U.S. - India Collaborative Environmental Health Research Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA ES 20 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 20 010

The U.S. - India Collaborative Environmental Health Research Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional), funding opportunity number RFA-ES-20-010, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program designed to strengthen scientific partnerships between researchers in the United States and India. Its central goal is to support collaborative environmental health research, with a clear emphasis on air pollution and its impacts on human health. Projects funded under this announcement are expected to bring together U.S. and Indian scientists in a meaningful way, encouraging joint planning, shared expertise, and coordinated execution of research that can improve understanding of environmental exposures and related health outcomes in both countries. The activity uses the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism, and clinical trials may be included but are not required, which gives applicants flexibility to propose either observational, mechanistic, exposure science, epidemiology, intervention, or clinical trial work depending on the research question.

This opportunity falls under the broad funding activity category of Environment and Health (CFDA 93.113) and is classified as a discretionary grant. While the core theme is environmental health, the language of the announcement highlights air pollution specifically, suggesting that competitive proposals would likely focus on topics such as ambient and household air pollution, exposure assessment and monitoring, pollutant mixtures, susceptible or high-risk populations, health endpoints linked to air pollution (for example respiratory or cardiovascular outcomes), and approaches that can inform policy, prevention, or risk reduction. Because the program is framed as a U.S.-India collaboration, proposals typically need to demonstrate why the partnership is essential to the work, such as complementary study populations, unique exposure settings, shared methods and data harmonization, capacity building, or comparative analyses that benefit from conducting parallel or coordinated research across both countries.

Eligibility is broad on the U.S. side and includes many standard applicant types: state, county, 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal government agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. In other words, the program is structured to be accessible to a wide range of U.S.-based organizations capable of conducting rigorous environmental health research and sustaining international collaboration.

At the same time, the eligibility rules for foreign entities are specific. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, described as foreign organizations or foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which is an important distinction: while a foreign institution generally cannot be the primary applicant under this announcement, the research can include foreign components (such as Indian collaborators, sites, or activities) in a way that aligns with NIH policy and the collaborative intent of the program. In practical terms, this structure supports the U.S.-India collaborative model while keeping the main applicant organization within eligible U.S.-based categories.

Key administrative details included in the source information indicate an original closing date of October 15, 2020, and an award ceiling listed at $200,000. The posting was created on April 29, 2020. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided data. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a targeted NIH mechanism to fund well-justified, jointly conducted U.S.-India environmental health studies focused on air pollution, with flexible study design options (including, but not limited to, clinical trials) and a wide range of eligible U.S. applicant organizations, while allowing foreign components under NIH policy to enable substantive collaboration in India.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. - India Collaborative Environmental Health Research Program (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): 93.113.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-04-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-10-15. (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 $200,000.00 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 20 010

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