Advancing HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of the NIDCD (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 25 319

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 319

The NIH is offering this grant opportunity to push forward HIV/AIDS research that fits squarely within the mission of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD). The program is titled "Advancing HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of the NIDCD (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is listed as PAR-25-319. It uses the R01 mechanism, meaning it is meant for substantial, hypothesis-driven projects that can make a clear scientific contribution, and it sits in the health funding area (CFDA 93.173). The main idea is to encourage researchers to tackle HIV/AIDS questions that directly connect to communication disorders and sensory systems, rather than broader HIV topics that fall outside NIDCD's scope.

A key requirement is that proposed work should align with the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) HIV research priorities, which serve as the federal roadmap for what HIV research areas are most urgent and high-impact. In practice, applicants are expected to frame their aims in a way that clearly maps onto those OAR priorities while staying focused on NIDCD-relevant domains. The FOA highlights specific scientific areas of interest: hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. This creates a clear lane for studies on how HIV infection, HIV-related inflammation, co-infections, comorbidities, or HIV treatments might influence auditory and vestibular function, chemosensory function, or speech and language processes, as well as how these conditions can be assessed, prevented, or treated in people affected by HIV.

The "Clinical Trial Optional" label means you may submit either a non-trial research application or one that includes a clinical trial component. However, if you do propose a clinical trial, this FOA limits support to low-risk clinical trials only. That typically implies interventions with minimal potential for harm, strong safety profiles, and careful monitoring plans, such as behavioral interventions, low-risk diagnostic or screening strategies, or other clinical research designs that do not involve major invasive procedures or high-risk investigational products. Applicants considering trials should be prepared to justify why the study is low risk and to present appropriate human subjects protections, oversight, and feasibility plans consistent with NIH expectations for clinical research.

Eligibility is broad and is not restricted to universities alone. In addition to standard applicants like state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), and for-profit organizations (including small businesses), the announcement explicitly notes a wide range of other eligible applicant types. These include historically underserved and mission-driven institutions and organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). It also includes eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized. Importantly, the FOA also allows non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) to apply, which can be especially relevant for HIV research conducted in international settings or in collaboration with global partners.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program run by the National Institutes of Health. The original closing date listed is January 7, 2028, indicating a multi-year window in which applications can be submitted across the standard NIH submission cycles that fall before that end date. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided source data, so applicants typically need to rely on NIH institute guidance, paylines, and the usual R01 budget justification practices to shape a realistic request.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted invitation: bring strong HIV/AIDS science that speaks to OAR priorities, but do it through the lens of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, or language. The most competitive applications will usually be the ones that make a tight case for why the proposed HIV/AIDS question is high priority, why NIDCD is the right scientific home for the work, and how the study design (whether basic, translational, clinical, or low-risk trial) will produce results that can meaningfully improve understanding, prevention strategies, diagnostics, or interventions affecting communication and sensory health in people impacted by HIV.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of the NIDCD (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-01-07.
• 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.

Apply for PAR 25 319

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