Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 14 072
Apply for RFA AI 14 072
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms of Immune Protection from TB among HIV infected Individuals (R01)" 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 Mar 26, 2015 and posted on Mar 26, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 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 $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments Independent school districts Small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities County governments Special district governments Private institutions of higher education 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.
- 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:
Mechanisms of Immune Protection from TB among HIV infected Individuals (R01), Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AI-14-072, is an NIH discretionary research grant focused on a very specific and important scientific gap: why some people who are heavily exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not become infected, and how HIV infection changes (or interacts with) the biological mechanisms behind that resistance. The FOA is aimed at projects that can identify and characterize measurable correlates of protection against tuberculosis infection, particularly in individuals who appear resistant despite high exposure risk, with special emphasis on understanding these correlates in the context of HIV. In practical terms, the opportunity is designed to push beyond general descriptions of TB risk and toward concrete genetic, epigenetic, and immune signatures that can explain protection from infection or from latent TB infection (LTBI), potentially informing better diagnostics, prevention strategies, and vaccine or immunotherapy design for populations affected by HIV.
The scientific scope centers on three broad but connected domains. First, it supports work on genetic factors that may underlie resistance to TB infection, such as host genetic variants associated with altered susceptibility, immune regulation, or pathogen recognition. Second, it explicitly includes epigenetic mechanisms, meaning stable or semi-stable changes in gene regulation (for example, DNA methylation patterns, histone modifications, or chromatin accessibility states) that may influence immune readiness or “trained” innate immune responses. Third, it prioritizes immunological correlates of protection, especially within the innate immune system, including the regulatory genes and signaling pathways that govern early recognition and containment of M. tuberculosis. The announcement highlights the importance of innate immune characteristics because early immune events can determine whether exposure leads to clearance, latent infection, or progression. Across all of these areas, the FOA is looking for studies that can connect molecular findings to functional immune behavior, rather than stopping at association alone.
A defining feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on highly exposed but resistant individuals and on well defined cohorts. That means competitive projects would typically be expected to draw from populations with clearly documented or strongly evidenced TB exposure (such as household contacts of infectious TB cases, healthcare workers in high-burden settings, or communities with high transmission) and to apply rigorous criteria for defining “resistance,” such as persistent negativity on standard tests over time, or other validated markers indicating lack of infection despite exposure. Because the FOA is also about the interaction with HIV, it encourages designs that explicitly incorporate HIV status, HIV-related immune changes, and potentially HIV treatment context, so that protective correlates can be interpreted correctly in immunocompromised settings. The intent is not only to find protective markers in general, but to understand whether those markers hold, shift, or disappear when HIV alters immune function.
The FOA encourages multidisciplinary collaboration and integrated study designs that combine clinical and epidemiologic investigation with laboratory-based functional experiments. In other words, it is not solely a cohort description exercise and not purely a bench science call; it is pushing for projects that use real-world human cohorts and then test mechanistic hypotheses in ways that can establish biological plausibility. This could include immune phenotyping, transcriptomic or epigenomic profiling, pathway analyses, and targeted functional assays using participant samples to validate whether candidate protective mechanisms actually influence immune responses relevant to TB. The encouragement to use samples and data from well defined cohorts signals NIH interest in studies that are grounded in strong clinical characterization and careful exposure and outcome definitions, which is critical for TB research where misclassification can easily obscure true protective signals.
Administratively, this is an R01 research grant mechanism under the NIH, listed under CFDA numbers 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research). The posting date and creation date were March 26, 2015, with an original and current closing date of July 22, 2015, and an archive date of August 22, 2015. The estimated total funding amount is $3,000,000, and the announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which reduces institutional burden and makes budgeting more straightforward for applicants. While the opportunity itself is archived based on the dates provided, the summary of its goals remains useful for understanding NIH priorities and for shaping similar research proposals under current or future TB/HIV immunology solicitations.
Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of domestic and non-domestic applicants. Eligible entities span state, county, city, township, and special district governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations (including federally recognized and other tribal entities); public housing authorities; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and foreign organizations and regional organizations. The eligibility section also explicitly mentions institutions serving specific populations and categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility matches the global nature of TB and HIV burden and encourages participation from institutions embedded in high-incidence settings, including outside the United States, where cohorts of highly exposed individuals may be more readily identifiable and where TB/HIV co-infection is a major public health concern.
For reference and full details, the announcement points to the NIH Grants Guide page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-14-072.html, and it provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or linking issues (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Mechanisms of Immune Protection from TB among HIV infected Individuals (R01)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-AI-14-072.
What type of grant mechanism is this?
This is an NIH R01 discretionary research grant mechanism.
