Aging Research in Animals (ARIA): Promoting Rigorous Research on Behavioral and Social Processes (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 22 015

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 22 015

The Aging Research in Animals (ARIA): Promoting Rigorous Research on Behavioral and Social Processes (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-AG-22-015) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program focused on improving and validating animal models that can be used to study how behavioral, social, and physical environmental factors shape aging. The central goal is to make animal-based behavioral and social research more rigorous and mechanistically informative, so that researchers can better explain how real-world conditions like social context and environmental exposures influence the biological processes of aging and, ultimately, the development, progression, and outcomes of age-related diseases and conditions. In practical terms, the FOA is aimed at strengthening the foundations of translational aging research by supporting model development and refinement that can link environmental and social experiences to measurable biological pathways and aging-related phenotypes.

A key feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on behavioral and social processes in animals, not simply disease modeling in isolation. The FOA highlights the need for animal models that can more convincingly represent the kinds of social and environmental influences that humans experience across the lifespan, and that can be used to test mechanistic hypotheses about why those influences matter. This includes, for example, developing experimental approaches that capture aspects of social interaction, social structure, stress-related experiences, enrichment or deprivation, and physical environmental conditions in ways that are reproducible, measurable, and biologically interpretable. The expected outcome is a stronger ability to connect environmental and social variables to underlying mechanisms of aging and to trajectories of age-related functional change and disease, rather than relying on broad correlations or poorly specified models.

The grant uses the R61/R33 phased innovation mechanism. In general, this structure supports an initial, milestone-driven development stage (R61) followed by a second stage (R33) that continues and expands the work once early feasibility or validation targets have been met. The intent is to encourage ambitious model-building projects while still requiring clear evidence that the model or approach is working before moving into the later phase. The FOA explicitly notes that clinical trials are not allowed, underscoring that the work is intended to be preclinical and animal-focused rather than involving interventional studies in human participants.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based applicants across government, academia, nonprofit, and industry. Eligible applicants listed include 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/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The opportunity is also open to nonprofits (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition to these categories, the FOA calls out other eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal government agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects an interest in drawing on diverse scientific, institutional, and community perspectives to improve animal-based behavioral and social aging research.

Administratively, the program is run by NIH under the Health funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.866. The funding instrument is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary. The posting was created on 2021-07-15, with an original closing date of 2021-10-20. The source information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, suggesting those details would need to be confirmed in the full FOA text or related NIH documentation.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted NIH effort to raise the quality, relevance, and interpretability of animal models used to study how social and environmental conditions get "under the skin" to influence aging biology. By prioritizing rigorous model development and mechanistic clarity, it aims to produce tools and approaches that can support more reliable discoveries about the pathways linking lived environments and social experiences to aging and age-related disease processes.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Aging Research in Animals (ARIA): Promoting Rigorous Research on Behavioral and Social Processes (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-07-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-10-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 AG 22 015

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