Multidisciplinary Approaches to HIV-Associated Comorbidities and Prioritizing Intervention Targets (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 027

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 027

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity PAR-21-027, titled "Multidisciplinary Approaches to HIV-Associated Comorbidities and Prioritizing Intervention Targets (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," supports basic and translational research that looks beyond single-disease explanations for illness in people living with HIV. The central idea is that many HIV-associated comorbidities, especially those that become more common with aging, may share underlying biological drivers. Instead of studying one pathway tied to one end-organ condition, the FOA encourages projects that identify overlapping mechanisms that contribute to multiple comorbidities at once. By focusing on shared etiology, the research is expected to point to intervention targets that could reduce several conditions simultaneously and potentially inform HIV cure strategies and broader HIV pathogenesis.

This announcement specifically calls for comprehensive systems biology approaches carried out by multidisciplinary teams. In practical terms, NIH is looking for team science that integrates different kinds of expertise (for example, immunology, virology, cardiopulmonary biology, hematology, sleep science, computational biology, bioinformatics, geriatrics/aging biology, and related disciplines) to build a more connected, whole-system understanding of why comorbidities cluster in HIV. The research emphasis is on uncovering the pathophysiologic mechanisms that drive biological aging and age-related comorbidities in people living with HIV, including how HIV infection and its long-term effects may accelerate or alter aging-related processes. A key deliverable is prioritization of intervention targets, meaning applicants should not only characterize mechanisms but also help identify the most promising biological points of leverage for future therapeutic or preventive strategies that could mitigate multiple conditions.

The comorbidity scope highlighted in the FOA centers on heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS)-related conditions associated with HIV infection. While the announcement does not prescribe a single disease list, it frames the scientific goal around understanding common pathways that cut across these organ systems and symptom domains, rather than treating each as an isolated problem. The intent is that applicants will use integrative, data-driven and mechanistic approaches (typical of systems biology) to map how interacting processes such as chronic inflammation, immune activation, metabolic and vascular dysfunction, tissue remodeling, coagulation changes, neuroendocrine disruption, or other interconnected pathways may jointly contribute to comorbidity patterns in HIV. The emphasis on shared biology is also tied to the idea that upstream drivers, if identified and validated, could become more efficient targets than trying to manage each downstream condition separately.

Mechanistically, the FOA is positioned around the observation that HIV-associated comorbidities often emerge together and may be linked through converging biology that is unique to, or amplified by, HIV infection and long-term treated disease. The initiative therefore supports research that can separate what is general aging biology from what is HIV-modified aging biology, and how those differences translate into clinical risks across multiple organ systems. The long-range payoff NIH is signaling is a clearer set of prioritized targets for intervention development, potentially enabling strategies that reduce multimorbidity burden in people living with HIV while also shedding light on persistent HIV-related pathogenesis that may matter for cure-oriented research.

The funding mechanism is an NIH R01 grant, and the FOA explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning it is intended for non-trial research rather than prospective intervention studies that meet NIH’s clinical trial definition. Applicants can still propose human-focused research as appropriate for systems biology and mechanism discovery, but not a clinical trial under NIH rules. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the health activity category, with CFDA numbers listed as 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, and 93.840.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes 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/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, but non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are allowed, which means projects can include certain international elements when justified and compliant with NIH rules.

Administrative details provided in the source include an original closing date of 2023-01-07, an award ceiling listed as 480000 (as presented in the source data), and the FOA record creation date of 2020-09-30. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at accelerating integrated, mechanistic discovery through multidisciplinary systems biology, with the practical goal of identifying and prioritizing intervention targets that could reduce multiple HIV-associated HLBS comorbidities and improve long-term health outcomes for people living with HIV.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Multidisciplinary Approaches to HIV-Associated Comorbidities and Prioritizing Intervention Targets (R01 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): 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-09-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-01-07. (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 $480,000.00 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.

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