Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 12 247
Apply for PA 12 247
- The National Institutes of Health in the health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of Mathematical Cognition and Reasoning and the Prevention of Math Learning Disabilities (R03)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 25, 2012 and posted on Jul 25, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2015. (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 Special district governments Small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Independent school districts City or township governments.
- 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 Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity "Development of Mathematical Cognition and Reasoning and the Prevention of Math Learning Disabilities (R03)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA 12-247) was a discretionary grant program designed to spark early-stage, innovative research that cuts across disciplines to better explain how mathematical thinking develops, why it sometimes breaks down, and how those insights can be turned into practical strategies to prevent or reduce math learning disabilities (MLD). It specifically encouraged studies that connect cognitive science, neuroscience (including neuroplasticity), genetics, and environmental influences, with the goal of building a clearer, evidence-based understanding of mathematical cognition and its impairments. A central emphasis was on moving beyond narrow skill descriptions toward the underlying mechanisms that support math competence in real-world learning contexts.
At a scientific level, the FOA targeted research on the foundations of mathematical cognition, including how people perceive and reason about magnitude and number, and how they process related temporal and spatial relationships that often support math learning (for example, understanding order, quantity, distance, or time). The program also highlighted interest in the factors that shape the development and advancement of these abilities over time, as well as the factors that contribute to impairment. In practice, that means applicants could propose studies examining typical development, atypical development, and the transition points where learning trajectories begin to diverge, with attention to both individual-level biology and broader context like instruction, home environment, and other environmental exposures.
A major purpose of the announcement was to generate the kind of evidence that can inform intervention design, not just in idealized laboratory conditions but in settings that resemble how learning actually happens. The FOA framed this as building an evidence base that can support interventions that are effective and usable in real-world contexts, with potential applications to remediation (helping learners already experiencing difficulty) and prevention (reducing the likelihood or severity of MLD before it becomes entrenched). While the announcement was oriented toward foundational mechanisms, the explicit tie to intervention relevance meant proposals were expected to help bridge the gap between basic research findings and practical educational or clinical approaches.
Mechanistically, the FOA called out several broad categories of influences: cognitive factors (such as working memory, attention, reasoning processes, and numerical representations), neuroplasticity (how brain systems involved in math change with learning or experience), genetic contributions, and environmental factors (which can include schooling, instruction quality, socioeconomic context, language environment, and other experiential variables). The multidisciplinary framing signaled that NIH was looking for research that could integrate levels of analysis, for example linking behavioral learning patterns to neural changes, or examining how genetic predispositions might interact with instruction or intervention exposure.
From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, this was an NIH grant using the R03 mechanism, which is typically used for smaller, short-term projects intended to test novel ideas, pilot methods, or generate preliminary data. The listed award ceiling in the provided source data was $50,000. The program did not require cost sharing or matching. The funding activity category was Health, Income Security, and Social Services, and the CFDA number was 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research), aligning the opportunity with NIH efforts to support research relevant to child development and learning.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic U.S. organizations and governments, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with the noted exception structure in the listing), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), independent school districts, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district). It also explicitly included tribal entities (federally recognized and other tribal organizations), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and a range of mission-focused institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions. Importantly, foreign institutions were eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were eligible, and foreign components as defined by NIH policy were allowed, signaling openness to international collaboration and comparative work where appropriate.
Key dates in the source information show it was posted and created on July 25, 2012, with an original and current closing date of January 7, 2015, and an archive date of February 7, 2015, meaning it is no longer active as a current application opportunity in that original form. The administering agency was the National Institutes of Health. For the full archived announcement and official details, the listing pointed to the NIH guide page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-12-247.html and provided NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or linking issues (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV).
Overall, the FOA was aimed at strengthening the scientific foundation for understanding mathematical learning and MLD by supporting compact, innovative projects that could open up new lines of inquiry, validate emerging methods, or generate early evidence needed to design interventions that are both scientifically grounded and realistically deployable in educational and developmental settings.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding opportunity number of this NIH grant?
The opportunity is titled "Development of Mathematical Cognition and Reasoning and the Prevention of Math Learning Disabilities (R03)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PA 12-247.
Which agency administered this funding opportunity?
The administering agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What type of grant mechanism is this (R03), and what is it generally used for?
This used the NIH R03 mechanism, which is typically intended for smaller, short-term projects that test novel ideas, pilot methods, or generate preliminary data.
What was the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling in the provided source information was $50,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The program did not require cost sharing or matching.
What was the main purpose of the funding opportunity?
The FOA was designed to spark early-stage, innovative, cross-disciplinary research to better explain how mathematical thinking develops, why it sometimes breaks down, and how findings can inform practical strategies to prevent or reduce math learning disabilities (MLD).
What research areas or disciplines did the FOA encourage applicants to connect?
It specifically encouraged studies connecting cognitive science, neuroscience (including neuroplasticity), genetics, and environmental influences, with an emphasis on integrating levels of analysis rather than focusing only on narrow skill descriptions.
What kinds of scientific questions about math development were of interest?
The FOA targeted research on foundations of mathematical cognition, including how people perceive and reason about magnitude and number, and how they process temporal and spatial relationships that support math learning (such as order, quantity, distance, or time).
Did the FOA focus only on typical development, or also on difficulties and impairments?
It supported work on typical development, atypical development, and the points where learning trajectories begin to diverge, including factors that contribute to impairment and math learning disabilities.
