HIV, HCV and Related Comorbidities in Rural Communities Affected by Opioid Injection Drug Epidemics in the United States: Building Systems for Prevention, Treatment and Control (UG3/UH3) | RFA DA 17 014

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 17 014

The funding opportunity titled "HIV, HCV and Related Comorbidities in Rural Communities Affected by Opioid Injection Drug Epidemics in the United States: Building Systems for Prevention, Treatment and Control (UG3/UH3)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DA-17-014) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to strengthen how rural U.S. communities respond to opioid injection drug epidemics and the infectious disease outbreaks and health complications that often follow. The core goal is to support research that leads to practical, scalable community response models that public health systems can adopt in other rural settings facing similar risks. While the program centers on HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevention and control, it also explicitly includes related comorbidities and outcomes tied to injection drug use, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and overdose.

A key feature of this opportunity is its biphasic structure using the UG3/UH3 mechanism, meaning projects are expected to unfold in two connected stages. The first phase (UG3) typically supports planning, formative research, and early implementation work to establish feasibility, refine methods, and build the partnerships and systems needed to operate effectively in real rural contexts. The second phase (UH3) is intended for expanded implementation and more rigorous evaluation once the project has demonstrated readiness to proceed. The emphasis on a two-stage, multi-method design signals that NIH is looking for projects that combine approaches such as epidemiology, implementation science, service systems research, and community-engaged methods, rather than a single narrow study design.

Programmatically, the FOA is focused on building comprehensive, integrated approaches rather than stand-alone interventions. In practice, that means research projects should inform how communities can put together coordinated prevention, testing, treatment, and linkage-to-care strategies for people who inject drugs (PWID), while also addressing the structural and service delivery barriers that are common in rural areas. The expected outputs are evidence-backed best practices and response models that demonstrate effectiveness, reflect real-world constraints, and can be implemented by public health systems in other rural communities. The overall intent is not only to show whether an approach works, but to produce actionable guidance about how to organize services, coordinate stakeholders, and sustain a public health response in places where resources and infrastructure may be limited.

This is a discretionary funding opportunity and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically means NIH expects substantial involvement during the project period, often through collaboration, coordination, and shared responsibilities between awardees and the agency. The funding activity category is listed under Education and Health, and associated CFDA numbers include 93.270, 93.279, and 93.941. The opportunity was created on 2016-10-06, with an original closing date of 2017-01-10. An award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based public and private sectors, reflecting the community systems emphasis. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses, as well as small businesses; and other entities as permitted. The FOA also explicitly names 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components, as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In short, the work must be led and conducted through domestic U.S. organizations without foreign components, aligning with the FOA's focus on rural U.S. public health systems and implementation in U.S. communities.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as an NIH-supported push for rural, systems-oriented solutions that integrate infectious disease prevention and treatment with substance use-related public health responses. The ideal project would not only address immediate risks like HIV and HCV transmission among PWID, but would also test and document the kind of coordinated community infrastructure and service delivery approach that can be replicated across rural America during opioid injection-driven epidemics.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HIV, HCV and Related Comorbidities in Rural Communities Affected by Opioid Injection Drug Epidemics in the United States: Building Systems for Prevention, Treatment and Control (UG3/UH3)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.270, 93.279, 93.941.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-01-10. (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.

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