Centers for Oceans and Human Health 4: Impacts of Climate Change on Oceans and Great Lakes (COHH4) (P01 Clinal Trial Optional) | RFA ES 22 005

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 22 005

The Centers for Oceans and Human Health 4: Impacts of Climate Change on Oceans and Great Lakes (COHH4) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA ES 22 005) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program designed to support large, multi-component research centers that examine how climate change is driving or worsening emerging public health threats linked to ocean and Great Lakes Basin environments. It uses the P01 (program project) mechanism, meaning applicants are expected to propose an integrated package of interrelated research projects rather than a single stand-alone study. The overall aim is to generate a clearer, evidence-based understanding of what people are being exposed to in these aquatic environments, how those exposures may be changing as the climate changes, what toxicities or biological effects result, and what the downstream human health impacts are now and may be in the future.

A central theme of the FOA is the connection between environmental change and human health risk. The program is specifically interested in research that connects the dots across the full pathway from climate-influenced environmental conditions (for example, warming waters, altered precipitation patterns, changing currents or stratification, shifts in nutrient loading, or changes in ice cover) to the environmental presence, distribution, or behavior of hazards (such as harmful algal blooms, pathogens, marine or freshwater biotoxins, chemical contaminants, or other stressors), to measurable human exposures, and finally to health outcomes. The solicitation emphasizes “exposures, toxicities and human health impacts,” signaling that strong applications will not stop at documenting environmental change alone but will integrate exposure science, toxicology or mechanistic biology, epidemiology or clinical/public health research, and other relevant disciplines to build a coherent, testable story about risk.

The FOA also makes clear that these centers should be multidisciplinary and integrative by design. In practice, that typically means bringing together teams that can cover environmental monitoring and modeling, analytical chemistry, microbiology, ecology, toxicology, exposure assessment, data science, and human health methods (including epidemiological approaches), with the expectation that the center’s components inform each other rather than operate in parallel. Because climate change is explicitly part of the program focus, applicants are expected to address not only current conditions but also how climate-related trends and projections could alter hazards and health burdens over time. This can include forecasting, scenario-based modeling, and developing tools or indicators that help anticipate when and where risks may intensify.

A required and prominent feature of this opportunity is a community engagement component. The FOA explicitly calls for a community-facing element as part of the integrated center structure, reflecting the expectation that funded centers will work with affected communities, decision-makers, and stakeholders who rely on or are impacted by marine and Great Lakes environments. This engagement component is meant to ensure the research remains grounded in real public health concerns, that communities and practitioners can help shape research priorities and interpretation, and that findings are communicated in ways that support practical use, such as risk communication, local preparedness, or evidence that can guide interventions and policy. In other words, the program is not only about generating knowledge; it is also about making the science usable and responsive to community needs.

In terms of administrative details, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the environment and health area (CFDA 93.113). The listed award ceiling is $950,000, and the original closing date shown is January 20, 2023. The FOA title indicates “Clinical Trial Optional,” meaning applicants may propose a clinical trial if it is scientifically appropriate for the center’s aims, but a clinical trial is not required. The P01 structure generally signals an expectation of coordinated projects that share resources, methods, and data streams to address a unifying theme, rather than a loose collection of unrelated studies.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes state, county, and local governments; 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 (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it sets strict limits on foreign involvement: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations 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 the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. This means the work and institutional participation must be fully domestic in structure and performance, even if the research questions have global relevance.

Overall, COHH4 is aimed at building robust, center-scale research programs that can explain and anticipate climate-driven changes in ocean and Great Lakes health hazards and translate that understanding into clearer assessments of exposure and health impacts for people. Competitive applications are expected to show genuine integration across disciplines, a coherent set of linked projects under a single theme, and a meaningful engagement strategy that connects the science to communities and real-world public health decisions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers for Oceans and Human Health 4: Impacts of Climate Change on Oceans and Great Lakes (COHH4) (P01 Clinal Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-08-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-01-20. (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 $950,000.00 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 RFA ES 22 005

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