Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 17 009
This funding opportunity, titled "Psychological, Behavioral, and Neurocognitive-Focused Ancillary Studies to the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans Consortium (MoTrPAC) (U01)," is an NIH Common Fund-related call designed to add new layers of assessment to an existing, large human exercise study. The core idea is to fund one or more ancillary studies that plug into MoTrPAC clinical sites and collect psychological, behavioral, and/or neurocognitive data from adult participants (age 18 or older) who are already enrolled in the MoTrPAC exercise protocol. Rather than replacing or duplicating MoTrPAC, the funded project(s) are meant to complement it by capturing the kinds of individual-level characteristics that can shape how people respond to exercise and how well they stick with an exercise program over time.
The scientific purpose is centered on explaining variability: even when people follow the same physical activity program, they often differ a lot in outcomes (for example, fitness gains, metabolic changes, or other physiological responses) and in adherence (who completes the program, who drops out, and why). This FOA targets the psychological, behavioral, and neurocognitive factors that may account for those differences, with the expectation that these factors interact with the biological mechanisms MoTrPAC is measuring. In practical terms, the ancillary work would bring in validated assessments, tasks, surveys, or structured measures relevant to motivation, affect, stress, self-regulation, reward processing, cognition, decision-making, mood, or related constructs, and align those measurements with the MoTrPAC timeline so they can be analyzed alongside exercise exposure and the parent study outcomes.
The long-term goal is explicitly translational and personalized: by characterizing how individuals differ in their response to exercise across the MoTrPAC protocol, the research is intended to identify novel treatment targets and help shape future personalized physical activity interventions. In other words, the anticipated payoff is not only better description of who responds and who does not, but also actionable insight into what to target (psychologically, behaviorally, or cognitively) to improve adherence and optimize benefits, potentially allowing future interventions to be tailored based on an individuals profile.
Mechanistically and administratively, this opportunity uses a cooperative agreement (U01), which typically means there is substantial NIH involvement and coordination expectations, fitting the reality that the work must integrate with a multi-site consortium. The issuing agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the program is listed under CFDA 93.847 within the broad activity area of health (with categorization including food and nutrition and health). The funding opportunity number is RFA-DK-17-009. The FOA record indicates an award ceiling of $3,000,000, and the original closing date was 2017-10-24, reflecting that this was a time-bound call tied to the MoTrPAC study period and data collection schedule.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and government entities, reflecting NIH norms while also highlighting participation from institutions that serve underrepresented communities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or 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; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant types such as 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.
At the same time, the opportunity draws a firm line on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. This restriction signals that the ancillary studies were intended to be executed entirely within the U.S.-based MoTrPAC infrastructure and compliant with the consortiums data governance and clinical site operations.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted add-on to a major NIH consortium effort, aimed at enriching MoTrPAC with well-designed psychological, behavioral, and neurocognitive measurement so researchers can better explain and predict exercise adherence and response. The emphasis is on generating integrated, consortium-compatible data that can be analyzed jointly with MoTrPACs molecular and physiological measures to advance individualized and mechanistically informed physical activity interventions in the future.Apply for RFA DK 17 009
- The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Psychological, Behavioral, and Neurocognitive-Focused Ancillary Studies to the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans Consortium (MoTrPAC) (U01)" 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 2017-05-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-10-24. (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 $3,000,000.00 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is an NIH Common Fund-related funding opportunity titled "Psychological, Behavioral, and Neurocognitive-Focused Ancillary Studies to the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans Consortium (MoTrPAC) (U01)." It is designed to support one or more ancillary studies that add psychological, behavioral, and/or neurocognitive assessments to the existing MoTrPAC human exercise study.
What is the main purpose of the FOA?
The main purpose is to explain why people vary in their responses to the same exercise program and why adherence differs across individuals. The funded ancillary study or studies are expected to capture individual-level psychological, behavioral, and neurocognitive characteristics that may help account for variability in exercise outcomes and program completion.
What does "ancillary study" mean in this context?
In this FOA, an ancillary study is an add-on project that plugs into existing MoTrPAC clinical sites and evaluates additional measures (psychological, behavioral, and/or neurocognitive) in participants who are already enrolled in the MoTrPAC exercise protocol. The ancillary work is intended to complement MoTrPAC, not replace it or duplicate its core assessments.
