Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program: Dietary Assessment Center (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA RM 21 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 21 004

This NIH funding opportunity (RFA-RM-21-004) supports the creation of a Dietary Assessment Center within the Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH) consortium, an effort linked to the All of Us Research Program. The central goal is to strengthen how dietary intake is measured in research by pairing the widely used Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24) with at least one additional, innovative dietary assessment approach. The intent is not just to collect diet data, but to test new methods alongside ASA24, learn where each performs well or poorly, and ultimately improve dietary measurement through careful validation, evaluation, and modeling.

A key feature of the opportunity is that the Center is expected to apply these dietary assessment methods in both free-living studies (where people eat their normal diets in real-world conditions) and controlled feeding studies (where foods and intake are tightly managed). Using both settings matters because diet tools often perform differently depending on context: free-living conditions reflect real behavior but are messy and prone to reporting error, while controlled feeding provides a more precise reference point that can be used to check accuracy. The Center funded under this announcement is therefore positioned as a hub for producing higher-quality, more reliable diet intake data and for tackling persistent dietary assessment problems such as misreporting, day-to-day variability, and challenges in capturing portion sizes, mixed dishes, and culturally diverse foods.

The award mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement, which signals substantial involvement and partnership with NIH program staff rather than a typical stand-alone research grant. In practice, that usually means the funded Center will coordinate closely with the broader NPH consortium, align data collection and standards with consortium needs, and contribute to shared infrastructure, protocols, and analytic approaches. The FOA is listed as “Clinical Trial Optional,” indicating applicants may include a clinical trial component if it fits their proposed work, but a clinical trial is not required.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other eligible entities. The announcement explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, emphasizing an interest in broad participation across institution types and communities.

At the same time, the FOA places strict limits on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In addition, foreign components, as defined by NIH policy, are not allowed. These restrictions make clear that the work, leadership, and supported components must be based in the United States.

Administratively, the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, the opportunity falls under the health category, and it is tied to CFDA 93.310. The original application closing date listed is April 6, 2021, and the posting date is January 21, 2021. While the notice does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided text, the overall thrust is clear: NIH sought a dedicated Center to modernize and rigorously test dietary assessment methods in the context of precision nutrition research, using parallel measurement strategies and strong validation work to improve the quality and interpretability of diet data for the broader consortium.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program: Dietary Assessment Center (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-01-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-06. (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 RM 21 004

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