Limited Interaction Targeted Epidemiology: Epidemiology of Transmission and Treatment of HIV Among People Who Are at Increased Risk for HIV Infection in Latin America (LITE-LA) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA AI 24 009

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Limited Interaction Targeted Epidemiology: Epidemiology of Transmission and Treatment of HIV Among People Who Are at Increased Risk for HIV Infection in Latin America (LITE-LA) is an NIH funding opportunity that supports the creation of large, digitally constructed cohorts in Latin America to better understand where new HIV infections are occurring, why they are occurring, and what happens after infection in terms of entering care and achieving viral suppression. The central idea is to enroll and follow HIV-negative individuals from populations that carry disproportionately high risk in the region, specifically men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women (TGW), people who inject drugs (PWID), and/or female sex workers. By tracking these participants over time through electronically enabled methods, the studies are intended to estimate HIV incidence and to identify patterns of risk that can be tied to particular places, networks, and social conditions, not just individual behavior.

A key feature of the program is that follow-up does not stop when someone becomes infected. Participants who seroconvert are expected to continue in the study so investigators can examine the treatment side of the epidemic, especially the real-world pathway from diagnosis to engagement in care and ultimately to viral suppression (reaching an undetectable viral load). The program places emphasis on comparing groups at two critical points. First, comparing those who do and do not seroconvert helps pinpoint geographic hotspots and socially defined settings where incidence is high, while also clarifying the mix of personal vulnerabilities (such as access to prevention, substance use, sexual network dynamics) and structural vulnerabilities (such as stigma, criminalization, barriers to healthcare, housing instability, discrimination, and economic exclusion). Second, among those who seroconvert, comparing individuals who quickly link to care and achieve suppression versus those who remain viremic is meant to reveal where treatment systems succeed or break down in different Latin American contexts and why.

The "limited interaction" and "electronically-generated cohort" framing signals a strong push toward digital-first research operations. Projects are expected to rely heavily on online, mobile, and other electronic strategies for recruitment, enrollment, follow-up, and data capture, enabling large cohorts with less reliance on frequent in-person visits. This approach is also designed to make it feasible to reach populations that may be highly mobile, wary of institutions, or affected by stigma, while still collecting timely and actionable epidemiologic data. Within that digital framework, the NOFO also allows for digital trials. That can mean testing and refining study methods (for example, which digital approaches best support retention, accurate reporting, or remote testing), and it can also mean piloting evidence-based digital interventions, including mHealth and online prevention or treatment supports, with the goal of reducing new infections and improving treatment outcomes in the most vulnerable populations.

Mechanistically, the funding uses a UG3/UH3 cooperative agreement structure and is listed as "clinical trial optional." In practical terms, this commonly implies a phased approach in which an initial stage (UG3) supports planning, feasibility work, and early operational milestones, and a later stage (UH3) supports expanded implementation once predefined milestones are met. As a cooperative agreement, NIH typically expects substantial programmatic involvement, meaning awardees should anticipate coordination with NIH staff on goals, progress, and major scientific or operational decisions. The activity category is health, and the CFDA listing provided is 93.855. The opportunity number is RFA AI 24 009, and the closing date shown is 2024-07-30, with creation dated 2024-03-28.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based and international organizations, reflecting the cross-border nature of the work and the need for strong local partnerships in Latin America. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The NOFO also explicitly calls out additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISISs, faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. Taken together, that eligibility language signals NIH interest in applications that combine technical epidemiologic capacity with deep community reach, especially organizations that can credibly recruit and retain MSM, TGW, PWID, and sex worker populations while protecting privacy and minimizing harm.

Overall, LITE-LA is aimed at producing high-resolution, actionable epidemiology of HIV transmission and treatment in Latin America by using large-scale digital cohort methods, maintaining longitudinal follow-up through seroconversion, and leveraging comparisons that reveal both who is most affected and what systems-level factors shape prevention and treatment outcomes. The optional clinical trial element and the explicit mention of digital trials and digital interventions also make it a vehicle not only for measurement, but for testing practical, scalable approaches that could reduce incidence and improve viral suppression in real-world settings.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Interaction Targeted Epidemiology: Epidemiology of Transmission and Treatment of HIV Among People Who Are at Increased Risk for HIV Infection in Latin America (LITE-LA) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

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