Strengthening India’s integrated HIV/STI tiered laboratory network through continuous quality improvement, surveillance, and laboratory data management under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA JG 25 0102

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is CDC RFA JG 25 0102?

CDC RFA JG 25 0102 is a PEPFAR-supported cooperative agreement funding opportunity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It focuses on strengthening India's national HIV and STI laboratory system under the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) within the Ministry of Health.

2) What is the main purpose of this cooperative agreement?

The overall purpose is to protect and build on recent program gains by improving the quality, reach, and integration of HIV/STI diagnostic services across a tiered laboratory network in India. It also aims to strengthen surveillance and laboratory data management so testing information can be used faster and more effectively for patient care and public health action.

3) What is the funding amount for Year 1?

CDC lists an approximate total of $1,000,000 expected to be available for Year 1, depending on available funds.

4) How many awards does CDC expect to make?

CDC anticipates making up to 2 awards.

5) Why does the notice list the Year 1 award ceiling as "0"?

The notice states the award ceiling for Year 1 is 0 (none). This is described as a technical listing that can be used to indicate there is no fixed maximum cap per award specified in the posting, rather than meaning there will be no funding.

6) What is the application closing date?

The application closing date is February 25, 2025.

7) Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity is broad in who can apply. Eligible applicants include various levels of government, public and private colleges and universities, tribal governments and organizations, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, and for-profit entities (including small businesses). The eligibility language is described as essentially unrestricted, reflecting that CDC may fund the most suitable partner(s) for complex national laboratory strengthening work.

8) What health areas does the project focus on?

The project focuses on HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically strengthening diagnostic services, laboratory systems, and related surveillance functions under India's NACP.

9) What does "strengthening India's national HIV and STI laboratory system" involve?

Based on the opportunity description, it involves improving how the HIV/STI diagnostic network is organized and performs, strengthening a tiered laboratory network, expanding access to testing (including decentralized models), improving quality and safety practices, and improving surveillance and laboratory data management.

10) What is meant by "optimizing diagnostic networks" in this opportunity?

Optimizing diagnostic networks refers to increasing efficiency and making testing more accessible through strategies such as reducing turnaround times, improving specimen referral systems, and better matching testing platforms and capacity to where demand is greatest.

11) What is "viral load coverage saturation" and why is it emphasized?

The opportunity highlights saturating viral load coverage, meaning expanding and stabilizing HIV viral load testing so people on treatment can be routinely monitored. The emphasis is on tracking progress toward viral suppression with fewer gaps by geography, population, or facility type.

12) How does the opportunity address turnaround time for test results?

It emphasizes innovative strategies to reduce turnaround times, including improvements in diagnostic network design and specimen referral systems, so results can be delivered and acted on more quickly.

13) What role does specimen referral play in this program?

Specimen referral is highlighted as an area for improvement, including strengthening specimen referral systems to support access and efficiency across the tiered laboratory network.

14) What are the biosafety priorities in this cooperative agreement?

Biosafety is a central theme. The award aims to improve biosafety across laboratories to reduce occupational risk and strengthen safe handling, transport, and processing of specimens.

15) Does the opportunity mention accreditation or certification requirements?

Yes. It prioritizes achieving and maintaining International Organization for Standardization (ISO) accreditation along with relevant national certifications, reflecting a push toward consistent, internationally benchmarked quality management systems.

16) What is the significance of ISO accreditation in this project?

ISO accreditation is described as signaling a focus on consistent, internationally benchmarked quality management systems across laboratories, supporting reliable and standardized diagnostic services.

17) What is proficiency testing and how is it addressed?

The notice highlights expanding proficiency testing programs across multiple testing parameters. This supports ongoing verification that laboratories can produce accurate, reliable results across a broader menu of HIV and STI diagnostics and related measurements.

18) What is the role of point-of-care testing (POCT) in this opportunity?

The opportunity places strong weight on patient-centered service delivery models, particularly scaling POCT where it can overcome barriers to access. The intent includes reaching people where centralized labs are difficult to access, reducing the number of visits needed to receive results, and improving linkage to treatment.

19) Does the opportunity encourage multi-disease testing integration?

Yes. It explicitly encourages integration of multi-disease tests, reflecting an approach where platforms and workflows can support more than one condition to reduce fragmentation, lower costs, and improve the patient experience.

20) How does the opportunity approach quality during expansion of testing services?

Alongside expansion, the notice underscores quality improvement, certification, and validation. This indicates that new sites and new testing approaches should be introduced with documented performance standards and continuous monitoring, rather than rapid scale-up without safeguards.

21) What surveillance and advanced laboratory capabilities are included?

The opportunity includes incorporating molecular epidemiology to identify transmission networks and emerging needs. It also includes conducting HIV drug resistance testing to monitor resistance patterns, inform program-level regimen decisions, and protect long-term treatment effectiveness.

22) What is molecular epidemiology used for in this program?

Molecular epidemiology is described as a tool to identify transmission networks and emerging needs, helping programs detect clusters, monitor outbreaks, and understand how HIV is spreading in different contexts.

23) Why is HIV drug resistance testing part of the scope?

HIV drug resistance testing is included to monitor resistance patterns, inform regimen decisions at the program level, and protect long-term treatment effectiveness.

24) What is implementation science and how is it used here?

The notice encourages using implementation science to test and adopt innovative laboratory models that measurably improve detection, coverage, and access. Examples described include piloting new sample transport approaches, hub-and-spoke designs, digital connectivity solutions for instruments and results reporting, and differentiated testing strategies for different populations, with evaluation before scaling.

25) What kinds of innovations are encouraged for laboratory system strengthening?

The opportunity describes innovation in practical terms, including improving sample transport, adopting hub-and-spoke models, implementing digital connectivity for instruments and reporting, refining specimen referral systems, and using differentiated testing strategies that can be evaluated and scaled when evidence supports them.

26) How does laboratory data management fit into the goals of this award?

Strengthening surveillance and laboratory data management is a core intent so that testing information can be used more quickly and effectively for patient care and for public health action.

27) What does "tiered laboratory network" mean in this context?

The opportunity references a tiered laboratory network as the structure through which HIV/STI diagnostic services are delivered. The goal is improved quality, reach, and integration across that network, including better alignment of capacity and platforms with demand and stronger referral and reporting functions.

28) Is this opportunity intended to support patient-centered testing approaches?

Yes. The notice emphasizes patient-centered service delivery models, including expanding POCT to reduce access barriers, reduce visits needed to get results, and improve linkage to treatment.

29) What does the opportunity ultimately aim to improve for public health decision-making?

It aims to ensure laboratory results and testing information translate into faster, higher-quality care and smarter public health decisions, supported by improved surveillance, molecular tools, drug resistance testing, quality systems, and stronger data management.

30) What is the high-level summary of what funded work should achieve?

At a high level, the cooperative agreement is designed to strengthen India's integrated HIV/STI laboratory network end-to-end: better network design, broader viral load coverage, stronger biosafety, consistent accreditation and certification, expanded proficiency testing, more patient-friendly decentralized testing options, and more sophisticated surveillance functions such as molecular epidemiology and drug resistance testing, all supported by continuous quality improvement and improved laboratory data management.