Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 08 224
Apply for PAR 08 224
- The National Institutes of Health in the education environment health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using Systems Science Methodologies to Protect and Improve Population Health (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113 Environmental Health 93.121 Oral Diseases and Disorders Research 93.213 Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.399 Cancer Control 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.866 Aging Research 93.989 International Research and Research Training.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 5, 2008 and posted on Aug 1, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 7, 2011. (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: County governments Special district governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Independent school districts Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments State 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity titled "Using Systems Science Methodologies to Protect and Improve Population Health (R21)" (PAR-08-224) was an exploratory/developmental grant program led by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and co-sponsored by a wide set of NIH Institutes and Offices, including FIC, NCI, NIA, NICHD, NCCAM, NHLBI, NIEHS, NIMH, NIAAA, NIDCR, NIDA, ODP, and ODS. The central aim was to encourage early-stage, innovative research projects that apply systems science approaches to real-world public health and health care system challenges, producing practical insights that can improve how decisions are made about policies, interventions, and programs that affect population health.
A core theme of the announcement is that many of the hardest health problems are not simple, linear cause-and-effect issues. Instead, they emerge from complex systems where multiple forces interact over time, creating feedback loops, delays, unintended consequences, and tradeoffs. Because of this complexity, the FOA sought projects that use one or more specified systems science methodologies (as outlined in the FOA background section) to model, analyze, and better understand these dynamics. The expectation was that systems-based work could help decision-makers choose among competing options, especially in settings where resources are constrained and only a limited number of interventions can realistically be implemented.
The FOA specifically encouraged applications focused on "policy resistant" health problems. In plain terms, these are situations where well-intended programs or policies fail to produce the expected results because the system adapts in ways that weaken, delay, or even reverse the intended effects. Examples in this general category often involve issues like chronic disease prevention, substance use, mental health, environmental health risks, or health behavior change, where individual choices, institutional practices, economic incentives, and community environments interact. The announcement signaled strong interest in work that does not just propose an intervention, but also anticipates how the broader system may respond and how that response affects outcomes over time.
From a grant mechanism standpoint, this was an R21 opportunity, meaning it was intended for exploratory and developmental projects rather than mature, large-scale studies. The listed award ceiling was $200,000, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The activity categories associated with the program spanned education, environment, health, income security, and social services, reflecting the wide range of system-level factors that can shape population health outcomes.
Eligibility was broad and intentionally inclusive, covering many types of organizations that might be positioned to study systems-level health challenges. Eligible applicants included state, county, city, and township governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; federally recognized tribal governments as well as other tribal organizations; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly included a variety of additional eligible entities such as faith-based and community-based organizations, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, federal agencies, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations. That breadth fits the systems-science emphasis, since meaningful system modeling and policy analysis often benefits from partnerships across sectors and jurisdictions.
Administrative details show this opportunity was posted on August 1, 2008, with an original and final closing date of September 7, 2011, and it was archived on October 8, 2011. It was listed under multiple CFDA program numbers that align with participating NIH components and relevant research areas, including environmental health, oral health, complementary and integrative health, mental health, alcohol research, drug abuse research, cancer control, cardiovascular research, child health and human development, aging research, and international research and training. In practical terms, that range indicates NIH was looking for systems-science applications that could cut across many disease areas and population health priorities, rather than being limited to a single condition.
Overall, PAR-08-224 can be read as an invitation to bring tools designed for complexity, such as formal system modeling and related systems methods, into population health and health care research. The intended payoff was better guidance for policymakers and program leaders: clearer expectations about what might happen if a policy is implemented, where bottlenecks or leverage points exist, what unintended effects could occur, and which choices are most likely to improve population health when budgets, staffing, or political feasibility limit how much can be done at once.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and identifier of this NIH funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Using Systems Science Methodologies to Protect and Improve Population Health (R21)" and is identified as PAR-08-224.
What kind of grant mechanism is PAR-08-224?
This opportunity used the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory and developmental research projects rather than mature, large-scale studies.
What is the central purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central aim was to encourage early-stage, innovative research projects that apply systems science approaches to real-world public health and health care system challenges, generating practical insights to improve how decisions are made about policies, interventions, and programs that affect population health.
Who led this funding opportunity at NIH?
The program was led by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR).
Which NIH Institutes and Offices co-sponsored PAR-08-224?
