Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 12 197
Apply for PAR 12 197
- The National Institutes of Health in the education food and nutrition health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.361 Nursing Research 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.399 Cancer Control 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research 93.847 Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 2, 2015 and posted on Jun 6, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 2, 2015. (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: For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts Private institutions of higher education State governments County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Small businesses Special district governments Nonprofits having 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) 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:
Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R21) (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-12-197) is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity designed to push forward how researchers measure what people eat and how physically active they are. Led by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and co-sponsored by several other NIH Institutes and Offices, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the NIH Office of the Director Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), the FOA reflects a shared interest in improving measurement quality because diet and activity data sit at the center of prevention research, chronic disease studies, and public health interventions. The mechanism is an R21, which is generally used for early-stage, exploratory, and high-impact ideas that may be somewhat higher-risk but have clear potential to improve the field.
The core purpose of the FOA is to encourage innovative research that enhances the accuracy, reliability, and overall quality of dietary intake and physical activity assessment. The announcement emphasizes that applications can focus on creating novel assessment approaches, improving how existing instruments are evaluated and validated, and developing or refining tools that work better across culturally diverse groups and across the lifespan, with explicit mention of children and older adults. In practice, this means the FOA is not limited to inventing entirely new tools; it also supports rigorous work that strengthens the evidence base for commonly used approaches, identifies where and why current tools fail, and proposes practical improvements that make measurements more comparable across studies and more meaningful for real-world populations.
A major theme is the use of improved technology or new applications of existing technology. This can include leveraging digital platforms, sensors, mobile or wearable devices, or other technology-enabled methods to capture diet and activity with less burden and less bias than traditional self-report alone. Another strong emphasis is on statistical methods that help assess, quantify, or correct measurement error and bias, recognizing that both diet and physical activity are notoriously difficult to measure precisely and that errors can distort observed relationships with health outcomes. The FOA also highlights interest in methods that better capture the multidimensional nature of diet and physical activity behavior, including pattern analysis (for example, dietary patterns rather than single nutrients, or activity patterns rather than a single weekly total) and integrated measurement approaches that consider diet and activity together rather than as separate silos. It further encourages work that incorporates the environmental context of these behaviors, acknowledging that where and how people live, work, and access food or activity opportunities can shape what is reported and what is actually happening.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a grant with an award ceiling listed at $200,000 and explicitly notes that cost sharing or matching is not required. The FOA was originally posted June 6, 2012, with key dates in the record indicating an original closing date of September 7, 2015, and an archive date of May 2, 2015, meaning it is not currently active as a solicitation but remains a useful reference point for the type of measurement-development research NIH has sought to fund under exploratory mechanisms. The activity categories associated with the listing include education, food and nutrition, health, and income security and social services, and it spans multiple CFDA numbers tied to participating Institutes and programs (including cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes and kidney diseases, child health and development, nursing research, and alcohol research), which signals broad applicability to many disease areas and study designs.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), independent school districts, state, county, and local governments, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and tribal governments and organizations. The eligibility information also explicitly includes institutions and organizations that serve specific populations (for example, HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and universities), as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and regional organizations. Importantly, foreign institutions are eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components are allowed as defined in NIH policy, which opens the door to cross-national measurement work or validation in diverse settings where diet and activity patterns differ substantially.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted push to strengthen the foundation of diet and physical activity research by funding the kinds of methodological advances that make downstream findings more trustworthy. By focusing on innovation in tools, technology, validation strategies, and analytic methods for reducing bias and capturing complex behavior in real context, the opportunity aims to improve the precision of exposure measurement, support better comparisons across populations and age groups, and ultimately improve the quality of evidence used in nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease prevention research. For the full announcement details and official language, the listing points to the NIH guide page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-197.html, and it provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or linking issues.
FAQs: Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R21) (PAR-12-197)
What is PAR-12-197?
PAR-12-197 is an NIH discretionary grant funding opportunity titled Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R21). It was designed to advance how researchers measure dietary intake and physical activity, with an emphasis on improving the quality of these measurements for prevention research, chronic disease studies, and public health interventions.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Which NIH Institute led the funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity was led by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Which other NIH Institutes and Offices co-sponsored PAR-12-197?
Co-sponsors included the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the NIH Office of the Director Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).
What is the grant mechanism for this opportunity?
The mechanism is an R21, which is generally used for early-stage, exploratory, and potentially high-impact projects. R21 projects can be higher-risk than more established mechanisms, but they should have clear potential to move the field forward.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The core purpose is to encourage innovative research that improves the accuracy, reliability, and overall quality of dietary intake and physical activity assessment methods.
What kinds of projects does the FOA encourage?
The FOA encourages projects that (1) create novel assessment approaches, (2) improve how existing instruments are evaluated and validated, and (3) develop or refine tools that perform better across culturally diverse groups and across the lifespan, including explicit interest in children and older adults.
Does a project have to invent a brand-new tool to fit this FOA?
No. The FOA is not limited to brand-new inventions. It also supports rigorous research that strengthens the evidence base for commonly used approaches, identifies where and why current tools fail, and proposes practical improvements that increase comparability across studies and usefulness in real-world populations.
What measurement areas are covered?
The focus is on two major exposure areas central to public health and chronic disease research: dietary intake (what people eat) and physical activity (how physically active they are).
