Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 24 162
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Improving Choice, Use, and Equitable Implementation of Biomedical HIV Prevention for Women (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-MH-24-162) supports research focused on strengthening real-world use and equitable delivery of the HIV prevention vaginal ring for women. The main purpose is to close practical knowledge gaps about why some people start using the ring, why others do not, and what helps or gets in the way of using it consistently over time. In addition to understanding these barriers and facilitators, the program emphasizes building and testing strategies that can improve uptake (starting the ring), adherence (using it as recommended), and persistence (continuing to use it over time), especially outside the controlled environment of traditional clinical trials.
A major theme of the opportunity is studying what influences ring use in everyday settings, where people face normal life pressures and health systems operate with real constraints. The announcement highlights research that examines barriers and supports at multiple levels. This can include individual-level factors such as knowledge, risk perception, preferences, concerns about side effects, stigma, privacy, or confidence in using a biomedical prevention method. It can also include interpersonal influences such as partner dynamics, family or peer support, relationship power, disclosure concerns, or community norms that shape whether women feel comfortable initiating and sustaining ring use. Structural and systems-level issues are also central, including clinic accessibility, provider training and biases, service integration (for example, how ring delivery fits within sexual and reproductive health services), cost and coverage issues, supply chain reliability, and broader inequities that affect access to HIV prevention options.
The opportunity also calls for development and testing of behavioral interventions designed to encourage women to choose the vaginal ring when it fits their needs and to support consistent, ongoing use. These interventions could involve counseling approaches, peer or community-based support models, adherence support tools, communication strategies, partner-related interventions, or other evidence-informed methods aimed at reducing barriers and reinforcing facilitators. Importantly, the emphasis is not just on whether an intervention works in theory, but whether it is feasible, acceptable, and effective in realistic delivery environments where staff time, clinic workflows, and patient follow-up can be challenging.
Another key focus is implementation science, meaning research that investigates how best to deliver the vaginal ring through real health systems and community settings and how to scale access in an equitable way. Projects might identify implementation barriers (for example, limited provider familiarity, fragmented services, or weak referral pathways) and facilitators (such as trusted community partnerships or integrated service models). They may also test strategies to optimize delivery, such as new clinic workflows, task-shifting approaches, models for community distribution, demand-creation efforts, or approaches that improve continuity (so women can reliably obtain the ring over time). Equity is built into the framing of the initiative, signaling interest in work that addresses unequal access and ensures that implementation approaches reach women who are often underserved or disproportionately affected by HIV.
This is a discretionary grant program using the NIH R34 mechanism, with clinical trials listed as optional, meaning applicants may propose studies that do or do not involve a clinical trial component, depending on the research question and design. The funding activity category is health, and the opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.242, 93.310, and 93.313. While the listing provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, it does provide timing information indicating an original closing date of September 27, 2023, and a creation date of August 25, 2023.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants that can contribute to public health, implementation research, and community-engaged intervention development. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types 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 or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities. Overall, the eligibility language suggests an intent to encourage diverse partnerships and applications, including organizations with strong ties to communities most affected by HIV and those positioned to study delivery in varied health system contexts.Apply for RFA MH 24 162
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Choice, Use, and Equitable Implementation of Biomedical HIV Prevention for Women (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, 93.310, 93.313.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-08-25.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-27. (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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this NIH funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Improving Choice, Use, and Equitable Implementation of Biomedical HIV Prevention for Women (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-24-162.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity.
What is the main purpose of this grant program?
The main purpose is to support research that strengthens real-world use and equitable delivery of the HIV prevention vaginal ring for women, including closing practical knowledge gaps about who starts using the ring, who does not, and what supports or prevents consistent, ongoing use over time.
What HIV prevention product is the focus of the research?
The focus is the HIV prevention vaginal ring for women.
What types of outcomes or behaviors does NIH want studies to improve?
The opportunity emphasizes improving:
- Uptake: starting use of the vaginal ring
- Adherence: using it as recommended
- Persistence: continuing to use it over time
Is this opportunity focused on controlled clinical trials or real-world settings?
The emphasis is on real-world settings outside traditional clinical trials, where day-to-day life pressures and health system constraints affect whether and how women can start and continue using the ring.
What kinds of barriers and facilitators are applicants encouraged to study?
The announcement highlights multi-level influences on ring use, including:
- Individual-level factors (for example, knowledge, risk perception, preferences, side effect concerns, stigma, privacy, and confidence in using biomedical prevention)
- Interpersonal influences (for example, partner dynamics, relationship power, disclosure concerns, family or peer support, and community norms)
- Structural and systems-level issues (for example, clinic accessibility, provider training and biases, service integration with sexual and reproductive health services, cost and coverage issues, supply chain reliability, and broader inequities affecting access)
What is meant by "equitable implementation" in this announcement?
Equitable implementation refers to research and strategies aimed at reducing unequal access to the vaginal ring and ensuring that delivery approaches reach women who are often underserved or disproportionately affected by HIV.
Does this opportunity support behavioral intervention development?
Yes. The opportunity calls for developing and testing behavioral interventions that help women choose the vaginal ring when it fits their needs and that support consistent, ongoing use.
What are examples of behavioral interventions mentioned or implied in the announcement?
Examples described in the opportunity include counseling approaches, peer or community-based support models, adherence support tools, communication strategies, partner-related interventions, and other evidence-informed approaches to reduce barriers and reinforce facilitators.
What does the funding opportunity mean by feasibility and acceptability?
The announcement emphasizes that interventions should be feasible and acceptable in realistic delivery environments, where staff time is limited, clinic workflows can be challenging, and patient follow-up may be difficult.
Is implementation science a major component of this opportunity?
Yes. A key focus is implementation science research on how best to deliver the vaginal ring through health systems and community settings, and how to scale access equitably.
What kinds of implementation challenges might projects address?
The opportunity highlights potential barriers such as limited provider familiarity, fragmented services, and weak referral pathways, as well as facilitators such as trusted community partnerships and integrated service models.
What kinds of implementation strategies might projects test?
Examples include new clinic workflows, task-shifting approaches, community distribution models, demand-creation efforts, and approaches that improve continuity so women can reliably obtain the ring over time.
What grant mechanism is being used?
This is a discretionary grant program using the NIH R34 mechanism.
Are clinical trials required?
No. The announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose studies with or without a clinical trial component, depending on the research question and design.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is health.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.242, 93.310, and 93.313.
When was this opportunity created?
The creation date listed is August 25, 2023.
What was the original closing date?
The listing indicates an original closing date of September 27, 2023.
Does the provided listing specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The information provided notes that an award ceiling and the expected number of awards are not specified in the listing.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include many government entities, education institutions, nonprofits, and businesses, as well as other specified organizations.
What types of government entities are eligible?
Eligible government applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments.
Are public or state-controlled institutions of higher education eligible?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education are eligible.
Are private institutions of higher education eligible?
Yes. Private institutions of higher education are eligible.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status are eligible.
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments are also eligible.
Are housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are eligible.
Are school districts eligible?
Yes. Independent school districts are listed as eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among eligible applicant types.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Non-U.S. (foreign) entities are explicitly included in the eligibility list.
Does the announcement encourage applications from specific institution types?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly calls out 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly listed as eligible.
Are federal agencies eligible?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies are included among eligible applicant types.
Are regional organizations eligible?
Yes. Regional organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
What kinds of partnerships does the eligibility language suggest NIH is looking for?
Based on the broad eligibility and explicit mention of community-based organizations and institutions serving populations disproportionately affected by HIV, the listing suggests interest in diverse partnerships, including organizations with strong community ties and those positioned to study delivery across varied health system contexts.
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