Support for laboratory diagnosis and monitoring to scale up and improve HIV/AIDS care and treatment services for Caribbean countries supported under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA JG 25 0065

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity about?

This CDC cooperative agreement focuses on strengthening laboratory diagnosis and monitoring systems that support HIV/AIDS care and treatment across PEPFAR-supported Caribbean countries. The emphasis is on making laboratory services faster, more reliable, better integrated, and more sustainable so they can serve as the backbone of timely diagnosis, clinical monitoring, and treatment scale-up.

2) Who is offering this grant?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its Global Health Center, under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

3) What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is CDC RFA JG 25 0065.

4) What is the CFDA number and activity category?

The CFDA number is 93.067, and the activity category is Health.

5) What type of funding mechanism is this?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement. That structure typically means CDC will have substantial involvement beyond awarding funds, such as ongoing technical collaboration, shared planning, performance monitoring, and program guidance.

6) What is the main rationale behind the program?

The opportunity is grounded in the idea that strong, reliable laboratory services are essential in HIV and TB programs. Without consistent access to high-quality testing, countries can struggle to identify infections quickly, monitor treatment effectiveness, detect treatment failure or drug resistance, and manage related conditions such as TB, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and opportunistic infections.

7) What geographic area does this opportunity target?

The focus is on PEPFAR-supported Caribbean countries.

8) What kinds of improvements is CDC looking for in laboratory systems?

The announcement points toward durable, standardized laboratory networks that can deliver faster turnaround times, dependable quality systems, and stronger integration with broader health services. It also signals a push from isolated successes toward region-wide efficiency and long-term sustainability.

9) What priority areas are highlighted?

Priority areas described include:

• Supporting public health laboratory accreditation across the region
• Workforce development through in-service training
• Expansion and integration of laboratory information systems (LIS), including better data flow into national health information systems
• Strengthening HIV/TB-related testing and diagnostic capacity, including opportunistic infections
• Building more efficient laboratory programs (for example, improving referral systems, optimizing platforms, reducing downtime, and standardizing quality monitoring)

10) What does "supporting laboratory accreditation" involve in this context?

The opportunity describes accreditation support as strengthening quality management systems, standard operating procedures, proficiency testing, biosafety practices, and the documentation needed to meet recognized standards.

11) What does the workforce development component look like?

Workforce development is described as in-service training to improve day-to-day competency in areas such as molecular testing workflows, quality assurance, equipment maintenance, specimen management, and supervisory skills that help systems keep running when external support decreases.

12) Why does the opportunity emphasize laboratory information systems (LIS)?

The LIS focus is intended to improve data flow from testing sites to laboratories and onward into national health information systems. The stated goals include reducing delays, minimizing errors from manual reporting, strengthening patient tracking and follow-up, and improving program-level visibility into testing coverage and outcomes.

13) What technical testing areas are included?

The NOFO calls for strengthening HIV/TB-related testing and diagnostic capacity, including for opportunistic infections. The intent is to better support clinical needs for people living with HIV, including TB diagnosis and diagnosis of other infections that contribute to illness and death, especially when patients present late or with advanced disease.

14) Does this opportunity address TB and STIs as well as HIV?

Yes. The description repeatedly links strong laboratory systems for HIV with the ability to manage related conditions such as TB, STIs, and opportunistic infections, and it specifically calls out strengthening HIV/TB-related testing.

15) What does "more efficient laboratory programs" mean here?

The announcement gives examples such as improving sample referral systems between islands or districts, optimizing test menus and platforms, reducing downtime through better supply chain and maintenance planning, and standardizing quality monitoring across laboratory networks.

16) How many awards does CDC expect to make?

The funding details indicate one expected award.

17) How much funding is anticipated?

Approximately $1,500,000 is anticipated for the first fiscal year, contingent on available funds.

18) The posting shows a Year 1 award ceiling of $0. Does that mean there is no funding?

The information provided indicates the Year 1 award ceiling is shown as $0, but it also states CDC anticipates approximately $1.5 million in total funding in Year 1. The text notes this $0 ceiling is typically a posting artifact or administrative field rather than an indication that no funds will be awarded.

19) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as broad and includes federal recognized tribal governments and tribal organizations, state and local governments, special districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including other than small businesses), small businesses, and unrestricted applicants.

20) What is the application closing date and the creation date?

The original application closing date is listed as 2025-02-18. The opportunity creation date is 2024-12-02.

21) What past work does this opportunity build on?

It builds on years of CDC technical assistance in the Caribbean that helped expand laboratory capacity, train personnel, and achieve accreditation for twelve public health laboratories.

22) Why is CDC issuing this opportunity now if there has already been progress?

Even with prior gains, CDC signals persistent challenges in efficiency and long-term sustainability. This opportunity is positioned as a next phase to move from pockets of progress to more durable, standardized laboratory networks.

23) Are any country experiences specifically referenced as informing the approach?

Yes. Lessons learned from collaboration with the Ministries of Health in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are referenced as informing the approach, suggesting an emphasis on practical, implementable improvements.

24) What is the intended impact on HIV care and treatment outcomes?

The overall intent is to help countries achieve faster, higher-quality, and more sustainable laboratory services that directly improve HIV treatment outcomes. This includes earlier diagnosis, better clinical monitoring, and stronger capacity to detect treatment failure and manage co-infections and related conditions.