Advancing the development and licensure of vaginal rings and innovative systemic methods for prevention of HIV infection in women | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this USAID funding opportunity?

This is a USAID discretionary grant solicitation (APS OAA 16 000002) that plans to fund cooperative agreements focused on accelerating women-controlled HIV prevention options, particularly in settings with high HIV incidence.

What is the main purpose of the program?

The purpose is to move promising HIV prevention technologies toward real-world impact by reducing barriers across development, licensure, and delivery, so that effective prevention tools can become usable, licensable, and deliverable products for women.

How does USAID define "microbicides" in this opportunity?

USAID uses a broad definition of "microbicides" that goes beyond topical products and includes multiple forms of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis.

How many awards does USAID expect to make?

USAID indicates it plans to make between two and four awards under this notice.

What funding mechanism will be used?

The opportunity will use a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally means USAID anticipates substantial involvement during the project period, including active collaboration on planning and coordination.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broadly open to both U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, as long as they meet the requirements described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

What was the application deadline for the round described?

The application deadline listed for this round was May 20, 2016.

Is USAID looking for standalone projects?

No. USAID is not looking for isolated efforts that sit apart from the existing product pipeline. Applicants are expected to coordinate with and build upon prior and ongoing investments in HIV prevention product development.

What does USAID mean by coordinating with the existing product pipeline?

It means proposed activities should connect to and strengthen ongoing product development efforts rather than duplicating them or operating independently, with a focus on moving products along realistic pathways toward licensure and introduction.

Does USAID encourage partnerships?

Yes. The solicitation explicitly values collaboration that is "unbiased" and synergistic, including public-private partnerships that help overcome bottlenecks across dosage forms, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and development stages.

Can an applicant address more than one objective in a single proposal?

Yes. The solicitation encourages applicants to cover more than one objective in a single proposal when it makes scientific and operational sense, particularly when partnerships strengthen the work.

What is Objective 1 about?

Objective 1 focuses on expediting remaining work needed for licensure and market introduction of a dapivirine vaginal ring, while also creating "bridging" opportunities to help advance next-generation vaginal rings toward licensure.

What kinds of activities fit under Objective 1?

Based on the description, Objective 1 emphasizes late-stage, product-focused work intended to shorten the timeline between evidence generation and real-world availability, including practical, regulatory, and implementation-oriented steps needed for authorization and introduction of a ring product.

What are "bridging" opportunities for next-generation vaginal rings?

They are opportunities that build on progress made with the dapivirine vaginal ring to help move improved, next-generation ring designs forward toward licensure, rather than restarting development in isolation.

Does USAID express interest in longer-duration vaginal rings?

Yes. The opportunity highlights next-generation rings, including longer-duration rings (for example, 90 days or more), reflecting interest in improved adherence and convenience through extended duration of protection and less frequent product replacement.

What is Objective 2 about?

Objective 2 focuses on developing and optimizing systemic microbicides and multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs), including products that can combine HIV prevention with other benefits such as pregnancy prevention.

What are systemic microbicides in the context of this opportunity?

They are prevention modalities intended to deliver protective drug levels systemically (rather than locally), and the opportunity prioritizes development work that improves product profile, feasibility, and readiness for later clinical and regulatory steps.

What are multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) in this solicitation?

MPTs are products designed to address HIV prevention while also providing additional sexual and reproductive health benefits, such as pregnancy prevention, reflecting a goal of integrated options that may improve acceptability and uptake.

What does USAID mean by "unbiased" and synergistic collaboration?

In this context, it refers to partnerships structured to complement and strengthen the broader field and pipeline across different product types and development stages, helping to resolve bottlenecks rather than favoring narrow or disconnected efforts.

Is the goal basic research or product readiness?

The emphasis described is on translating HIV prevention science into licensed, market-ready products by addressing late-stage licensure and introduction needs (Objective 1) and advancing the pipeline of systemic and multipurpose products toward readiness for subsequent clinical and regulatory steps (Objective 2).

Is there a published maximum award amount in the information provided?

No award ceiling is specified in the provided summary fields. The description suggests funding levels may be determined based on scope, negotiated budgets, and the number of awards made rather than a fixed maximum in the summary record.

What level of USAID involvement should awardees expect?

Because this is a cooperative agreement, awardees should expect active collaboration with USAID on planning, coordination with other investments, and alignment with overall product development and licensure pathways.

What is the overarching end goal of projects funded under this opportunity?

The end goal is to overcome development and delivery barriers so that effective HIV prevention tools can be licensed, introduced, and delivered to women, especially in high-incidence settings.