New research shows that there are ten to a hundred times more tiny plastic particles, called nanoplastics, in single-use bottled water than previously thought. Additionally, recent evidence suggests that microplastics, which are larger than microscopic nanoplastics but less than 5 mm, are present in human lungs, blood, placental tissue, and human breast milk.
“The presence of these microplastics and nanoplastics in air, water, food, clothing and other environmental media and how their entry into the human body affects health is unknown,” said Dr. Lingamanaidu Ravichandran. , a program officer who oversees a research portfolio that includes micro/nanoplastics. “NIEHS is committed to promoting investigations to understand potential human health effects.”
To this end, the institute is particularly interested in grant applications to study exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics and their health effects. Please explore the following tips for applicants.
- Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Understanding exposure and health effects of micro and/or nanoplastics
Notice of Special Interest (NOT-ES-23-002). - Registration deadline
Applications may be submitted through one of the funding opportunity announcements below by November 16, 2027.- PA-20-185: Research Project Grant (Parent Company R01 clinical trials not allowed).
- PA-20-195: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (master R21 clinical trials not allowed).
- PA-20-196: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (required parent R21 Basic Experimental Research in Humans).
- Who is eligible?
Institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profits, local governments (including Indian/Native American tribal governments), and community-based organizations. See the full list in the funding opportunity announcement above. - NOSI specific tips
- NIEHS is committed to supporting research designed to advance understanding of the physicochemical properties, exposures, and related human health effects of microplastics and nanoplastics.
- Applications should include a team of researchers with multidisciplinary expertise. It is strongly recommended that the proposed studies be well controlled; particular emphasis is placed on the characterization of the size, shape and type of micro or nano plastic species; and that environmentally relevant concentrations and the most important properties of the micro or nano plastics are taken into account.
- Research focused on exposure assessment may include, but is not limited to: Development of screening methods to rapidly detect, quantify and assess exposure levels to micro/nano plastics in air, food, drinking water and biological fluids or tissues; Development of analytical methods to assess micro/nano plastics Size, shape, type, surface properties and chemical composition of plastics; development of sensor/monitoring technologies or tools to detect individual exposure levels.
- Studies focused on health effects may include, but are not limited to: Characterizing biological or toxicological effects such as oxidative stress, inflammation, gut microbiome, or other systemic effects; Conducted using alternative model systems (e.g., zebrafish, Caenorhabditis elegans) Toxicity studies; and characterizing the biodistribution, bioaccumulation and excretion of well-characterized and environmentally relevant micro/nanoplastics.
- For funding considerations, applicants must include Non-ES-23-002 (without quotes) in the Agent Route Identifier field (Box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in Box 4B will not be considered for the program.
- Other resources
Any questions related to the scientific aspects of this NOSI should be directed to Dr. Lingamanaidu V. Ravichandran.
(Caroline Stetler is editor-in-chief of Environmental Factors, a magazine published monthly by the NIEHS Office of Communications and Public Liaison.)