Strengthening HIV Prevention Efforts for Women in the Southern U.S. (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 21 150

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 21 150

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity titled "Strengthening HIV Prevention Efforts for Women in the Southern U.S. (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-21-150) supports early-stage research aimed at improving HIV prevention for women living in the Southern United States. Using the R34 mechanism, which is commonly designed for pilot, feasibility, and preparatory intervention work, the program is intended to push the field toward practical, testable approaches that can later be scaled or moved into larger trials. The "clinical trial optional" designation means applicants may propose projects that do or do not meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial, depending on the design of the intervention and evaluation plan.

The central purpose of this initiative is to spur new, multi-level strategies that better reach women in the South with HIV prevention options and support their sustained use of those options. The opportunity is framed around two connected objectives. First, applicants are encouraged to generate clearer evidence on what helps or hinders women in the Southern U.S. from using HIV prevention strategies, which can include individual, interpersonal, community, health-system, and broader structural influences. Second, the initiative seeks the development and initial testing of novel interventions specifically designed to increase both uptake (getting women to start using prevention methods) and adherence (supporting consistent and correct ongoing use). In practice, this could involve designing interventions that address issues like access to prevention services, stigma, medical mistrust, partner dynamics, transportation and childcare barriers, provider engagement, culturally and regionally tailored messaging, or other context-specific factors that influence prevention behaviors and service utilization.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary NIH grant in the education and health activity categories and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.242, 93.279, and 93.313. The opportunity was created on 2020-11-17, with an original closing date of 2021-01-11. The source information provided does not list an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so those details are not specified in the excerpt.

Eligibility is broad and spans many organizational types that commonly partner on public health and behavioral health research. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The notice also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, tribal governments other than federally recognized entities, and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis signals a strong interest in encouraging applications from institutions and organizations that are embedded in, or directly serve, communities most affected by HIV in the region.

Restrictions on foreign involvement are clearly stated. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply, and foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In other words, the work must be proposed and carried out within eligible U.S.-based organizational structures without foreign components under NIH definitions.

Overall, the funding opportunity is geared toward building and testing practical, context-aware HIV prevention solutions for women in the Southern U.S., with a strong preference for interventions that recognize real-world complexity and address multiple levels of influence. It supports projects that move beyond identifying problems in the abstract and instead generate actionable evidence and pilot-tested strategies that could plausibly improve prevention access, initiation, and sustained use among women in the region.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening HIV Prevention Efforts for Women in the Southern U.S. (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.279, 93.313.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-11-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-11. (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.

Apply for RFA MH 21 150

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