Strengthening the HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Care Continuum through Behavioral, Social, and Implementation Science (R21) | PA 17 103

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 103

The grant opportunity titled "Strengthening the HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Care Continuum through Behavioral, Social, and Implementation Science (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA 17 103) is a discretionary NIH research grant focused on improving how PrEP is delivered, adopted, and sustained in real-world settings. It specifically calls for behavioral science, social science, and implementation science studies that look beyond biomedical efficacy and instead address the practical and human factors that determine whether people who could benefit from PrEP actually learn about it, access it, start it, and continue using it effectively over time.

A central emphasis of the announcement is the "PrEP care continuum," meaning the full pathway from identifying people who may benefit from PrEP through awareness, willingness, access to providers, prescribing, initiation, adherence, persistence/retention in care, follow-up monitoring, and ultimately health outcomes. The FOA encourages research that first pinpoints where drop-offs occur along that continuum (for example, lack of PrEP awareness, low risk perception, stigma, limited culturally competent services, insurance and cost barriers, transportation challenges, clinic workflow constraints, or gaps in provider knowledge and prescribing practices). It also seeks projects that investigate the determinants driving those gaps, including individual-level factors (beliefs, motivation, mental health, substance use, experiences of discrimination), interpersonal factors (partner dynamics, family support, peer norms), and structural factors (clinic accessibility, policy barriers, healthcare coverage, criminalization, racism, and other systemic inequities).

Beyond identifying problems, the FOA is designed to support the development and testing of interventions that strengthen PrEP delivery, use, and outcomes. That can include interventions aimed at patients and communities (such as education, peer navigation, adherence support, stigma reduction strategies, or technology-based supports), interventions aimed at providers (training, decision supports, workflow redesign), and interventions aimed at health systems and service delivery models (integrating PrEP into primary care, sexual health clinics, pharmacies, mobile clinics, telehealth models, or community-based organizations). Because this is explicitly an implementation science-oriented opportunity, it is also geared toward practical approaches that can be adopted and scaled, including strategies that improve uptake in routine practice, strengthen referral pathways, and increase retention in PrEP care.

Reducing disparities is a major stated priority. The FOA highlights the need to address racial and ethnic inequities and age-related disparities in PrEP uptake and sustained use. In practice, this means proposing research that is responsive to communities that have been underserved by existing PrEP delivery models, and that targets the social and structural conditions contributing to unequal access and outcomes. Projects are expected to consider how interventions can be culturally appropriate, feasible in the settings where disparities are most pronounced, and capable of improving equitable access, initiation, and persistence among groups experiencing disproportionate HIV burden and barriers to care.

The mechanism is an R21, which is typically used by NIH to support exploratory and developmental projects, including early-stage intervention development, pilot testing, or feasibility studies that can generate data for larger-scale research later. The listed award ceiling is $200,000. The activity category is Health and the CFDA number provided is 93.242. The opportunity was created on 2017-01-09, and the original closing date listed is 2018-01-24, indicating this is a dated announcement as provided in the source details.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants, reflecting NIH's intent to encourage multidisciplinary and cross-sector participation. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also explicitly notes additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. Overall, the opportunity is positioned to support applied, equity-focused PrEP continuum research that connects behavioral and social realities with implementable strategies to improve PrEP access and sustained use.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening the HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Care Continuum through Behavioral, Social, and Implementation Science (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-01-09.
• 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.

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