Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 14 144
Apply for PAR 14 144
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Establishing Behavioral and Social Measures for Causal Pathway Research in Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Health (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121 Oral Diseases and Disorders Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 16, 2014 and posted on Mar 5, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2017. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments Small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education Special district governments 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 Independent school districts.
- 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 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity PAR-14-144, titled "Establishing Behavioral and Social Measures for Causal Pathway Research in Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Health (R21)," supports early-stage, exploratory projects focused on building better measurement tools for oral health research. The central aim is not to test an intervention itself, but to create, refine, or adapt measures that capture specific behavioral and social factors believed to contribute to dental, oral, and craniofacial diseases. The emphasis is on measures that can be used in causal pathway research, meaning tools that help researchers rigorously test hypotheses about how and why behavioral and social conditions influence oral health outcomes.
This announcement encourages work in two main measurement categories. First are measures of the behaviors and social or environmental targets that interventions typically try to change in order to improve oral health. Examples include measures of health behaviors (such as oral hygiene practices, dietary behaviors related to sugar consumption, dental care seeking, adherence to preventive recommendations), social interactions (such as family dynamics around child toothbrushing, peer norms, social support, caregiver-child routines), and contextual factors like community characteristics and built environments (for instance, neighborhood access to fluoridated water, availability of healthy foods versus sugary snacks, proximity and accessibility of dental clinics, transportation barriers, or features of schools and workplaces that shape daily health routines). The goal here is to ensure that when a behavioral or social intervention is studied later, researchers have strong, well-tested instruments to accurately detect whether those targeted behaviors or conditions actually changed.
Second are measures of hypothesized mediators and moderators of an intervention's effects. Mediators are factors that help explain the mechanism through which an intervention works (for example, changes in self-efficacy, knowledge, perceived norms, stress levels, or caregiving routines that then lead to better oral hygiene and fewer cavities). Moderators are factors that influence for whom or under what circumstances an intervention is effective (for example, baseline stress, socioeconomic strain, literacy, cultural beliefs, neighborhood deprivation, language barriers, experiences of discrimination, or differing access to dental services). By improving measurement of mediators and moderators, the program is trying to strengthen the science behind causal explanations, helping the field move beyond simply observing that an intervention "worked" to understanding the pathways and conditions that produced the outcome.
Regardless of which type of measure is proposed, applications are expected to demonstrate solid psychometric development and testing. That includes establishing reliability (showing the measure produces stable and consistent results, such as internal consistency or test-retest reliability where relevant) and validity (showing the measure actually captures what it claims to measure, which might involve content validity, construct validity, criterion validity, or other accepted validation approaches). In addition, applicants must show acceptability in the intended population, meaning the measure is feasible and appropriate to use in real-world settings with the people it is meant to assess. Acceptability often includes considerations like respondent burden, clarity of items, cultural and linguistic appropriateness, willingness to answer sensitive questions, and practicality of administration in clinics, schools, community settings, or research studies.
A key boundary of this opportunity is that it does not support conducting clinical trials. The announcement explicitly aligns with NIDCR policy on clinical trials (referencing NOT-DE-11-002), so the funded work should stay focused on measurement development, adaptation, and testing rather than evaluating clinical or behavioral interventions as trials. In practice, that means a project might recruit participants to evaluate the measure's performance, compare the new tool to existing benchmarks, test usability in a target community, or validate the instrument against relevant outcomes, but it should not be structured as a clinical trial designed to test intervention efficacy.
Administratively, this is a discretionary NIH grant using the R21 activity code, which is commonly used for exploratory or developmental research where the goal is to generate foundational tools, methods, or preliminary data that can support later, larger projects. The award ceiling listed is $200,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity falls under the Health activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.121 (Oral Diseases and Disorders Research). The program was posted March 5, 2014, with an original closing date of September 16, 2017, a listed current closing date of May 7, 2017, and an archive date of June 7, 2017, indicating it is no longer active but remains important as a reference point for the type of research NIDCR has sought to encourage in this area.
Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic and non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants span state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; small businesses and other for-profit organizations (with certain distinctions noted); and tribal governments and tribal organizations. The eligibility list also specifically calls out a wide range of institution types and community-based entities, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, AANAPISIS institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and federal government agencies. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions are eligible to apply, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed under NIH policy.
In practical terms, this funding opportunity is aimed at strengthening the basic measurement infrastructure needed for high-quality behavioral and social research in oral health. By supporting the creation and validation of measures tied to interventions and their causal pathways, it helps researchers produce more interpretable findings, compare results across studies, and design interventions that can be refined based on clear evidence about what changed, why it changed, and for whom those changes matter most.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is NIH PAR-14-144?
