Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 13 091
Apply for RFA MH 13 091
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Community level Approaches to Reduce HIV Infection in Highly Impacted Communities (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 5, 2012 and posted on Jul 5, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 11, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Small businesses Independent school districts County governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Advancing Community level Approaches to Reduce HIV Infection in Highly Impacted Communities (R21) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-13-091) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary research grant aimed at improving what is known about community-level HIV prevention and care interventions. The central idea is to support research that can demonstrate how interventions delivered at the level of a community (rather than only one person at a time) can reduce new HIV infections and lower HIV viral load across an entire community. The announcement emphasizes that, in many highly impacted settings, the need is for interventions that can reach and benefit large numbers of people simultaneously, rather than narrowly targeted efforts that are difficult to scale.
A defining feature of the opportunity is its focus on communities that are "highly impacted" by HIV, with community being broadly defined. Applicants may propose interventions aimed at communities defined by geographic location (for example, a neighborhood, city, county, or region) or by shared goals or characteristics. The FOA explicitly allows communities defined through social or demographic criteria as well, including (but not limited to) race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education level, identity, and specific behaviors. Importantly, the target population can include both people who are vulnerable to HIV acquisition and people living with HIV, reflecting a combined prevention and care lens (reducing incidence while also improving treatment outcomes in ways that reduce community viral load and onward transmission).
The FOA encourages approaches that go beyond traditional individual behavior-change programs and explicitly calls out structural and systemic interventions as desirable. This signals interest in research that changes the conditions shaping HIV risk and care outcomes, such as policies, service delivery models, healthcare access pathways, stigma and discrimination dynamics, institutional practices, or other community-level systems that influence whether people can readily access testing, prevention tools, and sustained treatment. While the goal is to influence individual behaviors and health outcomes, the mechanism of change is expected to be cost-effective and sustainable at scale, meaning interventions should be realistic for communities to maintain after a study ends and should have a plausible route to real-world adoption.
Another key expectation is implementation realism: proposed interventions should take into account the agencies and organizations already operating in the community that could plausibly adopt and deliver the intervention if it proves efficacious. In practice, this points researchers toward partnerships with local health departments, community-based organizations, clinics, housing authorities, school systems, faith-based organizations, or other community-serving institutions. The intent is not only to test whether an intervention can work, but to design it in a way that fits the capacity, incentives, and constraints of organizations that would be responsible for continuing it.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is an NIH grant using the R21 activity code, which typically supports exploratory or developmental research projects. The estimated total funding listed is $2,500,000, and the award ceiling is $200,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The FOA was posted on July 5, 2012, with an original and current closing date of January 11, 2013, and an archive date of February 11, 2013. The catalog numbers associated with the program include 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants) and 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), reflecting the intersection of HIV with mental health and substance use research priorities.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governments. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and multiple levels of government such as state, county, city/township, special district, and tribal governments (including certain tribal organizations). The eligibility language also highlights specific institution types and community-centered entities such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed, indicating the work must be conducted within allowable domestic organizational structures.
Overall, this FOA is designed to push HIV research toward interventions that operate at the community level, are scalable and sustainable, and can measurably shift outcomes like HIV incidence and community viral load in places and populations carrying a disproportionate share of HIV burden. It prioritizes approaches that address the systems and structures surrounding people, while still keeping the ultimate outcomes focused on practical reductions in infection and improvements in prevention and care engagement across entire communities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the purpose of the Advancing Community level Approaches to Reduce HIV Infection in Highly Impacted Communities (R21) opportunity?
This NIH discretionary research grant supports studies that improve what is known about community-level HIV prevention and care interventions. The goal is to generate evidence about interventions delivered at the level of a community (not only one person at a time) that can reduce new HIV infections and lower HIV viral load across an entire community.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-13-091.
What NIH activity code is used for this grant?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 activity code, which typically supports exploratory or developmental research projects.
What kinds of outcomes is the FOA trying to impact at the community level?
The FOA focuses on outcomes such as reducing HIV incidence (new infections) and lowering community HIV viral load. It also reflects a combined prevention and care approach, aiming to improve treatment outcomes in ways that reduce onward transmission.
