Key Dates

NOT-HD-22-041 Notice of Pre-Application Webinar for the Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network (PATC H-IN) Funding Opportunity Announcements

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

The Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications to participate in a research program cooperative agreement to support the Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network (PATC³H-IN). The Network will expand successes achieved by PATC³H to new geographic settings with limited implementation science (IS) research capacity and/or at-risk populations who are poorly represented in international adolescent HIV research (e.g., sexual and gender minorities; commercial sex workers; drug users) and stimulate much needed IS research in a neglected area of public health significance: prevention of new HIV infections among adolescents at risk and the identification of, and linkage and retention to care of and long-term viral suppression among youth living with HIV in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs). These settings must have an HIV epidemic density defined by UNAIDS estimates as either a country 1) in which at least 200,000 people are living with HIV and the number has not decreased by more than 5% over the last 2 consecutive years of available data or 2) has an HIV incidence among youth ages 10 to 24 years of 0.01% or more.

PATC³H-IN will consist of multiple highly integrated and interdependent functional components, including: (1) 4-5 UG1 Clinical Research Centers (CRC) [each Center will propose a study to be executed in at least 5 geographically distinct research performance sites, each of which must include partnerships between a national and/or regional health ministry or other local health authority and one or more community-based HIV-related service providers (e.g., hospital, clinic, non-government organization (NGO) or other relevant service provider)], (2) a single UM2 Coordination, Translation and Advanced Methods and Analytics Center (CTAMAC), and (3) a Scientific Leadership Committee (SLC) formed by representation from each CRC, the CTAMAC and NIH. The SLC will be responsible for PATC³H-IN governance, oversight and coordination, and will develop and implement the network research agenda, convening working groups as needed, prioritizing emerging research projects, efficiently managing the development of clinical protocols, implementing and completing clinical trials and ensuring timely publication and communication of results.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. To apply, investigators will be expected to demonstrate successful collaborations with local agencies and regulatory bodies, including policy makers and program leaders and implementers, to advance achievement of the research objectives and maximize sustainability of efficacious interventions and best practices.

The FOA is expected to be published in Summer 2022 with an expected application due date in Winter 2022.

This FOA will utilize the UG1 (Clinical Trial Optional) activity code for Clinical Research Centers and the UM2 (Clinical Trial Optional) activity code for the Coordination, Translation and Advanced Methods and Analytics Center. Details of the FOA are provided below.

The Network will expand successes achieved by its predecessor, PATC³H, to new geographic settings and/or at- risk populations and stimulate much needed implementation science (IS) research in the prevention of new HIV infections among adolescents at risk and the identification of, and linkage and retention to care of and long-term viral suppression among youth living with HIV in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs). PATC³H-IN will establish a network of investigators with multidisciplinary expertise on the youth-specific HIV prevention and/or HIV care continuum and in IS research, whose mission will be to evaluate promising prevention innovations contextually and developmentally tailored for HIV uninfected at-risk youth, and treatment and care interventions for youth living with HIV which have demonstrated efficacy and/or effectiveness in adolescent or adult populations and to translate them into public health practices.

The Network will conduct coordinated scientific inquiry to (1) improve understanding of the process of integration of research findings and evidence into public health, clinical practice and community settings and elucidate how to sustain uptake, adoption, and implementation of evidence-based interventions for youth who are at risk for or living with HIV in LMICs; (2) increase the scientific capacity and knowledgebase for IS research on at-risk, uninfected adolescents and those living with HIV in new geographies with limited IS research capacity and risk populations who are poorly represented in international adolescent HIV research (e.g., sexual and gender minorities; commercial sex workers; drug users); and (3) translate findings to inform national and global guidelines on the clinical management of at-risk, uninfected adolescents and those living with HIV in these regions. It is expected that the critical collaborative relationships with policy makers and key stakeholders needed for these applications will also lay the foundation for large scale implementation and sustainability after the grant cycle is over.

A pre-application webinar is planned for summer 2022.

TBD

Applications are not being solicited at this time.

Please direct all inquiries to:

Bill G. Kapogiannis, M.D.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

301-402-0698

kapogiannisb@mail.nih.gov