How did the FOA define the practical relevance of basic research?
Although oriented toward foundational mechanisms, the FOA emphasized building evidence that can inform intervention design, bridging basic research findings to practical educational or clinical approaches in real-world learning contexts.
Was the opportunity more about remediation, prevention, or both?
Both. The FOA highlighted potential applications to remediation (helping learners already experiencing difficulty) and prevention (reducing the likelihood or severity of MLD before it becomes entrenched).
What types of influences on mathematical cognition and MLD did the FOA highlight?
The FOA called out cognitive factors (working memory, attention, reasoning processes, numerical representations), neuroplasticity, genetic contributions, and environmental factors (such as schooling, instruction quality, socioeconomic context, language environment, and other experiential variables).
Did the FOA encourage studies that combine multiple levels of analysis?
Yes. The multidisciplinary framing signaled interest in research that integrates levels of analysis, such as linking behavioral learning patterns to neural changes, or examining gene-by-environment interactions (for example, how genetic predispositions might interact with instruction or intervention exposure).
What was the funding activity category and CFDA number listed?
The funding activity category was Health, Income Security, and Social Services, and the CFDA number listed was 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research).
What organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included domestic U.S. public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with the noted exception structure in the listing), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), independent school districts, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district).
Were tribal entities eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly included tribal entities (federally recognized and other tribal organizations), as well as public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Were specific mission-focused institution types included in eligibility?
Yes. The listing explicitly included HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.
Were foreign institutions or international components allowed?
Yes. Foreign institutions were eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed.
When was this opportunity posted, and what were the key closing and archive dates?
The source information shows it was posted/created on July 25, 2012. The original and current closing date listed was January 7, 2015, and the archive date was February 7, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. Based on the closing date (January 7, 2015) and the archive date (February 7, 2015), it is no longer active in its original form.
Where can someone find the official archived announcement?
The listing pointed to the NIH Guide page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-12-247.html for the full archived announcement and official details.
Who was listed as a contact for access or linking issues related to the announcement?
The information provided included the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact: FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What was the overall goal of NIH in offering this R03 opportunity?
The overall goal was to strengthen the scientific foundation for understanding mathematical learning and MLD by supporting compact, innovative projects that could open new lines of inquiry, validate emerging methods, or generate early evidence needed to design interventions that are scientifically grounded and realistically deployable in educational and developmental settings.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health Income Security and Social Services
Next opportunity: Development of Mathematical Cognition and Reasoning and the Prevention of Math Learning Disabilities (R01)
Previous opportunity: Development of Mathematical Cognition and Reasoning and the Prevention of Math Learning Disabilities (R21)
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for PA 12 247
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PA 12 247) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Development of Mathematical Cognition and Reasoning and the Prevention of Math Learning Disabilities (R01) Apply for PA 12 248 Funding Number: PA 12 248 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers (U54) Apply for RFA AR 13 012 Funding Number: RFA AR 13 012 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cooperative Multicenter Reproductive Medicine Network (U10) Apply for RFA HD 13 016 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 016 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Global Partnerships for Social Science AIDS Research (R24) Apply for RFA HD 13 012 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 012 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research Infrastructure for Demographic and Behavioral Population Science (R24) Apply for RFA HD 13 007 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Genomic Sequencing and Newborn Screening Disorders (U19) Apply for RFA HD 13 010 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $1,250,000 |
| Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Collaborative Centers (U54) Apply for RFA RM 12 006 Funding Number: RFA RM 12 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Prevention of HIV Transmission/Acquisition through a better understanding of Reproductive Health (R01) Apply for RFA HD 13 008 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 008 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Prevention of HIV Transmission/Acquisition through a better understanding of Reproductive Health (R03) Apply for RFA HD 13 009 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Centers for Collaborative Research in Fragile X (U01) Apply for RFA HD 13 004 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Predoctoral Training Program in Systems Developmental Biology (T32) Apply for PAR 13 019 Funding Number: PAR 13 019 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Data Coordinating Center for the NICHD Cooperative Multicenter Reproductive Medicine Network (U10) Apply for RFA HD 14 018 Funding Number: RFA HD 14 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers 2013 (U54) Apply for RFA HD 13 002 Funding Number: RFA HD 13 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Safe and Effective Instruments and Devices for Use in Neonatal and Pediatric Care Settings (R43/R44) Apply for PAR 13 090 Funding Number: PAR 13 090 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Safe and Effective Instruments and Devices for Use in Neonatal and Pediatric Care Settings (R41/R42) Apply for PAR 13 091 Funding Number: PAR 13 091 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Differentiation and Integration of Stem Cells (Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent) Into Developing or Damaged Tissues (R21) Apply for PAR 13 095 Funding Number: PAR 13 095 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Differentiation and Integration of Stem Cells (Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent) Into Developing or Damaged Tissues (R01) Apply for PAR 13 094 Funding Number: PAR 13 094 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Evaluation of the Latent Reservoir in HIV Infected Infants and Children with Early Antiretroviral Treatment and Virologic Control (R01) Apply for RFA HD 14 026 Funding Number: RFA HD 14 026 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Team Based Design in Biomedical Engineering Education (R25) Apply for PAR 13 111 Funding Number: PAR 13 111 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Postdoctoral Training Program in Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacoepidemiology (T32) Apply for PAR 13 112 Funding Number: PAR 13 112 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "PA 12 247", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.