Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 11 002
Apply for RFA ES 11 002
- The National Institutes of Health in the environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dietary Influence on the Human Health Effects of Environmental Exposures (R21)" 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 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 9, 2011 and posted on Jan 20, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 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 $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Special district governments City or township governments County governments State governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than 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) 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 Dietary Influence on the Human Health Effects of Environmental Exposures (R21) funding opportunity (RFA-ES-11-002) is a National Institutes of Health initiative led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) focused on early stage, exploratory research at the intersection of diet, environmental toxicants, and human disease. The core purpose is to support projects that develop and test plausible, well-justified hypotheses about how specific dietary factors or nutritional states can influence the development or progression of diseases triggered or worsened by exposure to environmental contaminants. In practical terms, the program is looking for studies that move beyond simply showing that a toxicant is harmful and instead dig into how diet might increase risk, reduce risk, change disease trajectory, or modify biological responses to those exposures in ways that matter for human health.
A central theme of the announcement is interaction: how environmental exposures and diet or nutrition work together, rather than acting independently. The intent is to generate new findings that clarify mechanisms and real-world implications of these interactions, ultimately laying the groundwork for prevention strategies. That includes both primary prevention (reducing the likelihood that exposure leads to disease in the first place) and intervention approaches (reducing severity or slowing progression once exposure has occurred or disease processes have started). The research supported under this call is meant to strengthen scientific understanding of environmentally induced diseases by identifying nutritional modifiers, dietary patterns, nutrients, bioactive food components, or metabolic states that shift vulnerability or resilience to toxicant-related harm.
This is an R21 mechanism, which typically aligns with exploratory or developmental research rather than large, definitive clinical trials. The emphasis is on innovative concepts and hypothesis testing that can open up new directions or provide enough preliminary evidence to justify a later, larger study. Projects might involve identifying biological pathways through which diet alters toxicant metabolism, absorption, distribution, or excretion; examining how nutritional status affects oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, immune responses, epigenetic regulation, or other processes that toxicants can influence; or exploring whether dietary interventions can buffer adverse outcomes associated with specific environmental exposures. The announcement frames this as a way to build evidence that can be translated into public health guidance or targeted interventions for exposed populations.
The opportunity falls under the NIH discretionary grant category and is associated with the environmental health and cancer cause and prevention research program areas (CFDA 93.113 and 93.393). The estimated total funding available is about $2,000,000, and the award ceiling is listed as $150,000. The announcement indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which means applicants generally are not expected to provide non-federal matching funds as a condition of receiving the award.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and other nonprofit types), for-profit organizations other than small businesses as well as small businesses, and a range of government entities such as city/township, county, state, special district governments, and certain housing authorities. It also explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations, tribally controlled colleges and universities, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities. In other words, the program is set up to encourage participation from a diverse set of research and community settings, including those positioned to study populations that may face disproportionate environmental exposure burdens.
The timeline information in the source reflects that this particular opportunity was posted on January 20, 2011, created on February 9, 2011, and had an original and final closing date of April 21, 2011, with an archive date of May 22, 2011. While those dates indicate the specific call is historical, the summary still captures the program’s scientific priorities and the types of projects NIEHS aimed to stimulate at the time.
For applicants who needed the full announcement or encountered access issues, the listing points to the NIH Grants Guide page for the FOA and provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact emails for technical problems accessing or linking to the announcement. The administering agency is NIH, with NIEHS as the issuing institute, reflecting the institute’s broader mission to understand how environmental factors contribute to disease and how modifiable factors like diet can be leveraged to reduce harm.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the focus of the "Dietary Influence on the Human Health Effects of Environmental Exposures (R21)" opportunity?
This funding opportunity supports early stage, exploratory research on how diet, specific dietary factors, nutritional states, or bioactive food components can influence the development or progression of diseases triggered or worsened by environmental contaminants. The emphasis is on studying interactions between diet/nutrition and environmental exposures in ways that are meaningful for human health.
Which NIH institute is leading this initiative?
The initiative is led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), under the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What type of NIH grant mechanism is this?
This is an R21 mechanism, which is generally intended for exploratory or developmental research. It is designed to support innovative concepts and hypothesis testing that can generate early evidence and open new research directions, rather than large, definitive clinical trials.
What is the core scientific theme of the announcement?
The central theme is interaction: how environmental exposures and diet or nutrition work together rather than acting independently. The program is looking for studies that go beyond showing a toxicant is harmful and instead examine how diet can increase or decrease risk, change disease trajectory, or modify biological responses to exposure.
What kinds of research questions are encouraged under this program?
Projects are expected to develop and test plausible, well-justified hypotheses about how dietary factors or nutritional states modify vulnerability or resilience to toxicant-related harm. Examples described in the announcement include studies that examine how diet affects toxicant metabolism, absorption, distribution, or excretion, and how nutritional status influences biological processes that toxicants can affect.
What biological processes or mechanisms are mentioned as relevant to study?
The opportunity highlights mechanisms such as oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, immune responses, epigenetic regulation, and other processes through which toxicants may contribute to disease, and where nutrition could plausibly alter outcomes.
Is the program interested in prevention, interventions, or both?
Both. The announcement describes generating knowledge that can support primary prevention (reducing the likelihood that exposure leads to disease) and intervention approaches (reducing severity or slowing progression once exposure has occurred or disease processes have started).
How is "translation" or public health relevance described in the opportunity?
The funded research is intended to build evidence that can eventually be translated into public health guidance or targeted interventions for exposed populations by clarifying mechanisms and real-world implications of diet-exposure interactions.
What is the estimated total funding available for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding available is about $2,000,000.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed as $150,000.
Does this opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The announcement indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants generally are not expected to provide non-federal matching funds as a condition of receiving the award.
What program areas and CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with environmental health and cancer cause and prevention research program areas and lists CFDA numbers 93.113 and 93.393.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and other nonprofit types), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other than small businesses), and a range of government entities.
Are state, local, and special district governments eligible?
Yes. The announcement explicitly includes city/township governments, county governments, state governments, and special district governments, as well as certain housing authorities.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes tribal governments, tribal organizations, and tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically included?
Yes. The announcement explicitly includes historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and other eligible organizations positioned to study populations facing disproportionate environmental exposure burdens.
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The listing explicitly includes faith-based and community-based organizations among eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes eligible federal agencies.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes non-U.S. (foreign) entities.
What is the opportunity identifier?
The funding opportunity is identified as RFA-ES-11-002 and is titled "The Dietary Influence on the Human Health Effects of Environmental Exposures (R21)."
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The listing reflects that it was posted on January 20, 2011, created on February 9, 2011, and had an original and final closing date of April 21, 2011. It shows an archive date of May 22, 2011.
Is this opportunity current or historical?
Based on the provided dates (including the 2011 closing and archive dates), this specific call is historical. The summary still captures the scientific priorities and the types of projects NIEHS aimed to stimulate at that time.
Where can applicants find the full funding opportunity announcement?
The listing points to the NIH Grants Guide page for the FOA (funding opportunity announcement).
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the announcement?
The listing provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact emails for technical problems accessing or linking to the announcement.
What is the administering agency for this opportunity?
The administering agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with NIEHS as the issuing institute.
What does the program mean by moving beyond simply showing a toxicant is harmful?
The program is seeking studies that explain how diet modifies the health effects of environmental contaminants, such as changing risk, buffering adverse outcomes, shifting disease progression, or altering biological responses, rather than only demonstrating that an exposure is associated with harm.
What kinds of dietary factors are within scope?
The announcement references dietary patterns, nutrients, bioactive food components, nutritional modifiers, and metabolic or nutritional states as examples of diet-related factors that might shift vulnerability or resilience to toxicant-related disease processes.
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