Expanding Differentiated Care Approaches for Adolescents Living with HIV (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 22 105

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 22 105

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Expanding Differentiated Care Approaches for Adolescents Living with HIV (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-22-105; CFDA 93.242) supports research to improve HIV care outcomes for adolescents, a population that consistently experiences some of the weakest results along the HIV care continuum globally. The core problem the opportunity is trying to address is that many HIV service models have been built around adult patients and conventional clinic-based delivery, while adolescents often face different barriers, needs, and life circumstances that can make standard care hard to access, hard to stay engaged with, or simply not a good fit.

The opportunity centers on "differentiated care" (also called differentiated service delivery), meaning client-centered approaches that simplify and adapt HIV services across prevention-to-treatment-to-long-term management in ways that better match what adolescents need while also reducing unnecessary workload and congestion in health systems. In practice, this can involve changing where, when, how, and by whom services are delivered, with the goal of maintaining or improving clinical outcomes (like viral suppression and retention in care) while making services more adolescent-friendly and more efficient for clinics and providers. The emphasis is not limited to one point in the continuum; it encourages thinking broadly about adaptations across care, rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all clinic schedule or service package.

A major motivation for the announcement is that most existing differentiated care evidence has historically focused on antiretroviral therapy (ART) delivery for stable adults, particularly in high HIV prevalence settings in sub-Saharan Africa. While the broader differentiated care field has grown and the literature increasingly supports these approaches for people living with HIV, programs and studies still too rarely focus on adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) or directly address their unique needs. This funding opportunity is intended to stimulate research that closes that gap by developing, testing, and expanding differentiated care models designed specifically with adolescents in mind, rather than simply adapting adult models without sufficient evidence that they work for younger people.

The mechanism is an R01 grant, and clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants may propose clinical trial research if it fits their aims, but they are not required to do so. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary grant funding within the health activity area. The original closing date listed for the opportunity was January 6, 2022, and the posting indicates a creation date of October 18, 2021; the award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source information.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based and international organizations. 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); Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories 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, eligible federal agencies, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. Overall, the funding opportunity is designed to bring in a wide range of researchers and implementers capable of testing adolescent-focused differentiated HIV care approaches in varied settings and health systems.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Expanding Differentiated Care Approaches for Adolescents Living with HIV (R01 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.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-01-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 22 105

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