HAB HRSA 22-021 (U1O) Nat HIV Curr final.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

HIV/AIDS Bureau

Office of Program Support

National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform: Enhancements and Operations

Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-22-021

Funding Opportunity Type(s): New and Competing Continuation

Assistance Listings (AL/CFDA) Number: 93.145

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Fiscal Year 2022

Application Due Date: February 7, 2022 Ensure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and passwords are current immediately!

HRSA will not approve deadline extensions for lack of registration.

Registration in all systems may take up to 1 month to complete.

Issuance Date: December 9, 2021

Terrì Richards Public Health Analyst, Office of Program Support Telephone: (301) 443-2834 Email: TRichards@hrsa.gov

See Section VII for a complete list of agency contacts.

Authority: Section 2692(a) (42 U.S.C. §300ff-111(a)), Section 2693 (42 U.S.C. § 300ff-121), and Section 311(c) (42 U.S.C. § 243(c)) of the Public Health Service Act.

mailto:TRichards@hrsa.gov

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508 Compliance Disclaimer

Note: Persons using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please email or call one of the HRSA staff in Section VII.

Agency Contacts.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part F AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program, National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform: Enhancements and Operations. The purpose of this project is to ensure the National HIV Curriculum (NHC) provides the latest in HIV science, treatment protocols, practices, and federal guidelines for educating health professionals on the optimal care and treatment of people with HIV. This project will also support the technological operations and maintenance of the NHC e-Learning Platform. The award recipient will:

• Regularly update the NHC and e-Learning Platform to reflect new and existing HIV treatment guidelines, utilization data, adult learning, and advances in technology;

• Develop additional modules and subject matter content on the existing NHC e- Learning Platform to support education and training programs as needed;

• Develop instructional design, learner pathways, and other e-learning technology to improve navigation within the platform, enhance end-users’ experience, support education and training programs; and

• Identify technological issues and implement appropriate solutions.

In addition, the award recipient for this project must work in close coordination with the award recipients for HRSA-22-022, Integrating the National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform into Health Care Professions Programs who are responsible for addressing the national shortage of health care providers in the HIV workforce by developing targeted curricula that integrates the NHC into health professions programs.

This notice is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds appropriately. You should note that this program may be cancelled before award.

Funding Opportunity Title: National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform: Enhancements and Operations

HRSA-22-021 ii

Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-22-021

Due Date for Applications: February 7, 2022

Anticipated Total Annual Available FY 2022 Funding:

$1,000,000

Estimated Number and Type of Award(s): One cooperative agreement.

Estimated Annual Award Amount: Up to $1,000,000 per award subject to the availability of appropriated funds

Cost Sharing/Match Required: No

Period of Performance: September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2027 (5 years)

Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants include public and nonprofit private entities and schools and academic health science centers. Faith-based and community-based organizations, and tribes and tribal organizations are also eligible to apply for these funds.

See Section III.1 of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for complete eligibility information.

Application Guide

You (the applicant organization/agency) are responsible for reading and complying with the instructions included in HRSA’s SF-424 Application Guide, available online, except where instructed in this NOFO to do otherwise.

Technical Assistance

HRSA has scheduled the following technical assistance:

Webinar

Day and Date: Friday, December 17, 2021 Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET Weblink: https://hrsa-gov.zoomgov.com/j/1603859358?pwd=NUNTaWNwb1NzVjNDL1QxekExUnhKUT09 http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424guide.pdf https://hrsa-gov.zoomgov.com/j/1603859358?pwd=NUNTaWNwb1NzVjNDL1QxekExUnhKUT09 https://hrsa-gov.zoomgov.com/j/1603859358?pwd=NUNTaWNwb1NzVjNDL1QxekExUnhKUT09

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Meeting ID: 160 385 9358 Passcode: 1aJQjPgw One tap mobile +16692545252,,1603859358#,,,,*78831374# US (San Jose) +16468287666,,1603859358#,,,,*78831374# US (New York)

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+1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose) 833 568 8864 US Toll-free Meeting ID: 160 385 9358 Passcode: 78831374 Find your local number: https://hrsa-gov.zoomgov.com/u/aeqg1Mp75M

Join by SIP 1603859358@sip.zoomgov.com

Join by H.323

161.199.138.10 (US West)

161.199.136.10 (US East) Meeting ID: 160 385 9358 Passcode: 78831374

Webinar Recording: https://targethiv.org/library/hrsa-22-021.

https://hrsa-gov.zoomgov.com/u/aeqg1Mp75M mailto:1603859358@sip.zoomgov.com https://targethiv.org/library/hrsa-22-021

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Table of Contents

508 COMPLIANCE DISCLAIMER .......................................................................................... I

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ I

I. PROGRAM FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose

2. Background

II. AWARD INFORMATION

1. Type of Application and Award

2. Summary of Funding

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

3. Other

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

i. Project Abstract

ii. Project Narrative

iii. Budget

iv. Budget Narrative

v. Attachments

3. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number Transition to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management

(SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Assessment of Risk

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

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I. Program Funding Opportunity Description

1. Purpose

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part F, AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program. Released in July 2017, the National HIV Curriculum (NHC) is a free, online curriculum targeting multidisciplinary, novice-to-expert health professionals, students, and faculty who treat or aspire to treat people with or at risk for HIV. Funding will support updates and enhancements to the NHC and host the technological platform.

The goals of the project are to:

• Ensure the NHC provides the latest in HIV science, treatment protocols, practices, and federal guidelines for educating health professionals on the optimal care and treatment of people with HIV; and

• Develop and manage the technological operations and maintenance of the NHC e-Learning Platform.

The AETC Program is designed to increase the number of health care providers who are educated and motivated to counsel, diagnose, treat, and medically manage people with HIV, and to help prevent behaviors that lead to HIV transmission. Achieving this goal includes training, education, consultation, and clinical decision support to a diverse number of health care providers, allied health professionals, and health care support staff on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The National HIV Curriculum e- Learning Platform: Enhancements and Operations project will support this goal by providing training and education through a web-based HIV curriculum. Additionally, this project will promote HRSA HAB’s workforce pipeline programs through partnerships with award recipients for HRSA-21-124, Building the HIV Workforce and Strengthening Engagement in Communities of Color (B-SEC), and HRSA-22-022 Integrating the National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform into Healthcare Professions Programs.

The funded entity will establish collaborations with these award recipients to:

• Strengthen and inform NHC curriculum design methods that may contribute to its integration into health professional education and/or utilization in training programs;

• Incorporate end users’ feedback into updates and enhancements of the NHC as a result of lessons learned from the utilization of NHC and the e-Learning platform;

• Convene an advisory board to solicit input and recommendations regarding curriculum enhancements.

This project will also maintain the platform’s capacity to support additional modules and subject matter content, and support the development of instructional design and learner pathways to improve navigation within the platform to enhance end-users’ experience.

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2. Background

The National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform: Enhancements and Operations Project is authorized by Section 2692(a) (42 U.S.C. §300ff-111(a)), Section 2693 (42 U.S.C. § 300ff-121), and Section 311(c) (42 U.S.C. § 243(c)) of the Public Health Service Act.

The RWHAP Part F AETC Program is a national network of leading HIV experts serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the six U.S. Pacific territories/associated jurisdictions. The AETC Program supports a network of eight regional centers with more than 130 local affiliated sites, as well as two national centers that conduct targeted, multidisciplinary education and training programs for health care providers treating people with HIV. The AETC Program also funds the NHC, a free educational HIV curriculum for multidisciplinary novice-to-expert health professionals, students, and faculty.

This web-based curriculum offers HIV training information and continuing education credits through its six self-study course modules, a question bank, clinical challenges, screening tools, and clinical calculators, as well as information on the national guidelines/recommendations for the care and treatment of people with HIV and HIV co-morbidities. Since its launch, the NHC has:

• Sustained expanded growth with over 31,000 registered users located in 137 countries, including 54percent of registered NHC learners located in Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) target areas;

• Enrolled 7,939 learners and 168 learner groups across 18 states, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands through partnerships under the AETC project, Integrating the National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform into Health Care Provider Professional Education; and

• Issued over 53,869 CMEs, 96,793 CNEs, and 141,444 certificates of completion.

In addition to the NHC, HRSA HAB currently supports two HIV workforce pipeline programs designed to recruit students and health care providers along the graduate-level education and training continuum across the country: the Interprofessional Education Program (IPE), a required component of the Regional AETC Program, and the Integration of the NHC e-Learning Platform into Health Care Provider Professional Education Program. A third project, Building the HIV Workforce and Strengthening Engagement in Communities of Color (B-SEC), is a 4-year pilot project intended to increase the number of health professionals providing HIV care and treatment to people of color living in EHE jurisdictions by integrating HIV curricula into undergraduate Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). A successful applicant will support ongoing workforce initiatives by developing enhancements and operations for the NHC and its electronic platform.

The awardee for this announcement will work with HRSA staff to review and manage requests for enhancements to the NHC by the HRSA HIV workforce programs mentioned above.

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Overview of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) provides a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, essential support services, and medications for low-income people with HIV. The program funds grants to states, cities, counties, and local community-based organizations to provide care and treatment services to people with HIV to improve health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission among people we have not yet successfully maintained in care.

The RWHAP has five statutorily defined Parts (Parts A, B, C, D, and F) that provide funding for core medical, support services, and medications; technical assistance;

clinical training; and the development of innovative models of care to meet the needs of different communities and populations affected by HIV.

An important framework in the RWHAP is the HIV care continuum, which depicts the series of stages a person with HIV engages in from initial diagnosis through their successful treatment with HIV medication to achieve viral suppression. Supporting people with HIV to reach viral suppression not only increases their own quality of life and lifespan, it also prevents sexual transmission to an HIV-negative partner.

The HIV care continuum framework allows recipients and planning groups to measure progress and to direct HIV resources most effectively. RWHAP recipients are encouraged to assess the outcomes of their programs and should work with their community and public health partners to improve outcomes across the HIV care continuum. HRSA encourages recipients to use the performance measures developed for the RWHAP at their local level to assess the efficacy of their programs and to analyze and improve the gaps along the HIV care continuum.

Strategic Frameworks and National Objectives

National objectives and strategic frameworks like the Healthy People 2030, the National HIV AIDS Strategy (NHAS) (2022-2025); the Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan for the United States (2021–2025); and the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States: A Roadmap to Elimination (2021–2025) are crucial to addressing key public health challenges facing low-income people with HIV. These strategies detail the principles, priorities, and actions to guide the national public health response and provides a blueprint for collective action across the Federal Government and other sectors. The RWHAP supports the implementation of these strategies and recipients should align their organization’s efforts, within the parameters of the RWHAP statute and program guidance, with these strategies to the extent possible.

Expanding the Effort: Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States

According to recent data from the 2020 Ryan White Services Report (RSR), the RWHAP has made tremendous progress toward ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. From 2016 to 2020, HIV viral suppression among RWHAP patients who have had one or more medical visits during the calendar year and at least one viral load with a result of <200 copies/mL reported, has increased from 84.9 percent to 89.4 percent.

Additionally, racial/ethnic, age-based, and regional disparities reflected in viral http://hab.hrsa.gov/deliverhivaidscare/habperformmeasures.html https://health.gov/healthypeople https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/national-hiv-aids-strategy/national-hiv-aids-strategy-2021-2025 https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/national-hiv-aids-strategy/national-hiv-aids-strategy-2021-2025 https://www.hhs.gov/programs/topic-sites/sexually-transmitted-infections/plan-overview/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/programs/topic-sites/sexually-transmitted-infections/plan-overview/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/hepatitis/viral-hepatitis-national-strategic-plan/national-viral-hepatitis-action-plan-overview/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/hepatitis/viral-hepatitis-national-strategic-plan/national-viral-hepatitis-action-plan-overview/index.html https://hab.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hab/data/datareports/RWHAP-annual-client-level-data-report-2020.pdf

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suppression rates have significantly decreased.[1] For example, the disparity in viral suppression rates between Black/African American and White clients has decreased since 2010.[2] These improved outcomes mean more people with HIV in the United States will live near-normal lifespans and have a reduced risk of transmitting HIV to others.[3]

In February 2019, the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States (EHE) initiative was launched to further expand federal efforts to reduce HIV infections. This 10-year initiative seeks to achieve the important goal of reducing new HIV infections in the United States to fewer than 3,000 per year by 2030. The initiative promotes and implements four strategies to substantially reduce HIV transmissions – Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond. The initiative is a collaborative effort among key HHS agencies, primarily HRSA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Indian Health Service (IHS), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

For the RWHAP, the EHE initiative expands the program’s ability to meet the needs of clients, specifically focusing on linking people with HIV who are either newly diagnosed, diagnosed but currently not in care, or are diagnosed and in care but not yet virally suppressed, to the essential HIV care, treatment, and support services needed to help them achieve viral suppression.

Using Data Effectively: Integrated Data Sharing and Use

HRSA and CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention support integrated data sharing, analysis, and utilization for the purposes of program planning, conducting needs assessments, determining unmet need estimates, reporting, quality improvement, enhancing the HIV care continuum, and public health action. HRSA strongly encourages RWHAP recipients to:

• Follow the principles and standards in the Data Security and Confidentiality Guidelines for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Disease, and Tuberculosis Programs: Standards to Facilitate Sharing and Use of Surveillance Data for Public Health Action.

