HRSA-25-061 Final.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due February 10, 2025

HIV/AIDS Bureau/Office of Program Support AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) National Clinician Consultation Center

AIDS Education and Training Center National Clinician Consultation Center Opportunity number: HRSA-25-061

Contents Before you begin 3

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 7

Program description 9

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 26

Get registered 27

Find the application package 27

Application writing help 27

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 29

Application contents and format 30

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 39

Application review 40

Award notices 46

Step 5: Submit Your Application 47

Application submission and deadlines 48

Application checklist 49

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 51

Post-award requirements and administration 52

Reporting 55

Contacts and Support 56

Contents 2

Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered, make sure your registrations are active and up-to-date.

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks) You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days) You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by the application due date Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on February 10, 2025.

To help you find what you need, this NOFO uses internal links. In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

Before you begin 3 https://sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/

Jump to a step

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 7

Program description 9

Basic information Health Resources and Services Administration

HIV/AIDS Bureau/Office of Program Support

AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) National Clinician Consultation Center

The AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program consists of a network of HIV experts who collectively work to increase and support a workforce capable of and dedicated to providing care and treatment to people with or at risk of HIV nationally.

Have questions?

Go to Contacts & Support

Key facts

Opportunity name: AIDS Education and Training Center National Clinician Consultation Center

Opportunity number:

HRSA-25-061

Announcement version:

New

Federal assistance listing:

93.145

Statutory authority: 42 USC §§ 300ff-111(a) and 300ff-121 (§§ 2692(a) and 2693 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act).

Key dates

NOFO issue date: December 10, 2024

Informational webinar:

December 17, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Application deadline:

February 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Expected award date is by:

July 1, 2025

Expected start date: July 1, See other submissions for other time frames that may apply to this NOFO.

Summary The AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program consists of a network of HIV experts who collectively work to increase and support a workforce capable of and dedicated to providing care and treatment to people with or at risk of HIV nationally. As an integral part of the AETC Program’s strategy to build the HIV workforce, the National Clinician Consultation Center (NCCC) serves as a centralized hub of experts in HIV, substance use disorders, and sexually transmitted infections who are available via a state-of-the-art call center (telephone-based warmlines and a hotline) and through internet-based educational consultation services. These experts respond to inquiries and provide clinical consultation to health care team members in domestic locations in real time.

The NCCC also serves as a resource to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F AETCs by providing clinical consultation and data to help determine training needs in each AETC region. The NCCC is supported by multiple funding streams.

Funding detail Application type: New and competing continuation

Expected total available funding: Up to $3,850,000 per year

Expected number and type of awards: One cooperative agreement

Funding range per award: $3,265,000 to $4,150,000 per year. The funding is provided by the following entities:

• RWHAP’s AETC-NCCC base award: $1,200,000 to $1,400,000

• RWHAP AETC Minority AIDS Initiative: $450,000

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5

• RWHAP Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.: $300,000

• Bureau of Primary Health Care: Approximately $400,000 to $500,000 will be provided to support the substance use warmline. An additional $155,000 to $300,000 will be available to carry out activities for the Primary Care HIV Prevention Program.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Approximately $760,000 to $1,200,000 will be available to support post-exposure prophylaxis and pre-exposure prophylaxis warmlines.

We plan to fund one award in five 12-month budget periods for a total five-year period of performance of July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030.

The program and awards depend on the appropriation of funds and are subject to change based on the availability and amount of appropriations.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

Eligibility Who can apply You can apply if your organization is in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.

Types of eligible organizations These types of domestic organizations may apply.

• Public institutions of higher education.

• Private institutions of higher education.

• Nonprofits with or without a 501(c)(3) IRS status.

• State, county, city, township, and special district governments, including the District of Columbia, domestic territories, and the freely associated states

• Independent school districts.

• Native American tribal governments.

• Native American tribal organizations.

Note: “Domestic” means the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.

Individuals are not eligible applicants under this NOFO.

Completeness and responsiveness criteria We will review your application to make sure it meets these basic requirements to move forward in the competition.

We will not consider an application that:

• Is from an organization that does not meet all eligibility criteria.

• Requests funding above the award ceiling shown in the funding range.

• Is submitted after the deadline.

Application limits You may not submit more than one application. If you submit more than one application, we will only accept the last on-time submission.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7

Cost sharing This program has no cost-sharing requirement. If you choose to share in the costs of the project, we will not consider it during merit review. We will hold you accountable for any funds you add, including through reporting.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8

Program description Purpose The purpose of the NCCC program is to provide rapid, expert, and culturally competent clinical consultation and advice to health care team members on a wide range of HIV and HIV-related topics. The NCCC, using a combination of various funding sources, provides services through telephone-based warmlines, a hotline, and internet-based educational consultation services in the following clinical areas:

• General HIV prevention, care, and treatment, including diagnosis, testing, and antiretroviral therapy.

• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

• Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

• Treatment and management of Hepatitis B and C and HIV coinfections.

• Treatment and management of substance use disorders in people with or at risk for HIV.

• Perinatal HIV care and management.

The NCCC provides expert consultation that demonstrates an understanding of the HIV epidemic in a variety of locations including:

• EHE jurisdictions.

• Rural areas.

• Areas disproportionately impacted by substance use disorders including opioid use disorder, and other co-morbidities.

• Communities where a large number of the people with HIV identify as a non-white racial or ethnic group.

The goals for the NCCC align with those of the RWHAP Part F AETC Program, which are:

• Goal 1: Expand the number of health care team members providing HIV care and prevention services, including providers with different backgrounds or experiences.

• Goal 2: Expand the ability of health care team members to provide effective HIV care and prevention services.

• Goal 3: Improve health equity by integrating HIV care and prevention in primary care and other health care settings that provide services to underserved populations.

• Goal 4: Enhance the capacity of the AETC Program to train health care team members to serve people at risk for or with HIV.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9

Background The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) has five statutory funding parts that provide a comprehensive system of medical care, support, and medications for low-income people with HIV. The goal is better health results, and lower HIV transmission in priority groups.

The HIV care continuum is key to the program. It shows the journey of someone with HIV from diagnosis to effective treatment, leading to viral suppression. Achieving viral suppression boosts the person’s quality of life and prevents HIV transmission.

This continuum also helps programs and planners measure progress and use resources effectively. We require you to assess your outcomes and work with your community and public health partners to improve outcomes across the HIV care continuum. To assess your program, learn more at HRSA’s Performance Measure Portfolio.

Strategic frameworks and national objectives To address health challenges faced by low-income people with HIV, using national objectives and strategic frameworks is crucial. The current iteration of these frameworks include:

• Healthy People 2030

• National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) (2022–2025)

• Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan for the United States (2021–2025)

• Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States: A Roadmap to Elimination (2021–2025)

These strategies offer guidance on the main principles, priorities, and steps for our national health response.

Expanding the effort There have been significant accomplishments:

• From 2018 to 2022, HIV viral suppression among Ryan White program patients receiving Outpatient Ambulatory Health Services improved from 87.1 percent to

89.6 percent. For more, see the 2022 Ryan White Services Report (RSR).

• Racial, ethnic, age-based, and regional disparities in viral suppression rates have significantly reduced. For more, see the RWHAP Annual Data Report 2022.

• In 2020, the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative launched to further expand federal efforts to reduce HIV transmission. For the RWHAP, the EHE

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10 https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/about/parts-and-initiatives https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/policies-issues/hiv-aids-care-continuum/ https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/grants/performance-measure-portfolio https://health.gov/healthypeople https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/national-hiv-aids-strategy/national-hiv-aids-strategy-2022-2025 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://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/ryanwhite/data/rwhap-annual-client-level-data-report-2022.pdf https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/ryanwhite/data/rwhap-annual-client-level-data-report-2022.pdf https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/ending-the-hiv-epidemic/overview/ending-epidemic-timeline/ 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 reach viral suppression.

Using data effectively HRSA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promote integrated data sharing and use for program planning, quality improvement, and public health action.

We encourage you to:

• Follow the Data Security and Confidentiality Guidelines for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Disease, and Tuberculosis Programs.

• Create data-sharing agreements between surveillance and HIV programs.

• Progress toward National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) goals through integrated data sharing, analysis, and use of HIV data by health departments.

• Complete CD4, viral load, and HIV nucleotide sequence reporting to the state and territorial health departments’ HIV surveillance systems. CDC mandates the reporting of all such data to the National HIV Surveillance System (NHSS).

