The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on Health Risk Behaviors in Children and Adolescents (R03) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The NIH funding opportunity "The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on Health Risk Behaviors in Children and Adolescents (R03)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-06-402) supports small, targeted research projects that explore how religious and spiritual beliefs form in young people, how those beliefs are passed down across generations, and how they may shape behaviors tied to HIV transmission risk. The central scientific aim is to unpack the pathways behind these effects by studying mechanisms, mediators, and moderators that explain when, why, and for whom religiosity and spirituality influence early sexual behavior and alcohol or other drug use among children and adolescents. A key feature of the announcement is that it explicitly invites research that considers both positive and negative influences of religiosity and spirituality, rather than assuming they are uniformly protective or uniformly harmful.

The FOA encourages a wide range of study designs, including qualitative studies (such as interviews, focus groups, ethnography, or community-based inquiry), quantitative studies (including surveys, longitudinal analyses, and statistical modeling), and mixed-methods projects that combine both approaches. The intent is to generate credible, testable insights into how beliefs and practices are learned within families and communities, how they interact with development and social context, and how they connect to specific risk behaviors that can facilitate HIV transmission. Because the United States has an increasingly plural religious environment, the FOA also emphasizes the importance of studying multiple religious traditions and the diverse beliefs and behavioral norms they promote, rather than limiting research to a single faith perspective.

This opportunity uses the NIH Small Research Grant (R03) mechanism, which is designed for projects that are limited in scope and can be completed relatively quickly with modest resources. The R03 mechanism is commonly used for pilot and feasibility work, secondary analysis of existing datasets, small self-contained research studies, and the development or refinement of research methods or tools (including new measurement approaches or research technologies). The award is not renewable, reinforcing its purpose as a short-term, tightly focused grant that can produce preliminary findings, proof-of-concept data, or methodological advances that may support larger future studies.

Applicants may request up to $50,000 per year in direct costs for a project period of up to two years, for a maximum of $100,000 in direct costs over the full two-year period. The exact size and duration of any given award may vary based on the proposed work, and the total number of awards depends on available funds, the number of submissions under the mechanism, and the scientific merit, duration, and costs of the applications received. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit and nonprofit organizations as well as public and private institutions such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories. Units of state and local government, eligible federal agencies, and domestic or foreign institutions may apply. The FOA explicitly allows faith-based and community-based organizations to apply, along with Indian/Native American tribal governments (both federally recognized and other than federally recognized) and tribally designated organizations. In practical terms, this wide eligibility reflects the reality that research on youth religiosity and spirituality often benefits from community partnerships and access to culturally specific settings.

The Principal Investigator/Project Director eligibility is also inclusive: any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources to carry out the work may serve as PD/PI, and individuals with disabilities are specifically encouraged to apply for NIH support. The FOA allows an applicant organization to submit more than one application as long as each proposed project is scientifically distinct, meaning the aims, approach, or datasets are meaningfully different rather than overlapping versions of the same study.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant under NIH and aligns with program areas reflected in the CFDA numbers 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs), 93.361 (Nursing Research), and 93.865 (Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research), which signals the cross-cutting nature of the topic across substance use, adolescent health, and developmental research. The FOA is part of a set of parallel announcements with the same scientific scope offered under other NIH mechanisms, including an R01 (PA-06-401) for larger, longer-term projects and an R21 (PA-06-403) for exploratory/developmental studies. Receipt dates were offered on a multiple-deadline cycle during the active period of the announcement, with posting dated May 9, 2006, and the announcement archived after the final closing window (current closing date listed as September 7, 2009; archive date October 7, 2009).

In plain terms, this R03 FOA was meant to seed well-defined, smaller studies that clarify how religious and spiritual life intersects with adolescent decision-making and risk, especially in relation to early sexual activity and substance use, and how those influences may either reduce or increase HIV-related vulnerability depending on context, tradition, family transmission, and individual development.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: National Institutes of Health

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services

Next opportunity: Studies of Energy Balance and Cancer in Humans (R21)

Previous opportunity: Developmental Projects in Complementary Approaches to Cancer Care (R21)

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for PA 06 402

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PA 06 402) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "PA 06 402", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.