Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 024

The grant opportunity "Predicting Behavioral Responses to Population-Level Cancer Control Strategies (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 18 024) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant designed to support early-stage, exploratory research on why people respond differently to broad, population-level cancer control policies and interventions. The core purpose is to identify individual-level influences that shape how effective large-scale strategies are at changing cancer-related behaviors, recognizing that policies and public health approaches often do not affect all groups equally and that behavior change depends on more than just access or information. The FOA is built around the idea that improving cancer prevention and control at scale requires a better understanding of how individuals perceive, interpret, and act on policy signals, environmental changes, and implementation efforts.

A central feature of this opportunity is its strong encouragement of interdisciplinary collaboration. NIH is explicitly seeking projects that bring together traditional health policy and implementation researchers with investigators from fields that do not typically focus on cancer control or policy research. Examples called out in the announcement include psychological science (including social and developmental psychology), affective and cognitive neuroscience, judgment and decision-making, consumer behavior and marketing, organizational behavior, sociology, cultural anthropology, behavioral economics, linguistics, and political science. The intent is to spark new ways of predicting and measuring behavioral responses to population-level strategies by using theories, methods, and analytic tools from these disciplines, such as models of decision-making, insights about persuasion and messaging, social and cultural frameworks, and behavioral economic approaches to incentives and choice.

The research focus is on population-level cancer control strategies that aim to influence cancer-related behaviors. While the announcement does not list specific behaviors in the provided text, the framing typically includes prevention and risk-related behaviors that contribute to cancer incidence and outcomes, and the emphasis is on understanding variation in effectiveness across individuals. In practical terms, the FOA is looking for studies that can explain and predict which individuals or groups are more or less likely to change behavior in response to interventions like policy changes, public health campaigns, organizational or system-level implementation approaches, or other broad strategies intended to shift behavior across entire populations.

This is an R21 mechanism, which generally supports exploratory, developmental projects that may be high-risk/high-reward and aimed at generating foundational evidence, new measurement approaches, preliminary models, or early testing of novel hypotheses. The opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose a study that includes a clinical trial component if it fits the research question, but a clinical trial is not required. The award ceiling listed in the source data is $200,000, and the funding activity category is listed under Education and Health. The CFDA number provided is 93.393, which is associated with NIH cancer-related research and program areas.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of public and private entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in that category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In addition, the FOA explicitly highlights other eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility aligns with the FOA's emphasis on collaboration and on reaching diverse populations and settings where population-level strategies are implemented.

Key administrative details from the source include an original closing date of 2019-04-11 and a creation date of 2017-11-28. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as support for research that connects policy and implementation actions with the psychology and social dynamics of individual behavior, with the goal of improving the design, targeting, and real-world impact of large-scale cancer control strategies.

  • The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Predicting Behavioral Responses to Population-Level Cancer Control Strategies (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-28.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-04-11. (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: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal 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, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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FAQs: Predicting Behavioral Responses to Population-Level Cancer Control Strategies (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) - PAR-18-024

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Predicting Behavioral Responses to Population-Level Cancer Control Strategies (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-18-024).

Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity.

What is the main purpose of this FOA?

The purpose is to support early-stage, exploratory research that explains why people respond differently to broad, population-level cancer control policies and interventions, and to identify individual-level influences that shape how effective large-scale strategies are at changing cancer-related behaviors.

What problem is this grant trying to address?

The FOA is built on the idea that population-level policies and public health strategies often do not affect all groups equally, and that behavior change depends on more than access to services or information. It seeks research that improves understanding of how individuals perceive, interpret, and act on policy signals, environmental changes, and implementation efforts.

What kinds of research approaches does NIH encourage for this opportunity?

NIH strongly encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, especially projects that combine traditional health policy and implementation research with theories, methods, and analytic tools from disciplines that do not typically focus on cancer control or policy research.

Which disciplines are specifically encouraged to be part of interdisciplinary teams?

Examples explicitly called out include psychological science (including social and developmental psychology), affective and cognitive neuroscience, judgment and decision-making, consumer behavior and marketing, organizational behavior, sociology, cultural anthropology, behavioral economics, linguistics, and political science.

What types of tools or methods are implied as a fit for this FOA?

The FOA points to the use of theories and analytic tools such as models of decision-making, insights about persuasion and messaging, social and cultural frameworks, and behavioral economic approaches to incentives and choice, aimed at predicting and measuring behavioral responses to population-level strategies.

What is meant by "population-level cancer control strategies" in this FOA?

In this context, population-level strategies are broad actions intended to influence cancer-related behaviors across entire populations. The description references policy changes, public health campaigns, organizational or system-level implementation approaches, and other large-scale strategies designed to shift behavior at scale.

What behaviors are included under "cancer-related behaviors" for this opportunity?

The provided FOA summary does not list specific behaviors. It generally frames the focus as prevention and risk-related behaviors that contribute to cancer incidence and outcomes, with an emphasis on understanding variation in effectiveness across individuals.

What kind of projects is the R21 mechanism meant to support?

This is an R21 mechanism, which generally supports exploratory and developmental projects that may be high-risk/high-reward and aimed at generating foundational evidence, new measurement approaches, preliminary models, or early testing of novel hypotheses.

Is a clinical trial required for this opportunity?

No. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning a clinical trial component may be included if it fits the research question, but a clinical trial is not required.

What is the maximum award amount mentioned in the provided information?

The award ceiling listed in the source data is $200,000.

What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?

The funding activity category is listed under Education and Health.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 93.393, associated with NIH cancer-related research and program areas.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many public and private entities, including government units, higher education institutions, tribal entities and organizations, housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses.

Are state and local governments eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments, as well as special district governments.

Are schools and universities eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments.

Are nonprofits eligible, including those without 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in that nonprofit category).

Are for-profit entities eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and it also separately includes small businesses.

Are housing authorities eligible?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included as eligible applicants.

Are minority-serving institutions and other specialized institutions explicitly included?

Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights eligibility for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly highlighted among eligible applicants.

Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights eligible federal agencies among other eligible applicants.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights U.S. territories or possessions among other eligible applicants.

Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) among eligible applicants.

What is the central theme that ties the research together?

The central theme is connecting population-level policy and implementation actions to individual-level psychology and social dynamics, with the goal of improving the design, targeting, and real-world impact of large-scale cancer control strategies.

What kinds of interventions or broad strategies does the FOA reference?

The description references policy changes, public health campaigns, organizational or system-level implementation approaches, and other broad strategies intended to shift behavior across entire populations.

Why does this FOA emphasize differences in response across individuals or groups?

Because the FOA recognizes that large-scale policies and public health approaches may not affect all groups equally, and it aims to generate research that can explain and predict who is more or less likely to change behavior under population-level strategies.

What are the key dates provided for this opportunity?

The source information lists a creation date of 2017-11-28 and an original closing date of 2019-04-11.

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