Addressing the Role of Violence on HIV Care and Viral Suppression (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 20 202

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 20 202

Addressing the Role of Violence on HIV Care and Viral Suppression (R34 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-20-202) focused on how exposure to violence affects key HIV outcomes and what can be done to improve them. The aim is twofold: first, to strengthen the evidence base on how violence influences engagement in HIV care, retention in care over time, adherence to HIV medications, and ultimately viral suppression; and second, to support the development and early testing of new or adapted interventions designed specifically for people living with HIV who have experienced violence. The FOA emphasizes practical HIV care outcomes, meaning applicants are expected to connect experiences of violence to measurable steps along the HIV care continuum, including whether people can stay connected to services, consistently take antiretroviral therapy, and reach or maintain an undetectable viral load.

The mechanism is an R34, which is commonly used for pilot or early-stage intervention research, such as intervention development, feasibility testing, refinement, and preliminary evaluation. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," indicating that applicants may propose a study that includes a clinical trial component, but they are not required to do so. In practice, this provides flexibility for projects that may be formative (for example, identifying pathways linking violence exposure to care disruption), developmental (for example, adapting a trauma-informed or violence-responsive model for HIV clinics), or evaluative (for example, conducting a pilot randomized or pragmatic test to see whether an intervention improves adherence or viral suppression).

Funding is provided as a grant, within the Health funding activity category, and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.242 and 93.313. The award ceiling listed is $225,000. The original application closing date for this specific posting was April 10, 2019, and the opportunity record was created January 29, 2019. While the listing does not specify the number of expected awards in the excerpt provided, it frames the scope as targeted, early-phase work meant to generate actionable knowledge and intervention approaches that can be scaled or tested more rigorously later.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governmental entities. 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; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when specified); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as 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; U.S. territories or possessions; and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, that eligibility language signals an intent to encourage applications from organizations closely connected to communities disproportionately affected by both HIV and violence, and from a range of settings where HIV care and supportive services are delivered.

At its core, this opportunity is geared toward research and intervention work that treats violence exposure as a meaningful driver of HIV care challenges rather than a side issue. Competitive projects under this FOA would typically be expected to clarify how violence shapes behavior and access in real-world care contexts, and to propose intervention strategies that are responsive to trauma and safety needs while still targeting concrete HIV outcomes like retention, adherence, and viral suppression.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Addressing the Role of Violence on HIV Care and Viral Suppression (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.313.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-01-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-04-10. (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 $225,000.00 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.

Apply for RFA MH 20 202

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