Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R01)

Link to Additional Information:

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-198.html

Description:

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director (OD) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), encourages innovative research to enhance the quality of measurements of dietary intake and physical activity. Applications submitted under this FOA may include development of: Novel assessment approaches; better methods to evaluate instruments; assessment tools for culturally diverse populations or various age groups, including older adults; improved technology or applications of existing technology; statistical methods to assess or correct for measurement errors or biases, methods to investigate the multidimensionality of diet and physical activity behavior through pattern analysis; or integrated measurement of diet and physical activity along with the environmental context of such behaviors.              

Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R21)

Link to Additional Information:

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-197.html      

       
Description: 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director (OD) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), encourages innovative research to enhance the quality of measurements of dietary intake and physical activity. Applications submitted under this FOA may include development of: Novel assessment approaches; better methods to evaluate instruments; assessment tools for culturally diverse populations or various age groups, including children and older adults; improved technology or applications of existing technology; statistical methods to assess or correct for measurement errors or biases, methods to investigate the multidimensionality of diet and physical activity behavior through pattern analysis; or integrated measurement of diet and physical activity along with the environmental context of such behaviors.              
    

Obesity Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures

Obesity Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures 

Additional information:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-027.html


Deadline: October 5, 2012 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), 

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), NIH, and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, encourages Research Project Grant (R01) applications that propose to: (1) conduct evaluation research on obesity-related "natural experiments" (defined here as community and other population-level public policy interventions that may affect diet and physical activity behavior), and/or (2) develop and/or validate relevant community-level measures (instruments and methodologies to assess the food and physical activity environments at the community level). The overarching goal of this FOA is to inform public policy and research relevant to (1) diet and physical activity behavior, and (2) weight and health outcomes of Americans. Click here for more information.

CDC Releases Call for National Organizations for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: CDC-RFA-DP10-1008

Link to Announcement: 

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=4VpKP23LLkpkLrbRRJGmmxj2PrKjXC9xxMQmwGVyT3QXpJt9DQtp!-9084050?oppId=183393&mode=VIEW

Purpose:

The purpose of the program is to plan, coordinate, and facilitate public health activities related to chronic disease prevention and health promotion (focusing on the National Center For Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s priority areas and goals), and environmental health. Approximately 79 million Americans have prediabetes.  Prediabetes means blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diabetes.  People with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

The program purpose is to develop a process for identifying and supporting the work of 5-10 State Diabetes Prevention and Control Programs (DPCPs) that have the capacity and are well positioned to engage in state-wide or regional (large city) efforts to promote increased use of lifestyle change programs that have achieved CDC recognition.

Provide training and technical assistance on: 1) strategic use of health communication and marketing campaigns to raise awareness of prediabetes risk factors for people at risk, 2) strategies for raising awareness among health care providers of how to recognize and treat prediabetes and increase referrals to CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs, 3)  strategies for developing and implementing systems for referral of people with prediabetes or multiple type 2 diabetes risk factors to sites offering CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs, and 4) strategies for partnering with state and local government agencies to recommend that CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs be offered as a covered benefit for public employees to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. 

Program Implementation

Recipient Activities

1)      Develop a process for identifying  and supporting the work of 5-10 State Diabetes Prevention and Control Programs (DPCPs) that have the capacity and are well positioned to engage in state-wide or regional (large city) efforts to promote increased use of lifestyle change programs that have achieved CDC recognition (or pending recognition) to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes among people at high risk during the 12 month project period; 

2)      Provide training and technical assistance to 5-10 selected states, in coordination with CDC, in the following areas:

a)      Strategic use of health communication and marketing campaigns to raise awareness of prediabetes risk factors for people at risk, the location of sites offering lifestyle change programs that have achieved CDC recognition (or pending recognition), and how to enroll in these lifestyle programs;

b)      Strategies for raising awareness among health care providers of how to recognize and treat prediabetes;

c)      Strategies for working with health care providers to increase referrals to CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs;

d)      Strategies for developing and implementing systems for referral of people with prediabetes or multiple type 2 diabetes risk factors to sites offering CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs;

e)      Strategies for partnering with state and local government agencies to recommend that CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs be offered as a covered benefit for public employees to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes;

f)       Strategies for partnering with organizations such as business coalitions to increase support for CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs as a covered benefit by insurance providers and companies that are self-insured;

g)      Strategies for ensuring that efforts to increase awareness and promote the program are aligned and coordinated with organizations in the State that are delivering CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs.

3)      Develop a plan for documenting and evaluating the impact of the selected DPCP’s contributions toward increasing awareness, referrals and access to CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs during the project period, and the extent to which these activities support and/or complement those of the organizations offering the programs.

Dedicate staff with necessary knowledge and skills to successfully manage the project and complete the required recipient activities.

 In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.  

PCORI Funding Opportunities

PCORI Funding Announcements (PFAs) are issued to support a portfolio of comparative clinical effectiveness research based on PCORI’s National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda. PCORI’s first Research Agenda includes five broad areas. Each area represents a line of research inquiry that addresses currently unmet needs of patients, their caregivers, clinicians and other healthcare system stakeholders in making personalized healthcare decisions across a wide range of conditions and treatments.


They offer a series of RFAs, including this call for communication and dissemination:
http://www.pcori.org/assets/PFA-Communication-and-Dissemination-05222012.pdf

For more information on all of their calls, please visit the PCORI funding opportunity website:
http://www.pcori.org/funding-opportunities/pfa/

Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) (PAR-12-182)

Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-182.html

Purpose:

The purpose of the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) initiative is to reduce health disparities, enhance partnerships and reduce distrust of research by  American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities while developing a cadre of AI/AN scientists and health research professionals.  The AI/AN Tribal nations and communities have long experienced disparities in health compared with other Americans.  Health disparities of AI/ANs are related to a complex set of factors and the paucity of health research within these populations may contribute to the situation.  One approach that combats this distrust is to ensure that Tribes and Tribal Organizations are the managing partners in research and training that involves them.  To that end, NIH in collaboration with IHS has issued the NARCH funding opportunity announcement in which collaborations between Federally recognized AI/AN Tribes or Tribal organizations (including national and area Indian health boards, and Tribal colleges meeting the definition of a Tribal organization as defined by 25 U.S.C. 1603(d) or (e)) and institutions that conduct intensive academic-level biomedical, behavioral and health services research will be supported to conduct research and training in AI/AN communities. 

Research Objectives:

The NARCH program seeks to support development of AI/AN communities in research partnerships, build upon strengths in combating health disparities and increase the pool of trained AI/AN scientists and research professionals.  Due to the complexity of factors contributing to the health and disease of AI/ANs, and to their health disparities compared with other Americans, the collaborative efforts of the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the collaboration of researchers and AI/AN communities are needed to achieve significant improvements in the health status of AI/AN people. To accomplish this goal, in addition to objectives set by the Tribe, Tribal organization or Indian health boards, the NARCH program will pursue the following program objectives:

• To gain a better understanding of strengths and resilency factors: An understanding of how to enhance the strengths and resilience within the AI/AN communities and individuals may help reduce health disparities. While AI/AN communities have relied on health research and medical science to reduce health disparities, they have also relied on their own psychological, organizational, and cultural assets and strengths to survive major harms and disruptions over the centuries, and to rebound from insults to health.
• Strengthen partnerships and AI/AN community engagement in health research: Fully utilizing all cultural and scientific knowledge, strengths, and competencies, such partnerships can lead to better understanding of the biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, cultural, social, and economic factors either promoting or hindering improved health status of AI/ANs, and generate the development and evaluation of interventions to improve their health status.  Community distrust of research and researchers will be reduced by offering the Tribe greater control over the research process. Recent community-based participatory research suggests that AI/AN communities can work collaboratively in partnership with health researchers to further the research needs of AI/ANs (Thomas LR, Rosa C, Forcehimes A,Donovan DM. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. Research partnerships between academic institutions and American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and organizations: effective strategies and lessons learned in a multisite CTN study. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2011 Sep;37(5):333-8).  Helpful guidelines for community leaders and health researchers conducting research within the AI/AN communities can be found athttp://www.ncaiprc.org/research-curriculum-guide and http://www.ncaiprc.org/research-regulation.
• Development of AI/AN scientists and health research professionals: Opportunities are needed to develop more AI/AN scientists and health professionals engaged in health research, and to conduct biomedical, clinical, behavioral and health services research that is responsive to the needs of the AI/AN community and the goals of this initiative. Faculty/researchers and students at each proposed NARCH will develop investigator-initiated, scientifically meritorious research projects, including pilot research projects, and will be supported through science education projects designed to increase the numbers of, and to improve the research skills of, AI/AN investigators and investigators involved with AI/ANs.

