Exploring Novel RNA Modifications in HIV/AIDS and Substance Use Disorders (R01) | RFA DA 18 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 18 008

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement RFA-DA-18-008, titled "Exploring Novel RNA Modifications in HIV/AIDS and Substance Use Disorders (R01)," supports research grants aimed at understanding how covalent RNA modifications influence HIV biology in the context of substance use disorders (SUDs). The central idea is that chemical changes to RNA (often referred to as the "epitranscriptome") can affect how RNAs are processed, stabilized, translated, and recognized by cellular machinery, and that these same processes may be altered by chronic exposure to drugs of abuse. By focusing on RNA modifications that shape HIV replication, persistence, latency, immune evasion, or other aspects of viral function, the FOA seeks to build a clearer mechanistic picture of how HIV disease progresses in people who also have SUDs, and to identify scientifically grounded leads for new therapeutic strategies tailored to this dual-burden population.

A key emphasis of the opportunity is the intersection between HIV-related RNA modification biology and the biological consequences of chronic drug exposure. The FOA encourages projects that can identify which RNA modifications are involved in HIV function, determine how those modifications are installed, removed, or interpreted by cellular and viral factors, and clarify how substance use changes these pathways. In practice, this can include mapping and characterizing RNA modifications on viral RNAs and/or host RNAs relevant to infection, identifying the enzymes and binding proteins that regulate or "read" these modifications, and testing how exposure to substances alters modification patterns and downstream outcomes. The longer-term rationale is translational: if specific RNA modification pathways are shown to be important for HIV replication or persistence, and if those same pathways are perturbed by drugs of abuse, then modulating them could become a route to future therapeutics that are particularly relevant for patients living with HIV who also experience SUDs.

This is an R01 research project grant, which generally supports hypothesis-driven, investigator-initiated research with sufficient scope to pursue substantial mechanistic questions. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and is associated with the Health and Education funding activity area. The CFDA number listed for the program is 93.279. The original posting indicates an original closing date of August 17, 2017, and a creation date of May 12, 2017. The source excerpt does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types for NIH research grants. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; 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; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education where specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In addition, the FOA explicitly highlights other eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); eligible federal agencies; faith-based or community-based organizations; Indian/Native American Tribal Governments that are not federally recognized; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, meaning foreign organizations may apply.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at pushing the science of RNA modifications into a clinically important and understudied intersection: how HIV interacts with host RNA modification machinery under the physiological and molecular stresses introduced by substance use. The NIH is signaling that projects which can connect RNA chemical modifications to HIV outcomes, explain the underlying mechanisms, and account for the modifying effects of chronic drug exposure may provide a foundation for future therapeutic concepts designed for real-world patient populations where HIV and SUDs frequently co-occur.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Exploring Novel RNA Modifications in HIV/AIDS and Substance Use Disorders (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-05-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-17. (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 DA 18 008

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