Under the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is releasing a set of interrelated Request for Applications (RFAs) to create the HIV/Justice Research Network, a coordinated effort to develop innovative strategies to promote improvements in HIV prevention and treatment services for individuals involved in the criminal legal system with substance use disorder (SUD).
Donor Name: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territories: American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/16/2023
Size of the Grant: $1,000,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
This NOFO seeks applications for a Data Coordination and Dissemination Center (DCDC). The DCDC will provide broad coordination and infrastructure support for RRHs funded under RFA-DA-24-015. The DCDC will also work closely with the PERC to engage key stakeholders in network activities. Key responsibilities include administrative and logistical support; data and analytic support; dissemination and stakeholder engagement support; as well as targeted research projects to support the overall work of the network.
Network Structure & Objectives
Three interrelated Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) will collectively support a research network focused on addressing the need for integrated HIV and substance use disorder (SUD) services in justice-involved populations: RFA-DA-24-015 seeks multiple Regional Research Hubs (RRHs); RFA-DA-24-023 will support one Data Coordination and Dissemination Center (DCDC); and RFA-DA-24-022 will support one Patient Engagement Resource Center (PERC). Collectively, this HIV/Justice Research Network will focus on developing scalable models for delivering HIV diagnostic, prevention and treatment services for individuals with substance use disorders (not limited to opioid use disorders) who are involved in the criminal legal system, including both adults and juveniles, whether within carceral settings (jails and prisons); under community supervision (probation and parole); or at earlier intercept points (e.g., diversion, deflection, courts). Intervention approaches to address HIV should be focused on the EHE strategies (diagnose, treat, prevent, respond), as appropriate to the needs of the population and study design. The Data Coordination and Dissemination Center will facilitate collaboration among the Research Hubs and ensure translation and dissemination of study findings and related resources to key audiences best positioned to influence practice change. The PERC will directly engage persons with lived experience in HIV, SUD, and the criminal legal system and ensure that patient perspectives are broadly represented across the entirety of the network’s activities.
Elements of the Data Coordination and Dissemination Center
The DCDC will provide the following services and resources to the network:
Administrative Coordination and Communication:
The DCDC will provide overall infrastructure support to the HIV/Justice Research Network as a whole. This includes the following administrative coordination and communication activities:
- Provide logistical support and hosting monthly executive committee meetings and an annual in-person executive committee meeting throughout the project period. The executive committee will be composed of research investigators, patient, and stakeholder representatives from each research center; investigators from the PERC; and the DCDC. These meetings will provide a forum to (1) present research updates; (2) share research resources; and (3) identify opportunities for synergy and collaboration (e.g., data harmonization, protocol modifications).
- Coordinate trans-network working groups that arise to support synergistic activities within this network (e.g., publication policy, data policy, biostatistics, and subject recruitment).
- Establish internal and external facing communication infrastructure.
- Provide resources and support for coordinated tracking of network-wide projects and progress
Dissemination Support and Stakeholder Engagement:
The DCDC will be expected to lead efforts to translate network findings into resources of interest to external stakeholders. To achieve this goal, the DCDC will be responsible for facilitating bidirectional communication and translation between network investigators and external stakeholders. External stakeholder groups include practitioners and policymakers at local, state, and federal levels across a range of criminal legal settings and community-based HIV and SUD services providers that work with justice-involved populations (see below for operational definitions). Responsibilities will include:
- Identifying key audiences for dissemination and engagement and best pathways to communicate with these audiences.
- Developing courses, resources, and other research-based materials to support widespread adoption of science-based practices and interventions. The DCDC is expected to work closely with the RRHs and PERC to determine what dissemination support and products would be most beneficial to the projects and the field more broadly. Each year the grant is active, the DCDC will collaboratively develop a work plan to provide timely support.
- Track publications, products, and other materials developed by the RRHs and PERC and facilitate the dissemination of these materials, including creating translational products for various audiences.
- Rigorous tracking of metrics to better understand the utilization and uptake of the products created.
Rapid Research Projects:
Policies and practices are rapidly changing and many opportunities for generating insights into the effectiveness of emerging policies and practices go uncaptured. As well, key research questions may emerge from collaborative discussions across the network. The DCDC is expected to provide a flexible structure to be responsive to these emerging needs, including capacity to conduct novel policy, modeling, survey and/or epidemiological research to help support the efforts of the RRHs and broaden the impact of the network. Responsibilities include:
- Proposing one research project to take place during the first year of the network that could provide cross-cutting information on opportunities to make maximal impact in the targeted settings.
- For remaining years of the network, a research agenda will be set annually with input from the network and subject to approval by NIH. Applicants should outline a process for soliciting input across the network and evaluating emerging research priorities on an annual basis.
Data and Analytic Support:
The DCDC is expected to provide robust services related to data and analytic support, including the following activities:
- Provide NIH with quarterly reports on overall network progress related to participant recruitment, enrollment, findings from the clinical research centers within this network, and other progress metrics.
- Facilitate and support efforts by the RRHs to select and implement Common Measures, Data Sharing, and Data Coordination. This may include conducting pilot work to assist in the selection and prioritization of measures. Common Measures will be selected through collaborative discussions among the RRHs and PERC. This work is expected to build upon core measures that have already been developed for related initiatives, such as the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN).
- Provide resources to support and expand upon economic analyses proposed by RRHs if necessary and/or lead network-wide economic analysis efforts.
- Develop and implement a plan for data sharing and collaborative analyses across the network, including providing shared infrastructure while the awards are active and taking the lead in planning and coordinating data archiving efforts.
- Provide resources to supplement/support analytic efforts for pilot studies and cross-hub research efforts as needed.
Funding Information
Application budgets are limited to $1,000,000 in direct costs per year.
Project Period
The maximum project period is 5 years.
Eligibility Criteria
Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
- Hispanic-serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
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)
Local 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)
Federal Government
- 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
Foreign Institutions
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
- Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
