Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research to Address ‘Ending the HIV Epidemic’ Initiative Goals Relevant to Substance Using Populations At-Risk for or Living with HIV
Notice Number:
NOT-DA-23-013

Key Dates

Release Date:

December 8, 2022

First Available Due Date:
February 05, 2023
Expiration Date:
January 08, 2027

Related Announcements

  • PA-20-183 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)
  • PA-20-185 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • PA-20-184 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
  • RFA-DA-23-006 Implementing Comprehensive HIV services in Syringe Service Program (SSP) settings (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
  • RFA-DA-23-007 Implementing Comprehensive HIV services in Syringe Service Program (SSP) settings (R34 Clinical Trial Required)
  • RFA-DA-23-023 Reaching Equity at the Intersection of HIV and Substance Use: Novel Approaches to Address HIV Related Health Disparities in Underserved Racial/Ethnic Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
  • RFA-DA-23-024 Reaching Equity at the intersection of HIV and Substance Use: Novel Approaches to Address HIV Related Health Disparities in Underserved Racial/Ethnic Populations (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)
  • PAR-22-182 Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
  • PAR-22-183  Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)

Issued by

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Purpose

Purpose: The purpose of this NOSI is to support a broad spectrum of multi-disciplinary, substance use research to address the goals of the four pillars, including Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond of the ‘Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE)’ initiative. Projects proposed in response to this NOSI are required to meet the needs of the substance using populations who are at high risk for contracting HIV or living with HIV in the geographically defined EHE priority areas within the U.S.

Background: People who inject drugs continue to be a high-risk population for HIV acquisition. A majority of the recent HIV clusters and outbreaks across the U.S. has been linked to people who inject drugs (PWID) and who experience social inequities and health disparities. The many advances in HIV treatment and prevention approaches have not reached PWID and people who use drugs (PWUD) in general. As a result, people with substance use and substance use disorder (SUD) continue to experience gaps in the HIV care continuum, increased burden of comorbidities, and poor health outcomes. This NOSI is designed to enhance implementation and uptake of evidence-based HIV treatment and prevention strategies to meet the objectives of the EHE initiative as it relates to people with substance use and SUD.

The Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.(EHE) is a bold plan announced in 2019 to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. Multiple agencies across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) participate in this effort. The EHE initiative closely aligns, and is complementary to, President Joe Biden’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy 2022-2025 (the Strategy). Listed below are the four key pillars of the EHE initiative:

  • Diagnose all individuals with HIV as early as possible after infection.
  • Treat people with HIV rapidly and effectively to reach sustained viral suppression.
  • Prevent new HIV transmissions by using proven interventions, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and syringe services programs (SSPs).
  • Respond quickly to potential HIV outbreaks to get needed prevention and treatment services to people who need them.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has been working with other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices to facilitate EHE efforts as they apply to substance using populations. This NOSI is part of a targeted effort to expand the scope of the Institute’s portfolio in the EHE research area. Community engagement efforts in developing and implementing jurisdictional EHE plans, as well as in the planning, design, and delivery of local HIV prevention and care services, is vital to the initiative’s success. Consistent with the HHS stance on the ‘whole-of-society effort’, this NOSI seeks projects involving partners and end users from all sectors of society working together, including people with HIV or at risk for HIV; city, county, tribal, and state health departments and other agencies; local clinics and healthcare facilities; healthcare providers; providers of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder; professional associations; advocates; community- and faith-based organizations; the justice system, and academic and research institutions, among others.

NIDA seeks to enhance HIV prevention and service delivery efforts specific to PWUD through major implementers, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Indian Health Service (IHS), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other providers of HIV and substance use prevention and care services. Collaboration with one or more of these implementing partners is strongly encouraged. Applicants should also consider innovative ways to enhance engagement and co-creation efforts across community, health departments, and implementing partners and community-based and outreach approaches that overcome barriers to conventional prevention and treatment access.

Applications responding to this NOSI must demonstrate clear plans to leverage key scientific advances in HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and outbreak response. They must include EHE prioritized jurisdictions where HIV transmission occurs most frequently. If proposing research in localities outside the specified jurisdictions, a strong rationale (supported by epidemiological data) for selecting the site must be provided. NIDA strongly encourages applicants to address one of the research priorities of NIDA HIV Research Program (HRP).

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after February 5, 2023 and subsequent receipt dates through January 08, 2027. 

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-20-183 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)
  • PA-20-185 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • PA-20-184 NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
  • RFA-DA-23-006 Implementing Comprehensive HIV services in Syringe Service Program (SSP) settings (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
  • RFA-DA-23-007 Implementing Comprehensive HIV services in Syringe Service Program (SSP) settings (R34 Clinical Trial Required)
  • RFA-DA-23-023 Reaching Equity at the Intersection of HIV and Substance Use: Novel Approaches to Address HIV Related Health Disparities in Underserved Racial/Ethnic Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
  • RFA-DA-23-024 Reaching Equity at the intersection of HIV and Substance Use: Novel Approaches to Address HIV Related Health Disparities in Underserved Racial/Ethnic Populations (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)
  • PAR-22-182 Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
  • PAR-22-183 Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development Program (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)

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-DA-23-013” (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.

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

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to the Scientific/Research, Peer Review, and Financial/Grants Management contacts in Section VII of the listed funding opportunity announcements.

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Vasundhara Varthakavi, PhD
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-443-2146
Email: vasundhara.varthakavi@nih.gov

Angela Lee-Win, PhD
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-451-7206
Email: angela.lee-winn@nih.gov