Advancing the Impact of Effective HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Interventions (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Advancing the Impact of Effective HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Interventions (R01)."

2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PA 11-271.

3) Which agency and NIH Institute issued this opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), specifically the Division of AIDS Research.

4) What grant mechanism does this funding opportunity use?

It uses the R01 mechanism, intended to support hypothesis-driven, investigator-initiated research projects with sufficient scope to generate strong, generalizable evidence.

5) What is the main purpose of this FOA?

The purpose is to increase the real-world public health impact of HIV prevention and treatment interventions that already have evidence supporting them. Rather than inventing brand-new interventions from scratch, the focus is on improving how proven interventions are delivered, scaled, sustained, and implemented in the settings where they are most needed.

6) Is this FOA focused on developing new HIV interventions?

No. The central purpose is not to create entirely new HIV interventions, but to strengthen the population-level impact of interventions that already have evidence behind them by improving reach, uptake, quality, and sustainability in real-world practice.

7) What core problem or gap is the FOA trying to address?

A major theme is the gap between what research shows can work and what actually reaches people and communities in everyday settings. The FOA encourages research that helps move proven HIV prevention and treatment strategies into broader use and improves implementation quality across diverse service systems.

8) How does this FOA relate to NIMH priorities?

NIMH frames this area as part of its Strategic Plan, particularly the objective focused on strengthening public health impact. The FOA emphasizes implementation questions and practical research that determines whether interventions make a measurable difference outside controlled research environments.

9) Does this FOA align with national HIV planning priorities?

Yes. The announcement is aligned with major national planning documents, including the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the NIH Office of AIDS Research Plan for HIV/AIDS Related Research. It signals that projects should connect to national priorities such as improving outcomes across HIV prevention and care continua and reducing disparities.

10) What types of research projects is this FOA trying to attract?

The FOA is meant to attract projects that increase the reach, uptake, fidelity, effectiveness, and sustainability of evidence-based HIV-related interventions. It encourages work that improves delivery in real-world settings and reduces barriers to adoption and quality implementation.

11) What does the FOA mean by "reach" and "uptake" in practice?

Based on the description, "reach" and "uptake" refer to whether proven interventions actually get to the people and communities who need them, and whether organizations and service systems adopt and use them in routine practice (not just in controlled research settings).

12) What does the FOA mean by "fidelity" and why does it matter?

"Fidelity" refers to delivering an intervention as intended so that effectiveness is preserved. The FOA highlights improving implementation quality, which includes maintaining fidelity while scaling up or adapting interventions for different settings or populations.

13) Can projects study adapting interventions for different populations or contexts?

Yes. The FOA includes studying how evidence-based interventions are adapted for different populations or service contexts without losing effectiveness.

14) Does this FOA support research on scaling interventions across organizations or systems?

Yes. It includes research on how organizations and systems can build capacity to deliver interventions at scale, and how to support broader use and sustained delivery.

15) What kinds of barriers or influencing factors does the FOA highlight?

The FOA explicitly points to policy, financing, workforce issues, stigma, mental health comorbidities, substance use, and structural barriers as factors that can affect intervention delivery and outcomes.

16) Is there an emphasis on mental health or behavioral dimensions of HIV?

Yes. Because the opportunity is issued by NIMH, there is an implied emphasis on behavioral, social, and mental health dimensions of HIV prevention and treatment, and on implementation questions that shape real-world impact.

17) What is the funding instrument and funding type category?

The opportunity uses the grant funding instrument and is categorized as discretionary funding.

18) What is the activity category?

It falls under the health activity category.

19) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants).

20) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

21) When was this FOA posted?

It was posted on July 26, 2011.

22) What was the final application due date?

The final application due date listed was May 7, 2014.

23) Is this funding opportunity still active?

No. The archive date is June 7, 2014, indicating the FOA is no longer active. It may still be useful as a reference for understanding the types of research NIMH has historically prioritized in this area.

24) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. It includes many types of domestic organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and multiple levels of government (state and local governments such as county, city/township, and special districts), among others.

25) Are community-based and faith-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes faith-based and community-based organizations.

26) Are specific institution types (HBCUs, HSIs, and others) included in eligibility?

Yes. The FOA explicitly includes historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and other mission-driven and community-connected entities identified in the eligibility description.

27) Are tribal governments eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes tribal governments, including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal entities.

28) Are public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. The FOA lists public housing authorities, including Indian housing authorities, as eligible.

29) Are independent school districts eligible?

Yes. Independent school districts are explicitly listed as eligible.

30) Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA allows non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) to apply.

31) Can non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations be included?

Yes. The FOA allows non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations, supporting global or cross-national work where scientifically justified.

32) Where can applicants find the original full text of the announcement?

The announcement provided an NIH link to the funding opportunity on the NIH grants guide site.

33) Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing or linking to the FOA?

For technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement, the listed contact is the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.