Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America — Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Parts A and B | HRSA 20 078

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 20 078

The grant opportunity "Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America - Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Parts A and B" (HRSA-20-078) is a discretionary grant program run by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB). It is designed to strengthen and accelerate local HIV efforts by layering additional "Ending the HIV Epidemic" (EHE) resources on top of existing Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part A and Part B systems of care. In practical terms, this funding is meant to help jurisdictions move faster and more strategically than they could through regular Ryan White funding alone, with the larger national target of driving new HIV infections in the United States down to fewer than 3,000 per year by 2030.

The initiative concentrates funding in specific high-need locations, described as "jurisdictions": 48 counties, Washington, D.C., San Juan, Puerto Rico, and seven states (listed in the notice's Appendix A). By focusing resources where HIV transmission and unmet care needs are most acute, HRSA aims to support intensive local action that can meaningfully reduce new infections and improve outcomes for people already living with HIV. The program anticipates 47 awards, with an award ceiling of $9,000,000. The opportunity was originally posted August 13, 2019, with an original closing date of October 15, 2019. The CFDA number associated with this program is 93.686, and the funding instrument is a grant.

This opportunity sits inside the broader federal EHE framework, which is organized around four pillars: Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond. Pillar One (Diagnose) emphasizes identifying HIV infections as early as possible and is led primarily by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including efforts connected to HRSA-supported health centers to expand testing. Pillar Two (Treat) is led by HRSA and centers on rapidly linking people with HIV to care, starting or optimizing treatment, and supporting sustained viral suppression through robust, accessible HIV medical care and supportive services. Pillar Three (Prevent) is co-led by CDC and HRSA and focuses on proven prevention strategies, including PrEP and syringe services programs, with HRSA health centers playing a role in PrEP outreach, care coordination, clinical services, and medication access. Pillar Four (Respond) is led by CDC and focuses on quickly detecting and addressing HIV clusters and outbreaks, with HRSA-supported care systems helping ensure people affected by clusters can rapidly access HIV treatment or prevention services as needed.

For applicants to HRSA-20-078, the heart of the work is anchored in Pillar Two and connected directly to Pillar Four. Applicants are required to explain how their proposed activities will expand access to HIV care and treatment in the identified jurisdictions, especially for people who are newly diagnosed, not currently engaged in care, and/or not virally suppressed. They also must describe how they will address unmet needs and improve client-level health outcomes, which usually points to work such as strengthening linkage to care, improving retention, supporting re-engagement for people who have fallen out of care, and improving adherence support so viral suppression becomes more achievable and durable. On the Pillar Four side, applicants must show how they will support rapid responses to cluster detection efforts, meaning they need clear plans for quickly finding, reaching, and linking affected individuals to HIV care and treatment when public health data show signs of a growing transmission network.

A notable feature of this initiative is that it intentionally allows a broader and more flexible approach than traditional RWHAP service rules typically permit. While the program is authorized under Section 311(c) of the Public Health Service Act and Title XXVI (the statutory authority for the Ryan White program), EHE funds awarded under this notice can be used in conjunction with RWHAP funds in ways that expand what recipients can do locally. Most importantly, the eligibility standard for receiving services under this specific initiative is simplified: the person must have a documented HIV diagnosis, and there is no requirement that they meet the usual RWHAP eligibility criteria. In addition, recipients are not restricted to the standard RWHAP service categories for these initiative funds. HRSA explicitly encourages creativity and innovation, as long as the proposed work supports the initiative goals and stays within the funding restrictions described in the full notice.

The types of activities that HRSA signals as appropriate are broad and practical, reflecting the reality that improving treatment outcomes often requires more than clinic visits alone. Proposed activities may include building organizational capacity so clinics and community partners can handle greater volumes and more complex client needs; public outreach and information dissemination to help people understand where and how to access care; community engagement to strengthen trust and improve uptake of services; and implementation of emerging practices and evidence-informed or evidence-based interventions. The notice highlights particular interest in interventions that strengthen the continuum of care, including linkage, retention, re-engagement, and adherence counseling. It also recognizes that modern HIV response depends heavily on strong data and coordination, so investments in data infrastructure, systems linkages, and improved coordination between programs are within scope. Overall, recipients are expected to use these resources to develop, implement, and/or enhance innovative approaches that bring people into care quickly, keep them in care, and help them reach and maintain viral suppression.

Finally, the program places a strong emphasis on collaboration and coordinated implementation support. Awardees are required to work with two related HRSA-funded partners: the Ending the HIV Epidemic Technical Assistance Provider (TAP, HRSA-20-079) and the Systems Coordination Provider (SCP, HRSA-20-089). The TAP's role is hands-on technical assistance to help recipients carry out work plan activities and implement innovative approaches and interventions effectively. The SCP's role is to help recipients align EHE planning with existing HIV care delivery systems and funding streams, identify and bring in both current and new stakeholders, and share best practices and promising approaches that emerge across jurisdictions. This structure is meant to reduce duplication, improve coordination between clinical care and public health response, and speed up the spread of strategies that are working on the ground.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America — Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Parts A and B" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.686.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 13, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 15, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 47 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 20 078

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