• Establish data sharing agreements between surveillance and HIV programs to ensure clarity about the process and purpose of the data sharing and utilization.

[1] Health Resources and Services Administration. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Annual Client-Level Data Report 2020. http://hab.hrsa.gov/data/data-reports. Published December 2021. Accessed December 2, 2021.

[2] Viral suppression among Black/African American clients increased from 81.3 percent in 2016 to 86.7 percent in 2020, while viral suppression for White clients increased from 89.4 percent in 2016 to 92.5 percent in 2020; therefore the gap in viral suppression between these two groups decrease from 8.1 percentage points different to 5.8 percentage points different.

[3] National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Preventing Sexual Transmission of HIV with Anti-HIV Drugs. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US).

2000- [cited 2016 Mar 29]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ NCT00074581 NLM Identifier:

NCT00074581.

https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/ending-the-hiv-epidemic/overview/ending-epidemic-timeline http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf http://hab.hrsa.gov/data/data-reports https://clinicaltrials.gov/

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Integrated data sharing, analysis, and utilization of HIV data by state and territorial health departments can help further progress toward reaching the HIV National Strategic Plan goals and improve outcomes on the HIV care continuum.

HRSA strongly encourages complete CD4, viral load (VL), and HIV nucleotide sequence reporting to the state and territorial health departments’ HIV surveillance systems to benefit fully from integrated data sharing, analysis, and utilization. State health departments may use CD4, VL, and HIV nucleotide sequence data to identify cases, stage of HIV disease at diagnosis, and monitor disease progression. These data can also be used to evaluate HIV testing and prevention efforts, determine entry into and retention in HIV care, measure viral suppression, monitor prevalence of antiretroviral drug resistance, detect transmission clusters and understand transmission patterns, and assess unmet health care needs. Analyses at the national level to monitor progress toward ending the HIV epidemic in the United States can only occur if all HIV-related CD4, VL, and HIV nucleotide sequence test results are reported by all jurisdictions. CDC requires the reporting to the National HIV Surveillance System (NHSS) all HIV-related CD4 results (counts and percentages), all VL results (undetectable and specific values), and HIV nucleotide sequences.

Program Resources and Innovative Models

HRSA has a number of projects and resources that may assist RWHAP recipients with program implementation. These include a variety of HRSA HAB cooperative agreements, contracts, and grants focused on specific technical assistance (TA), evaluation, and intervention activities. A list of these resources is available on TargetHIV. Recipients should be familiar with these resources and are encouraged to use them as needed to support their program implementation.

In addition, many RWHAP Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) projects have demonstrated promising new approaches for linking and retaining priority populations into care. As resources permit, RWHAP recipients are encouraged to review and integrate these tools within their HIV system of care in accordance with the allowable service categories defined in Policy Clarification Notice (PCN) 16-02 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Services: Eligible Individuals & Allowable Uses of Funds.

Examples of these resources include:

• E2i: Using Evidence-Informed Interventions to Improve Health Outcomes among People Living with HIV E2i uses an implementation science approach to evaluate and understand existing and new intervention strategies that can be used in RWHAP provider settings. Once interventions or strategies are demonstrated and evaluated using implementation science, manuals, guides, interactive online tools, publications, and instructional materials are developed and disseminated for replication and integration into RWHAP provider settings.

https://targethiv.org/help/ta-directory https://hab.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hab/program-grants-management/ServiceCategoryPCN_16-02Final.pdf https://hab.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hab/program-grants-management/ServiceCategoryPCN_16-02Final.pdf https://targethiv.org/e2i https://targethiv.org/e2i

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• Integrating HIV Innovative Practices (IHIP) Resources on the IHIP website include easy-to-use training manuals, curricula, case studies, pocket guides, monographs, and handbooks, as well as informational handouts and infographics about SPNS generally. IHIP also hosts TA training webinars designed to provide a more interactive experience with experts, and a TA help desk exists for you to submit additional questions and share your own lessons learned.

• Replication Resources from the SPNS Systems Linkages and Access to Care There are intervention manuals for patient navigation, care coordination, state bridge counselors, data to care, and other interventions developed for use at the state and regional levels to address specific HIV care continuum outcomes among people we have not yet successfully maintained in care.

• Dissemination of Evidence Informed Interventions The Dissemination of Evidence-Informed Interventions initiative ran from 2015-2020 and disseminated four adapted linkage and retention interventions from prior SPNS and the Minority HIV/AIDS Funds (MHAF) from the HHS Secretary’s Office initiatives to improve health outcomes along the HIV care continuum. The initiative produced four evidence-informed care and treatment interventions (CATIs) that are replicable, cost-effective, capable of producing optimal HIV care continuum outcomes, and easily adaptable to the changing health care environment. Manuals are currently available at the link provided and will be updated on an ongoing basis.

