RESEARCH ON FERTILITY AND FERTILITY-RELATED BEHAVIOR NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 9, March 6, 1992 PA NUMBER: PA-92-49 P.T. 34 Keywords: Human Reproduction/Fertility Demography Behavioral/Social Studies/Service Disease Model National Institute for Child Health and Human Development PURPOSE The National Institute for Child Health and Human Development invites applications for demographic and behavioral research on fertility, the proximate determinants of fertility, and the causes and consequences of fertility-related behaviors. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA, Research on Fertility and Fertility-Related Behavior, is related to the priority areas of family planning and sexually transmitted diseases. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or "Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by foreign and domestic, for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, private research firms, units of State and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal Government. Applications from minority individuals and women are encouraged. Applicants for First Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) Awards (R29) must meet specific eligibility requirements. In addition, foreign applicants are not eligible for the FIRST Award. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Mechanisms available for the support of this program include research project grants (R01), and the FIRST Award (R29). RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Summary This announcement invites behavioral and demographic research on fertility, the proximate determinants of fertility, and the causes and consequences of fertility-related behaviors. The goal is to extend the understanding of fertility and fertility-related behaviors in two important ways: first, by explaining recent developments in fertility and their relationships to other social changes; and second, by developing and testing new and expanded models at either the individual or aggregate level to explain variation in fertility and related behaviors. In many instances, the success of this research may depend on the development of new theoretical approaches and/or the development of improved and innovative methods for measuring fertility-related behaviors and the processes that influence them. Background Research on the causes and consequences of fertility behavior has occupied demographers since population science emerged as a field of study. During the twentieth century this field has encompassed simple descriptions of population levels, trends and differentials in fertility as well as the development of complex causal models explaining individual fertility behavior. In the past decade, research on fertility has been shaped by several factors, including trends in fertility rates, a changing societal context for childbearing, and the development of data and statistical tools for testing interdisciplinary and multilevel models. During the 1980s, fertility rates remained stable throughout most of the developed world and declined to varying degrees in the developing countries. At the very end of the decade, however, U.S. fertility showed signs of a renewed upturn, particularly at the younger and older ages. Recent decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the proportion of all births that occur out of wedlock, from 5 percent in 1960 to 27 percent in 1989. This change has paralleled delays in the age of first marriage and increases in female labor force participation. Scientists' ability to develop empirical models of the complex factors affecting fertility was greatly enhanced by developments in statistics, computer technology, and a proliferation of longitudinal and cross-sectional data sets. However, data limitations still hamper the integration and extension of much existing research. Research Sought Research applications submitted in response to this announcement may focus on any aspect of human fertility and may be grounded within a broad range of disciplinary frameworks. These may include but are not limited to sociology, economics, psychology, anthropology, biology, and public health. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged. Research on fertility may address any relevant aspect, including but not limited to levels (numbers of births and fertility rates), birth timing, wanted and unwanted childbearing, childbearing in and out of wedlock, and variability in these factors within and across populations. The proximate determinants of fertility include contraceptive practice, union formation and sexual activity, fecundity, and pregnancy outcomes. The following topics have been highlighted as promising areas for research (but applications for grants to support research on other aspects of fertility are welcome): a. In the U. S. and other developed countries, sexual activity and childbearing have become increasingly disconnected from legal marriage. Trends in premarital sexual activity, cohabitation and non-marital childbearing have been well documented, but their causes and, to a lesser extent, their implications are poorly understood. What underlies the early sexual involvement of many young people and the choice of non-marital childbearing by increasing proportions of young adults? What factors contribute to the postponement of sexual activity and the choice and maintenance of a stable union as a context for child rearing? Research is needed to examine the impact of economic and social factors in shaping alternative strategies for childbearing and child rearing and the family and contextual processes that shape norms and values about sexual and reproductive behavior. Further research is also needed on the implications of current trends for children, adults, and society. b. Lack of information on male behaviors related to family formation creates a significant gap in fertility research. Research on the determinants and consequences of male fertility and fertility-related behaviors is needed to complement knowledge gained from research focused on women alone. Research focusing on the couple as the relevant unit in fertility analysis is also encouraged. In order to advance our understanding in this area, scientists