The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R21) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title and funding opportunity number for this NIH grant?

The funding opportunity is titled "The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R21)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PA-11-163.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

This NIH opportunity supports exploratory and developmental research that aims to understand and reduce the role of racial and ethnic discrimination and bias within U.S. health care delivery systems, with the overarching goal of addressing racial and ethnic health disparities.

What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for innovative, early-stage projects that can generate practical evidence, new methods, or pilot data that may lead to larger future studies or scaled interventions.

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

Projects that are innovative and early-stage, positioned to produce pilot data, new measurement approaches, or proof-of-concept intervention findings, and that can serve as a foundation for larger studies or broader implementation efforts in health care delivery settings.

What is the overall focus area of the research?

The FOA focuses on racial and ethnic discrimination and bias as they operate in real-world clinical settings and health systems, including how discrimination can be measured more accurately, how it contributes to health disparities, and how it can be mitigated through practical interventions.

Is measurement of discrimination and bias a priority in this FOA?

Yes. A central emphasis is improving how discrimination and bias are measured in health care delivery, including developing or refining instruments and approaches that capture discrimination more reliably and with greater real-world relevance.

What measurement-related activities does NIH encourage under this announcement?

The FOA encourages efforts such as creating better survey tools, improving observational methods, strengthening administrative or clinical data capture, integrating multiple data sources, and advancing statistical and analytic techniques to detect discrimination, including when it is subtle, systemic, or embedded in processes.

Does the FOA encourage moving beyond simplistic measures of discrimination?

Yes. The announcement signals interest in approaches that go beyond one-dimensional measures and instead account for context, setting, patient and provider characteristics, and institutional factors that influence care.

What kinds of health care delivery outcomes or pathways can be studied?

The FOA highlights research across the continuum of health and disease, including disease incidence, diagnostic pathways, treatment recommendations, quality of care, adherence support, patient experience, and health outcomes.

Which populations does this FOA particularly focus on?

The announcement is particularly focused on disadvantaged racial and ethnic minority groups in the context of health care delivery and health disparities.

What mechanisms of discrimination in health care does the FOA encourage applicants to examine?

Applicants are encouraged to study how discrimination affects clinical decision-making, communication, access to services, care coordination, referral patterns, and follow-up, including identifying mechanisms that drive disparate processes and outcomes.

At what levels can discrimination and bias be examined in proposed research?

Projects may explore discrimination at multiple levels, including interpersonal interactions, organizational policies and routines, and broader structural patterns that shape how care is delivered.

Does this funding opportunity support intervention development?

Yes. A major component is intervention development intended to reduce the influence of discrimination and bias on health care delivery and thereby lower racial and ethnic health disparities.

What kinds of interventions are contemplated by the FOA?

The FOA does not prescribe a single intervention type, but it points toward practical strategies that can be implemented within health care systems and clinics to change care processes, reduce biased decision points, improve accountability, enhance equity-focused training or clinical supports, or re-engineer systems to reduce opportunities for discriminatory outcomes.

What stage of intervention work is appropriate for an R21 in this FOA?

Because this is an R21, intervention projects may be proof-of-concept, pilot, or early evaluation efforts, often emphasizing feasibility, acceptability, preliminary effectiveness, and improved measurement.

What is the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?

The award ceiling listed in the opportunity is $200,000.

Is cost-sharing or matching required?

No. The FOA states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

When was this FOA posted, and when did it close?

The FOA was posted on March 17, 2011. The final closing date was May 7, 2014, and the opportunity was archived on June 7, 2014.

Is this funding opportunity still open for applications?

No. Based on the provided dates, the final closing date has passed and the opportunity is archived.

What broad research areas does NIH associate with this announcement?

The funding activity aligns with health and education-related research areas and is associated with multiple CFDA numbers spanning sleep disorders, cancer research (cause and prevention, detection and diagnosis, treatment, control), and cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases research, indicating the topic is cross-cutting across disease areas and clinical contexts.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and multiple levels of government (state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts).

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other tribal organizations, as well as institutions such as Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicants.

Are minority-serving institutions specifically included?

Yes. The FOA explicitly lists institution types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are listed as eligible, reflecting an expectation that research and interventions in this area may involve strong community engagement and partnerships.

Are non-U.S. entities allowed to apply?

Yes. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed, although the FOA focus is explicitly on reducing discrimination in U.S. health care delivery systems.

Where can applicants find the official archived FOA text?

The official NIH FOA page link provided is: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-163.html

Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement?

For technical issues, the contact provided is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.