HIV/AIDS Vaccine Scholars Program (K01) | PAR 16 347

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 347

The HIV/AIDS Vaccine Scholars Program (K01), funding opportunity number PAR 16-347, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant designed to help early-stage investigators build the skills, track record, and mentorship support needed to become independent HIV vaccine researchers. It uses the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) mechanism, which means the award is structured around intensive, supervised training rather than fully independent funding. The program is aimed specifically at investigators who are within ten years of completing a terminal degree or finishing residency training, and it combines salary support with dedicated research funds so awardees can protect time for career development while generating publishable results.

A central requirement of this opportunity is that both the research plan and the mentorship environment must be focused on HIV/AIDS vaccine development using nonhuman primates (NHPs) as pre-clinical models. In practice, this means applicants need to propose a research and training plan that clearly depends on NHP-based vaccine model work and that is positioned to produce findings with relevance to human vaccine development. NIH also expects applicants to have a mentorship team that is not only experienced in building and using NHP vaccine models, but also knowledgeable about translating NHP findings into human-focused research, strengthening the bridge between pre-clinical evidence and clinical or translational next steps.

The award provides three years of support, emphasizing an immersive period of research career development. The overall goal is to move scholars toward independence by the end of the project period, so they are competitive for major NIH research project grants such as an R01. The program’s stated expectation is that, with sustained mentoring, structured training, and protected research time, awardees will launch independent careers in HIV vaccine science and be positioned to compete successfully for subsequent investigator-initiated funding.

This initiative also ties directly to broader NIH priorities under the FY 2017 Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research. It aligns with two stated objectives: first, advancing the development of active and passive HIV/AIDS vaccines, and second, promoting and supporting HIV/AIDS-related training. In other words, the opportunity is not only about producing specific experimental results in NHP models, but also about strengthening the national workforce and expertise pipeline in HIV vaccine research.

Eligibility on the applicant organization side is broad and includes many domestic institution types across government, academia, nonprofit, and industry. Examples listed 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The announcement also highlights inclusion of specific institution categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as eligible federal agencies and faith-based or community-based organizations.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible either. In addition, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed, meaning the work supported under this K01 is intended to be conducted entirely within allowable domestic institutional and project structures.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary grant in the health category (CFDA 93.351) administered by NIH. The source data lists an award ceiling of $350,000 and an original closing date of January 11, 2018, reflecting the published timeline for that particular announcement cycle. The program is best understood as a targeted, mentored career launchpad for researchers committed to HIV vaccine development in NHP pre-clinical systems, with a strong emphasis on mentorship quality, translational relevance, and readiness to progress toward independent NIH funding.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HIV/AIDS Vaccine Scholars Program (K01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-06-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $350,000.00 in funding.
• 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 16 347

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