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RFA Archive

APPLICATIONS CLOSED. RFA 23-2 seeks to fund studies that assess the effects of actions, programs, or other interventions on ambient or indoor air pollution exposure, health outcomes, or both in historically marginalized and environmentally overburdened urban or rural communities (hereafter referred to as “historically marginalized communities”) in the United States.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of RFA 23-2 is to fund studies that evaluate actions, programs, or other interventions in the United States at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that have affected or have the potential to affect air quality, exposure, or health outcomes in historically marginalized communities. Areas of interest include the following:

  1. Studies that evaluate past or current actions, programs, other interventions at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that were specifically designed and implemented to reduce exposures to ambient or indoor air pollutants and improve health in historically marginalized communities.
  2. Studies that evaluate past or current actions, programs, or other interventions at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that were specifically designed and implemented to reduce exposures to ambient or indoor air pollutants and improve health in the general population  that might have benefited historically marginalized communities, had an inequitable distribution of benefits among communities, or worsened conditions in historically marginalized communities (e.g., have had unintended consequences).
  3. Studies that evaluate past, current, or proposed actions, programs, or other interventions at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level that were or are designed or implemented to achieve goals other than decreasing air pollution exposures but indirectly affect exposures to ambient or indoor air in the general population.  The actions might have benefited historically marginalized communities, had an inequitable distribution of benefits among communities, or worsened conditions in historically marginalized communities.
  4. Studies that prospectively evaluate the expected health or exposure changes in relation to proposed actions, programs, or other interventions at the national, tribal, state, or local level that are intended to reduce inequities in exposures or have the potential to affect inequities in exposures to air pollutants in historically marginalized communities. Studies should be designed to directly inform development and implementation of the proposed action under study.

 

STUDY DURATION AND BUDGET GUIDELINES

Between $2 and $3 million will be available for this RFA. HEI expects to fund a small number of studies (2 to 3 years in duration).


RFA 23-1 is seeking to fund studies to assess health effects of long-term exposure to TRAP. Studies should propose novel or improved methods and approaches to evaluate exposure to and health effects of traffic-related air pollutants as technologies and fuels change, the fleet turns over, mobility transforms, and electrification makes greater inroads.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

RFA 23-1 seeks to fund studies that can accomplish at least one of the objectives listed below. Note that in meeting the first three objectives, investigators should consider whether their work can effectively include effects in marginalized communities in high-income countries.

  • In the proposed health studies, develop, validate, and apply novel or improved exposure assessment methods suitable for estimating exposures to traffic-related air pollutants that (1) account for other air pollution sources in urban areas (such as airports, (sea)ports, industries, and other local point sources), (2) could distinguish between tailpipe and non-tailpipe traffic emissions, to the maximum extent possible, and (3) take into consideration the overall impact of (new) transportation and mobility trends on air quality and exposure.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of key measures to reduce TRAP and improve public health, as well as to assess the health benefits of measures designed to mitigate traffic or achieve other policy objectives.
  • Estimate the impacts on urban air quality and health of various new transportation and mobility scenarios, including a baseline (status quo or "business as usual") scenario.
  • Investigate health effects of long-term exposure to TRAP in understudied low- and middle-income countries.

STUDY DURATION AND BUDGET GUIDELINES

Overall, a total of $5 million will be available for this RFA. HEI expects to fund a small number of studies (2 to 3 years in duration).


This new investigator award supports creative early career investigators, at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution.  Applicants are encouraged to read more about the history of this award, past winners, and ongoing work by currently-funded Rosenblith awardees here.

Request for Applications 22-1 provides up to 3 years of funding to early career investigators for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

Scientists of any nationality holding a PhD, ScD, MD, DVM, or DrPH degree or equivalent are eligible to apply.

By the date that full applications are due, the candidate must be at the Assistant Professor level or equivalent at an academic or research institution and meet one of the following two conditions:

  1. Have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 years of research experience after obtaining the highest degree. That is, the PhD or equivalent final degree should have been awarded between June 2016 and June 2021 or

  2. Have held a position of Assistant Professor or equivalent for a maximum of 3 years (36 months).

Note that in either case, time spent on non-research activities since obtaining the highest degree, such as medical residencies without a research component or parental or medical leave, may be excluded.

