Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 12 020
Apply for RFA HL 12 020
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes (R43/R44)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.233 National Center on Sleep Disorders Research 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research 93.838 Lung Diseases Research 93.839 Blood Diseases and Resources Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 10, 2011 and posted on May 10, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 11, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,900,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes (R43/R44) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) small business grant opportunity that focuses on building and testing virtual reality (VR) tools aimed at preventing and managing obesity and diabetes. The central idea is to use VR in ways that go beyond entertainment by taking advantage of immersion, interactivity, simulation, and visualization to help people learn, practice, and sustain healthier behaviors. Projects are expected to use VR to teach and motivate, to help users visualize outcomes of choices over time, and to expand health care and learning environments beyond traditional clinical or classroom settings. The FOA is particularly interested in VR approaches that encourage better eating patterns, more physical activity, stronger self-care routines, and other health-related behaviors that matter for both prevention and long-term disease management.
This opportunity uses the SBIR mechanism (R43/R44), meaning it is designed specifically for eligible small businesses developing innovative technologies with a pathway toward commercialization and real-world use. Applicants are expected to propose research and development that demonstrates the feasibility and value of their VR solution, with a strong emphasis on measurable behavioral and health impacts relevant to obesity and diabetes. The NIH signal here is that VR should not be treated as a novelty; it should be purpose-built to solve clearly defined problems such as improving adherence to lifestyle changes, supporting diabetes self-management education, increasing engagement with treatment plans, and strengthening skills like decision-making around food, activity, and self-monitoring. The envisioned end products include both research-grade tools that can be used in behavioral science studies and practical tools that can be deployed in clinical care or public health programs.
A major theme in the announcement is multidisciplinary design. The FOA highlights a preference for well-designed projects that combine expertise in VR technology development with biomedical, behavioral, and pedagogical sciences. In practice, that points to teams that can integrate human-computer interaction and software engineering with evidence-based behavior change theory, learning science, clinical knowledge of obesity and diabetes, and rigorous evaluation methods. Competitive projects would typically articulate how the VR experience is structured to produce specific behavior changes, how learning and motivation are supported, and how outcomes will be assessed in a way that is meaningful for patients, providers, and researchers. The program’s framing also suggests an interest in VR’s ability to simulate real-world situations safely and repeatedly, allow skills practice, provide immediate feedback, and tailor experiences to different users or risk profiles.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the health category, run by NIH, and limited to small business applicants. The funding opportunity number is RFA-HL-12-020, and it anticipated around 10 awards with an estimated total funding level of about $1.9 million. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which reduces barriers for small companies. The original posting date was May 10, 2011, and the application window closed July 11, 2012, with the opportunity later archived (August 11, 2012). While the FOA itself is historical and not currently open, the summary captures what NIH was seeking: SBIR-stage VR innovations that can be validated through solid research designs and translated into usable tools for prevention, education, and management of obesity and diabetes.
For reference and full details, the announcement was hosted on the NIH grants site under the listed link (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-12-020.html), and NIH’s Office of Extramural Research provided contact support for access or linking issues via FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the focus of this NIH grant opportunity?
This funding opportunity supports small business research and development projects that build and test virtual reality (VR) tools aimed at preventing and managing obesity and diabetes. The emphasis is on VR that is purpose-built for research and education, not entertainment.
What is the official title of the opportunity?
Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes (R43/R44).
Which agency runs this program?
The program is run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the funding mechanism used?
The opportunity uses the SBIR mechanism (R43/R44), which is designed for eligible small businesses developing innovative technologies with a pathway toward commercialization and real-world use.
Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity is limited to small business applicants, consistent with the SBIR (R43/R44) mechanism.
What kinds of VR solutions is NIH trying to support here?
NIH is seeking VR tools that leverage immersion, interactivity, simulation, and visualization to help users learn, practice, and sustain healthier behaviors relevant to obesity and diabetes prevention and management.
What health behaviors are specifically mentioned as targets?
The announcement highlights VR approaches that encourage better eating patterns, increased physical activity, stronger self-care routines, and other health-related behaviors important for both prevention and long-term disease management.
Is the VR supposed to be used just for education, or also for behavior change?
Both. Projects are expected to use VR to teach and motivate, help users visualize outcomes of choices over time, and support measurable behavioral and health impacts related to obesity and diabetes.
What does NIH mean by using VR beyond entertainment?
VR is expected to be designed as a functional tool that solves clearly defined problems, such as improving adherence to lifestyle changes, supporting diabetes self-management education, increasing engagement with treatment plans, and strengthening decision-making skills around food, activity, and self-monitoring.
What types of end products does the FOA envision?
The FOA envisions both (1) research-grade tools that can be used in behavioral science studies and (2) practical tools that can be deployed in clinical care or public health programs.
What role does evaluation and measurement play in a competitive application?
A strong emphasis is placed on demonstrating feasibility and value, including measurable behavioral and health impacts relevant to obesity and diabetes, using rigorous evaluation methods.
What kinds of outcomes are implied as meaningful?
Outcomes should be meaningful for patients, providers, and researchers, and should relate to behavioral change and health impact in obesity and diabetes contexts (for example, improvements tied to self-management, adherence, engagement, and related behaviors).
Does the FOA encourage certain team structures or expertise?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes multidisciplinary design and highlights a preference for teams that combine VR technology development expertise with biomedical, behavioral, and pedagogical sciences.
What disciplines are suggested as important for these projects?
The description points to integrating human-computer interaction and software engineering with evidence-based behavior change theory, learning science, clinical knowledge of obesity and diabetes, and rigorous evaluation methods.
Why does the FOA emphasize simulation and practice?
The framing suggests interest in VR's ability to simulate real-world situations safely and repeatedly, allow skills practice, provide immediate feedback, and tailor experiences to different users or risk profiles.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-HL-12-020.
How many awards were anticipated and what was the estimated total funding?
The FOA anticipated around 10 awards with an estimated total funding level of about $1.9 million.
What category of grant is this described as?
It is described as a discretionary grant in the health category.
When was this opportunity originally posted?
The original posting date was May 10, 2011.
When did the application window close?
The application window closed on July 11, 2012.
Is this opportunity still open for applications?
No. The opportunity is historical and was later archived on August 11, 2012.
Where can I find the original NIH announcement page?
The announcement was hosted on the NIH grants site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-12-020.html
Who can be contacted for access or linking issues related to the FOA page?
NIH's Office of Extramural Research provided contact support for access or linking issues via FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What is the core message NIH is sending to applicants through this FOA?
The FOA message is that VR should not be treated as a novelty. It should be designed to address specific obesity and diabetes problems, validated through solid research designs, and translated into usable tools for prevention, education, and disease management with a credible path toward real-world use.
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Next opportunity: Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes (R01)
Previous opportunity: Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes (R41/R42)
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