and instead identifies actionable pathways to prevention or mitigation. This includes generating evidence that can inform preparedness, response, recovery, and interventions that protect health, particularly among groups that tend to be hit hardest.

Which populations are emphasized as priorities in this FOA?

The FOA highlights children, older adults, and other vulnerable groups as key priority populations, reflecting a focus on those who may face disproportionate exposure, higher risk, or greater barriers to recovery.

What types of disasters are within scope for proposed research?

The FOA welcomes studies tied to a wide range of disaster types, including natural disasters (such as severe weather and earthquakes) and human-caused or technologically driven events (such as large-scale attacks on civilian populations, technological catastrophes, including situations where the threat is perceived as catastrophic), as well as infectious disease emergencies like influenza pandemics.

Which NIH Institutes sponsor this announcement?

This announcement is sponsored by three NIH Institutes: the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).

What kinds of projects is the National Institute on Aging (NIA) especially interested in?

NIA is specifically interested in research on older adults during and after disasters, with special attention to frail elders living in the community and older adults in institutional settings (such as nursing homes or other residential facilities). Examples of relevant risk areas mentioned include evacuation challenges, continuity of care, medication access, and staffing disruptions.

What kinds of projects is NICHD especially interested in?

NICHD prioritizes research focused on children and other vulnerable populations, including issues such as family disruption, schooling interruptions, developmental impacts, pediatric health needs, and how reliance on caregivers shapes exposure and recovery.

What kinds of projects is NINR especially interested in?

NINR emphasizes work that develops and tests interventions to improve outcomes for people affected by both natural and man-made disasters, with an emphasis on practical, implementable approaches that can be used in real-world health and community settings.

What does the R21 mechanism mean for applicants and project scope?

Because it uses the R21 mechanism, the opportunity is oriented toward exploratory or developmental research rather than large, definitive trials. It is positioned to support innovative ideas, pilot studies, preliminary intervention development, proof-of-concept work, and the creation or refinement of measures and methods that could later be scaled up through larger awards.

What research domains or topics does this FOA suggest as a fit?

Projects typically fall within behavioral and social science domains related to disaster and health, such as risk communication, decision-making under stress, mental and behavioral health consequences, health service access and utilization, community resilience, social support systems, caregiving dynamics, institutional preparedness, and disparities in exposure and recovery.

Does this FOA support purely descriptive accounts of disaster events?

The common thread described is a focus on health-related consequences and actionable pathways to prevention or mitigation, rather than purely descriptive accounts of disaster events.

Who is eligible to apply for this grant opportunity?

Eligibility is broad and includes organizations across public, private, academic, and community sectors. Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, private and public institutions of higher education, public and state-controlled universities, local and state governments (including county, city, township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and federally recognized and other Native American tribal governments and organizations.

Are foreign institutions allowed to apply?

Yes. The FOA explicitly allows applications from foreign institutions.

Can federal agencies apply under this FOA?

Yes. The FOA explicitly allows applications from eligible federal agencies.

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly allows applications from faith-based or community-based organizations.

Can an applicant submit more than one application?

Yes. Applicants are allowed to submit more than one proposal as long as each application is scientifically distinct.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

When was this funding opportunity posted, and is it still active?

The opportunity was posted on June 9, 2006. The listed current closing date is September 7, 2009, with an archive date of October 7, 2009. Based on those dates, it is a historical (archived) FOA rather than an active one today.

Where can someone find the original full announcement for PA-06-452?

The original full announcement is available through the NIH Grants Guide at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-452.html

Who is the sponsoring agency for this FOA?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What contact is listed for access or technical issues related to the FOA page?

The contact point provided for access or technical issues is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at: FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV

Are there CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?

Yes. The FOA is associated with multiple CFDA numbers reflecting participating Institutes and program areas, including Aging Research (93.866), Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research (93.865), and Nursing Research (93.361), among those listed in the source data.

What is the overall theme of the projects NIH is trying to encourage with this FOA?

Overall, the FOA is positioned to build the evidence base around how disasters influence health through behavioral and social pathways, why impacts differ across populations, and what healthcare, public health, and community systems can do to protect those at highest risk, with particular emphasis on older adults, children, and intervention-focused nursing and health services research.