Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 08 153
Apply for PAR 08 153
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Collaborative HIV/AIDS Studies in the Middle East and North Africa (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 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.989 International Research and Research Training.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 5, 2008 and posted on May 9, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Private institutions of higher education Small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions 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) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Collaborative HIV/AIDS Studies in the Middle East and North Africa (R21) opportunity (PAR-08-153) is an NIH discretionary grant program designed to spark exploratory and early-stage (developmental) HIV/AIDS research collaborations focused specifically on low- and middle-income countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It is sponsored by several NIH institutes: the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), with the Fogarty International Center (FIC) participating only as a secondary assignment for potential co-funding when another institute is the primary assignee. In practical terms, the program is meant to help teams test ideas, collect pilot data, and build partnerships that can later grow into larger, sustained HIV research efforts with clear public health value.
The geographic focus is tightly defined using World Bank classifications for MENA low- and middle-income settings. The countries and territories specifically named are Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen. Projects are expected to be relevant to HIV/AIDS in these settings, reflecting the region’s distinct epidemiology, social context, and health system realities rather than simply transplanting approaches developed elsewhere without adaptation.
A central requirement is true collaboration: applications must include U.S.-based investigators affiliated with a U.S. organization working in partnership with one or more research teams in the MENA region. The collaboration is not framed as a minor “field site” arrangement; it is intended to strengthen HIV-relevant research infrastructure and expertise in the region. That can include building local capacity to conduct studies, improving data systems or methods, developing trained research personnel, establishing ethical and regulatory research processes, and creating durable institutional relationships that continue beyond a single small award. The overall expectation is that an R21 project will serve as a launchpad, generating enough evidence, feasibility data, and collaborative momentum to lead to follow-on research and, ultimately, improvements in prevention, care, and population health outcomes.
The FOA highlights a broad range of eligible research topics. It explicitly invites epidemiologic studies that clarify the distribution and drivers of HIV infection in MENA contexts, including identifying key populations, patterns of transmission, and gaps in surveillance. It also encourages prevention research from both biomedical and social/behavioral perspectives, which can include evaluating prevention strategies, testing approaches to increase uptake and adherence to biomedical tools, and developing culturally and contextually appropriate behavioral interventions. Another emphasized area is research on the social factors shaping HIV spread in the region, such as stigma, discrimination, gender dynamics, legal and policy environments, conflict and displacement, economic constraints, and barriers to accessing services. The announcement also calls attention to research focused on women and youth, reflecting the need to understand vulnerabilities, prevention opportunities, and service gaps affecting these groups.
From an administrative standpoint, this is an NIH grant using the R21 mechanism, which is typically aimed at exploratory, higher-risk or early proof-of-concept work rather than large, definitive trials. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, and the opportunity indicates no cost sharing or matching requirement. The Funding Opportunity was posted May 9, 2008, with an original and final closing date of May 7, 2011, and it was archived June 7, 2011, meaning it is no longer accepting applications as written but remains a useful reference for the type of projects NIH sought under this program.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common NIH applicant categories: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses in the specific wording provided, though small businesses are also listed as eligible), state governments, and certain tribal governments and tribal organizations. The FOA also specifies additional eligible applicant types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility is consistent with the collaborative intent: it allows academic institutions, community organizations, and cross-border research partners to form teams that match local realities and scientific needs.
Overall, the grant’s purpose is straightforward: support U.S.-MENA research partnerships to develop and pilot HIV/AIDS studies that are scientifically sound, regionally relevant, and positioned to grow into larger efforts. The emphasis is as much on building lasting research capability and collaborative networks in MENA as it is on answering a single research question, with the long-term goal of enabling stronger evidence-based HIV prevention and public health improvements across the region.
FAQs: Collaborative HIV/AIDS Studies in the Middle East and North Africa (R21) (PAR-08-153)
What is PAR-08-153?
PAR-08-153 is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity titled "Collaborative HIV/AIDS Studies in the Middle East and North Africa (R21)." It was designed to spark exploratory and early-stage (developmental) HIV/AIDS research collaborations focused on low- and middle-income countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The program was intended to help research teams test ideas, collect pilot data, and build genuine U.S.-MENA research partnerships that could grow into larger, sustained HIV research efforts with clear public health value. In addition to generating early evidence, the program emphasized building lasting research capability and collaborative networks in MENA.
