Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 15 015
Apply for RFA AG 15 015
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Cross National Research within the Health and Retirement Study Family of Studies (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 30, 2014 and posted on Jul 30, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 7, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Special district governments City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Independent school districts Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- 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 Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity RFA-AG-15-015, titled "Enhancing Cross National Research within the Health and Retirement Study Family of Studies (R01)," is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant announcement led by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Its central aim is to make key measurements more comparable across the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the broader international "family" of parallel longitudinal aging studies. These studies track aging-related changes over time in different countries, and the main problem this announcement is trying to solve is that even when studies are designed to be similar, differences in questions, instruments, scoring, translations, cultural context, or administration methods can limit the ability to do clean, defensible cross-national comparisons. By improving comparability, the program is meant to strengthen international behavioral and social research on aging, particularly in areas prioritized by NIA's Division of Behavioral and Social Research.
This announcement focuses on a defined set of measurement domains rather than aging research broadly. The targeted domains are: cognition and dementia assessment; personality and non-cognitive character skills; social isolation and loneliness; physical activity; and life histories. In practical terms, the opportunity is about aligning how these constructs are measured so that researchers can more confidently compare outcomes and trends between countries, pool data, or test whether relationships between variables hold across different populations and policy environments. For example, two countries might both measure cognitive function, but if one uses a different word list, timing, scoring rule, or mode of administration, apparent "differences" could be artifacts of measurement rather than true population differences. The same logic applies to concepts like loneliness or physical activity, where cultural norms and survey wording can shift how people respond.
Applicants are expected to propose concrete, methodologically grounded activities that increase comparability at the level of items, measures, or underlying constructs. The announcement explicitly points to approaches such as pilot studies (to test candidate items or modules in realistic field conditions), calibration efforts (including linking study measures to a gold standard instrument or benchmark), and other harmonization or bridging methods that improve cross-study equivalence. While the announcement summary does not list every allowable design, the intent is clear: projects should do the work needed to ensure that measures used across the HRS family function similarly enough that cross-national analyses are scientifically credible. This could include evaluating measurement invariance, refining translations and cultural adaptations, creating crosswalks between older and newer instruments, or developing standardized protocols that participating studies can adopt.
The mechanism is an R01 research project grant, which typically supports investigator-initiated research with a defined set of aims and a multi-year scope. The program is categorized as discretionary funding, with the activity category listed as health, and it falls under CFDA 93.866 (Aging Research). The total estimated funding for the initiative is $2,500,000, and there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants are not required to provide non-federal matching funds as a condition of award.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations, spanning public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district), as well as public housing authorities and independent school districts. The eligibility language also highlights a range of mission-based and minority-serving institutions and organizations that may apply, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. Faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies are also included among potential applicants. At the same time, the announcement places firm restrictions on foreign involvement as applicants: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed. In other words, while the research problem is explicitly international and cross-national, the applicant organization must be eligible under NIH rules and cannot include prohibited foreign components.
Key administrative details in the source data show the opportunity was posted and created on July 30, 2014, with an original and current closing date of November 7, 2014, and an archive date of December 8, 2014. The listed agency is NIH, and the public-facing announcement link is provided through the NIH Grants Guide. Contact information in the summary emphasizes technical support routes for accessing or linking to the funding announcement via the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.
Overall, this R01 opportunity is best understood as a targeted methodological and measurement-harmonization initiative designed to improve cross-national research leverage from the HRS and its international counterparts. Rather than funding general aging outcomes research, it supports the behind-the-scenes measurement work, such as piloting, calibration, and harmonization, that makes cross-country comparisons of cognition, personality and non-cognitive skills, social connection, physical activity, and life histories more accurate, interpretable, and useful for behavioral and social science questions in aging.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity RFA-AG-15-015?
RFA-AG-15-015 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Cross National Research within the Health and Retirement Study Family of Studies (R01)." It is led by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and uses the R01 research project grant mechanism.
Which NIH institute is leading this announcement?
The opportunity is led by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), within NIH.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The central goal is to make key measurements more comparable across the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the international family of parallel longitudinal aging studies. The work is intended to strengthen scientifically credible cross-national comparisons by reducing measurement differences that can arise from question wording, instruments, scoring, translation, cultural context, or administration methods.
Is this opportunity intended to fund general aging research?
No. The announcement is focused on a defined set of measurement domains and on methodological work (such as harmonization, calibration, and piloting) that improves cross-national comparability, rather than funding aging outcomes research broadly.
What is meant by the "HRS family of studies"?
It refers to the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and a broader international set of parallel longitudinal aging studies designed to track aging-related changes over time in different countries.
Why is improving cross-national measurement comparability important?
Even when studies are designed to be similar, differences in instruments, item wording, scoring, translations, and data-collection modes can create apparent differences between countries that are actually measurement artifacts. Improving comparability helps ensure cross-national findings are interpretable and defensible.
Which measurement domains are specifically targeted by this opportunity?
The announcement targets these domains: cognition and dementia assessment; personality and non-cognitive character skills; social isolation and loneliness; physical activity; and life histories.
What types of activities or approaches are encouraged to improve comparability?
The summary explicitly points to methodologically grounded work such as pilot studies to test candidate items or modules under realistic field conditions, calibration efforts (including linking measures to a gold standard instrument or benchmark), and other harmonization or bridging methods designed to improve cross-study equivalence.
Does the announcement mention specific methodological examples of harmonization work?
Yes. Examples described in the summary include evaluating measurement invariance, refining translations and cultural adaptations, creating crosswalks between older and newer instruments, and developing standardized protocols that participating studies can adopt.
What kinds of measurement differences is this program trying to address?
Differences can include the questions asked, the instruments used, scoring rules, translations, cultural context, and administration methods (such as mode of administration or timing). Any of these differences can distort cross-national comparisons if not addressed.
How does this opportunity relate to NIA priorities?
The program is intended to strengthen international behavioral and social research on aging, particularly in areas prioritized by NIA's Division of Behavioral and Social Research, by improving the comparability of core measurements across countries.
What grant mechanism is used for this funding opportunity?
The mechanism is an R01 research project grant.
What is the activity category and CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The activity category is listed as health, and it falls under CFDA 93.866 (Aging Research).
How much total funding is estimated for this initiative?
The total estimated funding amount listed for the initiative is $2,500,000.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The summary states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning non-federal matching funds are not required as a condition of award.
What types of U.S. organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes U.S.-based public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and various government entities (state, county, city/township, special district), as well as public housing authorities and independent school districts. Faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies are also included.
Are minority-serving institutions explicitly included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The eligibility language highlights multiple types of minority-serving and mission-based institutions and organizations, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
No. The summary states that foreign organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization apply if it has non-U.S. components?
No. The summary indicates non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are foreign components allowed under NIH policy for this opportunity?
No. The summary states that foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.
How can the research be cross-national if foreign components are not allowed?
The announcement is explicitly focused on cross-national comparability across the HRS family of studies, but it places firm restrictions on who can apply and what types of foreign involvement are permitted. The applicant organization must be eligible under NIH rules and cannot include prohibited foreign components.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted and created on July 30, 2014. The original and current closing date listed is November 7, 2014.
When was this opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is December 8, 2014.
Where is the official public announcement hosted?
The public-facing announcement link is provided through the NIH Grants Guide.
Who is the agency listed for this opportunity?
The agency listed is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What contact route is mentioned for technical help related to the announcement link?
The summary emphasizes technical support routes for accessing or linking to the funding announcement via the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.
What is an example of a comparability problem this grant is meant to reduce?
The summary notes that two countries might both measure cognitive function, but if they use different word lists, timing, scoring rules, or modes of administration, apparent differences could be driven by measurement differences rather than true population differences. Similar issues can occur for loneliness, social isolation, or physical activity due to cultural norms and survey wording.
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: National Institutes of Health
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Fellows (K22)
Previous opportunity: Fish Blockage removal and stream Restoration
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 RFA AG 15 015
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA AG 15 015) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Fellows (K22) Apply for PAR 14 302 Funding Number: PAR 14 302 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $249,000 |
| The NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository (U42) Apply for RFA GM 15 005 Funding Number: RFA GM 15 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $2,800,000 |
| Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program Infrastructure for Clinical and Translational Research (IDeA CTR)(U54) Apply for PAR 14 303 Funding Number: PAR 14 303 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| USAID/Uganda Karamoja Health Apply for RFA 617 14 000010 Funding Number: RFA 617 14 000010 Agency: Uganda USAID Kampala Category: Health Funding Amount: $20,000,000 |
| Immune and Inflammatory Mechanisms in Alzheimers Disease (R01) Apply for RFA AG 15 018 Funding Number: RFA AG 15 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| USAID/Uganda Social Marketing Activity Apply for RFA 617 14 000011 Funding Number: RFA 617 14 000011 Agency: Uganda USAID Kampala Category: Health Funding Amount: $24,000,000 |
| NIMH Mentoring Networks for Mental Health Research Education (R25) Apply for PAR 14 304 Funding Number: PAR 14 304 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| NIMH Short Courses for Mental Health Related Research Education (R25) Apply for PAR 14 305 Funding Number: PAR 14 305 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| NIMH Research Education Programs for Psychiatry Residents (R25) Apply for PAR 14 306 Funding Number: PAR 14 306 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Platform Delivery Technologies for Nucleic Acid Therapeutics (R43/R44) Apply for PA 14 307 Funding Number: PA 14 307 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Platform Delivery Technologies for Nucleic Acid Therapeutics (R41/R42) Apply for PA 14 308 Funding Number: PA 14 308 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Molecular and Cellular Substrates of Complex Brain Disorders (R01) Apply for PAR 14 309 Funding Number: PAR 14 309 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Molecular and Cellular Substrates of Complex Brain Disorders (R21) Apply for PAR 14 310 Funding Number: PAR 14 310 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| ACVVR FY 14 Apply for EP IDS 14 016 Funding Number: EP IDS 14 016 Agency: Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Category: Health Funding Amount: $700,000 |
| Childrens Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program Apply for HRSA 15 018 Funding Number: HRSA 15 018 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Enhancing Public Health Surveillance of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities through the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network Apply for CDC RFA DD15 1501 Funding Number: CDC RFA DD15 1501 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $475,000 |
| National Indian Health Outreach and Education II Apply for HHS 2014 IHS NIHOE 0002 Funding Number: HHS 2014 IHS NIHOE 0002 Agency: Indian Health Service Category: Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Collaborative Partnership on Alcohol and Health Disparity Research Center (ADHRC) (U54) Apply for RFA AA 15 003 Funding Number: RFA AA 15 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| USAID/Ghana Communicate for Health Apply for RFA 641 14 000001 Funding Number: RFA 641 14 000001 Agency: Ghana USAID Accra Category: Health Funding Amount: $18,000,000 |
| Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in Basic Biology of Aging (P30) Apply for RFA AG 15 005 Funding Number: RFA AG 15 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
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 "RFA AG 15 015", 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.