External Funding Announcements

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): 5/23/2022
Leter of Intent Due Date: 7/10/2022
Expiration Date: 8/11/2022

Full Announcement

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: RFA-HD-23-026

NICHD is proposing this HIV/AIDS P01 FOA to strengthen existing and foster new collaborations in areas of HIV research which could benefit from enhanced multidisciplinary approaches. The work will include NICHD populations of interest including infants, children, adolescents, women (including pregnant and lactating).

The areas of interest include topics in the following themes:

1) The study of adverse outcomes related to antiretrovirals, HIV and co-infections. While perinatal HIV transmission rates have declined, concerns remain that the use of different antiretroviral medications including long acting injectables may increase adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes, (e.g., preterm birth).

2) Research on HIV and tuberculosis co-infection in the maternal/fetal dyad, infants, children, and adolescents will expand knowledge on the unique clinical aspects of HIV/TB co-infection to generate improved preventive and therapeutic regimens and diagnostics.

3) Research on different approaches to vaccine development and HIV cure may be needed for individuals with evolving immune status. Research on the establishment of HIV reservoirs in different developmental stages, acute vs chronic infection and the type, quality, durability, vulnerability, and preferred cell type of the reservoirs needs further elucidation, especially in understudied populations in these studies, such as pregnant women and infants.

4) Research to understand changes in immune status and inflammation in HIV exposure or infection and co-infection in the maternal fetal/dyad, during pregnancy including gut microbiome/virome changes on brain and organ development remain areas of interest. Understanding the role that innate immunity plays in the immune response early in life and in development of vaccines and immune based therapies would also be of interest.

5) The use of new technologies from different fields including advanced statistical modeling, Artificial Intelligence to better track vulnerable populations in the HIV epidemic and its evolution and co- occurrence in other epidemics/pandemics like SARS CoV2 is encouraged.

Estimated Publication Date of Funding Opportunity Announcement: 7/26/2022
Estimated Application Due Date: 11/30/2022

Full Announcement

The Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications to participate in a research program cooperative agreement to support the Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network (PATC3H-IN). The Network will expand successes achieved by PATC3H to new geographic settings with limited implementation science (IS) research capacity and/or at-risk populations who are poorly represented in international adolescent HIV research (e.g., sexual and gender minorities; commercial sex workers; drug users) and stimulate much needed IS research in a neglected area of public health significance: prevention of new HIV infections among adolescents at risk and the identification of, and linkage and retention to care of and long-term viral suppression among youth living with HIV in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs). These settings must have an HIV epidemic density defined by UNAIDS estimates as either a country 1) in which at least 200,000 people are living with HIV and the number has not decreased by more than 5% over the last 2 consecutive years of available data or 2) has an HIV incidence among youth ages 10 to 24 years of 0.01% or more.

PATC3H-IN will consist of multiple highly integrated and interdependent functional components, including: (1) 4-5 UG1 Clinical Research Centers (CRC) [each Center will propose a study to be executed in at least 5 geographically distinct research performance sites, each of which must include partnerships between a national and/or regional health ministry or other local health authority and one or more community-based HIV-related service providers (e.g., hospital, clinic, non-government organization (NGO) or other relevant service provider)], (2) a single UM2 Coordination, Translation and Advanced Methods and Analytics Center (CTAMAC), and (3) a Scientific Leadership Committee (SLC) formed by representation from each CRC, the CTAMAC and NIH. The SLC will be responsible for PATC3H-IN governance, oversight and coordination, and will develop and implement the network research agenda, convening working groups as needed, prioritizing emerging research projects, efficiently managing the development of clinical protocols, implementing and completing clinical trials and ensuring timely publication and communication of results.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. To apply, investigators will be expected to demonstrate successful collaborations with local agencies and regulatory bodies, including policy makers and program leaders and implementers, to advance achievement of the research objectives and maximize sustainability of efficacious interventions and best practices.

The FOA is expected to be published in Summer 2022 with an expected application due date in Winter 2022.

This FOA will utilize the UG1 (Clinical Trial Optional) activity code for Clinical Research Centers and the UM2 (Clinical Trial Optional) activity code for the Coordination, Translation and Advanced Methods and Analytics Center.