Centers for AIDS Research (P30 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 23 116

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 116

The Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR) (P30 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (PAR-23-116) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant designed to strengthen and accelerate HIV/AIDS research by supporting centralized, shared infrastructure rather than funding stand-alone research projects. CFAR awards are intended to provide administrative leadership and shared research support that investigators at an institution or consortium can use to conduct high-quality HIV-related science more efficiently. In practice, this means CFARs function as institutional hubs that coordinate interdisciplinary collaboration across the full spectrum of HIV/AIDS research and make specialized resources available to multiple research teams, especially resources that are difficult to obtain through typical individual investigator grants.

A key feature of CFARs is the emphasis on shared "core" facilities, expertise, and services. These cores commonly include things like clinical and translational support (short of running clinical trials under this FOA), behavioral and social science support, biostatistics and data management, immunology/virology laboratories, specimen and biorepository services, community engagement resources, implementation science expertise, and administrative structures that help investigators navigate regulatory requirements, data sharing, and collaborative projects. The goal is to reduce duplication, raise methodological quality, and create a coordinated environment where investigators from different disciplines can work together on HIV prevention, treatment, cure research, co-infections, comorbidities, and health disparities.

This FOA is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which signals that the CFAR award itself cannot be used to support a clinical trial as defined by NIH. While CFAR infrastructure may help investigators prepare for trials or support related activities consistent with the policy, applicants should treat the award as an institutional infrastructure and coordination mechanism rather than a vehicle to run interventional clinical studies. The focus is on enabling research capacity and shared support across investigators and projects, not on serving as the direct funding source for a clinical trial.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is restricted in a way that often matters for collaborations. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or performance sites when they meet NIH criteria and are properly justified and structured under NIH rules.

The opportunity is administered by NIH and is associated with multiple CFDA (Assistance Listing) numbers, reflecting that CFAR-related funding can align with several NIH institutes and program areas tied to HIV/AIDS and related biomedical, behavioral, and public health research. The posted original closing date is 2025-08-04. Award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, which is common for NIH FOAs where budgets depend heavily on the proposed scope, institutional needs, program guidelines, and NIH funding availability.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as support for an institution-wide (or consortium-based) HIV research enabling center: it pays for the shared platform, coordination, and specialized resources that many investigators can access, with a strong expectation of interdisciplinary collaboration and broad impact on HIV/AIDS research productivity and quality, while excluding direct support for clinical trials under this specific mechanism.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers for AIDS Research (P30 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.084, 93.121, 93.233, 93.242, 93.279, 93.307, 93.361, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.847, 93.855, 93.866, 93.989.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-03-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-04. (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 PAR 23 116

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