Personalized Strategies to Manage Symptoms of Chronic Illness (R15) | PA 16 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 16 006

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Personalized Strategies to Manage Symptoms of Chronic Illness (R15)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA-16-006) supports interdisciplinary research aimed at reducing the day-to-day symptom burden experienced by people living with chronic illnesses and, in turn, improving health-related quality of life (HRQL). The core idea is to move beyond treating diseases in a one-size-fits-all way and instead develop more personalized, targeted approaches that address the symptoms that most disrupt functioning and well-being. This opportunity emphasizes two connected tracks of work: first, building stronger scientific understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive common and debilitating symptoms in chronic conditions, and second, designing and testing innovative, cost-effective interventions that can prevent symptoms, lessen their severity, or help patients manage them more effectively.

A key feature of the announcement is its focus on symptom science and practical symptom management. Projects may range from mechanistic studies that clarify why symptoms occur (for example, how inflammatory, neuroendocrine, genetic, or other biological pathways contribute to fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, cognitive changes, or mood-related symptoms) to intervention studies that translate that knowledge into real-world strategies. The interventions of interest are explicitly described as targeted and cost-effective, signaling that NIH is looking for approaches with a credible path to scalability and impact in clinical or community settings, not just proof-of-concept ideas that would be difficult to implement broadly.

The mechanism is an R15 grant, which is part of NIH's research grant portfolio and is commonly associated with supporting research and research capacity building in eligible institutions. The opportunity is categorized under Education and Health and is listed under CFDA number 93.361. The posted award ceiling in the source data is $300,000, indicating an upper bound on the total budget NIH expects to support per award under this announcement. The original closing date shown in the source data is December 18, 2017, and the opportunity record was created on October 16, 2015; in practice, applicants should always verify current due dates and active status in the full announcement and on NIH systems, since NIH funding opportunities may have multiple receipt dates or may be superseded by later announcements.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental units. Eligible applicants listed in the source data include state, county, and local 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; 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; small businesses; and other entities. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals an intent to encourage diverse institutional participation and to support research that may be positioned in academic, clinical, community, and culturally specific settings.

At the same time, there are clear limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, the announcement notes that "foreign components," as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. Practically, this means the applicant organization must be U.S.-based and eligible, but certain project elements may involve international collaboration if they meet NIH's definition and requirements for a foreign component. The notice also flags that there are special requirements and directs applicants to consult the full announcement for details, which typically includes specifics on allowable costs, project scope, review criteria, reporting expectations, and any program-specific rules tied to the R15 mechanism.

Overall, this opportunity is designed for teams that can blend biological insight with pragmatic intervention development to make measurable improvements in the lived experience of chronic illness. Competitive applications are likely to align symptom mechanism questions with a clear plan for translating findings into targeted management strategies, demonstrate interdisciplinary expertise, and justify how the proposed work can reduce symptom burden while improving HRQL in a feasible and cost-conscious way.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Personalized Strategies to Manage Symptoms of Chronic Illness (R15)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-18. (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 $300,000.00 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 PA 16 006

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