This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for research projects in linked Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth). The overall objective of the GEOHealth program is to support the development of institutions in Low- or Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) that will serve as regional hubs for collaborative research, data management, research training, curricula and outreach material development, and policy support around high priority local, national, and regional environmental and occupational health threats. These hubs are expected to conduct the research and training needed to identify and design mitigation strategies for the adverse consequences of environmental exposures and inform relevant policy development in LMICs. The global network of hubs will serve as a platform for coordinated research and research training. GEOHealth Hubs are expected to provide leadership in environmental and occupational health research and in training a new generation of environmental and occupational health experts. Hubs are supported by two coordinated linked awards to 1) a LMIC institution for research and 2) a U.S. institution for research training. Both applications must demonstrate a commitment to extensive coordination between these two awards to meet goals of the GEOHealth program. An application submitted in response to this FOA for research must be harmonized with a linked application for research training under RFA-TW-21-002 “Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) – Research Training (Collaborative U2R Clinical Trial Optional)”. This research FOA is intended to support collaborative research that contributes to the long-term goals of 1) building and strengthening sustainable research capacity in LMICs to address environmental and occupational health, and 2) developing a research foundation to inform evidence-based policy related to environmental and occupational health.
Clinical research (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/glossary.htm#ClinicalResearch), clinical trials (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/glossary.htm#ClinicalTrial), and human subjects research (https://humansubjects.nih.gov/) are allowed under this FOA. Examples of the types of NIH-defined clinical trials that could be proposed include (but are not limited to) technology interventions, behavioral interventions, etc. This FOA will NOT support studies whose purpose is to evaluate safety clinical efficacy, effectiveness, and management and/or implementation of new or established pharmacological agents. For the NIH definition of clinical research versus clinical trials, please see https://grants.nih.gov/policy/clinical-trials/definition.htm. Please use the clinical trial tool (https://grants.nih.gov/ct-decision/index.htm) to determine whether your proposed study is a clinical trial. For additional information please refer to the NIH Clinical Trials Requirements and Fogarty information on human subjects research and clinical trials. Applicants desiring to conduct NIH-defined clinical trials should contact the FIC prior to submission to review the scope of the proposed clinical trial with the program contact.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the NOT-OD-15-103 on enhancing the reproducibility of NIH-supported research through rigor and transparency and to incorporate appropriate features into the proposed research plans.