• Use HRSA’s interactive RWHAP Compass Dashboard to visualize reach, impact, and outcomes of the Ryan White program and to inform planning and decision making. The dashboard gives you a look at national, state, and metro area data and displays client demographics, services, outcomes, and viral suppression. It also includes data about clients in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).

• Develop data-sharing strategies with other RWHAP recipients and relevant entities to reduce administrative burden.

• Use electronic data sources to verify client eligibility when you can. See Policy Clarification Notice 21-02, Determining Client Eligibility and Payor of Last Resort in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Program resources and innovative models We offer multiple projects and resources to help you. A full list of resources is available on TargetHIV. We urge you to learn about them and use them in your project. For some examples, see Helpful Websites.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11 http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/programintegration/docs/pcsidatasecurityguidelines.pdf https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/hiv-aids/compass-dashboard https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/ryanwhite/grants/pcn-21-02-determining-eligibility-polr.pdf https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/ryanwhite/grants/pcn-21-02-determining-eligibility-polr.pdf https://targethiv.org/help/ta-directory

Program requirements and expectations If your application is successful, you must ensure that:

• multiple funding streams are used for the correct program components

• the budget clearly delineates where are funds are allocated to avoid any comingling of funds.

You will be responsible for the following:

General program requirements

Warmlines and hotlines

Establish five warmlines and one hotline to provide clinical consultation services in specific areas outlined below. For the purposes of this program, we define a warmline and hotline as:

• Warmline: A confidential, internet- or phone-based consultation service offering live clinical support and guidance to providers and other members of health care teams who serve individuals with HIV. The warmlines must be staffed by clinicians who have educational background, training, and/or relevant experience in topics including HIV, substance use disorders, and sexually transmitted infections.

• Hotline: A phone line that members of health care teams can use to access seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day (24/7) to receive confidential, clinical support from staff with backgrounds and training in HIV. The information provided cover various topics related to HIV diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

You may use internet-based technology to provide access to consultation services or resources.

All consultations services must operate both over the phone and through an online mechanism such as a case consultation portal. You must also provide a minimum of one accompanying website that displays relevant information about the consultation lines and related services, including:

• Operational hours for each line.

• Clinical areas of focus.

• Links to relevant resources and training assistance.

• A calendar of NCCC events.

For each warmline and hotline, you must have a mechanism to receive requests and provide a timeframe for responses during off-hours, with the exception of the perinatal hotline, which is always operational. You should make sure staff respond at a time when the requestor is available.

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You must provide the consultation service at no cost to the service users through a single toll-free telephone number.

You must establish the following five warmlines and one hotline as part of this grant.

Warmlines

General HIV care, prevention, and treatment warmline

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

This warmline provides clinical consultation for health care professionals on the care and treatment of people with HIV and those at high risk for HIV.

• General HIV clinical consultation must be provided by clinicians experienced in HIV care and treatment. General HIV clinical consultation should include at least the following areas:

◦ HIV diagnostic techniques.

◦ Antiretroviral treatment options, such as initial therapy, adherence, drug interactions, and toxicity.

◦ Treatment of opportunistic infections.

◦ Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis.

◦ HIV-related oral disease.

◦ Treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

◦ Perinatal and pediatric HIV care.

◦ HIV primary care management.

◦ Cancer screening and diagnosis.

◦ Palliative care.

◦ Special populations, such as:

▪ Older adults with HIV.

▪ Patients in correctional settings.

▪ Patients who are homeless.

▪ Sexual, gender, racial, and ethnic minority populations.

• Your consultation service must be available during the designated days and times listed above through a toll-free warmline telephone number and an online mechanism such as a chat bot. You must have a mechanism to receive requests and provide a timeframe for responses during off-hours and weekends. You should make sure staff respond at a time when the requestor is available.

• The program must be able to handle a minimum of 350 to 550 calls per month about the care and treatment of HIV and HIV-related clinical care issues.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) warmline (PEPline)

Occupational: Seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

Non-occupational:

• Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

• Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

This warmline provides advice regarding the treatment and management of occupational and non-occupational exposure to HIV and other blood-borne pathogens, such as viral hepatitis B and C.

• PEP consultation must be provided by clinicians experienced in managing occupational and non-occupational exposures to HIV and other blood-borne pathogens consistent with the most recent United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HIV and Recommendations for PEP and USPHS Guidelines for Antiretroviral PEP After Sexual, Injection Drug Use, or Other Nonoccupational Exposure to HIV.

• Clinicians’ experience, and the information they are able to provide callers, must include:

◦ Assessing risk of occupational and non-occupational exposures.

◦ Deciding when to start PEP.

◦ Selecting the best PEP regimen.

◦ Determining the duration of HIV follow-up testing.

• The PEPline must be available through a toll-free telephone number and an online mechanism, such as a chat bot, during the designated days and times listed above. You must have a mechanism to receive requests and provide immediate responses to service users with post-exposure questions during off-hours. You should make sure staff respond at a time when the requestor is available.

• The warmline must be able to handle a minimum of 600 to 1,000 calls per month on occupational post-exposure.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) warmline (PrEPline)

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

This warmline provides clinical consultation for health-care professionals on pre-exposure prophylaxis guidelines for HIV prevention in high-risk populations.

• The information provided over the warmline should reflect information from the most recent USPHS Guidelines for PrEP for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 14 https://npin.cdc.gov/publication/updated-us-public-health-service-guidelines-management-occupational-exposures-human https://npin.cdc.gov/publication/updated-us-public-health-service-guidelines-management-occupational-exposures-human https://npin.cdc.gov/publication/updated-us-public-health-service-guidelines-management-occupational-exposures-human https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/38856 https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/38856 https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/risk/prep/cdc-hiv-prep-guidelines-2017.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/risk/prep/cdc-hiv-prep-guidelines-2017.pdf

• PrEP consultation must be provided by clinicians with expertise in managing PrEP as part of an HIV prevention regimen for those at risk for HIV. Topics should include:

◦ Medication regimen.

◦ Adherence issues.

◦ Testing protocols.

◦ Initial and follow-up laboratory evaluations.

◦ Transitioning from PEP to PrEP.

• The PrEPline consultation service must be available through a toll-free telephone number and an online mechanism, such as a chat bot, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. You must have a mechanism to receive requests and provide immediate responses to service users with PrEP questions during off-hours. You should make sure staff respond at a time when the requestor is available.

• You will also be responsible for supporting robust marketing of the PrEPline and online consultation services to clinicians in the geographic areas, as outlined in the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America initiative. Suggested marketing mechanisms include, but are not limited to, dissemination of information about NCCC services through electronic newsletters, social media postings, in-person or virtual conference presentations, and cross-promotion efforts in collaboration with the Regional AETCs.

Treatment and management of hepatitis B and C and HIV coinfections warmline (HEPline)

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

This warmline provides clinical consultation for health care professionals on the treatment and management of hepatitis B and C and HIV coinfections. The warmline must help clinicians link people with hepatitis B and C and HIV coinfections to the most appropriate care.

• Consultations on hepatitis B and C and HIV coinfections must be provided by expert clinicians and based on the latest science on hepatitis B and C screening, testing, staging, monitoring, and treatment. Clinicians must be able to provide information on:

◦ Hepatitis B and C and HIV coinfections.

◦ Regimen selection and dosing.

◦ Drug interactions.

◦ Prior hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment failure.

◦ Management of clinical problems such as cirrhosis and renal disease.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 15 https://www.cdc.gov/ehe/index.html

◦ HCV transmission and prevention.

◦ HCV in special populations, such as pregnant people or people with co-occurring substance use disorders.

• You must make the HEPline available to service users through a toll-free telephone number and an online mechanism, such as a chat bot, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. You must have a mechanism to receive requests and provide immediate responses to service users with questions during off-hours. You should make sure staff respond at a time when the requestor is available.

Substance use treatment and management warmline

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET

This warmline provides clinical consultation for health care professionals on behavioral health management in people with HIV, including treatment and management of substance use disorders. This warmline must be administered in partnership with HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care.

• Behavioral health management consultation must be provided by clinicians with expertise in behavioral health management in people with HIV. Clinicians must be able to provide information on:

◦ Behavioral health evaluation, treatment, and management.

◦ Assessment and treatment of opioid, alcohol, and other substance use disorders.

◦ Urine toxicology testing.

◦ Use of buprenorphine, methadone , and other medications for opioid use disorder.

◦ Chronic pain management without the use of opioids.

◦ Approaches to suspected misuse, abuse, or diversion of prescription opioids.

