Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 846
This National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity, titled "Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): Basic Mechanisms of Health Effects (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-18-846), supports short, exploratory basic research projects aimed at understanding how ENDS aerosols affect the body at a fundamental biological level. The focus is on mechanistic work that can explain what ENDS aerosol exposure does to human-relevant cells, tissues, and organs, including how it may influence both normal physiology and disease-related processes. In practical terms, the announcement is geared toward studies that clarify biological pathways and cause-and-effect mechanisms rather than projects centered on testing interventions in people.
The award mechanism is an NIH R21, which is typically used for early-stage or high-impact exploratory research where investigators may be developing new hypotheses, testing feasibility, or generating foundational data that can later support larger studies. Because this is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," applications must avoid proposing clinical trials. That means the research should not involve prospectively assigning human participants to an intervention or exposure to evaluate health outcomes. Instead, the program is aligned with basic and preclinical approaches such as laboratory-based experiments, studies using human-derived cells or tissues, organoids, animal models, and other experimental systems appropriate for mechanistic discovery, as long as the work remains outside the clinical trial definition.
The scientific scope centers on the health effects of ENDS aerosols, not just nicotine in isolation. ENDS aerosols can contain nicotine, solvents (like propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin), flavoring chemicals, thermal degradation products, metals, and other constituents that may vary widely by device type, liquid composition, power settings, and user behavior. Mechanistic projects under this opportunity would typically aim to identify how these aerosol components interact with biological systems and which pathways are disrupted or activated. Examples of relevant research directions could include cellular injury and repair responses, inflammation, oxidative stress, immune modulation, endothelial or epithelial barrier function, neurobiological effects related to nicotine exposure, cardiopulmonary toxicity mechanisms, and interactions with existing disease processes. While the announcement summary does not list specific disease areas, it explicitly includes both normal and disease states, which leaves room for mechanistic work tied to conditions where aerosol exposure could plausibly worsen or alter disease biology.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program under NIH, listed across multiple CFDA numbers (93.113, 93.121, 93.279, 93.399), which reflects NIH’s broader research portfolio categories. The source data provided lists an original closing date of 2021-06-25, a creation date of 2018-06-29, and does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the excerpt. Anyone considering this opportunity in real time would need to verify whether NIH has reissued, extended, or replaced the announcement since the cited close date, because NIH FOAs are often updated or republished over time.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can conduct biomedical research. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions when applicable); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional unspecified categories under "Others." The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals an intent to encourage participation from a wide range of research and community settings, including institutions that serve historically underrepresented populations and organizations located outside the continental United States.
In short, PAR-18-846 is designed to move the science of vaping-related health effects beyond descriptive observations by funding mechanistic studies that can pinpoint how ENDS aerosols influence biological systems. The goal is to generate foundational evidence about cellular and organ-level effects that can inform future research directions, risk assessment, and potentially later-stage translational work, while staying firmly within a basic research framework and excluding clinical trials.Apply for PAR 18 846
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): Basic Mechanisms of Health Effects (R21 - 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): 93.113, 93.121, 93.279, 93.399.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-06-29.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-25. (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.
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