Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 06 234
Apply for PA 06 234
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research on Social Work Practice and Concepts in Health (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.361 Nursing Research 93.399 Cancer Control 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 5, 2008 and posted on Mar 10, 2006.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2009 Multiple Receipt Dates See Link to Full Announcement for details.. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Independent school districts County governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Special district governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
- Foreign institutions are eligible to apply. Eligible agencies of the Federal Government are eligible to apply.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Research on Social Work Practice and Concepts in Health (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA 06-234) supported exploratory, early-stage research aimed at strengthening the evidence base for social work practice, concepts, and theory in ways that align with NIH's larger public health mission. The central purpose was to encourage empirical studies that can improve health outcomes for people living with medical and behavioral disorders and conditions, with an emphasis on generating new knowledge about what social workers do, why it works, and how social work approaches can be refined and tested to produce measurable health benefits. Because it uses the NIH R21 mechanism, the opportunity was geared toward innovative, developmental projects, including piloting new interventions, testing novel theoretical models, developing or refining measures, or producing preliminary data that could later support larger-scale clinical or services research.
This FOA fell under the broad activity areas of education, health, income security, and social services, reflecting the real-world role social work often plays at the intersection of healthcare delivery, behavioral health, and social determinants of health. The announcement was linked to multiple NIH program areas (as reflected by the CFDA numbers listed), including mental health, alcohol research, drug abuse and addiction, nursing research, cancer control, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, child health and human development, and aging. In practical terms, that meant a wide range of health-related topics could fit, as long as the project centered on social work practice and the concepts or theories that guide it, and as long as the work was empirical and tied to improving health outcomes. The broad scope signaled that NIH was interested in social work-relevant research across the lifespan, across diverse conditions, and across different care settings, such as hospitals, primary care, community clinics, schools, or community-based and social service organizations.
The award information indicates a maximum budget ceiling of $200,000, with no cost sharing or matching requirement. As an R21, funding was intended to enable smaller, time-limited projects that are high-impact and potentially high-risk, helping investigators move promising ideas forward without needing the scale of an R01-level study at the outset. The announcement used multiple receipt dates, meaning applications could be submitted on recurring NIH deadlines during the active period of the FOA rather than on a single one-time due date.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of organizations that commonly partner with or employ social work researchers. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations), state, county, and city/township governments, independent school districts, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations, and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses). Importantly, foreign institutions were eligible to apply, and eligible federal agencies could also submit applications. This wide eligibility reflected an intent to encourage research that is grounded in real service systems and community contexts, not limited to academic medical centers alone.
Key timing and administrative details include an original posting date of March 10, 2006, with the opportunity later archived on June 7, 2009. The last listed closing date in the provided record is May 7, 2009, though the FOA referenced multiple receipt dates and directed applicants to the full announcement for the specific schedule. The administering agency was the NIH, and applicants were directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) for technical help accessing or linking to the announcement, using the contact email FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV. The full FOA text was made available through the NIH grants guide at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-234.html.
Overall, this opportunity was designed to stimulate rigorous, data-driven social work research that connects practice methods and theoretical frameworks to tangible health outcomes. It encouraged investigators to examine how social work interventions and practice models can prevent illness, improve treatment engagement and adherence, address behavioral health needs, reduce health disparities, and strengthen care coordination and support systems for individuals, families, and communities affected by medical and behavioral conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIH funding opportunity "Research on Social Work Practice and Concepts in Health (R21)"?
This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PA 06-234) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) announcement supporting exploratory, early-stage research on social work practice, concepts, and theory as they relate to health. It used the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for innovative, developmental projects that can generate new knowledge and preliminary evidence.
What was the main purpose of this FOA?
The central purpose was to strengthen the evidence base for social work practice by encouraging empirical studies that improve health outcomes for people living with medical and behavioral disorders and conditions. A key emphasis was on understanding what social workers do, why it works, and how social work approaches can be refined and tested to produce measurable health benefits.
What kind of research did the R21 mechanism support under this announcement?
Because it used the R21 mechanism, the FOA focused on exploratory and developmental work, such as piloting new interventions, testing novel theoretical models, developing or refining measures, and producing preliminary data that could later support larger-scale clinical or services research.
Did the FOA require projects to be empirical and tied to health outcomes?
Yes. The scope described the work as empirical and connected to improving health outcomes. Projects were expected to generate data-driven findings and link social work practice methods or guiding concepts/theories to tangible health-related impacts.
What health topics could fit under this opportunity?
The FOA had a broad health-related scope, spanning multiple NIH program areas (as reflected by the CFDA numbers listed in the announcement record). Examples of areas referenced included mental health, alcohol research, drug abuse and addiction, nursing research, cancer control, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, child health and human development, and aging. The key was that the project centered on social work practice and the concepts or theories guiding that practice, with a clear connection to health outcomes.
Was this FOA limited to certain populations or life stages?
No. The opportunity signaled interest in social work-relevant research across the lifespan and across diverse conditions, as long as the work remained grounded in social work practice and was linked to improving health outcomes.
In what settings could the proposed research take place?
The FOA indicated relevance across different care and service settings, such as hospitals, primary care, community clinics, schools, and community-based or social service organizations. The intent was to encourage research grounded in real service systems and community contexts.
What activity areas did this opportunity fall under?
The announcement fell under broad activity areas of education, health, income security, and social services, reflecting social work's role at the intersection of healthcare delivery, behavioral health, and social determinants of health.
What was the maximum budget mentioned for awards under this opportunity?
The award information indicated a maximum budget ceiling of $200,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Why did NIH use the R21 mechanism for this topic?
The R21 mechanism is designed to support smaller, time-limited projects that may be high-impact and potentially high-risk. Under this FOA, it was intended to help investigators move promising ideas forward without needing the scale of an R01-level study at the outset.
Were applications due on a single deadline or multiple deadlines?
The FOA used multiple receipt dates, meaning applications could be submitted on recurring NIH deadlines during the active period of the announcement rather than on one single due date.
When was this FOA originally posted?
The original posting date listed in the record was March 10, 2006.
When was the opportunity archived?
The record indicates the opportunity was archived on June 7, 2009.
What was the last listed closing date in the provided record?
The last listed closing date in the provided record was May 7, 2009. The FOA also referenced multiple receipt dates and directed applicants to the full announcement for the specific schedule.
Who administered this funding opportunity?
The administering agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Where could applicants find the full FOA text?
The full announcement text was available through the NIH Grants Guide at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-234.html.
What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations); state, county, and city/township governments; independent school districts; special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses). Eligible federal agencies could also apply.
Were foreign institutions eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility information indicated that foreign institutions were eligible to apply.
Were for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes, for-profit organizations were eligible under the description provided, with the specific note that eligibility included for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
Did the FOA encourage community- or service-system-grounded research?
Yes. The breadth of eligible applicants and the emphasis on settings like clinics, schools, and community organizations reflected an intent to support research grounded in real-world service systems and community contexts, not limited to academic medical centers.
What kinds of outcomes or impacts did NIH emphasize for this social work research?
The opportunity emphasized improving health outcomes and encouraged research examining how social work interventions and practice models can prevent illness, improve treatment engagement and adherence, address behavioral health needs, reduce health disparities, and strengthen care coordination and support systems for individuals, families, and communities affected by medical and behavioral conditions.
Where could applicants get technical help related to accessing or linking to the announcement?
Applicants were directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) for technical help, using the contact email FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number provided was PA 06-234.
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