Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 896

The NLM Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) opportunity (PAR-18-896) is a discretionary NIH grant program run by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to support innovative, research-driven advances in biomedical informatics and data science. The core aim is to fund projects that create or significantly improve methods, tools, and approaches that enable data-driven discovery across biomedical and clinical health sciences. A key theme in the announcement is broad relevance and reusability: NLM is especially interested in domain-independent approaches and generalizable solutions for discovering, curating, analyzing, organizing, and managing health-related digital objects and complex biomedical data, rather than one-off systems that only work for a single narrow use case.

The scientific scope is intentionally wide because biomedical informatics and data science sit at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Proposed work can draw from mathematics, statistics, information science, computer science, engineering, and the social and behavioral sciences, among others. In practice, that means the program can support a range of methodological research, such as new data integration strategies, improved knowledge representation, novel machine learning or statistical approaches for biomedical data, better information retrieval and search methods for health content, scalable data management and curation pipelines, or new ways to present and interact with health and biomedical information so it is more usable for researchers, clinicians, public health practitioners, or patients.

The opportunity also highlights a broad set of application domains where these advances can matter. Examples specifically called out include health care delivery, basic biomedical research, clinical and translational research, precision medicine, public health, biosurveillance, and health information management during disasters. Importantly, these are illustrative rather than restrictive; the underlying expectation is that the work contributes to improved understanding, decision-making, or discovery in health-related contexts by advancing how biomedical information and data are represented, organized, managed, integrated, and presented.

In terms of definitions, NLM frames biomedical informatics as the science of achieving optimal representation, organization, management, integration, and presentation of information relevant to human health and biology. NIH frames data science as an interdisciplinary field focused on developing and using quantitative and analytical approaches, processes, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from increasingly large and/or complex datasets. Together, these definitions signal that competitive projects should not only apply existing techniques to a dataset, but should contribute new knowledge, methods, or infrastructure that pushes the field forward and can be adopted or adapted by others.

Administratively, this is an R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for substantial, hypothesis-driven or rigorously structured research projects, and it is labeled “Clinical Trial Optional,” which indicates that a clinical trial may be included if appropriate, but is not required. The funding listing includes an award ceiling of $250,000 (as presented in the source data). The program is associated with CFDA number 93.879 and is administered under the National Institutes of Health.

Eligibility is expansive and includes many types of U.S. organizations and certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants listed 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 and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly notes additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This breadth reflects the program’s intent to attract strong informatics and data science ideas from academia, industry, government, and community-facing organizations, including institutions that serve populations historically underrepresented in biomedical research.

Key dates in the provided record include a creation date of 2018-08-08 and an original closing date of 2022-09-07. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an NLM-wide umbrella R01 program designed to accelerate foundational and translational advances in biomedical informatics and data science, with an emphasis on innovations that enable robust, reusable, and scalable data-driven discovery in health and biomedicine.

  • The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NLM Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (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): 93.879.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2018-08-08.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-09-07. (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 $250,000.00 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 18 896

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FAQs: NLM Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) - PAR-18-896

What is this grant opportunity?

This is the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science funding opportunity, an NIH discretionary grant program using the R01 mechanism. It supports innovative, research-driven advances in biomedical informatics and data science, with an emphasis on methods, tools, and approaches that enable data-driven discovery across biomedical and clinical health sciences.

Who runs and administers this program?

The program is run by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and administered under the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What is the main goal of the program?

The core goal is to fund projects that create or significantly improve methods, tools, and approaches for discovering, curating, analyzing, organizing, and managing health-related digital objects and complex biomedical data, so that they enable scalable, reusable, and broadly relevant data-driven discovery.

What kinds of projects are a strong fit?

Projects are a strong fit when they advance biomedical informatics or data science in a way that others can adopt or adapt. The opportunity emphasizes domain-independent approaches and generalizable solutions rather than one-off systems that only solve a single narrow use case.

Does the program prefer generalizable tools over single-use systems?

Yes. A key theme is broad relevance and reusability. NLM is especially interested in domain-independent approaches and generalizable solutions, not isolated systems that only work in one specific context.

How broad is the scientific scope?

The scientific scope is intentionally wide. Biomedical informatics and data science are described as intersecting multiple disciplines, so proposed work may draw from mathematics, statistics, information science, computer science, engineering, and the social and behavioral sciences, among others.

What are examples of research areas that could be supported?

The description includes methodological research such as new data integration strategies, improved knowledge representation, novel machine learning or statistical approaches for biomedical data, better information retrieval and search methods for health content, scalable data management and curation pipelines, and new ways to present and interact with biomedical and health information to make it more usable.

What application domains are mentioned as examples?

Example domains specifically called out include health care delivery, basic biomedical research, clinical and translational research, precision medicine, public health, biosurveillance, and health information management during disasters.

Are the listed application domains required or limiting?

No. The listed domains are described as illustrative rather than restrictive. The underlying expectation is that the work improves understanding, decision-making, or discovery in health-related contexts by advancing how biomedical information and data are represented, organized, managed, integrated, and presented.

How does NLM define biomedical informatics for this opportunity?

NLM frames biomedical informatics as the science of achieving optimal representation, organization, management, integration, and presentation of information relevant to human health and biology.

How does NIH define data science in this context?

NIH frames data science as an interdisciplinary field focused on developing and using quantitative and analytical approaches, processes, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from increasingly large and/or complex datasets.

Is this intended to fund applying existing methods to a dataset?

The description signals that competitive projects should not only apply existing techniques to a dataset. Instead, they should contribute new knowledge, methods, or infrastructure that pushes the field forward and can be adopted or adapted by others.

What funding mechanism is used?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is intended for substantial, hypothesis-driven or rigorously structured research projects.

Are clinical trials required?

No. The opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning a clinical trial may be included if appropriate, but it is not required.

What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?

The funding listing includes an award ceiling of $250,000 (as presented in the source data).

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The program is associated with CFDA number 93.879.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is expansive and includes many types of U.S. organizations and certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants listed 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 and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses.

Are minority-serving and underrepresented-serving institutions included in eligibility?

Yes. The announcement explicitly notes additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly noted among eligible applicant categories.

Are federal agencies or regional organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility description includes eligible federal agencies and regional organizations.

Are U.S. territories or possessions included in eligibility?

Yes. The eligibility description explicitly includes U.S. territories or possessions.

Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply?

Yes. The eligibility description includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations).

What is the creation date and original closing date listed in the record?

The provided record lists a creation date of 2018-08-08 and an original closing date of 2022-09-07.

How should this opportunity be understood at a high level?

It is described as an NLM-wide umbrella R01 program designed to accelerate foundational and translational advances in biomedical informatics and data science, with an emphasis on innovations that enable robust, reusable, and scalable data-driven discovery in health and biomedicine.

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