Linking the Provider Recommendation to Adolescent HPV Vaccine Uptake (R03 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 19 359

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 359

The NIH funding opportunity titled "Linking the Provider Recommendation to Adolescent HPV Vaccine Uptake (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-19-359) supports small, focused research projects that examine why a clinician's recommendation for the HPV vaccine does or does not lead to actual vaccination among adolescents. The central idea is that a provider recommendation is one of the strongest drivers of HPV vaccination, but its impact can be strengthened or weakened by the way care is delivered in real-world healthcare settings. The FOA is looking for studies that dig into the healthcare delivery system itself and show how system-level factors either help recommendations translate into vaccine uptake or create obstacles that stop that from happening.

The research scope is intentionally broad across the patient-provider-setting relationship. Projects can look at characteristics of providers (for example, specialty, communication style, confidence discussing HPV, time constraints, use of reminder systems, or how strongly and routinely they recommend the vaccine). They can also focus on parent and patient factors that influence whether a recommendation is accepted (such as knowledge and beliefs about HPV and cancer prevention, trust in the healthcare system, vaccine confidence, cultural norms, previous experiences with vaccination, or practical barriers like transportation, scheduling, and follow-up). On top of that, the FOA highlights the clinical and organizational environment, including issues like clinic workflow, staff roles, standing orders, electronic health record prompts, performance feedback, missed opportunities during visits, coordination across providers, and differences between settings such as pediatric offices, family medicine practices, community health centers, and school-linked or public health clinics. The goal is to connect these elements in a way that explains where breakdowns occur between recommendation and vaccination and to identify leverage points that could improve uptake.

Because HPV vaccination is directly tied to cancer prevention, the FOA emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary expertise. Competitive applications are expected to bring together knowledge from cancer prevention and control, immunization promotion, behavioral science (covering both adult decision-making and childhood/adolescent health behaviors), and healthcare delivery or implementation research. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation means applicants may propose studies that include clinical trial elements if appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required. In practice, this allows for a range of study designs, from observational analyses of clinical practice patterns to pragmatic tests of workflow changes or communication strategies, as long as the work is aligned with the FOA's focus on the delivery system and the recommendation-to-uptake pathway.

This opportunity uses the NIH R03 mechanism, which is generally intended for smaller, well-defined projects such as pilot studies, secondary data analyses, feasibility studies, or targeted interventions that can generate early evidence and inform larger future research. The listed award ceiling is $50,000. The funding instrument is a grant, the opportunity category is discretionary, and the activity areas are education and health. It is associated with CFDA numbers 93.393 and 93.395, indicating alignment with NIH programs that commonly include cancer-related prevention and control research.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and 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 other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types, 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly excludes foreign participation: non-U.S. entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by NIH policy are not allowed.

Administratively, the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health. The FOA was created on 2019-08-29, and the original closing date listed is 2022-07-16. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at producing practical, evidence-based insight into how healthcare systems can better support strong provider recommendations and convert them into higher HPV vaccine initiation and completion among adolescents, ultimately reducing HPV-related cancers over time.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Linking the Provider Recommendation to Adolescent HPV Vaccine Uptake (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-08-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-07-16. (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 $50,000.00 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.

Apply for PAR 19 359

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