Planning Grants For Translational Research For The Prevention And Control Of Diabetes And Obesity (R34) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the “Planning Grants for Translational Research for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes and Obesity (R34)” opportunity?

It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (PAR-06-358) run by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). It supports planning grants and pilot studies to help move diabetes and obesity interventions that already worked in controlled clinical trials into real-world settings where they can be used at scale.

What is the main purpose of this R34 program?

The purpose is translation and dissemination: taking interventions that have already demonstrated efficacy and figuring out how to implement them in everyday health care systems and community environments in ways that are practical, affordable, and durable over time.

Is this opportunity intended to fund full-scale clinical trials?

No. This announcement specifically supports planning grants and pilot studies rather than full-scale trials. The expectation is that R34 work will generate groundwork for a larger, definitive study later.

What kinds of activities can an R34 planning grant support under this announcement?

Supported activities include generating the groundwork needed for a larger study, such as early testing of implementation approaches, refining intervention delivery models, developing partnerships with delivery settings, working through logistical barriers, and collecting preliminary evidence that the approach is feasible and shows promise for meaningful health outcomes.

What kind of evidence or outcomes is NIDDK looking for from proposed projects?

NIDDK is looking for preliminary data indicating the proposed strategy can realistically be delivered outside a research-only environment and can lead to outcomes such as reduced body weight and/or improved glycemia. There is a strong preference for strategies that are cost-effective and sustainable.

What is the scientific scope of the program?

The scope centers on preventing and controlling diabetes and obesity using interventions that have already demonstrated efficacy in controlled clinical trials, with an emphasis on translating those interventions into representative real-world settings in the United States.

What priority topic areas are highlighted in the announcement?

Priority areas include improving health care delivery for people who have diabetes or are at risk; strengthening diabetes self-management support; creating and testing strategies that promote healthy lifestyles to reduce diabetes risk; promoting lifestyle change that prevents or reverses overweight and obesity; and developing new cost-effective ways to identify people with prediabetes or undiagnosed diabetes.

Does the program focus only on blood sugar (glycemia) outcomes?

No. In addition to glycemic control, the program emphasizes addressing major risk factors for diabetes complications such as hypertension and dyslipidemia, reflecting a broader goal of reducing long-term morbidity through improved overall risk-factor management.

What makes an intervention a good fit for this translational R34?

A good fit is an intervention that has already shown efficacy and is designed to be broadly disseminated and implemented in existing, representative U.S. settings. Applications should show the intervention can fit into routine workflows and real resource constraints, rather than requiring intensive research staffing or unusually high support that would not be available after the study ends.

What types of real-world settings are mentioned as implementation sites?

The announcement points to settings such as health care systems, schools, worksites, and other community-based environments as target sites for implementation.

Are projects expected to plan for dissemination and long-term sustainability?

Yes. A defining feature is the expectation that interventions be designed for broad dissemination and implementation, with attention to practicality, affordability, and durability over time, including a preference for cost-effective and sustainable approaches.

Does the program encourage proposals focused on health equity or high-risk populations?

Yes. The program explicitly encourages proposals that focus on minority populations and other groups at elevated risk who are disproportionately affected by diabetes and obesity.

Who is eligible to apply as an organization?

The program is open to a wide range of domestic organizations, including for-profit and non-profit entities; public and private institutions (such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories); units of state and local government; eligible federal agencies; and faith-based or community-based organizations. Tribal governments and tribally designated organizations are also eligible.

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply under this announcement.

Who can serve as the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI)?

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources to lead the work may serve as PD/PI. The announcement encourages applications from investigators new to diabetes and obesity research, as well as individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and individuals with disabilities.

Can the same applicant submit more than one application?

Yes. Multiple applications may be submitted by the same applicant as long as they are scientifically distinct and do not overlap in scope or budget.

What is the CFDA number and what does it indicate?

The source listing identifies this opportunity as CFDA 93.847, indicating it is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health area.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

How much funding is available per award?

Award size and duration are expected to vary depending on what the pilot or planning work requires. The source listing notes an award ceiling of $150,000.

How many awards will be made?

The number of awards depends on the volume and quality of applications and the availability of funds.

Is this funding opportunity currently open?

No. The last listed closing date was May 7, 2009, with an archive date of June 7, 2009, indicating it is not a currently open competition (though it can still be a useful reference for how NIDDK frames translational planning support).

How does this R34 relate to other NIDDK translational funding mechanisms mentioned?

The announcement notes a companion program announcement with the same scientific scope that uses the R18 translational research project grant mechanism (PA-02-153). In practical terms, the R34 is positioned as a stepping stone to larger-scale research.

What is the practical “stepping stone” role of this R34?

This R34 is meant for teams that have a strong evidence-based intervention in hand and need targeted support to plan, adapt, pilot, and demonstrate feasibility and real-world potential before launching a broader dissemination or implementation study.