Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 15 272
Apply for PA 15 272
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Exploiting RNA as a Target for HIV Interventions (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 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 5, 2015 and posted on Jun 5, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2018. (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: For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments City or township governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Small businesses County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Independent school districts Special district 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 funding opportunity titled "Exploiting RNA as a Target for HIV Interventions (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA 15-272) is an NIH discretionary grant program focused on early-stage, exploratory research that treats RNA biology as a central lever for new HIV interventions. The announcement emphasizes three tightly connected scientific goals: first, to better understand how viral and host long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) influence HIV replication and disease; second, to turn those lncRNA insights into practical intervention concepts; and third, to use modern RNA structural biology to uncover RNA-based targets that could support new therapies and potentially contribute to a functional cure strategy.
A major theme of the FOA is the regulatory role of both viral and cellular lncRNAs in HIV. Projects responsive to this call would typically examine how lncRNAs shape key parts of the HIV life cycle and clinical behavior, including viral replication dynamics, pathogenesis, establishment and maintenance of latency, host immune responses, and broader patterns of gene expression in infected cells or relevant tissue environments. The underlying idea is that lncRNAs can act as controllers of transcriptional programs, chromatin state, RNA processing, and cellular signaling pathways, which in turn can determine whether HIV actively replicates, remains silent in latent reservoirs, or triggers immune activation and inflammation. By asking applicants to investigate these mechanisms, the FOA is pushing for clearer causal links between specific lncRNAs (viral or host-derived) and concrete HIV outcomes that matter for treatment and eradication efforts.
The second aim moves from understanding to application: using lncRNAs as a basis for novel HIV interventions. This can include proof-of-concept approaches that manipulate lncRNA expression or function to suppress viral replication, destabilize latency, modulate immune activity, or reprogram cellular states to become less permissive to infection. While the announcement text is high-level, the intent is to stimulate innovative, risk-tolerant ideas that might not yet be ready for large clinical translation grants but could open up new therapeutic directions, including RNA-targeted modalities or strategies that indirectly affect HIV by re-tuning host regulatory networks.
The third aim highlights RNA structural biology as a rapidly advancing toolkit for HIV intervention discovery. Rather than focusing only on proteins as drug targets, the FOA encourages researchers to identify functionally important RNA structures, motifs, or conformations that could be targeted to block HIV processes or support a functional cure approach. This could involve mapping RNA structure-function relationships, identifying structural elements essential for replication or latency, and leveraging structural knowledge to guide the discovery of small molecules, antisense strategies, or other agents that selectively disrupt those RNA elements. The emphasis on "functional cure" reflects interest in approaches that achieve long-term control of HIV without continuous antiretroviral therapy, often by addressing latent reservoirs or durable immune containment, and the FOA frames RNA targeting as a plausible route to help reach that outcome.
Administratively, this is an NIH grant using the R21 mechanism, which is commonly used for exploratory and developmental projects. The award ceiling listed is $200,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted June 5, 2015, with a closing date of May 7, 2018, and it was archived June 7, 2018, meaning it is no longer accepting applications under that specific announcement. The funding activity category is Health, and the CFDA program areas referenced include 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research), and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research), reflecting cross-cutting relevance that spans infectious disease biology, immunology, and related health research domains.
Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other than small businesses), nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), public and private institutions of higher education, and multiple levels of government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts, independent school districts), as well as public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly includes a wide set of additional eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, AANAPISIs, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, eligible federal agencies, and non-U.S. entities and regional organizations. In practical terms, NIH was aiming to attract a diverse research community and a wide range of institutional capacities to push forward RNA-centered HIV science.
For reference and full details, NIH provided an additional information link to the complete announcement hosted on the NIH grants guide (PA-15-272). For access issues, the contact listed is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV, which is primarily for technical problems reaching the announcement rather than scientific program questions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?
The opportunity is titled "Exploiting RNA as a Target for HIV Interventions (R21)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PA 15-272.
What agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program.
What type of grant mechanism is used?
The announcement uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is typically used for early-stage, exploratory, and developmental research projects.
What is the overall purpose of the FOA?
