Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 11 006
Apply for RFA ES 11 006
- The National Institutes of Health in the education environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Deepwater Horizon Disaster Research Consortia Health Impacts and Community Resiliency (U19)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113 Environmental Health 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.307 Minority Health and Health Disparities Research 93.361 Nursing Research 93.389 National Center for Research Resources 93.399 Cancer Control 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research 93.846 Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 29, 2010 and posted on Oct 29, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 21, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments State governments Independent school districts Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses 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 Small businesses Private institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Deepwater Horizon Disaster Research Consortia: Health Impacts and Community Resiliency (U19) funding opportunity (RFA-ES-11-006) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to support the creation of one or more research consortia focused on the public health consequences of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf region. The core idea was to build structured, long-term university-community partnerships that could study and respond to health issues raised by Gulf State residents in the aftermath of the spill, while also strengthening local and regional capacity to handle future disasters. In practical terms, the program aimed to generate evidence on health impacts, improve community resilience, and translate findings into preparedness and prevention strategies that reduce or minimize adverse health outcomes tied to environmental disasters.
This opportunity used the U19 cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally signals that NIH expected substantial scientific and programmatic involvement during the project period rather than simply issuing a standard research grant. The intent was not only to fund research projects, but to create coordinated consortia where universities and community partners work together in a sustained way, with shared governance and an emphasis on real-world relevance. The topic scope, as reflected in the title and activity categories, centered on environment and health, with strong relevance to mental health, minority health and health disparities, nursing research, and disease areas that can be affected or complicated by disaster-related exposures and stressors. The emphasis on community resiliency suggests projects were expected to look beyond immediate toxicological or exposure questions and also consider longer-term social, behavioral, and systems-level factors that influence how communities recover and protect health.
The program was posted on October 29, 2010, with an original and final application deadline of January 21, 2011, and it was archived on February 21, 2011. NIH estimated total funding of about $5.3 million under this announcement, with an award ceiling of $1.2 million, indicating support for multiple awards and/or multi-component efforts under the consortium model. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which lowered barriers for applicants that might not have had access to non-federal matching funds, including community-based organizations and smaller entities partnering with academic institutions.
Eligibility was broad and intentionally inclusive to encourage strong regional participation and to make it easier to assemble partnerships that reflect Gulf communities. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments (including county and city/township governments), independent school districts, special district governments, and public housing authorities. Tribal governments and tribal organizations were eligible, including federally recognized tribal governments as well as other tribal entities. The FOA also allowed nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. Additional eligibility language explicitly called out institutions and organizations serving historically underrepresented groups and underserved communities, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, as well as eligible federal agencies. This wide net aligned with the disaster context and the need to involve the institutions and community groups most embedded in the affected regions.
The catalog of federal domestic assistance (CFDA) numbers listed for this FOA reflects its cross-cutting health focus and signals that NIH anticipated a range of research and intervention angles. These include Environmental Health (93.113), Mental Health Research Grants (93.242), Minority Health and Health Disparities Research (93.307), Nursing Research (93.361), National Center for Research Resources (93.389), Cancer Control (93.399), Cardiovascular Diseases Research (93.837), and Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research (93.846). While the FOA description is concise, the CFDA set suggests the consortia could examine both direct and indirect health outcomes potentially linked to disaster conditions, including stress-related mental health effects, exacerbation of chronic disease, and differential impacts on communities facing longstanding health disparities.
From an applicant standpoint, the key takeaway is that NIH was looking for integrated consortia rather than isolated projects: partnerships that could identify community-prioritized health concerns related to the DWH disaster, design and carry out research that addresses those concerns, and simultaneously build local capacity for preparedness and response. The resiliency component implies an expectation of actionable outputs, such as improved surveillance approaches, risk communication strategies, community engagement models, training and workforce development, or evidence-based recommendations that can be used by communities and public agencies in future emergencies.
Administrative details in the source information indicate that the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) provided support for technical access issues, with contact routed through the NIH OER Webmaster. The full announcement and requirements were hosted on the NIH grants guide site at the provided link (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-11-006.html).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the “Deepwater Horizon Disaster Research Consortia: Health Impacts and Community Resiliency (U19)” opportunity?
