HIV/AIDS Scholars Using Nonhuman Primate (NHP) Models Program (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 19 267

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 267

The HIV/AIDS Scholars Using Nonhuman Primate (NHP) Models Program is an NIH career development grant that uses the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award mechanism (K01) to help early-stage investigators build the experience, mentorship, and research foundation needed to become independent HIV/AIDS researchers. The program is specifically geared toward people who are within 10 years of completing a terminal professional degree or finishing residency training, and it is designed to provide both protected salary support and research support so recipients can devote sustained effort to career development rather than juggling competing obligations. A key feature is that the award is mentored: applicants are expected to work under an established mentorship team with deep expertise in nonhuman primate HIV/AIDS model systems and a proven ability to translate pre-clinical findings into clinical relevance for humans.

The scientific focus is tightly defined around translational HIV/AIDS studies that use nonhuman primates as pre-clinical models. In practical terms, that means the research should leverage NHP systems to answer questions that are directly relevant to human HIV prevention, treatment, and cure strategies, with a clear line of sight to how the findings could inform clinical approaches. The mentorship component is not just an add-on; it is central to the intent of the opportunity. The expectation is that awardees will spend an intensive, structured period developing rigorous scientific skills, building collaborations, and generating the type of publishable results and preliminary data that position them for subsequent independent grants, particularly major research project awards such as an R01.

The award period provides three years of support, which is meant to be long enough to produce meaningful progress in a complex area like NHP-based translational HIV research, where studies often require careful planning, specialized facilities, and multi-disciplinary input. The long-term outcome NIH is aiming for is a pipeline of investigators who can lead independent research programs that bridge pre-clinical NHP work and human clinical application. Importantly, this specific announcement is labeled "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed," indicating the award is not intended to support an investigator-initiated clinical trial led by the K01 candidate. The work should remain in the translational and pre-clinical space using NHP models rather than serving as a vehicle for running an independent human clinical trial.

This initiative also aligns with the FY 2019/2020 NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research. It is framed broadly enough to support work across major priority areas such as HIV prevention and cure research, next-generation therapeutic strategies, and research that improves understanding of comorbidities, coinfections, and complications that affect people living with HIV. It also explicitly supports cross-cutting workforce goals like research training and capacity building, reinforcing that the program is as much about developing skilled investigators as it is about producing individual study results.

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based organizations, and foreign institutions are not permitted to apply. In addition, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. Eligible applicant organizations include a wide range of domestic institutions and nonprofits, such as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status). The opportunity also highlights the inclusion of institutions that serve populations historically underrepresented in biomedical research infrastructure, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Administrative details in the source listing identify the opportunity as NIH, Funding Opportunity Number PAR-19-267, in the health funding category, using the grant funding instrument. Associated CFDA numbers include 93.242 and 93.351. The original closing date shown is October 14, 2019, and an award ceiling is not specified in the provided data. Overall, the program is best understood as a targeted, mentored, three-year career development pathway for promising early investigators who want to build a durable, independent research career at the intersection of HIV/AIDS translational science and nonhuman primate model systems.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HIV/AIDS Scholars Using Nonhuman Primate (NHP) Models Program (K01 Independent 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): 93.242, 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-05-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-10-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 19 267

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