What does the FOA mean by "community-level" intervention?
A community-level intervention is one designed to reach and benefit large numbers of people within a defined community simultaneously, rather than focusing only on individual-level behavior change one person at a time. The emphasis is on scalable approaches appropriate for highly impacted settings.
How does the FOA define "community"?
The FOA defines community broadly. Applicants may define a community by geographic location (such as a neighborhood, city, county, or region) or by shared goals or characteristics.
Can a community be defined by social or demographic criteria rather than geography?
Yes. The FOA explicitly allows communities defined through social or demographic criteria, including (but not limited to) race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education level, identity, and specific behaviors.
What does "highly impacted" mean in this context?
Based on the FOA description, "highly impacted" refers to communities and settings carrying a disproportionate burden of HIV, where interventions that can reach many people at once are particularly needed.
Who can be included in the target population for proposed interventions?
The target population may include both people vulnerable to HIV acquisition and people living with HIV. This reflects a prevention-plus-care lens focused on reducing incidence while improving care outcomes that influence community viral load.
Does the FOA prefer individual behavior-change programs or broader approaches?
The FOA encourages approaches that go beyond traditional individual behavior-change programs and explicitly identifies structural and systemic interventions as desirable.
What are examples of structural or systemic intervention targets mentioned in the FOA?
The FOA signals interest in research that changes conditions shaping HIV risk and care outcomes, such as policies, service delivery models, healthcare access pathways, stigma and discrimination dynamics, institutional practices, and other community-level systems that affect access to testing, prevention tools, and sustained treatment.
How important are scalability, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability in proposed interventions?
They are central expectations. The FOA emphasizes interventions that are realistic to deliver at scale, cost-effective, and sustainable for communities to maintain after a study ends, with a plausible route to real-world adoption.
Does the FOA expect researchers to work with organizations already operating in the community?
Yes. The FOA highlights implementation realism and encourages interventions that align with agencies and organizations already working in the community and that could plausibly adopt and deliver the intervention if it proves efficacious.
What types of community partners does the FOA suggest may be relevant?
The FOA points toward partnerships with entities such as local health departments, community-based organizations, clinics, housing authorities, school systems, faith-based organizations, and other community-serving institutions.
Is the goal only to test whether an intervention can work, or also to design it for real-world use?
Both. The FOA emphasizes not only testing whether an intervention can work, but also designing it to fit the capacity, incentives, and constraints of organizations likely to sustain it.
What is the estimated total funding amount for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding listed is $2,500,000.
What is the award ceiling listed in the FOA?
The award ceiling is $200,000.
Is cost-sharing or a matching contribution required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was the FOA posted?
The FOA was posted on July 5, 2012.
What are the closing dates for this opportunity?
The original and current closing date is January 11, 2013.
What is the archive date for the FOA?
The archive date is February 11, 2013.
What Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers are associated with this program?
The catalog numbers associated with the program include 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants) and 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs).
What do the listed catalog numbers suggest about the research intersection areas?
They reflect the intersection of HIV with mental health and substance use research priorities, consistent with the program listings for mental health research grants and drug abuse and addiction research programs.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes U.S.-based public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) organizations and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and multiple levels of government.
Which government entities are included as eligible applicants?
Eligible government applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and tribal governments (including certain tribal organizations).
Are community-centered and minority-serving institutions specifically highlighted as eligible?
Yes. The eligibility language highlights institution types and community-centered entities such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions are not eligible.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
Are foreign components allowed under this FOA?
No. Foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed.
Does the FOA indicate where the work must be conducted?
Yes. Because foreign institutions, non-U.S. components, and foreign components are not allowed, the work must be conducted within allowable domestic organizational structures.
What is the central research emphasis of this FOA compared with narrowly targeted interventions?
The FOA emphasizes interventions that can reach and benefit large numbers of people simultaneously and that are not difficult to scale, addressing the needs of highly impacted settings more effectively than narrowly targeted efforts.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health
Next opportunity: Advancing Community level Approaches to Reduce HIV Infection in Highly Impacted Communities (R34)
Previous opportunity: Advancing Community level Approaches to Reduce HIV Infection in Highly Impacted Communities (R01)
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