Modeling of Infectious Disease Agent Study Research Projects (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the official name of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled Modeling of Infectious Disease Agent Study Research Projects (R01).

What is the funding opportunity number or identifier?

The funding opportunity is identified as PA 16-107.

Which agency sponsors this program?

The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), identified as HHS-NIH11.

Is this a government grant, and what type of program is it?

Yes. It is an NIH grant program described as a discretionary program intended to support research projects in computational modeling for infectious diseases.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

This opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.859.

What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

The award mechanism is the NIH R01 research project grant.

What is the central aim of PA 16-107?

The central aim is to support innovative research that advances computational modeling for infectious diseases, including developing and applying new or improved computational tools, methods, and modeling approaches.

What kinds of modeling outcomes is the program looking for?

The opportunity emphasizes models that are not only academically interesting, but also practically useful for real-world decision-making by researchers, policymakers, and public health practitioners.

What kinds of scientific questions or dynamics should models capture?

Projects are framed around modeling that can capture: (1) how infectious agents interact with their hosts, (2) how diseases spread through populations, and (3) how outbreaks might be predicted and managed.

How does this opportunity relate to public health preparedness and response?

A key emphasis is strengthening the scientific and public health community's ability to prepare for and respond to infectious disease threats. The program encourages work that improves preparedness, identification, detection, control, and prevention of infectious disease spread.

Are biodefense or intentionally released agents included in scope?

Yes. The description explicitly notes relevance to both naturally occurring pathogens and intentionally released agents, including mention of biodefense-related pathogens.

What kinds of practical public health outputs are highlighted as aligned with the announcement?

The opportunity signals interest in outputs that can inform public health action, including prediction systems, scenario testing, and evaluation of intervention or response strategies, as well as tools that support situational awareness during public health emergencies.

Is the program more method-development focused, hypothesis-driven, or both?

It is positioned to support investigator-initiated research that may be hypothesis-driven and/or method-focused, with enough scope to build, validate, and apply modeling systems.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic organizations and government entities, including state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as described in the additional eligibility language of the announcement.

Does the opportunity support applications from academic institutions?

Yes. Both public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.

Can government organizations apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include multiple government entities such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments.

Are tribal governments or tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed among eligible applicants.

Are nonprofits eligible, including those without 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status, with the caveat that higher education institutions are excluded from those nonprofit categories as stated in the provided summary.

Can for-profit organizations apply?

Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

Are independent school districts eligible applicants?

Yes. Independent school districts are explicitly included in the eligibility list.

Are public housing authorities included as eligible applicants?

Yes. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicants.

When was this funding opportunity posted/created?

The opportunity was posted and created on February 22, 2016.

What is the closing date for this opportunity?

The original and current closing date provided is May 7, 2019.

Does the summary provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?

No. The provided summary does not state an award ceiling or an expected number of awards.

What is the overall purpose of the program in plain terms?

It is a call for computational and quantitative research that improves how infectious disease dynamics are represented and forecasted, and how modeling can be used to guide public health preparedness and response, including scenarios involving high-consequence pathogens and biodefense concerns.