HIV/AIDS, Severe Mental Illness And Homelessness (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NIH PA-07-090 (HIV/AIDS, Severe Mental Illness, and Homelessness)

1) What is this funding opportunity about?

This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), PA-07-090, supports research on the intersecting public health issues of HIV/AIDS, severe mental illness (SMI), and homelessness. The overarching purpose is to expand and strengthen HIV-related research that specifically addresses people living with SMI and to more intentionally include homeless populations in HIV research.

2) Which NIH institutes are sponsoring this FOA?

The FOA is jointly sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

3) Who are the primary populations of interest?

The FOA focuses on (1) people living with severe mental illness (including those at risk for HIV prior to infection and those managing HIV after infection) and (2) people experiencing homelessness. A key emphasis is on the overlapping vulnerabilities and real-world complexity faced by these communities.

4) What types of research does the FOA encourage?

The FOA invites studies that develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate effective HIV prevention interventions tailored to the target populations. It also encourages epidemiology-focused research to improve understanding of HIV patterns, risk behaviors, and determinants among people with SMI and/or people experiencing homelessness.

5) What does the FOA mean by “real-world complexity”?

It highlights that HIV risk, prevention, and care for people with SMI and people experiencing homelessness often occur alongside co-occurring issues (such as substance use) and structural barriers (such as housing instability, poverty, stigma, and limited continuity of care). Applicants are encouraged to design projects that reflect these overlapping challenges in the settings where services are actually delivered.

6) What kinds of settings are appropriate for intervention research under this FOA?

The FOA points to practical service settings where the target populations receive care or support, including community mental health programs, substance use treatment settings, shelters, street outreach programs, supportive housing, emergency departments, and criminal legal system touchpoints.

7) What intervention activities are in scope?

Projects may involve designing new HIV prevention approaches or adapting existing approaches for the target populations and the service settings where they are reached. The FOA also supports implementing and evaluating interventions and emphasizes dissemination when interventions prove effective.

8) What epidemiology topics are in scope?

The FOA specifically references epidemiologic work related to HIV prevalence and incidence, risk and protective factors, transmission-related behaviors, barriers to service access, comorbid substance use, and structural drivers such as housing instability, poverty, stigma, and limited continuity of care.

9) Is substance use considered relevant to the research focus?

Yes. The FOA explicitly notes comorbid substance use as part of the epidemiologic and determinant-focused emphasis, and it is jointly sponsored by NIDA and NIAAA alongside NIMH, underscoring the relevance of addiction science and alcohol research in this area.

10) Does the FOA support research beyond prevention?

Yes. While there is a strong emphasis on HIV prevention interventions, the FOA also addresses people managing HIV after infection and encourages research that reflects the complexities of prevention, care, and risk for the target populations.

11) Are multidisciplinary teams encouraged?

Yes. The FOA emphasizes that high-quality research in this space often requires multidisciplinary teams and collaborative alliances, including expertise in mental health, infectious disease, addiction science, alcohol research, public health, social services, and community-based systems serving homeless populations.

12) Are community partnerships relevant to competitiveness?

The FOA encourages partnerships with the community-based systems where people with SMI and/or people experiencing homelessness receive services (for example shelters, outreach programs, supportive housing, and community mental health programs), aiming for research that is feasible in real service settings and capable of being scaled or disseminated if effective.

13) What is the primary NIH funding mechanism for this announcement?

The primary funding mechanism is the NIH Research Project Grant (R01), commonly used for full-scale, hypothesis-driven projects with substantial scope.

14) Are there other NIH mechanisms that might fit similar scientific aims?

Yes. NIH notes that projects with similar scientific aims might also fit other mechanisms, including the R03 (Small Research Grant), R21 (Exploratory/Developmental Grant), and the NIMH R34 (Clinical Exploratory Research Grant). These are referenced through separate FOAs, and applicants are expected to choose a mechanism aligned with the project stage, budget needs, and deliverables.

15) Are the funding level and number of awards specified?

No. The FOA does not fix funding levels or the number of awards. Budgets and project durations are expected to vary depending on the nature and scope of the proposed work, and the total number of awards depends on application volume, scientific quality, requested costs, and proposed timelines.

16) Is cost-sharing or matching required?

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

17) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types, including state and local governments; county and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; tribal governments and tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and other entities as described in the full announcement.

18) Can foreign institutions apply?

Yes. The FOA explicitly states that foreign institutions may apply.

19) Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA states that eligible federal agencies may apply.

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

Yes. The FOA explicitly states that faith-based and community-based organizations are eligible, which aligns with the community-rooted nature of many homeless services and outreach programs.

21) How is this opportunity categorized administratively?

It is categorized as a discretionary grant in the education and health activity areas.

22) What CFDA numbers are associated with this FOA?

The FOA lists CFDA numbers 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), 93.273 (Alcohol Research Programs), and 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs).

23) When was the FOA posted, and is it still active?

The FOA was posted on November 27, 2006. The listing was later archived (archive date February 2, 2010), and the summary describes what the program sought to fund during its active period.

24) What does it mean that the FOA used multiple receipt dates?

It means submissions were accepted on recurring NIH deadlines during the active period of the announcement, rather than having only a single one-time due date.

25) Where was the full announcement hosted, and where could applicants get technical support?

The full announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide (via the provided link in the original listing). Applicants needing technical help were directed to NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) web support contacts.