It was an NIH cooperative agreement funding opportunity (RFA-ES-11-006) created to support one or more research consortia focused on the public health consequences of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf region. The central goal was to build structured, long-term university-community partnerships that could study health issues raised by Gulf State residents after the spill and strengthen local and regional capacity to handle future disasters.
What were the main goals of the program?
The program aimed to (1) generate evidence on health impacts associated with the DWH disaster, (2) improve community resilience, and (3) translate findings into preparedness and prevention strategies intended to reduce or minimize adverse health outcomes linked to environmental disasters.
What does “consortia” mean in this context?
“Consortia” refers to coordinated, multi-partner efforts where universities and community partners work together in a sustained way. The description emphasizes shared governance, long-term engagement, and research designed around real-world community concerns rather than isolated or one-off projects.
What funding mechanism was used, and why does it matter?
The opportunity used the U19 cooperative agreement mechanism. This generally indicates NIH expected substantial scientific and programmatic involvement during the project period, rather than operating like a standard research grant with minimal ongoing agency involvement.
What types of topics and health areas were within scope?
The scope centered on environment and health and was strongly relevant to mental health, minority health and health disparities, nursing research, and disease areas that can be affected or complicated by disaster-related exposures and stressors. The emphasis on community resiliency suggests projects were expected to consider longer-term social, behavioral, and systems-level factors influencing how communities recover and protect health.
Was the program only about toxic exposures from the oil spill?
No. While environmental disaster exposures are part of the context, the resiliency focus indicates interest beyond immediate exposure questions, including longer-term consequences such as mental health impacts, stress-related outcomes, chronic disease complications, and community-level recovery and preparedness factors.
What kinds of outputs or practical results did NIH appear to expect?
Based on the resiliency and translation emphasis, the consortia were expected to produce actionable outputs such as improved preparedness and prevention strategies, potential enhancements to surveillance approaches, risk communication strategies, community engagement models, training and workforce development activities, and evidence-based recommendations usable by communities and public agencies in future emergencies.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education; state and local governments (including county and city/township governments); independent school districts; special district governments; public housing authorities; tribal governments and tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribes and other tribal entities); nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; U.S. territories or possessions; regional organizations; faith-based and community-based organizations; and eligible federal agencies.
Did the opportunity specifically encourage applications from organizations serving underserved or underrepresented communities?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly called out organizations serving historically underrepresented groups and underserved communities, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and various community-based, faith-based, regional, and territorial entities.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement listed, which lowered barriers for applicants without access to non-federal matching funds, including community-based organizations and smaller entities partnering with academic institutions.
How much funding was available under this announcement?
NIH estimated total funding of about $5.3 million under the announcement, with an award ceiling of $1.2 million. This structure suggested support for multiple awards and/or multi-component efforts consistent with a consortium model.
When was the opportunity posted, and what were the deadlines?
The program was posted on October 29, 2010. The original and final application deadline was January 21, 2011. The opportunity was archived on February 21, 2011.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. It was archived on February 21, 2011, indicating it is no longer accepting applications under that announcement.
Which federal assistance (CFDA) numbers were associated with this FOA, and what do they suggest?
The FOA listed multiple CFDA numbers spanning a cross-cutting health focus: Environmental Health (93.113), Mental Health Research Grants (93.242), Minority Health and Health Disparities Research (93.307), Nursing Research (93.361), National Center for Research Resources (93.389), Cancer Control (93.399), Cardiovascular Diseases Research (93.837), and Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research (93.846). This range suggests NIH anticipated varied research and intervention angles, including direct and indirect health outcomes linked to disaster conditions, stressors, chronic disease exacerbation, and differential impacts in communities facing health disparities.
What geographic or community context was emphasized?
The opportunity focused on the Gulf region impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and emphasized partnerships that reflect Gulf communities. The intent was to support collaborations embedded in affected areas and responsive to health concerns raised by Gulf State residents.
Where could applicants find the full announcement and requirements?
The full announcement was hosted on the NIH Grants Guide site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-11-006.html
Who was listed as a contact for technical access issues?
Administrative details indicated the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) provided support for technical access issues, with contact routed through the NIH OER Webmaster.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA ES 11 006) also looked into and applied for these:
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| Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Senior Fellows (Parent F33) Apply for PA 11 114 Funding Number: PA 11 114 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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