Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 12 105
Apply for RFA HD 12 105
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Role of Human Animal Interaction in Child Health and Development (R03)" 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 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 23, 2010 and posted on Aug 30, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 28, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Independent school districts Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities County 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity titled "The Role of Human Animal Interaction in Child Health and Development (R03)" (Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-HD-12-105) is an NIH research grant program aimed at supporting small, focused studies on how interactions between children and animals affect child health, development, and well-being. The main goal is to strengthen the evidence base around human-animal interaction (HAI), including everyday exposure to pets in the home as well as structured therapeutic uses of animals with children and adolescents. The announcement specifically calls for research that goes beyond anecdotes by producing empirical, measurable findings about when, how, and for whom HAI may be beneficial, and what risks or limitations need to be addressed.
A central theme of the FOA is understanding children’s relationships with animals from multiple angles. This includes studying how children perceive animals, how they form attachments to them, and how they think about and interpret animal behavior. It also emphasizes household pet exposure as a meaningful environmental factor that could influence children’s social and emotional development. On the health side, the opportunity highlights concrete outcomes that might be shaped by living with pets or engaging with animals, such as allergic disease, immune system development, asthma, and even possible contributions to obesity mitigation. In addition to observing naturally occurring pet ownership contexts, the FOA explicitly supports studies that test the efficacy of therapeutic HAI approaches, with a strong interest in determining the conditions under which animal-assisted interventions are both safe and effective for children.
This FOA grew out of a public-private partnership formed in 2008 between the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars, Incorporated. The partnership was designed to encourage research on HAI, particularly as it connects to child development and child health, including the therapeutic use of animals. As part of this partnership, WALTHAM provided donated funds to NICHD to expand NIH’s ability to support research in this area. The announcement also notes participation by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), reflecting the cross-disciplinary interest in how HAI may affect health outcomes and care approaches.
The grant mechanism is the NIH Small Research Grant (R03), which is typically used for smaller projects that can generate preliminary data, test feasibility, develop measures, or provide early evidence to justify larger future studies. For this specific opportunity, applicants may request up to $50,000 per year in direct costs for a project period of up to two years, with a maximum of $100,000 in total direct costs over the two-year period. NIH anticipated making roughly 9 to 13 awards under this announcement, supported by an estimated total funding level of about $1.3 million per year (with approximately $1.0 million from NICHD, including the WALTHAM donation component, and $300,000 from NINR). The FOA does not require cost sharing or matching funds.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations and governments. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (with the noted exclusions), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and a range of government entities (state, county, city/township, special district, and independent school districts). The FOA also extends eligibility to tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and a variety of mission-focused institution types 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 faith-based or community-based organizations. It also allows certain non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, as described in the eligibility section.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted on August 30, 2010, with key dates indicating an original closing date of December 21, 2010 and a current closing date listed as February 28, 2011, with an archive date of March 28, 2011. The awarding agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the activity aligns with CFDA program areas including Nursing Research (93.361) and Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research (93.865). The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide, and the listing includes standard NIH contact guidance for technical issues accessing the announcement online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity called and what is the FOA number?
The opportunity is titled "The Role of Human Animal Interaction in Child Health and Development (R03)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-HD-12-105.
What is the overall purpose of this grant program?
This NIH funding opportunity supports small, focused research studies that examine how interactions between children and animals affect child health, development, and well-being. A major emphasis is on strengthening the evidence base around human-animal interaction (HAI) by producing empirical, measurable findings rather than anecdotal reports.
What types of human-animal interaction (HAI) are included?
The FOA includes both everyday exposure to pets in the home and structured, therapeutic uses of animals with children and adolescents (for example, animal-assisted approaches), as long as the study produces measurable research outcomes.
What kinds of research questions does the FOA encourage?
The announcement encourages studies that help clarify when, how, and for whom HAI may be beneficial, and also what risks, limitations, or safety concerns need to be addressed. It emphasizes moving beyond anecdotes to empirically grounded findings.
Is the focus only on benefits of HAI, or also on risks and limitations?
Both. The FOA explicitly highlights the need to identify not only potential benefits, but also risks, limitations, and conditions that affect safety and effectiveness, especially for therapeutic or structured HAI interventions with children.
What child development topics are specifically highlighted?
The FOA highlights children’s relationships with animals from multiple angles, including how children perceive animals, how attachments form, and how children interpret animal behavior. It also emphasizes household pet exposure as an environmental factor that could influence social and emotional development.
What health outcomes are mentioned as potentially influenced by pets or animal interaction?
The opportunity points to outcomes such as allergic disease, immune system development, asthma, and possible contributions to obesity mitigation as examples of health-related areas that may be shaped by living with pets or engaging with animals.
Does the FOA support studies in natural pet ownership settings?
Yes. The FOA includes research that observes naturally occurring contexts such as pet ownership and household pet exposure.
Does the FOA support studies that test animal-assisted or therapeutic interventions?
