Provocative Questions (PQs) in Cancer with an Underlying HIV Infection (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 19 032

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NIH RFA-CA-19-032 (HIV-Associated Cancers, R01)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), identified as RFA-CA-19-032. It supports R01 research grant applications focused on cancers that occur in people living with HIV or with a diagnosis of AIDS.

2) What is the main goal of the FOA?

The central aim is to improve understanding of HIV-associated cancers, including cancer risk, how these malignancies develop and progress, how they can be diagnosed more effectively, and how they can be treated in the context of underlying HIV infection.

3) What makes this FOA different from a general HIV-and-cancer research announcement?

This FOA is intentionally targeted. It is structured around a small set of specific research challenges called "Provocative Questions" (PQs). The intent is to push research toward understudied problems and apparent paradoxes in HIV-associated cancer research rather than cover the entire range of NCI priorities in this space.

4) What are "Provocative Questions" (PQs) in this FOA?

PQs are a defined set of focused research questions designated by the FOA. They are designed to direct applicants toward specific, high-impact gaps in knowledge related to cancers in people living with HIV or with AIDS.

5) How many Provocative Questions can a single application address?

Each application must choose one and only one of the six designated Provocative Questions and build the project around that single selected question.

6) Can an application include multiple unrelated aims if they are all about HIV-associated cancer?

The project is not meant to be a broad program covering multiple unrelated aims. The FOA emphasizes a coherent, well-justified project that directly addresses the single selected PQ.

7) Does the FOA require a hypothesis-driven project?

The FOA describes the desired project as coherent and hypothesis-driven, or otherwise rigorously justified, as long as it directly addresses the selected PQ.

8) Are transdisciplinary or cross-cutting approaches allowed?

Yes. The FOA encourages cross-cutting, transdisciplinary approaches when they strengthen the science behind the chosen PQ, as long as the work remains clearly focused on the single PQ target.

9) What kinds of disciplines or methods can be combined in an application?

The FOA indicates that applicants may combine methods and perspectives from multiple fields, such as oncology, virology, immunology, epidemiology, genomics, implementation science, behavioral science, pathology, bioinformatics, or health services research, provided the work stays centered on the selected PQ.

10) What type of grant mechanism is used?

The grant mechanism is an NIH R01.

11) Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?

Clinical trials are listed as optional. Applicants may propose non-clinical-trial research or include a clinical trial component if it is appropriate to answering the selected PQ and meets NIH requirements.

12) What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is health and education.

13) What CFDA numbers are associated with this program?

The program is associated with CFDA numbers 93.393 and 93.395.

14) Is an award ceiling or maximum budget stated in the provided information?

No. The provided source information does not include an award ceiling.

15) Does the provided information say how many awards NIH/NCI expects to make?

No. The provided source information does not include an expected number of awards.

16) Who is eligible to apply (in general terms)?

Eligibility is broad. It includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and also certain non-U.S. entities, including foreign (non-U.S.) organizations.

17) What types of U.S. government entities are eligible?

Eligible applicants include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; and U.S. territories or possessions.

18) Are educational institutions eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, and a range of designated serving institutions (for example, HBCUs and Hispanic-serving Institutions).

19) Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Eligibility includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized.

20) Are nonprofits eligible?

Yes. Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (when not an institution of higher education) are eligible.

21) Are for-profit entities eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

22) Are housing authorities eligible?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible.

23) Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA explicitly calls out faith-based and community-based organizations as eligible applicants.

24) Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible federal agencies are specifically listed among eligible applicant categories.

25) Are regional organizations eligible?

Yes. Regional organizations are included in the FOA's stated eligible applicant categories.

26) Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?

Yes. Foreign (non-U.S.) organizations are explicitly included as eligible applicants.

27) When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on January 24, 2019.

28) What is the closing date shown in the provided information?

The original closing date shown in the source data is August 3, 2020.

29) What topic area should an application focus on?

The application should focus on cancers occurring in people living with HIV or with a diagnosis of AIDS, and it must be designed specifically to address one of the FOA's six Provocative Questions.

30) What is the key compliance point applicants should keep in mind from the FOA description provided?

The proposal must be tightly aligned to the PQ format: select a single PQ (one of six) and design the project so that the aims, rationale, and methods directly address that question without drifting into a broad or multi-topic program.