PAR-14-144 is an NIH funding opportunity titled "Establishing Behavioral and Social Measures for Causal Pathway Research in Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Health (R21)." It supports early-stage, exploratory projects focused on developing, refining, or adapting measurement tools used in behavioral and social research related to oral health.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central purpose is to strengthen measurement tools that capture behavioral and social factors believed to contribute to dental, oral, and craniofacial diseases. The focus is on measures that can be used in causal pathway research, meaning instruments that help researchers test hypotheses about how and why behavioral and social conditions influence oral health outcomes.
Is this opportunity meant to fund intervention testing?
No. The emphasis is not on testing an intervention itself. Instead, the goal is to create, refine, or adapt measures that can later be used to evaluate whether an intervention changed targeted behaviors or social conditions and to understand the mechanisms behind outcomes.
What kinds of measures does the announcement encourage?
The announcement highlights two main measurement categories: (1) measures of behaviors and social or environmental targets that interventions typically aim to change, and (2) measures of hypothesized mediators and moderators of an intervention's effects.
What are examples of the first measurement category (intervention targets)?
Examples include measures of health behaviors (oral hygiene practices, dietary behaviors related to sugar consumption, dental care seeking, adherence to preventive recommendations), social interactions (family dynamics around child toothbrushing, peer norms, social support, caregiver-child routines), and contextual factors such as community characteristics and built environments (access to fluoridated water, availability of healthy foods versus sugary snacks, proximity and accessibility of dental clinics, transportation barriers, or school/workplace features that shape daily routines).
What are mediators in this context?
Mediators are factors that help explain how an intervention produces an effect. In the context described, examples include changes in self-efficacy, knowledge, perceived norms, stress levels, or caregiving routines that then lead to improved oral hygiene and fewer cavities.
What are moderators in this context?
Moderators are factors that influence for whom or under what circumstances an intervention is effective. Examples listed include baseline stress, socioeconomic strain, literacy, cultural beliefs, neighborhood deprivation, language barriers, experiences of discrimination, or differing access to dental services.
Why does the opportunity emphasize mediators and moderators?
Improving measurement of mediators and moderators strengthens causal explanations. It helps research move beyond determining whether an intervention "worked" to understanding the pathways and conditions that produced the outcome.
What type of research approach is this opportunity designed to support?
It is designed to support causal pathway research in oral health by improving the instruments used to measure behavioral, social, and contextual constructs that contribute to oral health outcomes.
What is expected regarding psychometric development and testing?
Applications are expected to show solid psychometric development and testing, including reliability and validity evidence, as well as acceptability in the intended population.
What does reliability mean for a proposed measure?
Reliability refers to whether a measure produces stable and consistent results. Examples mentioned include internal consistency and test-retest reliability (where relevant).
What does validity mean for a proposed measure?
Validity refers to whether the measure captures what it claims to measure. The opportunity notes several accepted approaches, including content validity, construct validity, and criterion validity.
What does "acceptability" mean in this funding opportunity?
Acceptability means the measure is feasible and appropriate for use with the population it is intended to assess and in the settings where it will be used. Considerations include respondent burden, clarity of items, cultural and linguistic appropriateness, willingness to answer sensitive questions, and practicality of administration in clinics, schools, community settings, or research studies.
Does the opportunity allow recruiting participants?
Yes, participant recruitment may be part of measurement development and testing (for example, evaluating performance, comparing the new tool to benchmarks, testing usability in a target community, or validating the instrument against relevant outcomes). The work should remain focused on measurement development rather than intervention efficacy testing.
Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?
No. The announcement explicitly states it does not support conducting clinical trials and aligns with NIDCR clinical trial policy (referencing NOT-DE-11-002). Projects should not be structured as trials designed to test intervention efficacy.
What grant mechanism is used for PAR-14-144?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 activity code, which is typically used for exploratory or developmental research intended to create foundational tools, methods, or preliminary data that can support later, larger projects.
What is the award ceiling?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the activity category and CFDA number?
The opportunity falls under the Health activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.121 (Oral Diseases and Disorders Research).
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The listing indicates it is archived. It was posted March 5, 2014, had an original closing date of September 16, 2017, shows a current closing date of May 7, 2017, and an archive date of June 7, 2017.
Why is an archived opportunity still useful?
Even though it is no longer active, it can serve as a reference for the kind of measurement-focused behavioral and social research NIDCR has sought to encourage in dental, oral, and craniofacial health.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic and non-domestic organizations. The list includes various government entities (state, county, city, township, special district), independent school districts, public housing authorities, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses and other for-profit organizations (with distinctions noted), tribal governments and tribal organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and federal government agencies.
Are community-based and faith-based organizations included in eligibility?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes faith-based and community-based organizations.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically included?
Yes. The eligibility list specifically calls out HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and AANAPISIS institutions.
Can foreign organizations apply?
Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions are eligible to apply, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed under NIH policy.
What is the practical value of this program area for oral health research?
The program area is meant to strengthen the measurement infrastructure needed for high-quality behavioral and social research in oral health. Better measures can help produce more interpretable findings, support comparisons across studies, and inform intervention refinement by clarifying what changed, why it changed, and for whom those changes matter most.
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