Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 168
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Chronic Condition Self-Management in Children and Adolescents (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA-18-168; CFDA: 93.361) supports exploratory and developmental research aimed at improving how children and adolescents live with and manage chronic health conditions. The central focus is on strengthening self-management and, in turn, improving quality of life for young people and their families who face the day-to-day, long-term demands of chronic illness. Because chronic condition management is not a short-term challenge but an ongoing responsibility that often spans developmental stages and family transitions, the program is designed to encourage early-stage, innovative projects that can generate new approaches, pilot data, and proof-of-concept findings that may later be scaled or tested more broadly.
The FOA emphasizes that effective self-management in pediatric chronic illness is shaped by many interacting influences rather than a single factor. Applicants are encouraged to design research that accounts for individual differences (such as age, developmental level, motivation, skills, and health literacy) as well as biological and psychological factors that can affect adherence, symptom monitoring, coping, and functional outcomes. It also highlights the importance of the child or adolescent within a broader family and caregiver context, recognizing that parents, guardians, and other caregivers often share management responsibilities and strongly influence routines, treatment follow-through, and emotional support. In addition, the opportunity specifically calls attention to sociocultural context and family-community dynamics, acknowledging that culture, language, community resources, social support, stigma, and socioeconomic conditions can either support or hinder self-management.
Another major theme is the role of the healthcare system and care delivery environment. The FOA invites research that considers how clinical workflows, provider communication, access to specialty care, care coordination, and transitions between pediatric and adult services affect a young person’s ability to manage a condition over time. It also encourages projects that leverage technological advances, which can include tools and platforms that help with tracking symptoms, medications, appointments, or health behaviors, as well as solutions that facilitate communication between families and care teams. Environmental factors are also within scope, which can involve the settings where children live, learn, and play, including home, school, neighborhood, and broader physical or policy environments that shape daily management tasks and health-related opportunities or barriers.
This is an R21 mechanism, meaning it is intended for exploratory or developmental research rather than large, fully powered definitive trials. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which signals that applicants may propose a clinical trial if it is appropriate for the scientific question, but a clinical trial is not required. The award ceiling listed is $200,000, supporting smaller, time-limited projects aimed at testing feasibility, refining an intervention or strategy, developing measures or methods, or generating preliminary evidence that can justify a larger subsequent study.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations and, notably, certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants 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; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal governments (other than federally recognized), and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals an interest in drawing ideas and partnerships from diverse research, education, clinical, and community settings, including those serving populations that may experience disproportionate chronic disease burdens or barriers to care.
Administrative details in the source listing identify the opportunity as discretionary grant funding within the education and health activity categories. The posting date (creation date) is November 8, 2017, and the original closing date shown is May 7, 2020. Overall, the opportunity is structured to spark innovative, multidisciplinary work that treats pediatric self-management as a complex, real-world challenge shaped by development, families, healthcare systems, technology, and the environments where children and adolescents grow up.Apply for PA 18 168
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Chronic Condition Self-Management in Children and Adolescents (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-07. (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 $200,000.00 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this NIH funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled Chronic Condition Self-Management in Children and Adolescents (R21 Clinical Trial Optional).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-18-168.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.361.
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
This NIH opportunity supports exploratory and developmental research aimed at improving how children and adolescents live with and manage chronic health conditions, with an emphasis on strengthening self-management to improve quality of life for young people and their families.
What does the program mean by "self-management" in pediatric chronic illness?
Based on the description, self-management includes the day-to-day work involved in living with a chronic condition over time. This can involve adherence to care routines, symptom monitoring, coping and problem-solving, and maintaining function and well-being across developmental stages and family transitions.
What type of research mechanism is this (R21), and what does that imply?
This is an R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory or developmental research. It is designed for smaller, time-limited projects that can generate new approaches, pilot data, feasibility findings, proof-of-concept results, refined measures, or methods that may support later, larger studies.
Is a clinical trial required?
No. The FOA is labeled Clinical Trial Optional, meaning a clinical trial may be proposed if appropriate for the scientific question, but a clinical trial is not required.
What is the maximum award amount mentioned?
The award ceiling listed is $200,000.
What kinds of projects does NIH appear to be encouraging under this FOA?
The opportunity emphasizes early-stage, innovative projects that can generate new approaches and preliminary evidence. Examples of the kinds of efforts described include testing feasibility, refining an intervention or strategy, developing measures or methods, and producing pilot or proof-of-concept findings that could later be scaled or tested more broadly.
What factors does the FOA highlight as influencing pediatric self-management?
The FOA highlights that self-management is shaped by many interacting influences, including:
- Individual differences (age, developmental level, motivation, skills, health literacy)
- Biological and psychological factors that affect adherence, symptom monitoring, coping, and functional outcomes
- Family and caregiver context (shared responsibilities, routines, follow-through, emotional support)
- Sociocultural and community context (culture, language, community resources, social support, stigma, socioeconomic conditions)
- Healthcare system and care delivery environment (workflows, provider communication, specialty care access, care coordination, transitions between pediatric and adult services)
- Technology (tools for tracking symptoms/medications/appointments/behaviors; platforms supporting communication with care teams)
- Environmental settings (home, school, neighborhood, and broader physical or policy environments)
Does this opportunity focus only on the child or adolescent, or also on families and caregivers?
It explicitly recognizes the role of families and caregivers in chronic condition management. The FOA notes that parents, guardians, and other caregivers often share responsibilities and influence routines, treatment follow-through, and emotional support.
How does the FOA treat the role of sociocultural context?
The FOA specifically calls attention to sociocultural context and family-community dynamics, noting that factors such as culture, language, community resources, social support, stigma, and socioeconomic conditions can either support or hinder self-management.
Are healthcare system factors within the scope of this FOA?
Yes. The FOA invites research considering how the healthcare system and care delivery environment affect self-management over time, including clinical workflows, provider communication, access to specialty care, care coordination, and transitions between pediatric and adult services.
Is technology-based research or tool development appropriate for this opportunity?
Yes. The FOA encourages projects that leverage technological advances, including tools that help track symptoms, medications, appointments, or health behaviors, as well as solutions that facilitate communication between families and care teams.
Do environmental settings like schools or neighborhoods fit within the scope of this FOA?
Yes. Environmental factors are described as within scope, including the settings where children live, learn, and play (such as home, school, neighborhood) and broader physical or policy environments that influence daily management tasks and opportunities or barriers.
Who is eligible to apply (in general terms)?
Eligibility is described as broad, spanning government, education, nonprofit, and business entities, and including certain non-U.S. organizations. The FOA lists eligible applicants across many organization types, including domestic governmental units, higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, small businesses, tribal entities and organizations, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities.
Which government entities are listed as eligible?
Eligible government-related applicants listed include state, county, city, township, and special district governments, as well as eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are schools and higher education institutions eligible?
Yes. The FOA lists independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education as eligible applicants. It also highlights several categories of minority-serving institutions and related institutions.
Are nonprofits eligible, including those without 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. The FOA includes nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in that particular nonprofit category listing).
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA lists for-profit organizations other than small businesses and also separately lists small businesses.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments). It also highlights Indian/Native American tribal governments (other than federally recognized) as additional eligible applicants.
Are community-based or faith-based organizations mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly highlights faith-based or community-based organizations among additional eligible applicants.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) as eligible applicants.
Which minority-serving and related institutions are explicitly highlighted?
The FOA highlights categories including 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), and other related institutions.
What are the posting and closing dates shown in the source listing?
The posting (creation) date shown is November 8, 2017. The original closing date shown is May 7, 2020.
What activity categories are associated with this opportunity?
The source listing identifies the opportunity as discretionary grant funding within the education and health activity categories.
What is the overall emphasis or philosophy of the FOA?
The FOA frames pediatric chronic condition self-management as a complex, real-world challenge influenced by development, family dynamics, healthcare systems, technology, and the environments where children and adolescents grow up, and it aims to stimulate innovative, multidisciplinary early-stage research aligned with that view.
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