Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 15 022
Apply for RFA AI 15 022
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Consortia for Innovative AIDS Research in Nonhuman Primates (UM1)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 29, 2015 and posted on Apr 29, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $10,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) County governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Special district governments Independent school districts Public and State controlled 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 Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Private institutions of higher education City or township governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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 NIH funding opportunity RFA-AI-15-022, titled "Consortia for Innovative AIDS Research in Nonhuman Primates (UM1)," is a cooperative agreement program designed to support large, team-based research efforts that use nonhuman primate (NHP) models to answer high-priority questions in HIV/AIDS vaccine and cure-related science. The central requirement is that the proposed research must build on a vaccine that has already demonstrated protection in at least a subset of NHPs against a lethal mucosal challenge with SIV or SHIV. In other words, this program is not meant for early, speculative vaccine concepts; it is aimed at digging into a vaccine signal that is already real and measurable in primates, then using that foundation to understand why protection occurred and how it might be leveraged to move the field forward.
A major goal of the FOA is to establish and support a collaborative, multidisciplinary NHP consortium. The consortium structure reflects the complexity of the problem: determining how a vaccine blocks infection at mucosal sites, or prevents the transition from early infection to persistent systemic infection, usually requires coordinated expertise in immunology, virology, mucosal biology, pathogenesis, bioinformatics, animal model design, and sometimes clinical translation. The consortium is expected to focus on elucidating protective mechanisms, such as identifying immune correlates of protection, understanding which arms of the immune response are responsible (for example, antibody-mediated functions, T cell responses, innate immunity, or combinations of these), and clarifying the timing and anatomical location where protection is achieved (particularly at mucosal portals of entry). A key theme is mechanism: not simply documenting that protection happens, but explaining how it happens in a way that can guide better vaccine design and evaluation.
The second major goal is to fund research that uses innovative approaches incorporating a vaccine and/or other immune interventions as part of strategies to address viral persistence. Specifically, the FOA calls for studies aimed at eliminating SIV/SHIV proviral reservoirs in NHPs or achieving sustained remission after stopping highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This positions the program at the intersection of vaccine research and cure research. Rather than treating vaccination only as a preventive tool, the FOA encourages exploring vaccine-based or immune-based strategies that could work alongside antiretroviral therapy to reduce or control reservoirs, with endpoints that include durable control after therapy interruption. The emphasis on NHPs is important because primate models allow controlled mucosal challenge, intensive tissue sampling, and interventional studies that are difficult or impossible in humans, while still capturing many of the biological features relevant to HIV infection and persistence.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NIH opportunity using the UM1 mechanism, which is a cooperative agreement. That means awardees should expect substantial involvement from the NIH in areas like coordination, milestones, and programmatic oversight, as is typical for consortium-driven efforts where harmonization and shared goals are critical. The FOA was posted April 29, 2015, with an original and current closing date of July 29, 2015, and an archive date of August 29, 2015. The estimated total funding level listed is $10,000,000, signaling support for a relatively large-scale program rather than small, single-investigator projects.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations. The FOA also specifies eligibility for a wide range of institutions and communities, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, U.S. territories and possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities and regional organizations. The lack of a cost-sharing or matching requirement lowers barriers for applicants and keeps the focus on scientific and operational readiness to conduct demanding NHP research.
The opportunity is categorized under CFDA numbers 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research), reflecting its placement within NIAID-relevant priorities. Overall, the FOA is best understood as an effort to capitalize on an existing protective vaccine result in primates, assemble the kind of coordinated consortium needed to dissect protective mechanisms with rigor, and push into innovative vaccine-plus-immune-intervention strategies aimed not only at preventing acquisition but also at controlling or clearing infection-related reservoirs in a translationally relevant animal model.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity RFA-AI-15-022?
RFA-AI-15-022 is an NIH funding opportunity titled "Consortia for Innovative AIDS Research in Nonhuman Primates (UM1)." It supports large, team-based research efforts that use nonhuman primate (NHP) models to address high-priority questions in HIV/AIDS vaccine and cure-related science.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program is designed to build a collaborative, multidisciplinary NHP consortium to (1) rigorously explain how an already-protective vaccine achieved protection in NHPs and (2) use innovative vaccine-based and/or immune-based approaches to address viral persistence, including studies aimed at eliminating SIV/SHIV reservoirs or achieving sustained remission after stopping HAART.
What is the required starting point for proposed vaccine research?
The proposed research must build on a vaccine that has already demonstrated protection in at least a subset of nonhuman primates against a lethal mucosal challenge with SIV or SHIV.
Does this opportunity support early-stage or speculative vaccine concepts?
No. The FOA is aimed at advancing work from an existing, measurable protective vaccine signal in primates, not at testing early or speculative vaccine concepts.
What animal models are expected for this research?
The opportunity is centered on nonhuman primate (NHP) models, using SIV or SHIV challenge systems to study vaccine protection and viral persistence in a translationally relevant setting.
What kinds of scientific questions is the consortium expected to answer?
The consortium is expected to focus on understanding protective mechanisms, such as identifying immune correlates of protection, determining which immune responses are responsible (for example antibody-mediated functions, T cell responses, innate immunity, or combinations), and clarifying when and where protection occurs, particularly at mucosal portals of entry.
Is the emphasis more on demonstrating protection or explaining protection?
The emphasis is strongly on mechanism: not simply documenting that protection occurs, but explaining how it occurs in ways that can guide better vaccine design and evaluation.
What role do mucosal sites play in the goals of this FOA?
Mucosal sites are a key theme. The research is expected to address how a vaccine blocks infection at mucosal sites or prevents the transition from early infection to persistent systemic infection, including the timing and anatomical location where protection is achieved.
What is the second major research goal beyond vaccine mechanism studies?
The second major goal is to fund research using innovative approaches that incorporate a vaccine and/or other immune interventions as part of strategies to address viral persistence, including eliminating SIV/SHIV proviral reservoirs in NHPs or achieving sustained remission after stopping highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
Does the FOA encourage combining vaccination with other interventions?
Yes. The FOA encourages exploring vaccine-based or immune-based strategies that may work alongside antiretroviral therapy to reduce or control reservoirs, with endpoints that include durable control after therapy interruption.
Why are nonhuman primates emphasized for these studies?
NHP models allow controlled mucosal challenge, intensive tissue sampling, and interventional studies that are difficult or impossible in humans, while still capturing many biological features relevant to HIV infection and persistence.
What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the UM1 mechanism, which is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement (UM1)?
A cooperative agreement indicates substantial NIH involvement in the program. Awardees should expect NIH participation in areas such as coordination, milestones, and programmatic oversight, which is typical for consortium-driven efforts requiring harmonization and shared goals.
Is this intended to fund small, single-investigator projects?
No. The FOA is described as supporting a large, team-based consortium approach, aligned with the complexity of answering mechanistic vaccine and persistence questions in NHP models.
What is the estimated total funding level for this FOA?
The estimated total funding level listed is $10,000,000, indicating support for a relatively large-scale program.
When was the FOA posted and when did it close?
The FOA was posted on April 29, 2015. The original and current closing date is July 29, 2015, and the archive date is August 29, 2015.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA specifies that there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and government entities (state, county, city/township, and special districts), as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations.
Are specific institution types explicitly included (for example HBCUs or Hispanic-serving institutions)?
Yes. The FOA specifies eligibility for a wide range of institutions and communities, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, and entities in U.S. territories and possessions.
Are non-U.S. organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes eligibility for non-U.S. (foreign) entities and regional organizations.
Which NIH scientific areas does this opportunity align with?
The opportunity aligns with NIH priorities in allergy, immunology, and infectious diseases research, particularly HIV/AIDS vaccine and cure-related science conducted in nonhuman primate models.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this FOA?
The FOA is categorized under CFDA 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).
What types of expertise are implied by the consortium model?
The consortium model reflects the need for coordinated expertise in areas such as immunology, virology, mucosal biology, pathogenesis, bioinformatics, animal model design, and sometimes clinical translation.
What infections or challenge viruses are referenced in the requirement?
The FOA references mucosal challenges using SIV or SHIV, and the central requirement is protection against a lethal mucosal challenge in NHPs.
What outcomes related to viral persistence are highlighted?
Highlighted outcomes include eliminating SIV/SHIV proviral reservoirs in NHPs or achieving sustained remission after stopping HAART, including durable control after therapy interruption.
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