Building the Institutional Capacity of Local Indigenous Organizations Implementing Comprehensive Clinical and Laboratory Services to Sustain and Enhance the Prevention, Care and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the Presi | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this grant opportunity about?

This opportunity is a continuation cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS-CDC). It focuses on strengthening the institutional capacity of local, indigenous organizations in Nigeria that deliver comprehensive HIV/AIDS clinical and laboratory services, with the broader aim of sustaining and improving HIV prevention, care, and treatment across Nigeria.

Which agency is offering the funding?

The funding is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How does this opportunity relate to PEPFAR?

The program sits under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). In practice, that means the work is framed around sustaining and improving HIV prevention, care, and treatment activities in Nigeria in line with PEPFAR priorities and expectations.

What type of funding mechanism is being used?

The mechanism is a cooperative agreement. This generally indicates CDC expects substantial involvement beyond providing funding, such as technical collaboration, joint planning, performance monitoring, and ongoing guidance to keep activities aligned with CDC and PEPFAR program requirements.

What does it mean that this is a "continuation" opportunity?

The opportunity category is listed as continuation, which indicates it is tied to an existing project or previously funded effort rather than a brand-new open competition.

What is the main goal of the program?

The stated goal is institutional capacity building for local organizations implementing comprehensive HIV/AIDS clinical and laboratory services. The emphasis is on enabling Nigerian organizations to manage and deliver high-quality HIV services reliably over time, rather than relying indefinitely on external implementers.

What kinds of organizations are intended to benefit from this program?

The focus is on local, indigenous organizations in Nigeria that are responsible for delivering comprehensive HIV/AIDS clinical and laboratory services.

What does "institutional capacity building" typically include?

Based on the description provided, institutional capacity building commonly includes strengthening leadership and governance, strategic planning, financial management, grants and compliance systems, procurement and supply chain oversight, human resources, quality management, and data systems.

What is meant by "comprehensive HIV/AIDS clinical services" in this context?

As described, comprehensive clinical services commonly include HIV testing and linkage to care, antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and maintenance, retention and adherence support, prevention services integrated into care, management of opportunistic infections, and differentiated service delivery approaches to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.

What is meant by the laboratory component of this program?

The laboratory component typically implies support for reliable HIV diagnostics and monitoring. This can include viral load testing systems, quality assurance and quality improvement (QA/QI), specimen transport networks, laboratory workforce competencies, biosafety, equipment maintenance, and lab-to-clinic and national data reporting.

Does the opportunity prioritize service continuity, improvement, or both?

Both. The opportunity explicitly mentions sustaining and enhancing prevention, care, and treatment. That suggests maintaining ongoing service continuity while also improving performance, coverage, and quality.

What kinds of improvements are implied in a PEPFAR context?

In the description provided, PEPFAR-context improvements often include ensuring stable ART access and monitoring, improving viral suppression outcomes, strengthening case finding and linkage, and reinforcing laboratory systems that support clinical decision-making.

What does the emphasis on local, indigenous organizations signal?

It signals a broader PEPFAR priority of country ownership and localization, where Nigerian entities increasingly lead implementation and management and strengthen systems to meet donor requirements and national standards.

What is the activity area for this opportunity?

The activity area is health.

What is the CFDA number and what does it correspond to?

The CFDA number listed is 93.067, which corresponds to CDC programs addressing HIV/AIDS and related public health efforts.

Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in a separate eligibility text field that is not included in the provided excerpt. This suggests eligibility may be limited to specific types of organizations and/or existing recipients under the continuation framework.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on January 27, 2016.

What was the application closing date?

The closing date for submissions was March 28, 2016.

How long was the application window?

Based on the posted date (January 27, 2016) and the closing date (March 28, 2016), the application window was relatively short, which is typical of continuation or amendment-type announcements.

What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the provided information. This often indicates the specific funding level was defined elsewhere in the full announcement or handled through continuation funding arrangements rather than a standard competitive notice.

How many awards are expected?

The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided information.

Will CDC be involved after an award is made?

Yes. Because the mechanism is a cooperative agreement, CDC typically has substantial involvement, which may include close technical collaboration, joint planning, performance monitoring, and ongoing guidance.

Is this opportunity focused only on clinical care, only on labs, or both?

Both. The opportunity specifically addresses comprehensive HIV/AIDS clinical and laboratory services and emphasizes strengthening the institutional capacity needed to deliver both reliably.

What is the overall intent of the opportunity in practical terms?

In practical terms, the opportunity aims to ensure Nigerian organizations can manage and deliver high-quality HIV services reliably over time by strengthening managerial, technical, clinical, and laboratory capacity, with CDC oversight and technical direction consistent with the cooperative agreement model.