Improving Choice, Use, and Equitable Implementation of Biomedical HIV Prevention for Women (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA MH 24 330

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA MH 24 330

This NIH discretionary grant opportunity, RFA-MH-24-330, titled "Improving Choice, Use, and Equitable Implementation of Biomedical HIV Prevention for Women (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)," supports research aimed at strengthening real-world use and delivery of the HIV prevention vaginal ring for women. The core purpose is to close practical knowledge gaps about why women do or do not start using the ring, how consistently they use it once they start, and what helps them stay on it over time (uptake, adherence, and persistence). A major emphasis is on equity and implementation in everyday settings, meaning research should focus on how the ring is experienced and delivered outside tightly controlled clinical trials or open-label extension studies, where barriers can look very different.

The notice highlights three broad research directions. First, it invites studies that identify and explain barriers and facilitators to ring uptake and continued use at multiple levels, including individual factors (such as comfort, perceived HIV risk, side effects concerns, stigma, knowledge, and preferences), interpersonal factors (such as partner dynamics, disclosure concerns, family influence, and social support), and structural factors (such as access to clinics, pharmacy distribution pathways, cost and coverage issues, transportation, clinic wait times, health system capacity, provider bias, and broader social stigma). The goal in this area is not only to document obstacles, but to generate actionable insights into what predicts successful adoption and sustained use when the ring is offered through routine services.

Second, the opportunity encourages development and rigorous testing of behavioral interventions designed to improve ring uptake, consistent use, and persistence. This can include interventions that support decision-making and product choice, build skills and confidence for correct and ongoing use, address stigma or misinformation, strengthen communication strategies with partners or providers, and support habit formation and adherence over time. Because the mechanism is an R01, applicants typically propose well-powered, theory-informed studies that can produce generalizable evidence and clear next steps for broader dissemination.

Third, the announcement explicitly calls for implementation science studies focused on improving access, distribution, and quality of ring delivery. This includes research that maps and addresses real-world implementation barriers and facilitators within health systems and communities, and studies that test strategies to optimize delivery. Examples of implementation-focused work could involve evaluating service delivery models (for example, integration into family planning, maternal health, HIV prevention, or primary care settings), provider training and workflow redesign, community-based distribution approaches, demand creation strategies, patient navigation, telehealth-supported follow-up, and approaches that improve reach and equity for populations who face disproportionate HIV risk or barriers to prevention services. The phrase "equitable implementation" signals that proposals should pay attention to who is being reached, who is not, why gaps exist, and how delivery strategies can reduce disparities rather than unintentionally widen them.

Administratively, this is a National Institutes of Health grant using the R01 mechanism, with clinical trials listed as optional, meaning applicants may propose studies with or without a clinical trial component depending on the research question and design. The opportunity is categorized under Health, Income Security and Social Services and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.242, 93.310, 93.313, and 93.865. The original closing date listed is 2023-11-22, and the posting (creation) date is 2023-09-20. An award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, which often means applicants should rely on standard NIH budget expectations for R01s and any details in the full funding announcement.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can contribute to HIV prevention and implementation research. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The announcement also specifically notes additional eligible groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. (foreign) organizations. This wide eligibility aligns with the real-world implementation focus, where partnerships across academic, clinical, community, and public health systems are often necessary to study uptake and delivery in everyday contexts.

Overall, the grant is designed for teams that can combine biomedical HIV prevention knowledge with behavioral science and implementation science to produce practical evidence on how to expand informed choice, improve consistent and sustained ring use, and strengthen systems that deliver the vaginal ring in ways that are accessible, acceptable, and equitable for women in real-world settings.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Choice, Use, and Equitable Implementation of Biomedical HIV Prevention for Women (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.310, 93.313, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-09-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-11-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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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