Elucidating Immunometabolic Responses to HIV Infection that Increase TB or HBV Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The elucidating immunometabolic responses to HIV infection that increase TB or HBV risk funding opportunity, issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, supports research projects exploring how HIV-induced immunometabolic changes increase the risk of tuberculosis or hepatitis B virus progression in individuals suppressed on combination antiretroviral therapy. The goal is to define how HIV-driven immunometabolic alterations impact immune cell regulation, cell-to-cell interactions, and treatment responses, ultimately contributing to disease progression. This program aims to identify biomarkers of disease progression and therapeutic targets for host-directed treatments. The research areas of interest include investigating alterations to immunometabolism due to HIV infection and their impact on TB or HBV pathogenesis, exploring immunometabolic influences on cell-cell interactions during co-infection, and analyzing multi-omic immune cell profiles to identify correlates of disease progression. Proposals may also focus on discovering immunometabolic-associated biomarkers or therapeutic targets to improve clinical outcomes for people living with HIV who are at risk for TB or HBV. Applicants are encouraged to form multidisciplinary research teams, incorporate advanced techniques such as artificial intelligence or machine learning, and utilize existing clinical samples with in vitro or in vivo models. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, government entities, and foreign institutions. Non-domestic entities and foreign components of U.S. organizations are also eligible to apply. Applications must follow NIH submission guidelines, with budgets reflecting the project’s actual needs. The maximum project period is five years. Preliminary data are required to support hypotheses and justify the proposed approaches. Applications will be evaluated based on significance, innovation, scientific approach, investigator expertise, and institutional resources. Specific criteria include the relevance of the research to immunometabolic alterations during HIV infection, the rigor of experimental design, the feasibility of the approach, and the team’s capacity to accomplish the project goals. Strong applications will demonstrate the potential for advancing fundamental understanding of biological mechanisms, identifying clinical targets, and improving outcomes for co-infected individuals. Key submission deadlines follow the NIH standard schedule, with the first application due on May 7, 2025. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and eRA Commons, and applicants must complete all required registrations well in advance. For additional information, program staff are available to provide guidance on proposal alignment with program priorities. Successful applicants will receive funding contingent on scientific merit, programmatic relevance, and the availability of funds.