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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the HIV/AIDS Scholars Using Nonhuman Primate (NHP) Models Program?

It is an NIH career development grant program that uses the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) mechanism to help early-stage investigators build the training, mentorship, and research foundation needed to become independent HIV/AIDS researchers, specifically through translational studies using nonhuman primate (NHP) model systems.

2) What is the main purpose of this K01 award?

The purpose is to provide a structured, mentored career development pathway that combines protected salary support and research support so recipients can devote sustained effort to career development, generate publishable results and preliminary data, and become competitive for future independent funding (including major research project awards such as an R01).

3) Who is this program intended for?

The program is geared toward early-stage investigators who are within 10 years of completing a terminal professional degree or finishing residency training and who want to develop into independent HIV/AIDS researchers using NHP models.

4) What does "mentored" mean in this opportunity?

This award is explicitly mentorship-centered. Applicants are expected to work under an established mentorship team with deep expertise in nonhuman primate HIV/AIDS model systems and a demonstrated ability to translate pre-clinical findings into clinical relevance for humans.

5) What kind of research does NIH want to support under this program?

The scientific focus is tightly defined around translational HIV/AIDS studies that use nonhuman primates as pre-clinical models. The work should use NHP systems to address questions directly relevant to human HIV prevention, treatment, and cure strategies, with a clear connection to how results could inform clinical approaches.

6) Can the proposed research address HIV prevention, treatment, or cure?

Yes. The opportunity is framed to support translational research relevant to major HIV priority areas, including prevention and cure research and next-generation therapeutic strategies, as long as the work is grounded in NHP pre-clinical model systems with clinical relevance for humans.

7) Are comorbidities, coinfections, or complications within scope?

Yes. The initiative explicitly notes alignment with research that improves understanding of comorbidities, coinfections, and complications affecting people living with HIV, provided the project remains translational and uses NHP models as the pre-clinical system.

8) How long is the award period?

The award provides three years of support, intended to allow meaningful progress in complex NHP-based translational HIV research that may require specialized facilities, careful planning, and multidisciplinary input.

9) What types of support does the program provide?

The program is designed to provide protected salary support and research support. The intent is to reduce competing obligations so awardees can dedicate sustained effort to career development and mentored research activities.

10) What is the expected long-term outcome for awardees?

NIH is aiming to build a pipeline of investigators who can lead independent research programs bridging pre-clinical NHP work and human clinical application, with the training and research foundation to pursue independent grants (including R01-level funding).

11) Are independent clinical trials allowed under this announcement?

No. The opportunity is labeled "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning it 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.

12) Does the program support human clinical research?

Based on the information provided, the program emphasizes translational, pre-clinical studies using nonhuman primates with a clear line of sight to human clinical relevance, rather than supporting an independent human clinical trial led by the K01 candidate.

13) What role do nonhuman primate models play in the proposed work?

NHP models are central. The research is expected to leverage NHP systems as pre-clinical models to answer questions that are directly relevant to human HIV prevention, treatment, and cure strategies and to support translation of findings toward clinical application.

14) Who can apply as an organization?

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicant organizations include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), among other domestic entities listed in the opportunity summary.

15) Are foreign institutions allowed to apply?

No. Foreign institutions are not permitted to apply for this opportunity.

16) Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?

No. 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.

17) Does the opportunity encourage applications from specific types of institutions?

Yes. The listing highlights 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.

18) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-19-267.

19) What agency and funding category are associated with this opportunity?

The agency is NIH, and the opportunity is listed under the health funding category using the grant funding instrument.

20) What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The associated CFDA numbers listed are 93.242 and 93.351.

21) What was the closing date shown in the source listing?

The original closing date shown is October 14, 2019.

22) Is an award ceiling specified?

No. The provided information indicates that an award ceiling is not specified in the source listing.

23) How does this program connect to NIH HIV strategic priorities?

The initiative aligns with the FY 2019/2020 NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research and is positioned to support priority areas such as HIV prevention and cure research, next-generation therapeutics, and research on HIV-related comorbidities and complications, alongside workforce goals like research training and capacity building.

24) What makes this program distinct from a standard research project grant?

It is structured as a career development pathway rather than a stand-alone research project. The central emphasis is on mentored development, protected time, skill-building, collaboration-building, and producing the preliminary results and publications that position the investigator for later independent funding.