The FOA supports exploratory research that treats RNA biology as a central lever for new HIV interventions, with a strong emphasis on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and RNA structural biology as pathways to identify new targets and intervention concepts.
What are the main scientific goals of the announcement?
The FOA highlights three connected goals: (1) understanding how viral and host lncRNAs influence HIV replication and disease, (2) translating those lncRNA insights into practical intervention concepts, and (3) using modern RNA structural biology to uncover RNA-based targets that could support new therapies and potentially contribute to functional cure strategies.
What research topics are considered responsive to this FOA?
Projects responsive to this call would typically examine how viral and cellular lncRNAs shape key aspects of HIV biology and clinical behavior, including viral replication dynamics, pathogenesis, establishment and maintenance of latency, host immune responses, and patterns of gene expression in infected cells or relevant tissue environments.
Why does the FOA emphasize long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs)?
The FOA emphasizes lncRNAs because they can regulate transcriptional programs, chromatin state, RNA processing, and cellular signaling pathways. These regulatory roles can affect whether HIV actively replicates, persists in latent reservoirs, or contributes to immune activation and inflammation.
Does the FOA focus on viral lncRNAs, host lncRNAs, or both?
Both. The FOA calls for research on viral and host long non-coding RNAs and their influence on HIV outcomes.
Which parts of the HIV life cycle and disease course are highlighted?
The announcement specifically highlights replication, pathogenesis, latency (including establishment and maintenance), immune responses, and broader gene-expression patterns in infected cells and relevant tissue contexts.
What does the FOA mean by moving from understanding to application?
After developing clearer causal links between specific lncRNAs and HIV outcomes, the FOA encourages proof-of-concept intervention ideas that use those lncRNA insights to propose new ways to suppress replication, destabilize latency, modulate immune activity, or reprogram cellular states to be less permissive to infection.
What kinds of intervention concepts are envisioned?
The FOA mentions proof-of-concept approaches that manipulate lncRNA expression or function and suggests RNA-targeted modalities or strategies that indirectly affect HIV by re-tuning host regulatory networks. The intent is to encourage innovative, risk-tolerant ideas that may not yet be ready for larger, later-stage translation awards.
How does RNA structural biology fit into this opportunity?
The FOA encourages researchers to identify functionally important RNA structures, motifs, or conformations that could be targeted to block HIV processes or support a functional cure approach, expanding beyond a protein-only target focus.
What kinds of RNA structural work does the FOA encourage?
Examples described at a high level include mapping RNA structure-function relationships, identifying structural elements essential for replication or latency, and using structural knowledge to guide discovery of agents (such as small molecules or antisense strategies) that selectively disrupt those RNA elements.
What is meant by a "functional cure" in the context of this FOA?
The FOA frames a functional cure as long-term control of HIV without continuous antiretroviral therapy, often involving durable immune containment and/or addressing latent reservoirs. RNA targeting is presented as a plausible route that could contribute toward that outcome.
What is the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed is $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
It was posted on June 5, 2015.
What was the closing date for applications?
The closing date listed is May 7, 2018.
Is this FOA still accepting applications?
No. The opportunity was archived on June 7, 2018, which means it is no longer accepting applications under that specific announcement.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Health.
Which CFDA program areas are referenced?
The FOA references CFDA program areas 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research), and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).
What does the FOA suggest about the cross-cutting nature of the research?
By referencing multiple CFDA areas, the FOA signals relevance spanning infectious disease biology, immunology, microbiology, and related health research domains.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other than small businesses), nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), public and private institutions of higher education, and multiple government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts, independent school districts), as well as public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and AANAPISIs.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are explicitly listed among eligible applicants.
Can U.S. territories or possessions apply?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included in the eligibility list.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies are explicitly included among eligible applicants.
Can non-U.S. entities apply?
Yes. The FOA includes non-U.S. entities and regional organizations as eligible applicants.
Where can applicants find the full official announcement?
NIH provided an additional information link to the complete announcement hosted on the NIH Grants Guide under PA-15-272.
Who is the listed contact for access or technical issues with the announcement?
The contact listed is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Is the listed contact intended for scientific program questions?
No. The contact is described as primarily for technical problems accessing the announcement, rather than for scientific or programmatic questions.
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