Advancing Vision Health Equity through Multi-level Interventions and Community-Engaged Research (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA EY 25 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA EY 25 002

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting R01 applications under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-EY-25-002, titled "Advancing Vision Health Equity through Multi-level Interventions and Community-Engaged Research (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)." The central goal is to fund research that does more than describe disparities in eye and vision health; it should actively implement and rigorously evaluate interventions designed to prevent, reduce, or eliminate those disparities. The emphasis is on vision health equity, meaning projects should be built around improving outcomes for groups that experience unequal burdens of eye disease, barriers to care, or worse vision-related quality of life.

A defining requirement of this opportunity is the use of multi-level interventions. In practice, that means applicants must propose approaches that work simultaneously across more than one level of influence, such as the individual level (knowledge, behavior, screening uptake, treatment adherence), interpersonal level (family support, peer networks, patient navigation), organizational level (clinic workflows, referral systems, school-based programs, employer or health system policies), and community level (access points for care, transportation supports, culturally grounded outreach, partnerships that shift local resource availability). Importantly, these interventions cannot focus only on clinical or biomedical factors; they must also address social determinants of health (SDOH) that contribute to vision inequities, such as access to affordable care, health literacy, language access, transportation, insurance coverage, structural barriers in service delivery, or community-level resource constraints.

Projects must explicitly focus on improving vision health in one or more NIH-designated Populations with Health Disparities. While the NOFO text in your excerpt does not list the populations, NIH generally expects applicants to clearly justify the disparity population(s) selected and demonstrate that the proposed work is responsive to documented inequities in eye and vision outcomes or care access for those groups. A strong application would typically connect the target condition(s) and setting(s) to measurable disparity gaps and explain why the chosen intervention levels are appropriate for closing those gaps.

Meaningful community engagement is another non-negotiable feature. The NOFO is seeking community-engaged research, which usually implies that community partners are involved throughout the research process, not just as a recruitment channel. This can include shared priority-setting, co-designing intervention components, advising on culturally and linguistically appropriate strategies, shaping outcomes that matter to the community, supporting implementation, and participating in dissemination of results. Reviewers will generally look for evidence that partnerships are authentic and structured (for example, advisory boards, formal agreements, shared governance processes, and compensation or support for community partners) and that engagement is integrated into study decision-making.

The award mechanism is an R01 research project grant, with clinical trials listed as optional, meaning applicants may propose a clinical trial if it fits the scientific aims, but they are not required to do so. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary and falls under health-related funding activity, with CFDA numbers 93.307 and 93.867. The stated award ceiling is $1,000,000, and the original application closing date is March 3, 2025 (with the opportunity created December 30, 2024). The excerpt does not specify the number of expected awards.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across government, academia, and the nonprofit and private sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or 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 other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The NOFO also highlights additional eligible organizational categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and regional organizations. A key limitation is that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply, even though they are mentioned in the text; the NOFO ultimately states they are not eligible.

Overall, this funding opportunity is geared toward applied, implementation-oriented research that combines intervention testing with real-world partnership and accountability to communities experiencing vision health disparities. Competitive proposals will typically be expected to show a clear disparity-focused rationale, a coherent multi-level intervention strategy that addresses both vision conditions and SDOH, a strong evaluation plan to determine effectiveness and impact on equity, and a community engagement approach that is demonstrably embedded in how the research is planned, conducted, and shared.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Vision Health Equity through Multi-level Interventions and Community-Engaged Research (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.307, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-03. (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 $1,000,000.00 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 EY 25 002

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: