The goals of this program are to support locally relevant research in critical areas of HIV-associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) Institutions, to enhance research capacity, and build a network of researchers both within and across LMICs to address this

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critical burden.

This initiative is expected to stimulate new research on the interplay between HIV and development of NCDs in persons living with HIV (PLWH), including exploratory studies to uncover the extent to which HIV infection influences the etiopathogenesis of the NCDs; and to identify and develop appropriate approaches for effective diagnosis, prevention, therapeutic interventions and integrated clinical care for PLWH with the comorbid conditions.

Applicants should develop their studies in keeping with the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities ( https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-01 8. html; https://www.oar.nih.gov/hiv-policy-and-research/research-priorities).

Research teams should contain an appropriate mix of expertise to accomplish the proposed studies, including partnerships between HIV and NCD researchers who can initiate new ideas and determine feasibility of novel approaches to understand and reduce the long-term suffering from the comorbid disorders.

Applicants will also be asked to address the needs of collaborating LMIC institutions to develop capacity for carrying out research in this field.

U. S. and LMIC investigators are eligible to apply for collaborative projects to be done at LMIC sites; however, a U. S. investigator must apply together with an LMIC investigator.

LMICs are defined by the World Bank classification system according to Gross National Income (GNI) per capita as low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income (http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups).