Thyroid in Aging (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): The Thyroid in Aging (R01) - PA-08-037

What is the funding opportunity PA-08-037?

PA-08-037, titled "The Thyroid in Aging (R01)," is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement intended to stimulate investigator-initiated research on how the thyroid changes with age and how thyroid-related conditions can be better detected, understood, and managed in older adults.

What is the main goal of this FOA?

The central goal is to support basic, translational, and clinical studies that improve understanding of the aging thyroid's physiology and generate practical insights that can improve diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease in later life.

What types of research does this opportunity support?

This announcement supports a broad range of investigator-driven research approaches, including basic, translational, and clinical studies, as long as they advance knowledge about thyroid function and dysfunction in older adults and/or improve approaches to detecting, understanding, and managing thyroid-related conditions in aging populations.

Is the FOA limited to one research setting or method?

No. The FOA is explicitly intended to move the field forward from foundational biology through to patient-focused clinical insights, and it is not limited to one research setting or method.

What NIH grant mechanism does PA-08-037 use?

PA-08-037 uses the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism, which typically supports full-scale, hypothesis-driven research projects that require substantial time and resources.

Are there related opportunities tied to the same scientific topic?

Yes. PA-08-037 is part of a coordinated set of three parallel announcements that share the same scientific scope but use different grant mechanisms and project scales: an R01 version (PA-08-037), an Exploratory/Developmental R21 version (PA-08-038), and a Small Research R03 version (PA-08-039).

How does the R01 version relate to the R21 and R03 versions?

All three announcements share the same scientific scope focused on thyroid and aging. The difference is the grant mechanism and typical project scale: R01 is positioned for more robust, full-scale projects, while R21 and R03 support smaller and/or more exploratory work within the same topic area.

Were funding levels or the number of awards predetermined?

No. NIH did not fix funding levels or the number of awards in advance. Award size and project duration were expected to vary depending on the proposed research, and the total number of funded projects and dollars awarded would depend on the mix of mechanisms submitted, application quality, study length, and requested budgets.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. Cost sharing or matching was not required for this opportunity.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes a wide variety of domestic organizations, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses as a separate category), and multiple types of government entities.

Which government entities are included as eligible applicants?

Eligible government entities include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts.

Are tribal entities eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligibility includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized governments).

Are housing authorities eligible applicants?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included among the eligible applicants.

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

Yes. Foreign institutions were explicitly eligible to apply, allowing international research teams and studies based in non-U.S. settings, provided they meet NIH application requirements.

What type of grant is this considered?

This was a discretionary grant opportunity under NIH.

What funding activity areas are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is categorized within education and health-related funding activity areas.

What CFDA numbers are associated with PA-08-037?

This announcement is associated with CFDA 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) and CFDA 93.866 (Aging Research).

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was originally posted on December 5, 2007.

What were the closing date and archive date?

The announcement listed an original and current closing date of January 7, 2011, and an archive date of February 7, 2011.

Is PA-08-037 still open for new applications?

No. Based on the closing and archive dates provided (closing date January 7, 2011; archive date February 7, 2011), the specific announcement PA-08-037 is no longer open for new submissions.

Where were applicants directed to find the full FOA details?

Applicants and interested parties were directed to the full FOA text hosted on the NIH Grants Guide.

Who was listed as a contact for access or technical issues?

NIH provided contact details for the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access or technical issues related to the announcement.

What is the broader purpose of NIH issuing this FOA alongside companion announcements?

The structure of parallel FOAs (R01, R21, and R03) signals NIH interest in supporting the thyroid-and-aging topic across different stages of research maturity, from early exploratory work to more comprehensive projects.

What overall impact was PA-08-037 intended to have?

PA-08-037 was intended to strengthen the evidence base around thyroid function and dysfunction in older adults by encouraging a wide range of investigator-driven research projects, leveraging the R01 mechanism for more robust studies while aligning with smaller and exploratory companion mechanisms in the same scientific area.