PAR-25-318
Advancing HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of the NIDCD (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
Summary
Advancing HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of the NIDCD (R21)
Research Focus
This R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant seeks to expand HIV/AIDS research addressing communication disorders—hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language—in people living with HIV (PLWH). The NIDCD aims to advance hypothesis-driven epidemiological, basic, translational, and clinical research that informs treatment and prevention strategies across the lifespan. Priority research includes: investigating how acute HIV exposure, chronic infection, and co-infections affect hearing and communication in children and adults; identifying and alleviating adverse effects on hearing, balance, taste, and communication from antiretroviral and co-infection medications; elucidating pathophysiological pathways underlying comorbid communication disorders in PLWH; and developing prevention or treatment strategies to improve outcomes. Multidisciplinary collaborations between communication disorders and HIV/AIDS researchers are encouraged, as are studies leveraging existing HIV/AIDS cohorts and clinical trials.
For clinical trials, only low-risk trials are supported—those not requiring FDA oversight (IND/IDE), with risks no greater than routine medical care, and designed to gather evidence for subsequent studies rather than establish efficacy or change standard of care.
At a Glance
- Who can apply: Higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, government agencies, tribal governments, faith-based/community organizations, and foreign organizations.
- Funding & project length: Up to $275,000 combined direct costs over 2 years (max $200,000 per year).
- Award mechanism: R21 grant (exploratory/developmental research).
- Key dates: Open April 7, 2025; multiple submission deadlines through November 2027; earliest start December 2025.
- Best fit for: Researchers in audiology, speech-language pathology, otolaryngology, neuroscience, epidemiology, and related disciplines studying communication disorders in HIV-positive populations using basic, translational, or low-risk clinical approaches.
Key Facts
Deadline
Tue, November 16, 2027
Posted
Wed, January 8, 2025
Award / Year (direct costs)
$200,000
Max Total
$275,000
Max Duration
2 years
Keywords
Research Areas
Gotchas (2)
The NOFO states that for clinical trials, only 'low risk' trials will be supported and defines specific criteria. However, applications proposing clinical trials that do not meet the 'low risk' defini
90%
Source Text
“For clinical trials, this NOFO will only support low risk clinical trials that meet ALL of the following criteria: [three criteria listed]. Applications that propose to conduct clinical trials that do not meet the above definition of 'low risk' will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.”
The NOFO requires that clinical trials 'intends to gather scientific data/evidence to inform subsequent studies but not aimed or sufficiently powered to directly change health policy or standard of ca
85%
Source Text
“Intends to gather scientific data/evidence to inform subsequent studies but not aimed or sufficiently powered to directly change health policy or standard of care and is not an NIH-defined Phase III Clinical Trial”