Supporting National Health Management Information Systems in the Republic of Uganda under the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this grant opportunity about?

This CDC grant opportunity under PEPFAR focuses on strengthening Uganda's national health information and surveillance systems. It supports core informatics work aligned with Uganda's Ministry of Health, with the goal of reducing fragmented, parallel reporting systems by promoting standardized and coordinated ways to collect, manage, and use health data.

2) What problem is the program trying to solve?

The program aims to reduce the burden and inefficiency created by multiple disconnected (parallel) reporting systems. By strengthening national systems instead of building isolated project tools, it seeks to improve interoperability, reduce duplication, and make health data more useful for decision-making at the national level.

3) How does this opportunity relate to PEPFAR and HIV/AIDS programming?

The opportunity is designed to strengthen surveillance and health information infrastructure in ways that support HIV/AIDS programming under PEPFAR, while also benefiting broader public health priorities by improving data systems, data flows, and analytics practices.

4) What type of award is this?

Funding is offered through cooperative agreement(s), which typically means CDC expects substantial involvement during implementation. This may include collaboration on technical direction, monitoring, and ensuring alignment with national strategies.

5) What does "substantial involvement" by CDC usually imply for a cooperative agreement?

Based on the opportunity description, CDC's substantial involvement may include working with awardees on technical direction, monitoring implementation, and supporting alignment with Uganda Ministry of Health priorities and national strategies, rather than simply providing funds with minimal engagement.

6) What are the main goals or outcomes CDC is aiming for?

The intended end result is a more coherent and sustainable national health information environment in Uganda, characterized by improved data quality, better access to timely information, reduced redundant reporting, stronger interoperability, and improved institutional capacity to manage and act on surveillance data.

7) What is meant by "national systems strengthening" in this context?

National systems strengthening means prioritizing improvements that support the national health information and surveillance backbone (data flows, databases, standards, and analytics), rather than creating standalone systems for individual projects. The emphasis is on coordinated approaches that fit within national structures and can be sustained over time.

8) What are the two main service categories under this program?

The program is structured around two categories: Category A (Database Development) and Category B (Technical Assistance). Both are aimed at improving surveillance and health information performance at national scale.

9) What activities are included in Category A: Database Development?

Category A focuses on strengthening national surveillance programs through the design, development, and improvement of databases and related information system components. Examples described include building or enhancing data repositories, improving data models and standards, strengthening data quality controls, enabling reporting and analytics functions, and ensuring systems are usable and maintainable within national structures.

10) Is Category A primarily about building new software tools?

No. The description emphasizes that the goal is not simply to create software, but to reinforce a national surveillance backbone that can reliably capture and organize health data for decision making.

11) What activities are included in Category B: Technical Assistance?

Category B focuses on strengthening organizational capacity to use and manage surveillance data. This may include training and mentorship for implementing partners and Ministry of Health teams, strengthening routine data analysis and feedback loops, improving procedures for data entry and validation, supporting reporting timelines, and improving information security practices.

12) Why does the program include Technical Assistance (Category B) alongside Database Development (Category A)?

The opportunity reflects that systems only work well when people, workflows, and governance are strong. Technical assistance is intended to strengthen the capacity and procedures needed for data systems to be used effectively and consistently.

13) What does the opportunity say about interoperability and duplication?

The program emphasizes interoperability and reducing duplication by encouraging common standards and coordinated reporting approaches so that data from multiple sources can be aggregated and interpreted consistently at the national level.

14) Who are awardees expected to work with during implementation?

Awardees would be expected to work closely with the Uganda Ministry of Health and PEPFAR partners to design, improve, sustain, and align surveillance and monitoring systems.

15) How many awards did CDC anticipate making?

CDC anticipated making 2 awards under this opportunity.

16) What was the estimated total funding amount for the opportunity?

The estimated total funding amount was $5,500,000.

17) What was the expected funding range per individual award?

Individual awards were expected to fall between $400,000 (floor) and $550,000 (ceiling).

18) Is cost sharing or matching required?

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

19) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is CDC-RFA-GH11-1160.

20) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.067 (Global AIDS).

21) What were the key dates for this funding opportunity?

The posting date and creation date were February 24, 2011. The original and current closing date was April 25, 2011. The archive date was May 25, 2011.

22) Is this opportunity still open?

No. The dates indicate this is an older, now-closed competition (closing date April 25, 2011; archived May 25, 2011).

23) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small, minority-, and women-owned businesses), universities and colleges, research institutions, hospitals, community-based and faith-based organizations, tribal entities and tribally designated organizations, urban Indian health organizations, tribal epidemiology centers, and state and local governments or their bona fide agents.

24) Were non-U.S. (non-domestic) entities eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility language explicitly allowed non-U.S. (non-domestic) entities to apply, which aligns with the program focus on Uganda.

25) What does it mean to apply as a "bona fide agent" of a state or local government?

The notice states that applicants applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government were required to have a legally binding agreement documenting that status.

26) What kinds of practical outputs might result from this program?

Based on the description, practical outputs would likely include strengthened databases supporting surveillance, improved data management practices across partners, increased ability to analyze and use surveillance data for decisions, and closer alignment across stakeholders to reduce redundant systems and reporting burdens.

27) What is the overarching theme of the program's approach to health data?

The overarching theme is coordination and standardization: improving national-level systems so health data can move through consistent data flows, be stored in reliable databases, and be analyzed in ways that support surveillance and program monitoring across multiple stakeholders.