Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information

Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Participation Added July 3, 2024 (NOT-HL-24-017)

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

All applications to this funding opportunity announcement should fall within the mission of the Institutes/Centers. The following NIH Offices may co-fund applications assigned to those Institutes/Centers.

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

Funding Opportunity Title
Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Activity Code

R01 Research Project Grant

Announcement Type
Reissue of PAR-21-068
Related Notices
  • July 3, 2024 - Notice of NHLBI Participation in PAR-24-091 "Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)". See Notice NOT-HL-24-017
  • March 6, 2024 - Notice of Correction to Key Dates Listed in PAR-24-091 and PAR-24-092 - Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 & R21 Clinical Trial Optional). See Notice NOT-AG-24-008
  • February 14, 2024 - Notice of Change to Key Dates Listed in PAR-24-091, "Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)". See Notice NOT-AG-23-081
  • August 31, 2022- Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198.
  • August 5, 2022- Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189.
Funding Opportunity Number (FON)
PAR-24-091
Companion Funding Opportunity
PAR-24-092 , R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grants
Assistance Listing Number(s)
93.866, 93.846, 93.279, 93.853, 93.273, 93.393, 93.396, 93.399, 93.242, 93.121, 93.847, 93.313, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.233
Funding Opportunity Purpose

This NOFO invites applications at the intersection of HIV and aging by proposing research that aims to meet the following objectives:

1) Improve the understanding of biological, clinical, and socio-behavioral aspects of aging through the lens of HIV infection and its treatment; and

2) Improve approaches for testing, preventing, and treating HIV infection, and managing HIV-related comorbidities, co-infections, and complications in different populations and cultural settings by applying current aging science approaches.

Proposed research must be consistent with the HIV/AIDS Research Priorities outlined by NIH’s Office of AIDS Research (OAR), as described in NOT-OD-20-018.

Key Dates

Posted Date
December 11, 2023
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)
April 04, 2024
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

The following table includes NIH standard due dates marked with an asterisk.

Dates in bold and italics reflect changes per NOT-AG-24-008

Application Due Dates Review and Award Cycles
New Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed Scientific Merit Review Advisory Council Review Earliest Start Date
Not Applicable Not Applicable May 07, 2024 * July 2024 October 2024 December 2024
Not Applicable Not Applicable September 07, 2024 * November 2024 January 2025 April 2025
Not Applicable Not Applicable January 07, 2025 * March 2025 May 2025 July 2025
Not Applicable Not Applicable May 07, 2025 * July 2025 October 2025 December 2025
Not Applicable Not Applicable September 07, 2025 * November 2025 January 2026 April 2026
Not Applicable Not Applicable January 07, 2026 * March 2026 May 2026 July 2026
Not Applicable Not Applicable May 07, 2026 * July 2026 October 2026 December 2026
Not Applicable Not Applicable September 07, 2026 * November 2026 January 2027 April 2027
Not Applicable Not Applicable January 07, 2027 * March 2027 May 2027 July 2027

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

Expiration Date
New Date January 08, 2027 (Original Date: May 08, 2027) per issuance of NOT-AG-23-081
Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

  1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
  2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.

  3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.


  4. Table of Contents

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

Background

Currently, roughly 53%of American adults living with HIV are over the age of 50. By 2030, that number is projected to rise to over 70%. The portion of older adults with HIV is expected to rise primarily because of the successes of modern antiretroviral therapy (ART), which has allowed individuals infected at a younger age to survive into older age. Additionally, the prevalence of HIV infection in older age is attributable to new infections in later life, with approximately 16% of new diagnoses in Americans occurring in adults age 50 and older.

In contrast to the pre-modern era of HIV treatment, where AIDS-related opportunistic infections and cancers were common, the most frequent morbidities and causes of death for individuals undergoing treatment for HIV infection are similar to those seen in older non-infected adults. These conditions include cardiovascular disease, lung disease, infection-related and non-infection-related cancers, neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders, osteopenia/osteoporosis, liver cirrhosis, and renal disease. In addition, individuals living with HIV infection may exhibit many of the clinical and socio-behavioral characteristics commonly observed in aging, such as multiple morbidities, polypharmacy, declining physical and cognitive function, alterations in body composition, social isolation, and increasing caregiver burden. People living with HIV (PLWH) also exhibit molecular changes associated with aging, such as epigenetic alterations, mitochondrial impairment, and telomere shortening. Thus, accumulating evidence suggests that HIV and/or its treatment may lead, at least in part, to an accelerated aging phenotype. In addition, recent advances have led to greater adoption of pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis, but the impact of these measures on aging is unclear.

Purpose

This NOFO invites applications at the intersection of HIV and aging by proposing research that aims to meet the following objectives:

1) Improve the understanding of biological, clinical, and socio-behavioral aspects of aging through the lens of HIV infection and its treatment; and

2) Improve approaches for testing, preventing, and treating HIV infection, and managing HIV-related comorbidities, co-infections, and complications in different populations and cultural settings by applying current aging science approaches.

Scope

Proposed research must be consistent with the HIV/AIDS Research Priorities outlined by NIH’s Office of AIDS Research (OAR) as described in NOT-OD-20-018. This NOFO encourages applications with the following characteristics:

  • Clinical orientation: HIV in aging involves complex interactions among multiple physiologic systems and a variety of human-level factors such as functional status, quality of life, health behaviors, and psychosocial issues; therefore, studying individual factors in isolation may be counter-productive. This NOFO encourages animal models and in vitro studies where appropriate; however, inclusion of such approaches should be integrated with human studies or demonstrate direct relevance to clinical features of HIV/AIDS.
  • Focus on aging or the aged: Applicants are strongly encouraged to enroll individuals across the range of older ages, especially individuals at the upper end of the age range (i.e., 70 years or older). Comparisons between younger and older HIV-infected populations or comparisons between older HIV-infected individuals and their age-matched non-HIV-infected counterparts are appropriate.
  • Attention to geriatric outcomes: In addition to traditional important outcomes of HIV/AIDS research (e.g., viral load, survival), studies are encouraged to also include outcomes considered important in geriatric medicine and gerontology, such as physical and cognitive function, quality of life measures, and social support.
  • Leveraging existing resources where possible: A variety of NIH-funded resources are available to study HIV in aging, such as longitudinal studies of HIV-infected individuals and/or their non-infected counterparts (observational or interventional), clinical networks, and research centers. Leveraging such resources through secondary analyses of available data, ancillary studies, or utilization of existing infrastructure are cost-effective approaches to testing hypotheses or generating relevant data for further studies. Please see OAR's quick reference guide on HIV and Aging Efforts Across NIH for a detailed list of relevant resources and cohort studies.
  • Selection of appropriate controls: Aging individuals living with HIV have varied and complex clinical pictures. Biological and psychological co-morbidities, treatment regimens, lifestyle and behavioral factors, socioeconomic factors, and social support may all impact disease development, coping, and progression. This complexity presents a significant challenge to identifying appropriate control populations in observational studies of aging individuals with HIV. Such studies should include adequate justification for selection of the proposed control group(s).
  • Characterization of phenotypes: Several biological or behavioral phenotypes of HIV in aging that have been elucidated may have markedly different disease courses, biological underpinnings, and treatment responses. Such phenotypes may be described by characteristics like frailty/disability, accelerated aging, successful aging, or other descriptors. Investigators are encouraged to maximize the homogeneity of subgroups by defining specific phenotypes in analyses.
  • Exploratory/Developmental nature: New directions that expand or shift existing paradigms are needed to advance the science of HIV and aging. Studies that move the science into new directions with little or no preliminary data are appropriate for this mechanism.

Interests of Specific Institutes/Centers/Offices

Supporting multidisciplinary studies of HIV/AIDS and aging is consistent with the mission of multiple NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). Below are the specific research interests of the majority of ICOs participating in this NOFO.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the ICO’s Scientific/Research contact listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts of this NOFO prior to submission of an application to discuss the research interest of a specific ICO,

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIA is interested in understanding how biological, clinical, and socio-behavioral processes affect older individuals with HIV and their caregivers, and the social, economic, and health consequences of HIV. Example topics include the following:

  • Interactions among aging-related genetic, molecular, cellular, and physiological changes with HIV risk, infection, and pathogenesis.
  • Interactions among individual-level factors and interpersonal, social, and structural factors, and their contributions to the physical, psychological, and economic well-being of individuals; and interactions among HIV/AIDS, other disease, and population aging, particularly in low-income areas such as low-income areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Interactions among HIV infection, treatment, and development or progression of cognitive decline (HIV-associated neurocognitive decline (HAND), dementia, and other disabilities in older adults.
  • Interactions of HIV infection and treatment with other aging-related diseases, conditions, and syndromes and geriatrics-informed approaches to assessment and management of older adults with HIV.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are prevalent among PLWH. Consequently, PLWH and AUD are known to experience the common adverse health effects of alcohol use (organ and tissue injury and accidents such as falls) and comorbid psychological conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and pain). How these alcohol-related health problems and comorbidities, individually or in combination, progress as individuals age is complex and still poorly understood. In addition, alcohol use and viral expression and associated immunological responses, including progressive dysregulation of the immune system, may have additive or synergistic effects on the progression of aging. Among individuals who drink, even treated HIV can be associated with accelerated aging, possibly from treatment sequelae or legacy effects, and notably from AUD comorbidity. Improved biomarker measurement may facilitate a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying accelerated aging in the context of alcohol-related comorbid conditions. In general, alcohol exposure, hazardous (and harmful) patterns of use, and AUD diagnosis are associated with different types of functional impairment (e.g., frailty). Improved management of alcohol use could lead to improved fulfillment of social roles, as well as improved HIV-related health outcomes over the lifespan. Further research is needed to take into account the important relationships between patterns of alcohol use and HIV treatment and care outcomes among PLWH as they age. Supported studies may include, but are not limited to:

  • Addressing the important relationships between patterns of alcohol use and HIV treatment and care outcomes among PLWH as they age, including the development and application of innovative adaptive intervention strategies and implementation research to inform efforts to bring evidence-based interventions to population scale.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

NIAMS encourages studies focused on the following:

  • Observational, biopsychosocial/behavioral, translational, basic/pre-clinical/clinical research, and mechanistic clinical trials focused on how the process of aging in the presence or treatment of HIV/AIDS impacts diseases within the NIAMS core mission, which are more common among the aging population (e.g., rheumatologic disorders, bone fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis).
  • Interdisciplinary research aimed at elucidating factors that may drive the aging population living with HIV/AIDS to develop NIAMS mission-related diseases and understanding how the interplay between aging and HIV/AIDS may promote the acceleration or worsening of these diseases.

NIAMS will not support applications proposing clinical trials submitted in response to this NOFO. Clinical trials instead should be submitted to a NIAMS clinical trial-specific funding opportunity (see NIAMS' Investigator-Initiated Clinical Research web page). Consultation with NIAMS staff is strongly recommended for investigators planning a clinical trial with a mechanistic outcome. If NIAMS determines after submission that a clinical outcome is a primary objective of the study, NIAMS will not accept the application.

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
NIDCR is interested in soliciting innovative and multi-disciplinary basic, translational, and clinical research on the intersection of HIV/AIDS and aging that is relevant to dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) health. Specifically, NIDCR encourages research investigating how the process of aging impacts the presence or treatment of HIV-associated oral comorbidities, co-infections, and complications (CCCs) in the context of PLWH. NIDCR will not support applications proposing clinical trials submitted in response to this NOFO. Supported studies may include, but are not limited to:

  • Periodontal disease progression in the context of HIV infection and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
  • Mechanisms of dental caries development and progression in PLWH.
  • Effects of HIV/AIDS and HAART on salivary gland infiltrates, fibrosis, and xerostomia.
  • Oral mucosal pathologies and composition changes in the context of HIV/AIDS.
  • HIV infection, HAART, and their influence on developing osteonecrosis of the jaw.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

NIDDK supports biomedical research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutritional disorders, and obesity; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases, to improve people’s health and quality of life. NIDDK encourages projects that seek to elucidate how aging-related mechanisms and pathways contribute to comorbidities, co-infections, complications, and tissue reservoirs located in anatomical sites relevant to its mission. Topics of interest at the intersection of HIV and aging include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Pathophysiological processes underlying NIDDK-related comorbidities or complications.
  • Impact of HIV or its treatment with physiological processes within its mission, such as metabolism, normal blood development, or gastrointestinal immune homeostasis.
  • Viral reservoir dynamics in anatomic sites relevant to NIDDK’s mission, such as the gastrointestinal mucosa, adipose tissue, liver, kidney, and male genital tract.
  • Social determinants of health that impact co-occurring conditions with NIDDK’s mission.
  • Effectiveness research on programs aimed at social determinants of health impacting co-occurring conditions within NIDDK’s mission.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA is interested in research to explore the impact of substance use and substance use disorders (SUD) on HIV acquisition, prevention, care and clinical course in relation to aging, including changes across the adult life span and research questions of particular application to people age 50 and older. Substances of interest include: cannabinoids, nicotine, cocaine, stimulants, opioids, prescription drugs, or combinations of these drugs.

The research areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Leveraging existing epidemiological data (e.g., MWCCS: MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study) to evaluate the effects of aging on substance use patterns and their associations with viral suppression, mortality and HIV-related comorbidities among PLWH.
  • Examining long-term patterns of HIV and substance use on service utilization, substance use outcomes, and medical consequences among aging PLWH.
  • Optimizing, Integrating and/or scaling up of evidence-based HIV and SUD prevention and/or care interventions for older people who use or misuse addictive substances.
  • Examining the intersection of social determinants of health, aging and substance use on HIV clinical and service utilization outcomes.
  • Addressing HIV and substance use stigmas and how they affect substance use and HIV services among aging populations.
  • Genomic, epigenomic, or single cell studies at the intersection of aging, neuroHIV, and SUD.
  • Impact of chronic substance use on the emergence of age-related cognitive and behavioral deficits (e.g., memory, attention, self-regulatory processes, social behavior, decision making, compulsivity, balance, mobility) in PLWH.
  • Metabolomics of the aging brain in the context of ART, HIV and SUD and the impact of waste clearance on healthy aging in these populations.
  • Aging-related changes that impact drug metabolism and their impact on HIV and currently available antiretrovirals and pharmacological treatments for substance use. Of particular interest are studies examining patterns of use and effects of cannabis products in aging PLWH, including interactions with alcohol and medications commonly prescribed to people over 65 (or NIA’s threshold age).
  • Patterns of polysubstance use and its physiological effects in PLWH who are over age 65.
  • Non-pharmacologic and non-invasive interventions to prevent or reduce substance use and misuse in aging adults living with HIV.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIMH is keenly interested in interdisciplinary research studies that are conceptually grounded and employ basic, translational, and clinical approaches to better comprehend outcomes at the intersection of aging and HIV.

NIMH and its Division of AIDS Research (DAR) research program areas of interest in HIV and Aging include, but are not limited to:

  • Evaluate Impact and Identify Targets: Investigate HIV's impact on cognition, motor function, and mental health in aging adults to comprehend mechanistic pathways and identify potential intervention targets.
  • Mechanisms and Aging-Related Traits: Study physiological and biobehavioral etiopathogenesis relevant to cognitive, motor, and mental health outcomes in aging individuals with HIV. Explore how HIV status and viral load affect accelerated aging, neurocognitive aging, and successful aging traits.
  • Neurotherapeutic Approaches: Identify neurotherapeutic approaches addressing interactions between HIV and aging processes.
  • Behavioral Factors and Comorbidities: Investigate the effects of social and behavioral factors on mental health and HIV outcomes in aging populations, while also assessing the impact of neurological and psychiatric comorbidities on health outcomes to enable the development of targeted interventions.
  • Interventions and Continuum Optimization: Research interventions for preventing HIV acquisition in aging populations and explore adaptations to the HIV care continuum to enhance outcomes in aging individuals living with HIV.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

NINDS supports basic, translational, and clinical research on the brain and nervous system and uses this knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. In the context of HIV disease, NINDS is particularly interested in the neurological complications of HIV infection that affect the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system. For the purposes of this NOFO, specific topics of interest might include (but would not be limited to):

  • The long-term consequences of latent HIV in the CNS as it pertains to the modulation of chronic neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment in aging; the mechanisms by which chronic HIV exacerbates long-term blood-brain barrier damage and cerebrovascular dysfunction.
  • Studies of the mechanisms by which chronic HIV primes the CNS for neurodegeneration, including in the context of AD/ADRD and other age-associated neurodegenerative disorders.
  • The long-term effect of chronic antiretroviral therapy (ART) exposure throughout the lifespan on the central and peripheral nervous systems.
  • Mechanisms of HIV-associated peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain in aged individuals; and studies that address the question of whether chronic HIV infection and exposure to ART cause accelerated aging of the CNS.

