Atom | Technology Development to Reduce Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

Due Dates: January 21, 2025 (New/Renewal/Resubmission) | May 2, 2025 (AIDS applications) | May 3, 2025 (FOA Expiration)

Funding Amounts: Up to $500,000 direct costs per year for up to 4 years; typical total program funding ~$2.4M/year for 3–4 awards.

Summary: Supports development and translation of medical technologies to reduce health disparities, emphasizing effectiveness, affordability, cultural acceptance, and accessibility.

Key Information: Formal collaboration with a healthcare or public health organization serving health disparity populations is required; non-domestic entities are not eligible.

Description

This opportunity, offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), funds research to develop and translate medical technologies that reduce health disparities in the United States. Health disparities are defined as differences in disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and burden among specific population groups, including racial/ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, sexual and gender minorities, and medically underserved populations (including rural and urban residents).

The program encourages the development of medical devices, imaging systems, robotic systems, biomaterial interfaces, synthetic biological systems, mathematical and modeling solutions, and other technologies that address the healthcare needs of populations experiencing health disparities. Projects must ensure that proposed technologies are effective, affordable, culturally acceptable, and accessible to those who need them.

A formal collaboration with a healthcare organization or public health agency serving one or more health disparity populations is required. Applications must include a commercialization plan and, if funded by NIBIB, grantees are expected to participate in the C3i Education Program to support translation from lab to market.

Due Dates

New, Renewal, Resubmission, Revision Applications: January 21, 2025 (by 5:00 PM local time)
AIDS Applications: May 2, 2025
FOA Expiration: May 3, 2025

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow time for corrections.

Funding Amount

Direct Costs: Up to $500,000 per year (excluding consortia F&A)
Project Period: Up to 4 years
Estimated Number of Awards: 3–4 per year (subject to NIH appropriations; total program funding ~$2.4M/year)
Cost Sharing: Not required

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants:

Public/State and Private Institutions of Higher Education
Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), excluding institutions of higher education
For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
State, county, city, township, and special district governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal governments (federally recognized and other)
Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized)
Faith-based or community-based organizations
Regional organizations
U.S. territories or possessions
Eligible agencies of the federal government

Ineligible:

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations)
Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations
Foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement

Key Requirements:

Applications must include a formal collaboration with a healthcare organization or public health agency serving health disparity populations.
Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are encouraged to apply.

Application Process

Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
Required Registrations: DUNS/UEI, SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov registrations are required for applicant organizations and key personnel.
Application Forms: Use the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, Forms Version H.
Attachments:
- Plan for Commercialization (1 page)
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
- Letters of support for formal collaborations
- Other standard NIH attachments (biosketches, budget, etc.)
Review Criteria: Significance, investigator(s), innovation, approach, environment, and for clinical trials, additional criteria such as study design, data management, and safety monitoring.

Additional Information

Scope: Projects should address one or more barriers to healthcare access or adoption (physical, knowledge, infrastructure, economic, or cultural).
Types of Technologies: Telehealth, point-of-care diagnostics, in-home monitoring, mobile/portable systems, non-invasive technologies, low-cost biomaterials, etc.
Commercialization: All applicants must include a commercialization plan; participation in the NIBIB C3i Education Program is expected for funded projects.
Data Sharing: All applications must address data management and sharing in accordance with NIH policy.
Animal Studies: NIMHD will not support animal studies under this FOA.
Clinical Trials: Both clinical trial and non-clinical trial applications are accepted; NIBIB will only support early-stage clinical trials (Phase I, first-in-human, safety/feasibility).

External Links

Contact Information

Contact Type	Name/Title	Institute/Center	Email	Phone
Scientific/Research Contact	Nichole Daringer, PhD	NIBIB	nichole.daringer@nih.gov	301-451-4774
Scientific/Research Contact	Lynne S. Padgett, PhD FAPOS	NIMHD	lynne.padgett@nih.gov	301-827-5511
Peer Review Contact	Manana Sukhareva, PhD	NIBIB	sukharem@mail.nih.gov	301-451-3397
Grants Management Contact	Monique Binger, PhD	NIBIB	monique.day@nih.gov	301-451-4787
Grants Management Contact	Priscilla Grant, JD	NIMHD	pg38h@nih.gov	301-594-8412
General Grants Info	NIH Grants Info	NIH	GrantsInfo@nih.gov	301-480-7075
Grants.gov Support	Grants.gov Customer Support	Grants.gov	support@grants.gov	800-518-4726

For technical assistance with electronic submission, contact the eRA Service Desk.