The NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDK) www.niddk.nih.gov announced the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Improving Diabetes Management in Pre-teens, Adolescents, and/or Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes” http://grants.nih.ov/rants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DKL-16-001.html. NIDDK intends to commit up to $6 million in FY 2017 for up to three awards.
Rapid advances in diabetes management technologies such as continuous glucose monitors, technology to transmit and share glycemic information and then integrate information from continuous glucose monitors with insulin pumps, represents the next generation of Type 1 diabetes management.
Despite rapid technological advances, there continues to be many behavioral and psychosocial barriers to effectively and consistently use in routine diabetic care. To realize the full potential of these tools, research is needed to identify approaches that would help mitigate some of the barriers to use.
For example, many new tools allow parents to monitor their child’s blood glucose values on their cell phones in real-time. This increase in information can potentially improve diabetes control, but at the same time, it can increase stress levels and strain family relationships.
Importantly, healthcare providers need to be able to effectively incorporate the data from these tools into their clinical decision-making and interactions with the youth without overwhelming them with excessive data volume. Also, there is a rapid growth in mobile app technologies with little consistent data about their effective and safe use.
FOA applicants need to address the use of new or existing technology including insulin pumps, blood glucose monitors, and continuous glucose monitoring systems by addressing barriers to consistent use. Also, applicants need to address collaborative communication with the healthcare team in terms of adherence to the medical regimen and patient-centered goal settings.
Eligible organizations can include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits including small businesses, government, plus others. The Letter of Intent due date is May 22, 2016 with applications due on June 22, 2016.