Using Archived Data and Specimen Collections to Advance Maternal and Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA HD 24 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 24 006

This grant opportunity, "Using Archived Data and Specimen Collections to Advance Maternal and Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (RFA-HD-24-006), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant designed to push maternal and pediatric HIV/AIDS research forward by making better use of resources that already exist. Instead of funding new clinical trials, the program focuses on secondary research, meaning investigators are expected to analyze archived datasets and/or stored biological specimens from prior studies or established collections. The main idea is to accelerate discovery by translating existing data into new insights, encouraging data sharing, and helping the field extract more value from prior investments in cohort studies, surveillance systems, and specimen repositories.

The scientific emphasis is on generating new questions and new findings that align with the mission and priorities of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), specifically its Maternal and Pediatric Infectious Disease Branch (MPIDB), along with the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR). Projects should aim to answer meaningful questions about HIV/AIDS in maternal, pediatric, and adolescent populations. The FOA highlights a broad range of topic areas where advanced analyses could make a difference, including the epidemiology of HIV in these groups (for example, trends in transmission, risk factors, and outcomes), pathogenesis (how HIV disease develops and interacts with immune function or co-infections), treatment (including ART-related outcomes, resistance patterns, adherence-related questions, or regimen comparisons using existing data), and the clinical manifestations and complications of HIV/AIDS in pregnancy, infancy, childhood, and adolescence. The announcement explicitly encourages applicants to bring in newer or more advanced analytic approaches, which can include modern statistical methods, causal inference strategies, and other cutting-edge techniques that can uncover relationships not addressed in the original studies.

Because this is an R21 mechanism, the intent is typically exploratory and developmental. That generally means the program is well-suited for innovative, proof-of-concept analyses, early-stage hypothesis generation, or testing novel analytic strategies on existing datasets or specimen-linked data, rather than large, long-term prospective research programs. The FOA also makes clear that clinical trials are not allowed, reinforcing that the work should be based on analysis of existing information and materials rather than enrolling participants into new interventional studies.

In terms of who can apply, the eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive, spanning many organizational types. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying in that category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). It also includes faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations, signaling an interest in drawing from diverse data resources and perspectives, including global archived cohorts where appropriate.

Key administrative details included in the posting are that the awarding agency is the NIH, the funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is listed under Health, Income Security and Social Services. The CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.242 and 93.865. The original closing date was March 29, 2023, and the opportunity was created on November 22, 2022. The listed award ceiling is $275,000. While the posting notes "ExpectedAwards:" without a value shown in the provided text, the ceiling indicates the maximum amount that may be awarded per project under the terms of this announcement.

Overall, this FOA is essentially a targeted call to the maternal and pediatric HIV/AIDS research community to reuse and reanalyze existing archived data and specimen collections in smarter ways. The expected payoff is faster, cost-effective progress on high-priority questions affecting pregnant people, infants, children, and adolescents living with or exposed to HIV, while also strengthening the culture of data translation and sharing across the field.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using Archived Data and Specimen Collections to Advance Maternal and Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-11-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-03-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $275,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA HD 24 006

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: