+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Not Verified

Expired

Target Grants: Request for Proposals

American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)

Award Amount and Performance Period

Award amount: Up to $480,000 total costs, including up to 20% indirect costs
Performance period: Up to two years duration starting October 1, 2025.

Background and Purpose

amfAR’s research initiatives are aimed at finding a cure for HIV that will be useful to the 40M people living with HIV (PLWH). The urgency of our goal demands that we direct our funding to studies that uncover vital knowledge directly applicable to clinical or pre-clinical cure efforts.

Persistent reservoirs of virus not cleared by antiretroviral therapy represent the main barrier to a cure. amfAR’s Target Grants should focus on pushing the boundaries of biomedical research to achieve sustained HIV remission or complete viral eradication. Priority will be given to clinical or pre-clinical applications studying pragmatic and scalable interventions that can be implemented globally, including in the communities most affected by the epidemic.

The proposed research must be conducted and validated either in vivo (in PLWH, non-human primates, or humanized mice), or ex vivo (in cells isolated from PLWH or infected animals). Interventions tested exclusively in cell lines or in primary cells from HIV-negative individuals will not be considered responsive to this RFP. Submissions that propose only describing the reservoir (i.e., without pre-clinical or clinical interventions) will not be forwarded for review, unless they provide new and critical insights that will meaningfully accelerate HIV cure strategies.

Applicants should be able to:

Describe the clinical or pre-clinical intervention they are working towards.
Articulate the current stage of development of the proposed approach.
In pre-clinical settings, describe the steps needed to progress to clinical testing.

Application Process and Deadlines

Applicants complete a project Synopsis, using a template that can be downloaded through the form below, and send it to grants@amfar.org with the subject line, Principal Investigator’s “LAST NAME, FIRST NAME – TARGET GRANT.”
amfAR Research Department verifies applicants’ eligibility and reviews Synopses based on relevance, potential impact and alignment with amfAR’s mission.
A selected number of applicants will be invited to submit a full application. We regret we are unable to discuss every submission with applicants.
All invited applications are evaluated and scored through external peer-review process.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. 🎯 Alignment with Cure-Focused Priority

amfAR’s primary mission is to support research that moves toward a cure for HIV/AIDS. Your proposal must address fundamental, cure-relevant questions—if the knowledge generated doesn't clearly advance cure strategies, it may be deprioritized.

RFPs (e.g., Target Grants) emphasize interventional approaches in vivo or ex vivo (human cells)—purely descriptive or cell-line-only studies typically aren’t eligible .

2. 🧬 Scientific Rigor & High-Impact Strategy

amfAR seeks high-risk, high-reward studies—ideally those with strong rationale to dramatically move the cure field forward .

Evaluations focus on relevance, scientific merit, and promise, as judged by a peer-review process modeled on NIH best practices .

3. 👥 Targeted, Competitive LOIs

Only LOIs that precisely respond to specific RFP priorities move to full application. These should showcase why the approach is uniquely suited to cure-relevant investigation .

Ensure interventions in human samples, animal models, or humanized systems are central to your proposal.

4. ⚙️ Appropriate Budget & Scope

Target Grants allow up to $400K (plus 20% indirect) over 2 years or $100K (plus 20% indirect) over 1 year .

Budget must match scope: personnel and costs should reflect project feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

5. 🗂️ Structured Multi-Stage Peer Review

Grant selection is via a multi-stage peer-review system overseen by amfAR’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) .

Overview includes LOI review, full application scoring, and final decision by SAC. Precision and clarity in LOI are critical.

6. 🌍 Global Relevance & Innovation-Focus

amfAR has funded over 3,800 global grants (~$950 M raised) in support of a worldwide cure effort .

Proposals with innovative technologies—such as gene therapy, immune clearance, or shock-and-kill strategies—resonate most .

📋 Success Summary Table

Predictor	What to Do
Cure-focused mission	Focus on HIV cure–relevant research
Intervention-based strategy	Use animal or human-based interventional models
High scientific impact	Emphasize innovation and transformative potential
RFP alignment & strong LOI	Tailor LOI precisely to RFP criteria
Budget fit	Align scope and costs with grant limits
Solid peer-review prep	Structure clearly for peer-review process
Global/innovative approach	Leverage cutting-edge methods and worldwide relevance

🔧 Pro Tips for Applicants

Draft with the RFP in mind—use keywords like “cure,” “reservoir elimination,” and “intervention.”

Justify your models—frame why your in vivo or ex vivo systems address cure barriers.

Build strong rationale—highlight why this specific approach fills a key knowledge gap.

Align budget to deliverables—e.g., $400K for 2 years should deliver milestone-based progress.

Leverage peer-review structure—ensure scientific and community significance are front-loaded.

Apply globally—highlight collaborative potential and translational scope.

Specialties

Clinical Trials

Eligibility Requirements

Any HIV researcher holding a research or clinical doctoral degree who is affiliated with a nonprofit research institution, either within or outside the United States, is eligible to apply.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 120 Wall Street, 13th Floor New York, NY 10005-3908 (212) 806-1600 (tel) (212) 806-1601 (fax)

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity