NIH/DHHS: Adherence to HIV Prevention Strategies among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Sub-Saharan Africa, Deadline: 20 December 2016

The National Institute of Mental Health, an agency of Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is seeking proposals from eligible organisations for a program entitled “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”.

The goal of this initiative is to look at the multiple levels of influence on adolescent girls and young women’s (AGYW) behavior from the individual level, to her partners, family members and peers as well as cultural, social norms and structural factors that may influence uptake and adherence to prevention strategies.

Aims

• Enhance the understanding of the multi-level factors that influence HIV prevention strategy use among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Develop and test novel interventions to address these factors and enhance the uptake and adherence to HIV prevention strategies among AGYW in sub-Saharan Africa.

Funding Information

• NICHD intends to fund an estimate of 2-3 awards for a total of- $1,000,000 for this FOA and the companion R21 FOA for fiscal year 2017. Exact amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
• The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 5 years.

Priority Areas

• Enhance the understanding of the multiplicity of factors from multiple levels that influence AGYW uptake and adherence to HIV prevention strategies.
• Examine factors at the individual level that could include but are not limited to: mental health (in particular depression, trauma and use of avoidant coping), risk perception, transactional sex (this can be driven by poverty but also a desire for material goods), alcohol and other substance use, current and/or future fertility desires, biases based on behavioral economic theory, and vaginal care practices.
• Examine factors at the product level among products in development could include the type of applicator, packaging, and physical properties of the product.
• Examine factors at the partner and family level that could include but are not limited to: exposure to violence, partner type, partner dynamics
• Examine factors at the community level that could include but are not limited to: HIV-related stigma/stigma associated with engaging in HIV prevention services, unemployment/employmentopportunities, poverty, mobility, gender norms, policies or factors impacting the ability of minors to consent for or access reproductive and other health care services
• Explore novel strategies to examine the influences on uptake and adherence from multiple levels using already existing data.
• Develop interventions to address facilitators and barriers from multiple levels that contribute to uptake and adherence to HIV prevention strategies among AGYW.
• Develop strategies to enhance partners’ either implicit or explicit approval of product use and/or clinical trial participation taking into account partner dynamics, gender norms, Intimate Partner Violence, and other factors that could impede partner’s involvement.
• Determine if social networking interventions can address individual-level and social barriers to uptake and adherence.
• Develop community-level interventions to enhance uptake and adherence, including but not limited tofaith based interventions and mass media interventions.
• Develop interventions that are embedded within clinical trials to identify and address reasons for low uptake and adherence to study product.

Eligibility Criteria

• Higher Education Institutions
  • Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
  • Private Institutions of Higher Education
• Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• For-Profit Organizations
  • Small Businesses
  • For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)
• Governments
  • State Governments
  • County Governments
  • City or Township Governments
  • Special District Governments
  • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
  • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
  • Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
  • U.S. Territory or Possession
• Other
  • Independent School Districts
  • Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
  • Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
  • Regional Organizations
  • Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions)
• Foreign Institutions
  • Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.
  • Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.
  • Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply electronically via given website.

For more information, visit grant.gov.