Limited Competition: Development and Renovation of Research Space for HIV/AIDS Research at Institutions Serving Underrepresented Populations or Located in Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible States (C06 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 159

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 159

This NIH grant opportunity (PAR-21-159) is a limited-competition program that provides funding to develop or renovate research space specifically to strengthen HIV/AIDS research capacity at institutions that serve underrepresented and underserved populations or are located in NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible states. The focus is on improving or creating facilities that will directly support HIV/AIDS research across a broad spectrum, including basic science, translational research, clinical research (as a facility support effort, not a clinical trial mechanism), and social and behavioral science research. A key expectation is that the proposed construction or renovation is not just a general infrastructure upgrade, but a targeted investment that clearly enables or expands HIV/AIDS-related research activities aligned with NIH-established HIV/AIDS research priorities.

The program is designed for institutions that are not considered research-intensive, meaning it is intended to build or enhance research capability in places that may have fewer existing resources or historically less access to major research infrastructure investments. Applicants are expected to justify the requested facility changes using both current needs and realistic near-future needs, such as growing HIV/AIDS research programs, recruiting or retaining investigators, supporting new methodologies, improving biosafety or specialized lab workflows, or enabling collaborative research efforts that depend on appropriate space. In practical terms, the application needs to make a tight case that renovated or newly developed space is necessary to conduct competitive HIV/AIDS research and that it will be used effectively for that purpose.

Eligibility is aimed at a range of U.S.-based organizations, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), as well as other eligible entities described in the FOA. The opportunity explicitly calls out several categories of institutions that commonly serve underrepresented groups, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). At the same time, the NIH makes clear boundaries around foreign involvement: non-U.S. institutions cannot apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed under this announcement.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary grant under the NIH, categorized within health research infrastructure support (CFDA 93.352). The award ceiling listed is $2,000,000, which signals that projects should be significant but still scoped to targeted renovation or development rather than large-scale new construction campuses. The original closing date shown for the posted opportunity was May 4, 2021, and the announcement was created on April 12, 2021. The activity code is C06, and the FOA states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the grant mechanism is for facility development/renovation and cannot be used to propose or run a clinical trial as part of the funded project, even though the resulting space may support future clinical or clinical-adjacent HIV/AIDS research.

Overall, the core purpose of this FOA is capacity-building through infrastructure: NIH is funding institutions with strong mission alignment to underserved and underrepresented communities (or those in IDeA states) to modernize or create research space that makes HIV/AIDS research more feasible, more competitive, and better aligned with NIH priority areas. The strongest proposals under a program like this typically connect the physical space improvements to a concrete research trajectory, showing how the upgraded facilities will translate into sustained HIV/AIDS research activity, improved productivity, and a stronger ability to contribute to the national HIV/AIDS research agenda.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Development and Renovation of Research Space for HIV/AIDS Research at Institutions Serving Underrepresented Populations or Located in Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible States (C06 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.352.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-04-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-04. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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, Others.

Apply for PAR 21 159

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