Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 864
The NEI Vision Research Epidemiology Grant (UG1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the National Eye Institute (NEI) designed to support large, complex, and often multi-center epidemiologic studies focused on vision and eye health. The program is intended for investigator-initiated projects that are considered high resource and potentially higher risk due to their scale, complexity, and coordination needs. Its central goal is to fund new and innovative research in ocular epidemiology, meaning studies that look at the distribution, determinants, and risk factors of eye conditions across populations, with an emphasis on generating broadly useful, real-world evidence rather than testing clinical interventions in a trial format.
This opportunity uses the UG1 activity code, which is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. In practical terms, a cooperative agreement typically implies substantial scientific or programmatic involvement from NEI staff during the life of the project. Applicants should generally expect more active collaboration with the agency compared to mechanisms where the project is primarily directed by the grantee with minimal federal involvement. This mechanism is commonly used when the work requires coordinated oversight, harmonized methods across multiple sites, complex data systems, or other features where close federal partnership helps ensure the study is executed successfully and yields high-quality, generalizable findings.
A key restriction is that clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA. That means projects cannot be designed to prospectively assign human participants to an intervention or treatment to evaluate health outcomes. Instead, the emphasis is on epidemiologic research approaches such as population-based cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, surveillance efforts, and other observational or data-driven designs that aim to understand patterns of disease, identify risk or protective factors, refine phenotyping, or evaluate associations and outcomes in real-world settings. The funded work is meant to advance knowledge about eye diseases and vision impairment at the population level, which can later inform prevention strategies, clinical guidelines, and future research priorities.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations. Domestic applicants can include state, county, city/township, and special district governments, as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Higher education institutions are eligible across the spectrum, including public and state-controlled institutions and private institutions. The FOA also allows nonprofit organizations (both those with 501(c)(3) status and those without), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. In addition, the announcement explicitly highlights a wide range of other eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized; eligible federal agencies; faith-based or community-based organizations; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals NEI interest in supporting research capacity and population-focused vision research across diverse communities and settings, including studies that may involve international partners or non-U.S. populations when scientifically justified.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument type. It falls under the NIH health funding activity area and is associated with CFDA number 93.867. The funding opportunity number is PAR-18-864, and the original posting (creation) date is July 19, 2018, with an original closing date listed as June 28, 2021. While an award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided details, UG1 projects are generally understood to be substantial undertakings given the program description emphasizing multi-center and other high-resource epidemiologic efforts.
Overall, this FOA is best understood as support for ambitious ocular epidemiology projects that require significant infrastructure, coordination, and rigorous population-based methods, with NEI playing an active partner role. The program is geared toward generating impactful evidence about eye health and disease in populations, while clearly excluding interventional clinical trial designs.Apply for PAR 18 864
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NEI Vision Research Epidemiology Grant (UG1 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): 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-19.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-28. (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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FAQs: NEI Vision Research Epidemiology Grant (UG1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) - PAR-18-864
What is the NEI Vision Research Epidemiology Grant (UG1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the National Eye Institute (NEI) intended to support large, complex, and often multi-center epidemiologic studies focused on vision and eye health. The emphasis is on generating broadly useful, real-world evidence about eye conditions in populations, rather than testing clinical interventions in a trial format.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The central goal is to fund new and innovative ocular epidemiology research that examines the distribution, determinants, and risk factors of eye conditions across populations. Projects are expected to produce generalizable findings that can inform prevention strategies, clinical guidance, and future research directions.
What does "ocular epidemiology" mean in the context of this program?
In this program, ocular epidemiology refers to population-focused research that studies patterns of eye disease and vision impairment, including how common certain conditions are, what factors increase or decrease risk, and how outcomes vary across communities or settings.
What activity code does this opportunity use?
This opportunity uses the UG1 activity code.
What does it mean that UG1 is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant?
A cooperative agreement typically involves substantial scientific or programmatic involvement from NEI staff during the project. Compared to standard grant mechanisms, applicants should expect more active collaboration with NEI, which can be especially important for complex studies that need coordinated oversight, harmonized methods across sites, or sophisticated data systems.
Why would NEI use a cooperative agreement for these studies?
The cooperative agreement approach is commonly used when a project requires close coordination, consistent methods across multiple centers, complex infrastructure, or other features where active federal partnership can help ensure the study is carried out effectively and produces high-quality, generalizable results.
Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?
No. Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity.
What does "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" mean for project design?
Projects cannot be designed to prospectively assign human participants to an intervention or treatment in order to evaluate health outcomes. The focus must remain on epidemiologic, observational, or data-driven approaches rather than interventional trial designs.
What kinds of study designs are emphasized or appropriate for this opportunity?
The program emphasizes epidemiologic research approaches such as population-based cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, surveillance efforts, and other observational or data-driven designs that examine disease patterns, associations, risk factors, protective factors, phenotyping, and outcomes in real-world settings.
What types of research questions fit best with this FOA?
Research questions that focus on understanding patterns of eye disease in populations, identifying determinants and risk/protective factors, refining phenotypes, and evaluating associations and outcomes using real-world data are a strong fit. The overall intent is to advance knowledge about eye health at the population level rather than test an intervention.
Is this opportunity intended for small, single-site projects?
The description emphasizes large, complex, and often multi-center studies that are high resource and may be higher risk due to scale, complexity, and coordination needs. This suggests the FOA is best suited for ambitious projects that require significant infrastructure and coordination.
What role does NEI staff typically play during the project?
Because this is a cooperative agreement, NEI staff may have substantial scientific or programmatic involvement during the life of the award. Applicants should be prepared for active collaboration and coordination with NEI as part of executing the study successfully.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. It includes many types of domestic organizations and also permits non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Eligible applicants include various levels of government, higher education institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, small businesses, and a wide range of other entities specifically highlighted in the announcement.
Are U.S. government entities eligible (state, county, city, etc.)?
Yes. Domestic applicants may include state governments, county governments, city/township governments, and special district governments. Independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are also listed as eligible.
Are colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Higher education institutions are eligible, including public and state-controlled institutions and private institutions.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status are both listed as eligible.
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.
Are small businesses eligible to apply?
Yes. Small businesses are explicitly included in the eligibility list.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), indicating that foreign organizations may apply when scientifically justified.
Does the FOA encourage participation from institutions serving diverse communities?
The eligibility list explicitly highlights multiple institution types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, TCCUs, and other entities, signaling interest in supporting population-focused vision research across diverse communities and settings.
Are tribal governments eligible?
The eligibility list includes Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, as well as Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly listed as eligible.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included in the eligibility list.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies are listed among eligible applicants.
What is the funding opportunity number for this announcement?
The funding opportunity number is PAR-18-864.
Which NIH Institute sponsors this opportunity?
The opportunity is sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 93.867.
What type of funding is this categorized as?
It is categorized as discretionary funding and uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument type.
What is the posting (creation) date provided for this FOA?
The original posting (creation) date is July 19, 2018.
What is the original closing date listed for this FOA?
The original closing date listed is June 28, 2021.
Does the provided information specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The provided details do not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards. The description notes that UG1 projects are generally substantial undertakings due to the scale and complexity emphasized in the program overview.
What makes projects under this FOA potentially higher risk?
The FOA is intended for high-resource projects that can be higher risk because they involve large scale operations, complex study logistics, multi-center coordination, harmonized methods, and sophisticated data systems.
What kinds of outputs or impacts are these studies intended to support?
The funded work is intended to advance knowledge about eye diseases and vision impairment at the population level, generating evidence that can later inform prevention strategies, clinical guidelines, and future research priorities.
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