The NIDA Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research supports exceptionally creative scientists, who propose high-impact research that will open new areas of HIV/AIDS research in the context of Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and/or lead to new avenues for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in people who use drugs (PWUD). The term “avant-garde” refers to highly innovative ideas and/or approaches that have the potential to be transformative. Applications responding to this FOA must propose research that is substantially different from what is currently being pursued by the investigator or others and should support the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-018.html. The NIDA Avant-Garde award supports innovative basic, clinical and translational research that may lead to improved therapies or preventive interventions for HIV/AIDS for PWUD; creative, new strategies to prevent HIV transmission in high-risk drug using populations; novel approaches to improve HIV and HIV-related comorbid disease outcomes; and creative approaches to eradicating HIV and improving the lives of PWUD living with HIV in general.
Deadlines:
PAR-20-221 Expiration Date August 16, 2022
For the purpose of this FOA, multiple PD(s)/PI(s) are not allowed. The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is the only individual who can be listed on the SF424 form.
NIH intramural investigators are not eligible for support under this program.
Investigators at all career levels who meet the eligibility criteria and are currently engaged in research are eligible to submit applications. The research proposed need not be in a conventional biomedical or behavioral discipline; if the individual’s experience is in non-biological areas, however, he/she must demonstrate a commitment to exploring topics of biomedical or behavioral relevance to HIV/AIDS and drug abuse.
This initiative is to support investigators who intend to pursue new research directions – research that is distinct from that currently or previously conducted by the investigator. Applications for projects that are extensions of ongoing research should not be submitted.
DP1 awardees are required to commit a large portion (at least 35% or 4.2 person months) of their research effort to activities supported by the Avant-Garde Award program.
Application budgets are limited to $700,000 in direct costs per year.
The maximum project period allowed is 5 years.
