Notice Number: NOT-OD-19-078

Key Dates
Release Date : February 21, 2019
Response Date : April 13, 2019

• Federal Register Notice, Document Number 2019-02027, Document Citation 84 FR 3476
• NOT-OD-20-018

Issued by
Office of AIDS Research (OAR)

Purpose

Through this Request for Information (RFI), the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), Office of the Director (OD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites feedback from interested stakeholders on a review of the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding (NOT-OD-15-137) now entering year four of implementation. The original Notice was released on August 12, 2015 to inform the scientific community of the overarching HIV/AIDS research priorities and the guidelines used by NIH to determine HIV/AIDS funding beginning in fiscal year 2016 for the next three to five years.

Background

The NIH, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency making important discoveries to improve health and save lives. The NIH vision for HIV/AIDS research is to end the pandemic and improve the lives of people living with or at risk of acquiring HIV. The OAR is legislatively mandated to coordinate, plan, evaluate, and budget for the NIH HIV/AIDS research program across the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) to achieve these objectives. The NIH HIV/AIDS research program includes both extramural and intramural research, buildings and facilities, research training and program evaluation, and supports a comprehensive portfolio of evolving research representing a broad range of basic, translational, clinical, behavioral, social sciences, and implementation science research relevant to HIV/AIDS and its associated coinfections, comorbidities, and other complications.The goal for NIH HIV/AIDS research is to end the pandemic and to improve the health of people with, at risk for, or impacted by HIV infection.

The highest overarching priorities for HIV/AIDS research and guidelines for determining the use of HIV/AIDS-designated funds effective FY2016 to FY2020 are: 1) reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS, including the development of safe and effective HIV/AIDS vaccines and microbicides; 2) develop the next generation of HIV therapies with improved safety and ease of use; 3) research towards a cure for HIV/AIDS; and 4) research on HIV-associated comorbidities and coinfections. Basic research, health disparities, and training that cut across these four areas are also supported. The Guidelines do not assess/determine the scientific or technical merit of a project, but only the priority for receiving HIV/AIDS-designated funding.

The OAR is seeking input and review of the current overarching HIV/AIDS research priorities as a flexible, dynamic, comprehensive framework to guide the use of HIV/AIDS-designated funding for fiscal years 2021 through 2025. Feedback will provide information for the OAR to use in advancing the NIH HIV/AIDS mission and developing the NIH Five-Year Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and Related Research for fiscal years (FY) 2021 through 2025.

To ensure consideration, responses must be submitted by: April 13, 2019 11:59:59 PM EDT

Information Requested

1.) For the period FY 2021 through 2025, the NIH proposes to maintain the existing overarching research priorities and the cross-cutting areas of research on basic biological, behavioral, and social sciences; epidemiology; translational and implementation science; health disparities; training and capacity building; and information dissemination, as outlined in NOT-OD-15-137. Please indicate whether the priorities continue to be relevant to advancing the state of the science and sufficient to capture anticipated research needs or if changes to the priorities are needed.

2.) NOT-OD-15-137 includes guidelines to determine if proposed research has a high-, medium-, or low-priority for receiving HIV/AIDS-designated funding.To capture the dynamic and evolving scientific landscape and breadth of HIV/AIDS research anticipated for fiscal years 2021 through 2025, the NIH may introduce assessment of a research project as aligned (rather than high or medium) or not aligned (rather than low) with the priorities in NOT-OD-15-137. Please specify whether the aligned or not aligned assessment will provide increased flexibility that supports emerging scientific opportunities using HIV/AIDS-designated funds or if a different approach needed.

Submitting a Response

This OAR RFI is open for public comment from [02/12/2019 to 04/13/2019 60 days]. Comments must be submitted by [04/13/2019]. After the public comment period has closed, all feedback received will be reviewed by the OAR and will inform the development of the next iteration of the NIH Research Priorities and Funding Guidance Document that will apply for the period of FY 2021 through FY 2025.

Responses may be submitted electronically to:

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/rfi/rfi.cfm?ID=85.

[Responses to this RFI Notice are voluntary. The submitted information will be reviewed by NIH staff and may be made available to the public. Submitted information will not be considered confidential. This request is for information and planning purposes and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation of the federal government or the NIH. No awards will be made based on responses to this RFI. The information submitted will be analyzed and may be used in reports or presentations. Those who respond are advised that the NIH is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of your comments or provide comments on your submission. No proprietary, classified, confidential and/or sensitive information should be included in your response. The NIH and the government reserve the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any future solicitation(s).

This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, grant, or cooperative agreement, or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the NIH, or individual NIH Institutes and Centers to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. The Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for the Government’s use of such information. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI or from the Government’s use of such information.

NIH will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at its discretion and will not provide comments to any responder’s submission. However, responses to the RFI may be reflected in future planning activities and funding opportunity announcements. The information provided will be analyzed and may appear in reports. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Dr. Stacy Carrington-Lawrence
Office of the Director, Office of AIDS Research
Telephone: 301-496-3677
Email: OAR_Priorities_RFI@nih.gov