Social Network Analysis and Health (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Social Network Analysis and Health (R01) funding opportunity (PAR-10-145)?

PAR-10-145 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary research grant opportunity that supports projects using social network analysis (SNA) to improve understanding of how social connections, interaction patterns, and network structures influence health and health-related behavior.

What type of grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is typically intended for mature, well-developed, hypothesis-driven research programs that require substantial effort and resources.

What is the main purpose or emphasis of this program?

The program is aimed at investigators who want to go beyond describing networks and instead advance the science by strengthening theory, answering foundational questions about how networks function, and developing better tools for studying networks in real-world health contexts.

What are the core scientific goals of the opportunity?

The scientific aims are organized around four broad goals: (1) create new or improved theory to expand what SNA can explain and predict for health research; (2) address fundamental questions about social interactions and processes within networks (formation of relationships, diffusion of influence/information, group organization, and network change over time); (3) tackle foundational questions linking networks to health outcomes and health behaviors; and (4) develop innovative methods and technologies to make SNA easier to apply, more accurate, more scalable, and more informative.

Does the program support theory development in social network analysis?

Yes. A specific goal is to encourage new or improved theories that expand what social network analysis can explain and predict, particularly in ways that make it more valuable for health research.

What kinds of network process questions are encouraged?

The opportunity explicitly invites research on fundamental questions such as how relationships form, how influence and information spread, how groups organize, and how network structures change over time.

What health topics or outcome areas are considered relevant?

The opportunity targets foundational questions connecting networks to health outcomes and behaviors. Examples mentioned include disease prevention and management, treatment engagement, risk behaviors, mental health, substance use, aging, child health, cancer control, cardiovascular health, oral health, and other biomedical or public health areas reflected in the listed CFDA programs.

Does this opportunity fund methods and technology development for SNA?

Yes. A key goal is to support innovative methods and technologies that improve how SNA is done, including advances in measurement, data collection, computational approaches, modeling, and analytic techniques tailored to complex social and health data.

Is this program limited to descriptive social network studies?

No. The stated intent is to move beyond simply describing networks and instead push the science forward through stronger theory, foundational research questions, and improved tools and methods.

Is there a companion NIH opportunity related to this one?

Yes. This R01 opportunity runs in parallel with a companion funding opportunity of the same scientific scope that uses the R21 mechanism (PAR-10-146).

How should an applicant choose between the R01 (PAR-10-145) and the R21 (PAR-10-146)?

Based on the information provided, applicants would generally choose the R01 for a more developed research plan with stronger preliminary grounding and a larger, longer project footprint, and the R21 for earlier-stage or higher-risk exploratory work.

Were the funding amount and number of awards predetermined?

No. NIH did not fix award size or the number of awards in advance. Funding levels and project duration were expected to vary based on application scope, and the total number of awards and dollars depended on submission volume, scientific merit, project periods, and budget requests.

Is cost sharing or matching required to apply?

No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included many types of domestic and non-domestic organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education, public/state-controlled universities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), independent school districts, and a wide range of governmental entities.

Are state, county, and local government entities eligible?

Yes. The eligible applicant types included state, county, city/township, and special district governments, as well as public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations were included in the eligibility list.

Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations were included among eligible applicant types.

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. For-profit organizations, including small businesses, were listed as eligible applicants.

Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?

Yes. Foreign (non-U.S.) entities were listed as eligible, which is notable because not all NIH opportunities allow foreign organizational applicants.

What is the timeline for this opportunity?

Key administrative dates place the opportunity in the 2010-2012 window. It was posted/created on March 19, 2010, with an original and current closing date of May 11, 2012, and it was archived on June 11, 2012.

Is this opportunity still open for applications?

No. The announcement was archived on June 11, 2012, and the listed closing date was May 11, 2012.

Which federal agency sponsored this funding opportunity?

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

What funding activity categories are associated with this opportunity?

The funding activity categories included education, health, income security, and social services, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of social network research and its relevance to health outcomes and broader social determinants.

Where can someone find the official full announcement and requirements?

NIH provided an official link to the archived funding notice for the complete announcement and full requirements.

Who should be contacted for technical access issues related to the announcement?

Technical access questions were directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact.