Self-Management Interventions and Technologies to Sustain Health and Optimize Functional Capabilities (R01) | PA 17 012

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this NIH funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Self-Management Interventions and Technologies to Sustain Health and Optimize Functional Capabilities (R01)."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-17-012.

What type of grant mechanism is being used?

This announcement uses the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism.

What is the main purpose of this FOA?

The FOA supports clinical research on self-management interventions and related technologies that help people maintain and optimize functional abilities. The emphasis is on sustaining day-to-day functioning, independence, and quality of life over time, especially for individuals who need assistance to avoid further decline and better navigate their environments.

Is the FOA focused on curing disease, or on maintaining function?

The FOA emphasizes practical, real-world strategies to sustain or improve physical and cognitive functioning and quality of life, rather than focusing only on curing disease.

What kinds of outcomes are most relevant to this FOA?

The FOA highlights outcomes related to sustaining or enhancing functional capabilities and improving health outcomes and daily quality of life. It also underscores goals such as slowing functional decline, preventing or delaying disability, reducing symptom burden, and improving participation in valued activities.

What domains of function does NIH mention as relevant?

The FOA explicitly references multiple domains, including physical abilities (such as strength, endurance, and mobility), sensory function, motor skills, and mental or cognitive capabilities.

What does "self-management" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the description provided, self-management refers to approaches and tools that help individuals manage symptoms, activity, daily functioning, and related health needs in ways that support independence and help sustain function over time.

Are technology-based approaches allowed or encouraged?

Yes. The FOA points to both behavioral and technology-enabled strategies, including interventions that use supportive technologies.

What are examples of interventions that could fit this FOA?

The description indicates potential fits could include structured self-management programs, remote monitoring, assistive or rehabilitative technologies, digital health supports, and other tools designed to help people manage symptoms, activity, and daily functioning.

Does the FOA require interventions to be tailored to individuals?

Tailoring and adaptability are a major theme. The FOA highlights maintenance and restorative care that can be adapted to an individual's current functional level, preferences, and interests.

What populations or contexts does NIH seem especially interested in?

The FOA emphasizes people who need assistance to remain independent and to avoid further functional decline, particularly those living with chronic conditions or disabilities where functional limitations are common, long-lasting, progressive, or otherwise persistent.

What health conditions or disability contexts are specifically mentioned?

Examples specifically mentioned include cardiac and respiratory insufficiency, movement impairment linked to arthritis, chronic back pain, stroke, and other physical or cognitive disabilities.

Is this opportunity limited to one diagnosis area?

No. While examples are provided, the broader intent is to improve functional capability and quality of life across populations facing ongoing functional challenges, not to restrict applications to a single diagnosis.

Is the supported work described as clinical research?

Yes. The FOA supports clinical research designed to test interventions and evaluate whether they sustain or improve function and related health outcomes.

What does the FOA suggest about the type or scale of projects expected?

Because the mechanism is an R01, the FOA generally aligns with larger, hypothesis-driven clinical research projects that can test an intervention, evaluate outcomes, and generate evidence strong enough to inform practice.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. The FOA lists many eligible applicant types, including various U.S. government entities, educational institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, small businesses, tribal entities, community-based and faith-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

Which U.S. government entities are eligible applicants?

Eligible government applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments, as well as independent school districts.

Are colleges and universities eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The FOA also explicitly references Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, and TCCUs.

Are nonprofits eligible even if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The FOA lists nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status as eligible (excluding higher education institutions within those nonprofit categories, as described in the eligibility list provided).

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and it also includes small businesses.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes federally recognized tribal governments and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized.

Are community-based and faith-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly calls out faith-based or community-based organizations as eligible applicants.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA includes non-U.S. (foreign) organizations in the eligibility description provided.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

How is the opportunity categorized?

It is categorized as discretionary and is associated with an education and health funding activity category.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this FOA?

The CFDA numbers listed are 93.173 and 93.361.

What are the key dates provided for this opportunity?

The creation date shown is October 18, 2016, and the original closing date shown is January 24, 2018.

Is the award ceiling specified in the provided information?

No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided data.

Is the expected number of awards specified?

No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided data.

Where would an applicant typically look for budget expectations or institute-specific priorities?

The provided description indicates that applicants would typically consult the full FOA and NIH institute-specific guidance to understand budget expectations, review criteria, and any institute-level priorities tied to the announcement.

What kinds of real-world impact is NIH aiming for with this FOA?

The FOA is aimed at building evidence for practical interventions and supportive technologies that help people live better with chronic conditions and disabilities by preserving function, delaying disability, improving symptom management, and supporting participation in everyday life.

What would make a project a strong fit based on the description provided?

Based on the information provided, a strong fit would be a clinical research project that measures meaningful functional outcomes, tests an intervention intended to sustain or improve function, incorporates adaptability to individual needs and preferences, and is designed to generate evidence that can inform care approaches for populations experiencing functional limitations.