Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) | RFA ES 25 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 25 003

Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) is an NIH funding opportunity (RFA-ES-25-003) designed for situations where researchers need to move quickly because a sudden event or policy shift creates a brief, non-repeatable chance to collect critical data. The core idea is to fund novel environmental health studies that cannot wait for the normal NIH timeline, especially when delays would mean losing the ability to capture perishable evidence such as human biological specimens (for example, blood, urine, saliva, or other biospecimens) or time-critical environmental exposure measurements (for example, air, water, soil, dust, or personal exposure monitoring). The program is meant to help the research community understand what happens to environmental exposures and health when the world changes abruptly, including natural disasters, human-caused disasters, emerging environmental public health threats, and major policy changes in the United States or internationally.

A central feature that makes this NOFO different from standard NIH grants is speed. The research proposed must truly require rapid review and fast funding because the scientific question depends on acting within a limited window of opportunity. To make that possible, NIH plans to use more frequent application due dates and an expedited process for peer review, council concurrence, and award issuance. From application submission to award, the expected turnaround is roughly 4 to 6 months, which is substantially faster than the typical NIH cycle. In practical terms, the strongest fit will be projects where the event, exposure scenario, or policy environment is changing quickly and the value of the data drops sharply over time, meaning that waiting would compromise scientific validity or make the research impossible.

The award mechanism is an R21, which is generally used for exploratory and developmental research. Consistent with the title, clinical trials are not allowed under this opportunity, so applicants need to frame their work as environmental health research focused on exposures, mechanisms, measurements, and observational or other non-trial human research approaches rather than interventional clinical testing. While the NOFO emphasizes human biological samples and environmental exposure data, the overall motivation is broader: generating timely evidence on the environmental health consequences of disruptive events and decisions, including impacts on communities, exposure pathways, and potential downstream health risks.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The NOFO also explicitly highlights additional eligible groups such as 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), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects the reality that time-sensitive environmental health events often require coordination across universities, community organizations, public agencies, and international partners.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant, aligned with activity categories spanning education, environment, and health, and it is associated with CFDA numbers 93.113 and 93.143. The listed award ceiling is $800,000. The posted closing date is December 1, 2025. Overall, this NOFO is best understood as a rapid-response research pathway for environmental health scientists who can demonstrate that an unpredictable event or policy change has created a fleeting opportunity to capture uniquely valuable exposure or biospecimen data, and who are prepared to launch high-quality research quickly once funding is awarded.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.143.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-12-01. (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 $800,000.00 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 RFA ES 25 003

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