Announcement of the Availability of Funds for Phase II Limited Competition Research on Research Integrity | IR ORI 16 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for IR ORI 16 003

The funding opportunity titled "Announcement of the Availability of Funds for Phase II Limited Competition Research on Research Integrity" (Funding Opportunity Number: IR ORI 16 003) is a discretionary grant program offered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health under CFDA 93.085. It is designed to support Phase II, limited-competition projects that advance empirical research on research integrity, with an emphasis on innovative and evidence-driven approaches rather than purely conceptual discussions. The overall goal is to generate practical knowledge about why integrity in research is strengthened or weakened across different settings and to build a clearer evidence base for interventions, policies, training, oversight, and organizational practices that can improve responsible conduct in research.

A central focus of the announcement is the study of factors influencing integrity at multiple levels, including societal forces, organizational structures and climates, group or team dynamics, and individual behaviors and decision-making. The FOA explicitly frames integrity as using honest and verifiable methods in proposing, performing, and evaluating research, as well as accurately reporting results. It also highlights that integrity includes consistent adherence to applicable rules, regulations, guidelines, and widely accepted professional norms. In practice, this means the supported research is expected to look at conditions that encourage rigorous, transparent, and compliant research behavior, as well as conditions that create pressures or vulnerabilities that can lead to questionable practices, noncompliance, or misrepresentation of research processes and outcomes.

The opportunity is broad in terms of who may apply, reflecting an intent to draw ideas and research capacity from many sectors that touch the research ecosystem. Eligible applicants include all levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, public housing and Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions when categorized separately), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and even individuals. This wide eligibility suggests the program is open to interdisciplinary and cross-sector research teams, including those embedded in academic research environments, policy and oversight contexts, community and tribal organizations, and private or commercial research settings.

From a funding standpoint, the announcement lists an award ceiling of $175,000 and anticipates making about two awards, indicating a relatively small and competitive program focused on a limited number of projects with a defined scope. The original application closing date was April 22, 2016, and the FOA was created on January 14, 2016. While those dates indicate the opportunity was time-limited, the details still describe the program's intent and structure: to invest in a small set of projects capable of producing concrete empirical findings about research integrity and its drivers. The activity category is listed as Health, which signals that the program is administered within a health-related federal context, but the integrity issues it targets commonly apply across many research disciplines where regulated or professionally governed research is conducted.

In terms of what the government is trying to achieve through this FOA, the program is essentially trying to move beyond general calls for ethical research by funding studies that measure and test real-world influences on integrity. That can include examining how incentives, performance metrics, funding pressures, publication expectations, organizational culture, mentoring quality, peer norms, leadership behavior, training models, compliance systems, and reporting structures shape how researchers and research teams behave. It can also include identifying protective factors that promote openness and accountability, such as strong supervisory practices, transparent workflows, reproducible methods, data management standards, robust peer review and internal auditing practices, and clear consequences for misconduct paired with fair and consistent enforcement.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted research integrity initiative intended to produce evidence that can guide institutions, funders, policymakers, and research leaders. By supporting empirical investigations into both positive and negative influences on integrity, the program aims to improve the reliability of research processes and outcomes, strengthen compliance with governing standards, and promote professional norms that help ensure research findings are trustworthy and verifiable.

• The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Announcement of the Availability of Funds for Phase II Limited Competition Research on Research Integrity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.085.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-01-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-04-22. (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 $175,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• 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, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for IR ORI 16 003

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