HIV Vaccine Research and Design (HIVRAD) Program (P01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 024

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 024

The HIV Vaccine Research and Design (HIVRAD) Program (P01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), funding opportunity number PAR-21-024, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity focused on advancing the discovery-stage science needed to develop a preventive (prophylactic) vaccine for HIV/AIDS. It is designed to fund multi-component, multi-disciplinary research programs that bring together different scientific approaches and areas of expertise to tackle major questions in HIV vaccine research. Rather than supporting a single standalone project, the P01 mechanism typically supports an integrated set of interrelated projects (and often shared cores) that collectively address a central scientific theme, with coordination and synergy being a key expectation.

The scientific scope centers on AIDS prophylactic vaccine discovery research, meaning work aimed at identifying, designing, and testing vaccine concepts and immunologic strategies that could prevent HIV infection. The announcement explicitly allows extensive evaluation of vaccine concepts in non-human primate models, which signals that robust preclinical testing, including iterative vaccine design and in vivo immunogenicity and protection studies in relevant animal models, can be an important part of the proposed program. At the same time, the FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means applicants should not propose clinical trials under this opportunity; the supported work is intended to remain in the non-clinical, discovery and preclinical research space rather than moving into human efficacy or interventional clinical testing.

From an eligibility standpoint, the program is broadly open to a wide range of applicant organizations. In addition to standard categories such as state, county, and city governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; independent school districts; special district governments; and public housing or Indian housing authorities, it also allows nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The FOA further highlights additional eligible applicant types that NIH aims to encourage, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). It also notes eligibility for Indian/Native American Tribal Governments that are not federally recognized, which can broaden participation beyond the most commonly listed tribal government categories.

Administratively, the opportunity is a grant (funding instrument type: Grant) within the health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.855. The source data lists an award ceiling of $2,500,000, indicating the maximum budget level anticipated under the FOA (typically per year or per project period depending on FOA specifics, though the dataset excerpt only provides the ceiling figure). The opportunity record shows an original closing date of 2023-03-15 and a creation date of 2020-09-03. Overall, the program is aimed at supporting coordinated, collaborative research efforts that can move HIV vaccine concepts forward through rigorous discovery and preclinical evaluation, without entering clinical trial territory under this particular announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HIV Vaccine Research and Design (HIVRAD) Program (P01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-09-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-03-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 21 024

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