Innovations to Optimize HIV Prevention and Care Continuum Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 062

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 062

Innovations to Optimize HIV Prevention and Care Continuum Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity (PAR-23-062) that supports research aimed at improving results across the HIV prevention and HIV care continuum, in line with priorities set by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Division of AIDS Research (DAR). The focus is on innovative, research-driven approaches that can strengthen how people move through key prevention and care steps, such as engagement in prevention services, uptake and persistence with prevention tools, testing and diagnosis, linkage to care, retention in care, and sustained viral suppression. The announcement is intentionally broad so investigators can propose new ideas that address barriers and gaps at one step or multiple steps of these continua, particularly where behavioral and social factors play a meaningful role.

The FOA welcomes a range of project types under the R01 mechanism, and it is "clinical trial optional," meaning applicants may propose studies that do or do not include a clinical trial depending on what best fits the science. Suitable applications can include formative behavioral and social science research to clarify the drivers of suboptimal prevention or care outcomes, including multilevel influences such as individual behavior, relationships, stigma and discrimination, mental health and substance use, health system factors, and community or structural conditions. It also supports the development and early pilot testing of new intervention concepts, as well as more advanced intervention research, including efficacy or effectiveness trials designed to determine whether an intervention works under controlled conditions or in real-world settings. In practice, this makes the opportunity relevant both for teams building an intervention pipeline from the ground up and for teams ready to rigorously test scalable strategies to improve HIV outcomes.

A notable feature of this funding opportunity is the strong encouragement for applicants to align proposed work with current NIMH DAR priorities and to review ongoing Notices of Special Interests (NOSIs) that further clarify priority areas. While the FOA text provided does not list specific scientific topics, the NOSIs are meant to help applicants tailor aims to what NIMH DAR is actively seeking at the time of submission, including emerging needs in HIV prevention and care and cross-cutting behavioral and mental health dimensions.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. applicants as well as certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where applicable); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses, among others. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), 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 supporting research that is community-connected, culturally grounded, and capable of addressing disparities across different populations and settings.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary grant in the health funding category (CFDA 93.242) administered by NIH, with an original closing date listed as 2026-01-09. The source information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which typically means applicants should consult the full FOA and NIH policy guidance for budget expectations, allowable costs, and award structure under the R01 mechanism. Overall, the opportunity is designed to fund strong, innovative research that can generate practical, evidence-based ways to improve HIV prevention and care outcomes, especially through behavioral and social science insights and well-designed intervention studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovations to Optimize HIV Prevention and Care Continuum Outcomes (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): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-01-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-09. (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.

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