Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 19 019
The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) grant opportunity (RFA-AG-19-019) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement that seeks applications to run the next five-year cycle of NHATS, a major U.S. longitudinal study focused on aging, disability, and the real-world consequences of late-life functional decline. NHATS is described as the leading nationally representative data resource for tracking trends, dynamics, and disparities in disability among older adults, and for understanding how disability affects individuals, families, and society more broadly. It also supports research on caregiving and end-of-life issues, and it is linked to the separately funded National Study of Caregiving (NSOC), which adds depth on caregiving experiences tied to NHATS participants.
This award is structured as a cooperative agreement (U01), meaning the funded team would not just receive money and operate independently, but would work in close coordination with NIH staff in carrying out the study. The announcement specifies that clinical trials are not allowed, which is consistent with NHATS being a population-based observational data infrastructure rather than an intervention study. The project’s emphasis is on maintaining and improving an existing national resource that many researchers rely on, rather than testing a new treatment or program.
A central goal of the next cycle is continuity: the funded project is expected to preserve the current structure and design elements of NHATS so that findings remain comparable across years. That continuity matters because one of the explicit priorities is enabling studies of long-term trends in disability prevalence, which requires stable sampling and measurement approaches over time. At the same time, the next cycle is meant to strengthen the study in targeted ways by expanding and improving measurement in key domains. Specifically, the FOA calls for enriched measurement of cognitive capacity, reflecting the growing need to understand cognitive aging, impairment, and dementia-related outcomes within the broader context of disability and daily functioning. It also calls for enhanced measurement of physical activity and sedentary behavior, signaling interest in more precise, policy- and health-relevant indicators of how older adults move through their environments and how movement patterns relate to health, independence, and care needs.
The FOA also emphasizes continuing and expanding linkages to administrative records. These linkages are valuable because they can validate self-reported information, reduce respondent burden, and enable analyses of health care use, costs, program participation, and outcomes using more complete longitudinal data than surveys alone can provide. Alongside the data collection and linkage work, a major expectation is to augment data dissemination and user support. In practice, that means the NHATS team is expected not only to collect high-quality data, but also to ensure that the broader research community can access, understand, and use the data effectively through documentation, tools, and responsive support structures. Since NHATS functions as a public-facing research infrastructure, dissemination and user services are treated as core deliverables, not optional add-ons.
In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and 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; and a wide range of nonprofit and for-profit entities (including small businesses and other for-profit organizations that are not small businesses). The announcement also highlights additional categories often emphasized in federal funding, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.
The foreign eligibility rules are specific. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or elements when justified and permitted under NIH policy, even though the main applicant must be U.S.-based.
Administratively, the opportunity falls under the Health activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.866. The original closing date listed is October 1, 2018, and the opportunity was created on July 3, 2018. The listed award ceiling is $550,000. The FOA indicates expected awards but does not provide a number in the provided text. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as support for a large, continuing national research platform: maintaining the rigor and comparability of NHATS over time, modernizing measurement where it matters most (especially cognition and physical activity/sedentary behavior), strengthening administrative data linkages, and improving the way data and support are delivered to the many investigators, policymakers, and stakeholders who depend on this resource.Apply for RFA AG 19 019
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The National Health and Aging Trends Study (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-10-01. (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 $550,000.00 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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FAQs: National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Grant Opportunity (RFA-AG-19-019)
What is the NHATS grant opportunity (RFA-AG-19-019)?
RFA-AG-19-019 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity seeking applications to run the next five-year cycle of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a major U.S. longitudinal study focused on aging, disability, and the real-world consequences of late-life functional decline.
What is NHATS, and why is it important?
NHATS is described as the leading nationally representative data resource for tracking trends, dynamics, and disparities in disability among older adults. It supports understanding of how disability affects individuals, families, and society, and it underpins research on caregiving and end-of-life issues.
What type of award is this?
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement (U01). This means the funded team is expected to work in close coordination with NIH staff in carrying out the study, rather than operating fully independently.
