Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research (R61 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 20 143

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 143

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research (R61 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-20-143) supports research aimed at reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths in the United States. The program is grounded in the public health burden of firearm harm, noting that nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. die each year from firearm-related causes, with the majority of deaths resulting from suicide (about 60 percent) and a large share from homicide (about 37 percent). Beyond fatalities, the opportunity highlights the significant number of people who survive firearm injuries, including injuries that are intentional (such as assaults) and unintentional (such as accidental shootings). In response to Congressional direction in the FY2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1865), NIH is taking a broad, evidence-focused approach to understanding why firearm injuries occur and what strategies can prevent them, including approaches relevant to crime prevention, while operating within NIH policy and statutory limits described in notices such as NOT-OD-20-068 and NOT-OD-20-066.

The core purpose of the grant is to strengthen the science around firearm injury and mortality prevention by supporting studies that clarify the determinants and drivers of firearm injury, improve methods for identifying people at risk (including both potential victims and potential perpetrators), and develop and test interventions that could reduce injuries and deaths. This includes both creating new, innovative prevention approaches and improving the real-world use of interventions that already have evidence behind them. A key emphasis is not only on whether an intervention can work under ideal conditions, but also how to implement effective strategies more consistently and successfully in practical settings such as health systems, schools, community organizations, or other service environments where prevention efforts often take place.

This is a discretionary grant program under the NIH, and it falls within broad federal activity categories that include education, health, income security, and social services. Multiple CFDA listings are associated with the opportunity (93.213, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.865, 93.866), reflecting the cross-cutting nature of NIH institutes and centers that may support related research. The mechanism is an R61, and the listing specifies "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose clinical trials if appropriate, but they are not required to do so. The posted award ceiling is $400,000. The original closing date listed for the opportunity was 2020-05-15, and the opportunity record indicates a creation date of 2020-03-20.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive to encourage participation from many types of organizations that can contribute to firearm injury prevention research. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The opportunity also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), 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, the solicitation places firm limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. In practice, that means applications must be led and carried out by eligible U.S.-based organizations without foreign organizational components participating in the ways NIH defines as a foreign component under its policy framework.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research (R61 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.865, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-03-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• 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 PAR 20 143

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