Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 13 166
Apply for PA 13 166
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R15)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361 Nursing Research 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.399 Cancer Control.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 29, 2013 and posted on Mar 29, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2016. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity "Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R15)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-13-166) was designed to encourage researchers to move beyond traditional randomized controlled trial (RCT) approaches when testing symptom management interventions for people living with chronic illness. The central goal is to improve how clinical trials are designed so they better reflect real-world care, handle the reality that patients respond differently to the same intervention, and reduce common trial problems like poor adherence and participant dropout. Rather than treating those issues as unavoidable limitations, this opportunity pushes investigators to build study designs that directly account for variability in response and support more adaptable, patient-centered intervention strategies.
A major emphasis of the announcement is on novel and practical trial designs that can produce more effective outcomes by tailoring treatment over time. One highlighted approach is the Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) design. In a SMART study, participants can be randomized more than once, at different points in the study, based on how they are doing relative to predefined goals. This allows the trial to mimic clinical practice, where a clinician would normally reassess progress and adjust treatment if the initial approach is not working. In this structure, decision rules are specified in advance, and the intervention can be intensified, switched, or supplemented depending on a participant's response. The NIH points out that SMART designs have already been used successfully in areas like alcohol use, depression, and HIV care, but have not been widely adopted in symptom management trials, even though symptom burden in chronic illness often changes over time and varies greatly across individuals.
The opportunity also points to the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) as another promising framework for symptom management research. MOST is typically used to build and refine multicomponent interventions in a systematic way, helping researchers determine which components contribute most to outcomes, which combinations work best, and how to optimize an intervention package for effectiveness and feasibility. In the context of chronic illness symptom management, this can be especially valuable because symptom interventions often include multiple interacting elements (for example education, behavioral coaching, medication adjustments, monitoring tools, or caregiver support). MOST can help identify efficient, scalable intervention designs rather than treating every component as equally necessary.
From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary grant opportunity under the NIH, using the R15 mechanism. It fell under health and education related activity categories and was associated with CFDA numbers 93.361 (Nursing Research), 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research), and 93.399 (Cancer Control). The award ceiling listed was $300,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The announcement originally posted on March 29, 2013, with an original closing date of May 7, 2016, and it was archived on June 7, 2016.
Eligibility was oriented toward institutions of higher education, including private and public/state-controlled colleges and universities, along with a range of minority-serving institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISIs. Foreign institutions and non-U.S. organizational components were not eligible to apply, although foreign components (as NIH defines them in its policy) were allowed under certain conditions. Overall, the opportunity was structured to broaden participation across academic settings while focusing the scientific content on improving symptom management trial methodology through adaptive, pragmatic, and optimization-based research designs.
The full archived announcement was linked at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-13-166.html and general technical assistance for access issues was routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact listed in the notice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this NIH grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R15)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-13-166.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central purpose is to encourage researchers to move beyond traditional randomized controlled trial (RCT) approaches when testing symptom management interventions for people living with chronic illness, and to improve clinical trial designs so they better reflect real-world care, account for differences in individual responses, and reduce common problems such as poor adherence and participant dropout.
What types of trial problems does the announcement aim to address?
It specifically highlights challenges like poor adherence and participant dropout, and it frames these issues as problems to be addressed through better study design rather than unavoidable limitations.
How does this opportunity view differences in patient response to interventions?
It emphasizes that patients may respond differently to the same intervention and encourages designs that directly account for variability in response, supporting more adaptable and patient-centered intervention strategies.
Does the announcement encourage alternatives to traditional RCTs?
Yes. A core message is to move beyond traditional RCT approaches and use novel and practical trial designs that better match clinical realities and support tailoring treatment over time.
What is a SMART design and why is it emphasized?
SMART stands for Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial. It is emphasized because it allows participants to be randomized more than once at different time points based on how they are doing relative to predefined goals, which helps a trial mimic clinical practice where treatment is reassessed and adjusted if the initial approach is not working.
How does randomization work in a SMART study?
In a SMART study, participants can be randomized at multiple points during the study. The later randomizations depend on participant response in earlier phases, based on decision rules that are specified in advance.
What kinds of treatment changes can a SMART design support?
The design can support interventions being intensified, switched, or supplemented depending on how a participant responds to earlier treatment steps.
Has SMART been used in other health areas?
