Science of Behavior Change: Revision Applications for Use-inspired Research to Optimize Adherence, Behavior Change Interventions, and Outcomes (R34) | RFA RM 17 024

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 17 024

Science of Behavior Change: Revision Applications for Use-inspired Research to Optimize Adherence, Behavior Change Interventions, and Outcomes (R34) (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-17-024) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity supported by the NIH Common Fund Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) Program. It is specifically aimed at competitive revision applications (what used to be called competitive supplements) to already NIH-supported clinical trials that were originally funded as R34 research project grants and that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial. In plain terms, this opportunity is not for starting a brand-new standalone study from scratch; it is for adding well-justified, peer-reviewed enhancements to an active, NIH-funded R34 clinical trial so the trial can incorporate SOBC-developed tools that help researchers understand how and why behavior change happens.

The central purpose of the SOBC Program is to push behavior change research toward a mechanisms-focused, experimental medicine approach. That means going beyond simply asking whether an intervention worked and instead testing whether the intervention actually engaged a hypothesized mechanism (a specific target process that is expected to produce behavior change). The SOBC Research Network has already produced a range of experimental manipulations, assays, and measures (the FOA uses "assays" as a shorthand for all of these). These tools are meant to quantify or verify whether a targeted mechanism is being activated, shifted, or engaged during an intervention. The FOA emphasizes leveraging those existing SOBC Network products and accelerating their real-world use by embedding them into ongoing clinical trials. The SOBC Measures Repository, hosted through the SOBC Research Network Open Science Framework (OSF) page, is pointed to as a practical place to find these measures and related materials.

What NIH is trying to accomplish through this FOA is faster adaptation, validation, and translation of SOBC Network assays in real trial settings. Instead of developing new measures slowly in isolated projects, the FOA encourages investigators to take assays that have already been developed within the SOBC Network and test them in the context of active clinical trials. This includes refining the assays so they fit the population and setting of the parent trial, evaluating how well they perform (for example, reliability, validity, sensitivity to change), and demonstrating that they can be used to confirm whether an intervention is hitting its intended behavior change targets. The end result NIH is seeking is a stronger pipeline of interventions and experimental manipulations that are demonstrably linked to specific mechanisms, plus better measurement tools to verify that engagement.

A notable feature of this opportunity is that the parent trial being revised does not need to be a behavior change trial and does not need to list behavior change as its primary outcome. The FOA explicitly allows integration of SOBC assays into NIH-supported clinical trials of drugs, devices, procedures, or behavior modifications. This is an important signal that NIH wants mechanism-oriented behavior change measurement to be embedded broadly across clinical research, not confined only to traditional behavioral intervention studies. For example, a drug trial or device trial may still involve adherence behaviors, self-management, or other participant behaviors that influence outcomes, and SOBC assays could help clarify the behavioral mechanisms influencing trial success.

From an eligibility standpoint, the FOA sits in the NIH assistance listing (CFDA) area 93.310 and uses the grant funding instrument under the health activity category. It allows a wide range of applicant organizations typical for NIH funding, including state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including entities other than small businesses); and small businesses. It also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), tribal governments that are not federally recognized, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). In practice, however, the key gating factor is that the applicant must be positioned to submit a competitive revision to an active NIH-supported R34 clinical trial award, since this FOA is designed to modify and extend an existing funded project rather than initiate an unrelated one.

Financially, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $225,000. While the record does not specify the exact number of expected awards, the structure implies NIH anticipated funding a limited number of high-value revisions that convincingly integrate SOBC assays into ongoing trials and produce broadly useful information about assay performance and mechanism engagement. The opportunity was created on 2017-09-18 and had an original closing date of 2017-12-05, which places it in a specific historical application window, although the summary purpose and design still illustrate NIH's priorities for embedding mechanism-focused behavior change measurement into clinical research.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted add-on funding path: it encourages investigators with active NIH-funded R34 clinical trials to strengthen their studies by incorporating SOBC Research Network assays, thereby helping the field move toward more rigorous, mechanism-driven explanations for adherence and behavior-related outcomes across a wide variety of clinical trial types.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Science of Behavior Change: Revision Applications for Use-inspired Research to Optimize Adherence, Behavior Change Interventions, and Outcomes (R34)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-05. (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 $225,000.00 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 RM 17 024

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