Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Approaches for Nutrition Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 034

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 034

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Approaches for Nutrition Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA-18-034) is a discretionary grant program that uses the R01 mechanism to support research projects applying nutrigenetics and/or nutrigenomics to nutrition science. The central aim is to encourage studies that connect nutrition with genetic variation and genome-scale biology, and to do so in a way that deliberately brings nutrition researchers into close collaboration with investigators who have deep expertise in omics technologies. In practical terms, the FOA is trying to move the field beyond traditional diet-and-health associations by supporting work that can explain why individuals or groups respond differently to foods, nutrients, and dietary patterns, using modern genomic and other omics tools.

A key emphasis of this announcement is the integration of nutrition research with omics approaches such as genetics and genomics, and, by implication, related platforms that often travel with nutrigenomics work (for example, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiome-enabled analyses when relevant to diet response). The FOA signals that strong applications are likely to include meaningful cross-disciplinary teamwork, such as study designs where nutritional exposures (dietary intake, dietary interventions, nutrient biomarkers, timing of intake, or dietary patterns) are paired with genotype or genome-wide measures to identify mechanisms, predictors of response, or biologically grounded subgroups. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose either clinical trials or non-trial research, depending on what best fits the scientific question, as long as the project aligns with NIH definitions and requirements for clinical trials when applicable.

Eligibility is broad and spans much of the U.S. research and public service ecosystem. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, or township governments; 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education where relevant); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other unspecified eligible entities. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional applicant types 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, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth is consistent with NIH's intent to attract multidisciplinary teams and encourage participation by a wide range of institutions, including those serving populations that may be especially relevant for studying gene-diet interactions and nutrition-related health disparities.

There are specific constraints around non-U.S. participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, described as foreign organizations and foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant organization. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible, meaning a U.S.-based applicant may include work conducted at an international site that is part of the U.S. organization. In addition, foreign components are allowed as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means that a U.S. applicant can include a foreign collaboration or site when it provides unique resources, expertise, populations, or other compelling scientific justification consistent with NIH policy.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is run by NIH and is cataloged under multiple CFDA numbers (93.213, 93.321, 93.393, 93.847), reflecting that more than one NIH institute or program area may participate or that the scientific scope overlaps multiple NIH funding lines. The FOA was created on 2017-11-01, and the original closing date listed in the source data is 2019-09-07. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so applicants would typically need to refer to the full FOA text and NIH institute-specific guidance for budget expectations, typical award sizes, project periods, and any participating institute priorities.

Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to accelerate nutrition research that is mechanistically informed and personalized or stratified, using genetic and genomic information to understand variability in diet response and nutrition-related health outcomes. It encourages applicants to form teams that can competently handle both the nutrition science side (exposure measurement, dietary intervention design, nutrient assessment, behavior and adherence considerations) and the omics side (study design for high-dimensional data, sequencing/genotyping, data integration, bioinformatics, and interpretation), with the goal of producing findings that are more precise, reproducible, and biologically explainable than what is possible with traditional nutrition epidemiology or intervention research alone.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Approaches for Nutrition Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213, 93.321, 93.393, 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-07. (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.

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