Who will be studied (participants and age range)?
The ancillary assessments will be conducted in adult participants (age 18 or older) who are already enrolled in the MoTrPAC exercise protocol.
Does the ancillary study recruit its own participants?
The FOA describes ancillary studies that integrate with MoTrPAC clinical sites and collect data from adults already enrolled in the MoTrPAC protocol. The intent is to leverage the existing MoTrPAC study population rather than create a separate, standalone cohort.
What types of data and measures are encouraged?
The FOA emphasizes validated assessments, tasks, surveys, or structured measures relevant to psychological, behavioral, and neurocognitive factors such as motivation, affect, stress, self-regulation, reward processing, cognition, decision-making, mood, and related constructs.
How should the ancillary measurements fit with the MoTrPAC study timeline?
The ancillary measurements are expected to align with the MoTrPAC timeline so that the psychological, behavioral, and/or neurocognitive data can be analyzed alongside exercise exposure and the parent study outcomes.
What problem is the NIH trying to address through this FOA?
The FOA targets the real-world observation that even when people follow the same physical activity program, they often differ substantially in outcomes (such as fitness gains or metabolic changes) and in adherence (who completes the program versus who drops out). The goal is to understand psychological, behavioral, and neurocognitive contributors to those differences.
How does this work relate to MoTrPAC's biological and molecular measurements?
The FOA is built around the expectation that psychological, behavioral, and neurocognitive factors interact with the biological mechanisms MoTrPAC is measuring. The intent is for the ancillary data to be integrated with MoTrPAC molecular and physiological measures to better explain and predict exercise response and adherence.
What is the long-term goal of collecting these additional assessments?
The long-term goal is translational and personalized: to characterize individual differences across the MoTrPAC protocol, identify novel treatment targets, and help shape future personalized physical activity interventions. The anticipated value is both descriptive (who responds and who does not) and actionable (what factors could be targeted to improve adherence and optimize benefits).
What activity code and award mechanism does this FOA use?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U01), which typically includes substantial NIH involvement and coordination. This fits the multi-site consortium integration requirements described for MoTrPAC-linked work.
Who is the issuing agency?
The issuing agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-DK-17-009.
What is the CFDA number listed for this program?
The program is listed under CFDA 93.847.
What is the award ceiling mentioned in the FOA record?
The FOA record indicates an award ceiling of $3,000,000.
When was the closing date for this opportunity?
The original closing date was 2017-10-24. The FOA is described as a time-bound call tied to the MoTrPAC study period and data collection schedule.
Which organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or 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; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
Are organizations that serve underrepresented communities specifically included?
Yes. The FOA highlights participation from institutions that serve underrepresented communities, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, and TCCUs.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly calls out faith-based or community-based organizations among additional eligible applicant types.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among the additional eligible applicant types.
Are federal agencies eligible applicants?
Yes. The FOA includes eligible agencies of the federal government among the additional eligible applicant types.
Are foreign organizations or non-U.S. institutions eligible to apply?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply under this FOA.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-domestic component or foreign component?
No. The FOA states that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed.
Why does this FOA restrict foreign involvement?
The FOA frames these restrictions as consistent with executing the ancillary studies entirely within the U.S.-based MoTrPAC infrastructure and in alignment with consortium data governance and clinical site operations.
Is the intent to create a separate study independent of MoTrPAC?
No. The FOA emphasizes that the ancillary project(s) should complement MoTrPAC and integrate into MoTrPAC clinical sites and timelines, rather than replace MoTrPAC or duplicate its core work.
What kinds of outcomes and behaviors are these ancillary assessments meant to help explain?
The ancillary assessments are meant to help explain both (1) variability in outcomes from the same physical activity program (for example, fitness gains, metabolic changes, or other physiological responses) and (2) variability in adherence, such as who completes the program, who drops out, and why.
What is the overall theme of the opportunity in one sentence?
It is a targeted add-on funding opportunity to enrich MoTrPAC with well-designed psychological, behavioral, and neurocognitive measurements so researchers can better explain and predict exercise adherence and response in adults.
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