Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 17 101
Apply for RFA MH 17 101
- The HHS-NIH11 in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Novel Strategies for Targeting HIV-CNS Reservoirs without Reactivation (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.279, 93.853,.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 06, 2016 and posted on Apr 06, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 09, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Novel Strategies for Targeting HIV-CNS Reservoirs without Reactivation (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-MH-17-101) is a discretionary research grant issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), identified here as HHS-NIH11. It was posted and created on April 6, 2016, with an application closing date of September 9, 2016. The program uses the R01 mechanism, meaning it is aimed at supporting full research projects that can propose and execute substantial, hypothesis-driven studies rather than small pilot efforts.
The scientific focus is HIV-1 persistence in the central nervous system (CNS). Even when antiretroviral therapy suppresses HIV in blood, the virus can persist in reservoirs, and the CNS is a particularly challenging compartment because of its unique cell types, immune environment, and barriers to drug delivery. This announcement specifically calls for studies that (1) identify HIV-1-infected cells in the CNS that are latently infected and (2) develop strategies to target those latent infections in ways that drive viral silencing and inhibit viral production without needing to reactivate the virus first. In other words, the goal aligns with approaches often described as "block-and-lock" or durable suppression strategies: instead of "shock-and-kill" (where latency is reversed to expose infected cells), applicants are encouraged to pursue interventions that keep the virus transcriptionally silent or otherwise permanently disabled, thereby preventing viral rebound and ongoing production while avoiding the risks associated with reactivation in the brain.
A key aspect of the opportunity is the emphasis on pinpointing which CNS-resident or CNS-associated cells are harboring latent HIV-1. That could include, depending on the state of the science and the proposed model systems, cell populations such as microglia, perivascular macrophages, astrocytes, or infiltrating immune cells that traffic through the CNS. Because latency in the CNS may differ from latency in peripheral blood, competitive applications would be expected to account for CNS-specific biology, including differences in viral transcriptional control, epigenetic regulation, immune surveillance, inflammation, and the pharmacologic constraints posed by the blood-brain barrier. The announcement is fundamentally about developing novel, CNS-relevant ways to find these infected cells and then intervene so that HIV remains durably silent, reducing or eliminating viral production without proviral reactivation as a prerequisite.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city, township, and 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 (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education when specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The listing also notes an "Others" category, implying additional eligibility clarifications would be available in the full announcement text. The activity categories are described broadly under education and health, and the CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.242, 93.279, and 93.853, reflecting the programmatic areas under which the funding is categorized.
Administrative details in the provided data do not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, suggesting those elements were either not included in the excerpt or were to be determined based on available funds and application quality. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at advancing HIV cure-related research in one of the most difficult reservoir sites by supporting R01-scale projects that can define latent HIV infection in CNS compartments and develop interventions that achieve durable viral silencing without the potentially harmful step of reactivating proviral genomes in the brain.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Novel Strategies for Targeting HIV-CNS Reservoirs without Reactivation (R01)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-17-101.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This is a discretionary research grant issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH identifier referenced in the provided information is HHS-NIH11.
What type of grant mechanism is used?
The opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is intended to support full-scale research projects proposing substantial, hypothesis-driven studies (not small pilot-only efforts).
When was the opportunity posted and created?
It was posted and created on April 6, 2016.
What is the application closing date?
The application closing date is September 9, 2016.
What scientific problem is this funding opportunity focused on?
The scientific focus is HIV-1 persistence in the central nervous system (CNS), particularly the challenge of HIV reservoirs that can remain even when antiretroviral therapy suppresses HIV in the blood.
Why is the CNS considered a challenging HIV reservoir site?
The CNS is challenging because it has unique cell types, a distinct immune environment, and barriers to drug delivery (including constraints related to the blood-brain barrier). Latency in the CNS may also differ from latency in peripheral blood.
What are the main research objectives called for in this announcement?
The announcement specifically calls for studies that: (1) identify HIV-1-infected cells in the CNS that are latently infected, and (2) develop strategies to target those latent infections in ways that drive viral silencing and inhibit viral production without needing to reactivate the virus first.
Does this opportunity require HIV reactivation as part of the strategy?
No. The emphasis is on approaches that inhibit viral production and promote durable viral silencing without requiring proviral reactivation first, aligning with concepts often described as "block-and-lock" (rather than "shock-and-kill").
