Tobacco Use and HIV in Low and Middle Income Countries (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 023

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 023

The Tobacco Use and HIV in Low and Middle Income Countries (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) grant opportunity (PAR 18-023) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement aimed at supporting research at the intersection of tobacco use and HIV infection in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The central focus is on generating practical, evidence-based approaches to reduce tobacco use among people living with HIV, especially in settings where health systems are under-resourced and where the burden of co-occurring conditions can be high. A key emphasis is on developing and testing tobacco cessation interventions that are specifically tailored to HIV-positive populations, recognizing that standard cessation programs may not translate well to HIV care contexts or to LMIC environments without adaptation.

The announcement encourages projects that move beyond describing the problem and instead build, adapt, and evaluate interventions that can actually be delivered within real-world HIV care and treatment settings. This includes intervention development and refinement, planning activities needed to implement the approach locally, delivery of the cessation intervention itself, and follow-up work to measure outcomes over time. The FOA explicitly highlights relevance for people living with HIV who also face co-morbidities such as tuberculosis (TB), reflecting the reality that HIV and TB often overlap in LMICs and can complicate both clinical care and behavior change efforts. While the mechanism is an R01, the clinical trial component is optional, meaning applicants may propose either observational and intervention-development research or full clinical evaluations, depending on the project goals and readiness of the intervention.

The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant within the broad activity areas of education and health, and it is associated with CFDA numbers 93.279 and 93.393. Eligible applicants are wide-ranging and include many types of U.S.-based and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible entities 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; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and both nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status) and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), as well as small businesses and other applicants. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This broad eligibility is consistent with the global health focus and the need for partnerships that can operate effectively in LMIC contexts.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was created on November 28, 2017, and the original closing date listed is January 7, 2020. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided excerpt, but it does clearly define the program’s purpose: to advance research that leads to feasible, culturally appropriate, and scalable tobacco cessation strategies for people living with HIV in LMICs, including those dealing with TB and other complications, with support for planning, implementation, and follow-up to assess impact.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tobacco Use and HIV in Low and Middle Income Countries (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): 93.279, 93.393.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-07. (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 18 023

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