Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network (PATCH-IN) Clinical Research Centers (UG1 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA HD 23 013

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 23 013

This funding opportunity (RFA-HD-23-013) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (UG1; clinical trial optional) designed to build and support a set of Clinical Research Centers within the Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network, referred to as PATC3H-IN and also branded here as PATCH-IN. The core idea is to create a coordinated research network that can test, adapt, and scale real-world strategies that improve the full HIV care continuum for adolescents and young people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), while also preventing new infections among youth who are at risk. Unlike traditional research programs that focus mainly on efficacy under ideal conditions, this initiative emphasizes implementation science, meaning it is focused on what it takes to make proven or promising interventions work in routine health and community settings, especially where resources, infrastructure, and research capacity are limited.

A central purpose of the network is expansion: it aims to carry forward and broaden the successes of the earlier PATC3H effort by moving into new geographic areas that have limited implementation science research capacity and by prioritizing populations that have historically been underrepresented in international adolescent HIV research. The description explicitly highlights groups such as sexual and gender minorities, commercial sex workers, and people who use drugs, reflecting an intention to reach adolescents and youth who often face layered stigma and barriers to prevention and care. The public health need being addressed is described as neglected but urgent: reducing new HIV infections among adolescents at risk, improving identification of youth living with HIV, strengthening linkage to care, increasing retention in care over time, and achieving long-term viral suppression. In practice, applicants are being asked to propose sites and research programs that can generate actionable evidence about how to deliver prevention and treatment services more effectively for young people, from first contact through sustained outcomes.

The FOA sets specific eligibility expectations for the international settings where this work would occur by using a UNAIDS-based definition of HIV epidemic density. Eligible settings must be in countries that meet at least one of two criteria: first, countries in which at least 200,000 people are living with HIV and that number has not decreased by more than 5 percent over the last two consecutive years of available data; or second, countries with an HIV incidence among youth ages 10 to 24 years of 0.01 or higher. These thresholds signal that NIH is targeting locations where the burden is substantial and ongoing among young people, and where improvements in implementation of prevention and care strategies could have meaningful population-level impact.

Because this is a cooperative agreement, NIH expects substantial programmatic involvement alongside awardees rather than a hands-off relationship typical of many standard research grants. In cooperative agreements, awardees generally carry out the work, but NIH often participates in coordination, steering, and oversight consistent with the network model, helping align protocols, measures, and shared goals across multiple sites. The UG1 mechanism also commonly supports clinical research infrastructure and coordinated multi-site activity, which fits the aim of establishing Clinical Research Centers that can implement studies and contribute to a broader network agenda. The “clinical trial optional” label indicates that applications may include a clinical trial component but are not required to; proposed work can range from implementation strategies and service delivery evaluations to hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs, depending on the proposed research questions.

Eligibility to apply is broad and includes a wide range of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Listed eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and an “other” category. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility reflects the reality that impactful adolescent HIV implementation research often depends on partnerships across universities, ministries and local governments, clinics and hospitals, community organizations, and organizations with deep connections to affected youth.

From a topic and outcomes standpoint, the opportunity is aimed at strengthening the “comprehensive care continuum” for adolescents and youth, which typically encompasses HIV prevention services (including behavioral, structural, and biomedical approaches where appropriate), HIV testing and diagnosis, rapid linkage to treatment, sustained retention in care, adherence support, and durable viral suppression. The FOA language makes clear that the network’s work should address both sides of the adolescent HIV challenge in LMICs: preventing acquisition among those at risk and improving long-term health outcomes among those already living with HIV. The emphasis on implementation science also implies attention to real barriers such as stigma, legal and policy constraints affecting key populations, confidentiality concerns for minors, clinic accessibility, workforce shortages, supply chain limitations, and the need for youth-friendly, culturally grounded service delivery models that can be sustained after the research period.

Administrative details provided in the source data identify the sponsor as NIH, categorize the opportunity as discretionary, and list the associated CFDA numbers as 93.242, 93.279, 93.307, 93.865, and 93.989. The original closing date shown is 2022-12-06, and the opportunity was created on 2022-07-22. An award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the excerpted data, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget structure, anticipated award size, project period, and the planned number of funded centers. Overall, the FOA is structured to build a multi-site, collaborative research network that can produce practical evidence on how to deliver and sustain effective HIV prevention and care for adolescents and youth in high-burden, resource-constrained settings, particularly among populations that are often missed by conventional health systems and research programs.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network (PATCH-IN) Clinical Research Centers (UG1 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.279, 93.307, 93.865, 93.989.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-07-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-12-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 HD 23 013

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