Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DE 23 003
Apply for RFA DE 23 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing HIV/AIDS Research at the Intersection of Oral and Mental Health (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): 93.121.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-04.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-07-25. (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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Advancing HIV/AIDS Research at the Intersection of Oral and Mental Health (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DE-23-003; CFDA 93.121) is a discretionary grant program designed to push forward early-stage, interdisciplinary research focused on people living with HIV. The core aim is to improve scientific understanding of how oral health and mental health are linked in this population, especially when other co-occurring conditions are present. Rather than concentrating on a single domain, the announcement emphasizes the need to study the combined and interacting roles of biological processes, psychosocial influences, behavioral factors, and social-structural conditions that may jointly shape oral health outcomes, mental health outcomes, and the ways these outcomes cluster together among individuals affected by HIV.
A central theme of the announcement is "interplay." NIH is looking for research that does more than list correlations, and instead digs into underlying mechanisms that connect these domains. That can include biological pathways (for example, immune and inflammatory processes, the effects of HIV infection and treatment on oral tissues and the central nervous system, or shared physiological stress responses), psychosocial pathways (such as chronic stress, trauma exposure, stigma, social isolation, depression, or anxiety and how these experiences affect health behaviors and care-seeking), behavioral pathways (including oral hygiene behaviors, substance use, adherence to HIV care, diet, sleep, and engagement with preventive services), and social-structural drivers (like housing instability, poverty, discrimination, access to dental and mental health care, and policy or system barriers). The opportunity is framed to encourage research that integrates multiple levels of influence, recognizing that oral and mental health challenges in HIV are often shaped by layered, interacting causes rather than a single factor.
The mechanism is an NIH R21, which typically supports exploratory and developmental projects that are intended to generate foundational knowledge, test novel ideas, or produce preliminary data that can justify larger follow-on studies. The title explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which signals that the proposed work should not include a clinical trial as defined by NIH. In practical terms, applicants should design studies that are mechanistic, observational, secondary data analyses, measure development, biospecimen-based investigations, or other non-trial approaches that still directly advance understanding of oral-mental health intersections in HIV. The announcement is therefore oriented toward discovery, hypothesis generation, and early validation of models or mechanisms rather than testing an intervention for efficacy.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governments. 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The opportunity is also open to nonprofits (both with and without 501(c)(3) status) and to for-profit organizations other than small businesses, as well as small businesses. NIH also highlights additional eligible applicant categories 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 (AANAPISIs). Faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies are included as well, along with U.S. territories or possessions. This broad eligibility aligns with the interdisciplinary and community-relevant nature of the research area, where partnerships across academic, clinical, public health, and community settings can be important.
The announcement includes important restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means that a U.S.-based applicant organization can include certain activities performed outside the U.S. when they are well-justified and add unique scientific value, subject to NIH policies and review considerations. This structure preserves U.S. applicant eligibility while still permitting international collaboration or use of specialized resources when appropriate.
Key administrative details in the source data indicate the sponsoring agency is NIH and the original closing date listed was 2022-07-25, with the creation date 2022-03-04. The opportunity category is discretionary, the funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is health. The award ceiling and expected awards are not specified in the provided source excerpt, which is sometimes the case in summarized listings and typically requires checking the full FOA text for budget guidance, project period limits, and institute-specific expectations.
Overall, this opportunity is geared toward researchers who can connect dentistry/oral health science, psychiatry/psychology, behavioral science, immunology, neuroscience, epidemiology, and social science to explain why oral and mental health problems co-occur in HIV and how multilevel drivers reinforce one another. Successful projects under this FOA would likely present a clear conceptual framework that links biological and social mechanisms, demonstrate an interdisciplinary team and approach, and propose rigorous, non-clinical-trial methods to generate insights that could ultimately inform better prevention strategies, integrated care models, and future intervention development for people living with HIV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this NIH funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Advancing HIV/AIDS Research at the Intersection of Oral and Mental Health (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The FOA number is RFA-DE-23-003.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.121.
Which federal agency is sponsoring this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What type of funding opportunity is this (category and instrument)?
This is a discretionary grant program. The funding instrument is a grant.
What activity category does this opportunity fall under?
The activity category listed is health.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The core aim is to advance early-stage, interdisciplinary research focused on people living with HIV, specifically to improve scientific understanding of how oral health and mental health are linked in this population, including when other co-occurring conditions are present.
What does NIH mean by focusing on the "intersection" of oral and mental health in people with HIV?
NIH is emphasizing research that examines how oral health outcomes and mental health outcomes connect, influence each other, and cluster together among people living with HIV, rather than treating oral health and mental health as separate, unrelated topics.