What general approach is this opportunity encouraging: "shock-and-kill" or "block-and-lock"?
This opportunity is aligned with "block-and-lock" or durable suppression strategies. Applicants are encouraged to pursue interventions that keep HIV transcriptionally silent or otherwise durably disabled, rather than reactivating latent virus to expose infected cells.
What kinds of CNS-related cell populations might be relevant to identifying latent HIV infection?
Depending on the proposed model systems and the state of the science, the opportunity notes cell populations such as microglia, perivascular macrophages, astrocytes, or infiltrating immune cells that traffic through the CNS.
What CNS-specific biology should competitive applications consider?
Competitive applications would be expected to account for CNS-specific biology, including differences in viral transcriptional control, epigenetic regulation, immune surveillance, inflammation, and pharmacologic constraints posed by the blood-brain barrier.
What does "identify HIV-1-infected cells in the CNS that are latently infected" mean in the context of this announcement?
In this context, it means pinpointing which CNS-resident or CNS-associated cell types harbor HIV-1 in a latent (non-productive) state, even when systemic therapy suppresses detectable virus in the blood.
What does "targeting HIV-CNS reservoirs without reactivation" mean?
It refers to developing interventions that keep HIV durably silent or prevent viral production in the CNS without first reversing latency (i.e., without intentionally turning viral transcription back on in the brain).
Is the opportunity limited to certain types of institutions?
No. Eligibility is described as broad and includes a wide range of organization types across government, education, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Which government entities are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments.
Are schools and universities eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
Are housing authorities eligible to apply?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included in the eligible applicant list.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education when specified).
Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.
Does the eligibility list include an "Other" category?
Yes. The listing notes an "Others" category, indicating additional eligibility clarifications may exist in the full announcement text.
What are the activity categories associated with this opportunity?
The activity categories are described broadly under education and health.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this funding opportunity?
The CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.242, 93.279, and 93.853.
Is there an award ceiling listed in the provided information?
No. The provided information does not specify an award ceiling.
Does the provided information state the expected number of awards?
No. The provided information does not include the expected number of awards.
What is the overall purpose of this opportunity?
The overall purpose is to advance HIV cure-related research focused on one of the most difficult reservoir sites (the CNS) by supporting R01-scale projects that (1) define latent HIV infection in CNS compartments and (2) develop interventions that achieve durable viral silencing and reduced or eliminated viral production without reactivating proviral genomes in the brain.
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| Novel Strategies for Targeting HIV-CNS Reservoirs without Reactivation (R21) Apply for RFA MH 17 100 Funding Number: RFA MH 17 100 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Pilot and Feasibility Studies Evaluating the Role of RNA Modifications (the 'epitranscriptome') in Cancer Biology (R21) Apply for PA 16 177 Funding Number: PA 16 177 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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| Improved Technologies and Ligands for Non-invasive Brain Imaging (R43/R44) Apply for RFA DA 17 011 Funding Number: RFA DA 17 011 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Laboratory and Diagnostic Tools to Advance Microbiome-Brain Research (R43/R44) Apply for RFA DA 17 017 Funding Number: RFA DA 17 017 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Laboratory and Diagnostic Tools to Advance Microbiome-Brain Research (R41) Apply for RFA DA 17 016 Funding Number: RFA DA 17 016 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Improving Smoking Cessation in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Populations via Scalable Interventions (R01) Apply for PAR 16 202 Funding Number: PAR 16 202 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Improving Smoking Cessation in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Populations via Scalable Interventions (R21) Apply for PAR 16 201 Funding Number: PAR 16 201 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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| Extracellular Vesicle Tools, Technologies, and Products for Neuroscience Research (R43/R44) Apply for RFA DA 17 009 Funding Number: RFA DA 17 009 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Extracellular Vesicle Tools, Technologies, and Products for Neuroscience Research (R41/R42) Apply for RFA DA 17 008 Funding Number: RFA DA 17 008 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Research Answers to NCIs Pediatric Provocative Questions (R21) Apply for PAR 16 217 Funding Number: PAR 16 217 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Research Answers to NCIs Pediatric Provocative Questions (R01) Apply for PAR 16 218 Funding Number: PAR 16 218 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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