Using Innovative Intervention Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes among People with HIV - Evaluation Center

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for fiscal year 2021 (FY21) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program funding for the initiative Using Innovative Intervention Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes among People with HIV – Evaluation Center. The purpose of this initiative is to use an implementation science framework1 to evaluate the pilot testing of innovative intervention strategies in four (4) focus areas at implementation sites subawarded through the companion cooperative agreement Using Innovative Intervention Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes among People with HIV – Coordinating Center (2iS CCTA; HRSA-21-076), and to disseminate the evaluation findings. HRSA will provide funding in the form of a cooperative agreement to support one (1) organization for up to four (4) years to serve as the Innovative Intervention Strategies Evaluation Center (2iS EC). The 2iS EC will develop and carry out a multi-site evaluation that includes a customized site-specific evaluation for each of the up to twenty (20) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP)-funded recipients/subrecipients (approximately five sites per focus area) to serve as implementation sites where one intervention strategy per site will be piloted. In addition to the site-specific components, the evaluation will include cross-site components (e.g., costing, organizational assessments) that are consistent across all subawardee sites. Throughout this initiative, the 2iS EC will work closely with the 2iS CCTA, which will provide technical assistance to the subawardees. Ultimately, the 2iS EC’s evaluation findings will determine dissemination plans for the replication tools developed by the 2iS CCTA. Please review the companion funding opportunity announcement for more information on the role of the 2iS CCTA (HRSA-21-076). You may also review the previous initiative for which this is a competing continuation (HRSA-17-044; HRSA-17-049). 2iS Focus Areas This recipient will evaluate the implementation and associated health outcomes of three (3) priority populations and one (1) area of opportunity to improve service delivery for people with HIV. Combined, these four (4) focus areas are: 1) Improving HIV health outcomes for people with substance use disorder 2) Improving HIV health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) youth 3) Improving HIV health outcomes for people who are or have been incarcerated 4) Improving HIV health outcomes by using telehealth services 1 Psihopaidas D, Cohen SM, West T, et al. (2020) Implementation science and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Ryan White HIV AIDS Program’s work towards ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. PLoS Med 17(11):e1003128. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003128. The 2iS EC will evaluate the uptake and integration of the intervention strategies as well as the associated client outcomes of these intervention strategies at the subawarded sites. Please review the related 2iS CCTA (HRSA-21-076) announcement to understand the collaborative work between the 2iS CCTA and the 2iS EC.

Eligible applicants include entities eligible for funding under RWHAP Parts A, B, C and D. These include but are not limited to: public and nonprofit private entities involved in addressing HIV-related issues at the regional or national level; state and local governments; academic institutions; local health departments; nonprofit hospitals and outpatient clinics; community health centers receiving support under Section 330 of the PHS Act; faith-based and community-based organizations; and Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations with or without federal recognition.

Demetrios Psihopaidas, Ph.D., MA

(301) 443-1469