Improving oral health and reducing disparities in adolescents (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 20 058

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 058

The grant opportunity "Improving oral health and reducing disparities in adolescents (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-20-058) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding announcement aimed at strengthening what is known about adolescent oral health in the United States and, importantly, generating evidence that can help reduce persistent disparities and inequities. For this program, adolescents are specifically defined as youth ages 10 through 19, and the central expectation is that proposed projects will meaningfully address oral health outcomes and the unequal burden of oral diseases and access to care seen across different groups of adolescents.

This is an NIH R01 mechanism, meaning it supports substantial, investigator-driven research projects rather than small pilot efforts. The announcement is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which signals that applications should not propose a clinical trial as defined by NIH (for example, research that prospectively assigns human participants to an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes). Applicants should orient proposals toward non-trial research designs that still produce actionable knowledge, such as observational studies, secondary data analyses, epidemiologic and implementation-oriented research that does not meet the NIH clinical trial definition, health services research, systems-level assessments, behavioral or social science research, and related approaches that can explain drivers of adolescent oral health and disparities and inform better strategies, programs, or policies.

The program falls under the NIH health funding category and is associated with CFDA number 93.121. It is a discretionary grant program administered by NIH, with the FOA originally created on 2019-11-18 and showing an original closing date of 2023-01-07 in the provided listing. While the summary information does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the core purpose is clear: stimulate research that can improve oral health for U.S. adolescents and reduce observed inequities. In practice, that means proposals should be framed around measurable oral health needs in this age group (such as caries, periodontal concerns, oral health-related quality of life, preventive care access, or other adolescent-relevant oral conditions) and should explicitly engage with disparity-reduction questions, such as differences by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geography, disability status, or other structural and social determinants of health that influence oral health outcomes.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township, and 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; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. The opportunity is also open to nonprofits (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition, the FOA highlights several "other eligible applicants," emphasizing inclusion of institutions and organizations that often play key roles in serving communities affected by health inequities. These include 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, tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

The foreign eligibility rules are specific. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign elements in the project when appropriately justified and consistent with NIH policy, even though the applicant organization itself must be domestic. Taken together, the intent is to keep leadership and award administration within eligible U.S. organizations while still permitting limited international collaboration or activities when they add value and comply with NIH requirements.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as an NIH-supported research initiative focused on generating rigorous, policy- and practice-relevant evidence about adolescent oral health, with a strong emphasis on identifying and addressing the causes of inequities. Competitive applications would typically be expected to define the adolescent population and disparity focus clearly, explain why the research matters for U.S. adolescents ages 10-19, and present a strong research plan that can realistically inform interventions, systems changes, or strategies to improve oral health outcomes and narrow gaps between groups, without proposing an NIH-defined clinical trial.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving oral health and reducing disparities in adolescents (R01 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): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-11-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-01-07. (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.

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