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 21 238

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 238

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this limited-competition grant opportunity (PAR-21-238) to help certain U.S.-based research institutions develop or renovate physical research space specifically to strengthen HIV/AIDS research capacity. The focus is on improving or building facilities that directly support HIV/AIDS research across a wide range of disciplines, including basic science, translational research, clinical research (as a research area supported by the space, though the FOA itself is marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed"), and social and behavioral science. In practical terms, the money is meant for bricks-and-mortar type improvements and the specialized research environments needed to conduct modern HIV/AIDS research effectively, rather than funding stand-alone research projects.

A central purpose of the program is to direct infrastructure investments toward institutions that serve underrepresented and underserved populations and/or are located in Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible states. The intent is capacity-building: strengthening the research environment at places that historically have had fewer resources for research infrastructure, so they can better participate in and contribute to the national HIV/AIDS research enterprise. At the same time, the announcement explicitly excludes research-intensive institutions, reinforcing that this opportunity is designed for institutions that are building or expanding their research footprint rather than those that already have extensive, well-funded research facilities.

The renovated or developed space must align with NIH-established HIV/AIDS research priorities. Applicants are expected to make a clear case that the proposed construction or renovation is tied to real, documented research needs, both current and anticipated. In other words, the application needs to show that the institution has an active or growing HIV/AIDS research program (or a credible plan to expand one) and that the requested facility improvements are necessary to support that program. The FOA frames this as a justification requirement: requests should be driven by research needs, not simply general campus upgrades, and the resulting space should be positioned to enable or accelerate HIV/AIDS research activities that match NIH priority areas.

Eligibility is limited to U.S. domestic organizations. The FOA lists eligible applicant types broadly (including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and certain nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status), but it also highlights particular institution categories that commonly serve underrepresented populations. These include 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 (AANAPISIs). Foreign institutions are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed, including non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NIH grant under the health funding activity category (CFDA 93.352). The listed award ceiling is $2,000,000. The original closing date shown in the source information is January 6, 2022, and the FOA was created May 4, 2021. Because it is described as a limited competition, applicants should expect that NIH may restrict eligibility further (for example, by limiting the number of applications per institution or requiring specific institutional characteristics), so prospective applicants would need to consult the full FOA text for all restrictions, allowable and unallowable costs, and the specific application and review criteria tied to construction/renovation (C06) awards.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted infrastructure support: NIH is offering up to a defined cap to help eligible, non-research-intensive institutions in IDeA states or serving underserved populations modernize or expand HIV/AIDS research space, as long as the facility plans are well-justified, directly connected to HIV/AIDS research priorities, and designed to meet both present and future research demands.

• 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 2021-05-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-01-06. (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 21 238

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