Developmental AIDS Research Center on Mental Health and HIV/AIDS (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Division of AIDS Research (DAR), is offering funding for the Developmental AIDS Research Center on Mental Health and HIV/AIDS. This initiative, announced under the activity code P30 (Center Core Grants), is designed to provide foundational infrastructure support for developmental HIV/AIDS Research Centers (D-ARCs). The goal of the D-ARC program is to catalyze the advancement of innovative, interdisciplinary scientific research at the intersection of HIV/AIDS and mental health. Awardees are expected to establish thematic centers that support cutting-edge work in neuro-HIV, behavioral science, social science, clinical and translational research, and implementation science, all aligned with the strategic goals of NIMH and federal HIV priorities. DAR encourages applicants to structure their centers around robust, cross-disciplinary frameworks that address key social and structural determinants of health, particularly disparities impacting HIV care and prevention. Research themes may include mutable risk and resilience factors, stigma and intersectionality, trauma, adherence to treatment, and population mobility. The Centers are expected to support scalable intervention design, effective data integration (e.g., AI and digital health tools), and evaluation methodologies that can be applied to real-world prevention and treatment settings, both domestically and globally. Applications must demonstrate strong institutional research capacity, including a minimum of three active NIMH R-series research awards and at least one additional NIH award. Eligible applicant organizations include a broad spectrum of U.S.-based institutions, such as higher education entities (both public and private), state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and certain for-profit entities. However, foreign organizations and foreign components of U.S. institutions are not eligible. D-ARC applicants are encouraged to collaborate with government agencies, academic institutions, community-based organizations, and implementing partners to maximize the translational impact of their research. Applicants must structure their proposals as multi-component applications, including a required Administrative Core, Developmental Core, and at least one Research Core. The Administrative Core must provide scientific direction, strategic planning, fiscal oversight, and advisory committee coordination. The Developmental Core may allocate up to 10% of the annual budget to pilot studies that support early-stage research and career development. Research Cores are expected to deliver shared resources, services, and expertise to enhance the productivity of affiliated HIV/AIDS investigators. The funding opportunity was posted on March 22, 2024. Applications for AIDS-related new, renewal, or resubmission submissions are due annually on August 26, 2024, August 25, 2025, and August 25, 2026. Letters of intent are due 30 days prior to the application deadlines. The earliest project start dates are April of the following year after review and council meetings. The award budget may be up to $750,000 total costs per year for a maximum project period of four years. Applications may be submitted through the NIH ASSIST system or institutional system-to-system solutions, and all standard NIH registration requirements apply. Applicants are evaluated based on the significance, innovation, and approach of their proposed Center, as well as the strength of investigators, environment, and research strategy. Emphasis is placed on the Center’s potential to support high-priority HIV/AIDS research, promote mentorship, leverage interdisciplinary strengths, and transition to a full NIMH AIDS Research Center (ARC). Applications must follow NIH guidance on human subjects, data safety, and sharing policies, and are expected to contribute data to the NIMH Data Archive (NDA). Potential applicants are encouraged to consult with the scientific contacts listed in the notice to discuss alignment with research priorities.

Align with National HIV/AIDS Strategy and NIMH priorities; build strong interdisciplinary team; include underrepresented investigators; follow NIH human subjects and data sharing policies.