What to know
- Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) number: PS19-1906
- Application Due Date: July 12, 2019, no later than 11:59 PM ET
- Letter of Intent Due Date: June 19, 2019, no later than 11:59 PM ET
- Contact: PS19-1906@cdc.gov
- The purpose of this page is to support applicants for NOFO PS19-1906
Funding overview
This program supports strategic partnerships, communication, peer-to-peer technical assistance (TA), and jurisdictional planning efforts. This NOFO addresses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded state and local health departments and their ability to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to fund:
- A national organization to enhance health departments' capacity to support integrated HIV programs.
- This is to develop and maintain strategic communication channels and partnerships advancing goals to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
- This is to develop and maintain strategic communication channels and partnerships advancing goals to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
- Eligible health departments to conduct rapid planning processes engaging care providers in aligning resources/activities to develop EHE plans.
The initiative leverages powerful data, tools, and resources. The goal is to reduce new HIV infections by:
- 75% during the first 5 years of the initiative.
- 90% in the first 10 years of the initiative.
Find more information here: NOFO PS19-1906
Important dates
Key dates for NOFO PS19-1906 included:
- Publication: June 13, 2019
- Letters of Intent due: June 19, 2019
- Applications due: July 12, 2019
- Award date: September 30, 2019
Submission and access
To access the application package for PS19-1906:
- Go to: www.grants.gov
- Select: "Applicants" from the top menu
- Select: "Apply for Grants"
- Select: "Download a Grant Application Package"
- In the "Funding Opportunity Number" box, type: CDC-RFA-PS19-1906
Find additional information at the PS19-1906 website.
This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) PS19-1906: Strategic Partnerships and Planning to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.—Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning to End the HIV Epidemic. It supports the Phase I health department jurisdictions to engage local communities, HIV planning bodies, prevention and care providers, and other partners. The program works to accelerate ongoing collaborative processes to develop plans that address the four national Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) pillars:
- Diagnose.
- Treat.
- Prevent.
- Respond.
EHE plan submission requirements
The following documents are required with the updated EHE plan submission:
- Executive Summary (1–2 pages), to include weblink for the posted EHE plan
- Updated EHE Plan
- Letter of Concurrence from the HIV Planning Group (HPG)/Council for the EHE Plan
- Documentation of Community Engagement activities
EHE plans and related documents should be sent to the PS19-1906@cdc.gov mailbox by December 31, 2020.
CDC strongly urges to completed LOI prior to the submission of the application. Although a LOI is not required and non-binding, it allows CDC program staff to plan for the review of submitted applications.
The LOI should be prepared on letterhead and include the following information:
- Number and title of this notice of funding opportunity
- Descriptive title of proposed project
- One selected component area
- Name, address, telephone number, and email address of the Principal Investigator/Project Director
- Name, address, telephone number, and email address of the primary contact for writing and submitting this application
The LOI should be addressed to:
Dr. Renata D. Ellington
CDC, NCHHSTP/DHAP/Office of the Director
Email address: PS19-1906@cdc.gov
Completed LOI must be electronically submitted to: PS19-1906@cdc.gov
- Engage with experienced local prevention and care planning bodies representing diverse local populations about the best HIV prevention and care strategies.
- These collaborative efforts should include working with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded Ryan White Part A and B recipients.
- These collaborative efforts should include working with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded Ryan White Part A and B recipients.
- Prepare a current epidemiologic profile to provide a comprehensive overview of the local HIV epidemic.
- Prepare a brief situation analysis that provides an overview of key aspects of HIV prevention and care activities within the jurisdiction.
- Involve people with HIV and members of impacted local communities in the planning process.
- Engage with local HIV service providers who deliver prevention, care, and other essential services for people with HIV.
- Reach agreement on the new or updated EHE plan with local planning groups.
- Prepare a final EHE plan for the jurisdiction describing specific strategies that will be employed to achieve objectives.
Community input has always been critical to HIV prevention and the development of EHE federal agencies have sought input from leaders at multiple levels on the national framework on steps for moving it forward.
Based on this input, CDC has been working to ensure several key elements are integrated into next steps and implementation planning.
- Flexibility: Jurisdictions will have greater flexibility to design and propose new approaches to meeting local needs.
- Hearing new voices: As they develop local EHE plans, state and local health departments will be expected to engage diverse community perspectives.
- Innovation: Health departments are encouraged to pursue bold, new ways of approaching HIV prevention and overcoming existing barriers.
- Building upon community experience already in the field: Best practices elicited from experienced state and local partners will be shared broadly to others.
CDC is in the process of issuing additional guidance to ensure robust and diverse community involvement in development of local plans. This guidance will be refined over time by the community. Program guidance includes:
- The community engagement process.
- Situational analyses.
- Plan organization.
- Planning scenarios.
Community engagement involves the collaboration of key stakeholders and communities working together to identify strategies for increased coordination of HIV programs. This collaboration will build a collective vision for achieving the goals of the initiative throughout state, local jurisdictions, or tribal areas.
Recipients will make an EPI Profile using the most current data available to create a snapshot of the local HIV epidemic. Recipients will also submit a snapshot summary of a current situational analysis. The analysis will provide an overview of strengths, challenges, and identified needs.
Consider social determinants of health (e.g., housing instability, food insecurity, transportation, homophobia, transphobia, racism) relevant to HIV prevention in the planning activities.
For those funded, EHE implementation began in 2020.
Component A: National Level Strategic Partnerships, Communication, Policy Analysis, and Interpretation
Based on the availability of resources, this NOFO awards $1.5 million annually from 2019 to 2024 under Component A to National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) to enhance local health departments' capacity to end the epidemic. For the first year of the initiative, NASTAD prioritized support for 57 jurisdictions (see Local EHE plans table).
Component A also supports important policy efforts, including:
- Policy analysis and interpretation (e.g., tracking state and local activity on policies and laws relevant to HIV programs).
- Developing policy-related educational products to state health departments and national policy stakeholders.
- Analyzing and interpreting national and jurisdictional-level data in areas of HIV prevention and surveillance policies and programs.
- Providing support and technical assistance to health departments on ways to communicate with and educate policymakers.
This cooperative agreement requires the recipient to actively assist participants in CDC-supported multi-sectoral national and state partnerships. Recipients must support communication channels and provide peer-to-peer TA to participants. Applicants must propose a program that describes how they will collaborate with CDC and other partners to implement strategies and activities.
Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning
Component B awards $12 million of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Minority HIV/AIDS Fund to 32 CDC-funded state and local health departments. Find these departments in the Local EHE plan table below. Funds develop comprehensive EHE plans tailored by and for each community.
Community engagement is paramount to the success of these plans. This funding supports jurisdictions to engage their local communities and develop EHR plans addressing the four national strategies.
Find more details here: Component B Planning Program Guidance
Activities funded under this component may facilitate future implementation activities associated with Phase I of the EHE initiative.
Local EHE plans
Innovative, community-driven solutions are at the heart of the EHE initiative. CDC has funded priority jurisdictions (state and local health departments) to develop innovative, locally tailored plans to advance key strategies.
State and local health departments in collaboration with partners developed and implemented each plan based on local epidemiology and social determinants data. This includes people living with, and at risk for, HIV.
CDC will continue to provide guidance and share creative community-based solutions with communities to help them address new and evolving challenges.
The table below reflects the recipients of EHE funding under PS19-1906: Strategic Partnerships and Planning to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States—Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning. When possible, each award recipient listing also links to the jurisdiction's current EHE plan and/or EHE planning documents.
EHE planning information available; EHE Plan currently not available.
EHE planning information available; EHE Plan currently not available.
EHE plan link currently updating.
EHE planning information available; EHE Plan currently not available.
EHE planning information available; EHE Plan currently not available.
EHE planning information available; EHE Plan currently not available.
EHE planning information available; EHE Plan currently not available.
EHE planning information available; EHE Plan currently not available.
Eligibility and review criteria
Eligibility criteria
Component A
Component A is open to national non-profit organizations with an established 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education). Eligible recipients have experience working across HIV prevention and surveillance programs and with:
- Health department HIV/AIDS directors.
- HIV prevention managers.
- HIV surveillance coordinators.
- Federal, state, and local entities.
Applicants must provide a copy of the organization's tax exempt 501(c)(3) IRS letter as documentation of the non-profit 501(c)(3) status.
Applicants should have ongoing access to a partnership system that represents state and local health department HIV programs and staff. This can include HIV/AIDS directors, HIV prevention, program managers, epidemiologists, etc.
Applicants must submit proof of an existing partnership system that represents state and local health department HIV program and staff. Examples of documentation include membership rosters, organization bylaws, or policies and procedures supporting a partnership, etc.
CDC officials will deem applications without the above documents non-responsive and will not further review them.
Component B
Component B eligible applicants include state, local and territorial health departments identified in the EHE initiative's Phase 1. Applicants must also have a current direct funding relationship with CDC (identified in Local EHE plans table above).
Eligibility for funding depends on responsiveness to Component B or the existence of a comprehensive EHE plan.
Review process
Phase I review
CDC Office of Grants Services will initially review all applications for eligibility and completeness. The Grants Management Officials and Program Officials will review complete applications for responsiveness. Non-responsive applications will not advance to Phase II review. The official will notify applicants that their applications did not meet eligibility and/or published submission requirements.
Phase II review
A review panel will evaluate complete, eligible applications using the criteria below.
- Approach
- Evaluation and performance measurement
- Applicant's organizational capacity to implement the approach
The review panel notifies applicants within thirty days if their application did not meet eligibility or published submission requirements.
