Pilot and Feasibility Studies to Improve Technology Adoption and Reduce Health Disparities in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (R01 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA DK 21 018

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 21 018

This NIH grant opportunity (RFA-DK-21-018) supports pilot and feasibility clinical trials that test practical interventions aimed at increasing the adoption and effective use of diabetes-related technologies among people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) from underrepresented backgrounds, with a particular focus on minority racial and ethnic groups. The central idea is to fund smaller, early-stage trials that can show whether an intervention is workable in real-world settings, whether participants can be recruited and retained, whether the technology can be implemented as intended, and whether the approach produces promising signals that justify a larger, more pragmatic follow-on trial. The long-term public health goal is to reduce disparities in T1D outcomes by improving access to, uptake of, and sustained engagement with diabetes technology.

The FOA is specifically oriented toward technology adoption, which generally refers to tools such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), insulin pumps, automated insulin delivery systems, and related digital supports that help people manage T1D. Many of these technologies are associated with better glycemic outcomes and quality of life, but their benefits are not evenly distributed; structural barriers, cost and coverage issues, limited access to specialty care, lower health literacy, language barriers, and differences in trust and support can all contribute to lower uptake in some communities. Projects proposed under this announcement are expected to directly address those kinds of barriers using intervention strategies that make technology use more feasible and sustainable for the populations experiencing inequities.

Because this is an R01 with a clinical trial requirement, applicants are expected to propose and conduct a clinical trial as part of the study, even though the emphasis is on pilot and feasibility work rather than a fully powered effectiveness trial. In practice, that means the study design should be rigorous enough to generate credible feasibility metrics and implementation lessons. Common feasibility outcomes might include recruitment rates from target communities, retention over the study period, adherence and engagement with devices, training completion, usability and acceptability, fidelity of intervention delivery, and the practicality of integrating the approach into clinics, community programs, or other service settings. The results should position the research team to plan a larger pragmatic trial that can more definitively test clinical outcomes and real-world impact on disparities.

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic U.S. organizations and governmental entities, such as state, county, and local governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations, as well as nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The FOA explicitly highlights additional applicant types that are encouraged or considered eligible, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly restricts foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed under NIH policy as referenced in the announcement.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary NIH grant in the health-related area (CFDA 93.847) and is categorized under food and nutrition/health. The source data provided indicates an original closing date of March 3, 2022, and a creation date of July 28, 2021. An award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the excerpt, so applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA to understand budget expectations, project period limits, review criteria, and any required components such as data sharing, inclusion plans, recruitment targets, and how health disparities and underrepresented populations should be defined and measured in the application.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as NIH support for teams that want to test targeted, culturally and contextually responsive strategies that help people in underserved communities start using and keep using T1D technologies, while generating the practical evidence needed to scale those strategies in larger pragmatic trials designed to narrow longstanding inequities in diabetes care and outcomes.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pilot and Feasibility Studies to Improve Technology Adoption and Reduce Health Disparities in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (R01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-07-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for RFA DK 21 018

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