Treating Diabetes Distress to Improve Glycemic Outcomes in Type 1 Diabetes (R01 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA DK 17 028

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 17 028

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Treating Diabetes Distress to Improve Glycemic Outcomes in Type 1 Diabetes (R01 Clinical Trial Required)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DK-17-028; CFDA 93.847) supports clinical trial research focused on diabetes distress in people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and/or their caregivers. The core idea behind the announcement is that diabetes distress, meaning the emotional burden and day-to-day stress specifically tied to managing diabetes, may be a modifiable factor that influences both medical outcomes (like glycemic control) and broader well-being (like quality of life). The FOA is designed to fund studies that do not just observe distress, but actively test interventions intended to reduce it and then measure whether doing so leads to meaningful improvements in glycemic outcomes and patient-centered outcomes.

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism and explicitly requires a clinical trial, meaning applicants are expected to propose and run an intervention study where participants are assigned to an approach intended to reduce diabetes distress (for example, a structured behavioral, psychosocial, educational, or care-delivery intervention) and are followed to assess impacts. The intended outcomes emphasize both biological measures related to diabetes management (often reflected in measures of glycemic control) and human outcomes such as quality of life. In practice, this suggests a strong interest in projects that can connect changes in emotional or psychological burden with measurable changes in diabetes-related health, and that can clarify whether distress reduction is a pathway to better diabetes outcomes rather than simply a parallel benefit.

The applicant pool is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township governments, and special district governments, as well as independent school districts. Higher education institutions are eligible, including public and state-controlled universities and private institutions of higher education. Tribal entities are included, such as federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations, along with tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs). The FOA also allows nonprofit organizations, whether they hold 501(c)(3) status or not (so long as they meet NIH eligibility requirements), and it includes public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. In addition, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are listed as eligible, which means projects can be led by academic groups, health systems, community-based organizations, or qualified private-sector research entities, depending on the structure and capabilities of the applicant.

The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories to encourage broad participation, including 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal government agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis signals an interest in including diverse institutions and potentially reaching varied communities affected by T1D, including populations that may face barriers to care or experience disproportionate burden.

At the same time, the announcement places strict limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations and foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply. It also states that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In effect, the funded work must be carried out without foreign components and under U.S.-eligible organizational leadership, reinforcing a fully domestic scope for both the applicant organization and the project’s major operational elements.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under NIH, categorized under health and food/nutrition-related research areas. The source data lists an award ceiling of $500,000, which generally indicates the maximum budget level expected or allowed under the terms of the announcement. The original closing date provided is July 10, 2018, and the creation date is February 14, 2018, placing it within a specific historical funding cycle. Even though the dates indicate the window for that particular solicitation, the content reflects NIH programmatic priorities at the time around linking psychosocial factors and clinical outcomes in T1D through rigorous intervention testing.

Overall, the FOA is aimed at moving beyond recognizing diabetes distress as a problem and toward determining what treatments work, for whom they work, and whether improving the emotional experience of living with T1D can translate into better glycemic control and improved quality of life. It is essentially a call for well-designed clinical trials that treat diabetes distress as a legitimate and actionable target for improving both medical and lived outcomes in type 1 diabetes care.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Treating Diabetes Distress to Improve Glycemic Outcomes in Type 1 Diabetes (R01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-02-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-07-10. (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 $500,000.00 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.

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