Modeling and Simulation to Optimize HIV Prevention Research (MS OPR) (R01 Clinical Trial not allowed) | RFA AI 18 026

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 18 026

Modeling and Simulation to Optimize HIV Prevention Research (MS OPR) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA AI 18 026; CFDA 93.855) that supports research to advance computational modeling and simulation approaches for HIV prevention science. It uses the R01 grant mechanism and explicitly does not allow clinical trials. The central aim is to fund projects that build, improve, and validate models and related analytic tools that can better represent HIV transmission dynamics, generate epidemic projections, and estimate the potential impact of different HIV treatment and prevention strategies. In practical terms, the FOA is looking for rigorous modeling work that can help researchers and decision-makers understand how HIV spreads within and across populations and what outcomes might be expected under different intervention scenarios.

A defining feature of this opportunity is the emphasis on method development and validation, not just running a single set of simulations for one study question. Applicants are expected to create modeling and simulation methods and tools that are credible, well-tested against relevant data, and useful beyond the immediate project. The FOA also places weight on resource sharing: investigators are expected to make the resulting models, code, tools, or other resources available to other researchers so that the broader HIV research community can reuse, scrutinize, and build on them. This sharing expectation aligns with the FOA's goal of accelerating progress by enabling common platforms, transparent assumptions, and reproducible analyses.

The award structure includes a performance-based milestone component tied to the final project year. While the project period is up to four years, funding for the fourth year is contingent on meeting Go/No-Go criteria that the applicant proposes and negotiates prior to award. That means applicants need to lay out concrete, measurable milestones (for example, specific validation benchmarks, tool functionality deliverables, or dissemination targets) that can be reviewed to determine whether the project is on track to justify continued support into year four. This is intended to ensure that funded work results in usable, high-quality tools and validated approaches rather than open-ended modeling efforts.

The FOA is open to a broad range of applicant organizations. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city or township, special districts), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying in that category), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition, the announcement highlights 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), and tribal governments that are not federally recognized, along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities.

From a funding standpoint, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $400,000. The original closing date shown for this specific announcement was December 13, 2018, and the FOA record indicates it was created on June 19, 2018. The overall intent is to strengthen the scientific foundation for HIV prevention by improving the quality, accessibility, and real-world usefulness of modeling and simulation tools that can inform prevention research priorities, compare intervention strategies, and anticipate epidemic trajectories under different conditions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Modeling and Simulation to Optimize HIV Prevention Research (MS OPR) (R01 Clinical Trial not allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-06-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-12-13. (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 $400,000.00 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 AI 18 026

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: