The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), has issued a funding opportunity under the HIV/AIDS Scholars Using Nonhuman Primate (NHP) Models Program (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed). The purpose of this program is to provide salary and research support to early-career investigators within ten years of completing their terminal professional degree or residency training. Research must focus on HIV/AIDS translational studies using NHPs as preclinical models. The program aims to enhance career development for researchers, fostering independent research careers that can lead to future funding opportunities such as NIH R01 grants.

This award provides up to three years of support for career development under the mentorship of an experienced team with expertise in both NHP HIV/AIDS models and the translation of such studies to human clinical applications. The goal is to strengthen the research workforce in this specialized area, addressing key priorities outlined in the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research for fiscal years 2021-2025. Key areas of interest include vaccines and antiviral therapies, the identification of HIV reservoirs, biomarkers predicting viral remission or reactivation, and the impact of co-morbidities on HIV progression.

The funding mechanism is a Research Scientist Development Award (K01), which supports the recipient’s salary (up to $100,000 per year) and research-related expenses (up to $100,000 per year). The total project period is limited to three years, and indirect costs are reimbursed at a rate of 8% of modified total direct costs. The NIH strongly encourages candidates to seek additional funding through the companion R21 program (PAR-23-215) for broader research support.

Eligible applicants include U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents who hold a research or health-professional doctoral degree and have completed at least two years of postdoctoral training. The candidate must be an Assistant Professor, Assistant Scientist, or equivalent and should have an affiliation with an institution that houses an NHP research facility. Institutions eligible to apply include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, and various levels of U.S. government entities, including state, county, and city governments.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and comply with the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Key application deadlines for AIDS-related research submissions occur annually on September 7, January 7, and May 7, with reviews and award cycles following standard NIH procedures. The final expiration date for submissions under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is September 8, 2025. Applicants must ensure compliance with NIH submission policies, including institutional registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and eRA Commons.

Scientific inquiries can be directed to Dr. Biao Tian (ORIP), Dr. Susannah Allison (NIMH), or Dr. Eric Refsland (NIAID). Grants management questions should be addressed to Kenneth Holiness (NHLBI - ORIP Team), Rita Sisco (NIMH), or Kalaya M. Goffigan (NIAID). The NIH encourages early submission to allow sufficient time for error correction and application processing before the deadline.