Yes. The announcement notes SMART designs have been used successfully in areas such as alcohol use, depression, and HIV care.
Why does the NIH suggest SMART may be a good fit for symptom management in chronic illness?
Because symptom burden in chronic illness often changes over time and varies substantially across individuals, and SMART designs are built to handle these changing and individualized response patterns through planned reassessment and adaptation.
What is MOST and why is it included in the announcement?
MOST stands for Multiphase Optimization Strategy. It is included as a promising framework for systematically building and refining multicomponent interventions, helping determine which components contribute most to outcomes, which combinations work best, and how to optimize an intervention package for both effectiveness and feasibility.
Why might MOST be especially relevant for chronic illness symptom management?
The announcement notes symptom management interventions often include multiple interacting elements (for example education, behavioral coaching, medication adjustments, monitoring tools, or caregiver support), and MOST can help identify efficient and scalable intervention designs rather than treating every component as equally necessary.
What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the NIH R15 mechanism.
Is this described as a discretionary grant opportunity?
Yes. The information provided describes it as a discretionary grant opportunity under the NIH.
What activity categories is the opportunity associated with?
It is associated with health and education related activity categories.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this announcement?
The associated CFDA numbers listed are 93.361 (Nursing Research), 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research), and 93.399 (Cancer Control).
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $300,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The information provided states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was the announcement originally posted?
It was originally posted on March 29, 2013.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date was May 7, 2016.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. It was archived on June 7, 2016.
What types of institutions were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was oriented toward institutions of higher education, including private and public/state-controlled colleges and universities, along with a range of minority-serving institutions.
Which minority-serving institutions are explicitly mentioned?
The announcement mentions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions and non-U.S. organizational components were not eligible to apply.
Are foreign components allowed in any form?
Yes. The information provided states that foreign components (as NIH defines them in its policy) were allowed under certain conditions.
Where can the full archived announcement be found?
The full archived announcement is linked at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-13-166.html.
Where were technical access issues directed?
General technical assistance for access issues was routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact listed in the notice.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health
Next opportunity: Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R21)
Previous opportunity: Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R01)
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| Image guided Drug Delivery in Cancer (R01) Apply for PAR 13 185 Funding Number: PAR 13 185 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Eradication of HIV 1 from CNS Reservoirs Implications for Therapeutics (R01) Apply for RFA MH 14 170 Funding Number: RFA MH 14 170 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Eradication of HIV 1 from CNS Reservoirs Implications for Therapeutics (R21) Apply for RFA MH 14 171 Funding Number: RFA MH 14 171 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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| Revision Applications to U01 Awards for Research on Imaging and Biomarkers for Early Cancer Detection (U01) Apply for PAR 13 176 Funding Number: PAR 13 176 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Imaging and Biomarkers for Early Cancer Detection (R01) Apply for PAR 13 189 Funding Number: PAR 13 189 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Revision Applications to R01 Awards for Research on Imaging and Biomarkers for Early Cancer Detection (R01) Apply for PAR 13 177 Funding Number: PAR 13 177 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Revision Applications to P50 Awards for Research on Imaging and Biomarkers for Early Cancer Detection (P50) Apply for PAR 13 174 Funding Number: PAR 13 174 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Revision Applications to R01 Awards for Research on Detection of Pathogen Induced Cancer (DPIC) (R01) Apply for PAR 13 172 Funding Number: PAR 13 172 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Revision Applications to U01 Awards on Detection of Pathogen Induced Cancer (DPIC) (U01) Apply for PAR 13 173 Funding Number: PAR 13 173 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Revision Applications to P01 Awards for Research on Imaging and Biomarkers for Early Cancer Detection (P01) Apply for PAR 13 175 Funding Number: PAR 13 175 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Revisions to P50 Awards for Research on Detection of Pathogen Induced Cancer (DPIC) (P50) Apply for PAR 13 170 Funding Number: PAR 13 170 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Revisions to P01 Awards for Research on Detection of Pathogen Induced Cancer (DPIC) (P01) Apply for PAR 13 171 Funding Number: PAR 13 171 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (K12) Apply for PAR 13 201 Funding Number: PAR 13 201 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Symptom Management in HIV Infected Individuals with Comorbid Conditions (R01) Apply for PA 13 210 Funding Number: PA 13 210 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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