Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 14 217
Apply for PA 14 217
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (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 May 12, 2014 and posted on May 12, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Special district governments For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities State governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts.
- 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 government grant opportunity titled "NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA-14-217) is a discretionary National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant that was posted on May 12, 2014, with an original and final closing date of January 7, 2017, and an archive date of February 7, 2017. It falls under the health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research). The funding mechanism is the NIH R01, which typically supports substantial, hypothesis-driven research projects, and this announcement explicitly states that there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not expected to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving the award.
The central purpose of the announcement is to advance multidisciplinary, hypothesis-driven research focused on Natural Killer (NK) cells in the context of HIV prevention, specifically aiming to uncover biological pathways that shape early immune responses and immune regulation in ways that could contribute to protective immunity induced by HIV vaccination. In practical terms, the FOA is looking for research that goes beyond descriptive immunology and instead tests clear hypotheses about how NK cells might participate in, strengthen, or even generate immune protection following vaccination. A key theme is "immunological memory" in NK cells, a concept that challenges older assumptions that only the adaptive immune system (like B cells and T cells) forms durable, antigen-specific memory. By emphasizing NK-cell-related pathways relevant to early immune responses, the NIH is signaling interest in mechanisms that operate very soon after exposure or vaccination, when innate immunity can shape downstream adaptive responses and influence whether an infection takes hold.
Beyond the primary scientific aim, the FOA lists two secondary objectives that help clarify the broader program goals. First, it encourages the development of novel technologies that can enable more definitive studies of human immune monitoring in vaccine clinical trials. This indicates a recognized need for improved tools, assays, or analytical methods capable of measuring NK cell phenotypes and functions in humans with higher resolution, reproducibility, and interpretability. This might include improved flow cytometry or mass cytometry panels, single-cell approaches, functional assays that capture cytotoxicity or cytokine production in more physiologic settings, or computational frameworks that link immune signatures to vaccine outcomes. The emphasis on "definitive studies" suggests the funder is looking for technology and methods that reduce ambiguity and strengthen the ability to draw causal or at least strongly supported inferences when analyzing human trial samples.
Second, the FOA aims to recruit innate immunologists into the HIV vaccine field. This is an explicit workforce and field-building objective: it reflects a belief that progress in HIV vaccine development may benefit from stronger integration of innate immune biology, and that researchers who primarily study NK cells and other innate pathways in different disease settings could bring fresh perspectives, techniques, and conceptual models. In that sense, the announcement is not only about funding individual projects, but also about nudging the research community toward a more integrated view of vaccine-induced protection that includes innate immune contributions alongside classical adaptive immunity.
Eligibility for this opportunity was broad, spanning many types of U.S. organizations and also allowing non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), and a wide range of government bodies such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also included Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), as well as tribally controlled colleges and universities. In addition, it explicitly welcomed various mission-focused institution types and community-linked entities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies. Importantly, it also permitted non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations, which signals interest in global expertise and potentially in collaborations connected to regions heavily affected by HIV.
For applicants or interested parties seeking the original announcement text, the FOA provided an additional information link hosted on the NIH grants website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-14-217.html. For access or technical issues, the contact listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster, with the email address FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV, covering both difficulties accessing the announcement and problems linking to it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (R01)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-14-217.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a discretionary research grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What kind of grant mechanism is used?
The funding mechanism is the NIH R01, which is typically used to support substantial, hypothesis-driven research projects.
What is the main purpose of the FOA?
The central purpose is to advance multidisciplinary, hypothesis-driven research on Natural Killer (NK) cells in the context of HIV prevention, with an emphasis on understanding biological pathways that shape early immune responses and immune regulation in ways that could contribute to protective immunity induced by HIV vaccination.
What does the FOA mean by focusing on "hypothesis-driven" work?
It indicates interest in research that goes beyond descriptive immunology and instead tests clear hypotheses about how NK cells might participate in, strengthen, or generate immune protection following vaccination.
What is meant by "immunological memory" in NK cells?
The FOA highlights "immunological memory" in NK cells as a key theme, reflecting interest in the idea that durable, memory-like immune features may not be limited to adaptive immune cells (such as B cells and T cells) and may also involve NK-cell-related mechanisms relevant to protection after vaccination.
Why does the FOA emphasize early immune responses?
The announcement signals interest in mechanisms that operate very soon after exposure or vaccination, when innate immunity can shape downstream adaptive responses and influence whether an infection takes hold.
What are the secondary objectives of the FOA?
The FOA lists two secondary objectives: (1) encouraging development of novel technologies to enable more definitive studies of human immune monitoring in vaccine clinical trials, and (2) recruiting innate immunologists into the HIV vaccine field.
What types of technology development does the FOA encourage?
It encourages novel technologies that can strengthen human immune monitoring in vaccine clinical trials, including tools, assays, or analytical methods capable of measuring NK cell phenotypes and functions in humans with higher resolution, reproducibility, and interpretability.
Does the FOA specify examples of immune monitoring approaches it is interested in?
Within the description, examples mentioned include improved flow cytometry or mass cytometry panels, single-cell approaches, functional assays that capture cytotoxicity or cytokine production in more physiologic settings, and computational frameworks that link immune signatures to vaccine outcomes.
What does the FOA mean by "definitive studies" of immune monitoring?
Based on the description provided, it suggests interest in methods that reduce ambiguity and strengthen the ability to draw causal, or at least strongly supported, inferences when analyzing human clinical trial samples.
Why does the FOA mention recruiting innate immunologists into the HIV vaccine field?
This is described as a workforce and field-building objective, reflecting a goal of integrating stronger innate immune biology perspectives (including NK cell expertise) into HIV vaccine research.
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 12, 2014.
What were the closing date(s) for applications?
The original closing date and the final closing date were both January 7, 2017.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was February 7, 2017.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is health.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement explicitly states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not expected to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations as well as non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status); small businesses; for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); and many government entities.
Which government entities are listed as eligible?
The FOA lists eligibility for state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and eligible federal agencies.
Are tribal entities eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and it also includes tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Are minority-serving and mission-focused institutions included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA explicitly welcomes organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are explicitly included among eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories or possessions included as eligible applicants?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among eligible applicants.
Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply?
Yes. The FOA permits non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations.
Where can someone find the original FOA text?
The FOA provided an NIH Grants website link for the original announcement text: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-14-217.html.
Who should be contacted for access or technical issues with the FOA link?
For difficulties accessing the announcement or problems linking to it, the FOA lists the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
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