Optimizing HIV Phylodynamics to Target and Interrogate Clusters (OPTICs) (R21) | PA 17 306

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 306

The Optimizing HIV Phylodynamics to Target and Interrogate Clusters (OPTICs) (R21) funding opportunity (PA 17 306) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program designed to support exploratory, basic research that advances how HIV transmission clusters are detected and acted on. The core aim is to develop innovative phylodynamic methods, meaning approaches that combine viral genetic sequence data with evolutionary and population dynamics modeling, to identify which HIV transmission clusters are growing the fastest and to do so in near-real time. In practice, this FOA is focused on improving analytic and computational strategies that can flag rapidly expanding clusters sooner, help prioritize them for public health attention, and enable deeper investigation into why particular clusters are accelerating within a given population.

This opportunity uses the R21 mechanism, which is typically intended for early-stage, high-impact, and potentially higher-risk research that can open new directions rather than deliver a fully mature product. Projects supported under this FOA would generally be expected to propose novel methodological development, proof-of-concept demonstrations, or exploratory analyses that meaningfully improve the speed, accuracy, interpretability, or operational usefulness of HIV phylodynamic cluster detection and prioritization. While the announcement centers on basic research, the near-real time emphasis signals that applicants should be thinking about approaches that can function under real-world constraints, such as incomplete sampling, reporting delays, changing transmission patterns, and the need to update inferences as new sequence data arrive.

The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity area is health. The program is associated with CFDA numbers 93.855 and 93.856. The listed award ceiling is $200,000. The source information does not specify the number of expected awards. The original closing date shown for the opportunity was 2020-05-07, and the record creation date is 2017-06-07.

A wide range of applicant organizations are eligible. Eligible domestic applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The FOA also allows nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition, the announcement explicitly calls out other eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized; U.S. territories or possessions; eligible federal government agencies; faith-based or community-based organizations; regional organizations; and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

Overall, OPTICs (R21) is essentially a methods-development grant opportunity aimed at strengthening the scientific and analytic toolkit used to detect and triage fast-growing HIV transmission clusters quickly, using phylodynamics. The intended payoff is better, faster identification of where transmission is accelerating so that clusters can be prioritized for further interrogation and, ultimately, better-informed public health responses.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Optimizing HIV Phylodynamics to Target and Interrogate Clusters (OPTICs) (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855, 93.856.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-06-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-07. (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 17 306

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