Evidence that the candidate's institution is prepared to make a longer-term commitment to helping the awardee become established as an independent investigator is required as part of the application. Candidates should possess outstanding research potential. Evidence of this potential, in the form of written letters of support and the candidate’s publication record, is an essential part of the application materials and will be valued equally with the scientific proposal.

Please note that an applicant who does not meet all eligibility requirements will not be considered for this award. All applicants should contact HEI to verify their eligibility by sending a full CV, including the date of completion of PhD or MD (or equivalent), to Dr. Dan Crouse.


Request for Statements of Information and Qualification (RFIQ) 21- 3 seeks to identify and fund scientific teams to conduct epidemiologic studies of exposure to air pollution and cardiovascular and respiratory disease or other relevant health outcomes in India.

 

Topics of interest include:  

  • Exposure to air pollution during high-pollution events (i.e., air pollution episodes) and mortality or other health outcomes 
  • Exposure to air pollution and health outcomes in the first 1,000 days after birth (fetal growth, birth weight, lung growth, child development, and stunting, cognitive development, etc.) 
  • Long-term exposure to air pollution and all-cause and cause-specific mortality (e.g., mortality due to cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], stroke, cancer, and diabetes)
  • Short-term exposure to air pollution and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, COPD, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc. 
  • Long-term exposure to air pollution and incidence of cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases, such as COPD, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc.    
RFIQ 21-3: Studies of Air Pollution and Health Effects in India provides funding for up to 2-3 studies ranging between $75,000-$200,000 each.

Request For Applications 21-2 provides up to 3 years of funding to junior investigators for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

Scientists of any nationality holding a PhD, ScD, MD, DVM, or DrPH degree or equivalent are eligible to apply. This is a new investigator award.  At the time of application, the candidate should have a minimum of two, and a maximum of seven, years of research experience after obtaining the highest degree and must be at the Assistant Professor level or equivalent at an academic or research institution. Evidence that the candidate's institution is prepared to make a longer-term commitment to helping the awardee become established as an independent investigator is required as part of the application. Candidates should possess outstanding research potential. Evidence of this potential, in the form of written letters of support and the candidate’s publication record, is an essential part of the application materials and will be valued equally with the scientific proposal.

Please note that an applicant who does not meet all eligibility requirements will not be considered for this award. HEI will not review applications from individuals with more than seven years’ research experience after obtaining the highest degree. Time spent on non-research activities, such as parental leave and medical residencies without a research component, may be excluded. All applicants should contact HEI to verify their eligibility by sending a full CV, including the date of completion of PhD or MD (or equivalent), to Dr. Dan Crouse.


Request for Applications 21-1 solicits applications to develop, evaluate, and apply real-world exposure indicators of non-tailpipe PM emissions from motor vehicles (e.g., from tire, brake, wheel weights, and road wear and resuspension of dust from the road surface) and to assess the impacts of such emissions on air quality, human exposure, and human health.

 

The approaches of interest include:

  • Identifying and validating exposure indicators to characterize non-tailpipe PM emissions in near-road or ambient air.
  • Developing or extending existing approaches to measure or non-tailpipe PM in the near-road environment.
  • Estimating current and future potential impacts of non-tailpipe emissions from passenger and/or commercial vehicles on air quality, exposure, and/or potential contribution of non-tailpipe emissions to health burden attributable to ambient PM2.5 mass.
RFA 21-1: Quantifying Real-World Impacts of Non-Tailpipe Particulate Matter Emissions provides funding for up to 3 studies with a funding cap of $800,000 each. A total of up to $2.5 million will be available for this program.

This award supports creative junior investigators, at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution. RFA 20-2 provides up to 3 years of funding for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2020-2025.  The preliminary application stage of this RFA is now closed. 