Is this opportunity still accepting applications?
No. The opportunity listed an original and final closing date of May 7, 2011 and was archived on June 7, 2011. As written, it is no longer accepting applications, but it remains a reference for the kinds of projects NIH sought under this program.
What NIH grant mechanism does this use?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is typically used for exploratory, higher-risk, or early proof-of-concept projects rather than large, definitive studies.
What is the maximum award amount?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Which NIH institutes sponsor this opportunity?
The opportunity is sponsored by multiple NIH institutes: the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
What is the Fogarty International Center's role in this opportunity?
The Fogarty International Center (FIC) participates only as a secondary assignment for potential co-funding when another institute is the primary assignee.
What region is this program focused on?
The geographic focus is tightly defined around low- and middle-income settings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), using World Bank classifications.
Which countries and territories are specifically included in the eligible MENA focus area?
The opportunity specifically names the following countries and territories: Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen.
Do projects have to be specifically relevant to HIV/AIDS in MENA settings?
Yes. Projects are expected to reflect the region's distinct epidemiology, social context, and health system realities. The intent is not to simply transplant approaches developed elsewhere without adaptation.
Is collaboration required, and what kind of collaboration is expected?
True collaboration is a central requirement. Applications must include U.S.-based investigators affiliated with a U.S. organization working in partnership with one or more research teams in the MENA region. The collaboration is meant to go beyond a simple "field site" arrangement and should strengthen HIV-relevant research infrastructure and expertise in the region.
What kinds of capacity-building activities are consistent with the collaboration requirement?
The opportunity describes capacity strengthening such as building local capacity to conduct studies, improving data systems or research methods, developing trained research personnel, establishing ethical and regulatory research processes, and creating durable institutional relationships that continue beyond a single small award.
What kinds of studies or outcomes is an R21 project expected to produce under this program?
The expectation is that an R21 project will serve as a launchpad by generating early evidence, feasibility results, pilot data, and collaborative momentum that can lead to follow-on research and, ultimately, improvements in prevention, care, and population health outcomes.
What types of research topics are encouraged?
The FOA highlights a broad range of eligible topics, including epidemiologic research (distribution and drivers of HIV infection, key populations, transmission patterns, surveillance gaps), prevention research (biomedical and social/behavioral), research on social factors shaping HIV spread (stigma, discrimination, gender dynamics, legal and policy environments, conflict and displacement, economic constraints, service access barriers), and research focused on women and youth.
Does the opportunity encourage epidemiologic studies?
Yes. It explicitly invites epidemiologic studies that clarify the distribution and drivers of HIV infection in MENA contexts, including identifying key populations, patterns of transmission, and gaps in surveillance.
Does it support prevention research?
Yes. The FOA encourages prevention research from both biomedical and social/behavioral perspectives, including evaluating prevention strategies, testing approaches to increase uptake and adherence to biomedical tools, and developing culturally and contextually appropriate behavioral interventions.
Are social and structural factors within scope?
Yes. The announcement emphasizes research on social factors shaping HIV spread in the region, such as stigma, discrimination, gender dynamics, legal and policy environments, conflict and displacement, economic constraints, and barriers to accessing services.
Are women and youth explicitly included as focus areas?
Yes. The FOA calls attention to research focused on women and youth, highlighting the need to understand vulnerabilities, prevention opportunities, and service gaps affecting these groups.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations, state governments, and certain tribal governments and tribal organizations. The FOA also lists additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations as eligible applicant types, consistent with the collaborative focus on U.S.-MENA partnerships.
Are community-based or faith-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes faith-based or community-based organizations among the eligible applicant types.
Does the opportunity include for-profit organizations?
Yes. For-profit organizations are included among the eligible applicant categories in the information provided.
What long-term impact was NIH aiming for with this program?
The long-term goal was to enable stronger evidence-based HIV prevention and public health improvements across the MENA region by supporting early-stage, regionally relevant research and building durable collaborative research capacity.
When was this opportunity posted, and when did it close?
The Funding Opportunity was posted May 9, 2008. It had an original and final closing date of May 7, 2011, and it was archived June 7, 2011.
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