Increased Knowledge and Innovative Strategies to Reduce HIV Incidence-iKnow Projects (R01) | Apply Online

FAQs: Increased Knowledge and Innovative Strategies to Reduce HIV Incidence - iKnow Projects (R01) (PAR 16-117)

What is the iKnow Projects (R01) funding opportunity?

The Increased Knowledge and Innovative Strategies to Reduce HIV Incidence - iKnow Projects (R01) funding opportunity (PAR 16-117) is a discretionary NIH grant program under HHS (listed as HHS-NIH11). It supports research intended to reduce new HIV infections by improving how people with undiagnosed HIV are identified and linked to care, and by developing and evaluating integrated prevention approaches that can reduce onward transmission.

Which agency runs this program?

The program is run under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The listing references HHS-NIH11.

What is the main goal of this FOA?

The main goal is to lower HIV incidence (new infections) by funding research that (1) improves identification of people living with HIV-1 who do not know their status and strengthens linkage to testing and services, and/or (2) develops and evaluates novel integrated biomedical and behavioral interventions to reduce onward transmission.

What does "iKnow" emphasize about HIV diagnosis and outcomes?

A central theme is that diagnosis alone is not enough. The research focus includes real-world barriers to linkage and engagement so that individuals move from being unaware of infection to confirmatory testing and rapid connection to appropriate treatment, prevention, and related services.

What is the funding mechanism used in this opportunity?

The FOA uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is typically used for hypothesis-driven, investigator-initiated research and can support substantial, multi-year study designs.

When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on March 3, 2016. The application closing date listed is May 8, 2018.

What activity category is this FOA associated with?

The activity category is listed as Education and Health.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The relevant CFDA numbers listed are 93.242, 93.279, 93.855, and 93.856.

What research topics does the FOA prioritize?

The FOA highlights two primary directions: (1) innovative strategies to identify people living with HIV-1 who are undiagnosed and to link them to testing, treatment, and prevention services; and (2) development and early evaluation of integrated interventions that combine biomedical and behavioral strategies to reduce onward transmission.

Do applicants have to address both research directions?

No. Applicants may propose research addressing either one of the two main directions or both.

What kinds of projects fit under the first research direction (finding undiagnosed individuals and linking to care)?

This direction focuses on improving how harder-to-reach populations are located, reducing missed opportunities for diagnosis, optimizing identification approaches beyond simply increasing test volume, and strengthening the pathway from identification to confirmatory testing and rapid entry into treatment, prevention, and other relevant services.

What does the FOA mean by improving "linkage" to services?

In this context, linkage includes successfully connecting individuals who may be undiagnosed to HIV testing, confirmatory diagnosis, and timely access to treatment and prevention services, while addressing practical barriers that prevent people from engaging and staying connected.

What kinds of projects fit under the second research direction (integrated interventions)?

This direction supports the development and early evaluation of novel, integrated interventions that combine biomedical and behavioral components to meaningfully reduce the probability of onward HIV transmission in target populations.

What does "integrated" mean in the context of this FOA?

"Integrated" implies coordinated packages that combine biomedical strategies (such as treatment-as-prevention concepts or other clinical prevention modalities) with behavioral components that address factors like adherence, risk behavior, engagement in care, stigma, partner notification dynamics, and other social or structural drivers of transmission risk.

Is the FOA interested in feasibility and acceptability?

Yes. The announcement highlights feasibility and acceptability, signaling interest in whether combined approaches can realistically be implemented and used in real-world settings, not only whether they appear promising conceptually.

What populations is the FOA trying to impact?

The FOA is aimed at populations that include people who are living with HIV-1 but do not yet know their status, and people not effectively reached by existing prevention and care systems, with the intent to reduce onward transmission and overall HIV incidence.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include: state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional categories referenced in the original eligibility text.

Does the FOA suggest the importance of partnerships or collaborations?

Yes. The wide eligibility pool suggests the program is designed to support multidisciplinary collaborations across academic, clinical, community, and governmental settings, particularly where partnerships are needed to find undiagnosed individuals and test integrated interventions in real-world environments.

Is there a stated award ceiling or a set number of expected awards?

In the provided record, an award ceiling and expected number of awards were not specified in the summary fields. The description notes this can occur in listings that rely on standard NIH budgeting practices and institute-specific paylines or allocations.

What kind of outcomes is this program trying to produce?

The intent is to generate innovative, evidence-based strategies and workable intervention models that can be implemented and scaled, improving identification and linkage for undiagnosed individuals and reducing HIV transmission potential at a population level.