Considerations, Options, and Resources for Data Management in PHS Funded Research | IR ORI 21 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for IR ORI 21 001

This grant opportunity, titled "Considerations, Options, and Resources for Data Management in PHS Funded Research" (Funding Opportunity Number IR-ORI-21-001), was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Research Integrity (ORI). It was released on April 16, 2021, with an original application deadline of June 30, 2021. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning ORI is not only providing funding but also expects to have substantial involvement with the recipient during the project, such as coordinating on project direction, deliverables, and practical utility for the research community.

The opportunity is grounded in ORI's broader mandate to strengthen research integrity across institutions that receive Public Health Service (PHS) funding. Under federal regulation (42 C.F.R. 93.300(c)), PHS-funded institutions are required to foster an environment that promotes responsible conduct of research, discourages misconduct, and responds promptly and appropriately when allegations arise. ORI frames this funding as part of its long-standing education and outreach mission: helping institutions teach responsible conduct of research, prevent misconduct, and improve responses to potential misconduct. Within that context, ORI is emphasizing that responsible data management is not a narrow administrative issue, but a foundational part of ensuring research findings are trustworthy, reproducible, and available when needed for verification, reuse, or investigation.

The central focus of the grant is improving data management and stewardship practices across the research lifecycle in PHS-funded research environments. ORI is seeking projects that conduct research on responsible data management and that also translate findings into practical, usable outputs. The goal is to move beyond general statements like "store data safely" and instead produce concrete considerations, options, and resources that can be adopted by researchers, research administrators, and research institutions. In practice, that can include developing frameworks, toolkits, guidance documents, decision aids, model policies, training materials, or other implementation-ready resources that address how data should be created, organized, documented, stored, protected, shared, retained, and governed.

Because the opportunity sits within ORI's Research on Research Integrity assistance program, proposals are expected to contribute to the evidence base around research integrity and misconduct prevention, specifically through the lens of data practices. That could involve studying where data management breaks down in real-world research settings, what institutional supports make responsible practices more likely, how different disciplines handle stewardship challenges, and what interventions measurably improve compliance and integrity outcomes. ORI is signaling interest in work that is both research-informed and operationally relevant, so the outputs should be designed for real uptake within PHS-funded institutions rather than remaining purely conceptual.

Funding is limited and competitive. The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $600,000. The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the assistance listing is tied to CFDA number 93.085. Eligibility is labeled broadly as "Others" with clarification to be provided in the full eligibility text of the announcement, which typically means applicants should carefully verify whether their organization type and role fit ORI's requirements before investing in a full submission.

Overall, the grant is essentially an investment in strengthening the integrity of PHS-funded research by improving how data are managed and stewarded. ORI is treating data management as a practical integrity safeguard: strong stewardship reduces the likelihood of errors, supports transparency and verification, helps institutions respond effectively to questions or allegations, and ultimately protects the credibility of the research enterprise. The funded project is expected to produce actionable resources that can realistically be used across research teams and institutions to elevate day-to-day data practices, not just recommend ideals.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Considerations, Options, and Resources for Data Management in PHS Funded Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.085.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 16, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2021 No Explanation. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for IR ORI 21 001

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