Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 11 091
Apply for RFA MH 11 091
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Behavioral Mechanisms in Biomedical Strategies to Prevent HIV Infections (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.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 17, 2010 and posted on Aug 17, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 4, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts State governments City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Private institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Behavioral Mechanisms in Biomedical Strategies to Prevent HIV Infections (R21) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-11-091) was a discretionary research grant competition run by the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Its central goal was to push forward research that explains how behavioral and social factors shape the real-world performance of biomedical HIV prevention strategies. In other words, the FOA was not primarily about inventing a new drug or device by itself, but about understanding the human and social elements that can make a biomedical prevention approach succeed or fall short once it is used by people in everyday settings. The announcement recognizes that even highly promising biomedical tools to prevent HIV can be limited by issues like adherence, decision-making, risk perception, relationship dynamics, stigma, structural barriers, and other behavioral or contextual influences.
This FOA used the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant mechanism (R21), which is typically designed for early-stage, proof-of-concept, or innovative projects where investigators are developing new ideas, measures, models, or preliminary data that could later support larger-scale studies. The R21 structure signals that NIMH was looking for creative, potentially high-impact exploratory work rather than large, fully powered effectiveness trials. The announcement also noted it was part of a coordinated set of parallel FOAs with the same scientific scope: one aligned to the R01 mechanism (MH-11-090) for more mature, extensive research projects, and another aligned to the R34 mechanism (MH-11-092), which is often used to support developmental work that prepares the ground for clinical trials or larger intervention studies. Together, these companion announcements offered multiple pathways depending on how developed an applicant's research program and study design were.
In terms of funding levels and expected awards, NIMH planned to commit about $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2011 across this FOA and its companion FOAs, with an anticipated total of four to six awards. For the R21 specifically, the listed award ceiling was $200,000, indicating the maximum amount that could be awarded under the stated limits. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, so applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds to be considered competitive.
Eligibility was broad and included a wide range of domestic and non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants included federal, state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The FOA also allowed applications from nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. Importantly, eligibility explicitly extended to tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and a range of mission-focused institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). Faith-based and community-based organizations were also listed as eligible, and the announcement allowed non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, reflecting an openness to global and community-rooted perspectives relevant to HIV prevention.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted and created on August 17, 2010, with an original and current closing date of January 4, 2011, and an archive date of February 4, 2011. It was categorized under Health, associated with CFDA number 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants). The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide site, and the contact information provided primarily directed applicants to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster support for access or linking issues, rather than listing a specific program officer contact within the text provided.
Overall, this R21 FOA can be read as an effort by NIMH to ensure that biomedical HIV prevention innovations are studied not only as biological interventions but as strategies whose outcomes are tightly bound to behavior, social context, and implementation realities. The emphasis on behavioral mechanisms highlights practical questions that often determine impact in the field, such as whether people can and will use prevention technologies correctly and consistently, how social networks and relationships influence uptake, and how structural constraints and mental health factors interact with prevention tool effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Behavioral Mechanisms in Biomedical Strategies to Prevent HIV Infections (R21).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-11-091.
Which agency ran this funding opportunity?
This was a discretionary research grant competition run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The central goal was to advance research explaining how behavioral and social factors influence the real-world performance of biomedical HIV prevention strategies. The focus is on the human and contextual elements that can determine whether a biomedical prevention approach works well in everyday settings.
Is this FOA mainly about inventing new HIV prevention drugs or devices?
No. The emphasis is not primarily on creating a new drug or device by itself, but on understanding the behavioral, social, and contextual factors that can make biomedical prevention tools succeed or fall short when used by people.
What kinds of behavioral or social factors does the FOA highlight?
The announcement notes that even highly promising biomedical tools can be limited by issues such as adherence, decision-making, risk perception, relationship dynamics, stigma, structural barriers, and other behavioral or contextual influences.
What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?
This FOA uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant mechanism (R21).
What does the R21 mechanism suggest about the type of projects NIMH wanted?
The R21 mechanism is typically designed for early-stage, proof-of-concept, or innovative projects. In this context, it signals an interest in creative exploratory work, including developing new ideas, measures, models, or preliminary data that could support later, larger-scale studies.
Does the FOA indicate whether NIMH wanted large, fully powered effectiveness trials?
Based on the description provided, the R21 structure indicates NIMH was looking for exploratory work rather than large, fully powered effectiveness trials.
Were there related or companion funding announcements?
Yes. The announcement was part of a coordinated set of parallel FOAs with the same scientific scope, including an R01 companion FOA (MH-11-090) and an R34 companion FOA (MH-11-092).
How did the companion FOAs differ in intent from the R21?
Based on the information provided: the R01 companion was for more mature, extensive research projects, while the R34 companion is often used for developmental work that prepares for clinical trials or larger intervention studies. The R21 targeted earlier-stage, innovative exploratory work.
How much funding did NIMH plan to commit?
NIMH planned to commit about $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2011 across this FOA and its companion FOAs.
How many awards were anticipated?
The anticipated total was four to six awards across this FOA and its companion FOAs.
What was the maximum award amount for the R21 under this FOA?
For the R21 specifically, the listed award ceiling was $200,000, indicating the maximum amount that could be awarded under the stated limits.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement noted for this opportunity.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included a wide range of domestic and non-domestic organizations, including many government entities, higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits (other than small businesses), and small businesses.
Which types of government entities were eligible?
Eligible applicants included federal, state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and also tribal governments.
Were colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. The FOA allowed applications from public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
Were nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Both nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status were listed as eligible.
Were for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA allowed applications from for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and also from small businesses.
Were faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly listed faith-based and community-based organizations as eligible applicants.
Were Tribal organizations and Tribal colleges included in eligibility?
Yes. Eligibility explicitly extended to tribal organizations and included Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
Did the FOA include eligibility for mission-focused or minority-serving institutions?
Yes. The FOA listed several mission-focused institution categories, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
Were housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities were listed as eligible applicants.
Were foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA allowed non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), as well as regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted/created on August 17, 2010.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed was January 4, 2011.
When was the FOA archived?
The archive date was February 4, 2011.
What topic area and CFDA number were associated with this FOA?
The opportunity was categorized under Health and associated with CFDA 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants).
Where was the full announcement made available?
The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide site.
What contact information was provided in the text described?
The contact information described primarily directed applicants to NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster support for access or linking issues, rather than naming a specific program officer within the text provided.
What is the overall takeaway of this FOA in plain language?
It reflects an effort by NIMH to make sure biomedical HIV prevention innovations are studied not only as biological interventions, but as strategies whose outcomes depend heavily on behavior, social context, and real-world implementation.
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