HRSA HAB also recognizes the importance of addressing emerging issues, as well as supporting the needs of special populations. To help recipients in responding to these critical issues, HRSA HAB funds projects to provide technical assistance and resources for recipients. Examples of projects include:

• Building Futures: Supporting Youth Living with HIV

• The Center for Engaging Black MSM Across the Care Continuum (CEBACC)

• Using Community Health Workers to Improve Linkage and Retention in Care

II. Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award

Type(s) of applications sought: New/Competing Continuation.

HRSA will provide funding in the form of a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is a financial assistance mechanism where HRSA anticipates substantial involvement with the recipient during performance of the contemplated project.

HRSA program involvement will include:

• Assisting in establishing linkages between this project, other health care organizations, web-based instructional design and delivery organizations, and HRSA-supported projects to enhance project goals;

https://targethiv.org/ihip https://targethiv.org/library/replication-resources-spns-systems-linkages-and-access-care https://targethiv.org/deii https://targethiv.org/library/hrsa-hab-building-futures-supporting-youth-living-hiv https://targethiv.org/cebacc https://targethiv.org/chw

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• Participating in the instructional design of tools, technology, and e-learning strategies as described in the project narrative;

• Reviewing and approving the matrix of advisory board members. The use of an advisory board is based on lessons learned from the current program regarding formal input from NHC users and those integrating the curriculum within professional programs to ensure appropriate input is provided for updates, enhancements, and operations;

• Reviewing and providing recommendations on training curricula, publications, and other resources;

• Participating in planning and coordinating meetings, including participating in the recipient’s advisory board and recipient partner meeting(s), as appropriate;

• Ensuring timely submission of project goals, objectives, and outcomes into HRSA programmatic and data reporting efforts;

• Reviewing all project reports and materials prior to dissemination;

• Facilitating the dissemination of project information to stakeholders and the broader public; and

• Reviewing all conference presentations (oral, poster, roundtable, etc.) that share cooperative agreement data, activities, work products, promising practices, and/or lessons learned.

The cooperative agreement recipient’s responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring the NHC reflects new and existing HIV treatment guidelines, ongoing training needs, emerging issues, and health care topics;

• Developing additional modules and broader subject matter content for the curriculum in response to emerging trends, crosscutting issues, and HRSA’s priorities/requests related to the care and treatment of people with HIV;

• Enhancing the NHC e-Learning Platform with the latest e-learning technology and tools (e.g., case studies, video content, podcasts, gamification, decision tree algorithms) to inform and improve e-learning strategies, interactivity, and end-users’ experiences;

• Providing ongoing maintenance of and updates to the NHC e-Learning Platform, including its capacity for additional curriculum content;

• Establishing an advisory board of multidisciplinary experts pertinent to implementing this project (e.g., experts on HIV treatment and prevention, instructional design, curriculum development, information technology, web design).. The advisory board must include representatives from HRSA AETC Program staff, HRSA-21-124, HRSA-22-022, other AETC programs, NHC end users, and other subject matter experts;

• Establishing an editorial group, as a subcommittee of the advisory board, to inform, review, and approve clinical content development prior to publishing;

• Working with the AETC National Evaluation Contractor (NEC) to evaluate the activities and outcomes of the project;

• Informing HAB of project activities and allowing ample time to receive input and/or technical assistance;

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• Attending the biennial AETC Program Administrative Reverse Site Visit meetings; and

• Attending the biennial National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care and Treatment.

2. Summary of Funding

HRSA estimates approximately $1,000,000 to be available annually to fund one recipient. The actual amount available will not be determined until enactment of the final FY 2022 federal appropriation. The total funding amount of $1,000,000 includes:

• RWHAP Part F AETC Program – $800,000 will support education and training activities.

• Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. – approximately $200,000 will support training providers to reduce new HIV infections and to diagnose, treat and medically manage people with HIV in EHE jurisdictions.

You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $1,000,000 total cost (includes both direct and indirect, facilities and administrative costs) per year. This program notice is subject to the appropriation of funds, and is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds appropriately.

The period of performance is September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2027 (5 years).

Funding beyond the first year is subject to the availability of appropriated funds for the National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform: Enhancements and Operations in subsequent fiscal years, satisfactory progress, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government.

HRSA may reduce or take other enforcement actions regarding recipient funding levels beyond the first year if the recipient is unable to fully succeed in achieving the goals listed in their application.

All HRSA awards are subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 45 CFR part 75.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include domestic public or private, non-profit entities; academic institutions and academic health science centers. Domestic faith-based and community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations are also eligible to apply.

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

Cost sharing/matching is not required for this program.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=4d52364ec83fab994c665943dadf9cf7&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=pt45.1.75

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3. Other

HRSA may not consider an application for funding if it contains any of the non-responsive criteria below:

• Exceeds the ceiling amount

• Fails to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV.4

NOTE: Multiple applications from an organization are not allowable.

HRSA will only accept your last validated electronic submission, under the correct funding opportunity number, before the Grants.gov application due date as the final and only acceptable application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

HRSA requires you to apply electronically. HRSA encourages you to apply through Grants.gov using the SF-424 workspace application package associated with this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) following the directions provided at Grants.gov: HOW TO

APPLY FOR GRANTS.

The NOFO is also known as “Instructions” on Grants.gov. You must select “Subscribe” and provide your email address for HRSA-22-021 in order to receive notifications including modifications, clarifications, and/or republications of the NOFO on Grants.gov.

You will also receive notifications of documents placed in the RELATED DOCUMENTS tab on Grants.gov that may affect the NOFO and your application. You are ultimately responsible for reviewing the For Applicants page for all information relevant to this

NOFO.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Application Format Requirements Section 4 of HRSA’s SF-424 Application Guide provides general instructions for the budget, budget narrative, staffing plan and personnel requirements, assurances, certifications, etc. You must submit the information outlined in the HRSA SF-424 Application Guide in addition to the program-specific information below. You are responsible for reading and complying with the instructions included in HRSA’s SF-424 Application Guide except where instructed in the NOFO to do otherwise. You must submit the application in the English language and in the terms of U.S. dollars (45 CFR § 75.111(a)).

See Section 8.5 of the HRSA SF-424 Application Guide for the Application Completeness Checklist.

https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424guide.pdf https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/HRSA-strategy-intimate-partner-violence.pdf https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/HRSA-strategy-intimate-partner-violence.pdf

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Application Page Limitation The total size of all uploaded files included in the page limitation may not exceed the equivalent of 80 pages when printed by HRSA. The page limitation includes the project and budget narratives, attachments, and letters of commitment and support required in the HRSA SF-424 Application Guide and this NOFO. Standard OMB-approved forms that are included in the workspace application package do not count in the page limit.

Please note: If you use an OMB-approved form that is not included in the workspace application package for HRSA-21-021, it may count against the page limitation.

Therefore, we strongly recommend you only use Grants.gov workspace forms associated with this NOFO to avoid exceeding the page limitation. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement and proof of non-profit status (if applicable) do not count in the page limitation. It is therefore important to take appropriate measures to ensure your application does not exceed the specified page limitation.

Applications must be complete, within the specified page limitation, and validated by Grants.gov under the correct funding opportunity number prior to the deadline.

Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary Exclusion Certification

1) You certify on behalf of the applicant organization, by submission of your proposal, that neither you nor your principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency.

2) Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 45 CFR § 75.371, including suspension or debarment. (See also 2 CFR parts 180 and 376, and 31 U.S.C. § 3354).

3) If you are unable to attest to the statements in this certification, you must include an explanation in Attachments 9-15: Other Relevant Documents.

See Section 4.1 viii of HRSA’s SF-424 Application Guide for additional information on all certifications.

Temporary Reassignment of State and Local Personnel during a Public Health Emergency Section 319(e) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act provides the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with discretion upon request by a state or tribal organization to authorize the temporary reassignment of state, tribal, and local personnel during a declared federal public health emergency. The temporary reassignment provision is applicable to state, tribal, and local public health department or agency personnel whose positions are funded, in full or part, under PHS programs and allows such personnel to immediately respond to the public health emergency in the affected jurisdiction. Funds provided under the award may be used to support https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=4d52364ec83fab994c665943dadf9cf7&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=pt45.1.75#se45.1.75_1371

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personnel who are temporarily reassigned in accordance with § 319(e). Please reference detailed information available on the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) website.

Program Requirements and Expectations Data Requirements

Your organization must maintain systems and processes that will support effective tracking of performance outcomes as required by the AETC National Evaluation Plan (NEP) for this project. The goal of the NEP is to assess the impact of the AETC Program on strengthening the HIV workforce capacity to improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum. The AETC National Evaluation Contractor will serve as the lead on behalf of the AETC Program and will provide the measures and tools recommended for the evaluation component of this project.

Your organization must work with the NEC to collect data and implement a comprehensive national evaluation plan to measure the impact of your project annually and for the entire project period. All data to be collected must be electronically maintained and electronically transferred to the NEC’s web-based data collection system. Data collection must include but is not limited to the following:

• Site analytics (i.e., number of sessions, page views, average session duration, device used to access the site);

• NHC user data (e.g., number of users, registration status, type of health professional);

• Number of users in EHE jurisdictions;

• Number of learner groups;

• Number of users and learner groups associated with HRSA 21-124, HRSA 22-

022, and other targeted efforts;

• Number of continuing education credits, certifications of completion, and maintenance of certification points earned;

• Change in NHC users’ self-reported knowledge, skills, and capacity in providing treatment and care for people with HIV, including participants of HRSA’s workforce pipeline programs;

• Number and characteristics of NHC users who intend to utilize HIV knowledge and skills as a result of training; user satisfaction ratings and feedback;

• Best practices for increasing the uptake of the NHC based upon marketing efforts, collaborations and partnerships, etc.

The data collected by the NEC will be in response to the following questions:

1. What is the reach of the NHC Program activities overall and by topic?

2. What are the characteristics of participants who have accessed the NHC?

3. To what extent does NHC increase participants’ self-reported knowledge, skills, and/or capacity to provide care to people with HIV, overall and by participant characteristics?

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/pahpa/section201/Pages/default.aspx http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/pahpa/section201/Pages/default.aspx

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4. How do NHC activities impact key national priorities, including the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Initiative?

In addition to the NEP, you must develop a plan to evaluate your individual program performance including developing additional tools or surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data beyond those provided by the NEC.

Program-Specific Instructions In addition to application requirements and instructions in Section 4 of HRSA’s SF-424 Application Guide (including the budget, budget narrative, staffing plan and personnel requirements, assurances, certifications, and abstract), include the following:

i. Project Abstract Use the Standard OMB-approved Project Abstract Summary Form 2.0 that is included in the workspace application package. Do not upload the abstract as an attachment or it will count toward the page limitation. Please use the guidance below. It is most current and differs slightly from that in Section 4.1.ix of HRSA’s SF-424 Application Guide.

Provide a summary of the application in the Project Abstract box of the Project Abstract Summary Form using 4,000 characters or less.

Address Project Director Name Contact Phone Numbers (Voice, Fax) Email Address Website Address, if applicable List all grant program funds requested in the application, if applicable If requesting a funding preference, priority, or special consideration as outlined in Section V. 2. of the program-specific NOFO, indicate here.

Because the abstract is often distributed to provide information to the public and Congress, prepare this so that it is clear, accurate, concise, and without reference to other parts of the application. It must include a brief description of the proposed project including the needs to be addressed, the proposed services, and the population group(s) to be served. If the application is funded, your project abstract information (as submitted) will be made available to public websites and/or databases including USAspending.gov.

NARRATIVE GUIDANCE

To ensure that you fully address the review criteria, the table below provides a crosswalk between the narrative language and where each section falls within the review criteria. Any forms or attachments referenced in a narrative section may be considered during the objective review.

http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424guide.pdf http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424guide.pdf http://www.usaspending.gov/

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Narrative Section Review Criteria

Introduction (1) Need

Needs Assessment (1) Need

Methodology (2) Response

Work Plan (2) Response and (4) Impact

Resolution of Challenges (2) Response

Evaluation and Technical Support Capacity

(3) Evaluative Measures and

(5) Resources/Capabilities

Organizational Information (5) Resources/Capabilities

Budget Narrative (6) Support Requested

ii. Project Narrative This section provides a comprehensive description of all aspects of the proposed project. It should be succinct, self-explanatory, consistent with forms and attachments, and organized in alignment with the sections and format below so that reviewers can understand the proposed project.

Use the following section headers for the narrative:

INTRODUCTION -- Corresponds to Section V’s Review Criterion #1 Need

Briefly describe the purpose of the proposed project. Clearly articulate the planned approach to update content for the NHC. Content updates must reflect new and existing HIV treatment guidelines; ongoing training needs; and emerging issues and healthcare topics. Additional modules and competencies must respond to HRSA’s priorities/requests related to the care and treatment of people with HIV.

Curriculum expansion may include broader subject matter on emerging trends (i.e., behavioral health, opioids and other substance use disorders, intimate partner violence; public health initiatives such as EHE, PrEP, and crosscutting concepts such as stigma; key populations; barriers and best practices to treatment adherences). Include an approach to managing technological operations, maintenance, and updates of the NHC e-Learning Platform, including the capacity to host additional content and incorporate the latest e-learning technology and tools.

