The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), has announced a funding opportunity for the Secondary Analysis of Existing Datasets in Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases and Sleep Disorders under funding opportunity number PAR-25-056. This grant supports innovative secondary analyses of existing human datasets to address novel scientific questions or to develop tools, models, and technologies with significant potential impact on biomedical or biobehavioral research. Applications proposing the generation of new primary data are not allowed under this funding opportunity.

The initiative emphasizes the use of existing datasets to explore disease etiology, treatment outcomes, prevention strategies, and health disparities within NHLBI's scientific mission. Research areas may include social determinants of health, behavioral health, environmental impacts, genomic studies, and novel statistical methodologies. Meta-analyses using patient-level data and merging datasets from diverse sources are also encouraged. Suitable datasets may come from NHLBI resources such as BioData Catalyst, BioLINCC, dbGaP, and other public or private repositories, including investigator datasets, administrative data, and electronic health records.

The total project period may not exceed two years, and application budgets are limited to $75,000 in direct costs per year. NHLBI anticipates funding up to eighteen new awards per year, with an annual total funding commitment of approximately $2.187 million, contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of meritorious applications. The earliest submission date is January 28, 2025, with application due dates on February 28, 2025, and October 28, 2025. Applications must be submitted electronically through NIH's ASSIST system, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions.

Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, local and state governments, tribal organizations, and foreign institutions. Applicant organizations must complete registrations with the System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (for foreign applicants), Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. Program directors and principal investigators must also have active eRA Commons accounts.

Applications will be evaluated based on their significance, innovation, rigor, feasibility, and the expertise of the research team. Special attention will be given to the suitability of the selected datasets, the clarity of the proposed research strategy, and the potential public health impact. Additional considerations include protections for human subjects, data sharing plans, and adherence to relevant NIH policies.

For further assistance, applicants are encouraged to contact NHLBI representatives listed in the funding announcement. Final funding decisions will consider scientific merit, availability of funds, and alignment with NHLBI's strategic priorities.