Phase III review (Component A only)
Component A applicants may include a pre-decisional site visit (PDSV) as part of a Phase III review. If the proposal fails to score at least 140 points during the PDSV, the applicant will not be considered for funding. During PDSVs, CDC staff meets with project management and staff, which may include representatives of governing bodies, executive director, etc.
Recipients
Find information about 2019 recipients here: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) PS19-1906: Strategic Partnerships and Planning to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States—2019 Annual Funding
Award information
Approximate period of performance length:
Component A: National Network to Enhance Strategic Communications, Partnerships, Policy Analysis and Interpretation: 5 years
Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning to End the HIV Epidemic: 1 year
Approximate number of awards: 33
- Component A: National Network to Enhance Strategic Communications, Partnerships, Policy Analysis and Interpretation: 1 award
- Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning to End the HIV Epidemic: 32 awards
Total period of performance funding: $19,500,000
- Component A: National Network to Enhance Strategic Communications, Partnerships, Policy Analysis and Interpretation: $7,500,000
- Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning to End the HIV Epidemic: $12,000,000
Average one year award amount: $0
- Component A: National Network to Enhance Strategic Communications, Partnerships, Policy Analysis and Interpretation: $1,500,000 per budget period
- Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning to End the HIV Epidemic: $375,000 per budget period
Total period of performance length: 5
Cost sharing and/or matching requirements: N
The overall approach is to implement the following two components.
Common questions
Find frequently asked questions specific for Component A and Component B here:
Planning groups and engagement
New activities should build on and not replace existing integrated planning efforts. If needed, subcommittees of the planning bodies or planning councils can be established at the local/county level. For example, if a body has a planning council but not a prevention planning council, they can create a subcommittee.
Program guidance
Page limits
These page limits will help reduce the burden of an expedited planning process. For cases which name multiple Phase I counties, there may be a need to exceed these page limits. For example, 5-pages for the EPI profile and 10-pages for the situational analysis.
Due dates
Snapshots, as part of the EPI profile and Situational Analysis, were due with the draft plan submission in December 2019. Elements 1 through 4 listed on page 8 of the program guidance document were all due by December 30, 2019. Find the Program Guidance PDF in the Component B: Accelerating State and Local HIV Planning section above.
Documentation
'Documentation of Community Engagement' requires agendas, meetings, etc. that occur during the current project period in each of the identified Phase I jurisdictions. The documentation refers to this activity.
Multiple counties
If multiple counties are contiguous, jurisdiction applies to both categories: 'multiple contiguous' and 'multiple Phase I counties.' Feel free to provide information for the contiguous counties together and information on other contiguous counties separately. Submit all information in one plan.
Plan content
Applicants must organize the situational analysis snapshot summary and EHE plan by the 4 pillars. You may organize information in the EPI Profile snapshot by pillar, if data are available.
In general, link activities related to social determinants of health as closely as possible to specific pillar-related activities. They should address factors that are interfering with local HIV prevention and care activities or outcomes. For example, describe activities like assistance with transportation to improve access to services or care under the treat pillar.
Plan submission
Only submit one final plan, including all identified EHE counties. Include sub-sections for each county within the overall written plan. Describe submitted snapshots as well as explicit plans for engagement and planned activities for each named county.
Incentives
Food and nutritional supplements are an allowable cost. Please refer to the Office of Grants Services (OGS) regarding budget guidelines.
Incentives are also allowable to engage community partners.
EHE plans vs. integrated plans
EHE plans and integrated plans are slightly different.
An EHE plan must have an explicitly stated goal of reducing new HIV infections. It must also be consistent with the EHE initiative. Additionally, it must have:
- Activities consistent with each Pillar
- A timeline consistent with a 75% reduction in new infections within 5 years
- A focus on the identified counties, for those health department jurisdictions with identified counties
Review process and involvement of federal partners
The CDC, HRSA, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), along with HHS, coordinated throughout this planning process. Plans developed from this NOFO used an interagency approach. They were built upon existing CDC-HRSA integrated HIV prevention and care planning efforts.
CDC and HRSA conducted a joint review of the draft EHE plan and provided joint feedback to recipients by Spring 2020.
Informational conference calls
The Pre-Application Technical Assistance webinars provided potential applicants the opportunity to ask CDC representatives specific questions related to the NOFO. CDC representatives recorded and posted the Pre-Application Technical Assistance workshops for viewing by potential applicants.
Component A: June 14, 2019 at 1:00 pm ET
Component B: June 14, 2019 at 2:45 pm ET
Resources
Important resources
- Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America
- The HHS Strategic Plan, FY 2018–2022
- National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Update 2020
- CDC Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategic Plan 2017–2020
- CDC National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) Strategic Plan Through 2020 (link retired)
- HIV Care Continuum
- Healthy People 2020 focus on HIV