Cross-posted from: NIAID Funding News

The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in the U.S. initiative is a bold, collaborative plan to reduce new HIV infections in the United States by 90 percent by 2030. Implementation research plays a critical role in informing how we can best use existing tools, such as diagnostics, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and antiretroviral therapy (ART), to achieve this goal.

NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), along with several other institutes and centers and offices (ICOs), issued Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Ending the HIV Epidemic to invite R01, R21, and R34 grant applications that would advance the goals of EHE through implementation research projects in communities disproportionately impacted by HIV. 

This NOSI builds upon the highly successful work of over 240 projects that were funded as supplements to NIH’s Centers for AIDS Research (CFARs) and the National Institute of Mental Health’s AIDS Research Centers (ARCs) over the last 5 years. (Note: Applicants to this NOSI do not need to be affiliated with a CFAR or ARC.)

Apply if you can propose a research project in the following priority areas:

• Expanding or improving engagement and re-engagement in HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care services. We especially encourage studies focused on people experiencing unstable housing or homelessness, including those within communities affected by clusters and outbreaks. 
• Scale-up of strategies to deliver integrated HIV prevention, treatment, and care services to address co-morbidities and co-infections, health conditions associated with HIV risk, or underlying social determinants of health that adversely affect HIV prevention and treatment outcomes. 

Your application must focus on one of the 57 Geographic Priority Areas defined in the EHE initiative. Your project outcomes should also support local EHE efforts through meaningful engagement with implementing partners such as public health departments, healthcare organizations, and other service providers, as well as community members and people with lived experience. Refer to the full NOSI for a complete list of requirements.

Application and Submission Information 

To apply, you must select an appropriate notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) and participating IC. The table below lists the NOFOs and corresponding ICs from which you may choose.

Application requirements, like budget and project period limits, are determined by the NOFO through which you apply. Further, unless otherwise stated in the NOSI, you must follow all instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and the NOFO that you use for submission.

Critically, you must list “NOT-AI-23-070” in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF 424 R&R form for funding consideration through this initiative.

The first available due date for this NOSI is January 7, 2024. Subsequent deadlines match those of the NOFO through which you apply, through January 9, 2026. (Note the submission policy for NIH Due Dates on Holidays/Weekends/NIH Office Closures).

Questions?

Direct any inquiries about this NOSI to NIAID’s scientific/research contacts, Dr. Eric Refsland at eric.refsland@nih.gov or Dr. Rebecca Mandt at rebecca.mandt@nih.gov.

Email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.