The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a funding opportunity titled “Interventions to Reduce Sleep Health Disparities” under the Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism. This initiative aims to support non-pharmacological interventions to promote sleep health, reduce sleep health disparities, and examine sleep as a modifiable factor to address disparities in other health outcomes. The program targets populations that experience health disparities, such as racial and ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, underserved rural populations, sexual and gender minority individuals, and persons living with disabilities. The initiative emphasizes addressing social, behavioral, environmental, and structural determinants of sleep health and encourages a lifespan approach, considering key transitional life periods.

The funding opportunity supports intervention research designed to improve sleep health, treat sleep disorders, and reduce related disparities. Examples of research include improving sleep awareness, policies to enhance sleep environments, community-level interventions, and strategies addressing key life stages such as childhood, adolescence, and older adulthood. Projects may target sleep health as a primary prevention strategy for outcomes like cardiovascular disease, mental health, or obesity. Interventions should be culturally tailored, community-informed, and rigorously designed, with an emphasis on partnerships with affected communities to ensure relevance, feasibility, and impact. Proposed studies should use robust methodologies, including randomized controlled trials or rigorous quasi-experimental designs, while hybrid effectiveness-implementation approaches are also encouraged.

Applications must address causal mechanisms or pathways contributing to sleep health disparities, focusing on NIH-designated populations experiencing health disparities. Research teams should demonstrate inclusiveness across relevant disciplines, including health disparities, sleep science, and social determinants of health. Projects are encouraged to incorporate validated tools to measure social determinants of health and sleep outcomes, including objective measures like wearable devices. For studies involving human subjects, applicants must ensure diversity in participant recruitment, adherence to NIH human subjects protections, and comprehensive inclusion plans.

Eligibility for this funding opportunity includes higher education institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, state and local governments, tribal entities, and other eligible U.S.-based entities. Foreign organizations and components are not eligible. Applicants must complete all necessary registrations in systems like SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. Application budgets are not limited but must align with the project’s needs, and the maximum project period is five years. The NIH requires submission of a detailed research plan, data management and sharing plans, and resource sharing strategies.

The evaluation process will focus on the significance and innovation of the research, rigor and feasibility of the approach, and the expertise and resources of the research team. Applications must clearly outline how proposed interventions will target sleep health disparities or related health outcomes and demonstrate how findings will advance minority health and reduce health disparities in the United States. The inclusion of diverse research teams and robust community engagement strategies will be critical evaluation criteria.

The key deadlines for this funding opportunity include submission due dates of February 5, June 5, and October 5 annually until the expiration date of September 8, 2027. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and eRA Commons, with no allowances for late submissions. Applicants are encouraged to engage NIH program staff early in the process to ensure alignment with the funding opportunity’s goals. For additional questions, applicants may contact the NIH program officials listed in the announcement.