What is the main scientific question this FOA is trying to answer?
The FOA focuses on why some people who are heavily exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not become infected, and how HIV infection changes or interacts with the biological mechanisms behind that resistance.
What does the FOA mean by "correlates of protection"?
In this FOA, correlates of protection are measurable markers (for example, genetic, epigenetic, or immune signatures) that are associated with protection against tuberculosis infection, particularly among individuals who appear resistant despite high exposure risk, with special emphasis on the context of HIV.
Is the focus on TB disease, latent TB infection (LTBI), or TB infection more generally?
The FOA emphasizes understanding protection against TB infection, including mechanisms relevant to not becoming infected and protection from latent TB infection (LTBI). It highlights the importance of distinguishing whether exposure leads to clearance, latent infection, or progression.
Why is HIV specifically emphasized in this opportunity?
The FOA is designed to understand protective mechanisms in the context of HIV because HIV alters immune function. The intent is to determine whether protective correlates hold, shift, or disappear when HIV-related immune changes are present, and to interpret protective markers correctly in immunocompromised settings.
What scientific areas are within scope for this FOA?
The scope is centered on three connected domains: (1) host genetic factors that may underlie resistance to TB infection, (2) epigenetic mechanisms that influence gene regulation and immune readiness, and (3) immunological correlates of protection, especially within the innate immune system, including regulatory genes and signaling pathways involved in early recognition and containment of M. tuberculosis.
What kinds of genetic research are encouraged?
The FOA supports research on host genetic variants that may affect susceptibility or resistance to TB infection, including variants related to immune regulation or pathogen recognition.
What kinds of epigenetic research are encouraged?
The FOA explicitly includes epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation patterns, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility states that may influence immune readiness or "trained" innate immune responses.
What kinds of immunology are prioritized?
The FOA prioritizes immunological correlates of protection, particularly within the innate immune system, and emphasizes early immune events that can determine whether exposure results in clearance, latent infection, or progression.
Does the FOA prefer mechanistic work or association studies?
The FOA emphasizes connecting molecular findings to functional immune behavior rather than stopping at association alone. It encourages studies that can establish biological plausibility by testing mechanistic hypotheses using participant samples and targeted functional assays.
Who are "highly exposed but resistant" individuals in the context of this FOA?
These are individuals with clearly documented or strongly evidenced TB exposure who nonetheless appear resistant to infection. The FOA points to examples such as household contacts of infectious TB cases, healthcare workers in high-burden settings, or people in communities with high transmission.
How does the FOA suggest applicants define "resistance" to TB infection?
The FOA expects rigorous criteria for defining resistance, such as persistent negativity on standard tests over time or other validated markers indicating lack of infection despite high exposure.
Are well defined cohorts important for competitiveness?
Yes. A defining feature of the FOA is the emphasis on well defined cohorts and on individuals who are highly exposed yet resistant. It signals NIH interest in strong clinical characterization and careful exposure and outcome definitions to reduce misclassification.
Does the FOA encourage specific study designs?
The FOA encourages multidisciplinary and integrated designs that combine clinical and epidemiologic investigation with laboratory-based functional experiments. It is intended to go beyond cohort description alone and beyond bench science alone.
What kinds of laboratory approaches are mentioned as relevant?
Examples described include immune phenotyping, transcriptomic profiling, epigenomic profiling, pathway analyses, and targeted functional assays using participant samples to validate candidate protective mechanisms.
Does the FOA require studies to include HIV status and HIV-related context?
The FOA encourages study designs that explicitly incorporate HIV status, HIV-related immune changes, and potentially HIV treatment context so protective correlates can be interpreted appropriately in immunocompromised settings.
What is the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount is $3,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA numbers listed are 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The posting date and creation date are March 26, 2015. The original and current closing date is July 22, 2015. The archive date is August 22, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity currently open?
Based on the dates provided (closing date July 22, 2015 and archive date August 22, 2015), the opportunity is archived and is not currently open.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes domestic and non-domestic applicants. Eligible entities include various government units (state, county, city, township, special district), tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities, independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), foreign organizations, and regional organizations.
Are certain institution types explicitly mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The eligibility section explicitly mentions categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Does the FOA allow foreign organizations to apply?
Yes. Foreign organizations and regional organizations are listed as eligible.
Why might broad eligibility matter for this topic?
The FOA notes the global nature of TB and HIV burden and encourages participation from institutions embedded in high-incidence settings, including outside the United States, where highly exposed cohorts may be more readily identifiable.
Where can applicants find the full announcement text?
The FOA points to the NIH Grants Guide page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-14-072.html.
Who is listed as a contact for access or linking issues?
The announcement provides an NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact for access or linking issues: FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
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