RFA 20-2 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award (updated 7/14/21) provides funding for one or two studies with a funding cap of $500,000 each. 

Request for Applications 20-1B solicits applications for research on novel and important aspects of the intersection of exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 health outcomes. Applicants will be asked to submit a detailed letter of intent, followed by an invited full application, using an expedited application review process. HEI is particularly interested in applications that address the following questions:

(1) Accountability research: What are the effects of the unprecedented interventions taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic on emissions, air pollution, and human health?

(2) Susceptibility factors: Are individuals/populations who have been chronically or acutely exposed to higher levels of air pollution at greater risk of mortality from COVID-19 compared to those exposed to lower levels of air pollution? Do the effects differ by race/ethnicity or by measures of socioeconomic status?

RFA 20-1B and instructions [posted May 19, 2020]


Request for Applications 20-1A provides a mechanism for investigators to apply for research on novel and important aspects of the health effects of air pollutants outside HEI's major RFAs. HEI is particularly interested in applications that address the following topics:

(a) Accountability or effectiveness of air quality regulations;
(b) Strengthening causal interpretation of evidence from existing cohorts; and
(c) Contributions of wildland and agricultural burning to air quality and health.

RFA 20-1A and instructions [updated May 18, 2020]


This award supports creative junior investigators, at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution. RFA 19-2 provides up to 3 years of funding for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the draft HEI Strategic Plan 2020-2025. This RFA is now closed. 

RFA 19-2 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award (updated 3/20/20) provides funding for one or two studies with a funding cap of $500,000 each. 


HEI is seeking to fund studies to advance exposure assessment for air pollution and health studies using sensors, mobile monitoring, tracking technologies, and other approaches. The studies should develop and apply novel approaches to improve long-term (months to years) exposure assessment of outdoor air pollutants whose levels vary greatly in space and time. Request for Applications (RFA) 19-1 solicits applications for studies designed to quantitatively evaluate exposure measurement error and to determine the potential impact of using novel approaches to assess exposures to air pollution on health estimates. The approaches of interest include, but are not limited to:

(1) Harnessing novel measurement technologies: air pollution sensors, mobile monitoring, location tracking, and other technologies that are increasingly being used to measure air pollution and human activity at fine spatial and temporal scales;

(2) Exposure assessment modeling approaches: hybrid models, machine learning, and other statistical techniques.

RFA 19-1 Applying Novel Approaches to Improve Long-Term Exposure Assessment of Outdoor Air Pollution for Health Studies provides funding for up to five studies of 2 or 3 years in duration with a funding cap of $800,000 each.


HEI is seeking to fund studies to assess the health effects of air quality actions, also known as accountability research. Accountability research refers to empirical studies assessing the effects of regulatory actions, other interventions, or “natural” experiments on air pollution and health (sometimes also referred to as intervention studies). Request for Applications (RFA) 18-1 solicits applications for studies designed to assess the health effects of actions to improve air quality and to develop methods required for, and specifically suited to, conducting such research. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

(1)     Long-term complex regulatory programs: studies that evaluate regulatory and other actions at the national or regional level implemented over multiple years;

(2)     Interventions at the local level: studies that evaluate actions targeted at improving air quality in urban areas, with well-documented air quality problems and programs to address them, including but not limited to low emission zones, congestion charging, and so-called diesel bans;

(3)     Ports and global transport: studies that evaluate regulatory and other actions to improve air quality around major ports (both marine and air) and transportation hubs and corridors;

(4)     Methods development and dissemination: studies that develop, apply and disseminate statistical and other methodology for conducting such research.


RFA 18-1 Assessing Improved Air Quality and Health From National, Regional, and Local Air Quality Actions provides funding for up to four larger 3- to 4-year studies with a funding cap of $1,200,000 each and one or two smaller, 2- to 3-year methods development studies with a funding cap of $700,000 each.


This award supports creative junior investigators, at Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution. RFA 18-2 provides up to 3 years of funding for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2015-2020. All applicants should contact HEI to verify their eligibility before applying.

