Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) Scientific Leadership Center (UM2 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA HD 23 020

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 23 020

The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) Scientific Leadership Center (UM2 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement intended to support the central scientific leadership and coordination of the ATN research program. The core purpose is to strengthen the nation s ability to design, launch, and run high quality HIV related clinical research focused on adolescents and young adults, specifically ages 13 to 24. A defining emphasis of this program is ensuring that research meaningfully includes minors, which often requires specialized ethical, regulatory, and community engagement approaches. The Scientific Leadership Center is positioned as a hub that helps drive the network s scientific agenda, supports trial development and execution, and keeps the overall research portfolio aligned with urgent public health needs affecting youth at risk for HIV and youth living with HIV.

The FOA calls for capacity to develop and conduct a broad range of innovative studies. This includes behavioral and community based interventions (for example, strategies that improve prevention uptake, adherence, retention in care, or reduce stigma), translational research that moves promising findings toward practical use, and therapeutic trials that evaluate treatments and care strategies for young people living with HIV. It also explicitly includes prevention technologies such as microbicides and vaccines, signaling that applicants should be prepared to support complex, multi site clinical trial activities across different intervention types. Because it is labeled Clinical Trial Optional, applications may propose clinical trials but are not required to do so; however, the overall scope assumes strong readiness to support trials and trial like research across the network.

As a cooperative agreement, this mechanism implies substantial NIH program involvement compared to a standard research grant. In practice, that typically means the awardee collaborates closely with NIH on planning, priority setting, performance expectations, and coordination across network components. The Scientific Leadership Center role is generally about enabling the network to operate efficiently and consistently, including scientific oversight, protocol development support, harmonized methods, and network wide collaboration that helps studies move from concept to implementation without unnecessary delays. The FOA also encourages investigators to bring forward innovative approaches that directly address real world public health challenges facing adolescents, reflecting an interest in work that is not only scientifically rigorous but also relevant, feasible, and scalable in youth serving settings.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. based organizations and governments, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and various levels of government (state, county, city or township, special district), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities. The FOA also highlights interest in participation from institutions and organizations that serve historically underserved populations and communities, 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 (AANAPISIs). Faith based or community based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions are also listed among potential applicants, reinforcing that the program expects strong community and systems linkages rather than being limited to academic medical centers alone.

At the same time, the opportunity has clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non domestic (non U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply. In addition, non domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. These limitations indicate that the work is intended to be conducted fully within eligible U.S. based organizational structures and locations.

The posted opportunity details identify the Funding Opportunity Number as RFA HD 23 020 and the instrument type as a cooperative agreement, with activity falling under education, health, and social services related categories. The CFDA numbers listed (93.242, 93.279, 93.865) correspond to NIH program areas that commonly include child health, mental health, and related biomedical and behavioral research portfolios. The original closing date was March 31, 2022, and the listed award ceiling is 6,875,000, which signals a relatively large, infrastructure oriented award consistent with coordinating a national network function rather than funding a single small project. Overall, this FOA is aimed at building and sustaining a scientifically ambitious, youth centered HIV intervention trial capacity, with leadership that can integrate ethics, community engagement, and rigorous methods to improve prevention and treatment outcomes for adolescents and young adults.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) Scientific Leadership Center (UM2 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, 93.279, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-12-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-31. (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 $6,875,000.00 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 RFA HD 23 020

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