Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA TW 14 001
Apply for RFA TW 14 001
- The National Institutes of Health in the education environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) Research (U01)" 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 93.262 Occupational Safety and Health Program 93.399 Cancer Control 93.989 International Research and Research Training.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 26, 2014 and posted on Aug 7, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 19, 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 $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Applications may be submitted by eligible non domestic (non U.S.) foreign institutions in World Bank defined Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) (http://data.worldbank.org/about/country classifications/country and lending groups), including low income, lower middle income, and upper middle income countries. Applications must be submitted with an eligible linked research training (U2R) application in response to RFA TW 14 002. Applications received without an eligible linked application in response to RFA TW 14 002 will be considered incomplete. FICs Country Eligibility Notice (NOT TW 12 011) states that for competing and re competing research training grant applications (including the U2R mechanism), with the exception of Sub Saharan African countries, FIC will no longer accept applications from, or applications that involve training of scientists from upper middle income countries that are also members of the G20 major economies (https://www.g20.org/en/members). This policy does not apply to an application submitted in follow up to a successful planning grant application that had been received prior to January 1, 2013. The applicant institution must have a strong and high quality research program in the area(s) proposed under this FOA and must have the requisite faculty and facilities on site and through proposed partnerships to conduct the proposed research. A GEOHealth Planning Grant (RFA TW 12 001) is not required to be eligible for this FOA.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) Research (U01) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA TW 14 001) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to build and strengthen environmental and occupational health research capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The central goal is to help LMIC institutions become durable regional hubs that can lead high-quality, locally relevant research and also serve as anchors for data systems, training infrastructure, curriculum and outreach materials, and policy-relevant technical support. The work supported under this announcement is meant to address high-priority environmental and occupational health threats that matter at the local, national, and regional level, with an emphasis on research that genuinely needs to be conducted primarily in LMIC settings and/or by LMIC-based scientists.
A defining feature of this program is that it funds linked, coordinated awards that function as a single hub partnership. One award is made to an LMIC institution to carry out the research (the U01 under this FOA), and a second, separate but harmonized award is made to a US institution to coordinate the associated research training component (submitted under the companion announcement RFA TW 14 002, using the U2R mechanism). Applications are required to be paired: the research application under RFA TW 14 001 must be submitted in tandem with an eligible linked research training application under RFA TW 14 002. If a U01 application arrives without the linked training application, it is treated as incomplete and will not move forward. Collectively, the funded hubs are intended to operate not just as stand-alone projects, but as parts of a broader GEOHealth Network that supports coordinated research and research training activities across regions, creating a platform for shared learning, methods, and collaboration.
Because this is a cooperative agreement, NIH anticipates substantial involvement with awardees compared to a traditional grant. In practice, that typically means the funder is not only providing support but also actively coordinating with projects on network goals, alignment across hubs, and programmatic priorities such as data management approaches, research rigor, and the integration of training with research. The activity categories tied to this opportunity reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the work, spanning education, environment, and health. The announcement is also connected to multiple CFDA program areas, including Environmental Health (93.113), Occupational Safety and Health Program (93.262), Cancer Control (93.399), and International Research and Research Training (93.989), which signals that proposed projects may be relevant to a wide range of environmental and workplace exposures and related disease outcomes.
In terms of what applicants are expected to build, the hubs are envisioned as more than a single study. The FOA frames them as institutional platforms that can support collaborative research, strengthen data capacity and management, develop training programs and curricula, produce outreach materials, and contribute to policy support around pressing environmental and occupational hazards. That orientation strongly suggests NIH is looking for proposals with a clear plan for institutional development and regional impact, not just scientific outputs. The LMIC lead institution is expected to already have a strong and high-quality research program in the proposed area(s), along with the faculty expertise and facilities needed to conduct the research, whether on site or through well-justified partnerships. Importantly, a prior GEOHealth Planning Grant (RFA TW 12 001) is explicitly not required for eligibility, meaning institutions that did not receive earlier planning support can still apply if they can demonstrate readiness and capacity.
Eligibility is centered on institutions of higher education, including public/state-controlled and private institutions, and also includes non-US entities. A key requirement is that the LMIC applicant organization must be located in a World Bank-defined low- or middle-income country (including low income, lower middle income, and upper middle income categories). The training side of the linked application is subject to an additional Fogarty International Center (FIC) policy note: for competing and re-competing research training grant applications (including U2R), FIC generally does not accept applications from, or involving training of scientists from, upper middle income countries that are also members of the G20 major economies, with the exception of Sub-Saharan African countries. The announcement notes this restriction does not apply to certain follow-up applications tied to planning grants submitted before January 1, 2013. While that policy is framed around the training mechanism, it matters for the overall hub because the research and training applications must be linked and aligned.
Funding levels and scale are modest but designed to seed multiple hubs rather than concentrate resources in one place. NIH anticipated about five awards under this FOA, with an estimated total funding amount of $3,000,000 and an award ceiling of $600,000. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The original posting dates show this was a time-limited competition (posted August 7, 2014; current closing date listed as November 19, 2014; archived December 19, 2014), but the structure is still useful as a model for how NIH has approached networked global environmental and occupational health capacity-building: pairing LMIC-led research with US-coordinated training, and using the hub-and-network approach to create sustained regional capability rather than isolated projects.
At a practical level, a competitive application under RFA TW 14 001 would need to make a convincing case that the proposed research question is tightly tied to significant environmental or occupational health threats in the LMIC region, that the LMIC institution is positioned to lead and benefit institutionally, and that the project is intentionally designed to integrate with the linked training plan under RFA TW 14 002. The expectation is not simply parallel tracks of research and training, but a harmonized program where research activities create real-world training opportunities, training strengthens the research enterprise, and the combined hub contributes to shared GEOHealth Network goals like stronger data systems, broader dissemination and outreach, and better translation of evidence into policy and practice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): GEOHealth Research Hubs (U01) - RFA TW 14 001
What is the GEOHealth Research (U01) opportunity under RFA TW 14 001?
RFA TW 14 001 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U01) that supports the creation and strengthening of interdisciplinary environmental and occupational health research capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The intent is to help LMIC institutions develop into durable regional hubs that can lead high-quality, locally relevant research and also support training, data systems, curricula, outreach materials, and policy-relevant technical support.
What is the main goal of the GEOHealth hub model?
The central goal is to build institutional capacity so LMIC institutions can function as long-term regional anchors for environmental and occupational health research and training. The hub is expected to be more than a single study, with an emphasis on creating a platform for sustained research leadership, stronger data capacity, training infrastructure, dissemination/outreach, and support for evidence-to-policy translation.
What kinds of health topics or threats does this FOA prioritize?
The FOA emphasizes high-priority environmental and occupational health threats that are significant at local, national, and regional levels in LMICs. It favors research that genuinely needs to be conducted primarily in LMIC settings and/or by LMIC-based scientists, reflecting locally relevant exposures and health outcomes.
How is this award different from a typical NIH research grant?
This is a cooperative agreement, which means NIH anticipates substantial involvement with awardees compared to a traditional grant. In practice, NIH may coordinate with projects on network goals, alignment across hubs, programmatic priorities (such as data management approaches and research rigor), and the integration of training with research.
What does it mean that GEOHealth funds "linked, coordinated awards"?
The GEOHealth hub is funded through two separate but harmonized awards that function as one partnership: (1) a U01 award to an LMIC institution to carry out the research under RFA TW 14 001, and (2) a separate linked award to a US institution to coordinate the research training component under the companion announcement RFA TW 14 002 using the U2R mechanism.
Is a linked training application required for the U01 research application to be considered?
Yes. Applications must be paired. The RFA TW 14 001 U01 research application must be submitted in tandem with an eligible linked research training application under RFA TW 14 002 (U2R). If the U01 application is submitted without the linked training application, it is treated as incomplete and will not move forward.
Who receives the research award and who receives the training award?
Under the GEOHealth model described, the research award (U01, RFA TW 14 001) is made to an LMIC institution, and the linked research training award (U2R, RFA TW 14 002) is made to a US institution to coordinate the associated research training component.
Are the funded hubs expected to operate independently or as part of a larger program?
The hubs are intended to operate as part of a broader GEOHealth Network. While each hub carries out its own coordinated research and training program, the network structure is meant to enable shared learning, collaboration, and coordination of methods and approaches across regions.
What types of institutional activities are hubs expected to build or strengthen?
The FOA describes hubs as institutional platforms that can support collaborative research, strengthen data capacity and management, develop training programs and curricula, produce outreach materials, and contribute to policy support related to pressing environmental and occupational hazards.
Is this funding intended for a single research project or a broader institutional platform?
The hubs are explicitly envisioned as more than a single study. NIH signals interest in proposals that combine strong scientific aims with a clear plan for institutional development and regional impact, including infrastructure for data systems, training, and outreach.
What does NIH mean by "locally relevant" research in this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, locally relevant research is tightly tied to significant environmental and occupational health threats in the LMIC region and designed to be led by the LMIC institution. The emphasis is on research questions and methods that are best addressed in LMIC contexts and that can inform regional practice and policy.
What level of capacity is the LMIC lead institution expected to have before applying?
The LMIC lead institution is expected to already have a strong, high-quality research program in the proposed area(s), along with faculty expertise and facilities needed to conduct the research. If some capacity is provided through partnerships, those partnerships should be well-justified.
Is a prior GEOHealth Planning Grant required to apply?
No. A prior GEOHealth Planning Grant (RFA TW 12 001) is explicitly not required for eligibility. Institutions that did not receive earlier planning support can still apply if they can demonstrate readiness and capacity to lead the proposed hub.
Which organizations are eligible to apply for RFA TW 14 001?
Eligibility is centered on institutions of higher education (including public/state-controlled and private institutions) and includes non-US entities. A key requirement is that the LMIC applicant organization must be located in a World Bank-defined low- or middle-income country.
What countries qualify as LMICs for this opportunity?
The LMIC applicant organization must be located in a World Bank-defined low- or middle-income country, including low income, lower middle income, and upper middle income categories.
Are there any country-related restrictions that affect the linked training application?
Yes. The FOA notes a Fogarty International Center (FIC) policy relevant to competing and re-competing research training grant applications (including U2R): FIC generally does not accept applications from, or involving training of scientists from, upper middle income countries that are also members of the G20 major economies, with the exception of Sub-Saharan African countries. The announcement also notes a limited exception for certain follow-up applications tied to planning grants submitted before January 1, 2013.
Why does the training-country policy matter for the research (U01) application?
Because the research and training applications must be linked and aligned. Even though the policy note is framed around the training mechanism, the overall hub submission depends on a compliant, eligible, and coordinated U2R training application being submitted alongside the U01 research application.
What is the expected relationship between the research plan and the training plan?
The FOA emphasizes a harmonized program rather than parallel tracks. Research activities should create real-world training opportunities, training should strengthen the research enterprise, and the combined hub should contribute to broader network goals such as stronger data systems, dissemination and outreach, and translation of evidence into policy and practice.
What does "substantial NIH involvement" typically focus on in this program?
Based on the description provided, NIH involvement may focus on coordinating network goals, aligning activities across hubs, reinforcing programmatic priorities such as data management approaches and research rigor, and ensuring training is meaningfully integrated with the research program.
How many awards were anticipated and what was the approximate budget?
NIH anticipated about five awards under this FOA, with an estimated total funding amount of $3,000,000. The award ceiling listed was $600,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What activity categories does this opportunity align with?
