AIDS Research Center on Mental Health and HIV/AIDS (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 20 308

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 308

The AIDS Research Center on Mental Health and HIV/AIDS (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) grant opportunity (PAR-20-308) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), specifically its Division of AIDS Research (DAR). It supports the creation or strengthening of HIV/AIDS Research Centers (often referred to as ARCs) through the P30 "Center Core" mechanism. Rather than primarily paying for a single stand-alone research study, a P30 center grant is designed to build and maintain shared infrastructure that makes multiple HIV and mental health research projects more productive, higher quality, and more collaborative. The overall aim is to accelerate high-impact science at the intersection of HIV/AIDS and mental health in ways that closely match the NIMH mission.

The emphasis of this opportunity is on innovative, interdisciplinary work. NIMH signals that it is interested in research spanning a wide range of scientific areas, including basic science, NeuroHIV (the effects of HIV on the brain and nervous system), behavioral and social science, integrated biobehavioral approaches that connect biological and behavioral mechanisms, applied research, clinical research, translational research that moves findings toward real-world use, and implementation science focused on how to deliver evidence-based practices effectively in routine settings. The "clinical trial optional" label indicates that an application may include clinical trial activity when appropriate, but it is not required; the core expectation is that the center provides resources, services, and coordination that enable and improve a portfolio of HIV/mental health research.

In practical terms, the ARC model is about shared supports that individual labs or projects often cannot sustain on their own. While the specific cores and services would be proposed by the applicant organization, the intent is to create center-wide capabilities that facilitate collaboration, standardization, and efficiency across multiple investigators and projects. These cores commonly include things like administrative coordination, data management and analytic support, clinical or community research support, methods expertise, participant recruitment capacity, and other shared resources that raise the overall quality and impact of HIV and mental health research. NIMH is looking for centers that can serve as a hub for scientific synergy, helping investigators generate stronger studies and produce results that matter for understanding, preventing, and treating HIV-related mental health challenges.

Eligibility is broad and covers many U.S.-based organization types that might be positioned to run a center. 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; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (when not an institution of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the FOA is clear about foreign restrictions: non-U.S. (non-domestic) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed under this announcement.

This is a discretionary grant program in the health funding category, listed under CFDA 93.242. The opportunity record shows an original closing date of 2023-09-13 and a creation date of 2020-10-08. Award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which is common for some NIH FOAs where budgets and award counts can vary by application quality, program priorities, and available funds. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH/NIMH support for a U.S.-based institution (or eligible organization) to operate a coordinated HIV/AIDS and mental health research center that supplies shared infrastructure and expertise to drive stronger, more integrated science across multiple projects and disciplines.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AIDS Research Center on Mental Health and HIV/AIDS (P30 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 2020-10-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-13. (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 PAR 20 308

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