Translational Research in Pediatric and Obstetric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R21) | PAR 17 187

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 187

The Translational Research in Pediatric and Obstetric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R21) funding opportunity (PAR 17-187) is a National Institutes of Health discretionary grant program designed to move pediatric and obstetric drug research closer to real-world clinical impact. Its central focus is translational and clinical research, including clinical trials, that improves understanding of how drugs work, how patients respond, and how safety risks emerge in two populations that are often underrepresented in traditional drug development: children across different developmental stages and women during pregnancy and lactation. The underlying intent is to generate practical, mechanism-informed evidence that can directly improve prescribing, dosing, monitoring, and overall therapeutic decision-making for these groups.

A key theme of the opportunity is developmental and physiologic variability. For pediatrics, the FOA emphasizes that drug action and toxicity can differ substantially by age and maturation, meaning that newborns, infants, children, and adolescents may have different pharmacologic profiles even when treated with the same medication. For pregnancy and lactation, the FOA highlights that physiologic changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period can alter drug disposition and response, while also introducing unique safety considerations for the fetus, newborn, and breastfeeding infant. Projects supported by this announcement are expected to deepen knowledge of mechanisms driving drug action, response variability, and adverse effects in these contexts, rather than simply repeating adult paradigms.

The program goals are strongly patient-centered and improvement-oriented. On the near-term side, it aims to improve the safety and effectiveness of current drugs already used in pediatric or obstetric care, including by refining how those drugs are used in practice (for example, more tailored approaches to dosing, timing, formulation, or monitoring). On the longer-term side, it supports work that enhances the development of new drugs or enables safer, more targeted use of existing drugs to meet emerging clinical needs for children and pregnant or lactating women. In practical terms, the FOA is meant to encourage research that can lead to better individualized or stratified therapy, where treatment choices are guided by mechanistic insight into why a particular subgroup responds differently or faces higher risk.

This is an R21 mechanism, which generally aligns with exploratory, early-stage, or proof-of-concept studies that can open a path toward larger, later-phase investigations. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, reflecting a scope aimed at generating high-value preliminary data, testing innovative translational approaches, or conducting smaller, focused clinical studies or trials that answer tightly defined questions about pharmacology, therapeutics, and safety in the target populations.

Eligibility is broad, spanning many sectors that might contribute to pediatric and obstetric therapeutics research. 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 and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations 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 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 agencies of the federal government, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility signals an interest in drawing on diverse institutional strengths, clinical settings, and community partnerships to address real gaps in evidence for these special populations.

Administratively, the opportunity is tied to NIH and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.173 and 93.865. The source information lists an original closing date of 2020-07-03 and a creation date of 2017-03-03, which situates this announcement in a specific funding cycle and suggests that applicants should verify current availability or successor announcements if pursuing a similar opportunity today. Overall, the FOA is best understood as an NIH effort to accelerate actionable, mechanism-driven pediatric and obstetric pharmacology research that can reduce uncertainty in clinical care, improve outcomes, and support safer, more effective therapies for children and for women during pregnancy and lactation.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Translational Research in Pediatric and Obstetric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-07-03. (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.

Apply for PAR 17 187

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