Implementing the Most Successful Interventions to Improve HIV/AIDS Outcomes in U.S. Communities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 17 491

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 491

Implementing the Most Successful Interventions to Improve HIV/AIDS Outcomes in U.S. Communities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-17-491) that focuses on taking HIV service strategies with strong evidence of success in global settings and translating, adapting, and testing them for use in U.S. communities. The central idea is not to invent entirely new approaches from scratch, but to identify interventions that have already proven effective elsewhere and do the real-world work required to make them fit the social, cultural, structural, and health system realities faced by marginalized populations in the United States who experience substantial risk of HIV infection and AIDS-related outcomes. The "R01" mechanism signals a research project grant, and "Clinical Trial Optional" indicates applicants may propose studies that include a clinical trial component, but they are not required to do so if their research aims can be met through other rigorous designs.

The purpose of the FOA is tightly tied to improving measurable HIV outcomes through strategies that consistently reach people who are often missed by traditional services. Projects are expected to strengthen the full continuum of HIV prevention and care by improving timely HIV testing, increasing uptake of prevention and treatment technologies, and supporting sustained engagement in care. The intended endpoint is durable improvement in health outcomes, not short-term gains that fade after a pilot period. A major organizing framework is the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, which aim for 90 percent of people living with HIV to know their status, 90 percent of those diagnosed to receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90 percent of those on therapy to achieve viral suppression. In practical terms, the FOA is looking for interventions that move the needle on diagnosis, linkage and retention in care, treatment adherence, and viral suppression, especially in communities and subpopulations where gaps persist because of stigma, poverty, housing instability, limited access to culturally responsive services, behavioral health needs, or other structural barriers.

The opportunity sits at the intersection of implementation science and community-engaged public health. Successful proposals would typically explain which evidence-based service model is being imported or adapted, why it is appropriate for the specific U.S. population or setting, what adaptations are necessary, and how effectiveness will be evaluated once implemented in the new context. Because the FOA emphasizes "service provision strategies," it implicitly encourages work that addresses real delivery systems: clinics, community-based organizations, public health programs, outreach networks, and other points of contact where people actually receive or could receive HIV-related services. While the announcement does not list specific interventions, it clearly prioritizes approaches with demonstrated effectiveness and a credible plan for translation and scaling in U.S. settings rather than purely conceptual or early-stage ideas.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive, reflecting the fact that HIV prevention and care improvements often require partnerships across public agencies, academia, community organizations, and healthcare providers. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; 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; tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types that are often central to reaching underserved populations, such as faith-based and community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander serving institutions (AANAPISISs), eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth signals an openness to strong cross-sector collaborations, including those led by community-rooted institutions and those operating in jurisdictions beyond the continental United States.

Administratively, this is an NIH grant in the Education and Health activity categories, with CFDA numbers 93.307 and 93.361. The original posting was created on September 27, 2017, and the listed original closing date was January 7, 2021. The announcement as summarized does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA and related NIH budget guidance to understand budget expectations and any institute- or center-specific priorities that may shape funding decisions.

Overall, the grant opportunity is aimed at closing persistent equity gaps in HIV outcomes by bringing the strongest global evidence to bear on U.S. implementation challenges. It encourages applicants to focus on populations that have historically been left behind by standard service models and to produce results that align with the 90-90-90 trajectory: more people tested and diagnosed earlier, more people started and kept on effective therapy, and more people achieving viral suppression, which benefits both individual health and community-level transmission dynamics. The FOA is essentially a call for rigorous, practical, and community-relevant research that helps proven HIV service strategies work better, last longer, and reach further in the United States.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Implementing the Most Successful Interventions to Improve HIV/AIDS Outcomes in U.S. Communities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.307, 93.361.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 PAR 17 491

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