Investigation of the Transmission of Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV)(R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 18 013

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 18 013

The NIH grant opportunity "Investigation of the Transmission of Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-18-013) is a discretionary research grant designed to push forward what is known about how KSHV, also called human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), spreads between people and establishes infection. The central goal is to generate practical, prevention-relevant knowledge by clarifying the real-world routes of transmission, the earliest biological events that occur when a new infection takes hold, and the specific risk factors that make infection more likely. By improving the evidence base on how people acquire KSHV and what conditions facilitate spread, the FOA aims to support strategies that ultimately reduce KSHV transmission and thereby help prevent Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and other serious KSHV-driven illnesses, including KSHV-associated multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). A major emphasis is placed on populations living with HIV or those at high risk of acquiring HIV, reflecting the disproportionate burden and clinical impact of KSHV-related disease in these groups.

This funding mechanism uses the NIH R01 format, meaning it is intended to support robust, hypothesis-driven projects that can address complex biomedical and public health questions with a well-developed research plan. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose studies that include clinical trials if appropriate, but they are not required to do so. In practice, that flexibility allows a wide range of designs, from observational epidemiology and cohort studies focused on incident infection, to laboratory-informed investigations of early infection biology, to intervention-oriented work that tests prevention approaches or evaluates modifiable risk factors, as long as the work aligns with the FOA's focus on transmission and early infection.

The opportunity sits within NIH's health and education research portfolio and is associated with CFDA program numbers 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, and 93.399, which collectively reflect cancer- and NIH-related assistance programs. The issuing agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the program is positioned to support research that connects virology, immunology, behavioral and social determinants, and implementation-relevant insights that could be used to reduce infections and downstream malignancies. The award ceiling listed is $500,000, signaling the FOA’s intent to fund substantial projects with enough scale to collect meaningful data and, where relevant, support multidisciplinary teams and specialized assays or field work needed for transmission research.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations as well as certain non-U.S. entities, which is particularly relevant because KSHV prevalence and transmission patterns vary significantly by geography and population. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township 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; and Native American tribal organizations beyond federally recognized governments. The FOA also allows applications from public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. It further highlights additional eligible applicant categories 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). Faith-based and community-based organizations are explicitly included, as are eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects an understanding that effective transmission research may require strong community partnerships, access to high-risk or underserved populations, and the capacity to conduct studies in regions where KSHV is more common.

Key administrative details included in the source information are the original closing date of August 16, 2018, and a creation date of May 10, 2018. While those dates indicate this specific announcement cycle is historical, the summary captures the core intent: to fund research that clarifies how KSHV is transmitted, what happens at the earliest stages of infection, and what risk factors drive acquisition, with the larger public health purpose of preventing KS, MCD, PEL, and other KSHV-associated diseases, especially among people living with HIV or at high risk for HIV.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Investigation of the Transmission of Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV)(R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-05-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-08-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA CA 18 013

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: