Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 105
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity "Targeted basic behavioral and social science and intervention development for HIV prevention and care (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-17-105) supports innovative research aimed at two linked public health goals: reducing new (incident) HIV infections and improving health outcomes for people already living with HIV. The program is built around the idea that progress in HIV prevention and care depends not only on biomedical advances, but also on a clearer understanding of behavioral and social drivers of risk, engagement in prevention, treatment adherence, and long-term retention in care. In practice, the FOA is looking for projects that connect foundational behavioral and social science questions to practical, testable intervention strategies.
The FOA encourages three broad types of research activities. First, it invites targeted basic behavioral and social science research that fills key knowledge gaps needed to design better HIV prevention and care interventions. This can include studies that clarify why people do or do not use prevention tools, what social and structural factors shape decision-making, how stigma or discrimination affects care engagement, and what interpersonal or community dynamics influence risk and protective behaviors. Second, it encourages investigators to translate and operationalize findings from these basic studies into intervention concepts, meaning the research should move beyond describing a problem and toward shaping intervention components that can realistically be delivered in real-world settings. As part of this translational step, applicants are encouraged to develop interventions and assess early-stage implementation questions such as acceptability (whether participants and stakeholders view the approach as appropriate and worthwhile) and feasibility (whether it can be delivered as intended with available resources and within typical service contexts). Third, the FOA also supports tests of intervention efficacy for HIV prevention and care, allowing applicants to evaluate whether the proposed intervention produces the intended outcomes under controlled or well-defined conditions.
This particular announcement uses the NIH R21 grant mechanism, which is typically designed for exploratory, developmental, and early-stage projects. The FOA explicitly notes that the R21 route may be especially appropriate for high-risk/high-payoff ideas, projects that do not yet have preliminary data, and projects that rely on existing data rather than building a new longitudinal dataset. In contrast, NIH also offers a related funding pathway (PA-17-106) using the R01 mechanism, which generally supports larger, more mature projects and may be better suited for applicants who already have strong preliminary findings and/or plan more extensive longitudinal analyses. The key distinction presented in the FOA is essentially one of project maturity and evidentiary base: R21 for promising, earlier-stage concepts and development, and R01 for more established, data-supported programs of research.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health funding category, listed under CFDA 93.242, and administered by NIH. The award ceiling provided in the source information is $200,000, reflecting the smaller, exploratory nature typical of R21 awards. The original closing date listed is January 24, 2018, and the record creation date is January 9, 2017, which indicates this specific posting is tied to that historical submission cycle.
Eligibility is broad and inclusive, spanning many types of institutions and organizations that could contribute to behavioral, social, and intervention research in HIV. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local 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; non-federally recognized Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories that reflect a strong interest in engaging diverse institutions and community-linked organizations, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), 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, non-U.S. (foreign) organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH support for the early-to-mid pipeline of HIV behavioral and social science intervention work: generating the targeted foundational insights that interventions need, converting those insights into practical and culturally relevant intervention designs, and, when appropriate, running initial efficacy tests. The emphasis on innovation and targeted basic science signals that NIH is seeking proposals that identify specific, high-impact behavioral or social mechanisms and directly leverage them to strengthen HIV prevention and care interventions, rather than proposals that remain purely descriptive or disconnected from intervention development.Apply for PA 17 105
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Targeted basic behavioral and social science and intervention development for HIV prevention and care (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-01-09.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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 $200,000.00 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this NIH funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Targeted basic behavioral and social science and intervention development for HIV prevention and care (R21)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-17-105.
What are the main public health goals this FOA supports?
This FOA supports research aimed at two linked goals: (1) reducing new (incident) HIV infections and (2) improving health outcomes for people already living with HIV.
Why does this FOA focus on behavioral and social science, not only biomedical research?
The FOA is built on the idea that progress in HIV prevention and care depends not only on biomedical advances, but also on understanding behavioral and social drivers of HIV risk, engagement in prevention, treatment adherence, and long-term retention in care.
What is the overall purpose of the program described in PA-17-105?
The program supports innovative research that connects foundational behavioral and social science questions to practical, testable intervention strategies for HIV prevention and care.
What broad types of research activities does the FOA encourage?
The FOA encourages three broad categories: (1) targeted basic behavioral and social science research to fill key knowledge gaps needed to design better interventions, (2) translation and operationalization of findings into intervention concepts and components (including early-stage implementation questions), and (3) tests of intervention efficacy for HIV prevention and care.
What is meant by "targeted basic behavioral and social science research" in this FOA?
It refers to studies designed to fill specific knowledge gaps that are needed to build stronger HIV prevention and care interventions, rather than research that remains purely descriptive or disconnected from intervention development.
What kinds of questions or topics fit under the targeted basic research encouraged here?
Examples mentioned include clarifying why people do or do not use prevention tools, identifying social and structural factors that shape decision-making, examining how stigma or discrimination affects care engagement, and understanding interpersonal or community dynamics that influence risk and protective behaviors.
Does the FOA support moving from basic findings into actual intervention development?
Yes. A core emphasis is translating and operationalizing basic behavioral and social science findings into intervention concepts and components that can realistically be delivered in real-world settings.
What early-stage implementation questions are explicitly encouraged during intervention development?
The FOA encourages assessing acceptability (whether participants and stakeholders view the approach as appropriate and worthwhile) and feasibility (whether it can be delivered as intended with available resources and within typical service contexts).
Does this FOA allow studies that test whether an intervention works?
Yes. The FOA supports tests of intervention efficacy for HIV prevention and care, meaning applicants may evaluate whether the intervention produces intended outcomes under controlled or well-defined conditions.
What grant mechanism does this opportunity use?
This announcement uses the NIH R21 grant mechanism.
What is the R21 mechanism generally intended for?
The R21 mechanism is typically designed for exploratory, developmental, and early-stage projects.
Is preliminary data required for this R21 opportunity?
The FOA notes that the R21 route may be especially appropriate for projects that do not yet have preliminary data.
Are high-risk/high-payoff ideas appropriate for this FOA?
Yes. The FOA explicitly notes that R21 may be especially appropriate for high-risk/high-payoff ideas.
Can an application rely on existing data rather than building a new longitudinal dataset?
Yes. The FOA notes that R21 projects may rely on existing data rather than building a new longitudinal dataset.
Is there a related NIH opportunity for larger or more mature projects?
Yes. The FOA references a related pathway using the R01 mechanism under PA-17-106.
How does the FOA describe the difference between R21 (PA-17-105) and the related R01 (PA-17-106)?
The distinction is described as primarily project maturity and evidentiary base: R21 is positioned for earlier-stage concepts and development, while R01 is generally for larger, more mature projects that may have stronger preliminary findings and/or more extensive longitudinal analyses.
What is the funding category and type of grant listed for this opportunity?
It is listed as a discretionary grant opportunity in the health funding category.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 93.242.
Which federal agency administers this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the award ceiling listed in the provided information?
The award ceiling listed is $200,000, reflecting the smaller, exploratory nature typical of R21 awards.
What was the closing date listed for this posting?
The original closing date listed is January 24, 2018.
What is the record creation date and what does it suggest?
The record creation date is January 9, 2017, suggesting this specific posting is tied to a historical submission cycle.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types, including: state, county, and local 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; non-federally recognized Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities.
Does the FOA explicitly encourage applications from diverse institutions and community-linked organizations?
Yes. The FOA highlights additional eligible categories reflecting interest in engaging diverse and community-linked organizations, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA lists eligible federal agencies among the additional eligible applicant categories.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA includes non-U.S. (foreign) organizations among eligible applicant categories.
Are U.S. territories or possessions included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA includes U.S. territories or possessions among eligible applicant categories.
Are Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized eligible?
Yes. The FOA includes Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized among eligible applicant categories.
What kinds of projects does NIH appear to be prioritizing through this FOA?
The emphasis is on innovation and targeted basic science that identifies specific, high-impact behavioral or social mechanisms and directly leverages them to strengthen HIV prevention and care interventions, rather than proposals that remain purely descriptive or disconnected from intervention development.
Where does this FOA fit in the HIV research pipeline?
It is positioned to support the early-to-mid pipeline of HIV behavioral and social science intervention work: generating targeted foundational insights, converting those insights into practical and culturally relevant intervention designs, and, when appropriate, running initial efficacy tests.
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