◦ Opioid-based pain regimens that reduce the risk of misuse and toxicity.

◦ Opioid and alcohol withdrawal management.

◦ Harm reduction strategies, overdose prevention and naloxone administration.

◦ Managing substance use in special populations, such as people who are pregnant, have HIV, and/or have hepatitis.

• You must make the behavioral health management consultation service available to service users Monday through Friday based on the time stated above through a toll-free telephone number and through an online mechanism such as a chat bot.

You must have a process to receive requests and provide immediate responses to

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 16 users with questions during off-hours. You should make sure staff respond at a time when the requestor is available.

• The program must assist clinicians in linking people with HIV and co-occurring behavioral health needs to the most appropriate care.

• You should target the consultation service to HRSA- and non-HRSA-funded health centers in the counties and jurisdictions at risk for significant increases in hepatitis infection or HIV outbreak due to injection drug use.

Hotline

Perinatal HIV care and management hotline

This hotline must provide live consultation 24/7.

This hotline provides clinical consultation for health care professionals on the care and management of people with HIV before and after pregnancy and their exposed infants.

The warmline should also include a perinatal care referral service to connect health care providers to expert HIV providers.

• Perinatal consultation must be provided by expert clinicians using the latest Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant Women with HIV Infection and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States.

• Clinicians’ experience, and the information they are able to provide callers, must include:

◦ Indication and interpretation of rapid maternal HIV testing.

◦ Antiretroviral interventions to prevent perinatal HIV transmission.

◦ Antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy.

◦ Management of newborns exposed to or born with HIV.

◦ Managing HIV-positive pregnancies with late presentation to care.

◦ Safer conception options for couples with HIV.

• You must make the perinatal consultation and referral service available through a toll-free perinatal hotline telephone number and an online mechanism such as a chatbot. You must have a mechanism to provide immediate responses to requests for perinatal consultation and/or referral.

• The program must be able to handle a minimum of 35 to 50 calls per month on perinatal HIV–related issues and assist clinicians in linking pregnant people with HIV and their exposed infants to appropriate care.

Collaborations with RWHAP Parts, federal partners, and non-federal partners

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 17 https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/lvguidelines/PerinatalGL.pdf https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/lvguidelines/PerinatalGL.pdf https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/lvguidelines/PerinatalGL.pdf https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/lvguidelines/PerinatalGL.pdf

As the recipient of the AETC-NCCC award, you will collaborate with the other components of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program’s (RWHAP) AETC Program, which consists of the regional AETCs, the National AETC Support Center, and AETCs’ practice transformation clinics, which are located in the geographic areas outlined in the initiative Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America.

As applicable, you will also collaborate with the following to improve health outcomes for people with HIV:

• Other RWHAP-funded programs and HRSA-funded health centers.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Indian Health Service.

• National Institutes of Health Centers for AIDS Research.

• AIDS service organizations.

• Community-based organizations.

• Federal training centers.

• Health professional organizations.

• State primary care associations.

• State primary care offices.

• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (833-TLC-MAMA)

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

• Other key stakeholders.

Evaluation As the recipient of the AETC-NCCC award, you will be responsible for the following:

• Track performance outcomes for the program.

• Collect, analyze, and provide access to relevant case data to RWHAP Part F Regional AETCs and other RWHAP partners to:

◦ Assist in their training and capacity-building efforts and program planning activities.

◦ Provide information on consultations from their region.

• Evaluate how the project performs and how the results will contribute to continuous quality improvement.

• Assess the quality of consultation services provided by users.

• Evaluate and address barriers to accomplishing program goals.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 18 https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/about/parts-and-initiatives/part-f-aetc https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/about/parts-and-initiatives/part-f-aetc https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/about/parts-and-initiatives/part-f-aetc

Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) requirements The Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) funds workforce training and capacity-building activities to support organizations and health care team members who have historically provided culturally and linguistically appropriate care, services, education, or training to racial and ethnic minorities, or to providers who serve communities that are predominantly non-white. When implementing the NCCC, you will use funding from MAI to:

• Design and implement enhanced training experiences for health care providers who identify as, or serve communities who predominantly identify as, non-white racial or ethnic groups. These experiences could include:

◦ Preceptorships.

◦ Internships.

◦ Other opportunities to experience educational clinical care consultations in virtual or remote environments.