While NINDS will support studies focused on the effect of chronic HIV on cognitive outcomes in the setting of neurological disease, applications that are solely interested in mental health and psychiatric outcomes will not be supported by NINDS. This includes applications that solely rely upon RDoC-based constructs for neurobehavioral analyses. Rather, NINDS strongly prefers the incorporation of additional multidimensional measures of neurological function, such as NIH Toolbox and Neuro-QOL -based assessments of cognitive, motor, and sensory function. In addition, only mechanistic clinical trials and Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) will be supported by NINDS under this funding opportunity. Clinical trials that seek to answer specific questions about safety, tolerability, clinical efficacy, effectiveness, clinical management, and/or implementation of pharmacologic, behavioral, biologic, surgical, or device (invasive or non-invasive) interventions will not be supported under this NOFO Rather, such projects should be submitted to one of NINDS clinical trial-specific funding announcements (such as PAR-22-142 or PAR-21-237 ).

NINDS urges investigators to follow the NIH guidance for rigor and transparency in grant applications and additionally recommends the research practices described on NINDS' resource web page on preparing applications to ensure that robust experiments are designed, potential experimenter biases are minimized, results and analyses are transparently reported, and results are interpreted carefully. These recommended research practices include, where applicable: rationale for the chosen model(s) and primary/secondary endpoints, clear descriptions of tools and parameters, blinding, randomization, ensuring adequate sample size, pre-specified inclusion/exclusion criteria, handling of missing data and outliers, appropriate controls, preplanned analyses, appropriate quantitative techniques, clear indication of exploratory vs. confirmatory components of the study, consideration of limitations, and plans for transparent reporting of all methods, analyses, and results so that other investigators can evaluate the quality of the work and potentially perform replications.

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Recent data indicates an increase in a variety of cancer types (e.g., anus, liver, oral cavity/pharynx, lung, and Hodgkin lymphoma), which is driven primarily by the growth and aging of PLWH who are on highly effective antiretroviral therapy. Aging is, by itself, a key factor promoting the development of many cancers, and HIV infection can itself cause certain manifestations of premature aging. There is a lack of data on the interplay between aging, HIV, long-term exposure to antiretroviral drugs, and other factors promoting cancer development in PLWH who are aging. In addition, there is little understanding of the interplay between host factors and immune perturbations that occur in aging and how these interactions affect cancers that are mostly seen in older people (e.g., clonal hematopoiesis and biological aging). Therefore, NCI is interested in applications proposing studies on the following:

  • Research studies to help understand how aging in the presence of chronic HIV infection affects the risk, spectrum, and biology of cancer in PLWH.
  • Cancer treatment outcomes and survivorship in PLWH.

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

ORWH is part of NIH's Office of the Director. ORWH works with NIH's 27 Institutes and Centers to advance rigorous research of relevance to the health of women. ORWH does not award grants but co-funds women’s health-related applications and research projects that have received an award from one of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) listed in this NOFO. Applications seeking ORWH co-funding, in response to this NOFO, should ensure that the proposed work is aligned with at least one goal and objective outlined in the Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research.

ORWH supports research projects that address topics of relevance to aging, HIV, and women including cisgender, transgender, and gender diverse women and individuals assigned female at birth. Intersectional approaches to women, aging, and HIV are encouraged. For this NOFO, areas of particular interest include:

  • HIV and menopause
  • Projects to understand and address weathering, social isolation, stigma, and loneliness in the context of HIV and aging.
  • Community-led interventions to improve testing, prevention, and treatment among older populations of women.
  • Comorbidity and multi-morbidity among older populations of women living with HIV.
  • Understanding the influence of sex on HIV infection and pathogenesis in the context of aging.
  • Understanding the role of HIV in violence, trauma and mental health in aging women living with HIV.
  • Community-centered interventions to engage older women in HIV research, including HIV cure-related research.

