Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 21 068

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 068

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity PAR-21-068, titled "Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)," supports research projects that sit squarely at the crossroads of HIV science and aging science. It uses the NIH R01 mechanism, meaning it is designed for substantial, multi-year research programs with clearly defined aims, and it allows (but does not require) clinical trials when they are appropriate to the research question.

The core purpose of the opportunity is organized around two big goals. First, it aims to strengthen what is known about aging by using HIV infection and HIV treatment as a lens. In practice, that means studies that clarify how biological aging processes, clinical trajectories, and socio-behavioral factors unfold in people living with HIV, and how lifelong exposure to antiretroviral therapy, chronic immune activation, inflammation, and other HIV-related factors may influence age-related outcomes. This can include mechanistic work, clinical and epidemiologic analyses, and research that ties together biology with lived experience, healthcare access, and behavioral or social determinants of health.

Second, the FOA seeks to improve HIV-related public health and clinical care by applying modern aging science to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment, as well as to the management of HIV-related comorbidities, co-infections, and complications. The emphasis here is on using what is already known about aging processes to design smarter approaches for real-world HIV prevention and care, particularly for older adults or for populations experiencing age-associated risks and conditions. The opportunity explicitly recognizes that HIV and aging do not occur in a vacuum, so it encourages work that addresses different populations and cultural settings, including studies that are responsive to local contexts and the realities of healthcare delivery.

A key expectation is alignment with the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) scientific priorities as described in NOT-OD-20-018. In other words, applicants should frame their aims and significance in a way that clearly maps onto the broader NIH HIV/AIDS research agenda, demonstrating relevance to the priority areas NIH has laid out for HIV-related science and implementation.

Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations as well as certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other organizations that meet NIH eligibility rules. The FOA also highlights a range of additional eligible applicant categories that NIH is actively encouraging, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals an interest in multidisciplinary, multi-setting research, including community-engaged and culturally grounded work where appropriate.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the health-related CFDA program areas listed (93.121, 93.242, 93.393, 93.396, 93.846, 93.847, 93.853, 93.866). The source information indicates the FOA was created on 2020-11-23 and lists an original closing date of 2024-01-07. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which is not unusual for some NIH announcements because award size and volume can vary by institute participation, project scope, and available appropriations.

Overall, PAR-21-068 is best understood as an NIH R01 call for strong, integrative research that explains how HIV intersects with the aging process and, in the other direction, uses the tools and insights of aging research to improve HIV prevention and care across diverse populations, settings, and cultures, with clinical trials permitted when they are necessary to answer the proposed questions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.242, 93.393, 93.396, 93.846, 93.847, 93.853, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-11-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 21 068

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