Innovative Questions in Symptom Science and Genomics (R15) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Innovative Questions in Symptom Science and Genomics (R15) opportunity?

It is a discretionary NIH grant funding opportunity (PA-16-022) administered under HHS-NIH (listed as HHS-NIH11). It supports research meant to drive new ideas and methodological advances in nursing science at the intersection of symptom science and genomics.

Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is offered through NIH within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is identified in the record as HHS-NIH11.

What does the R15 funding mechanism mean in this context?

The announcement uses the R15 mechanism, commonly associated with the NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program. While the provided information does not list all R15-specific requirements, the general intent of R15 opportunities is to strengthen the research environment at eligible institutions and support meritorious research, often alongside meaningful academic research experiences and growth in research capacity.

What is the main purpose of this program?

The central purpose is to stimulate conceptual and technological breakthroughs by encouraging investigators to build research projects directly from a set of identified "innovative questions" in symptom science and genomics. The questions are intentionally broad and designed to serve as a springboard for new hypotheses or clearly defined problems addressed through rigorous study.

What kinds of research does this opportunity prioritize?

The opportunity prioritizes studies that move beyond incremental extensions of existing work. It emphasizes fresh perspectives, new methods of measuring or understanding symptoms, and creative genomic (or related -omics) approaches that can explain symptom variation, predict symptom trajectories, or inform symptom-focused interventions.

How are the "innovative questions" meant to be used by applicants?

They are meant to guide and inspire applicants rather than prescribe narrow topics. Applicants are expected to translate these broad questions into targeted, novel hypotheses or clearly defined research problems that can be answered through well-designed studies.

Is the focus strictly on genomics, or can projects be centered on symptoms as well?

The emphasis is on the intersection of symptom science and genomics, with nursing science as the core domain. The description highlights projects that improve understanding of symptoms and also leverage genomic concepts and tools where appropriate to advance clinically relevant symptom science.

What symptom-related areas are highlighted as especially relevant?

Examples noted include patient-reported symptoms, biological mechanisms underlying symptom clusters, and using genomics or other -omics data to refine assessment, improve risk stratification, and support more personalized symptom management strategies.

What is meant by "symptom trajectories" in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the summary, symptom trajectories refer to how symptoms develop, change, or progress over time, and the opportunity is interested in research that can predict these patterns, potentially using genomic approaches to help explain individual differences.

What is the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?

The record lists a maximum award ceiling of $300,000, described as the upper bound on total support available per award under this opportunity.

What is the Funding Activity Category associated with this program?

The opportunity is listed within the broader NIH activity space with a Funding Activity Category of Education and Health.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The information provided links the opportunity to CFDA number 93.361, indicating alignment with NIH programs supporting nursing research and related health science goals.

Who is eligible to apply based on the provided information?

Eligibility is open to a range of higher education institutions, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The record also mentions an additional applicant category described as "Others," which would depend on clarifications in the full eligibility language of the announcement.

Is this opportunity limited to certain types of institutions?

From the details provided, it is positioned as relevant to many academic settings where nursing science, symptom research, and genomics-related expertise can be assembled into a coherent research plan. The specific boundaries of institutional eligibility beyond the listed categories are not fully described in the summary.

What is the status of the application deadline?

The notice was created and posted on October 30, 2015, and the last listed application due date (original and current) is January 7, 2019. Based on that record, the closing date has passed.

If the due date has passed, is the summary still useful?

Yes. Even though the listed closing date has passed, the summary still indicates NIH priorities reflected in this call, such as anchoring research in high-impact questions, applying contemporary genomic concepts and tools when appropriate, and producing outcomes that meaningfully advance clinically relevant symptom science.

Does the summary specify required study designs, methods, or participant populations?

No. The provided description emphasizes innovation, rigorous study, and the use of symptom science and genomics, but it does not spell out specific study designs, required methods, or target populations.

Does the summary state whether clinical interventions are required?

No. The description notes that projects may inform interventions and improve symptom management strategies, but it does not state that an intervention study is required.

What makes a project a good fit for this opportunity, based on the summary alone?

A strong fit would be a nursing science-driven project built from the identified innovative questions, designed to produce conceptual or technological breakthroughs. The project would go beyond incremental progress and could introduce new symptom measurement approaches, new ways to understand symptom mechanisms or symptom clusters, or creative uses of genomics or other -omics to explain variation, predict trajectories, or improve clinical relevance in symptom management.

Where does this opportunity sit within NIH priorities?

Within the description provided, it aligns with NIH interests in education and health-related research and highlights nursing science innovation that leverages genomics to move symptom science forward in clinically relevant ways.