• Support efforts to provide culturally competent care and counsel through educational consultation services, including:

◦ Spanish-language translation.

◦ Data analysis on how the consultation services are used by providers identifying as members of non-white racial and ethnic groups.

◦ Continuing education efforts to improve the quality, inclusiveness, and cultural competency of consultation services.

Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative requirements The RWHAP receives funding through the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative to implement strategies, interventions, and approaches to reduce new HIV infections in the United States to less than 3,000 per year. The NCCC educational consultation services address all four key strategies of the EHE initiative—Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond—with an emphasis on Treat and Respond. When implementing the NCCC, you will use funding from EHE to:

• Support Part F Regional AETC workforce training efforts in EHE jurisdictions by providing subject matter expertise or relevant information about educational consultation services. This information will focus on:

◦ HIV testing.

◦ Establishing linkages to care.

• Administering PrEP, PEP, and antiretroviral therapy medication.

• Coordinate with RWHAP recipients and CDC to support a coordinated response to HIV clusters and outbreaks, including sharing relevant case data.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 19

• Support the ongoing staffing and maintenance of the NCCC educational consultation services.

• Provide consultation support to health care providers in the following targeted areas:

◦ Rural counties with the highest prevalence and/or incidence of opioid use disorder and injection drug use.

◦ Areas that are at risk of significant increases in hepatitis B and C virus.

◦ Areas that are at risk of an HIV outbreak due to injection drug use.

Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) program HRSA expects you, the recipient of the NCCC award, to implement services as part of the Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) program. The purpose of PCHP is to:

• Enhance the knowledge and skills of medical providers in community health centers to diagnose, treat, and prevent HIV.

• Improve knowledge and competency regarding screening, prescribing, and managing PrEP.

• Increase collaboration and interorganizational partnerships to address a variety of topics, including stigma.

Your proposed activities under the PCHP program must focus on federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) located in EHE jurisdictions and/or PCHP recipient organizations and their health care team members. Your activities must aim to implement prevention strategies to decrease the risk of HIV transmission within the targeted EHE jurisdictions.

This program is administered in partnership with HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care. You will be required to participate in regularly scheduled monitoring calls and other PCHP activities. Additional information will be provided post award.

Other requirements In addition to the requirements outlined in this section, HRSA expects you, as the recipient of the NCCC, to:

• Target health care providers who care for people with HIV or at high risk for HIV.

This is also the target audience for the regional AETC programs.

• Provide information that is consistent with the most recent USPHS guidelines and HHS recommendations on the care and treatment of people with HIV and HIV comorbidities.

• Use multiple modalities to reach the largest number of clinicians possible. You will need to:

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 20

◦ Learn how clinicians access and retrieve information to provide optimum care for their patients.

◦ Provide responses through the service users’ preferred methods.

• Demonstrate cultural competency and an understanding of the cultural issues affecting both clinicians and their patients.

◦ This includes providing consultation services in both English and Spanish.

• Provide follow-up referrals and information for service users, such as:

◦ Referring the users or providers to the regional AETCs for future education and training activities.

◦ Providing links to targeted reference and educational materials.

• Document the following:

◦ Demographics of service users.

◦ Clinical consultation questions.

◦ The number of calls received through service lines.

◦ The times the calls were made.

◦ Measures of user satisfaction.

◦ Call resolution rates.

◦ Call follow-ups.

• Provide semiannual data and reports that demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of the clinician consultation services. You will work collaboratively with HRSA HAB and/or a HRSA-designated evaluation center to establish reporting needs.

• Develop online educational resources to be distributed in follow-up contact with service users. You will make these resources available to the regional AETCs and the National AETC Support Center for use in their training and consultation services.

• Provide quarterly reports to the regional AETCs on consultation services provided to clinicians in the AETC service areas. You must design this quarterly communication to help the regional AETCs enhance their needs assessments and program planning.

• Demonstrate social media and other communication techniques to promote the NCCC, including skills in web development, information technology, information sharing and dissemination, and organizational change.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 21

Award information Cooperative agreement terms

Our responsibilities Aside from monitoring and technical assistance, we also get involved in these ways:

• Discussing how to implement strategies or tools to enhance educational clinical consultation services.

• As needed, reviewing and providing recommendations on the content of educational clinical consultation services, publications, and other resources.

