Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 12 184
Apply for PA 12 184
- The National Institutes of Health in the environment health income security and social services 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 May 11, 2012 and posted on May 11, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 7, 2015. (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: For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts City or township governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses 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) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Role of Environmental Chemical Exposures in the Development of Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-12-184) is an NIH/NIEHS funding announcement aimed at supporting exploratory research on how environmental chemical exposures contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The central expectation is that proposed projects do more than measure exposure or describe associations in general terms; they need to explicitly connect a specific environmental chemical exposure (or clearly defined set of exposures) to increased risk or incidence of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and/or key features of metabolic syndrome, using either animal models or human study designs.
A major scientific emphasis of the announcement is developmental timing. Although exposures at any life stage can be studied, the FOA highlights that the most sensitive and informative exposure windows are likely during development, such as in utero, the neonatal period, and early childhood. For human studies, this means applicants are encouraged to focus on prenatal and early-life exposures and to link those exposures to early biomarkers that signal the beginning of metabolic dysfunction rather than waiting for full clinical disease to appear years later. In practical terms, that could include biomarkers related to insulin resistance, glucose regulation, lipid profiles, adiposity trajectories, inflammatory signaling, endocrine disruption, or other measurable indicators that precede overt obesity or diabetes.
For animal studies, the announcement points researchers toward identifying and characterizing environmental chemicals that can drive metabolic changes relevant to these disorders. The FOA specifically calls for work that can demonstrate altered weight gain patterns, impaired insulin sensitivity, disrupted glucose tolerance, and changes in lipid metabolism that resemble or predict obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome. The intent is to stimulate discovery-oriented, mechanistically informative studies that can flag previously unrecognized or understudied chemicals as potential contributors to metabolic disease, and to clarify how those exposures might reprogram metabolic pathways, particularly when exposure occurs during critical developmental periods.
This is an R21 mechanism, which generally aligns with early-stage, high-impact, or proof-of-concept research rather than large, definitive clinical trials. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity falls under an NIH discretionary grant category and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.113 (Environmental Health) and 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research), reflecting both environmental health and developmental dimensions of the research topic.
Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of domestic and international institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants span public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities, school districts, and various mission-specific institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations. Foreign institutions are also eligible, as are foreign components of U.S. organizations, consistent with NIH policy.
Administratively, the FOA was posted on May 11, 2012, with an original and final closing date of September 7, 2015, and it was archived on October 8, 2015. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as the issuing institute. The full announcement was hosted on the NIH grants website (PA-12-184), and support contacts were routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster for access or linking issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?
The opportunity is titled "Role of Environmental Chemical Exposures in the Development of Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (R21)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PA-12-184.
Which agency and institute sponsor this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The issuing institute is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
What is the main purpose of this funding announcement?
This FOA supports exploratory research on how environmental chemical exposures contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. A core expectation is that the project explicitly connects a specific environmental chemical exposure (or a clearly defined set of exposures) to increased risk or incidence of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and/or key features of metabolic syndrome.
What types of studies are encouraged (human, animal, or both)?
Both human study designs and animal models are encouraged, as long as the work goes beyond general exposure measurement or broad association descriptions and instead tests an explicit linkage between a defined exposure and metabolic outcomes or precursors.
Does the FOA allow studies at any life stage?
Yes. Exposures at any life stage can be studied, but the FOA emphasizes developmental timing and highlights that the most sensitive and informative exposure windows are likely during development (for example, in utero, the neonatal period, and early childhood).
Why does the FOA emphasize developmental timing?
The announcement highlights development as a likely sensitive window in which environmental chemical exposures may influence or reprogram metabolic pathways in ways that increase later risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
For human studies, what exposure windows does the FOA prioritize?
For human studies, applicants are encouraged to focus on prenatal and early-life exposures (such as in utero and early childhood) and connect those exposures to early indicators of metabolic dysfunction.
For human studies, does the FOA require waiting for full clinical disease outcomes?
No. The FOA encourages linking early-life exposures to early biomarkers that signal the beginning of metabolic dysfunction rather than waiting for full clinical disease (such as overt obesity or type 2 diabetes) to appear years later.
What kinds of biomarkers are considered relevant for human studies under this FOA?
The FOA points to biomarkers related to insulin resistance, glucose regulation, lipid profiles, adiposity trajectories, inflammatory signaling, endocrine disruption, and other measurable indicators that precede overt obesity or diabetes.
For animal studies, what types of outcomes or endpoints does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes animal studies that can demonstrate metabolic changes relevant to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome, including altered weight gain patterns, impaired insulin sensitivity, disrupted glucose tolerance, and changes in lipid metabolism.
What is the scientific intent for animal model work in this announcement?
The intent is to identify and characterize environmental chemicals that can drive metabolic changes resembling or predicting obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome, and to clarify how exposures may reprogram metabolic pathways, especially during critical developmental periods.
Does this FOA focus on discovery-oriented or definitive clinical trials?
This is an R21 mechanism, which generally aligns with early-stage, high-impact, proof-of-concept, or exploratory research rather than large, definitive clinical trials.
What is the grant mechanism used for this opportunity?
The opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism.
What is the listed award ceiling?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What category of grant is this considered?
The opportunity falls under an NIH discretionary grant category.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The FOA 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 domestic and international institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); state and local governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; public housing authorities; school districts; and various mission-specific institutions and community-based or faith-based organizations.
Are minority-serving institutions and similar organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA lists eligibility for organizations such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and other similar mission-specific institutions.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
Yes. Foreign institutions are eligible, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are also eligible, consistent with NIH policy.
When was the FOA posted and when did it close?
The FOA was posted on May 11, 2012. The original and final closing date was September 7, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. The FOA is archived. It was archived on October 8, 2015, and the final closing date was September 7, 2015.
Where was the full announcement hosted?
The full announcement was hosted on the NIH grants website under PA-12-184.
Who was listed as the contact for support or access/linking issues?
Support contacts for access or linking issues were routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster.
What does the FOA mean by requiring a "specific exposure" rather than general exposure measurement?
Based on the FOA description, projects are expected to move beyond simply measuring exposure levels or reporting broad associations. They should clearly define a particular environmental chemical exposure (or defined set of exposures) and explicitly connect it to increased risk or incidence of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and/or metabolic syndrome features using an animal model or a human study design.
What kinds of research contributions does the FOA aim to stimulate?
The FOA aims to stimulate discovery-oriented, mechanistically informative studies that can identify previously unrecognized or understudied chemicals as potential contributors to metabolic disease and clarify how those exposures may influence metabolic pathways, particularly during developmental windows.
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| Developmental Pharmacology and Toxicology Role of Ontogeny (R03) Apply for PAR 13 307 Funding Number: PAR 13 307 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $50,000 |
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| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Exploratory/Developmental Projects in Translational Research (R21) Apply for PAR 15 315 Funding Number: PAR 15 315 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Developmental Pharmacology (R03) Apply for PAR 08 215 Funding Number: PAR 08 215 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Cooperative Research Projects (U01) Apply for PAR 10 180 Funding Number: PAR 10 180 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Research Centers of Excellence (U54) Apply for PAR 10 181 Funding Number: PAR 10 181 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Developmental Pharmacology (R01) Apply for PAR 11 057 Funding Number: PAR 11 057 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $499,999 |
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