Advancing Exceptional Research on HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse (R01, Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DA 18 022

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 18 022

Advancing Exceptional Research on HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse (R01, Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (RFA-DA-18-022) that supports highly innovative, hypothesis-driven research projects examining the intersection of HIV/AIDS and substance use. The grant mechanism is the NIH R01, and clinical trials are allowed but not required, meaning applicants can propose either clinical trial work or non-trial research as long as the project fits the goals of the announcement. The overall intent is to fund work that is genuinely novel and field-shaping, with a clear emphasis on advancing HIV research in ways that are especially relevant for people who use drugs and for substance use-related contexts that elevate HIV risk or complicate HIV prevention and care.

A core feature of this opportunity is that it complements, rather than replaces, NIH's two related "innovator" style programs: the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS and Drug Use Research and the Avenir Award Program for Research on Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS. Those programs are designed for high-risk, high-reward ideas and place less weight on traditional application elements; notably, the Avant-Garde mechanism does not require a detailed research plan, and the Avenir award mirrors that approach while targeting early stage investigators. By contrast, this R01 opportunity requires a conventional, detailed research plan supported by preliminary data. In practical terms, NIH is looking for proposals that are still bold and original, but that are also well-developed, methodologically sound, and sufficiently supported to make a strong case for feasibility and likely impact.

The projects sought under this FOA should have the potential to open entirely new areas of HIV/AIDS research or to create new directions for prevention and treatment specifically among substance-abusing populations. The announcement is not limited to one scientific domain; it can support biomedical, behavioral, clinical, social, implementation, or other research approaches, as long as the work is innovative and tightly aligned with NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities. A key requirement is that the "nexus with drug abuse" be clearly described, meaning the proposal must go beyond mentioning substance use as background. The substance use component should be integral to the scientific premise, the target population, the causal pathway, the intervention strategy, the setting, or the mechanisms being studied, and reviewers should be able to see why the drug abuse link is essential to the project rather than incidental.

All applications must align with the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities described in NOT-OD-15-137, which functions as a guiding framework for what NIH considers high-priority HIV science. While the FOA itself is broad, this priority alignment acts like a boundary condition: the proposed aims and outcomes should map onto recognized HIV priorities (for example, improving prevention strategies, enhancing treatment outcomes, addressing comorbidities, reducing transmission, or strengthening the HIV care continuum), with the added expectation that the work meaningfully addresses how substance use affects those priorities.

Eligibility is wide and intentionally inclusive. In addition to typical applicants such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profits (other than small businesses), and small businesses, the FOA allows applications from multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also explicitly includes a range of mission-driven and community-rooted organizations and institution types, including faith-based or community-based organizations, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Tribal governments and tribal organizations are included (both federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal entities), as are U.S. territories or possessions. Importantly, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations are also listed as eligible, reflecting NIH's willingness to support global or international work when scientifically justified and aligned with the HIV and substance use focus.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Education and Health activity category, associated with CFDA 93.279, and sponsored by NIH. The original posting date in the source data is March 14, 2018, with an original closing date of August 21, 2020. The source excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, suggesting those details may have been set elsewhere in the full FOA or left flexible depending on appropriations and the quality of applications. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a pathway for researchers and teams who have compelling preliminary evidence and a carefully constructed plan for innovative HIV/substance use research, and who are aiming to generate results that can reshape prevention or treatment approaches for populations affected by drug use.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Exceptional Research on HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse (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): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-03-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-08-21. (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 RFA DA 18 022

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