Leadership and Coordination Center (LACC) for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) | RFA HL 26 011

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 26 011

The Leadership and Coordination Center (LACC) for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) is an NIH cooperative agreement funding opportunity (RFA-HL-26-011) intended to support the next renewal phase of the MWCCS over a 6-year period running from 2026 through 2032. The MWCCS is a long-running U.S. epidemiological cohort focused on middle-aged and older adults, following both people living with HIV (PLWH) and a comparison group of people living without HIV (PLWOH). The goal of this renewal is to maintain and extend the follow-up of a deeply characterized cohort of about 5,600 participants recruited from across the United States, preserving the study's ability to examine long-term health outcomes, quality of life, and survival as participants age.

A central scientific theme in this renewal is the use of a "populomics" approach, meaning the study is explicitly designed to examine health determinants across many interacting levels rather than focusing on a single domain. In practical terms, the NOFO highlights determinants ranging from molecular and cellular factors to physiological measures, lifestyle and behavioral influences, and broader household, neighborhood, environmental, cultural, and sociopolitical conditions. The intention is to use multidisciplinary methods to better understand the web of influences that shape aging with HIV in the U.S., including how these forces may differ between PLWH and PLWOH, and how they collectively affect health trajectories over time.

This particular NOFO is focused on funding one single Leadership and Coordination Center. The LACC is meant to serve as the coordinating hub for the overall MWCCS enterprise, providing leadership and operational alignment across the study's components. While the full scope of responsibilities is defined in the NOFO, the basic expectation is that the LACC will guide study-wide governance and coordination, facilitate communication and harmonization among participating sites and cores, and help ensure that the cohort follow-up and study activities are executed consistently and efficiently across the network during the 2026-2032 cycle. Because this is a cooperative agreement (U01), NIH is expected to have substantial programmatic involvement in how the work is carried out, with the awardee and NIH collaborating closely on major decisions and oversight throughout the project period. Clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement.

The LACC NOFO is part of a coordinated set of parallel opportunities that together fund the overall MWCCS structure. It runs alongside two companion U01 announcements: one for the Clinical Research Sites (CRS) that conduct on-the-ground cohort activities (RFA-HL-26-009, limited competition), and one for the Data Analysis and Sharing Center (DASC) that supports data analysis and data sharing functions (RFA-HL-26-010, limited competition). Taken together, the LACC, CRS, and DASC announcements are designed to ensure the study has aligned leadership, participant-facing clinical research capacity, and centralized analytic and dissemination infrastructure.

Eligibility for the LACC award is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; 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; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other organizations. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it places clear restrictions on foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.

Administratively, the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health. The funding instrument is a discretionary cooperative agreement under a health- and human services-related activity category, and the listing includes multiple CFDA numbers associated with NIH programs (including 93.121, 93.173, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.313, 93.361, 93.393, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.855, 93.865, and 93.866). The opportunity was created on 2025-01-16, and the original application due date is 2025-05-02. The posted award ceiling is 2000 (as provided in the source data), and the NOFO states the intent is to fund a single Leadership and Coordination Center to anchor the MWCCS renewal effort.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Leadership and Coordination Center (LACC) for the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) (U01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.173, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.313, 93.361, 93.393, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.855, 93.865, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-02. (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 $2,000.00 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.

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