Symptom Management in HIV-Infected Individuals with Comorbid Conditions (R21) | PA 16 429

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 16 429

The Symptom Management in HIV-Infected Individuals with Comorbid Conditions (R21) funding opportunity (PA 16-429) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program designed to support early-stage, innovative research on symptom management for people living with long-term HIV infection, particularly older adults who are increasingly affected by multiple chronic health problems. The central aim is to encourage studies that develop, adapt, and test practical and cost-effective strategies to prevent symptoms before they escalate, identify symptoms earlier and more accurately, and manage symptoms more effectively when they occur. A key emphasis is on symptoms tied to HIV-associated Non-AIDS conditions (often referred to as HANA) and other comorbidities that can accumulate with aging and prolonged exposure to HIV and its treatments. In practical terms, the opportunity is looking for projects that go beyond describing problems and instead move toward actionable approaches that can improve day-to-day functioning, quality of life, and overall health outcomes for people living with HIV who also face other medical conditions.

This is an R21 mechanism, which generally aligns with exploratory or developmental research. That means the program is geared toward testing fresh ideas, piloting interventions, refining tools or approaches, and generating the kind of preliminary evidence that can justify larger, more definitive studies later. The focus on innovative and cost-effective strategies signals interest in approaches that could realistically be used in real-world healthcare settings, community programs, or resource-limited environments, rather than interventions that are too expensive or complex to scale. While the notice highlights older adults with prolonged HIV infection, the underlying issue is the growing clinical burden of multimorbidity in HIV care, where symptoms can stem from a mix of HIV-related inflammation, long-term medication effects, and common age-related conditions that interact and compound one another.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and government entities, such as state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts, as well as public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. Academic institutions are eligible, including public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. Tribal participation is supported through eligibility for federally recognized Native American tribal governments, as well as Native American tribal organizations and tribal governments that are not federally recognized. The program also accepts applications from nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status, and it allows participation by for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses. Importantly, the opportunity explicitly welcomes applications from a range of mission-driven and community-connected institutions, including 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 (AANAPISISs). Faith-based or community-based organizations are also listed, along with eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth suggests NIH is aiming to attract diverse applicants and settings that reflect the communities most affected by HIV and the practical contexts where symptom-management solutions would need to work.

Key administrative details from the source information include the activity categories of education and health and the CFDA number 93.361. The opportunity was created on 2016-09-08, with an original closing date listed as 2018-01-24. The award ceiling shown is $200,000. The listing does not specify the number of expected awards in the provided data. Overall, the program can be understood as a targeted research invitation to create and test new, scalable approaches that address the complicated symptom burden experienced by aging individuals living with HIV alongside other chronic conditions, with the expectation that successful R21 projects will lay the groundwork for broader impact through future research and implementation.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Symptom Management in HIV-Infected Individuals with Comorbid Conditions (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-09-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• 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 PA 16 429

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: