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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental Justice Working Group invites feedback on the approaches NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices can take to support research and capacity building efforts to advance environmental justice. Additionally, RFI responses will enable the NIH Environmental Justice Working Group to be responsive to Executive Order 14096 on Revitalizing Our Nations Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, and to synergize NIH efforts with other Federal Agencies in a whole of government approach to advance environmental justice.

The goal of this initiative is to increase our knowledge of how environmental stressors such as heat, crowding, air quality, noise, violence, and adverse childhood experiences in lower resourced communities affect Alzheimers Disease Related Dementias (ADRD). These and other noninheritable factors are collectively known as the exposome and includes environmental stress which is a major factor in racial and ethnic health inequities. ADRD is more prevalent and severe in people who live in lower resourced environments, and there is a need to identify the most important risk factors and determine their mechanistic underpinnings.

The purpose of this notice is to inform applicants of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's (NINDS) participation in RFA-ES-23-007 “Exploratory Grants for Climate Change and Health Research Center Development (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)”. This notice is effective for the May 1, 2023 due date and subsequent due date(s). Changes to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are shown below.

The purpose of this notice is to clarify which Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) NINDS will use to solicit applications in response to NOT-ES-22-006 "Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Climate Change and Health". As stated in the NOSI, NINDS will accept applications from the following announcements: PA-20-184 Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required), PA-20-185 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), PA-20-196 NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required), PA-20-195 NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed).

The National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), in partnership with Fogarty International Center (FIC), National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Heart Blood and Lung Institute (NHBLI) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) is leading an NIH-wide Climate Change and Health Initiative (CCHI) with the goals of: reducing the health threats posed by climate change across the lifespan; improving the health of people who are at increased risk from or disparately affected by climate change impacts; and building health resilience among individuals, communities, nations around the world, thereby increasing health equity. As a part of this CCHI, this NOSI encourages applications that address the impact of climate change on health and well-being over the life course, including the health implications of climate change in the United States and globally.

This Request for Information (RFI) seeks input on challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary research that brings together neuroscientists, environmental health scientists, and scientists from other related disciplines to form new teams to advance understanding of the contribution of environmental toxicants to impaired function of the nervous system across the life span. For the purpose of this RFI, environmental toxicants of primary interest include industrial chemicals or manufacturing byproducts, metals, pesticides, herbicides, air pollutants and other inhaled toxicants, particulates or fibers, plastics, fungal exposures, and bacterial or biologically derived toxins. Expression of toxicity can take many forms across different ages and developmental stages, ranging from neurodevelopmental to neurodegenerative disorders, and encompassing alterations in cognition and behavior that range from subtle to severe. The full range of nervous system outcomes is relevant to this RFI.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) intend to publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications for basic and translational research on the impact of the microbiome gut-brain axis on Alzheimers Disease Related Dementias (ADRD). While there is growing evidence that the microbiome is an important factor that contributes to overall health and a variety of diseases and disorders, the role of intestinal microbiota dysfunction in specific ADRDs has not been adequately addressed. Furthermore, there is a need for more engagement of the ADRD research community to better understand the mechanistic relationship between the gut-brain axis and dementia-related diseases. This FOA will support mechanistic and early translational research focused on a more rigorous in-depth examination of the potential interactions between the gut microbiome and genetic and non-genetic molecular targets that influence ADRD. It is expected that these studies will address the clinical relevance of the gut microbiome on disease initiation, progression, or modification that will lead ultimately to better therapeutic interventions. This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop integrated multidisciplinary collaborations and responsive projects. The FOA is expected to be published in Summer 2022 with an expected application due date in Fall 2022. This FOA will utilize the R01 (Clinical Trials Not Allowed) activity code.