Notice Number: NOT-OD-14-035

Key Dates
Release Date: January 17, 2014

Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: March 2014
First Estimated Application Due Date: May 2014
Earliest Estimated Award Date: September 2014
Earliest Estimated Start Date: September 2014

Related Announcements
None

Issued by
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

Purpose

The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) intend to promote a new initiative for development of a research resource that would allow researchers to more efficiently and rapidly evaluate mobile and wireless (mHealth) technologies.

This Notice encourages investigators with expertise and insights into creating research resources targeting database and mobile technology to begin to consider applying for this new FOA. In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise across systems and disciplines will be encouraged and these investigators should also begin considering applying for this application.

The FOA is expected to be published in March 2014 with an expected application due date in May 2014.

This FOA will utilize the U2C activity code. Details of the planned FOA are provided below.

Research Initiative Details

The objective of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will be to create a research resource that uses cell phone technology to create a registry of demographically and geographically diverse potential research participants. This resource would allow researchers rapid access to potential study participants and reduce the time and cost of mHealth research. Successful applicants will develop a wireless resource in conjunction with the mobile telecom industry and in consultation with researchers and wireless device and app industry experts, and regulatory authorities (e.g., Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission) experts. The resource will include and not be limited to a secure website that is accessible for researchers and potential participants, a database system appropriate for health research; a system of outreach in conjunction with telecom providers; a consent and screening system for potential participants; a backend data collection system for managing common data elements; an appropriate privacy and ethics framework; and, a standard architecture to support integration with diverse research software and data systems.

Although the FOA will target resource development, demonstration research projects encouraged in this initiative should use mobile technology to examine strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of acute and/or chronic diseases.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Wendy J. Nilsen, Ph.D.
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
Telephone: 301-496-0979
Email: nilsenwj@od.nih.gov