Are clinical trials allowed under this funding announcement?
No. The announcement specifies that clinical trials are not allowed. The study is positioned as an observational, population-based data infrastructure rather than an intervention or treatment-testing project.
What is the overall purpose of funding the next cycle of NHATS?
The purpose is to maintain and improve an existing national research resource relied upon by many researchers. The emphasis is on sustaining a rigorous, comparable longitudinal platform while strengthening targeted measurement domains, administrative linkages, and dissemination/user support.
How long is the project period supported by this opportunity?
The opportunity seeks support to run the next five-year cycle of NHATS.
What does the FOA say about continuity and comparability with prior NHATS cycles?
A central goal is continuity. The funded project is expected to preserve the current structure and design elements of NHATS so that findings remain comparable across years. This is especially important for studying long-term trends in disability prevalence.
What are the key areas where the FOA calls for improved measurement?
The FOA calls for enriched measurement in specific domains, including (1) cognitive capacity and (2) physical activity and sedentary behavior.
Why is cognitive measurement singled out for enrichment?
The FOA highlights the growing need to understand cognitive aging, impairment, and dementia-related outcomes within the broader context of disability and daily functioning.
Why does the FOA emphasize physical activity and sedentary behavior?
The FOA signals interest in more precise and policy- and health-relevant indicators of how older adults move through their environments, and how movement patterns relate to health, independence, and care needs.
Does the FOA require or encourage linkages to administrative records?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes continuing and expanding linkages to administrative records.
What are the benefits of administrative record linkages in NHATS?
These linkages are described as valuable because they can validate self-reported information, reduce respondent burden, and enable analyses of health care use, costs, program participation, and outcomes using more complete longitudinal data than surveys alone can provide.
What are the expectations for data dissemination and user support?
A major expectation is to augment data dissemination and user support. The NHATS team is expected not only to collect high-quality data, but also to ensure that the broader research community can access, understand, and use the data effectively through documentation, tools, and responsive support structures.
Is dissemination treated as optional or required?
Based on the description provided, dissemination and user services are treated as core deliverables for this public-facing research infrastructure, not optional add-ons.
How is NHATS related to the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC)?
NHATS is linked to the separately funded National Study of Caregiving (NSOC). NSOC adds depth on caregiving experiences tied to NHATS participants.
Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include many types of governments, institutions of higher education (public and private), tribal governments and tribal organizations (including those not federally recognized), public housing authorities, and a wide range of nonprofit and for-profit entities (including small businesses and other for-profit organizations that are not small businesses). Eligible federal agencies are also highlighted.
Which types of government entities are listed as eligible applicants?
Eligible government entities include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; and special district governments.
Are colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.
Are tribal entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized are also listed as eligible applicants.
Are nonprofits and for-profits eligible?
Yes. The opportunity includes a wide range of nonprofit and for-profit entities, including small businesses and for-profit organizations that are not small businesses.
Are public housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included in the eligibility list.
Does the announcement highlight any institution types commonly emphasized in federal programs?
Yes. The announcement highlights categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). It also notes faith-based or community-based organizations.
Can foreign organizations apply as the applicant?
No. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization.
Can a non-domestic component of a U.S. organization apply?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.
Are any foreign collaborations allowed at all?
Yes, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This means a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or elements when justified and permitted under NIH policy, even though the main applicant must be U.S.-based.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under the Health activity category.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA number is 93.866.
What are the key dates listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity was created on July 3, 2018, and the original closing date listed is October 1, 2018.
What is the award ceiling?
The listed award ceiling is $550,000.
Does the provided information specify the number of expected awards?
The FOA indicates expected awards, but the provided text does not include a number.
What kind of work is the award primarily supporting?
It is best understood as support for a large, continuing national research platform: maintaining rigor and comparability of NHATS over time, modernizing measurement where it matters most (especially cognition and physical activity/sedentary behavior), strengthening administrative data linkages, and improving data delivery and user support for the wider community.
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