By involving and training people from within the community in areas of health research, a better understanding of community health concerns and needs regarding health research is attained. The approach in which the community is empowered in the research is beneficial in both designing research relevant to the health needs of the communities and providing sustainability of addressing these needs with trained researchers from Tribal communities. 

Research Interests:

Although many ICs indicated specific research interests that they would like to fund, NIDDK did not. It is highly recommended that you contact the program officer to see if they would be interested in funding your research concept.

The program officer indicated in the RFA is Alan Trachtenberg:

Alan Trachtenberg, M.D., M.P.H. 
IHS Research Director (Acting) 
801 Thompson Ave, TMP Suite 450 
Rockville, MD 20852 
(301) 443-0578 or narch@ihs.gov

Re-Issue of NIDDK Translation R18 and R34

NIDDK has recently re-issued their translation research calls for the R18 and R34 mechanisms. It is strongly advised that you thoroughly read the new call and note that there have been some changes including the addition of a translation component to the review criteria:

Translation

Is the approach to be tested novel and/or significant in relation to its potential to meaningfully improve healthcare or public health?  Does the approach to be tested have the potential to reach and/or be generalized to a reasonably large segment of at risk individuals?  If the translation is to a new population, is the adaptation or modification to the evidence based approach directed toward meaningful differences between the target population and the population addressed in the clinical efficacy research? For example, does the proposed intervention address unique barriers or differences in lifestyle and beliefs?  Does the approach to be tested have the potential for wide dissemination and implementation at the conclusion of the research? Have the researchers justified the sustainability of the approach beyond the research period, including appropriate partnerships and consideration of cost and resources such as personnel and infrastructure? Is there a sufficient evaluation of the implementation costs in relation to sustainability and the health benefit achieved?

Translational Research to Improve Obesity and Diabetes Outcomes

(R18) PAR-12-172
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-172.html




Planning Grants for Translational Research to Improve Obesity and Diabetes 


Outcomes (R34) PAR-12-173
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-173.html

Benefits of approaches proven efficacious in clinical trials for diabetes and obesity are often not fully realized because the therapies are not implemented in many healthcare settings or communities. For example, it is well established that behavioral lifestyle interventions, with modest (5-7%) weight loss, can prevent or delay development of type 2 diabetes in individuals at high risk for the disorder.  Further, large clinical trials have demonstrated that glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factor modification can reduce the risk of diabetes complications.  Large controlled trials have also consistently demonstrated success in achieving weight loss though lifestyle approaches, although maintenance of weight loss remains a challenge.  Despite these advances, the efficacious interventions from these trials are rarely translated into widespread practice.  Often this is because they lack adaptation and testing to be feasible, acceptable, cost effective and sustainable outside of tightly controlled research settings and populations. Closing the gap between clinical efficacy research and adoption and application of these approaches in community and healthcare settings is a complex challenge but an important focus of necessary research to improve the health of the nation.

Research in response to this announcement must test sustainable, acceptable, and cost efficient adaptations of efficacious strategies or approaches prevent and treat diabetes and/or obesity.  Areas of research included in this FOA include:

• Testing innovative strategies to promote the implementation of evidence-based health practices within applied practice or community settings.  Examples include testing approaches designed to achieve more rapid medication intensification in patients with diabetes, improve adherence to diabetes medications and blood glucose monitoring, or increase adherence to screening guidelines such as screening for gestational diabetes, assessing body mass index in healthcare practice, or screening high risk individuals for type 2 diabetes.
• Testing novel adaptation, or translation, of evidence based interventions to evaluate effectiveness within applied practice or community settings.  Such evidence based interventions could include behavioral lifestyle counseling for weight management in both children and adults or diabetes self management approaches to improve adherence and tighten glucose control.
• Adaptations should retain core strategies from the evidence based intervention (e.g.        inclusion of both dietary and physical activity changes as well as core behavioral strategies for weight loss). Innovations in delivery frequency, intensity and/or modality are encouraged, particularly if they are aimed at overcoming barriers to wide implementation or unique barriers in high risk communities.  Amount of adaptation should be balanced with maintaining core elements of an evidence based approach.  A less expensive and more adoptable approach only benefits public health if it also achieves meaningful health outcomes.

All grant applications must specifically include a description of the tested approach’s capacity to address the following questions: 

a) Could it be applied to a significant number of at risk individuals? 

b) Could it be widely disseminated (widely adopted) and implemented (put into practice)? 

c) Would the approach be sustainable once the research is concluded?

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