Diet and Physical Activity Assessment Methodology (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Diet and Physical Activity Assessment Methodology (R01) opportunity (PAR-15-170)?

PAR-15-170 was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant opportunity that used the R01 mechanism to support methodological research focused on improving how dietary intake and physical activity are measured. The goal was to produce more accurate, reliable, and useful assessment tools and analytic approaches so research in nutrition, obesity, chronic disease prevention, and related public health areas is based on higher-quality measurement.

Why did NIH focus on diet and physical activity measurement quality?

The announcement emphasized that poor measurement can distort study results. If diet or activity are assessed inaccurately, relationships can look weaker or stronger than they really are, findings can be misleading, and interventions can appear ineffective when the true problem is measurement error rather than the intervention itself.

What types of projects were encouraged under this FOA?

The FOA encouraged innovative R01 projects across complementary directions, including: developing novel assessment approaches; improving evaluation of existing instruments through better validation and calibration; leveraging technology to improve data capture and reduce burden; and advancing statistical and modeling methods to address known measurement weaknesses.

Did the FOA support creating entirely new assessment methods, or only improving existing tools?

Both. A major emphasis was on developing novel approaches that outperform traditional self-report in accuracy, feasibility, or detail. At the same time, the FOA strongly encouraged improving how existing tools are evaluated, including more rigorous validation and calibration and better designs for comparing instruments.

What does the FOA mean by validation and calibration improvements?

Based on the announcement description, the FOA sought more rigorous approaches to validation and calibration, better study designs for comparing tools, and clearer evidence about when a particular tool is appropriate for a specific population or research purpose.

Were culturally diverse populations and different age groups a priority?

Yes. The FOA highlighted the need for tools that work well in culturally diverse populations and across the lifespan. It explicitly called out the importance of methods tailored for or tested in children and older adults, given common challenges such as recall, literacy, cognition, eating patterns, and day-to-day variability.

What role did technology play in the projects NIH wanted to fund?

Technology development and the smart use of existing technology were key themes. The FOA encouraged proposals leveraging tools such as mobile applications, sensors, wearable devices, image-based food records, automated prompts, and other digital workflows to capture diet or activity more objectively or with less participant burden.

Was the FOA mainly about building new devices and apps?

No. The FOA emphasized that it was not just about building "gadgets." It encouraged research on how technology can be used thoughtfully to improve data quality, reduce missing data, and make measures more scalable for large studies and diverse communities.

What kinds of data quality issues did the FOA highlight for analytics and methods research?

The FOA explicitly encouraged statistical methods and modeling work to address common sources of distortion in diet and physical activity assessment, including measurement error, bias, within-person variability, underreporting or overreporting, reactivity (behavior changes because participants know they are being measured), device non-wear, and related issues.

Did NIH encourage looking beyond single nutrients or single activity metrics?

Yes. The FOA encouraged approaches that address the multidimensionality of diet and physical activity. Examples described in the announcement included studying dietary patterns (not only single nutrients or foods) and analyzing activity patterns across intensity, duration, timing, and context.

Could projects integrate diet and physical activity measurement together?

Yes. The FOA encouraged integrated approaches that consider diet and physical activity together, reflecting that these behaviors often interact and may be best understood with coordinated measurement and analysis strategies.

Did the FOA mention incorporating environmental context into measurement?

Yes. It encouraged adding environmental context to measurement because behaviors are influenced by surroundings such as home, school, workplace, neighborhood food access, and built environment features that can shape physical activity.

What funding mechanism was used for this opportunity?

This opportunity used the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism, which generally supports substantial, multi-year research projects.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The FOA stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

When was this funding opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on April 2, 2015. The original and final closing date was September 7, 2018.

Is PAR-15-170 still open for new applications?

No. The FOA was archived on October 8, 2018, meaning it is no longer open for new submissions under that specific announcement.

Which research areas and NIH domains were connected to this FOA?

The FOA spanned multiple NIH research domains, reflecting how diet and physical activity measurement affects many fields. The description referenced areas including cancer prevention and control, cardiovascular and lung research, diabetes and kidney disease research, child health and human development, nursing research, sleep disorders research, alcohol research, and dietary supplement research.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included many organization types, such as public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and for-profits other than small businesses); federal, state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized and other than federally recognized).

Did the FOA encourage applications from specific institution types or underserved communities?

Yes. The FOA explicitly noted additional eligible applicants including 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 and community-based organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Were foreign organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA indicated that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) were among the eligible applicants, reflecting an intent to support wide participation and methods relevant across populations and settings.

Where can applicants find the official FOA details?

NIH directed applicants to the official announcement page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-15-170.html.

Who should be contacted for access or linking problems related to the FOA page?

The FOA provided the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact for access or linking problems: FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.