Support for Strengthening and Expanding HIV/AIDS Surveillance Activities in the Republic of South Africa under the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | Apply Online

FAQs: CDC PEPFAR Cooperative Agreement to Strengthen HIV Surveillance in South Africa (CFDA 93.067)

1) What was the purpose of this CDC funding opportunity?

The purpose was to strengthen the HIV surveillance system in the Republic of South Africa. The opportunity supported work to develop, implement, and evaluate new HIV surveillance activities where gaps existed, and to reinforce and improve existing surveillance where systems were already in place.

2) What overall outcomes was the program trying to achieve?

The program aimed to expand and improve the quality, coverage, and usefulness of HIV surveys and surveillance so the South African government and partners would have stronger evidence to track the HIV epidemic and make better national decisions about where and how to target prevention, treatment, and support resources.

3) What kinds of activities did the announcement emphasize?

The announcement emphasized the full surveillance cycle, including developing, implementing, and evaluating surveillance activities. This signaled interest not only in data collection, but also in designing methods, operating surveillance and survey systems, ensuring data quality, analyzing results, and translating findings into actionable guidance for national planning.

4) What did "strengthening surveillance" mean in practical terms?

In practical terms, the grant focused on building the practical ability to monitor and assess the epidemic through structured data collection and analysis. It centered on generating and improving population-level and program-relevant information used to measure HIV burden and trends, identify the most affected groups and geographic areas, and evaluate whether interventions were reaching the right people and having an impact.

5) Who was expected to use the information produced by this project?

The information was intended to support the South African government and its partners by improving the evidence base for monitoring the epidemic over time and informing national planning and resource allocation decisions.

6) What type of funding mechanism was used?

The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement.

7) What does a cooperative agreement imply about CDC's role?

A cooperative agreement typically means CDC expected to have substantial involvement in the work. In this opportunity, that could include providing technical guidance, collaborating on surveillance design and evaluation approaches, and supporting alignment with broader PEPFAR and national strategic priorities.

8) How was this opportunity connected to PEPFAR?

The opportunity was described as PEPFAR-supported and was aimed at strengthening HIV surveillance in South Africa to improve the evidence used for national HIV response decisions.

9) What was the CFDA number and program area?

The opportunity fell under CFDA 93.067 (Global AIDS). The activity category was health.

10) How much funding was available in total?

The estimated total funding amount listed for the opportunity was $20,000,000.

11) How many awards were expected?

The opportunity indicated an expectation of up to 7 awards.

12) Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was indicated.

13) Who was eligible to apply?

The eligibility pool was broad. Eligible applicants included U.S. and non-U.S. entities, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and small/minority/women-owned businesses), research institutions, hospitals, community-based and faith-based organizations, and state and local governments.

14) Could for-profit organizations apply?

Yes. For-profit organizations were included as eligible applicants, including small businesses and small/minority/women-owned businesses.

15) Could non-U.S. organizations apply?

Yes. The eligibility list explicitly included non-U.S. entities.

16) Could state or local governments apply through an agent?

Yes. The announcement allowed applications from state or local governments through bona fide agents.

17) What documentation was required for a bona fide agent application?

The announcement required documentation in the form of a letter from the relevant government to confirm bona fide agent status when submitting through grants.gov.

18) Why did the announcement allow such a broad range of applicants?

The announcement reflected that large-scale public health surveillance often requires a mix of technical, operational, and local implementation strengths. The structure opened the door to consortia or implementing partners that could combine epidemiological expertise with field capacity, laboratory linkages, data management, and stakeholder coordination.

19) When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on February 24, 2011. The original (and final) closing date was April 25, 2011.

20) When was the opportunity archived?

The opportunity was archived on May 25, 2011.

21) Who was listed as a contact for access support?

Applicants needing access support were directed to the CDC Procurement and Grants Office, Technical Information Management Section (TIMS), via the provided phone contact.

22) What was the geographic focus of the work?

The work was focused on strengthening the HIV surveillance system in the Republic of South Africa.

23) What was the main public health value proposition of this grant?

The main value proposition was investing in surveillance as a backbone of the HIV response: improving the evidence base so national leaders and partners could more accurately understand the epidemic, track changes over time, and allocate resources where they would have the greatest impact.