NIAID seeks applications for resource-related research projects to support the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) Initiative through the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Resource-Related Research Project (R24) Applications to Support Collaborative Implementation Science to End the HIV Epidemic.
| The EHE Initiative is a coordinated federal response to accelerate HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and outbreak response efforts, with the goal of reducing the number of new HIV infections in the United States by at least 90 percent by 2030. The role of NIH in the EHE initiative is to support implementation research to identify innovative, evidence-based approaches to reach communities disproportionately impacted by HIV. |
The NOSI encourages applications to the NIAID Resource-Related Research Projects (R24, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for one Coordination, Consultation, and Data Management Center (CCDMC) and multiple Regional Consultation Hubs (RCHs) to support the NIH EHE research portfolio. The CCDMC will support NIH EHE-funded projects, particularly around data harmonization and reporting. The RCHs will develop webinars, workshops, technical assistance, and other resources for researchers and practitioners, and will collaborate with the CCDMC portfolio to synthesize and disseminate progress and outcomes from EHE-funded projects.
Applications should propose either a CCDMC or an RCH; principal investigators (PIs) may submit separate applications for the CCDMC and an RCH but will only be eligible to receive funding for one of the two projects if both applications are meritorious. As explained in the NIAID Resource-Related Research Projects NOFO, consultation with NIAID staff at least 10 weeks prior to the application due date is strongly encouraged for any NIAID R24 application.
Expected functions of the CCDMC include the following:
Data coordination and harmonization
- Coordinate harmonization of methods, metrics, and data collection procedures, and establish common data elements, when appropriate, for NIH-funded EHE projects starting in fiscal year 2024 and funded during the R24 project period.
- Continue follow-up and reporting to track outcomes of NIH-funded EHE projects, including ongoing projects and projects funded in previous years (e.g., CFAR/ARC EHE Supplement Awards).
- Maintain a publicly accessible database of EHE project characteristics and outcomes.
- Develop and house publicly accessible resources, including harmonization tools available for EHE-funded research teams and other HIV implementation researchers to utilize as needed for analyses, publications, and grant applications.
Scientific Leadership
- Foster collaboration and regular interaction of research teams and RCHs through scheduling and organizing conference calls, workshops, and webinars.
- Plan meetings or panels in conjunction with relevant HIV and implementation research conferences. This should include meetings and conferences organized by implementing organizations such as (but not limited to) the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors Annual Meeting and the National Ryan White Conference.
- Provide scientific leadership and technical assistance in implementation science methods and protocol development across sites, in partnership with the RCH teams.
- In collaboration with the RCHs and NIH program officials, organize a virtual kick-off meeting with EHE-funded research teams after they receive their Notices of Award.
- In collaboration with the RCHs and NIH program officials, plan a 2-day in-person annual meeting for research teams and community partners for 200-300 attendees.
- Support professional development and capacity-building of early-stage investigators (ESIs), as well as secondary and post-secondary students, local implementers, community leaders, people living with HIV, and policymakers, as appropriate. Compile and disseminate relevant educational opportunities and resources related to implementation science for ESIs. Provide mentorship opportunities for ESIs in best practices for implementation science and community-engaged research.
Dissemination and Research to Practice
- Collaborate with EHE-funded research teams and RCHs to plan for dissemination of research to communities, HHS implementing agencies, local policymakers, and HIV service providers, and include plans for how to communicate progress during midpoint milestones and work with organizations in the hand-off of successful strategies and programs.
- Evaluate innovative approaches for disseminating and sharing research findings, in collaboration with RCHs. This should include the organization of a dissemination ‘think tank’ that convenes experts, practitioners, community members, federal staff, and other stakeholders.
- Collaborate with EHE-funded research teams and RCHs to publish articles, systematic reviews, white papers/policy documents, and implementation toolkits/guides highlighting findings and best practices generated by the NIH EHE portfolio.
Refer to the list below for a sample of expected functions of the RCH. Refer to the NOSI linked above for the complete list of RCH functions:
- Provide support for a defined set of EHE research projects. Provide details on coaching and technical assistance services available to EHE research teams, including support around data harmonization and reporting requirements. Specific assistance should also be provided to the research teams around planning for dissemination. This should include plans for how to involve leadership from implementing organizations from the beginning of the research process, how to communicate progress during midpoint milestones, and how to work with organizations in the hand-off of successful strategies/programs. Hubs should also work with the CCDMC and NIH officials to identify promising projects that could help to inform the best practices of HHS implementing agencies.
- Collect data on characteristics, measures and outcomes from awarded projects based on established criteria from the CCDMC from all EHE projects receiving consultation and technical assistance from the RCH.
- In collaboration with the CCDMC, conduct systematic review of promising strategies identified in the first phase of EHE, including reviewing published work and convening meetings/workshops with relevant project investigators and implementing partners to assess common outcomes and findings across different geographic sites and organizational settings. The goal of these activities will be to develop evidence-based policy/practice recommendations. Output from these efforts should include the creation of implementation toolkits or guides that readily translate research-based recommendations into practice.
Expectations for Communication and Reporting
Along with knowing the functions of RCHs, applicants should also be aware that there are expectations around communication and reporting for CCDMCs and RCHs, as outlined below:
- The CCDMC is expected to engage with NIH program officers at a minimum of once per month to report on progress, challenges, outcomes, and regularly communicate research progress, challenges, and opportunities of the EHE portfolio.
- All recipients (CCDMC and RCHs) are expected to engage with HHS implementing agencies, and regularly communicate research progress, challenges, outcomes, findings, and best practices to NIH officials and HHS implementing agencies through summary reports, quarterly meetings, and other channels as requested.
- Recipients will be expected to participate in an annual meeting which will include other NIH-funded researchers working on implementation science to support ending the HIV epidemic, as well as federal staff and community partners.
Application and Submission Information
This notice applies to due dates on or after May 7, 2024, and subsequent receipt dates through January 7, 2025.
Apply to this initiative using the following NOFO or any reissues of the NOFO through the expiration date of this notice.
Follow all instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and in the NOFO above, including the following addition:
- For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-AI-24-031” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF 424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
Inquiries
Direct all inquiries to NIAID’s scientific/research contacts: Dr. Rebecca Mandt at rebecca.mandt@nih.gov or 301-435-7695 and Dr. Eric Refsland at eric.refsland@nih.gov or 301-761-7193. Direct any peer review questions to Dr. J. Bruce Sundstrom at sundstromj@niaid.nih.gov or 240-669-5054.