It was co-sponsored by multiple NIH Institutes and Offices, including FIC, NCI, NIA, NICHD, NCCAM, NHLBI, NIEHS, NIMH, NIAAA, NIDCR, NIDA, ODP, and ODS.
What kinds of problems was this FOA designed to address?
The FOA emphasized health and health care challenges that emerge from complex systems rather than simple, linear cause-and-effect relationships. It highlighted issues shaped by interacting forces over time, including feedback loops, delays, unintended consequences, and tradeoffs that can affect population health outcomes.
What does the FOA mean by complex systems in population health?
In this context, complex systems are situations where multiple factors interact over time and influence one another, often producing feedback loops, time delays, unintended consequences, and tradeoffs. These dynamics can make outcomes hard to predict using simple models or one-directional logic.
What are "policy resistant" health problems?
"Policy resistant" problems are situations where well-intended programs or policies do not produce the expected results because the system adapts in ways that weaken, delay, or even reverse the intended effects.
Why did the FOA focus on policy resistance?
The announcement expressed strong interest in projects that anticipate how a broader system may respond to an intervention or policy and how that response affects outcomes over time, since system adaptation can undermine otherwise well-designed efforts.
What research approach did the FOA encourage?
The FOA encouraged projects that use one or more specified systems science methodologies (as described in the FOA background section) to model, analyze, and better understand complex real-world dynamics affecting population health and health care systems.
Did applicants need to propose a specific intervention?
The FOA signaled interest in work that goes beyond proposing an intervention by also anticipating and analyzing how the broader system may respond and how that response changes outcomes over time.
What is the intended payoff or impact of systems science methods in this program?
The intended payoff was better guidance for policymakers and program leaders, including clearer expectations about what might happen if a policy is implemented, where bottlenecks or leverage points exist, what unintended effects could occur, and which choices are most likely to improve population health when only a limited number of interventions can be implemented.
How did the FOA frame real-world constraints on decision-making?
It noted that resources are often constrained and only a limited number of interventions can realistically be implemented, so systems-based work could help decision-makers choose among competing options.
What is the maximum award amount mentioned in the announcement?
The listed award ceiling was $200,000.
Was cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What activity categories were associated with this opportunity?
The activity categories spanned education, environment, health, income security, and social services, reflecting the wide range of system-level factors that can shape population health outcomes.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included state, county, city, and township governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
Were community-based and faith-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included faith-based and community-based organizations among eligible applicants.
Were minority-serving and tribally controlled institutions eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions.
Could organizations outside the 50 U.S. states apply?
Yes. The eligible entities listed included U.S. territories or possessions.
Were federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Federal agencies were explicitly included among eligible entities.
Were non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included non-U.S. (foreign) organizations as eligible applicants.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
It was posted on August 1, 2008.
What were the closing dates for PAR-08-224?
The announcement listed an original and final closing date of September 7, 2011.
When was the opportunity archived?
It was archived on October 8, 2011.
What does it mean that this opportunity is archived?
Based on the provided information, it indicates the funding opportunity is no longer active and was placed into an archived status on October 8, 2011.
What research areas did the CFDA listings suggest were relevant?
The opportunity was listed under multiple CFDA program numbers aligned with participating NIH components and research areas, including environmental health, oral health, complementary and integrative health, mental health, alcohol research, drug abuse research, cancer control, cardiovascular research, child health and human development, aging research, and international research and training.
Does the FOA appear limited to one disease area or condition?
No. The breadth of participating NIH components and CFDA-aligned research areas indicates NIH was looking for systems-science applications that could cut across many disease areas and population health priorities rather than focusing on a single condition.
What kinds of health topics were mentioned as examples of policy-resistant problem areas?
Examples mentioned included chronic disease prevention, substance use, mental health, environmental health risks, and health behavior change, where individual choices, institutional practices, economic incentives, and community environments interact.
How does this opportunity connect systems science to public policy and programs?
It positioned systems modeling and related methods as tools to improve decisions about policies, interventions, and programs by anticipating system responses, identifying leverage points and bottlenecks, and surfacing potential unintended consequences over time.
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| Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Senior Fellows (Parent F33) Apply for PA 10 111 Funding Number: PA 10 111 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R03) Apply for PAR 10 134 Funding Number: PAR 10 134 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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