Tribal Health Research Office (THRO)

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Mission Statement

The Tribal Health Research Office (THRO) mission is to advance AI/AN health by collaborating with Tribal Nations and across NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices and HHS to strategically lead, consult, coordinate, and co-fund opportunities that promote American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health research, enhance capacity for health research in Native communities, and generate Native science and a research workforce that builds healthy AI/AN lives and communities.

Interest Areas

General Topics

THRO supports research, infrastructure and training to improve AI/AN health. Priorities, developed in partnership with Tribal Nations, reflect Tribal sovereignty and community health goals. 

Projects should

  • Engage Tribes as sovereign research partners
  • Support Tribally driven, led and prioritized research
  • Advance AI/AN health and respect Tribal sovereignty and data governance
  • Build sustainable Native research capacity

THRO supports

  • Sustainable Tribal research infrastructure 
  • Research capacity at Tribal Institutions, Native-Serving Institutions and AI/AN community organizations
  • Tribal data sovereignty, data governance and ethical research practices in AI/AN populations
  • Research training, workforce development and career advancement across all career stages
  • Culturally grounded workforce pathways to improve AI/AN health
  • Courses in AI/AN population study design, research methods, data governance and ethical research practices
  • Research on the role of land, language, cultural connectedness and whole person health within AI/AN cultural contexts  
  • Tribally driven, Tribally led and culturally grounded research for prevention, treatment and health promotion 
  • AI/AN health across environmental, social and cultural domains
  • culturally appropriate implementation science and translatable interventions 
  • Investigator initiated and community based participatory research (CBPR) that addresses AI/AN health priorities, centers Tribal engagement and decision making

Topic Examples: 

  • Interventions for AI/AN health addressing physical activity, organized sports, obesity, nutrition and diabetes
  • Tobacco, alcohol and substance misuse prevention research
  • Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) prevention research
  • Culturally grounded intervention research for AI/AN youth transitioning from foster care
  • Culturally grounded chronic disease prevention and management in AI/AN populations
  • AI/AN intergenerational trauma, PTSD and resilience research
  • Family parenting interventions grounded in indigenous cultural values

Highlighted Topics

Highlighted Topics identify timely or emerging research priorities across one or more NIH Institutes, Centers, or Offices (ICOs). Use Parent Announcements or other broad NIH opportunities to submit investigator-initiated applications on a topic. While Highlighted Topics do not affect referral or review, some include dedicated funding. See the Highlighted Topic FAQs for details.

Title Lead ICO Participating ICOs Posted Date Expiration Date

Funding Opportunities and Notices

Search for THRO’s funding opportunities and notices

ICO Funding Policies and Considerations

Visit NIH Fiscal Policies for NIH-wide information on appropriations and other budgetary information (salary limits, stipends, tuition/fees) and Funding Decisions to learn about NIH's consistent and unified approach for making funding decisions.

THRO Funding Policies and Considerations builds on that general information.

Additional Information by Funding Category

Administrative Supplements
In addition to our Administrative Supplements overview, consider the following THRO-specific information.
Administrative Supplement Interest Areas:

THRO will consider co-funding administrative supplements if the supplement request is consistent with current NIH guidance; the ICO administering the parent award agrees to accept it for consideration; and the supplement is relevant to the THRO mission. Requests for co-funding administrative supplements are submitted to THRO by ICO program staff. Requests sent directly to THRO from investigators will not be considered.

Administrative Supplement Contact:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Conferences and Meetings
In addition to our Conferences and Meetings overview, consider the following THRO-specific information.
Conferences and Meetings Interest Areas:

THRO will consider co-funding for meetings that advance research to improve American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health and well-being, address disparities in AI/AN health incidence and outcomes, and foster workforce development that builds healthy AI/AN lives and communities. 

THRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants. The office supports grants deemed fundable after full review and initiation of a co-funding request by NIH ICO program staff or federal partners.

Conferences and Meetings Contacts:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Individual Career Development
In addition to our Individual Career Development, consider the following THRO-specific information.
Individual Career Development Interest Areas:

THRO will consider co-funding a variety of mentored and non-mentored individual career development awards in partnership with the administering ICO to foster the transition to independence of scientists conducting research that advances American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health.

THRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants. The office supports grants deemed fundable after full review and initiation of a co-funding request by NIH ICO program staff or federal partners.

Individual Career Development Contacts:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Individual Fellowship
In addition to our Individual Fellowships Overview, consider the following THRO-specific information.
Individual Fellowships Interest Areas:

THRO will consider co-funding a variety of individual fellowship awards in partnership with the administering ICO to support projects that advance American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health or AI/AN research capacity. 

THRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants. The office supports grants deemed fundable after full review and initiation of a co-funding request by NIH ICO program staff or federal partners.

Individual Fellowships Budget Considerations:

Current NRSA stipends, tuition/fees, and budgetary levels apply.

Individual Fellowships Contacts:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Institutional Career Development
In addition to our Institutional Career Development, consider the following THRO-specific information.
Institutional Career Development Interest Areas:

THRO will consider co-funding a variety of institutional development awards in partnership with the administering ICO that foster the development of researchers focused on improving American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health.

THRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants. The office supports grants deemed fundable after full review and initiation of a co-funding request by NIH ICO program staff or federal partners.

Institutional Career Development Contacts:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Institutional Training
In addition to our Institutional Training, consider the following THRO-specific information.
Institutional Training Interest Areas:

THRO will consider co-funding a variety of institutional training awards in partnership with the administering ICO that foster the development of researchers focused on improving American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health.

THRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants. The office supports grants deemed fundable after full review and initiation of a co-funding request by NIH ICO program staff or federal partners.

Institutional Training Contacts:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Research Education
In addition to our Research Education overview, consider the following THRO-specific information.
Research Education Interest Areas:

THRO will consider co-funding research education awards in partnership with the administering ICO. THRO supports programs that advance American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health by building a skilled, cross-disciplinary workforce at all career and educational stages. 

THRO does not have grant-making authority or administer grants. The office supports grants deemed fundable after full review and initiation of a co-funding request by NIH ICO program staff or federal partners.

Research Education Funding Instruments:
THRO does not award Research Education Cooperative Agreements (UE5)
THRO does not award Research Education Grant Projects (R25)
Research Education Contacts:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Research Projects
Contacts:

Contact Information
[email protected]

Scope Note:
In addition to our Research Projects, overview, consider the following THRO-specific information.
See Also

Tribal Health Research Office (THRO)

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