Addressing the Role of Violence on HIV Care and Viral Suppression (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 20 201

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 20 201

The grant opportunity titled "Addressing the Role of Violence on HIV Care and Viral Suppression (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA MH 20 201) is a discretionary National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement focused on how violence affects HIV treatment outcomes and what can be done to improve them. The core purpose is twofold: first, to deepen scientific understanding of how exposure to violence influences key points along the HIV care continuum, and second, to support the creation and early testing of new approaches that help people with histories of violence stay engaged in care, take HIV medications consistently, and achieve or maintain viral suppression. Because it is an R21 mechanism, the emphasis is typically on exploratory or developmental work that can generate evidence, preliminary data, or proof-of-concept results that may later support larger-scale studies.

The research scope centers on the relationship between violence exposure and HIV-related outcomes, specifically engagement and retention in HIV medical care, adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and viral suppression. In practical terms, applications might examine how different forms of violence (for example, interpersonal violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, community violence, or other trauma-related experiences) create barriers to attending appointments, trusting providers, accessing services, maintaining medication routines, or managing the mental health and social challenges that can interfere with sustained treatment. The opportunity also highlights intervention development and testing, meaning applicants are encouraged not only to describe the problem but to propose and evaluate strategies that directly improve care participation and clinical outcomes among individuals who have experienced violence. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose studies that include clinical trial elements, but they are not required to do so.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant funding instrument under the health funding activity category, with CFDA numbers 93.242 and 93.313. The award ceiling is listed as $200,000, indicating the maximum award amount expected per project under this announcement. The original closing date was 2019-04-10, and the announcement was created on 2019-01-29, which places it in a specific historical funding cycle; anyone interested today would typically use this as a reference point and confirm whether a reissue, successor announcement, or related NIH opportunity is currently open.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across government, education, nonprofit, and private sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, and 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 other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education when applicable); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The opportunity also explicitly calls out additional eligible groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based and community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects the reality that violence and HIV outcomes are shaped by clinical care systems, community contexts, policy environments, and culturally specific service networks, so NIH is signaling openness to multidisciplinary teams and diverse institutional settings.

Overall, the opportunity is designed to push the field toward clearer evidence on how violence disrupts HIV care and to seed practical, testable solutions that can improve adherence and viral suppression for people affected by violence. It encourages research that connects real-world experiences of violence with measurable HIV care outcomes and then translates that knowledge into interventions that can be implemented in clinical, community, or hybrid service settings.

• 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 (R21 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 $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.

Apply for RFA MH 20 201

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