Clinical Research Operations Management System

NIA utilizes a central resource to NIA staff and extramural investigators to facilitate/support the conduct and management of clinical research. NIA Clinical Research Operations & Management System (CROMS) is a comprehensive data management system to support the business functions, management, and oversight responsibilities of NIA grants that support the conduct of clinical research with human subjects. NIA investigators of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements that are active as of July 1, 2021 and support human subjects research as defined by the DHS HHS OHRP regulations at 45 CFR 46 will be required to interact with and use existing and future components of CROMS as required by NIA throughout the lifecycle of the grant and as described in NOT-AG-23-017. Data to be submitted to NIA CROMS includes those elements reported in the standard NIH requirement annual progress report (GPS 4.1.15.7). Details regarding the standard operating procedures for CROMS can be found on the NIA CROMS website.

When applicable, all NIA grantees must ensure:

1. The study’s Informed Consent Document (ICD) lists The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its authorized representatives as one of the organizations that may look at or receive copies of information in participants study records. According to DHS HHS OHRP 45 CFR 46 46.116, all ICDs must contain A statement describing the extent, if any, to which confidentiality of records identifying the participant will be maintained. If using the NIA informed consent template please see Section 6: Statement of Confidentiality.

2. An assigned NIH ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number) is reported in its respective CROMS study record within three months after assignment, and the reporting of final enrollment data to CROMS is consistent with final enrollment data reported in ClinicalTrials.gov.

Non-responsiveness Criteria

Applications that are not aligned with OAR's priority areas, as described in NOT-OD-20-018, will be considered non-responsive to this NOFO. Non-responsive applications will not be reviewed. Examples of research not aligned with OAR's priority areas include:

  • Research on natural history and epidemiology that is entirely focu?sed on a co-morbidity and does not have any focus on or inclusion of HIV.
  • Research on co-infecting pathogens, but not in the context of HIV infection; basic immunology studies of general relevance, but not specific to HIV; basic cancer-related immunology studies not in the context of HIV infection; or studies on co-morbidities of general relevance, but not in the context of HIV.
  • Data analysis and systems tools that are not HIV related (e.g., genomics and other omics studies with little or no relevance to HIV).
  • Studies of behaviors (e.g., sexual activities, drug use activities) or social conditions where HIV/AIDS is only one of many outcomes without a focus on how HIV/AIDS is unique in that context.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs.

Section II. Award Information

Funding Instrument

Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed
New
Renewal
Resubmission
Revision

The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.

Clinical Trial?

Optional: Accepting applications that either propose or do not propose clinical trial(s).

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications

Award Budget
Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
Award Project Period

The maximum project period is 5 years.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions

  • Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
  • Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

  • Hispanic-serving Institutions
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  • Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
  • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
  • Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

  • Small Businesses
  • For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Local Governments

  • State Governments
  • County Governments
  • City or Township Governments
  • Special District Governments
  • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
  • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)

Federal Governments

  • Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
  • U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

  • Independent School Districts
  • Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
  • Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
  • Regional Organizations
  • Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations)
Foreign Organizations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Required Registrations

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information

  • System for Award Management (SAM) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
    • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
    • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
  • eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
  • Grants.gov Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

  • A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
  • A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
  • An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Instructions for Application Submission

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

R&R or Modular Budget

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Subaward Budget

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Research Plan

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Other Plan(s): Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H application forms packages.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

  • All applicants planning research (funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH) that results in the generation of scientific data are required to comply with the instructions for the Data Management and Sharing Plan. All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, must address a Data Management and Sharing Plan.

Appendix: Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

  • No publications or other material, with the exception of blank questionnaires or blank surveys, may be included in the Appendix.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Delayed Onset Study

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Foreign Organizations

Foreign (non-U.S.) organizations must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign organizations described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Requests of $500,000 or more for direct costs in any year

Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact a Scientific/ Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

In addition, for applications involving clinical trials:

A proposed Clinical Trial application may include study design, methods, and intervention that are not by themselves innovative but address important questions or unmet needs. Additionally, the results of the clinical trial may indicate that further clinical development of the intervention is unwarranted or lead to new avenues of scientific investigation.

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.


Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project rigorous? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

In addition, for applications involving clinical trials

Are the scientific rationale and need for a clinical trial to test the proposed hypothesis or intervention well supported by preliminary data, clinical and/or preclinical studies, or information in the literature or knowledge of biological mechanisms? For trials focusing on clinical or public health endpoints, is this clinical trial necessary for testing the safety, efficacy or effectiveness of an intervention that could lead to a change in clinical practice, community behaviors or health care policy? For trials focusing on mechanistic, behavioral, physiological, biochemical, or other biomedical endpoints, is this trial needed to advance scientific understanding?


Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or those in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

In addition, for applications involving clinical trials

With regard to the proposed leadership for the project, do the PD/PI(s) and key personnel have the expertise, experience, and ability to organize, manage and implement the proposed clinical trial and meet milestones and timelines? Do they have appropriate expertise in study coordination, data management and statistics? For a multicenter trial, is the organizational structure appropriate and does the application identify a core of potential center investigators and staffing for a coordinating center?


Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

In addition, for applications involving clinical trials

Does the design/research plan include innovative elements, as appropriate, that enhance its sensitivity, potential for information or potential to advance scientific knowledge or clinical practice?


Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Have the investigators included plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects?

If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

In addition, for applications involving clinical trials

Does the application adequately address the following, if applicable

Study Design

Is the study design justified and appropriate to address primary and secondary outcome variable(s)/endpoints that will be clear, informative and relevant to the hypothesis being tested? Is the scientific rationale/premise of the study based on previously well-designed preclinical and/or clinical research? Given the methods used to assign participants and deliver interventions, is the study design adequately powered to answer the research question(s), test the proposed hypothesis/hypotheses, and provide interpretable results? Is the trial appropriately designed to conduct the research efficiently? Are the study populations (size, gender, age, demographic group), proposed intervention arms/dose, and duration of the trial, appropriate and well justified?

Are potential ethical issues adequately addressed? Is the process for obtaining informed consent or assent appropriate? Is the eligible population available? Are the plans for recruitment outreach, enrollment, retention, handling dropouts, missed visits, and losses to follow-up appropriate to ensure robust data collection? Are the planned recruitment timelines feasible and is the plan to monitor accrual adequate? Has the need for randomization (or not), masking (if appropriate), controls, and inclusion/exclusion criteria been addressed? Are differences addressed, if applicable, in the intervention effect due to sex/gender and race/ethnicity?

Are the plans to standardize, assure quality of, and monitor adherence to, the trial protocol and data collection or distribution guidelines appropriate? Is there a plan to obtain required study agent(s)? Does the application propose to use existing available resources, as applicable?

Data Management and Statistical Analysis

Are planned analyses and statistical approach appropriate for the proposed study design and methods used to assign participants and deliver interventions? Are the procedures for data management and quality control of data adequate at clinical site(s) or at center laboratories, as applicable? Have the methods for standardization of procedures for data management to assess the effect of the intervention and quality control been addressed? Is there a plan to complete data analysis within the proposed period of the award?


Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

In addition, for applications involving clinical trials

If proposed, are the administrative, data coordinating, enrollment and laboratory/testing centers, appropriate for the trial proposed?

Does the application adequately address the capability and ability to conduct the trial at the proposed site(s) or centers? Are the plans to add or drop enrollment centers, as needed, appropriate?

If international site(s) is/are proposed, does the application adequately address the complexity of executing the clinical trial?

If multi-sites/centers, is there evidence of the ability of the individual site or center to: (1) enroll the proposed numbers; (2) adhere to the protocol; (3) collect and transmit data in an accurate and timely fashion; and, (4) operate within the proposed organizational structure?

Additional Review Criteria

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.


Specific to applications involving clinical trials

Is the study timeline described in detail, taking into account start-up activities, the anticipated rate of enrollment, and planned follow-up assessment? Is the projected timeline feasible and well justified? Does the project incorporate efficiencies and utilize existing resources (e.g., CTSAs, practice-based research networks, electronic medical records, administrative database, or patient registries) to increase the efficiency of participant enrollment and data collection, as appropriate?

Are potential challenges and corresponding solutions discussed (e.g., strategies that can be implemented in the event of enrollment shortfalls)?


For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.


When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.


The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following three points: (1) a complete description of all proposed procedures including the species, strains, ages, sex, and total numbers of animals to be used; (2) justifications that the species is appropriate for the proposed research and why the research goals cannot be accomplished using an alternative non-animal model; and (3) interventions including analgesia, anesthesia, sedation, palliative care, and humane endpoints that will be used to limit any unavoidable discomfort, distress, pain and injury in the conduct of scientifically valuable research. Methods of euthanasia and justification for selected methods, if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, is also required but is found in a separate section of the application. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals Section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animals Section.


Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.


For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.


For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.


For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.