What is the central theme NIH is looking for in proposed projects?
A central theme is "interplay." NIH is seeking studies that go beyond simple correlations and instead investigate underlying mechanisms that connect oral and mental health among people living with HIV.
What kinds of mechanisms are encouraged under this FOA?
The FOA encourages multi-level mechanistic work, including biological processes, psychosocial influences, behavioral factors, and social-structural conditions, especially where these drivers interact to shape oral and mental health outcomes in HIV.
What are examples of biological pathways that may fit this opportunity?
Examples described include immune and inflammatory processes, effects of HIV infection and treatment on oral tissues and the central nervous system, and shared physiological stress responses that may link oral and mental health outcomes.
What are examples of psychosocial pathways that may fit this opportunity?
Examples described include chronic stress, trauma exposure, stigma, social isolation, depression, and anxiety, and how these experiences affect health behaviors and care-seeking in ways that relate to oral and mental health among people living with HIV.
What are examples of behavioral pathways that may fit this opportunity?
Examples described include oral hygiene behaviors, substance use, adherence to HIV care, diet, sleep, and engagement with preventive services.
What are examples of social-structural drivers that may fit this opportunity?
Examples described include housing instability, poverty, discrimination, access to dental and mental health care, and policy or system barriers.
Is this opportunity intended for early-stage or exploratory research?
Yes. The mechanism is an NIH R21, which typically supports exploratory and developmental projects intended to generate foundational knowledge, test novel ideas, or produce preliminary data that can justify larger follow-on studies.
What does the R21 mechanism imply about the kind of work NIH expects?
Based on the description provided, the R21 framing suggests NIH is looking for discovery-oriented projects such as hypothesis generation, early validation of models or mechanisms, and foundational evidence that can support future, larger studies.
Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?
No. The title explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work should not include a clinical trial as defined by NIH.
If clinical trials are not allowed, what study approaches are suggested as appropriate?
The opportunity description points to mechanistic studies, observational research, secondary data analyses, measure development, biospecimen-based investigations, and other non-trial approaches that directly advance understanding of oral-mental health intersections in HIV.
Does this FOA focus on interventions or on understanding mechanisms?
It is oriented toward understanding mechanisms and generating early evidence rather than testing an intervention for efficacy.
Who is the primary population of interest for this research?
The primary population of interest is people living with HIV.
Does the FOA encourage considering co-occurring conditions?
Yes. The FOA highlights understanding oral and mental health linkages in people living with HIV, especially when other co-occurring conditions are present.
Why does the FOA emphasize studying multiple levels of influence at once?
The opportunity is framed around the idea that oral and mental health challenges in HIV are often shaped by layered, interacting causes rather than a single factor, so NIH encourages integration across biological, psychosocial, behavioral, and social-structural levels.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S.-based organizations and governments, such as state, county, 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments.
Are nonprofits eligible to apply?
Yes. Nonprofits are eligible, including organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status.
Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are eligible, and small businesses are also eligible.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The FOA highlights additional eligible applicant categories including 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 (AANAPISIs).
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are included among eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included as eligible applicants.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply as the primary applicant?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant.
Can a U.S.-based applicant include work performed outside the United States?
Yes, foreign components are allowed as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This generally means a U.S.-based applicant can include certain activities performed outside the U.S. when well-justified and offering unique scientific value, subject to NIH policies and review considerations.
Are non-domestic components of U.S. organizations eligible to apply?
No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.
What disciplines or areas of expertise does this FOA appear to encourage?
Based on the description, the FOA encourages interdisciplinary teams that can connect dentistry/oral health science with mental health fields (psychiatry/psychology), behavioral science, immunology, neuroscience, epidemiology, and social science to explain co-occurring oral and mental health problems in HIV.
What kind of framing or study rationale would be responsive to this FOA?
A responsive project would likely present a clear conceptual framework linking biological and social mechanisms, describe how multiple drivers interact (not just correlate), and propose rigorous non-clinical-trial methods that generate insights about oral-mental health linkages in people living with HIV.
What outcomes or longer-term impact is this research intended to support?
The description suggests projects should generate insights that could inform better prevention strategies, integrated care models, and future intervention development for people living with HIV.
What was the original closing date listed in the source information provided?
The original closing date listed was 2022-07-25.
What creation date is listed for this opportunity in the source information provided?
The creation date listed was 2022-03-04.
Is the award ceiling specified in the information provided?
No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided excerpt.
Is the expected number of awards specified in the information provided?
No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided excerpt.
Where should applicants look for details like budget guidance and project period limits?
The provided information notes that these details are not included in the summarized listing and typically require checking the full FOA text for budget guidance, project period limits, and any institute-specific expectations.
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