Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NR 13 003
Apply for RFA NR 13 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Influence of the Microbiome on Preterm Labor and Delivery (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361 Nursing Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 11, 2013 and posted on Feb 11, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 9, 2013. (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: Small businesses Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) State governments Special district governments Independent school districts Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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 not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity "The Influence of the Microbiome on Preterm Labor and Delivery (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-NR-13-003) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement led by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). It focuses on advancing research that clarifies how the human microbiome may contribute to preterm labor and preterm delivery, building directly on foundational knowledge and tools generated through the NIH Human Microbiome Project (HMP). The central idea is that preterm birth remains a major public health challenge and a leading driver of neonatal illness and death, and while many factors are known or suspected to influence risk, microorganisms and microbiome-related processes may be a key piece of the puzzle that still needs much deeper, mechanism-focused investigation.
A major motivation for this opportunity is evidence from the Human Microbiome Project and related work showing that the bacterial communities in women can shift across pregnancy. NINR is specifically looking for studies that go beyond simply describing which microbes are present, and instead aim to improve understanding of how microbiome changes might be associated with increased risk for preterm labor and delivery, including the potential pathways and mechanisms involved. The opportunity highlights the need to integrate microbiome science with genetic and environmental influences, reflecting the reality that preterm birth risk is complex and likely shaped by interactions among host biology, microbial ecosystems, and contextual factors such as exposures, stressors, behaviors, and clinical conditions.
This is an R21 mechanism, meaning it is intended to support exploratory and developmental research. In practice, R21 awards are often used to generate early-stage data, test innovative hypotheses, pilot emerging methods, or establish feasibility for larger future studies. The award ceiling listed for this announcement is $200,000, and it explicitly notes that cost sharing or matching is not required. The activity category is listed under Education and Health, and the CFDA number is 93.361 (Nursing Research), underscoring that NINR is positioning nursing science as a central contributor to this research area, particularly where patient-centered, clinical, behavioral, and translational perspectives are important.
The announcement strongly encourages interdisciplinary collaborations, with an emphasis on including nurse scientists as part of the project team. That emphasis signals that NINR is not only interested in microbiology or genomics in isolation, but also in how microbiome-related discoveries can be meaningfully connected to clinical observation, maternal and neonatal outcomes, prevention strategies, and real-world care contexts where nursing research has particular strength. Applicants are also encouraged to consider leveraging resources from Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs and/or other federally funded research centers when possible. This guidance is a practical nudge to use existing infrastructure for recruiting participants, managing biospecimens, supporting biostatistics and informatics, ensuring regulatory compliance, and accelerating translation from discovery to clinical relevance.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and a wide range of governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special district, and certain housing authorities). The eligibility section also explicitly includes many institution types and community-centered entities 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 Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. At the same time, the announcement makes clear that non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed under NIH policy for this opportunity.
Key administrative details place this opportunity in early 2013: it was posted and created on February 11, 2013, with an original and current closing date of May 9, 2013, and an archive date of June 9, 2013. The full announcement was linked through the NIH Grants Guide, and technical issues were routed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact listed in the notice. Overall, the opportunity can be read as an effort to catalyze innovative, team-based, nursing-inclusive research that clarifies whether and how pregnancy-related microbiome dynamics contribute to preterm labor and delivery, and how those microbial patterns intersect with host genetics and environmental context to shape risk and outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "The Influence of the Microbiome on Preterm Labor and Delivery (R21)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-NR-13-003.
Which agency and institute are leading this funding announcement?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement led by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).
What is the main purpose of this opportunity?
The purpose is to advance research that clarifies how the human microbiome may contribute to preterm labor and preterm delivery, building on knowledge and tools from the NIH Human Microbiome Project (HMP).
What public health problem is this opportunity trying to address?
It targets preterm birth as a major public health challenge and a leading driver of neonatal illness and death, with a focus on whether microorganisms and microbiome-related processes help explain risk and outcomes.
How does the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) relate to this opportunity?
The announcement is designed to build directly on foundational knowledge and tools generated through the NIH Human Microbiome Project, including evidence that bacterial communities in women can shift across pregnancy.
What kinds of studies is NINR looking for?
NINR is looking for studies that move beyond simply describing which microbes are present and instead improve understanding of how microbiome changes might be associated with increased risk for preterm labor and delivery, including potential pathways and mechanisms.
Are purely descriptive microbiome studies a good fit?
The opportunity emphasizes going beyond descriptive work (who is there) toward mechanistic, pathway-focused research that explains how microbiome changes may contribute to preterm labor and delivery.
Does the opportunity encourage research that considers factors beyond the microbiome?
Yes. It highlights integrating microbiome science with genetic and environmental influences and acknowledges that preterm birth risk likely involves interactions among host biology, microbial ecosystems, and contextual factors such as exposures, stressors, behaviors, and clinical conditions.
What grant mechanism is used?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which supports exploratory and developmental research.
What is an R21 intended to support in practice?
R21 awards are often used to generate early-stage data, test innovative hypotheses, pilot emerging methods, or establish feasibility for larger future studies.
What is the award ceiling for this announcement?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement explicitly notes that cost sharing or matching is not required.