The activity categories reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the program and include education, environment, and health.
Which CFDA program areas are connected to this FOA?
The announcement is connected to multiple CFDA areas, including Environmental Health (93.113), Occupational Safety and Health Program (93.262), Cancer Control (93.399), and International Research and Research Training (93.989). This suggests potential relevance to a range of environmental and workplace exposures and associated disease outcomes.
What does it mean that the hubs are expected to provide policy-relevant technical support?
As described, hubs are expected to contribute evidence and technical support that can inform policy and practice around pressing environmental and occupational hazards, helping translate research findings into decisions and interventions at local, national, or regional levels.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The dates provided indicate it was a time-limited competition (posted August 7, 2014; closing date November 19, 2014; archived December 19, 2014).
Even though it is archived, what does this FOA illustrate about NIH's approach in this area?
The structure illustrates a hub-and-network approach to capacity-building: pairing LMIC-led research with US-coordinated training, using linked awards, and emphasizing sustained regional capability (data systems, training infrastructure, outreach, and policy translation) rather than isolated projects.
What would make an application competitive based on the information provided?
The FOA description suggests a competitive application would (1) address a significant environmental or occupational health threat in the LMIC region, (2) show the LMIC institution is positioned to lead and benefit institutionally, and (3) demonstrate intentional integration with the linked training plan under RFA TW 14 002 so the combined hub advances GEOHealth Network goals.
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| Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) Research Training (U2R) Apply for RFA TW 14 002 Funding Number: RFA TW 14 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Spatial Uncertainty Data, Modeling, and Communication (R21) Apply for PA 15 009 Funding Number: PA 15 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Spatial Uncertainty Data, Modeling, and Communication (R01) Apply for PA 15 010 Funding Number: PA 15 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Spatial Uncertainty Data, Modeling, and Communication (R03) Apply for PA 15 011 Funding Number: PA 15 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Environmental Influences during Windows of Susceptibility in Breast Cancer Risk (U01) Apply for RFA ES 14 012 Funding Number: RFA ES 14 012 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Coordinating Center for the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (U01) Apply for RFA ES 14 011 Funding Number: RFA ES 14 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| NLM Administrative Supplements for Informationist Services in NIH funded Research Projects (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 15 249 Funding Number: PA 15 249 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Superfund Research Program Occupational and Safety Education Programs on Emerging Technologies (R25) Apply for RFA ES 15 014 Funding Number: RFA ES 15 014 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Direct Phase II SBIR Grants to Support Extended Development, Hardening, and Dissemination of Technologies in Biomedical Computing, Informatics, and Big Data Science (R44) Apply for PAR 15 288 Funding Number: PAR 15 288 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Innovative Basic Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R01) Apply for PAR 15 308 Funding Number: PAR 15 308 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Translational Studies on Adducts for Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (U01) Apply for PAR 15 307 Funding Number: PAR 15 307 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Innovative Basic Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R21) Apply for PAR 15 309 Funding Number: PAR 15 309 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Superfund Basic Research and Training Program (P42) Apply for RFA ES 08 005 Funding Number: RFA ES 08 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $1,800,000 |
| Exploratory Innovations in Biomedical Computational Science and Technology (R21) Apply for PAR 06 411 Funding Number: PAR 06 411 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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| Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy(R21) Apply for PAR 07 018 Funding Number: PAR 07 018 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Structural Biology of Membrane Proteins (R01) Apply for PA 07 253 Funding Number: PA 07 253 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Networks and Pathways Collaborative Research Projects (R01) Apply for PA 07 266 Funding Number: PA 07 266 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| The Role of Nuclear Receptors in Tissue and Organismal Aging (R01) Apply for PAS 07 267 Funding Number: PAS 07 267 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Global Research Initiative Program, Behavioral/Social Sciences (R01) Apply for PAR 07 328 Funding Number: PAR 07 328 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
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