Secondary Analysis of Existing Datasets in Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases and Sleep Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 20 078

FAQs: Secondary Analysis of Existing Datasets in Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases and Sleep Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) - PAR 20 078

What is the purpose of this grant opportunity?

This NIH discretionary funding opportunity is designed to help researchers get additional scientific value from human datasets that already exist. It supports secondary analyses that pursue new, well-defined research questions in heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders, in alignment with the mission of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

What is the official title and funding opportunity number?

The opportunity is titled "Secondary Analysis of Existing Datasets in Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases and Sleep Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PAR 20 078.

Which agency and institute administer this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and administered in alignment with NHLBI mission priorities.

What type of research does this FOA support?

The FOA supports well-focused secondary analysis of existing human datasets to test novel hypotheses, explore new conceptual approaches, develop or validate analytical methods, build models or tools, or evaluate emerging scientific ideas that were not part of the dataset's original study aims.

What does "secondary analysis" mean in this context?

In this context, secondary analysis means analyzing human data that have already been collected (for example, from an existing cohort, clinical registry, or other established dataset resource) to answer new research questions. The work should be related to the parent dataset but clearly distinct from the original study aims.

Does the FOA require that the proposed aims be different from the dataset's original goals?

Yes. The FOA emphasizes that the proposed research should go beyond simply re-running the original analyses. The proposed aims should be distinct from the original study aims and should be positioned to deliver novel and potentially high-impact contributions.

What kinds of datasets are appropriate to use?

The FOA is oriented toward existing human datasets such as cohorts, clinical registries, previously funded studies, and other established database resources. The central requirement is that the analysis is based on data that already exist.

Can applicants collect new data under this grant?

No. This FOA does not fund the collection of new data. The project should be grounded entirely in analyzing already-collected data.

Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?

No. The FOA is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work must not involve conducting a new clinical trial.

What is the award mechanism, and what is it typically used for?

The award mechanism is an NIH R21. R21s typically support exploratory or developmental research projects, including early-stage or innovative lines of inquiry, pilot-style analyses, proof-of-concept work, testing new analytic strategies, or generating preliminary findings that could support a later, larger study.

What scientific areas are within scope?

The opportunity supports research in NHLBI-relevant areas, specifically heart, lung, and blood diseases, as well as sleep disorders.

What is the main value the NIH/NHLBI is looking for in proposals?

The emphasis is on novelty and potential impact. Projects should be designed to produce meaningful advances in biomedical or biobehavioral research, such as new insights, improved methods, or useful models/tools within NHLBI mission areas, without launching expensive and time-consuming new data collection efforts.

What is explicitly not supported besides new data collection and clinical trials?

The FOA is intended for work that is not merely a repetition of the dataset's original analyses or aims. Proposals focused on simply re-running the original study analyses without a clearly distinct, new research question are not aligned with the FOA's intent.

Do applicants need to demonstrate access to the dataset?

Yes. Applicants should be prepared to show they have legitimate access to the dataset(s) they propose to analyze and that the research plan is feasible using those existing resources.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include many domestic organizations such as state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized). Additional eligible types include public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also highlights Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, TCCUs, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

Are foreign organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) among the listed eligible applicant types.

Are small businesses eligible to apply?

Yes. Small businesses are included among eligible applicants.

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are included among eligible applicants, and small businesses are also eligible.

Are nonprofits eligible even if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education).

Are colleges and universities eligible?

Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are included in the eligibility list, along with several categories of minority-serving institutions.

Does this FOA specify an award ceiling or number of awards?

The provided source information does not list a specific award ceiling or the expected number of awards. This suggests those details may vary by fiscal year and NHLBI priorities.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA numbers: 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, and 93.840.

When was this opportunity created, and what was the listed closing date?

The opportunity was created on 2019-12-19. The original closing date listed in the provided source data is 2022-11-25. Applicants would typically need to confirm current availability or reissues of the FOA through NIH postings.

What are the core expectations for a competitive application under this FOA?

Based on the provided description, the core expectations are: propose a focused and innovative secondary analysis using an existing human dataset; ensure the aims are clearly distinct from the original dataset's aims (not simply duplicative re-analysis); avoid collecting new data and avoid conducting a clinical trial; and show that the work can deliver high-impact outputs such as new scientific insights, improved analytic methods, or useful models/tools relevant to NHLBI mission areas.