What activity category is associated with this opportunity?
The activity category is listed under Education and Health.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 93.361 (Nursing Research).
Why does the announcement emphasize nursing research?
By placing the opportunity under Nursing Research and encouraging the involvement of nurse scientists, NINR signals interest in connecting microbiome-related discoveries to patient-centered, clinical, behavioral, and translational perspectives that are often strengths of nursing science.
Are interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged?
Yes. The announcement strongly encourages interdisciplinary collaborations, with an emphasis on including nurse scientists as part of the project team.
Does the opportunity suggest using existing research infrastructure?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to consider leveraging resources from Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs and/or other federally funded research centers when possible.
What kinds of support might CTSA hubs or similar centers provide (as described in the announcement)?
The announcement points to practical advantages such as infrastructure for recruiting participants, managing biospecimens, supporting biostatistics and informatics, ensuring regulatory compliance, and accelerating translation from discovery to clinical relevance.
Which U.S.-based organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and many governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special district, and certain housing authorities).
Are minority-serving and community-centered institutions included in the eligibility description?
Yes. The eligibility section explicitly includes institution types and community-centered entities such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) institutions eligible to apply?
No. The announcement states that non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. The announcement specifies that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are foreign components allowed under NIH policy for this opportunity?
No. The announcement notes that foreign components are not allowed under NIH policy for this opportunity.
When was this opportunity posted and created?
It was posted and created on February 11, 2013.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed is May 9, 2013.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is June 9, 2013.
Where was the full announcement made available?
The full announcement was linked through the NIH Grants Guide.
Who handles technical issues related to the announcement link or notice?
Technical issues were routed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact listed in the notice.
In one sentence, what is the overall intent of the funding opportunity?
It aims to catalyze innovative, team-based, nursing-inclusive research that clarifies whether and how pregnancy-related microbiome dynamics contribute to preterm labor and delivery, and how microbial patterns intersect with host genetics and environmental context to shape risk and outcomes.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health
Next opportunity: Safety and Effectiveness of Triple Antiretroviral Drug Strategies for Prevention of Mother to Child HIV Transmission (R01)
Previous opportunity: The Influence of the Microbiome on Preterm Labor and Delivery (R01)
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 RFA NR 13 003
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA NR 13 003) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Collaborative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) (UM1) Apply for RFA CA 13 007 Funding Number: RFA CA 13 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $1,200,000 |
| Research on Marijuana Legalization in the US (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 13 138 Funding Number: PA 13 138 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program (Si2) Apply for RFA OD 13 004 Funding Number: RFA OD 13 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Limited Competition Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study Center for the Coordination, Analysis, and Management of the MACS (CAMACS)(UM1) Apply for RFA AI 13 010 Funding Number: RFA AI 13 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $2,400,000 |
| Limited Competition Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) Clinical Research Sites (U01) Apply for RFA AI 13 011 Funding Number: RFA AI 13 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $4,200,000 |
| Limited Competition Scholars Training for the Advancement of Research (STAR) Revision to NINR T32 Training Grants (T32) Apply for RFA NR 13 010 Funding Number: RFA NR 13 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NCI Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (NCI Omnibus R21) Apply for PAR 13 146 Funding Number: PAR 13 146 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Advancing Exceptional Research on HIV/AIDS (R01) Apply for RFA DA 14 003 Funding Number: RFA DA 14 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Development and Application of PET and SPECT Imaging Ligands as Biomarkers for Drug Discovery and for Pathophysiological Studies of CNS Disorders (R21) Apply for PA 13 157 Funding Number: PA 13 157 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $175,000 |
| Development and Application of PET and SPECT Imaging Ligands as Biomarkers for Drug Discovery and for Pathophysiological Studies of CNS Disorders (R21/R33) Apply for PAR 13 158 Funding Number: PAR 13 158 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIDA Mentored Clinical Scientists Development Program Award in Drug Abuse and Addiction (K12) Apply for PAR 13 163 Funding Number: PAR 13 163 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R01) Apply for PA 13 165 Funding Number: PA 13 165 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R15) Apply for PA 13 166 Funding Number: PA 13 166 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Innovative Research Methods Prevention and Management of Symptoms in Chronic Illness (R21) Apply for PA 13 167 Funding Number: PA 13 167 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| The Role of Microbial Metabolites in Cancer Prevention and Etiology (U01) Apply for PAR 13 159 Funding Number: PAR 13 159 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Academic Industrial Partnerships for Translation of in vivo Imaging Systems for Cancer Investigations (R01) Apply for PAR 13 169 Funding Number: PAR 13 169 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Drug Abuse Dissertation Research (R36) Apply for PAR 13 182 Funding Number: PAR 13 182 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Collaborative Research in Integrative Cancer Biology (U01) Apply for PAR 13 184 Funding Number: PAR 13 184 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Image guided Drug Delivery in Cancer (R01) Apply for PAR 13 185 Funding Number: PAR 13 185 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Eradication of HIV 1 from CNS Reservoirs Implications for Therapeutics (R01) Apply for RFA MH 14 170 Funding Number: RFA MH 14 170 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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 "RFA NR 13 003", 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.