Investigation of the Transmission of Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA CA 18 014

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 18 014

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offered this discretionary grant opportunity, RFA-CA-18-014, to support exploratory research that clarifies how Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), is transmitted and how initial infection takes hold in the body. The scientific focus is on understanding transmission routes, the earliest biological events after exposure, and the individual or environmental risk factors that make infection more likely. The larger public health goal is prevention: by pinpointing how people acquire KSHV and what conditions increase vulnerability, the research is intended to inform strategies that reduce new infections and, downstream, reduce KSHV-driven diseases. These include Kaposi sarcoma (KS), KSHV-associated multicentric Castleman disease (MCD), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and other conditions caused by KSHV, particularly in people living with HIV or in populations at high risk of acquiring HIV, where KSHV-related disease burdens can be especially severe.

The FOA uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is typically designed for early-stage, high-impact, or proof-of-concept studies that can open up new lines of inquiry or generate preliminary data for larger follow-on projects. Importantly, the announcement is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the supported work must not meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial (for example, it cannot prospectively assign human participants to an intervention to evaluate health outcomes). That framing steers applicants toward observational human studies, studies using existing specimens or cohorts, epidemiologic investigations, behavioral and network analyses related to transmission risk, laboratory-based studies of early infection biology, and other non-interventional approaches that still have a clear line of sight to prevention.

Funding information in the source data indicates an award ceiling of $200,000, consistent with the modest, exploratory scale associated with many R21 opportunities. The listing provides an original closing date of 2018-08-16 and a creation date of 2018-05-10, placing it in the 2018 funding cycle. The activity category is listed under education and health, and the program is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399), reflecting NIH’s broader cancer and related research assistance programs tied to this announcement.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic U.S. organizations as well as certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants named in the source include state, county, city or township, and 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 other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible groups 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), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility aligns with the global and community-linked nature of KSHV transmission research, where partnerships across universities, community organizations, and international sites can be crucial for studying real-world patterns of exposure and infection.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at advancing actionable knowledge about how KSHV spreads and establishes infection, with a clear emphasis on populations affected by or vulnerable to HIV. By supporting targeted, non-clinical-trial R21 projects, NIH sought to accelerate discoveries that can guide prevention approaches and reduce the incidence of KSHV-associated cancers and lymphoproliferative diseases.

• 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) (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 $200,000.00 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 18 014

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