The purpose of this announcement is to inform potential applicants to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of an area of special interest in HIV/AIDS-associated comorbidities that are within the NIAMS mission.

Background

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has been a challenging US public health issue. The NIH has provided the largest public investment in HIV/AIDS research globally. In line with overall NIH efforts, NIAMS would like to promote observational, translational, and basic/pre-clinical research focusing on how the presence or treatment of HIV/AIDS impacts systemic rheumatic, musculoskeletal and skin disease progression and pathogenesis with a focus on utilization of existing HIV cohorts and repositories.

Research Objectives

Applications should meet the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-137.html. NIAMS is interested in supporting studies focused on, but not limited to:

• delineating the impact of viral or host factors or interaction of these two factors, or anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV (PLWH) on accelerating or worsening or early-onset of comorbidities.
• studying the prevalence and risk assessment and management of HIV/AIDS-associated comorbidities in PLWH.
• identifying etiological targets or biomarkers along with mechanistic action for diagnosis or preclinical candidate therapeutic evaluation/development.

Examples of HIV/AIDS-associated comorbidities that are within the NIAMS mission are:

• Musculoskeletal pain
• Muscle diseases (e.g. Sarcopenia, Cachexia, Muscular dystrophy)
• Cartilage degeneration (e.g. Osteoarthritis)
• Bone diseases (e.g. Osteoporosis, Osteopenia)
• Bone fracture
• Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases (e.g. Reactive arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Septic arthritis)
• Dermatological manifestations

Application and Submission Information:

This notice applies to due dates on or after December 2, 2019 and subsequent receipt dates through January 7, 2022.

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) or any reissues of these announcement through the expiration date of this notice.

• PA-19-056: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PA-19-053: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• RFA-AR-20-001: Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• RFA-AR-20-002: Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PA-18-591: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
• PAR-21-055: Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PAR-21-054: Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the funding opportunity announcement used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:

• For funding consideration, applicants must include NOT-AR-20-005 (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
• All Applications for this initiative must be submitted on due dates that are specified in the FOAs they are applying to.
• Applications for this initiative under PA-18-591: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
  • Confirm ahead of time that the supplement falls within scope of the parent award.
  • Request the requirements of NIAMS for submitting applications for administrative supplements.
  • Applications proposing to conduct clinical trials are not appropriate for this initiative.
  • The process for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons cannot be used for this initiative.
• Investigators planning to submit an application in response to this NOSI are strongly encouraged to contact and discuss their proposed research/aims with the program contact listed on this NOSI well in advance of the grant receipt date.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will be not be considered for the NOSI initiative.