Research on Biopsychosocial Factors of Social Connectedness and Isolation on Health, Wellbeing, Illness, and Recovery (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) | PAR 21 350

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 350

This National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity, PAR-21-350, supports R01 research projects focused on understanding how social connectedness and social isolation shape health, illness, recovery, and overall wellbeing. The core goal is to move beyond simply showing that relationships matter and instead build and test models that explain why and how they matter. Projects are expected to examine underlying biopsychosocial mechanisms, the processes that drive change over time, and the trajectories of social relationships, including how these relational patterns develop, persist, or shift and how those changes translate into measurable health-related outcomes.

The announcement emphasizes mechanistic and process-oriented research. That includes studying pathways that connect social experiences to outcomes through biological, psychological, and social channels, such as stress-related physiology, immune or inflammatory signaling, neurobiological systems involved in affiliation and threat, cognitive and emotional processes, health behaviors, and contextual factors like family, neighborhoods, workplaces, and culture. NIH is looking for research that can clarify directionality and timing (for example, when isolation becomes biologically or psychologically damaging, what buffers those effects, and what social processes promote recovery). Studies may be conducted in animal models or in human populations, reflecting the program interest in fundamental mechanisms as well as real-world health relevance.

This specific FOA is labeled "Clinical Trials Not Allowed," meaning applicants should not propose projects that meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial (for instance, assigning people to an intervention to test effects on health-related outcomes). Observational, longitudinal, epidemiologic, secondary data analyses, and other non-interventional designs are generally compatible, as are many mechanistic studies that do not involve assigning participants to interventions. If a project is a basic science experimental study involving human participants, NIH directs applicants to consider the companion announcement (TEMP-14931) that is specifically designed for basic experimental studies with humans. In practical terms, applicants need to be careful about study design and confirm whether their proposed human research is considered an experiment or a clinical trial under NIH policy, then choose the correct FOA accordingly.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that commonly apply to NIH: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses, though not SBIR/STTR-specific mechanisms here), and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are also listed as eligible, signaling that NIH is open to internationally based applicants when scientifically justified and compliant with NIH rules.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program using the R01 mechanism under NIH, spanning multiple NIH CFDA lines (reflecting participation by multiple institutes/centers). The original closing date listed is 2024-06-21, and no award ceiling is specified in the provided listing (typical for many NIH R01 opportunities, where budgets are governed by NIH policy, institute-specific expectations, and project needs rather than a single posted cap). Overall, the opportunity is best suited for investigators who can propose rigorous, theory-driven, and methodologically strong research that explains mechanisms and patterns linking social connection or isolation to health and recovery, without proposing a clinical trial under NIH definitions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research on Biopsychosocial Factors of Social Connectedness and Isolation on Health, Wellbeing, Illness, and Recovery (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.361, 93.399, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 PAR 21 350

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: