Addressing Chronic Wound Trajectories Through Social Genomics Research (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 17 493

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 493

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Addressing Chronic Wound Trajectories Through Social Genomics Research (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-17-493) is designed to push forward early-stage, exploratory clinical research that connects the social world people live in with the biology that shapes how chronic wounds develop and heal. It uses the R21 mechanism, which is typically meant for novel, higher-risk ideas or pilot work that can generate strong preliminary data for larger studies later. In this case, the emphasis is on applying social genomics, a field that examines how social and environmental conditions influence patterns of gene expression and how those molecular changes may ultimately affect health outcomes.

At the center of the FOA is the idea that chronic wounds are not just a local skin problem that can be solved purely with debridement, dressings, offloading, or vascular procedures. Conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and arterial ulcers are described as multidimensional, meaning their causes and outcomes often reflect a complex mix of clinical factors (like diabetes control, perfusion, infection, neuropathy), behavioral factors (like mobility, adherence, nutrition), and social conditions (like stress, isolation, housing stability, access to care, transportation, caregiving support, and neighborhood resources). The announcement argues that a person-focused lens is needed alongside a wound-focused lens, because the social environment can shape immune function, inflammation, and other biological pathways that matter for tissue repair.

The research niche this announcement targets is the link between social exposures and molecular mechanisms in chronic wound trajectories. Social genomics provides a way to study how positive or negative social environments may "get under the skin" through changes in gene regulation and expression profiles, potentially influencing inflammation, immune competence, stress-response pathways, and other systems that can affect wound risk, wound presence, progression, and healing rates. The FOA highlights the need to better identify which social environmental factors are most influential, how they map onto measurable genomic or transcriptomic signatures, and how that information could inform therapeutic strategies. The long-term practical goal is not only better healing outcomes, but also reducing chronic wound risk in the first place and improving quality of life for people living with these conditions.

Because it is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," applicants can propose studies that either do or do not include a clinical trial component, as long as the work fits the clinical research focus and meaningfully applies a social genomics approach. In practice, that could include observational clinical studies that pair social environment measures with gene expression data collected from blood or relevant tissue, mechanistic studies that examine pathways linking social stressors to inflammatory activity in wound patients, or early intervention studies that test whether modifying a social or behavioral factor can produce detectable genomic changes associated with improved healing. The FOA is fundamentally encouraging researchers to integrate social, clinical, and molecular data rather than treating them as separate silos.

The opportunity is a discretionary grant under the NIH, listed under CFDA 93.361, and it falls within education and health funding activity categories. The award ceiling is listed as $200,000, reflecting the smaller, exploratory nature of R21 awards. The original closing date shown is January 7, 2021, and the FOA creation date is September 27, 2017, which signals that the notice as provided is from a prior cycle and may not be currently open under that exact deadline, even though the program concept remains clear.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic applicants: state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not higher education institutions); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicants that NIH often encourages to apply, including 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 agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, that eligibility list aligns with the topic area, since chronic wounds and the social conditions affecting them are experienced across diverse communities and care settings, and community-based or safety-net organizations may be particularly well-positioned to study real-world social drivers of wound outcomes.

Overall, this FOA is aimed at generating new clinical research that connects social context to gene expression and, ultimately, to chronic wound outcomes. It encourages a holistic, person-centered approach that treats social conditions as biologically consequential, with the expectation that understanding these pathways can lead to better-targeted prevention efforts, improved wound healing strategies, and better quality of life for patients who are often dealing with long, complicated courses of care.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Addressing Chronic Wound Trajectories Through Social Genomics Research (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• 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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