RFA 18-2 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award provides funding for one or two studies with a funding cap of $500,000 each. 


This award supports creative junior investigators, at Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution. RFA 17-3 provides up to 3 years of funding for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2015-2020. All applicants should contact HEI to verify their eligibility before applying.

RFA 17-3 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award provides funding for 1 or 2 studies with a funding cap of $450,000 each. This RFA is now closed.


Request for Applications 17-2, Health Effects of Air Pollution, provides a mechanism for investigators whose area of interest falls outside of current RFAs, but is compatible with the HEI research program and mission, to apply for HEI funds. HEI is interested in receiving applications for research on novel and important aspects of the health effects of air pollutants, particularly those derived from motor vehicle emissions. 

Request for Applications 17-2: Health Effects of Air Pollution provides up to 2.5 years of funding for up to 2 studies with a funding cap of $400,000 each (total budget).


HEI is seeking to fund health studies to assess adverse health effects of short and/or long term exposure to traffic-related air pollution. The studies should consider spatially correlated factors that may either confound or modify the health effects of traffic-related air pollution, most notably, traffic noise, socioeconomic status, and factors related to the built environment, such as presence of green space. 

Request for Applications 17-1: Assessing Adverse Health Effects of Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution, Noise (etc) provides up to 4 years of funding for up to 5 studies with a funding cap of $1,000,000 each.


This award supports creative junior investigators, at Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution. RFA 16-1 provides up to 3 years of funding for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2015-2020. All applicants should contact HEI to verify their eligibility before applying.

RFA 16-1 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award provides funding for 1 or 2 studies with a funding cap of $450,000 each.


This RFPA provides an application mechanism for investigators whose area of interest falls outside of the topics targeted in other requests for applications from HEI. Of greatest interest is research that is relevant to HEI’s current priorities, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2015-2020.

Request for Preliminary Applications 15-2: Health Effects of Air Pollution provides funding for two studies of up to 2 years or 2.5 years in duration, with a funding cap of $400,000 per study.


This award supports creative junior investigators, at Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution. RFA 15-1 provides up to 3 years of funding for a project relevant to HEI's research interests, as outlined in the HEI Strategic Plan 2015-2020. All applicants should contact HEI to verify their eligibility before applying. 


The purpose of the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant. Fall 2014 RFA booklet


HEI is seeking to fund studies to assess health effects of long-term exposure to low levels of ambient air pollution, including studies to evaluate all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity endpoints. RFA 14-3 solicits studies to analyze and evaluate exposure-response function(s) for PM2.5 and other pollutants at levels currently prevalent in North America, Western Europe and other high-income regions and related questions about adverse health effects at low levels of ambient air pollution. In addition, RFA 14-3 solicits studies to develop methods required for, and specifically suited to, conducting such research. At the outset, HEI expects to fund a small number of large studies for up to 4 years. HEI also expects to fund some smaller-scale methods development studies. Fall 2014 RFA booklet

Read more about the studies funded under this RFA in this Program Summary.


The purpose of the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant. Winter 2014 RFA booklet


With this focused RFPA, HEI seeks preliminary applications for research in two areas that complement current and past research that HEI has supported to improve assessment of exposure to motor vehicle emissions:
A) Characterization of the composition of non-tailpipe particulate emissions from the current vehicle fleet and their contribution to total near-road particulate matter, and
B) Characterization of emissions changes as a result of changes in engine and emission control technologies and fuels in tunnel studies.
 Winter 2014 RFA booklet


The purpose of the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant.
Winter 2013 RFA booklet


RFA 13-1 solicits applications for studies to improve quantification of the relationship between on-road motor vehicle emissions, near-road pollutant concentrations, and human exposures for health studies. RFA 13-1 provides funding for 2- to 3- year studies. 
Winter 2013 RFA booklet


The purpose of the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant.
Fall 2011 RFA booklet


RFA 11-1 solicits applications for studies designed to assess the health effects of actions to improve air quality and to develop methods required for, and specifically suited to, conducting such research. Preference will be given to (1) studies that evaluate regulatory and other actions at the national or regional level implemented over multiple years; (2) studies that evaluate complex sets of actions targeted at improving air quality in large urban areas and major ports with well documented air quality problems and programs to address them; and (3) studies that develop methods to support such health outcomes research.
Winter 2011 RFA booklet


The Health Effects Institute (HEI) is seeking a qualified statistical data analysis center to develop an analysis plan, manage data, and analyze data collected in a multicenter controlled ozone exposure study in human volunteers. The data will be collected in three centers in the United States. Each center will expose approximately 30-36 subjects. (See RFA 10-1 for more information.)
Request for Qualifications 2010


RFPA 10-3 provides a mechanism for investigators whose area of interest falls outside of the current RFAs but is compatible with the HEI research program and mission. Fall 2010 RFA booklet


The purpose of the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant.
Fall 2010 RFA booklet


Two types of studies are sought to evaluate cardiovascular and respiratory effects in healthy human volunteers, aged 55 and above. In Phase 1, volunteers will be exposed to ozone alone, at concentrations between 60 and 100 ppb, in a controlled laboratory setting. In Phase 2, volunteers will be exposed to real-world ambient air pollution at sites with ozone concentrations comparable to those used in Phase 1. Interested scientists may apply for Phase 1, Phase 2, or both.
Winter 2010 RFA booklet


RFPA 09-5 provides a mechanism for investigators whose area of interest falls outside of the current RFAs but is compatible with the HEI research program and mission. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s Strategic Plan 2010–2015.
Fall 2009 RFA booklet


The purpose of the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant.
Fall 2009 RFA booklet


Request for Statements of Information and Qualification (RFIQ) 09-3 seeks to identify scientific teams interested in conducting epidemiologic studies of long-term exposure to air pollution and chronic cardiovascular and respiratory disease in developing countries in Asia. The Institute intends to fund a limited number of such studies, conditional on the quality of potential research projects and availability of funds. The objective of this RFIQ is to assess the feasibility of such studies as an initial step in the funding process.
Spring 2009 RFA booklet


RFA 09-2 seeks proposals on the health effects of air pollution in developing countries in Asia with respect to 1) adverse reproductive outcomes, including low birth weight, pre-term birth, and birth defects, and/or 2) acute lower respiratory infection in children and other children’s health outcomes. As much as $400,000 will be available for studies funded under RFA 09-2. HEI expects to fund up to 3 studies, of up to roughly 2 years’ duration, at $150,000 to $200,000 per year. HEI’s International Scientific Oversight Committee (ISOC) may consider slightly higher budgets from particularly responsive proposals. Opportunities for cost-sharing / provision of matching funds are actively encouraged.
Spring 2009 RFA booklet


RFA 09-1 seeks proposals for the development of innovative statistical methods for the characterization of air pollutant mixtures and/or the study of the health effects of air pollution mixtures. As much as $750,000 will be available for studies funded under RFA 09-1. HEI expects to fund up to 3 studies at $100,000 to $150,000 per year. 
 Winter 2009 RFA booklet


The purpose of this award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

HEI expects to provide one or more awards from this RFA this year and to continue the RFA for this award on an annual basis. The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant.
RFA booklet Fall 2008


RFA 08-1 seeks proposals for studies that will take advantage of previously collected data on the concentrations of volatile organic compounds, carbonyls, and PM2.5 in indoor, outdoor, and personal air for subjects living in three urban centers with different pollution sources and weather. These data can be accessed on a publicly available web-based relational database. A total of $300,000 is available under this RFA; HEI hopes to fund 3-5 studies. 
Fall 2008 RFA booklet


The purpose of the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. For information on HEI’s current research priorities, applicants should consult HEI’s current Strategic Plan.

The evaluation process for these applications will consider the qualifications and background of the applicant, the quality and relevance of the research proposal, and the research environment of the applicant.
Fall 2007 RFA booklet