Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement - Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Program Project Comorbidities, Coinfections, and Complications Research: Intervention and Cross-Cutting Foundational Research (P01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for research on the intersection of alcohol and HIV/AIDS. This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. The new Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) will use the NIH Program Project (P01) mechanism to support cross-cutting research on alcohol and HIV/AIDS. NIAAA seeks to encourage research that can be translated into interventions in order to reduce infection and transmission of HIV. The goals of the proposed center must be consistent with the priorities as described in the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR), NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research. The NOFO will solicit applications for human studies that will advance operations or implementation research in the context of alcohol and HIV/AIDS by facilitating the development of: (1) broader systems approaches for monitoring complex HIV and alcohol-related patient outcomes including frailty, morbidity and mortality, and (2) interventions to reduce the impact of alcohol and alcohol-related comorbidities on HIV disease progression and transmission in the context of aging. Research funded under the NOFO should serve to advance the next generation of intervention studies to address alcohol use from prevention to treatment of HIV. Intervention studies should inform implementation efforts to improve provision of alcohol-related interventions and treatments for people living with HIV (PWH) in healthcare and community settings. This proposed research initiative is aligned with the research priorities set forth in the NIAAA Strategic Plan for Research and the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research. OAR is currently developing the FY 2026-2030: NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research. Learn more about this effort here for the development of the FY2026 - 2030 plan. These research areas include, but are not limited to, alcohol use and alcohol use disorders as risk factors for HIV and associated noncommunicable diseases. Elucidate pathogenesis of HIV-associated comorbidities, coinfections, and complications: Study etiology, cofactors, pathogenesis, disease progression, and consequences of coinfections including those that contribute significantly to HIV acquisition, transmission, and viral persistence after therapy such as opportunistic infections, treatment-related, concomitant disease or substance use disorder, and other major causes of comorbidities. Investigate the pathogenesis of HIV-associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the life-span and in diverse populations, including but not limited to malignancies, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, substance use disorder, and neurocognitive disorders, and their interactions with HIV. Elucidate behavioral and social factors and processes: Expand the identification and analysis of behavioral, interpersonal, social, and structural factors, processes, dynamics, and contexts that influence and are influenced by HIV. Elucidate causal chains between HIV-associated factors, processes, dynamics, and contexts and their differential outcomes in prevention, treatment, co-occurring conditions, and cure in diverse populations and settings. Investigate the associations among and impacts of co-occurring behavioral and social factors, such as mental health, substance use, social support, and resilience, with respect to HIV risk, acquisition, transmission, disease progression, care, and cure. Promote community-engaged and community-led HIV research: Enhance models of effective academic and community research partnerships, community-based participatory research, and community-initiated research in diverse settings. Support studies that identify factors that facilitate or impede effective community engagement in HIV research at all stages. Evaluate the impact of community engagement in HIV testing, prevention, treatment, care, and cure-directed concept/studies. Use established guidance, frameworks, and principles to inform meaningful and intentional community-engaged and community-led research. Develop and evaluate community-led interventions that address communities specific biomedical, behavioral, and social needs and priorities, including those focused on HIV-associated intersectional stigma and discrimination, as well as mental health and substance use. The NOFO is expected to be published in Summer 2025 with an expected application due date in Fall 2025. This NOFO will utilize the P01 Research Program Projects (Clinical Trial optional)