Research on the Economics of Diet, Activity and Energy Balance (R21) | Apply Online

FAQs: NIH PA-08-077 - Research on the Economics of Diet, Activity and Energy Balance (R21)

What is NIH funding opportunity PA-08-077?

PA-08-077 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement titled "Research on the Economics of Diet, Activity and Energy Balance (R21)." It supports exploratory and developmental research that applies economics and quantitative methods to questions about diet, physical activity, and energy balance, with obesity as the central public health motivation.

What does "energy balance" mean in this funding opportunity?

In this announcement, energy balance refers to the relationship between diet, physical activity, and body composition. The FOA focuses on the economic forces and policy-relevant drivers that influence eating and activity patterns and ultimately affect obesity rates.

What is the main public health problem this FOA is trying to address?

The FOA frames obesity as a major national, state, and local public health concern. The research emphasis is on building evidence that helps explain why obesity rates change and which interventions are most likely to reduce obesity at the population level.

What types of research are encouraged under PA-08-077?

The FOA encourages studies that clarify how incentives, prices, access, policies, environments, and systems shape diet and physical activity behaviors. It points toward research grounded in economic theory and rigorous quantitative approaches, including econometric and multi-level modeling, to evaluate determinants of behavior and assess the effects of policy or public health interventions.

Is this opportunity focused on biological or clinical mechanisms of obesity?

No. The emphasis is not on purely biological or clinical mechanisms. Instead, the FOA prioritizes economic and policy-relevant explanations for behavior and outcomes, such as how pricing, incentives, access, and environmental or system-level factors influence diet and activity.

Who is this FOA trying to attract as applicants?

The announcement is designed to pull in investigators who typically work in health economics, health services research, and econometric modeling (including multi-level approaches) and encourage them to apply those methods to obesity-related questions involving diet, activity, and energy balance.

Are interdisciplinary teams encouraged?

Yes. The FOA explicitly encourages collaboration between economists and researchers in public health and chronic disease areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions where diet and physical activity are major risk factors.

What grant mechanism does PA-08-077 use?

PA-08-077 uses the NIH R21 mechanism. R21 awards are typically intended for early-stage, exploratory, or high-impact preliminary work that can open new lines of inquiry or generate proof-of-concept evidence.

How does PA-08-077 relate to PA-08-078?

PA-08-077 runs in parallel with a companion announcement of the same scientific scope using the R01 mechanism (PA-08-078). The R01 mechanism is generally more suitable for larger, longer, and more definitive projects, while PA-08-077 (R21) is positioned for innovative, targeted, or pilot-stage work.

What kinds of projects are a good fit for an R21 under this FOA?

Based on the announcement description, strong fits include innovative targeted studies, pilot analyses, new datasets or linkages, novel econometric strategies, and early evaluations that could later be expanded into full-scale research.

What is the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?

The listed award ceiling is $200,000.

Is funding guaranteed if an application is submitted?

No. Funding is contingent on the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of high-quality applications.

Is PA-08-077 currently open for applications?

No. The opportunity was posted on January 17, 2008. The final closing date was November 5, 2011, and the archive date was December 6, 2011. It is no longer open for new applications, but it can still serve as a reference for the type of research NIH sought to stimulate in this area.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of entities, such as state and local governments; county and city governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; special district governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; independent school districts; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; public and private institutions of higher education; small businesses; and for-profit organizations (including distinctions between small businesses and other for-profits).

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

Yes. The announcement states that foreign institutions are eligible to apply.

Can federal agencies apply?

Yes. The announcement indicates that eligible federal agencies may apply.

Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The announcement states that faith-based and community-based organizations may apply.

Which agency sponsors this funding opportunity?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What is the activity category for this FOA?

The activity category is listed under education/health.

What do the CFDA numbers indicate about the scope of this program?

The CFDA numbers associated with the program span multiple NIH-relevant domains, including nursing research, cancer control, blood diseases and resources research, and aging research. This reinforces that the topic is cross-cutting and relevant to multiple chronic disease and population health areas connected to diet and physical activity.

What is the overall goal of the research supported by this FOA?

The FOA aims to bridge economics and public health to strengthen the evidence base on the causes of obesity and the effectiveness of interventions. The stated intent is to generate policy-relevant evidence that can inform federal decision making and guide real-world strategies to reduce obesity in the United States.