Describe your:

• Experience developing and providing training and educational resources for health professionals;

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• Expertise in developing and enhancing online training curricula for novice to expert providers across the health care professional spectrum on HIV prevention, treatment and care;

• Experience in developing web-based instructional design and instructional technology;

• Ability to leverage existing technological infrastructure;

• Ability to establish and/or leverage existing partnerships and/or collaborations to execute program goals and further support HAB’s workforce pipeline programs and the EHE Initiative; and

• Experience in developing targeted web-based curricula for graduate health professional programs.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT -- Corresponds to Section V’s Review Criterion #1 Need

Describe the need for high quality and timely training on HIV care and treatment in the U.S. This section must describe gaps in access to comprehendible, readily available, reliable, ongoing HIV care and treatment learning content for health care professionals. Describe instructional design elements relevant to various learners across the health care workforce pipeline, e.g., multidisciplinary novice-to-expert health professionals, undergraduate to graduate-level students, faculty. Describe the necessity for content to keep pace with the changing HIV landscape. You must demonstrate an understanding of web-based instructional design concepts that incorporate various educational/learning theories including adult learning principles, interactive learning theory, intrinsically motivating instruction, experiential learning concepts, etc., related to developing engaging and effective learning activities based on the science of how people learn. Describe current experience, skills, and knowledge, including experience of organizational employees, materials published, and previous work of a similar nature.

METHODOLOGY -- Corresponds to Section V’s Review Criterion #2 Response

Propose methods that you will use to address the stated needs and meet each of the previously described program requirements and expectations in this NOFO.

The methodology must:

• Describe the training modules and additional resources such as podcasts, PDFs, and webinars to be included in the NHC;

• Describe the technology platform that will be used to host the NHC including operations;

• Describe the framework for incorporating enhancements into the NHC e- Learning Platform to maintain up-to-date training curriculum, including additional modules and broader subject matter content to support various learners across the workforce pipeline;

• Describe how the organization will identify and select advisory board members. You must establish a charter for ongoing activities throughout the period of performance and develop a matrix to outline membership;

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• Include the process for assessing evolving needs, feedback, and recommendations for curriculum updates and enhancements, including any input from advisory/editorial boards, and collaborations with other entities;

• Describe how established and/or existing partnerships and collaborations will further support HAB’s workforce pipeline programs, including activities in support of recipients of HRSA-21-124 and HRSA-22-022 (where applicable);

• Describe the approach to scale up and expand current efforts to maintain and enhance the quality and relevance of the NHC e-Learning platform and training modules. HRSA expects ongoing expansion of HIV prevention and treatment training materials to include emerging interventions and protocols, especially those that address access barriers in key populations disproportionately at risk in EHE jurisdictions;

• Define outreach efforts to target medical providers and health professional training institutions treating people with HIV in EHE target jurisdictions. The approach should leverage existing relationships and be data-driven to measure impact;

• Describe methods to assess and include new tools, technology, and e-learning strategies (e.g., case studies, video content, podcasts, gamification, decision tree algorithms) to update and innovate the NHC content and platform. Your response should include plans to incorporate additional instructional products, interactive tools, and content for the curriculum;

• Describe enhancements to e-learning technology, web operations/performance, and instructional that will optimize navigation of the web-based curriculum and enhance end users’ experience;

• Describe the workflow process for the editorial board to provide peer review of new or revised clinical content;

• Describe your organization’s cybersecurity policies and programs to protect your systems, networks, and data. Provide a detailed plan for adherence to current information technology (IT) related legal requirements, including Office of Management and Budget and National Institute of Standards and Technology policy and/or guidance on IT security and disability access; and

• Include a strategy to track and analyze performance outcomes, including how output data will be collected and managed to allow for accurate and timely reporting to HRSA, and for continuous project improvement.

Describe the rationale for your proposed methodology. If applicable, include a plan to disseminate reports, products, and/or project outputs so key target audiences receive the project information.

Propose a plan for project sustainability after the period of federal funding ends.

HRSA expects recipients to sustain key elements of their projects, e.g., strategies or services and interventions, which have been effective in improving the overall knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of HIV for multidisciplinary novice-to-expert health professionals, students, and faculty.

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Collaborations

• Describe the proposed collaborations and partnerships required to successfully implement the proposed project and increase the uptake of the NHC. This includes collaborations to maintain the NHC e-Learning Platform and inform its instructional design and content development.

Collaborations and partnerships may include, but are not limited to, the project’s advisory board,…