Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA ES 23 011

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 23 011

The Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-ES-23-011) is a National Institutes of Health grant designed for environmental health studies that cannot wait for the normal NIH timeline. It focuses on situations where an unexpected event or a sudden policy change creates a brief, time-limited chance to gather critical information, especially human biological specimens (such as blood, urine, hair, or other biospecimens) or environmental exposure measurements (such as air, water, soil, dust, or other exposure indicators). The central idea is that if researchers miss that narrow window, the opportunity to answer the question may be lost or the data may become much less informative. Because of this, the program is built around rapid review and faster-than-usual funding so the work can start quickly and capture perishable evidence tied to the event.

The research supported under this announcement is meant to improve understanding of health impacts connected to real-world environmental disruptions. The FOA emphasizes studies that examine consequences of natural disasters (for example, wildfires, floods, hurricanes, extreme heat events), human-made disasters (for example, industrial chemical releases, infrastructure failures, contamination incidents), emerging environmental public health threats, and policy shifts that alter exposures or protections. Projects should be novel, meaning they add new knowledge rather than simply repeating established approaches, and they should be strongly justified as time-sensitive, showing why immediate data collection is essential to the scientific aims. Importantly, the mechanism is R21 and the announcement specifies Clinical Trial Not Allowed, so it is intended for early-stage or exploratory research that does not involve testing an intervention in a clinical trial framework.

In practical terms, competitive proposals are likely to be those with clear, implementable plans for rapid deployment: how teams will access affected communities or sites, how they will collect and store samples, how exposure data will be measured reliably under urgent conditions, how data quality and participant protections will be maintained, and how the project will generate interpretable findings despite the compressed timeline. The outcome the NIH is trying to enable is timely, credible evidence about exposure pathways and potential health consequences that can inform environmental health science and, in many cases, guide future preparedness, response, or policy decisions.

The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant within NIH, with activity areas spanning education, environment, and health (CFDA 93.113 and 93.143). The award ceiling is $275,000, reflecting the smaller, rapid-response nature of an R21. The original closing date listed is 2025-12-01, and the FOA was created on 2023-07-05.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants that could be positioned to respond quickly to unfolding events. Eligible entities include state, county, city/township, and 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 or without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicants such as 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, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility reflects the reality that time-sensitive environmental health opportunities often arise in diverse locations and may require partnerships with local institutions, community organizations, or international collaborators.

Overall, this FOA supports quick-turnaround environmental health research that is triggered by unpredictable events or policy changes, prioritizing projects that must start fast to capture fleeting exposure or biological data. It is built for investigators who can justify urgency, mobilize rapidly, and produce useful scientific insights about environmental exposures and related health risks without conducting a clinical trial.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.143.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-07-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-12-01. (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 $275,000.00 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.

Apply for RFA ES 23 011

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