Using Archived Data and Specimen Collections to Advance Maternal and Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research (R21 CT Not Allowed)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), has released a funding opportunity titled Using Archived Data and Specimen Collections to Advance Maternal and Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research. This opportunity is structured as an R21 exploratory/developmental research grant and is intended to stimulate innovative secondary analyses of existing HIV/AIDS datasets and biospecimen collections. The initiative reflects NIH’s broader mission to enhance human health through scientific discovery, with NICHD specifically focusing on child development, reproductive health, and pediatric outcomes. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to encourage researchers to maximize the value of previously collected HIV/AIDS data and specimens. By supporting secondary analyses, the program aims to generate new insights into epidemiology, disease progression, treatment responses, and co-morbidities affecting maternal, pediatric, and adolescent populations. The program emphasizes cost-effective research approaches by leveraging existing datasets, including those housed in repositories such as the NICHD Data and Specimen Hub (DASH), which provides access to de-identified clinical and population-level data as well as biospecimens. Funding under this opportunity is provided through a grant mechanism, with NICHD intending to commit approximately 1,000,000 dollars in fiscal year 2027 to support an estimated two to three awards. Individual awards are limited to 275,000 dollars in direct costs over a maximum project period of two years, with no more than 200,000 dollars in direct costs allowed in any single year. Clinical trials are not permitted under this opportunity, although research involving human subjects that does not meet the definition of a clinical trial is allowed. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for applicants. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and inclusive, encompassing higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities including small businesses, and various levels of government entities. Both domestic and non-domestic organizations are eligible to apply, although foreign subawards are not permitted. Individual principal investigators must demonstrate the expertise and resources necessary to conduct the proposed research and must be registered in required federal systems such as eRA Commons and ORCID. Organizations must also complete registrations in SAM and Grants.gov prior to submission. Applications must be submitted electronically through NIH-approved systems such as ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions. Required application components include a research strategy detailing the proposed secondary analyses, letters of support for data access or collaboration, and a mandatory Data Management and Sharing Plan outlining how data will be shared and made accessible. Applications are evaluated through NIH’s peer review process based on criteria including significance, innovation, rigor, feasibility, investigator expertise, and research environment. The application timeline includes multiple annual submission cycles, with the earliest submission date for the first cycle beginning September 21, 2026, and the first application deadline on October 21, 2026. Subsequent deadlines occur annually through October 2028. Applications are reviewed in March following submission, with advisory council review in May and earliest project start dates in July. This recurring structure allows applicants to plan submissions across multiple cycles while aligning with NIH’s standard review and funding timeline. For questions or assistance, applicants may contact NIH program staff via dedicated email addresses, including nichd_mpidb_nofos@mail.nih.gov and NIMH.DAR.inquiries@nih.gov. Additional support is available through the eRA Service Desk and Grants.gov Support Center for technical submission issues. Overall, this funding opportunity represents a strategic effort to advance HIV/AIDS research by unlocking the potential of existing data resources and fostering innovative, high-impact scientific inquiry.

Emphasize innovation and strong scientific rationale; clearly demonstrate feasibility using existing datasets; ensure rigorous data analysis plans and reproducibility; align proposal with maternal and pediatric HIV priorities