Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 20 017
This grant opportunity, titled "Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa): Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research" (RFA-RM-20-017), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U01) focused on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) that arise when data science is applied to health research in African settings. The overall DS-I Africa program is meant to accelerate new health discoveries and drive innovation in healthcare, public health, and health research across the continent by using data science approaches. Within that larger effort, this specific funding call concentrates on making sure that the rapid growth of data-driven health research is matched by equally strong, context-appropriate work on ethics, governance, equity, and community impact, rather than treating these as side issues addressed after the fact.
A central emphasis of the announcement is that ELSI questions should be explored from an African perspective and should feed into policy conversations happening on the continent. In practice, that means projects are expected to examine how local norms, laws, institutional capacities, historical experiences, and community expectations shape what is considered fair, trustworthy, and socially acceptable in data-intensive health research. Topics that typically fall under this umbrella include questions around informed consent in large-scale data collection, privacy and confidentiality protections in environments with varying legal and technical safeguards, appropriate governance models for data access and sharing, cross-border data transfers, benefit sharing and reciprocity with participating communities, power imbalances in international collaborations, intellectual property considerations, and the risk that data science tools could reinforce inequities or biases if they are trained on incomplete or unrepresentative data.
Another defining feature is integration: NIH signals that ELSI research funded through this call is expected to be fully embedded within the broader DS-I Africa consortia supported by related funding announcements. Rather than operating in isolation, ELSI awardees are intended to function as active partners alongside the data science and health research teams, helping to anticipate, identify, and respond to ethical challenges as they emerge over the life of the larger projects. The announcement also highlights a "dynamic" approach to ELSI, acknowledging that as research hubs uncover new opportunities and develop new methods, fresh ethical and governance questions will surface that require ongoing attention, iteration, and coordination rather than one-time review.
The cooperative agreement mechanism (U01) also matters because it implies substantial involvement from NIH beyond what is typical in a standard research grant. Cooperative agreements are designed for programs where the funder expects to collaborate with awardees on coordination, shared infrastructure, harmonization across sites, and alignment with program-wide goals. Here, that collaboration is explicitly tied to working closely with DS-I Africa coordinating centers and DS-I Africa research hubs, which suggests an ecosystem model where ELSI projects contribute not only to academic knowledge but also to practical guidance, shared practices, and policy-relevant outputs that can be used across multiple DS-I Africa activities.
Eligibility and award structure are clearly oriented toward strengthening African institutional leadership. Awards under this FOA must be made directly to African institutions, reinforcing the goal that African organizations lead the research agenda and governance conversations. At the same time, the opportunity allows partnerships with organizations outside Africa, which supports international collaboration while still keeping primary institutional authority and accountability on the continent. The eligible applicant category listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and the activity category is health (CFDA 93.310). The FOA is marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," indicating that the funded work should not include clinical trial activities; instead, it should focus on ELSI research, analysis, and related empirical or conceptual work tied to data science for health.
Key administrative details included in the source information are the original closing date of December 1, 2020, and the creation date of July 24, 2020. While the provided excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the number of expected awards, the intent is clearly to build a coordinated set of ELSI efforts that can influence both the internal functioning of DS-I Africa consortia and broader national or regional policy discussions about responsible, equitable, and trustworthy health data science in Africa.Apply for RFA RM 20 017
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa): Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2020-07-24.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-12-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and focus of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa): Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research" (RFA-RM-20-017). It funds research on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) that arise when data science methods are used in health research in African settings.
Which agency is offering this funding?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity.
What funding mechanism is used?
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement (U01). This mechanism signals substantial involvement from NIH in coordination and alignment with program-wide goals, rather than a fully independent investigator-driven award.
What does a cooperative agreement (U01) imply for awardees?
A U01 cooperative agreement generally means NIH expects to be actively involved with awardees on program coordination, shared infrastructure, harmonization across sites, and alignment with DS-I Africa goals. In this program, that involvement is explicitly connected to coordination with DS-I Africa coordinating centers and research hubs.
How does this ELSI FOA relate to the broader DS-I Africa program?
DS-I Africa aims to accelerate health discoveries and drive innovation in healthcare, public health, and health research across Africa using data science approaches. This specific FOA supports ELSI research so that ethical and governance considerations grow alongside the rapid expansion of data-driven health research, rather than being treated as an afterthought.
What is the central emphasis of the ELSI research expected under this FOA?
The FOA emphasizes that ELSI questions should be explored from an African perspective and should feed into policy conversations on the continent. Projects are expected to account for local norms, laws, institutional capacities, historical experiences, and community expectations that shape what is fair, trustworthy, and socially acceptable in data-intensive health research.
What kinds of ELSI topics are within scope for this opportunity?
Topics typically include informed consent in large-scale data collection; privacy and confidentiality protections where legal and technical safeguards vary; governance models for data access and sharing; cross-border data transfers; benefit sharing and reciprocity with participating communities; power imbalances in international collaborations; intellectual property considerations; and risks that data science tools could reinforce inequities or bias when built on incomplete or unrepresentative data.
Is this funding meant to support ELSI work as a separate standalone project?
No. A defining feature is integration: ELSI research funded through this call is expected to be embedded within the broader DS-I Africa consortia supported by related DS-I Africa funding announcements. Awardees are intended to function as active partners with data science and health research teams, helping identify and address ethical challenges throughout the life of the larger projects.
What does the FOA mean by a "dynamic" approach to ELSI?
The FOA anticipates that as DS-I Africa hubs develop new methods and uncover new opportunities, new ethical and governance issues will emerge. ELSI work is therefore expected to be iterative and ongoing, with continued coordination and adaptation over time rather than a one-time review.
How are awardees expected to interact with DS-I Africa coordinating centers and research hubs?
The FOA describes an ecosystem model in which ELSI awardees collaborate closely with DS-I Africa coordinating centers and research hubs. This suggests ELSI projects should contribute not only to scholarship but also to shared practices, practical guidance, and policy-relevant outputs usable across multiple DS-I Africa activities.
Who is eligible to receive awards under this FOA?
Awards must be made directly to African institutions, reflecting the goal of strengthening African institutional leadership over the research agenda and governance discussions. The eligible applicant category listed is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
Can institutions outside Africa be involved?
Yes. The opportunity allows partnerships with organizations outside Africa, supporting international collaboration while keeping primary institutional authority and accountability based on the continent through the direct award to an African institution.
What is the activity category and CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The activity category is Health, and the CFDA number provided is 93.310.
Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?
No. The FOA is marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," indicating the funded work should not include clinical trial activities and should instead focus on ELSI research, analysis, and related empirical or conceptual work tied to health data science.
What is the key goal of requiring awards to be made directly to African institutions?
The requirement is intended to reinforce African leadership and ensure that African organizations lead governance and policy-relevant conversations about responsible, equitable, and trustworthy health data science in African contexts.
What kinds of outputs does the FOA suggest ELSI projects should produce?
While specific deliverables are not listed in the provided summary, the FOA clearly points toward outputs that inform DS-I Africa consortium practices and contribute to policy conversations in Africa, including practical guidance and shared approaches that can be used across participating DS-I Africa activities.
What are the important dates provided for this opportunity?
The creation date listed is July 24, 2020, and the original closing date is December 1, 2020.
Does the provided information include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the number of expected awards, but it indicates an intent to build a coordinated set of ELSI efforts connected to DS-I Africa consortia and broader policy discussions.
What is the broader problem this FOA is trying to address?
The FOA is designed to ensure that the rapid expansion of data-driven health research in Africa is matched by strong, context-appropriate ethics, governance, equity, and community impact work, so that responsible research practices are built in from the start and evolve as the science evolves.
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