Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 16 013
Apply for RFA AG 16 013
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of Measures of Fatigability in Older Adults (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.399 Cancer Control 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 14, 2015 and posted on May 14, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 1, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $720,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: County governments Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Independent school districts Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) 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 City or township governments State governments Special district governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Development of Measures of Fatigability in Older Adults (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AG-16-013) supported early-stage, exploratory research to create and test better ways to measure fatigability in older adults. The core idea behind the announcement is that traditional "fatigue" questionnaires and scales are already plentiful, but they often fail to capture a key scientific and clinical problem: people naturally self-pace. When someone slows down, takes breaks, or reduces effort to manage discomfort, many standard fatigue measures can become hard to interpret because the person may report less fatigue precisely because they avoided the level of activity that would reveal it. This FOA aimed to push the field beyond adding another fatigue survey and instead promote a more meaningful measurement concept that could improve disability research and assessment.
In this announcement, NIH emphasized "fatigability" as a distinct construct from general fatigue. Fatigability focuses on how fatigue relates to a defined activity demand, meaning the measurement is anchored to a specific task, intensity, or workload. By tying the assessment to a standardized activity (rather than asking only how tired someone feels in general), researchers can better compare individuals and detect early functional decline, because the level of exertion is known and the effect of self-pacing can be reduced or at least quantified. In practical terms, the FOA encouraged development and evaluation of measures that can more accurately capture fatigue responses under controlled or clearly specified conditions, with the ultimate goal of strengthening how disability is measured and understood in aging populations.
The mechanism was an R21 grant, which is typically used for exploratory or developmental projects where the goal is to establish feasibility, refine methods, produce preliminary evidence, or create proof-of-concept data that could later support larger-scale research. The estimated total funding listed for the opportunity was $720,000, with an award ceiling of $200,000 per award, and the announcement specified that cost sharing or matching was not required. The opportunity was posted on May 14, 2015, and the original and current closing date was October 1, 2015, with an archive date of November 1, 2015. The activity areas referenced include health and education, and it is associated with CFDA numbers 93.866 (Aging Research) and 93.399 (Cancer Control), reflecting NIH program alignment and the broader relevance of fatigue-related measurement to multiple health domains.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic organizations and governments, such as state, county, city or township, special district governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where applicable), for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), small businesses, independent school districts, public and Indian housing authorities, and a wide range of tribal entities. The FOA also explicitly included other eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signaled NIH interest in drawing on diverse settings, disciplines, and populations to improve measurement science in aging.
Overall, the grant opportunity was designed to accelerate a shift in how researchers measure fatigue-related limitations in older adults by promoting tools and approaches that better control for or account for self-pacing, are more tightly linked to functional tasks, and can meaningfully advance disability measurement rather than duplicating existing self-report fatigue instruments. The full announcement was hosted on the NIH grants site, and NIH provided contact points through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access and technical linking issues.
FAQs: Development of Measures of Fatigability in Older Adults (R21) - RFA-AG-16-013
What is the title of this NIH funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Development of Measures of Fatigability in Older Adults (R21)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-AG-16-013.
What was the main purpose of this FOA?
The FOA supported early-stage, exploratory research to create and test improved ways to measure fatigability in older adults, with an emphasis on approaches that strengthen disability research and assessment.
What problem with traditional fatigue questionnaires was NIH trying to address?
NIH highlighted that many traditional fatigue measures are hard to interpret because people naturally self-pace. When individuals slow down, take breaks, or reduce effort to manage discomfort, they may report less fatigue precisely because they avoided the level of activity that would reveal it. This can obscure meaningful differences in functional decline and disability risk.
How did this FOA distinguish "fatigability" from general "fatigue"?
The FOA emphasized fatigability as a distinct construct from general fatigue. Fatigability is anchored to a defined activity demand (a specific task, intensity, or workload), rather than only asking how tired someone feels in general.
Why is anchoring measurement to a defined activity important?
By tying assessment to a standardized or clearly specified activity, researchers can better compare individuals because the exertion level is known. This approach can reduce, control for, or at least quantify the effects of self-pacing and help detect early functional decline.
Was NIH looking for another fatigue survey or questionnaire?
No. NIH explicitly aimed to move the field beyond adding another general fatigue survey and instead encouraged a more meaningful measurement concept focused on fatigability under controlled or clearly specified activity conditions.
What type of grant mechanism supported this opportunity?
This opportunity used the NIH R21 mechanism.
What does the R21 mechanism imply about the kind of projects NIH wanted?
The R21 mechanism is typically used for exploratory or developmental projects, such as establishing feasibility, refining methods, producing preliminary evidence, or generating proof-of-concept data that could support later, larger-scale research.
How much total funding was estimated for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding listed for the opportunity was $720,000.
What was the maximum award amount per award?
The award ceiling was $200,000 per award.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement specified that cost sharing or matching was not required.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 14, 2015.
What was the closing date for applications?
The original and current closing date was October 1, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was November 1, 2015.
What activity areas were referenced for this opportunity?
The activity areas referenced include health and education.
Which CFDA numbers were associated with this FOA?
The FOA referenced CFDA 93.866 (Aging Research) and CFDA 93.399 (Cancer Control).
Why would a fatigability measurement FOA be associated with both aging research and cancer control CFDA numbers?
The CFDA alignment reflected NIH program relevance across multiple health domains, indicating that improved fatigability measurement has broader applicability beyond aging alone, including areas where fatigue and functional limitation are important.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic organizations and governments, including state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where applicable); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; independent school districts; public and Indian housing authorities; tribal entities; and additional categories explicitly listed in the FOA.
Were universities and colleges eligible?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education were included as eligible applicants.
Were nonprofits eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA included nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (with the noted caveat in the listing regarding higher education institutions where applicable).
Were for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses) were listed as eligible applicants, and small businesses were also included.
Were local and state government entities eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts.
Were tribal organizations and tribal educational institutions eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list included tribal entities and explicitly referenced tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs).
Did the FOA include specific categories of minority-serving institutions?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs).
Were faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included faith-based or community-based organizations among eligible applicants.
Were U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions were included in the eligibility listing.
Were regional organizations eligible?
Yes. Regional organizations were included in the eligibility list.
Could non-U.S. entities apply?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) as eligible applicants.
What kinds of measurement approaches did NIH encourage under this FOA?
Based on the description provided, NIH encouraged development and evaluation of measures that more accurately capture fatigue responses under controlled or clearly specified activity demands, in ways that account for or reduce the interpretability problems caused by self-pacing.
What was the longer-term goal of improving fatigability measurement?
The longer-term goal was to strengthen how disability is measured and understood in aging populations by providing more meaningful and comparable assessment tools linked to functional tasks and known exertion levels.
Where was the full announcement hosted?
The full announcement was hosted on the NIH grants site.
Who was listed as a contact for access or technical linking issues?
NIH provided contact points through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access and technical linking issues.
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