Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 11 171
Apply for PAR 11 171
- The National Institutes of Health in the environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Role of Environmental Chemical Exposures in the Development of Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113 Environmental Health 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 8, 2012 and posted on Mar 18, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 9, 2012. (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: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments City or township governments Small businesses County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities 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) Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Independent school districts Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Foreign (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) grant opportunity PAR-11-171 is an R21 exploratory/developmental research announcement focused on how environmental chemical exposures may contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The main goal is to push forward early-stage, hypothesis-generating studies that can connect specific chemical exposures with measurable metabolic outcomes, either in humans or in animal models. The emphasis is on moving beyond general correlations by clearly tying an exposure to increased risk or early biological changes that point toward later disease.
A central requirement is that the proposed work must explicitly link an environmental exposure to outcomes such as weight gain, impaired insulin sensitivity, abnormal glucose tolerance, or lipid metabolism changes that are characteristic of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome. The announcement leaves room for many exposure windows, but it strongly highlights developmental periods as likely to be the most sensitive. That means exposures during pregnancy (in utero), the neonatal period, and early childhood are viewed as especially important windows when chemical exposures may shape long-term metabolic programming and disease susceptibility.
For human studies, the FOA signals a clear preference for work that examines developmental exposures and connects them to early biomarkers of disease onset rather than waiting for fully developed clinical disease. In practice, this could include research designs that measure prenatal or early-life chemical exposure and then assess early indicators such as changes in growth trajectories, early insulin resistance signals, inflammatory markers, altered lipid profiles, endocrine disruption signals, or other measurable biomarkers that plausibly sit on the pathway toward later obesity or diabetes. The key idea is to catch the earliest detectable biological shifts that suggest the disease process is being set in motion.
For animal studies, the opportunity encourages researchers to identify and characterize environmental chemicals that can drive metabolic dysfunction. The announcement points directly to outcomes like altered weight gain, changes in insulin sensitivity, impaired glucose tolerance, and disrupted lipid metabolism. This reflects an interest in discovering new or understudied chemicals with obesogenic or diabetogenic effects, as well as generating mechanistic clues that can later be followed up with more definitive studies. Because this is an R21 mechanism, the work is expected to be exploratory, novel, and able to open up new lines of investigation rather than serve as a large, confirmatory trial.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity using the NIH R21 funding instrument, with an award ceiling listed as $200,000. Cost sharing or matching is not required. The program is associated with CFDA numbers 93.113 (Environmental Health) and 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research), reflecting the overlap between environmental health science and developmental origins of health and disease.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common NIH applicant categories: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, small businesses, and for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses). The announcement also notes additional eligible groups such as historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and eligible federal agencies. Importantly, foreign (non-U.S.) entities are allowed, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are also permitted, which opens the door to international cohorts, exposure settings, and collaborations when scientifically justified.
In short, PAR-11-171 is aimed at catalyzing innovative research that connects real-world environmental chemical exposures to the biological and physiological changes that lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, with a strong developmental perspective and a clear expectation that exposure and outcome will be linked in a coherent, testable way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NIH NIEHS PAR-11-171 (R21)
What is PAR-11-171?
PAR-11-171 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) funding opportunity announcement using the R21 exploratory/developmental research mechanism. It supports early-stage, hypothesis-generating research on how environmental chemical exposures may contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The main goal is to catalyze novel, exploratory studies that move beyond general correlations by explicitly linking specific environmental chemical exposures to measurable metabolic outcomes or early biological changes that suggest later disease risk.
Which health outcomes does the FOA focus on?
The FOA focuses on obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, including metabolic features that characterize these conditions such as weight gain, impaired insulin sensitivity, abnormal glucose tolerance, and disrupted lipid metabolism.
What does the FOA require applicants to demonstrate in their proposed research?
A central requirement is that the proposed work must explicitly link an environmental chemical exposure to relevant metabolic outcomes (for example, weight gain or changes in insulin sensitivity) or to measurable early biological changes consistent with pathways toward obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome.