Is technology development or technology-enabled measurement a priority?
Yes. A major theme is improved technology or new applications of existing technology. Examples mentioned include digital platforms, sensors, and mobile or wearable devices, or other technology-enabled approaches that may reduce burden and bias compared with traditional self-report alone.
Does the FOA address measurement error and bias?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes statistical methods to assess, quantify, or correct measurement error and bias, recognizing that diet and physical activity are difficult to measure precisely and that measurement errors can distort relationships with health outcomes.
Does the FOA support analyzing patterns (not just single nutrients or totals)?
Yes. The FOA highlights interest in better capturing the multidimensional nature of diet and physical activity, including pattern analysis (for example, dietary patterns rather than single nutrients, or activity patterns rather than a single weekly total).
Are integrated approaches that consider diet and physical activity together encouraged?
Yes. The FOA encourages integrated measurement approaches that consider diet and physical activity together rather than treating them as separate silos.
Does the FOA consider the environmental context of diet and activity?
Yes. It encourages work that incorporates environmental context, recognizing that where and how people live, work, and access food or activity opportunities can influence both what is reported and what is actually occurring.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The listing includes an award ceiling of $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity explicitly states that cost sharing or matching is not required.
Is PAR-12-197 currently an active funding opportunity?
No. The record indicates it is not currently active. It was originally posted June 6, 2012, with an original closing date of September 7, 2015, and an archive date of May 2, 2015.
Why might PAR-12-197 still be useful if it is archived?
Even though it is not active, it remains a useful reference for the types of measurement-development, validation, and analytic-methods research NIH has sought to fund under an exploratory R21 mechanism in the diet and physical activity assessment space.
What activity categories are associated with this listing?
The activity categories include education, food and nutrition, health, and income security and social services.
What do the CFDA references suggest about the scope?
The listing spans multiple CFDA numbers tied to participating Institutes and programs (including cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes and kidney diseases, child health and development, nursing research, and alcohol research). This signals broad applicability across many disease areas and study designs.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations such as public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); independent school districts; state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and tribal governments and organizations.
Are institutions serving specific populations explicitly included in eligibility?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly includes organizations such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and universities, as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and regional organizations.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
Yes. Foreign institutions are eligible to apply.
Can non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations participate?
Yes. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations may participate.
Are foreign components allowed?
Yes. Foreign components are allowed as defined in NIH policy.
What kinds of populations does the FOA explicitly mention as important for tool performance?
The FOA explicitly mentions the need for tools that work across culturally diverse groups and across the lifespan, with explicit mention of children and older adults.
Where can someone find the full official announcement?
The listing points to the NIH guide page: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-197.html.
Who is listed for help with access or linking issues?
The listing provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or linking issues.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PAR 12 197) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R01) Apply for PAR 12 198 Funding Number: PAR 12 198 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Time Sensitive Obesity Policy and Program Evaluation (R01) Apply for PAR 12 257 Funding Number: PAR 12 257 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Obesity Policy Evaluation Research (R01) Apply for PA 13 110 Funding Number: PA 13 110 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mechanisms, Models, Measurement, Management in Pain Research (R01) Apply for PA 13 118 Funding Number: PA 13 118 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Development of Assays for High Throughput Screening for Use in Probe and Pre therapeutic Discovery (R01) Apply for PAR 13 364 Funding Number: PAR 13 364 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH/PEPFAR Collaboration for Implementation Science (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 14 024 Funding Number: PA 14 024 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Centers for AIDS Research and Developmental Centers for AIDS Research (P30) Apply for PAR 14 041 Funding Number: PAR 14 041 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Empirical Research on Ethical Issues Related to Central IRBs and Consent for Research Using Clinical Records and Data (R01) Apply for RFA OD 14 002 Funding Number: RFA OD 14 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research on Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions (R01) Apply for PA 14 244 Funding Number: PA 14 244 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| High Throughput Screening (HTS) to Discover Chemical Probes (R01) Apply for PAR 14 284 Funding Number: PAR 14 284 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science (R25) Apply for RFA MD 15 005 Funding Number: RFA MD 15 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Advancing Mechanistic Probiotic/Prebiotic and Human Microbiome Research (R01) Apply for PA 15 135 Funding Number: PA 15 135 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Exploratory/Developmental Clinical Research Grants in Obesity (R21) Apply for PA 15 163 Funding Number: PA 15 163 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Diet and Physical Activity Assessment Methodology (R01) Apply for PAR 15 170 Funding Number: PAR 15 170 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Diet and Physical Activity Assessment Methodology (R21) Apply for PAR 15 171 Funding Number: PAR 15 171 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Opportunities for Collaborative Research at the NIH Clinical Center (U01) Apply for PAR 15 287 Funding Number: PAR 15 287 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R21) Apply for PAR 06 103 Funding Number: PAR 06 103 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Research on Improving Health Care for Obese Patients (R01) Apply for PA 07 013 Funding Number: PA 07 013 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Developmental Biology and Regeneration of the Liver (R01) Apply for PA 07 026 Funding Number: PA 07 026 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| School based Interventions to Prevent Obesity (R01) Apply for PA 07 180 Funding Number: PA 07 180 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Food and Nutrition Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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