NOSI: Urgent Competitive Revisions and Administrative Supplements for Research at NIMHD Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI U54s) on SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Hesitancy, Uptake, and Implementation

Program Description

NIMHD supports this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI), which highlights the urgent need for research strategies and interventions to address Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine hesitancy, uptake, and implementation among populations who experience health disparities in the United States and its territories.

This NOSI solicits community-engaged research to evaluate intervention strategies to facilitate vaccination uptake and address the barriers to increasing reach, access, and uptake of vaccinations among populations experiencing health disparities who are at high risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 infection and likely to experience vaccine hesitancy. Applications for this NOSI are limited to NIH active U54 Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), which are not in an extension at the time of the application submission.

The recent outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlights the need to develop and evaluate strategies to increase vaccine uptake and completion. Evidence indicates that populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infections, hospitalization, and mortality report vaccine-related concerns, fear, and lower willingness to accept the vaccine once available (i.e., vaccine hesitancy). Effective measures and trusted sources are essential to reduce misinformation, build community trust, and to promote widespread vaccine dissemination, uptake, and adherence to the vaccine protocol.

NIMHD supports research to understand factors that influence access to and uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among groups that experience health disparities. Applications are encouraged to consider upstream factors (e.g., interpersonal, community, health system, policy), as well as relevant cultural and historical factors associated with individual beliefs, risk perceptions, and behavior across multiple levels (e.g., individual, interpersonal, etc.). NIMHD seeks applications that leverage existing partnerships with community stakeholders and undertakes community-engaging methods, including community based participatory research (CBPR) practices. Applicants should have a history of successful recruitment and retention of participants within the populations of focus.

For the full list of key research topics of interest and questions for this NOSI, please consult the NOSI announcement.

NIH Guide No.: NOT-MD-21-012

Page updated Jan. 12, 2024