RFA-MH-21-226: Adapting Immunotherapy and Gene Editing Based Strategies for Targeting HIV Reservoirs in the CNS: Potential Benefits and Risks (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of National Institutes of Health notices from 2021.
National Institutes of Health offered grants of up to $200,000 to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. Applications closed on August 27, 2021.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed May 24, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$200,000
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeR21
- Clinical trialsOptional
- Funded byNIMH
- Median yearly award$214,500
- Typical project length2.5 years
- R21, Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant. Early, exploratory ideas that may not have preliminary data yet, usually for up to two years. Other open R21 notices.
Projects funded under RFA-MH-21-226 were run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2 projects). Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your project before you apply; the notice lists them.
Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read RFA-MH-21-226 in the NIH Guide.
Key dates
| Posted | May 24, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | August 27, 2021 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | October 2, 2021 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.
All 15 applicant types the notice lists
- 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 (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Projects NIH funded under this notice had a median yearly award of $214,500; it allows up to $200,000 per award.
- Most of the money in the 2 programs behind this notice (73% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
Companion to R01 (RFA-MH-21-225). The shock and kill strategy is one of the commonly used approaches for targeting latent reservoirs in hopes to cure HIV-1. It is based on the concept of purposely inducing reactivation of latent reservoirs in ART (antiretroviral therapy)-treated individuals by using stimulatory agents. However, it has become increasingly evident that attempts at elimination of HIV-1 reservoirs through latency reactivating agents (LRA) -mediated reactivation alone may not be sufficient. Novel strategies such as immunotherapy and gene excision therapies to optimize the recognition and elimination of reservoir cells such are being conceptualized and researched. Immunotherapy strategies like therapeutic vaccines to enhance HIV-1-specific CTL (cytotoxic T-cell) response, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells (CAR-T cells) therapies, broadly neutralizing antibodies, dual-affinity retargeting antibodies that not only bind to HIV-1 viral envelope antigen but also activate the CTL response, and immune modulators, such as anti-PD1 (programmed cell death protein-1) or anti-CTL4 antibodies, to correct the immune exhaustion noticed in ART-treated individuals are being developed. In addition to immunotherapy strategies, Recombinant TALEN or CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing molecules delivered to latently infected cells designed to induce cleavage at highly conserved regions of the integrated HIV provirus genome are being researched. However, majority of immunotherapy-based and gene editing based HIV eradication strategies are focused on the periphery. The brain presents a unique challenge where access is difficult and innovative strategies are needed to overcome the blood brain barrier. It is also important to understand the potential CNS toxicity of immunotherapy-based and gene-editing based approaches currently being tested in clinical trials.
Funded under RFA-MH-21-226 so far
NIH funded 2 projects under RFA-MH-21-226 in fiscal 2022 to 2023, at 2 institutions. The median yearly award was $214,500.
| Project | Institution | Fiscal year | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eradication of brain/CNS HIV reservoirs via anti-HIV gene-modified macrophages | University of Alabama at Birmingham | 2023 | $185,625 |
| Gene edited B cells to co-express CNS-targeted antibodies | University of Southern California | 2023 | $247,500 |
Who has won Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (93.853) awarded $9.1 billion across 8,641 grant awards, an average of $1.0 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The General Hospital Corporation | Massachusetts | 203 | $288 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 248 | $277 million |
| The Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | 230 | $276 million |
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | 188 | $226 million |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 179 | $221 million |
Who has won Mental Health Research Grants grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Mental Health Research Grants (93.242) awarded $8.8 billion across 6,785 grant awards, an average of $1.3 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Univ | Connecticut | 185 | $371 million |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | Pennsylvania | 200 | $297 million |
| University of California, Los Angeles | California | 176 | $234 million |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | New York | 144 | $212 million |
| The Washington University | Missouri | 149 | $211 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is RFA-MH-21-226 still open?
No. It closed on August 27, 2021.
Who can apply for Adapting Immunotherapy and Gene Editing Based Strategies for Targeting HIV Reservoirs in the CNS: Potential Benefits and Risks (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)?
National Institutes of Health accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Adapting Immunotherapy and Gene Editing Based Strategies for Targeting HIV Reservoirs in the CNS: Potential Benefits and Risks (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)?
Closed August 27, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $200,000 each.
Who has been funded under RFA-MH-21-226?
NIH RePORTER lists 2 projects funded under RFA-MH-21-226 in fiscal 2022 to 2023, at 2 institutions. The most were at University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Southern California.
Who has won Mental Health Research Grants grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Yale Univ, University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, University of California, Los Angeles. The program made 6,785 awards worth $8.8 billion in that time.
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