NIH’s National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) has issued a request for applications (RFA) for research projects on PrEP use among people who use drugs with goals of improving PrEP uptake, management, adherence, and implementation. NIDA seeks to address gaps in our knowledge about PrEP among people who use drugs that can ultimately inform clinical practice, including gaps related to basic clinical research, PrEP performance in people who use drugs, and research to improve implementation practice.

The projects will address a three-fold need: to better understand the effects of substance use on PrEP effectiveness, better inform PrEP implementation among substance users, and fill research gaps regarding the impact of substance use on PrEP management and adherence. Current U.S. Public Health Service PrEP guidelines recommend PrEP for people who inject drugs and mention alcohol and illicit drug use as potential concerns for clinical management. However, only one clinical trial has evaluated PrEP among people who inject drugs, and systematic data regarding the broader use of PrEP among substance users are limited. More systematic data are needed regarding the impact of substance use on PrEP management and adherence, as well as the best ways to deliver PrEP and integrate it with other services.

This RFA is restricted to projects conducted in the United States, although foreign components are permitted where they support domestic research in the United States. Applications are encouraged that propose research in states and counties identified in the U.S. Government’s Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America. Work in locales that are not included in the EHE initiative must provide an epidemiologic justification in the application for their inclusion in the research.

Letters of intent are due October 12, 2021, and applications are due November 12, 2021. The maximum project period is 5 years, and the maximum award is $2 million. NIDA anticipates making two to three awards. For more information, read the full RFA.