• Helping manage activities and ensure their adherence to programmatic and federal policies.

• Helping plan and coordinate meetings, conferences, or webinars.

• Helping establish links between this project and other AETC and HAB- and HRSA-supported projects to enhance collaboration.

• Reviewing all project information prior to dissemination.

• Reviewing conference presentations, including oral presentations, posters, and roundtable materials, for all data activities, products and tools, and promising practices developed through this cooperative agreement.

Your responsibilities You must follow all relevant laws and policies. Your other responsibilities will include:

• Collaborating with HRSA and the following to achieve program expectations:

◦ Other components of the RWHAP Part F AETC Program, including the RWHAP Part F Regional AETC Program (HRSA-24-059).

◦ The National AETC Support Center (NASC) (HRSA 24-099).

◦ National HIV Curriculum

◦ HIV Clinical Training Tracks in Primary Care Residency Programs (HTR Program) HRSA-24-109

• Identifying and responding to the onboarding, training, and continuing educational development needs of faculty and consultants who provide educational clinical consultations.

• Collaborating with HRSA to plan, execute, and deliver technical assistance and training activities.

• Collaborating with HRSA to support evaluation of the NCCC.

• Attending the biennial National Ryan White Conference in the Washington, DC, area.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 22 https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/349053 https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/349060 https://www.hiv.uw.edu/

• Attending the biennial AETC program recipients’ administrative reverse site visit meetings.

• Attending the annual RWHAP clinical conference meeting.

Funding policies and limitations Policies

• This program depends on the appropriation of funds. If funds are appropriated for this purpose, we will move forward with the review and award process.

• The General Provisions in Division H that reference the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118–47) apply to this program. Note that these and other restrictions will apply in fiscal years that follow, as the law requires.

• Applicant organizations can only submit one application.

• Support beyond the first budget period will depend on:

◦ Appropriation of funds.

◦ Satisfactory progress in meeting the project’s objectives.

◦ A decision that continued funding is in the government’s best interest.

• If we receive more funding for this program, we consider options such as:

◦ Extending the period of performance.

◦ Awarding supplemental funding.

General limitations

• For guidance on some types of costs we do not allow or restrict, see Project

Budget Information in Section 3.1.4 of the Application Guide. You can also see 45 CFR part 75, or any superseding regulation, General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

• You cannot earn profit from the federal award. See 45 CFR 75.400(g).

• Congress’s current appropriations act includes a salary limitation, which applies to this program. As of January 2024, the salary rate limitation is $221,900. This limitation may be updated.

Program-specific statutory or regulatory limitations.

You cannot use funds under this notice for the following:

• International HIV/AIDS training activities.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 23 https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/application-guide.pdf#page=13 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75#75.400

• Payment for any item or service, if payment is already expected to be made by a state compensation program, insurance policy, federal or state benefits program, or other entity that provides prepaid health services (except for a program administered by or providing services of the Indian Health Service).

• Cash payments to intended recipients of RWHAP services.

• Clinical quality management.

• International travel.

• Construction. However, minor alterations and renovations to an existing facility to make it more suitable for the purposes of the award program are allowable with prior HRSA approval.

• HIV test kits.

• Syringe Services Programs (SSPs). However, some aspects of SSPs are allowable with HRSA’s prior approval and in compliance with HHS and HRSA policy.

• Development of materials designed to directly promote or encourage intravenous drug use or sexual activity.

• RWHAP funds cannot be used for PrEP medications and related medical services or PEP. This is because people using PrEP or PEP are not living with HIV and are therefore not eligible for RWHAP-funded medication. However, the recipient is expected to use the braided funding under this award, and provide these services with non-RWHAP funds. All statutory and regulatory limitations that attach to the funds from the various partners apply.

See Manage Your Grant for other information on costs and financial management.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are costs you charge across more than one project that cannot be easily separated by project. For example, this could include utilities for a building that supports multiple projects).

To charge indirect costs you can select one of two methods:

Method 1 – Approved rate. You currently have an indirect cost rate approved by your cognizant federal agency.

Method 2 – De minimis rate. Per 2 CFR 200.414(f), if you have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis rate. If you choose this method, costs included in the indirect cost pool must not be charged as direct costs.

This rate is 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). See 2 CFR 200.1 for the definition of MTDC. You can use this rate indefinitely.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 24 https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/manage-your-grant https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC))

Program income Program income is money earned as a result of your award-supported project activities. You must use any program income you generate from awarded funds for approved project-related activities. Find more about program income at 45 CFR 75.307.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 25 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR911e5e1a30bfbcb/section-75.307

Step 2:

Get Ready to Apply

In this step

Get registered 27

Find the application package 27

Application writing help 27

Get registered SAM.gov You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process today.

To register, go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and click Get Started. From the same page, you can also click on the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

When you register or update your SAM.gov registration, you must agree to the financial assistance general certifications and representations. You must agree to those for grants specifically, as opposed to contracts, because the two sets of agreements are different. You will have to maintain your registration throughout the life of any award.

Grants.gov You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants.

Find the application package The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it online. Go to Grants Search at Grants.gov and search for opportunity number HRSA-25-061.

Application writing help Visit HHS Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals.

Visit HRSA’s How to Prepare Your Application page for more guidance.

See Apply for a Grant for other help and resources.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 27 https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant/prepare-your-application/assurances-non-construction-programs https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant/prepare-your-application/assurances-non-construction-programs https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://grants.gov/search-grants https://www.hhs.gov/grants-contracts/grants/get-ready-for-grants-management/tips-for-preparing-grant-proposals/index.html https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant/prepare-your-application https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant

Join the webinar For more information about this opportunity, join the webinar on December 17, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET. You can join at this HRSA Zoom link.

If you are not able to join through your computer, you can call in.

• Phone number: 833-568-8864 (US toll-free)

• Meeting ID: 161 425 8576

• Passcode: 51765283

We will record the webinar. If you are not able to join live, you can replay it at the NOFOs section of the Target HIV site.

Have questions? Go to Contacts and Support.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 28 https://hrsa-gov.zoomgov.com/j/1614258576?pwd=Fymaj6o9WcjtYnRnweBB4GKmVmFIIl.1 https://targethiv.org/library/nofos

Step 3:

Prepare Your Application

In this step

Application contents and format 30

Application contents and format Applications include four main components. This section includes guidance on each.

Application page limit: 50 pages.

Submit your information in English and express whole number budget figures using U.S. dollars.

Make sure you include each of these:

Components Submission Format

Project abstract Use the Project Abstract Summary form.

Project narrative Use the Project Narrative Attachment form.

Budget narrative Use the Budget Narrative Attachment form.

Attachments Insert each in the Other Attachments form.

Other required forms Upload using each required form.

Required format You must format your narratives and attachments using our required formats for fonts, size, color, format, and margins. See the formatting guidelines in Section 3.2 of the Application Guide.

Project abstract Complete the information in the Project Abstract Summary form. Include a short description of your proposed project. Include the needs you plan to address, the proposed services, and the population groups you plan to serve. For more information, see section 3.1.2 of the Application Guide.

Project narrative In this section, you will describe all aspects of your project. Project activities must comply with the nondiscrimination requirements.

Use the section headers and the order below.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 30 https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/application-guide.pdf#page=24 https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/application-guide.pdf#page=36

Introduction See merit review criterion 1: Need

• Briefly describe the purpose of your project.

• Describe how your organization will address the need to provide health care professionals with a national resource to obtain timely and appropriate responses to clinical questions. Address the six consultation services and requirements outlined in the Program expectations and requirements and Purpose sections, including how you will utilize the braided funding to provide:

◦ General HIV care, prevention, and treatment.

◦ PrEP.

◦ PEP.

◦ Treatment and management of hepatitis B and C and HIV coinfections.

◦ Treatment and management of substance use disorders in people with or at risk for HIV.

◦ Perinatal HIV care and management.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the targeted EHE jurisdictions and other areas as described in the Purpose section.

Need See merit review criterion 1: Need

• Describe knowledge gaps in the current HIV health workforce, focusing on the six educational consultation services as outlined in the Program expectations and requirements and Purpose sections.

• Describe how you plan to address the need to increase the clinical care capacity of HIV care providers through educational clinical consultation services nationally.

• Provide evidence to support the need for a national-level clinical consultation service for health care team members, especially those located in the EHE jurisdictions and other areas outlined in the Purpose section.

• Use and cite demographic data whenever possible.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the targeted EHE jurisdictions and other areas as described in the Purpose section.

Step…