NIA Multi-site COVID-19 Related Clinical Trial Implementation Grant on Aging-Related Topics in at-risk Older Adult Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 20 234

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the NIA Multi-site COVID-19 Related Clinical Trial Implementation Grant (PAR 20 234)?

It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity administered by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to support the implementation of investigator-initiated, multi-site clinical trials focused on urgent COVID-19 needs in at-risk older adult populations. The program is intended to move interventions into real-world, multi-location testing rather than limiting work to single-site or pilot studies.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR 20 234.

What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism.

Is a clinical trial required under this FOA?

Yes. The FOA is explicitly labeled "R01 Clinical Trial Required," meaning the application must propose a clinical trial.

What does "multi-site" mean in the context of this grant?

"Multi-site" indicates that the proposed clinical trial is expected to operate across more than one location, with the applicant coordinating core trial functions (such as recruitment, intervention delivery, data collection, and oversight) across those sites.

What does "implementation" mean for projects under this FOA?

The emphasis on implementation signals that projects should be operationally ready to carry out a clinical trial in real-world settings, including the ability to manage logistics and coordination across multiple sites rather than focusing only on early exploratory or single-site work.

What is the overall purpose of the funding opportunity?

The purpose is to fund clinical trials that directly target COVID-19 outcomes in at-risk older adults by testing interventions tied to aging-related vulnerabilities, with the goal of reducing COVID-19 transmission and risk, lowering morbidity and mortality, decreasing disease severity, and limiting downstream complications.

Who is the primary population of interest?

The primary population is older adults who are at heightened risk, particularly where aging-related vulnerabilities make them more susceptible to COVID-19 transmission, severe disease, death, or complications.

What kinds of outcomes should the clinical trial address?

The FOA highlights outcomes related to COVID-19, including reducing transmission and overall risk, reducing morbidity (burden of illness), reducing mortality (preventing deaths), decreasing disease severity, and limiting downstream complications.

Do interventions have to be related to aging?

Yes. The interventions should be clearly linked to aging-related issues or vulnerabilities and designed to produce measurable improvements in COVID-19 related outcomes for older adults.

Are specific intervention types required or listed?

No specific intervention types are listed in the provided summary. The key requirement from the excerpt is that interventions be tied to aging-related vulnerabilities and aim to improve COVID-19 related outcomes in at-risk older adult populations.

Does the FOA allow any clinical trial phase or stage?

Yes. The opportunity supports multi-site testing across any clinical trial phase or stage, as long as the work is centered on at-risk older adult populations and addresses urgent COVID-19 needs through aging-related interventions.

What types of settings does the FOA seem to favor?

Based on the emphasis on pragmatic, scalable approaches and multi-site implementation across diverse settings, the FOA suggests interest in interventions that can be tested in real-world environments and across varied populations rather than being limited to narrowly controlled, single-environment studies.

Which federal agency administers this grant?

The grant opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and it is described as an NIA opportunity focused on aging-related topics.

What is the CFDA listing for this opportunity?

The funding category is listed under CFDA 93.866.

What is the application eligibility in general terms?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations across government, higher education, nonprofit, for-profit, tribal, and other categories, including certain U.S. and non-U.S. entities as described in the provided opportunity summary.

Are state and local government entities eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state governments and local government entities such as county, city, or township governments, as well as special district governments.

Are public housing authorities eligible applicants?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included in the eligible applicant categories.

Are institutions of higher education eligible?

Yes. Public or state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are eligible.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA allows a broad array of nonprofit organizations, including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are eligible, and small businesses are also explicitly noted as eligible.

Are federally recognized tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.

Are organizations serving specific communities (for example, HBCUs or HSIs) eligible?

Yes. The summary explicitly highlights eligibility for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and other community-oriented institutions.

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly included among eligible applicants.

Are regional organizations eligible?

Yes. Regional organizations are listed as eligible applicants.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included among the eligible applicants.

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

Yes. The summary explicitly indicates that non-U.S. (foreign) organizations are eligible applicants.

Are federal agencies eligible applicants?

Yes. Eligible federal agencies are included in the list of eligible applicants.

What does the broad eligibility suggest about the program's priorities?

The wide range of eligible applicants suggests openness to partnerships and institutions positioned to reach older adults in underserved, rural, tribal, or disproportionately affected communities, including community-facing organizations as well as medical and academic centers.

What level of preparedness is implied for applicants?

Because this is an R01 clinical trial required opportunity with an emphasis on multi-site implementation, applicants are generally expected (as implied by the summary) to have a well-developed protocol, site readiness, plans for recruitment and retention appropriate for older adults, and infrastructure for managing a multi-site study.

Is this considered a discretionary grant opportunity?

Yes. The source information describes it as a discretionary grant opportunity.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date listed is February 1, 2021.

What is the creation date of the opportunity?

The creation date listed is June 15, 2020.

Is there an award ceiling listed in the provided information?

No. The provided fields do not specify an award ceiling.

Is the expected number of awards listed in the provided information?

No. The excerpt does not include the expected number of awards.