are encouraged to develop innovative methods of obtaining non-biased samples, and samples that capture unmarried as well as married couples. c. Research is needed on the relationship between parenthood and other familial and nonfamilial roles. Specific topics include the interrelation between processes of role choice, change, and accommodation and fertility, and factors, such as child care and flexibility in the workplace, that ease or exacerbate role conflict. We encourage development of new approaches to capturing the dynamic aspects of entries to and exits from different adult roles, to understanding the factors contributing to variability in life course trajectories, and to accounting for selection processes in examining the consequences of different trajectories for fertility behavior and other life domains. d. The influence of context on fertility and fertility related behavior requires further study. Both normative and structural aspects of context may influence fertility. Context may be variously interpreted to mean geographical context (the community, place of residence or work), social contexts (such as the family, sexual partnership, peer group), or institutional contexts (the church, workplace or school). Policy-relevant variables and program inputs may also be viewed as contextual factors. Innovative research designs for capturing contextual effects and accounting for the effects of choice of context are needed to advance research on this topic. e. Research is needed on the determinants of both short term and long term trends in fertility. A variety of explanations have been advanced to account for short run variations in fertility levels in the developed world, but none have received consistent support. Further work is needed to improve our understanding of the interrelations between fertility and social and economic trends. Our perspective on the causes of long-run trends may be improved by examining the interrelationships between family and institutional change and fertility decline in a variety of settings. Recent advances in economic growth theory have suggested a connection between fertility and economic growth that is modulated by human capital and institutional factors. Empirical testing of these relationships is encouraged. f. Extension of existing research on the factors accounting for the continuing high rate of unintended pregnancy is encouraged. Topics of current interest include how characteristics of couples and partners affect contraceptive practice; how sexual behavior and contraception contribute to defining, and are themselves shaped by, the nature and meaning of relationships; the impact of concerns about sexually transmitted disease on sexual and contraceptive decision-making; the determinants of consistent and accurate method use; structural factors affecting access to contraceptive methods and/or motivation to avoid pregnancy; and issues related to measuring the "intendedness" of a pregnancy. g. Research on the outcomes of unintended pregnancy is also encouraged. Relevant topics include the determinants and consequences of giving birth, of parenting versus relinquishing for adoption, and of marriage and alternative family living arrangements. Innovative means must be devised to avoid biased samples in designing this research. h. Motivational factors in fertility decision-making, the determinants of fertility motivation and desires, and the process through which individual motivations are translated into couple fertility decisions also deserve study. Relevant motivational factors may include not only those directly related to childbearing but also those related to other adult behaviors such as union formation and nonfamilial roles and aspirations. Advances in developing measures that capture multiple dimensions of motivation, that distinguish motivation to become a parent from motivation to prevent pregnancy or birth, and that may be appropriately applied to both men and women need further development, particularly among minority and low income populations. i. We encourage the extension of biosocial models of fertility and fertility-related behaviors. Existing research in this area has documented the utility of models that incorporate biological, and social, psychological, and economic variables. These models have been employed primarily for studying adolescents and may fruitfully be extended to adult behaviors and to the investigation of the intergenerational transmission of behavioral patterns. Data Sources Analysis of existing data is cost-efficient and is strongly encouraged whenever scientific goals can be met. Many data sets relevant to the analysis of fertility and fertility related behaviors are publicly available. Among those relating to the U.S. population are the National Surveys of Family Growth (and predecessors such as the National Fertility Surveys and the Growth of American Families Studies); the National Longitudinal Surveys, Youth Cohort and Child Supplement; the National Survey of Families and Households; the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972; High School and Beyond; National Education Longitudinal Study; data from the Decennial Census and Current Population Survey (June supplements); Vital Statistics data; the Panel Study of Income Dynamics; and the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Other relevant data sets may be obtained through The Data Archive on Adolescent Pregnancy and Pregnancy Prevention and the American Family Data Archive. Applicants are encouraged to contact program staff to discuss potential data sources. New data collection may be necessary whenever existing data resources are not appropriate to the scientific aims of the study. In many cases, methodological components to research may be appropriate for developing improved measures and measurement techniques. If new data collection is proposed, applicants are encouraged to design protocols and samples that are efficiently tailored to the scientific needs of the project. Scientific sampling procedures are highly desirable to ensure that sample biases do not undercut scientific objectives, but the size and scope of samples may legitimately be limited in a manner consistent with study objectives. Applicants proposing new data collection are encouraged to make their data available for use by other researchers, and should indicate plans for accomplishing this in the application. STUDY POPULATIONS Research may focus on U.S. and other developed world populations and subgroups thereof, and on developing settings, as appropriate to the scientific questions being examined. Cross-cultural comparisons may be appropriate to specific scientific objectives. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NIH POLICIES CONCERNING INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDY POPULATIONS NIH and ADAMHA policy is that applicants for NIH/ADAMHA clinical research grants and cooperative agreements are required to include minorities and women in study populations so that research findings can be of benefit to all persons at risk of the disease, disorder or condition under study; special emphasis must be placed on the need for inclusion of minorities and women in studies of diseases, disorders, and conditions which disproportionately affect them. This policy is intended to apply to males and females of all ages. If women or minorities are excluded or inadequately represented in clinical research, particularly in proposed population-based studies, a clear compelling rationale must be provided. The composition of the proposed study population must be described in terms of gender and racial/ethnic group. In addition, gender and racial/ethnic issues should be addressed in developing a research design and sample size appropriate for the scientific objectives of the study. This information must be included in the form PHS 398 in Section 2, A-D of the Research Plan AND summarized in Section 2, E, Human Subjects. Applicants/offerers are urged to assess carefully the feasibility of including the broadest possible representation of minority groups. However, NIH recognizes that it may not be feasible or appropriate in all research projects to include representation of the full array of United States racial/ethnic minority populations (i.e., Native Americans (including American Indians or Alaskan Natives), Asian/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, Hispanics). The rationale for studies on single minority population groups must be provided. For the purpose of this policy, clinical research is defined as human biomedical and behavioral studies of etiology, epidemiology, prevention (and preventive strategies), diagnosis, or treatment of diseases, disorders or conditions, including but not limited to clinical trials. The usual NIH policies concerning research on human subjects also apply. Basic research or clinical studies in which human tissues cannot be identified or linked to individuals are excluded. However, every effort should be made to include human tissues from women and racial/ethnic minorities when it is important to apply the results of the study broadly, and this should be addressed by applicants. For foreign awards, the policy on inclusion of women applies fully; since the definition of minority differs in other countries, the applicant must discuss the relevance of research involving foreign population groups to the United States' populations, including minorities. If the required information is not contained within the application, the review will be deferred until the information is provided. Peer reviewers will address specifically whether the research plan in the application conforms to these policies. If the representation of women or minorities in a study design is inadequate to answer the scientific question(s) addressed AND the justification for the selected study population is inadequate, it will be considered a scientific weakness or deficiency in the study design and will be reflected in assigning the priority score to the application. All applications for clinical research submitted to NIH are required to address these policies. NIH funding components will not award grants to cooperative agreements that do not comply with these policies. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) and will be accepted at the standard application deadlines as indicated in the application kit. Application kits are available at most institutional business offices and may be obtained from the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone 301/496-7441. The title and number of the announcement must be typed in Section 2 on the face page of the application. The completed original application and five legible copies must be sent or delivered to: Division of Research Grants National Institutes of Health Westwood Building, Room 240 Bethesda, MD 20892** REVIEW PROCEDURES Applications will be assigned on the basis of established Public Health Service referral guidelines. Applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by study sections of the Division of Research Grants, NIH, in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. Following scientific-technical review, the applications will receive a second-level review by the appropriate national advisory council. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved applications assigned to that ICD. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: o Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review; o Availability of funds o Program balance INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Christine A. Bachrach, Ph.D. Center for Population Research National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Executive Plaza North, Room 611 6130 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-1174 Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Melinda B. Nelson Office of Grants and Contracts National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Executive Plaza North, Room 505 6130 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-5481 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.864, Population Research. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. .
Return to NIH Guide Main Index
Office of Extramural Research (OER) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 |
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) |
||||||||
Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Audio or Video files, see Help Downloading Files. |