Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 15 041
Apply for PAR 15 041
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Targeting Persistent HIV Reservoirs (TaPHIR) (R21/R33)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 20, 2014 and posted on Nov 19, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 7, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Small businesses For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Independent school districts Public and State controlled 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 Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The Targeting Persistent HIV Reservoirs (TaPHIR) (R21/R33) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 15 041) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement designed to push forward new, creative approaches aimed at curing HIV. The central problem it targets is HIV latency: even when a person has been on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for years and the virus is well controlled in the blood, HIV can remain hidden inside long-lived cells. Those infected cells form what is commonly called the persistent or latent HIV reservoir, and they can reignite infection if treatment is stopped. Because of this, eliminating or permanently silencing these reservoir cells is widely viewed as one of the biggest barriers to an HIV cure.
TaPHIR focuses on the need for innovative tools and strategies that can both find and remove these rare, hard-to-detect latently infected cells. A major challenge highlighted in the announcement is that latent HIV typically does not produce viral proteins, meaning standard immune recognition or protein-based detection methods often fail to identify infected cells. Compounding that, latently infected cells can be extremely uncommon in people on effective therapy, so even sensitive assays can struggle to measure them reliably. The FOA therefore emphasizes the development of novel ways to monitor reservoirs efficiently and to target them specifically, with the practical goal of enabling rigorous in vivo testing of cure strategies.
Mechanistically, the program uses an R21/R33 funding structure, which generally supports early exploratory work (R21) with a pathway toward a larger, more advanced phase (R33) if milestones are met. In practice, that structure signals that NIH is looking for ideas that may be high-risk or unconventional at the outset, but that can be matured into more robust, validated platforms or interventions that are ready for more definitive evaluation. The spirit of the announcement is to move beyond incremental improvements and instead produce new capabilities, such as better reservoir measurement tools, new ways to tag or reveal latent infection, and targeted approaches that can reach and affect the relevant long-lived cell populations.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health research area and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research), and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research). The FOA was posted on November 19, 2014, created on November 20, 2014, and had an original and current closing date of April 7, 2017, with an archive date of May 8, 2017. It does not require cost sharing or matching, which lowers the barrier for applicants who might not have institutional resources to contribute mandatory funds.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations. Domestic applicants can include nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), public and private institutions of higher education, small businesses, for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), and various government entities such as state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and certain housing authorities. The announcement also explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations, as well as a range of mission-focused institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Faith-based and community-based organizations are listed as eligible as well. Importantly, non-U.S. entities are allowed: foreign organizations and foreign institutions may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are permitted. This wide eligibility aligns with the global nature of HIV research and the need to pull in expertise from many sectors, including academia, biotech, and public health research organizations.
In short, TaPHIR is aimed at accelerating the science needed to make HIV cure strategies testable and realistic by solving two intertwined problems: how to measure the latent reservoir accurately and efficiently, and how to selectively target the cells that harbor HIV during treatment. The full announcement was hosted by NIH and made available through the NIH grants guide (link provided in the source data), with technical access support routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Targeting Persistent HIV Reservoirs (TaPHIR) (R21/R33) funding opportunity?
TaPHIR is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement designed to advance new and creative approaches aimed at curing HIV. It specifically targets the scientific and technical barriers created by HIV latency and the persistent (latent) HIV reservoir in people on effective antiretroviral therapy.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) for TaPHIR?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed for this opportunity is PAR 15 041.
What central problem is this grant trying to solve?
The opportunity focuses on HIV latency: even after years on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with good control of virus in the blood, HIV can remain hidden in long-lived cells. These cells form the persistent or latent HIV reservoir and can restart infection if treatment is stopped.
Why is the persistent or latent HIV reservoir such a barrier to an HIV cure?
Because the reservoir consists of long-lived infected cells that can survive despite effective therapy, it can reignite infection when therapy is interrupted. Eliminating or permanently silencing these reservoir cells is widely viewed as one of the biggest barriers to achieving an HIV cure.
What kinds of approaches is TaPHIR looking to fund?
The announcement emphasizes innovative tools and strategies that can both find and remove (or otherwise neutralize) rare, hard-to-detect latently infected cells. It encourages work that moves beyond incremental improvements and instead creates new capabilities for reservoir measurement, revealing latent infection, and targeting long-lived cell populations that harbor HIV.
Why are latently infected cells difficult to detect?
A key challenge highlighted is that latent HIV typically does not produce viral proteins. As a result, standard immune recognition or protein-based detection methods often fail to identify infected cells.
Why is measuring the HIV reservoir so challenging in people on effective therapy?
Latently infected cells can be extremely uncommon in individuals on effective treatment. Even highly sensitive assays may struggle to measure these rare cells reliably, which limits the ability to monitor reservoirs efficiently and evaluate cure strategies rigorously.
What is the overall scientific goal of the TaPHIR program?
The practical goal is to enable rigorous in vivo testing of HIV cure strategies by developing novel ways to monitor HIV reservoirs efficiently and to target reservoir cells specifically.
What does the R21/R33 mechanism mean for this opportunity?
This program uses an R21/R33 structure that generally supports early exploratory work (R21) with a pathway to a larger, more advanced phase (R33) if milestones are met. It signals interest in ideas that may be high-risk or unconventional at the outset, but can be matured into validated platforms or interventions suitable for more definitive evaluation.
Is this grant intended for incremental improvements or more unconventional ideas?
The announcement emphasizes moving beyond incremental improvements. It is positioned to support new, creative, and potentially high-risk ideas that could lead to major advances in measuring and targeting the persistent HIV reservoir.
What types of "new capabilities" does the FOA describe?
Examples described in the summary include better reservoir measurement tools, new ways to tag or reveal latent infection, and targeted approaches capable of reaching and affecting relevant long-lived cell populations that harbor HIV during treatment.
What type of award is this categorized as?
From an administrative standpoint, it is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health research area.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.242 (Mental Health Research Grants), 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research), and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).
When was the FOA posted and created?
The FOA was posted on November 19, 2014, and created on November 20, 2014.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed is April 7, 2017.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is May 8, 2017.
Does TaPHIR require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The announcement states that cost sharing or matching is not required.
Who is eligible to apply (in general terms)?
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types across nonprofit, academic, business, and government sectors, including both U.S. and non-U.S. entities as described in the announcement summary.
What types of U.S. nonprofit organizations are eligible?
Domestic eligibility includes nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status.
Are colleges and universities eligible to apply?
Yes. Public and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible.
Are small businesses eligible to apply?
Yes. Small businesses are listed among the eligible applicant types.
Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations are eligible, including for-profit entities other than small businesses.
Are government entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible domestic applicants include state, county, city, or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and certain housing authorities.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The summary explicitly includes tribal governments and tribal organizations as eligible.
Are mission-focused or minority-serving institutions explicitly included?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are listed as eligible.
Can foreign organizations apply?
Yes. Non-U.S. entities are allowed. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions may apply.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
Yes. The summary states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible.
Are foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) permitted?
Yes. Foreign components, as defined by NIH policy, are permitted according to the summary.
Why does the FOA allow such broad (including international) eligibility?
The summary ties the wide eligibility to the global nature of HIV research and the need to draw expertise from many sectors, including academia, biotechnology, and public health research organizations.
Where was the full announcement hosted?
The full announcement was hosted by NIH and made available through the NIH grants guide (as referenced in the source information).
Where is technical access support directed?
Technical access support is routed through NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts, as indicated in the provided information.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: Improving Case Outcomes for Gender Based Violence Pilot Project (ICOP)
Previous opportunity: RFI Local Organization Survey
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for PAR 15 041
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PAR 15 041) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Administrative Supplements for Tobacco Regulatory Research on the Public Display of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents (HPHC) Information (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 15 046 Funding Number: PA 15 046 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Family and Interpersonal Relationships in an Aging Context (R01) Apply for PA 15 042 Funding Number: PA 15 042 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIDCD Research Career Transition Award for Nurturing Clinician Investigators (K22) Apply for RFA DC 15 002 Funding Number: RFA DC 15 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Service Area Competition Additional Area (SAC AA) Dayton, OH Apply for HRSA 15 131 Funding Number: HRSA 15 131 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,104,448 |
| Local Capacity Initiative Program Apply for RFA 517 14 000006 Funding Number: RFA 517 14 000006 Agency: Dominican Republic USAID Santo Domingo Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nairobi and Coast Counties of Kenya Apply for RFA 615 14 000006 Funding Number: RFA 615 14 000006 Agency: Kenya USAID Nairobi Category: Health Funding Amount: $42,000,000 |
| Lab to Marketplace Tools for Biomedical and Behavioral Research (R43/R44) Apply for PA 15 052 Funding Number: PA 15 052 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Underactive Bladder in Aging (R03) Apply for PA 15 050 Funding Number: PA 15 050 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Underactive Bladder in Aging (R21) Apply for PA 15 051 Funding Number: PA 15 051 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| PPHF 2015 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grants Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Pacific Jurisdictions) Financed in Part by 2015 Prevention and Public Health Funds Apply for CDC RFA DP15 1513 Funding Number: CDC RFA DP15 1513 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Alzheimers Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) Replication Phase Analysis Studies (U01) Apply for RFA AG 16 002 Funding Number: RFA AG 16 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,300,000 |
| NIA Coordinating Center for Genetics and Genomics of Alzheimers Disease (U54) Apply for RFA AG 16 001 Funding Number: RFA AG 16 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01) Apply for RFA HL 16 006 Funding Number: RFA HL 16 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Sickle Cell Disease Newborn Screening Program Apply for HRSA 15 078 Funding Number: HRSA 15 078 Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration Category: Health Funding Amount: $2,679,000 |
| Alcohol Education Project Grants (R25) Apply for PAR 15 054 Funding Number: PAR 15 054 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Innovative Measures of Oral Medication Adherence for HIV Treatment and Prevention (R01) Apply for RFA AI 14 071 Funding Number: RFA AI 14 071 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Improving Evaluation Capacity within the Government of Tanzania under the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Apply for CDC RFA GH15 1589 Funding Number: CDC RFA GH15 1589 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $3,500,000 |
| Partnering with Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City to Enhance Regional Capacity to Prevent, Detect, Monitor, and Respond to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Vietnam under the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Apply for CDC RFA GH15 1595 Funding Number: CDC RFA GH15 1595 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Statewide Family Network Program Apply for SM 15 001 Funding Number: SM 15 001 Agency: Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adminis. Category: Health Funding Amount: $95,000 |
| Statewide Consumer Network Program Apply for SM 15 002 Funding Number: SM 15 002 Agency: Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adminis. Category: Health Funding Amount: $95,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "PAR 15 041", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.