Additional Review Considerations

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.


Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.


Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).


Reviewers will comment on whether the Resource Sharing Plan(s) (e.g., Sharing Model Organisms) or the rationale for not sharing the resources, is reasonable.


For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, reviewers will comment on the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.


Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the Center for Scientific Review in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will receive a written critique.

Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

  • Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
  • Availability of funds.
  • Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the recipient's business official.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

Any application awarded in response to this NOFO will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.

Individual awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the NIH and are subject to the IC-specific terms and conditions identified in the NoA.

ClinicalTrials.gov: If an award provides for one or more clinical trials. By law (Title VIII, Section 801 of Public Law 110-85), the "responsible party" must register and submit results information for certain applicable clinical trials on the ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System Information Website (https://register.clinicaltrials.gov). NIH expects registration and results reporting of all trials whether required under the law or not. For more information, see https://grants.nih.gov/policy/clinical-trials/reporting/index.htm

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Recipient institutions must ensure that all protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

Data and Safety Monitoring Requirements: The NIH policy for data and safety monitoring requires oversight and monitoring of all NIH-conducted or -supported human biomedical and behavioral intervention studies (clinical trials) to ensure the safety of participants and the validity and integrity of the data. Further information concerning these requirements is found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/hs/data_safety.htm and in the application instructions (SF424 (R&R) and PHS 398).

Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption Requirements: Consistent with federal regulations, clinical research projects involving the use of investigational therapeutics, vaccines, or other medical interventions (including licensed products and devices for a purpose other than that for which they were licensed) in humans under a research protocol must be performed under a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational new drug (IND) or investigational device exemption (IDE).

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: Generaland Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:

If a recipient is successful and receives a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

If a recipient receives an award, the recipient must follow all applicable nondiscrimination laws. The recipient agrees to this when registering in SAM.gov. The recipient must also submit an Assurance of Compliance (HHS-690). To learn more, see the HHS Office for Civil Rights website.

HHS recognizes that NIH research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this NOFO.

In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR Part 200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable

3. Data Management and Sharing

Consistent with the 2023 NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Upon the approval of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, it is required for recipients to implement the plan as described.

4. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR Part 200.301.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 as amended (FFATA), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All recipients of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over the threshold. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 2 CFR Part 200, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 2 CFR Part 200 Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

Application Submission Contacts

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)

Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

DaRel Barksdale, DrPH
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-402-0006
Email: [email protected]

Ann Namkung, MPH
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-496-6838
Email: [email protected]

Kendall J. Bryant, Ph.D.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-402-0332
Email: [email protected]

Vasudev R. Rao, MBBS, MS.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-825-3259
Email: [email protected]

Richard A Jenkins
NIDA - NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
Phone: 301-443-6504
E-mail: [email protected]

Heiyoung Park, PhD
NIAMS - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL AND SKIN DISEASES
Phone: 301-594-5032
E-mail: [email protected]

William Daley, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-1431
Email: [email protected]

Geraldina Dominguez, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-781-3420
Email: [email protected]

Hiroko Iida, DDS, MPH
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Phone: 301-594-7404
E-mail: [email protected]

Elizabeth Anne Barr
ORWH - Office of Research on Women's Health
Phone: 301-402-7895
E-mail: [email protected]

Peter J Perrin, Ph.D.
NIDDK - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES
Phone: 301 451-3759
E-mail: [email protected]

Peer Review Contact(s)

Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Anthony Agresti
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-827-8014
Email: [email protected]

Laura Pone
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-451-9956
Email: [email protected]

Judy Fox
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-4704
Email: [email protected]

Rita Sisco
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-2805
Email: [email protected]

Pamela G Fleming
NIDA - NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
Phone: 301-480-1159
E-mail: [email protected]

Erik Edgerton
NIAMS - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL AND SKIN DISEASES
Phone: 301-594-7760
E-mail: [email protected]

Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Email:[email protected]

Dawn Mitchum
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-5699
Email: [email protected]

Gabriel Hidalgo, MBA
NIDCR - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH
Phone: 301-827-4630
E-mail: [email protected]

Sunshine Wilson
NIDDK - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES
Phone: (301) 827-4670
E-mail: [email protected]

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Authority and Regulations

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200.

NIH Office of Extramural Research Logo
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Home Page
Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
USA.gov - Government Made Easy
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health®