Exploratory/Developmental Clinical Research Grants in Obesity (R21) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Exploratory/Developmental Clinical Research Grants in Obesity (R21) opportunity (PA 06-256)?

It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program that uses the NIH R21 mechanism to accelerate early-stage, high-potential clinical research focused on preventing or treating overweight and obesity in adults and children. The program is meant to support exploratory and developmental studies that can generate initial clinical evidence, feasibility data, or methodological groundwork needed to move ideas toward larger clinical trials or more definitive intervention research.

What is the main purpose of this grant program?

The central goal is to fund exploratory and developmental work that helps promising ideas advance to the next stage. This can include producing preliminary clinical signals, testing feasibility and acceptability, refining methods and endpoints, or building the early evidence base needed to justify a future, larger-scale study.

What type of NIH funding mechanism does this use?

This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is typically intended for early, innovative, and sometimes higher-risk projects that could deliver strong payoff. R21 projects commonly focus on piloting new approaches and generating the initial data needed for a subsequent larger grant.

What kinds of research projects are supported under this R21 obesity funding opportunity?

The program supports clinical research and research that is clearly translational toward clinical application in obesity prevention and treatment. Examples of supported work (as described in the opportunity) include developing and piloting new intervention approaches, testing novel behavioral or clinical strategies, refining measurements or endpoints, establishing feasibility and acceptability in a target population, and generating preliminary signals of efficacy that justify a larger grant.

Does the opportunity support studies in both adults and children?

Yes. The funding opportunity is aimed at clinical research to prevent or treat overweight and obesity in both adults and children.

Is epidemiological research allowed under this opportunity?

Yes, exploratory epidemiological research may be supported when it is clearly oriented toward informing translational or clinical work. The epidemiology should be positioned to directly guide intervention development, target identification, risk stratification, or clinical strategy, rather than being purely descriptive.

How broad is the scope of eligible obesity research topics?

The scope is intentionally broad because obesity prevention and treatment can involve behavioral, nutritional, medical, community, and health-systems components. The key expectation is that the work is clinical or clearly translational toward clinical application.

What is the award ceiling for this R21 opportunity?

The award ceiling is listed as $200,000, consistent with the smaller, exploratory nature of R21 projects.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

Which activity categories are associated with this grant opportunity?

The activity categories connected to this opportunity include education, food and nutrition, and health, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of obesity research and intervention development.

Which CFDA numbers are linked to this program?

The opportunity is linked to CFDA 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) and CFDA 93.837 (Cardiovascular Diseases Research), reflecting how obesity-related work intersects with major chronic disease prevention priorities.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic organizations as well as foreign institutions. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses as specifically noted); Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities or Indian housing authorities; eligible agencies of the federal government; and foreign institutions.

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly notes that foreign institutions are eligible, which can support multinational or comparative obesity research or studies involving populations or environments outside the United States.

Are for-profit organizations eligible under this opportunity?

Yes. For-profit organizations are included as eligible applicants, with the eligibility list specifically noting the exclusion of small businesses.

Are small businesses eligible to apply?

No. The eligibility list specifically notes for-profit organizations while excluding small businesses.

Can government entities apply (state, local, or federal)?

Yes. The eligibility list includes state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and also notes that eligible agencies of the federal government may apply.

Are tribal governments or tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations are included as eligible applicants.

Are public housing authorities eligible applicants?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicants.

When was this funding opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on March 17, 2006.

What is the closing date shown for this announcement?

The listing shows a closing date of May 7, 2009, with an archive date of June 7, 2009.

Is this opportunity currently open for applications?

Based on the provided dates (closing date of May 7, 2009 and archive date of June 7, 2009), this specific announcement appears to be historical rather than currently open.

How does NIH describe the kinds of results an R21 project should aim to produce?

The opportunity emphasizes generating early-stage outputs such as initial clinical evidence, feasibility data, methodological groundwork, and preliminary signals that can support a next step like a larger efficacy trial, an implementation study, or a more definitive clinical research program.

How flexible are award size and project duration?

The announcement notes that the scope of proposed projects will vary, so the size and duration of awards may also vary accordingly. Final award totals and the number of awards depend on application quality, project length, and budget needs.

What would a competitive application generally look like based on the description?

Based on the program description, a competitive application would typically propose a tightly focused project that fits a limited budget and timeframe, clearly connects to preventing or treating overweight/obesity, explains what is innovative or what key gap it fills, outlines a feasible clinical or clinically oriented research plan, and shows how results will position the work for a larger next-stage study.

Where was the full announcement hosted, and who was listed for technical issues?

The full announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide (via the provided link in the posting). NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts were included for technical access or linking problems, which is standard for NIH postings.