Purpose

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to announce that research on the effects of:emerging and evolving public health crises; and/or policy changes on the health, development, and well-being of populations of interest to the NICHD is of high program priority. The NICHD populations of interest are neonates, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults, pregnant and post-partum and nursing people, individuals of reproductive age, and individuals with intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities, as well as the families of these individuals. For information on the NICHD Strategic Plan 2020, see NICHD Strategic Plan 2020 | NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (nih.gov)

History

The NICHD has a long-term interest in research on the effects of emerging and evolving public health crises and policy changes on its populations of interest. This Notice is meant to formally establish that research on these topics is of high programmatic interest to the NICHD, and to obviate the need for individual NOSIs on public health crises and policy changes as they emerge.

Scope

Emerging and evolving public health crises (hereafter, public health crises) include, in addition to emerging epidemics and pandemics, the sequalae of both natural and man-made disasters. Past and current examples are the Zika Virus (ZIKV) and the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Katrina, and the events of September 11, 2001.

Policy changes include changes achieved through legislation, legal decisions, or executive actions. Recent examples include the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the pandemic-related eviction moratorium.

This Notice applies to health, development, and well-being outcomes that are within the scientific scope of the NICHD. This Notice does not apply to research on outcomes that are the focus of other NIH Institutes and Centers. Also, because the focus of this Notice is on emerging or evolving public health crises, this Notices does not apply to research on long-term public health issues. Examples of areas not within this scope of this Notice are smoking, cardiovascular disease, substance abuse, and overweight and obesity.

While this Notice is primarily focused on policy change and public health crises that are national in scope or, at a minimum, affect a large share of the U.S. population, there is no requirement that research submitted in response to this Notice be national or regional in scope. Research focused on outcomes in specific locations are also permitted if the results can be generalized to the United States overall, a large segment of the U.S. population, a major U.S. subpopulation, or a health disparities population.

High priority areas

Public health crises and policy changes that have limited windows of opportunity for planning and conducting rigorous research and data collection.

• Expansion of existing research programs that will allow comparisons of pre- and post-event outcomes.
• Outcomes that are national in scope and are focused on the United States.
• Outcomes that are associated with high mortality or morbidity of NICHD populations of interest or that primarily or particularly affect the NICHD populations of interest.
• Research involving underserved and health disparities populations and that addresses the causes, consequences, and reduction of health disparities.

Secondary priority

Outcomes related to policy change or public health crises that are regional in scope (such as a group of several adjoining or associated U.S. states)

Low priority

• Outcomes that are limited to a geographic or governmental region below the state level.
• Outcomes that primarily affect the elderly or other populations that are not NICHD populations of interest.
• Outcomes that are the focus of other NIH Institutes or Centers.
• Long-term public health issues not related to infectious disease such as obesity and overweight and the opioid epidemic.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss potential applications with the Scientific/Research Contact listed below before submitting their application.

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after September 25, 2022 and subsequent receipt dates through January 8, 2025. 

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) or any reissues of these announcement through the expiration date of this notice.

Applicants must select the IC and associated FOA to use for submission of an application in response to the NOSI. The selection must align with the IC requirements listed in order to be considered responsive to that FOA. Non-responsive applications will be withdrawn from consideration for this initiative. In addition, applicants using NIH Parent announcements (listed below) will be assigned to those ICs on this NOSI that have indicated those FOAs are acceptable and based on usual application-IC assignment practices.

PA-20-183 Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)
PA-20-185 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
PA-20-184 Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
PA-20-194 NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required)
PA-20-195 NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
PA-20-196 NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
PA-20-200 NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
PA-21-221 NICHD Small Research Grant Program (R03 Clinical Trial Required)
PA-21-231 NICHD Small Research Grant Program (R03 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
PAR-21-155 Academic Research Enhancement Award for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
PAR-21-154 Academic Research Enhancement Award for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required)
PAR-21-357 Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Required)
PAR-22-060 Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)