Strengthening the Capacity of the Republican Blood Center to Scale Up Blood Safety Program in Tajikistan (TJ) under the President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this grant opportunity about?

This CDC grant opportunity (issued under PEPFAR) focuses on strengthening Tajikistan's national blood safety system by expanding the capacity of the Republican Blood Center (RBC). The goal is to help improve access for the general population to safe, high-quality blood components across all regions of the country by strengthening nationwide systems for blood collection, processing, testing, storage, and clinical use.

Which U.S. agency is issuing the award?

The award is issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

What is the main public health objective of the project?

The main objective is to reduce transfusion-transmitted infections and improve patient outcomes by strengthening the national blood service from end to end. The opportunity emphasizes system-wide improvements rather than a single stand-alone intervention.

What type of award is this?

This award is a cooperative agreement. That structure generally means CDC would be substantially involved in the work, providing technical assistance and oversight, rather than simply providing funds with minimal engagement.

What is the funding activity category and CFDA number?

The funding activity category is Health, and the CFDA listing is 93.067 (Global AIDS).

How many awards are anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $100,000.

Is cost-sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is narrowly defined. The Republican Blood Center (RBC) is identified as the only organization in Tajikistan with the government mandate to implement and coordinate the national blood safety system through the Ministry of Health.

What are the key dates for this opportunity?

The opportunity was posted on October 3, 2014. The application closing date was November 13, 2014. The archive date was December 13, 2014.

How does this opportunity relate to prior CDC support?

The announcement notes that the RBC had already managed a CDC cooperative agreement from roughly 2010 to 2015 focused on promoting blood safety, and that collaboration was productive. This funding opportunity is positioned as a continuation and scale-up effort to expand coverage and institutionalize improvements nationwide.

What kinds of improvements did the earlier work help establish?

The prior cooperative agreement helped lay a foundation in areas such as promoting voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, strengthening strategic information and data systems, automating work processes in blood centers, and improving the clinical use of blood. This opportunity builds on that foundation.

What are the main program pillars or focus areas?

The project activities are organized around four pillars:

• Developing and implementing an effective voluntary non-remunerated blood donation (VNRB/VNRBD) system.
• Rationalizing the clinical use of blood components.
• Strengthening the quality management system through monitoring and evaluation (M&E) performance indicators and expanded automation across the "vein to vein" chain.
• Improving the cold chain across the national blood service.

What does voluntary non-remunerated blood donation (VNRB/VNRBD) mean in this context?

It refers to a blood donation system that relies on donors who are not paid, with an emphasis on consistent donor recruitment, retention, education, and donor care. The notice reflects the public health principle that repeat voluntary donors are associated with a safer and more sustainable blood supply.

Why is strengthening voluntary non-remunerated donation a priority?

Strengthening VNRB/VNRBD is presented as a direct route to improving both the adequacy of the blood supply and its safety profile, supporting broader efforts to reduce transfusion-transmitted infections.

What does "rationalizing the clinical use of blood components" mean?

In this notice, it refers to strengthening transfusion practices so blood and blood components are prescribed appropriately, guided by evidence-based policies, patient assessment, and clear clinical indications. The intent is to reduce unnecessary transfusions, lower patient exposure risk, preserve blood supplies, and encourage standardized hospital policies and oversight (such as transfusion committees and audits).

What is meant by the "vein to vein" chain?

"Vein to vein" describes the full pathway of blood services, from donor recruitment and blood collection through processing, testing, labeling, storage, distribution, and transfusion to the patient, including documentation and traceability.

What quality management improvements are highlighted?

The FOA highlights implementing a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tool for blood service performance indicators and expanding automation of work processes across the entire vein-to-vein chain. These steps support consistent oversight, error reduction, better traceability, and data-driven decisions.

Was an M&E tool already developed before this opportunity?

Yes. The notice states an M&E tool had already been developed and piloted nationally during the earlier cooperative agreement, and this opportunity seeks to implement it more broadly and strengthen the supporting systems.

What does "automation of work processes" refer to in a blood safety system?

The opportunity describes expanding automation across blood center workflows along the vein-to-vein chain. In general terms, this supports standardized processes, improved documentation and traceability, and stronger quality control by reducing manual steps and enabling better performance tracking.

Why is the cold chain a major focus area?

Cold chain reliability is essential to maintaining the safety and effectiveness of blood and blood components. Temperature excursions can compromise product quality, shorten shelf life, and increase the risk of adverse transfusion outcomes, so the FOA targets national improvements to cold chain capacity and reliability.

What kinds of cold chain improvements are implied by the announcement?

The notice frames cold chain strengthening as improving reliability across the national blood service. Typical components of this kind of work include better storage conditions, temperature monitoring, and improved transport conditions between facilities, along with staff capacity to handle and maintain cold chain systems (the announcement emphasizes the goal of cold chain improvements, not specific equipment lists).

What is the intended geographic scope of the project?

The project is intended to improve blood safety services across all regions of Tajikistan, supporting national coverage rather than limiting improvements to a single facility or region.

What outcomes is the CDC seeking through this cooperative agreement?

The intended outcomes include a stronger, more consistent national blood service; improved access to safe, high-quality blood components; reduced risk of transfusion-transmitted infections; improved quality management and traceability; more appropriate clinical transfusion practices; and improved patient outcomes nationwide.

Does the opportunity emphasize workforce and system strengthening?

Yes. The opportunity is designed to strengthen the RBC workforce and operational systems so Tajikistan can deliver safer transfusion services at national scale.

Is this opportunity still open?

Based on the dates provided, the application closing date was November 13, 2014, and the opportunity archive date was December 13, 2014.