Non-healing Ulcerative Wounds in Aging (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NIH "Non-healing Ulcerative Wounds in Aging (R01)" (PA-16-230)

What is the purpose of this NIH funding opportunity?

This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports investigator-initiated research that improves understanding and care of chronic, non-healing ulcerative wounds in the context of aging. The goal is to generate knowledge that explains why these wounds fail to heal in older adults and helps move the field toward evidence-based approaches for diagnosing, evaluating, preventing, and treating them.

What is the funding opportunity number and title?

The FOA is titled "Non-healing Ulcerative Wounds in Aging (R01)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PA-16-230.

Which agency is sponsoring this opportunity?

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

What grant mechanism does this FOA use?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is a standard NIH research project grant mechanism.

What types of research projects are encouraged under this FOA?

The FOA supports basic, clinical, and translational research projects, as long as they have a clear emphasis on chronic, non-healing ulcerative wounds in aging and address problems that disproportionately affect older adults or are worsened by age-related biological changes.

Does the FOA focus specifically on older adults?

Yes. The FOA emphasizes conditions and mechanisms that are particularly relevant to older adults, including age-related biological changes and systemic conditions common later in life that may influence wound development, persistence, and healing outcomes.

What are the main research areas highlighted by NIH in this announcement?

The FOA encourages proposals across three interconnected areas: (1) biology, etiology, and pathophysiology of non-healing ulcerative wounds in aging; (2) translation of basic and clinical findings into clinical practice and health decision-making; and (3) diagnosis, prevention, management, and clinical outcomes for non-healing wounds in older adults.

What kinds of biological or mechanistic topics are considered relevant?

The FOA describes multiple age-associated mechanisms that may contribute to impaired wound repair and chronicity, including altered inflammation, reduced vascular function, impaired immune response, changes in skin structure and extracellular matrix, cellular senescence, metabolic dysfunction, and other age-related factors.

Are animal models allowed, or must research be done in human participants?

The FOA explicitly allows research using animal models and/or studies in older adults to investigate the biology, etiology, and pathophysiology of non-healing ulcerative wounds.

Does the FOA support research on how wounds start and why they persist?

Yes. The FOA encourages projects that examine how ulcerative wounds begin, why they become chronic, and how age-related systemic conditions (for example, reduced mobility or comorbid illness) may affect the wound environment and healing trajectory.

What does the FOA mean by a "translational" emphasis?

In this FOA, translational emphasis means proposals should aim to bridge research findings toward real-world clinical use. Examples described include testing promising targets, validating biomarkers or risk models, developing or improving interventions, and generating data that can inform clinical guidelines and care pathways for older adults.

Does this FOA address clinical decision-making and health system considerations?

Yes. The FOA states that translational work can include evidence or tools that improve how clinicians and health systems choose wound care strategies for older adults, with attention to improving decision quality, patient outcomes, and resource use.

What topics are included under diagnosis and prevention?

The FOA highlights research aimed at earlier identification of wounds likely to become chronic and prevention strategies for high-risk older populations.

What management approaches are specifically mentioned as examples?

Examples of comparative approaches to management mentioned in the FOA include dressings, debridement strategies, infection control, offloading and pressure redistribution, vascular evaluation, nutrition-related approaches, and multi-component care models.

What clinical outcomes are considered important beyond wound closure?

The FOA notes outcomes beyond closure alone, including recurrence, infection and hospitalization, pain, function and mobility, quality of life, caregiver burden, and other consequences that matter in geriatric care.

How does the FOA frame non-healing ulcerative wounds in older people?

The FOA frames these wounds as complex chronic conditions rather than isolated skin problems, with significant downstream effects. Funded research is expected to strengthen the evidence base so clinicians have clearer guidance and patients receive more effective, personalized, and timely care.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are broad and include many types of U.S. organizations, including state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other applicants as allowed under NIH policy.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA states that for-profit organizations, including small businesses, are eligible applicants.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes both federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations among eligible applicants.

What are the funding activity categories associated with this opportunity?

The FOA is listed under the Health and Education funding activity categories.

When was this FOA posted, and what is the listed closing date?

The FOA was posted on May 6, 2016. The listed closing date is September 7, 2019, with a note that NIH opportunities like this may have had multiple receipt dates or updates over time depending on reissuance practices.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this FOA?

This opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.361 and 93.866.

Does the FOA require that projects be purely mechanistic, or can they be outcomes-focused?

The FOA supports both mechanistic work (explaining drivers of non-healing in aging) and outcomes-focused research (diagnosis, prevention, management, and assessment of clinically meaningful outcomes), with an overall expectation that supported studies advance scientific understanding and clinical impact.

What is the overall expected impact of research funded through this FOA?

The FOA aims to advance scientific understanding of why ulcerative wounds become non-healing in older adults and to translate that knowledge into better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, ultimately strengthening evidence-based care, improving evaluation and treatment guidance, and benefiting patients through more effective and timely care.