Yes. The FOA explicitly supports studies that test the efficacy of therapeutic HAI approaches and emphasizes identifying the conditions under which animal-assisted interventions are safe and effective for children.
What grant mechanism is being used?
The funding mechanism is the NIH Small Research Grant (R03), which is generally used for smaller projects such as feasibility studies, measure development, preliminary data generation, or early evidence that could justify larger future studies.
How much funding can an applicant request?
Applicants may request up to $50,000 per year in direct costs for a project period of up to two years, with a maximum of $100,000 in total direct costs over the two-year period.
What is the maximum project period?
The project period may be up to two years under this opportunity.
How many awards did NIH expect to make under this announcement?
NIH anticipated making roughly 9 to 13 awards under this FOA.
What is the estimated total funding level for this FOA?
The FOA lists an estimated total funding level of about $1.3 million per year, including approximately $1.0 million from NICHD (including a donation component from WALTHAM) and $300,000 from NINR.
Which NIH institutes or organizations are involved?
The announcement is led by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and notes participation by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).
What partnership led to this FOA?
This FOA grew out of a public-private partnership formed in 2008 between NICHD and the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition (a division of Mars, Incorporated). The partnership was intended to encourage research on HAI related to child development and child health, including therapeutic uses of animals.
Did the partnership include donated funds?
Yes. The FOA notes that WALTHAM provided donated funds to NICHD to expand NIH’s ability to support research in this area.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states that cost sharing or matching funds are not required.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (with noted exclusions in the FOA); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and multiple types of government entities (including state, county, city/township, special district, and independent school districts).
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes tribal governments and tribal organizations among eligible applicants.
Are public housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicants.
Are specific institution types (like HBCUs or HSIs) eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes a variety of mission-focused institution types, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are non-U.S. organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. The eligibility section described in the summary indicates that certain non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions may be eligible, as outlined in the FOA eligibility language.
Who is the awarding agency?
The awarding agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What CFDA program areas are associated with this opportunity?
The listing aligns with CFDA program areas including Nursing Research (93.361) and Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research (93.865).
When was this funding opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on August 30, 2010.
What were the key dates (closing and archive dates) listed?
The listing notes an original closing date of December 21, 2010, a current closing date of February 28, 2011, and an archive date of March 28, 2011.
Where was the full announcement made available?
The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide.
Does the listing provide any guidance for technical problems accessing the announcement?
Yes. The listing mentions standard NIH contact guidance for technical issues related to accessing the announcement online.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services
Next opportunity: Notice of Intent to Award Quinault National Fish Hatchery TERO Program
Previous opportunity: NCSE Environmental Student Interns
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 HD 12 105
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA HD 12 105) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Knockout Mouse Production and Cryopreservation (U42) Apply for RFA RM 10 013 Funding Number: RFA RM 10 013 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Project Database (U54) Apply for RFA RM 10 012 Funding Number: RFA RM 10 012 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Knockout Mouse Phenotyping (U54) Apply for RFA RM 10 011 Funding Number: RFA RM 10 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Systems Oriented Pediatric Obesity Research and Training (SPORT) Center of Excellence (U54) Apply for RFA HD 10 001 Funding Number: RFA HD 10 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Technologies for Healthy Independent Living (R01) Apply for PAR 11 020 Funding Number: PAR 11 020 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Design and Development of Novel Technologies for Healthy Independent Living (R21) Apply for PAR 11 021 Funding Number: PAR 11 021 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Focal Cognitive Deficits in CNS Disorders (R01) Apply for PA 11 067 Funding Number: PA 11 067 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Focal Cognitive Deficits in CNS Disorders (R03) Apply for PA 11 068 Funding Number: PA 11 068 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Focal Cognitive Deficits in CNS Disorders (R21) Apply for PA 11 069 Funding Number: PA 11 069 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Chronic Illness Self Management in Children and Adolescents (R03) Apply for PA 11 071 Funding Number: PA 11 071 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Chronic Illness Self Management in Children and Adolescents (R21) Apply for PA 11 072 Funding Number: PA 11 072 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Etiology and Pathophysiology of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Pregnancy (R01) Apply for PA 11 122 Funding Number: PA 11 122 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH/PEPFAR Collaboration for Implementation Science and Impact Evaluation (R01) Apply for RFA AI 11 003 Funding Number: RFA AI 11 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research on Children in Military Families The Impact of Parental Military Deployment and Reintegration on Child and Family Functioning (R13) Apply for PA 11 201 Funding Number: PA 11 201 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research on Children in Military Families The Impact of Parental Military Deployment and Reintegration on Child and Family Functioning (R21) Apply for PA 11 202 Funding Number: PA 11 202 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Research on Children in Military Families The Impact of Parental Military Deployment and Reintegration on Child and Family Functioning (R01) Apply for PA 11 200 Funding Number: PA 11 200 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Limited Competition Strengthening Behavioral and Social Science in Medical School Education (R25) Apply for RFA OD 11 004 Funding Number: RFA OD 11 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $235,000 |
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 HD 12 105", 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.