U54HL169191
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
Improving awareness of women with hypertension: ROAR (Rural, Obese, At Risk) - More than 1 in 3 women are living with heart disease and many are unaware of the risks.
Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and ~47% of adults in the US have hypertension. In ~85% of cases, the cause of hypertension is unknown and only ~50% of patients taking medication achieve blood pressure (BP) control to recommended levels.
A critical barrier to limiting premature death from CVD is lack of awareness surrounding the risks of CVD. Our location in the Southeast of the US will contribute to our impact. The prevalence of hypertension and obesity are high in GA, MS, and SC. The prevalence of hypertension and associated risk is not equal among all populations. Indeed, the prevalence of hypertension in black people in the US is among the highest in the world.
Our overall goal is to transform academic and community understanding of sex as a biological variable (SABV) in the consideration of hypertension. We will accomplish this through the creation and dissemination of innovative educational content, the development of strategic partnerships, and enhanced community engagement in the Southeast of the US.
This score is designed to provide novel insight into the mechanisms controlling BP in females vs. males, develop a comprehensive educational platform on SABV in CVD extending from grade school to medical school, and increase awareness and education of CVD and the risks of uncontrolled hypertension in women across the health span through community outreach.
This score has 4 objectives. Objective 1 is to conduct cutting-edge research to advance our understanding of sex-specific mechanisms that control BP to limit cardiovascular risk. Objective 2 is to develop a culturally diverse research pipeline of biomedical scientists trained in the field of SABV in CVD. Objective 3 is to establish a community outreach pipeline of trained scientists to increase awareness of SABV and promote optimal cardiovascular healthcare for men and women. Objective 4 is to empower the community to self-monitor and work to identify barriers to improving access to healthcare.
The outcomes of our proposed score include not only advances in science and training of the next generation of leaders in the study of the impact of biological sex on the development and progression of CVD, but also the development of a range of educational content that will be fully available to the consortium. This will include 1) the development educational materials by medical illustrators for students/trainees at all stages, the community, and physicians, 2) establishing a SABV mentoring academy, 3) creating a SABV curriculum and workshop for students, fellows, and junior investigators.
The impact of our work will be to increase recognition and awareness of the risks of CVD and hypertension to women across their health span and best practices for SABV experimental design. Our comprehensive community outreach plan will also be critical to reach a highly at-risk population in the Southeast of the US to increase routine cardiovascular health monitoring and decrease the overall CVD burden on both the population and the healthcare system.
Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and ~47% of adults in the US have hypertension. In ~85% of cases, the cause of hypertension is unknown and only ~50% of patients taking medication achieve blood pressure (BP) control to recommended levels.
A critical barrier to limiting premature death from CVD is lack of awareness surrounding the risks of CVD. Our location in the Southeast of the US will contribute to our impact. The prevalence of hypertension and obesity are high in GA, MS, and SC. The prevalence of hypertension and associated risk is not equal among all populations. Indeed, the prevalence of hypertension in black people in the US is among the highest in the world.
Our overall goal is to transform academic and community understanding of sex as a biological variable (SABV) in the consideration of hypertension. We will accomplish this through the creation and dissemination of innovative educational content, the development of strategic partnerships, and enhanced community engagement in the Southeast of the US.
This score is designed to provide novel insight into the mechanisms controlling BP in females vs. males, develop a comprehensive educational platform on SABV in CVD extending from grade school to medical school, and increase awareness and education of CVD and the risks of uncontrolled hypertension in women across the health span through community outreach.
This score has 4 objectives. Objective 1 is to conduct cutting-edge research to advance our understanding of sex-specific mechanisms that control BP to limit cardiovascular risk. Objective 2 is to develop a culturally diverse research pipeline of biomedical scientists trained in the field of SABV in CVD. Objective 3 is to establish a community outreach pipeline of trained scientists to increase awareness of SABV and promote optimal cardiovascular healthcare for men and women. Objective 4 is to empower the community to self-monitor and work to identify barriers to improving access to healthcare.
The outcomes of our proposed score include not only advances in science and training of the next generation of leaders in the study of the impact of biological sex on the development and progression of CVD, but also the development of a range of educational content that will be fully available to the consortium. This will include 1) the development educational materials by medical illustrators for students/trainees at all stages, the community, and physicians, 2) establishing a SABV mentoring academy, 3) creating a SABV curriculum and workshop for students, fellows, and junior investigators.
The impact of our work will be to increase recognition and awareness of the risks of CVD and hypertension to women across their health span and best practices for SABV experimental design. Our comprehensive community outreach plan will also be critical to reach a highly at-risk population in the Southeast of the US to increase routine cardiovascular health monitoring and decrease the overall CVD burden on both the population and the healthcare system.
Funding Goals
TO FOSTER HEART AND VASCULAR RESEARCH IN THE BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, CLINICAL AND POPULATION SCIENCES, AND TO FOSTER TRAINING TO BUILD TALENTED YOUNG INVESTIGATORS IN THESE AREAS, FUNDED THROUGH COMPETITIVE RESEARCH TRAINING GRANTS. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, USE SMALL BUSINESS TO MEET FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS, FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PERSONS, AND INCREASE PRIVATE-SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDING. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER THROUGH COOPERATIVE R&D BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, AND INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL R&D.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Place of Performance
Augusta,
Georgia
30912
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 784% from $505,913 to $4,469,754.
Augusta University Research Institute was awarded
Empowering Women: Transforming Understanding of Hypertension Risks
Cooperative Agreement U54HL169191
worth $4,469,754
from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in September 2023 with work to be completed primarily in Augusta Georgia United States.
The grant
has a duration of 5 years and
was awarded through assistance program 93.310 Trans-NIH Research Support.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity Specialized Centers of Research Excellence (SCORE) on Sex Differences (U54 Clinical Trial Optional).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/24/25
Period of Performance
9/1/23
Start Date
8/31/28
End Date
Funding Split
$4.5M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$4.5M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Subgrant Awards
Disclosed subgrants for U54HL169191
Transaction History
Modifications to U54HL169191
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
U54HL169191
SAI Number
U54HL169191-444013294
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
Nonprofit With 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other Than An Institution Of Higher Education)
Awarding Office
75NH00 NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Funding Office
75NA00 NIH OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
Awardee UEI
N4WWJC8T2593
Awardee CAGE
1J7W7
Performance District
GA-12
Senators
Jon Ossoff
Raphael Warnock
Raphael Warnock
Budget Funding
| Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Health and Human Services (075-0846) | Health research and training | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $1,000,000 | 66% |
| National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Health and Human Services (075-0872) | Health research and training | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $505,913 | 34% |
Modified: 9/24/25