Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 12 218
Apply for PAR 12 218
- The National Institutes of Health in the health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Juvenile Protective Factors and Their Effects on Aging (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 28, 2012 and posted on Jun 28, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 5, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: County governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Special district governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments Private institutions of higher education State governments Independent school districts Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Small businesses Nonprofits that do not have 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:
The Juvenile Protective Factors and Their Effects on Aging (R01) funding opportunity (PAR-12-218) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant solicitation that supports projects aimed at discovering and testing "juvenile protective factors" and determining how they influence aging and age-related outcomes. The central idea behind the announcement is that certain biological features present during childhood and adolescence may help preserve or enhance function during development, yet naturally fade or shut down as the body transitions through key maturational stages. NIH is encouraging researchers to identify these factors, figure out what they do, and evaluate whether keeping them active (or carefully modulating them) later in life could reduce risk for age-related decline, or alternatively, whether doing so could introduce unintended harms.
In this announcement, "juvenile protective factors" are defined as physiological factors that support and maintain functions across some or all phases of postnatal development but diminish or disappear during developmental transitions. The FOA highlights several example transition points that are of interest, such as infancy, adiposity rebound, adrenarche, puberty, and growth cessation. A defining feature of the program is the expectation that studies will directly compare biological states across postnatal stages, or examine changes immediately before versus after a maturational transition, to pinpoint candidate protective mechanisms. In practical terms, that means the science is meant to leverage developmental contrasts (what is present during a juvenile stage versus what is lost afterward) as a discovery strategy for finding mechanisms that might be relevant to healthier aging.
The FOA explicitly welcomes multiple types of research approaches. Descriptive studies can be used to identify and characterize candidate juvenile protective factors, including mapping how they vary across developmental stages and how their presence correlates with later-life phenotypes. Experimental studies are encouraged to test causal hypotheses about whether particular factors actually drive long-term effects on aging-related biology, functional outcomes, or vulnerability to disease. Translational studies are also invited, with an emphasis on exploring real-world implications: what might happen if a juvenile protective factor were maintained into adulthood, reactivated later, or adjusted up or down, and what tradeoffs might come with that strategy. This translational angle is framed in balanced terms, emphasizing both potential benefits and potential risks of altering developmental programs in adult life.
Another key point is that NIH is open to a wide range of model systems and study settings. Proposed projects may use in vitro systems, laboratory animal models, or human studies. This flexibility allows applicants to pursue basic mechanistic work (for example, cellular pathways that are active during early life and later become silenced), preclinical testing (such as manipulating a factor in an animal model to observe effects on longevity or aging phenotypes), or human observational and interventional research where feasible and ethical. What ties these approaches together is the developmental comparison requirement and the focus on factors that are juvenile-associated and decline with maturation.
Administratively, this opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for substantial, hypothesis-driven research projects rather than small pilot grants. It falls under NIH activity areas associated with both child health/development and aging research, reflected in the CFDA listings 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) and 93.866 (Aging Research). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated in the opportunity.
Eligibility is broad and includes a wide mix of domestic and international organizations. Eligible applicants include federal, state, local, and tribal governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); independent school districts; special district governments; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also specifies additional eligible groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions are eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components are allowed consistent with the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
In terms of timing, the FOA was posted and created on June 28, 2012, with an original and current closing date of July 5, 2015, and an archive date of August 5, 2015, indicating that this specific announcement is no longer active for new submissions. The funding opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number PAR-12-218, and the full archived announcement was provided via the NIH grants guide link included in the source data. For technical difficulties accessing the announcement, NIH directed applicants to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Juvenile Protective Factors and Their Effects on Aging (R01) funding opportunity?
It is an NIH research grant solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-12-218) that supported projects focused on discovering and testing "juvenile protective factors" and determining how they influence aging and age-related outcomes.
What is the main scientific idea behind this opportunity?
The opportunity is based on the idea that certain biological features present in childhood and adolescence may protect or enhance function during development, but then naturally diminish, fade, or shut down as the body moves through key maturational transitions. The FOA encouraged research to identify these factors and evaluate what happens if they are maintained, reactivated, or modulated later in life, including both potential benefits and unintended harms.
How does the FOA define "juvenile protective factors"?
"Juvenile protective factors" are defined as physiological factors that support and maintain functions across some or all phases of postnatal development but diminish or disappear during developmental transitions.
Which developmental transition points are highlighted as examples of interest?
The FOA highlights several example transitions, including infancy, adiposity rebound, adrenarche, puberty, and growth cessation.
What is the distinguishing feature of the study design expected under this program?
A defining feature is the expectation that studies directly compare biological states across postnatal stages, or examine changes immediately before versus immediately after a maturational transition, to help pinpoint candidate protective mechanisms.
What types of research approaches were welcomed?
The FOA explicitly welcomed multiple approaches, including descriptive studies (to identify and characterize candidate factors), experimental studies (to test causal hypotheses about long-term effects on aging-related biology and outcomes), and translational studies (to explore implications of maintaining or reactivating factors later in life and to assess tradeoffs).
What are descriptive studies expected to do in this context?
Descriptive studies were intended to identify and characterize candidate juvenile protective factors, map how they vary across developmental stages, and examine how their presence correlates with later-life phenotypes.
What are experimental studies expected to test?
Experimental studies were encouraged to test causal hypotheses about whether particular juvenile protective factors drive long-term effects on aging-related biology, functional outcomes, or vulnerability to disease.
What does the FOA mean by translational studies in this program?
Translational studies were invited to explore real-world implications, such as what might occur if a juvenile protective factor were maintained into adulthood, reactivated later, or adjusted up or down, and what benefits or risks might accompany altering developmental programs in adult life.
Does the FOA focus only on benefits of maintaining juvenile protective factors?
No. The translational emphasis is framed in balanced terms, highlighting both potential benefits and potential risks or unintended harms of keeping factors active or modulating them later in life.
What model systems and study settings were allowed?
NIH indicated flexibility across in vitro systems, laboratory animal models, and human studies. This was intended to accommodate basic mechanistic work, preclinical testing, and human observational and interventional research where feasible and ethical.
What ties the different model systems together under this FOA?
Across systems, the unifying expectations were the developmental comparison requirement (juvenile stage versus after a transition) and the focus on factors that are associated with juvenile stages and decline with maturation.
What grant mechanism did this opportunity use?
This opportunity used the NIH R01 mechanism, which is intended for substantial, hypothesis-driven research projects (as opposed to small pilot grants).
Which CFDA listings were associated with this opportunity?
The FOA is associated with CFDA 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) and CFDA 93.866 (Aging Research).
Was there any cost sharing or matching requirement?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the opportunity.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included domestic and international organizations. Eligible applicants included federal, state, local, and tribal governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); independent school districts; special district governments; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Are specific institution types (like HBCUs or Tribal colleges) mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The FOA specifies additional eligible groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Could foreign institutions apply or participate?
Yes. Foreign institutions were eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations could participate, and foreign components were allowed consistent with the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Is this funding opportunity currently accepting new submissions?
No. The FOA shows an original and current closing date of July 5, 2015, and an archive date of August 5, 2015, indicating that this specific announcement is no longer active for new submissions.
When was the FOA posted and created?
The FOA was posted and created on June 28, 2012.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-12-218.
Where could applicants find the full announcement?
The full archived announcement was provided via an NIH grants guide link included in the source data for this opportunity.
Who was the contact for technical difficulties accessing the announcement?
For technical difficulties accessing the announcement, NIH directed applicants to contact the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.
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