Does the FOA emphasize correlation studies or causal/exposure-linked designs?
The FOA emphasizes moving beyond general correlations by clearly tying an exposure to increased risk or to early biological changes that point toward later disease, using a coherent and testable linkage between exposure and outcome.
Are developmental exposure windows important in PAR-11-171?
Yes. While multiple exposure windows may be considered, the FOA strongly highlights developmental periods as especially sensitive windows, including pregnancy (in utero), the neonatal period, and early childhood.
Why are prenatal and early-life exposures highlighted?
The FOA reflects a developmental origins perspective, emphasizing that exposures during early development may shape long-term metabolic programming and influence later susceptibility to obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Are human studies allowed under this opportunity?
Yes. Human studies are explicitly within scope, particularly those that examine developmental (prenatal or early-life) exposures and connect them to early biomarkers or measurable indicators that suggest disease processes may be initiating.
What kinds of endpoints are encouraged for human studies?
The FOA signals a preference for connecting early-life exposures to early biomarkers of disease onset rather than waiting for fully developed clinical disease. Examples described include changes in growth trajectories, early signals of insulin resistance, inflammatory markers, altered lipid profiles, endocrine disruption signals, and other measurable biomarkers plausibly on the pathway to later obesity or diabetes.
Does the FOA require studies to measure fully developed obesity or type 2 diabetes in humans?
No. The FOA indicates a preference for research that detects the earliest measurable biological shifts linked to exposure, rather than requiring observation of fully developed clinical disease.
Are animal studies allowed under this opportunity?
Yes. Animal studies are encouraged, particularly those that identify and characterize environmental chemicals capable of driving metabolic dysfunction.
What outcomes are highlighted for animal studies?
The FOA points to outcomes such as altered weight gain, changes in insulin sensitivity, impaired glucose tolerance, and disrupted lipid metabolism, consistent with obesogenic or diabetogenic effects.
Does the FOA encourage research on new or understudied chemicals?
Yes. The announcement reflects interest in discovering new or understudied chemicals with potential obesogenic or diabetogenic effects and generating mechanistic clues that can be followed up in later, more definitive research.
What does it mean that this is an R21 mechanism?
R21 awards are intended to support exploratory, developmental, and novel research. In this FOA, that translates to early-stage, hypothesis-generating studies designed to open new lines of investigation rather than large, confirmatory trials.
What is the funding ceiling for PAR-11-171?
The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. Cost sharing or matching is not required for this opportunity.
Which NIH institute is associated with this FOA?
The opportunity is associated with the NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
What CFDA numbers are associated with this program?
The program is associated with CFDA 93.113 (Environmental Health) and CFDA 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; state and local governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; small businesses; and for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses).
Are minority-serving and mission-based organizations specifically mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The FOA notes eligibility for groups such as historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and faith-based and community-based organizations.
Are U.S. territories or regional organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations among eligible applicants.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA indicates that eligible federal agencies can apply.
Can foreign (non-U.S.) organizations apply?
Yes. Foreign (non-U.S.) entities are allowed under this opportunity.
Are foreign components of U.S. organizations permitted?
Yes. The FOA permits foreign components of U.S. organizations, enabling international cohorts, exposure settings, and collaborations when scientifically justified.
What types of research designs fit well with this FOA based on the description?
Based on the description, good fits include studies that measure environmental chemical exposures (especially during sensitive developmental periods) and then assess metabolic outcomes or early biomarkers that indicate altered metabolic programming or increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, or metabolic syndrome, in either humans or animal models.
What is the overall emphasis of PAR-11-171 in one sentence?
PAR-11-171 aims to jump-start innovative, early-stage research that explicitly links environmental chemical exposures to measurable metabolic changes leading toward obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, with a strong emphasis on sensitive developmental exposure windows.
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Previous opportunity: Role of Environmental Chemical Exposures in the Development of Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (R01)
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