NIH Has
announced a new R01 funding opportunity for HIV-related services for
adolescents in Low and Middle-income Countries.
Dates:
Letter of
Intent Deadline: December 2, 2014
Application
Deadline: January 2, 2015
Earliest
Start date: July 2015
Award
budget:
USD 250,000
direct costs per year
Maximum
project period: 5 years
The purpose
of this RFA is to find ways to improve acceptability, uptake and effectiveness
of HTC services and linkages to HIV prevention, treatment and care services
among adolescents in Low and Middle-income Countries.
Major objectives include:
Improve
HTC utilization for adolescents most at risk for HIV infection and linkages to
appropriate follow-up services in low and middle-income countries
- Studies utilizing age-appropriate approaches and strategies to optimize outreach to adolescents in order to improve their access to HTC and care in different settings.
- Mechanisms to strengthen health systems which promote uptake of HTC in family planning, reproductive health and school health settings and linkages to appropriate HIV follow-up services.
- Feasibility, acceptability, ethics, effectiveness of school-based and self-testing and linkage to follow up services.
- Identification of effective strategies for implementation/dissemination of testing and linkage to care into community clinics/settings.
Effective
approaches to link and retain adolescents in treatment, care and support from
HTC in low and middle-income countries
- Studies exploring barriers to and/or factors enhancing testing and follow up treatment and care, and comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve linkage to HIV treatment and care from HTC in different settings for adolescents most at risk for HIV infection.
- Interventions to enhance outcomes in adolescents living with HIV at all points along the treatment and care continuum, including linkage to and retention in primary HIV medical care, initiation of and adherence to ART and achievement of durable HIV viral suppression, and transition of care.
Evaluate
interventions that will help HIV-uninfected adolescents, particularly
adolescent girls, in low and middle-income countries minimize risk and maintain
their uninfected status
- Analysis of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of combination approaches and strategies targeting adolescent girls in order to reduce their vulnerability and improve their access to HTC and linkage to effective HIV prevention.
- Studies exploring the relationship between perceived and actual levels of risk for HIV and frequency of HIV testing that are unique to youth and which could inform downstream prevention interventions.
- Innovative uses of new technologies to increase girls’ and other key affected adolescent populations’ access to and uptake of HTC and subsequent utilization of HIV prevention and/or treatment services.
For more details, see the full RFA here. If you have any questions, or are interested in applying to this grant, please contact Paul, Tim, or Glad at the Office of Research Services.
