Understanding and Addressing the Multi-level Influences on Uptake and Adherence to HIV Prevention Strategies Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Sub-Saharan Africa (R34) | RFA MH 17 560

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this NIH funding opportunity?

The funding opportunity is titled "Understanding and Addressing the Multi-level Influences on Uptake and Adherence to HIV Prevention Strategies Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Sub-Saharan Africa (R34)."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-MH-17-560.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.242.

Which agency is offering this grant?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity.

What type of research does this opportunity support?

This opportunity supports short-term, early-stage research focused on improving HIV prevention outcomes for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes building evidence on why prevention methods are or are not started and why they are or are not used consistently, and then developing and testing interventions to address those drivers and barriers.

What are the main goals of the funding opportunity?

The central purpose is twofold: (1) strengthen the evidence base on factors affecting uptake (starting/choosing a prevention method) and adherence (consistent, correct, sustained use), and (2) design and test new or improved interventions that directly address those factors.

Who is the primary population of interest?

The primary population is adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa.

What does "uptake" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Uptake refers to starting HIV prevention and choosing a prevention option. It focuses on whether AGYW initiate use of HIV prevention strategies and what influences that decision.

What does "adherence" mean in this funding opportunity?

Adherence refers to consistent, correct, and sustained use of HIV prevention strategies over time. The opportunity highlights adherence as essential to real-world effectiveness, not just initial uptake.

Why does this opportunity emphasize both uptake and adherence?

The announcement recognizes that prevention strategies only work in real-world settings when people can both start using them and continue using them as recommended. The funding opportunity frames uptake and adherence as jointly necessary for effectiveness.

What does "multi-level influences" mean here?

Multi-level influences refer to factors operating at multiple layers that shape AGYW decision-making about HIV prevention. The opportunity calls for research that examines individual factors, relationship and interpersonal influences, and broader community, cultural, and structural forces, and shows how these layers interact.

What kinds of individual-level factors are within scope?

Examples named in the opportunity include knowledge, risk perception, mental health, motivation, stigma, trauma exposure, and practical constraints such as transportation challenges or clinic access barriers.

What relationship or interpersonal factors does the opportunity highlight?

The opportunity highlights dynamics with male partners (including power imbalances, age-disparate relationships, intimate partner violence, and negotiation around condom use or biomedical prevention), as well as the role of family members and peers who may shape norms, offer support, or apply pressure.

What community, cultural, and structural factors are mentioned?

The opportunity points to broader forces such as gender norms, social expectations, school and workplace environments, influences of religious or community leadership, economic vulnerability, healthcare quality and confidentiality concerns, and laws or policies affecting AGYW access to services.

Does the opportunity expect applicants to connect factors across levels?

Yes. The opportunity indicates that strong applications will connect these layers and show how they interact to influence uptake and adherence, rather than focusing on a single isolated factor.

What kinds of HIV prevention strategies are included?

The scope is framed around "HIV prevention strategies" and can include biomedical approaches (for example, oral PrEP and other emerging modalities), behavioral strategies, and service-delivery models intended to make prevention easier to start and maintain.

Does the funding opportunity require a specific HIV prevention technology?

No. The notice does not prescribe a single prevention technology. It is broadly focused on HIV prevention strategies, including biomedical, behavioral, and service-delivery approaches.

What kinds of interventions might be appropriate for this R34?

Interventions may address multi-level determinants, such as individual skills and motivation, partner communication and safety planning, peer support mechanisms, family engagement, community norm change, and structural barriers (for example, clinic hours, youth-friendly services, privacy protections, and linkage systems).

What is the R34 mechanism generally used for in this opportunity?

The R34 mechanism is described here as aligning with intervention development and feasibility or pilot testing. Projects are often expected to generate actionable knowledge about what is workable, acceptable, and promising enough to justify a larger-scale effectiveness trial later.

Is this opportunity limited to interventions, or can it include observational or explanatory work?

Based on the description, it supports early-stage research that builds an evidence base on why uptake/adherence do or do not occur and also supports designing and testing interventions that address those factors.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes U.S. 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; non-federally recognized tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities.

Are faith-based and community-based organizations included as eligible applicants?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly welcomes faith-based or community-based organizations among the range of mission-driven and capacity-building institutions.

Are minority-serving institutions specifically encouraged or included?

Yes. The eligible applicant list explicitly includes institutions 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).

Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply directly?

Yes. The eligible applicant list includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and regional organizations, and it also includes U.S. territories or possessions.

What is the funding activity area for this opportunity?

The opportunity is categorized under the health funding activity area.

What were the key administrative dates provided?

The listing notes a creation date of August 15, 2016, and an original closing date of December 20, 2016.

Is this a current or historical funding opportunity cycle?

The information provided reflects a historical cycle with an original closing date in 2016. The description notes that the research agenda remains relevant, even though the listed cycle is from that period.

What geographic focus does the opportunity emphasize?

The opportunity focuses on sub-Saharan Africa and on understanding and intervening on the real-world factors that shape AGYW access to, initiation of, and sustained use of HIV prevention.

What overall theme should a strong application reflect, based on the description?

A strong application should reflect a multi-level understanding of uptake and adherence and propose intervention development and feasibility or pilot testing that directly responds to the interacting individual, interpersonal, community, and structural determinants described in the opportunity.