HIV/HCV Co-Infections in Substance Abusers (R01) | PAS 17 311

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS 17 311

The HIV/HCV Co-Infections in Substance Abusers (R01) funding opportunity (PAS 17-311) is a National Institutes of Health discretionary grant that supports research projects aimed at improving what is known about the overlap between substance use disorders (SUDs), HIV infection, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The core intent is to address important scientific and clinical gaps that affect real-world outcomes for people who use drugs or have SUDs, particularly those living with HIV/HCV co-infection. The announcement emphasizes that co-infection is not just two infections happening at the same time; it can involve interacting disease processes, different trajectories of illness, and unique barriers to effective care that are often intensified by substance use, stigma, and unequal access to prevention and treatment services.

A major focus of the FOA is understanding how substance abuse influences HIV disease course and HIV/HCV co-infection progression. This includes investigating whether and how different substances, patterns of use, or related factors (such as adherence challenges, immune effects, or co-occurring mental health conditions) change the speed or severity of HIV- and HCV-related disease. The FOA also highlights the need to study pathogenic interactions between HIV and HCV, meaning biological and immunological mechanisms by which each virus may affect the other and contribute to worse outcomes. Alongside these mechanistic questions, the opportunity calls attention to both hepatic complications (liver-related outcomes such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver inflammation, and liver cancer risk) and non-hepatic comorbidities (health problems outside the liver) that may occur or worsen in people with HIV/HCV co-infection who also have SUDs. In practice, that can include systemic inflammation, cardiovascular or metabolic issues, neurocognitive impacts, or other complex, multi-organ health burdens that are common in co-infected populations and can be shaped by substance use and social determinants of health.

Another central priority is evaluating the effectiveness of interferon-free direct acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for treating HIV/HCV co-infection specifically in people with SUDs. DAAs transformed HCV treatment by offering shorter, more tolerable, highly effective regimens compared to older interferon-based therapies. Even so, the FOA underscores that effectiveness in controlled settings does not always translate cleanly to populations facing higher rates of unstable housing, criminal-legal involvement, psychiatric comorbidity, ongoing substance use, or inconsistent engagement with healthcare. Research responsive to this announcement would therefore be expected to generate evidence about treatment outcomes and practical implementation challenges for DAA therapy in co-infected individuals with SUDs, including factors that influence sustained virologic response, retention in care, reinfection risk, medication interactions with HIV therapies, and the real-world delivery of treatment in clinical and community settings.

The announcement is aligned with federal HIV and viral hepatitis priorities, explicitly referencing the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding (NOT-OD-15-137) and the HHS National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2017-2020. This signals that proposed projects should fit within broader national strategies, such as reducing HIV- and hepatitis-related morbidity and mortality, addressing high-burden and underserved populations, and generating findings that can inform public health approaches and care models. It also implies an expectation that projects will be relevant to improving outcomes at scale, not only producing isolated findings but contributing to the evidence base guiding prevention, treatment, and service delivery for populations affected by both infections and substance use.

This is an R01 mechanism, meaning it is designed for full-scale, hypothesis-driven or well-justified research projects that typically involve a substantial scope of work and multi-year plans. While the source information provided does not list an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the R01 format generally supports robust projects that can include clinical, behavioral, epidemiological, health services, and translational components, depending on the scientific aims and the applicant team's expertise. The funding activity category listed is Education, Health, and the CFDA number is 93.279, placing it within NIH-supported research activities related to drug abuse and associated health outcomes.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic applicants such as state, county, and local governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; 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. The FOA also explicitly encourages or includes a wide range of additional eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and regional organizations. This broad eligibility reflects the reality that HIV/HCV co-infection and substance use are global and domestic issues, and that effective research often benefits from partnerships across academic, clinical, community, and public-sector settings.

Key administrative details from the provided source include the opportunity title HIV/HCV Co-Infections in Substance Abusers (R01), funding opportunity number PAS 17-311, the agency National Institutes of Health, the creation date June 12, 2017, and an original closing date of January 7, 2018. Overall, the opportunity is designed to push the field toward a clearer understanding of how substance use shapes HIV and HCV outcomes, how the two viruses interact biologically and clinically, what additional comorbidities accompany co-infection in people with SUDs, and how well modern DAA treatment strategies work for this population in practice, with the ultimate goal of improving care, reducing disease burden, and informing public health and clinical approaches.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HIV/HCV Co-Infections in Substance Abusers (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-06-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-07. (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 PAS 17 311

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