Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Start in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – Dissemination Assistance Provider | HRSA 20 076

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 20 076

The FY 2020 Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Start in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) - Dissemination Assistance Provider grant (HRSA-20-076) is a 3-year discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), focused on speeding up access to HIV treatment by spreading practical, real-world models that help clinics start ART quickly after diagnosis. Rather than funding multiple direct service sites, this opportunity funds one organization to act as a national dissemination assistance provider, meaning the awardee’s primary job is to gather, analyze, package, and share effective rapid ART approaches so that other RWHAP-funded programs and HIV providers can replicate them.

At the center of the project is the development of a compendium of promising rapid ART interventions. The funded organization is expected to systematically find innovative rapid-start practices, document how they work in detail, and translate those findings into products and guidance that other providers can use. HRSA’s intent is broad and practical: identify what is working, understand the policy and operational conditions that make it work, highlight common barriers, and help other systems adapt these approaches to their own settings. The population emphasis is people with HIV who are newly diagnosed and those who are not currently engaged in care, with an overarching goal of shortening the time from diagnosis to treatment initiation and improving downstream outcomes like retention and viral suppression.

The work described in the notice includes five major activity areas. First, the recipient must conduct a comprehensive environmental scan to compile effective rapid ART interventions, essentially mapping the field and collecting models that have demonstrated results. Second, the recipient must examine policies and operational procedures that shape rapid ART start at both the clinic level and across wider systems, since rapid-start success often depends on eligibility rules, workflow design, data sharing, medication access pathways, staffing patterns, and coordination across agencies. Third, the recipient must document and disseminate what is learned, including not just success stories but also the barriers and challenges sites encounter, which can include issues like same-day medication access, insurance and Ryan White eligibility determination, lab and pharmacy logistics, and maintaining engagement after the first visit. Fourth, the recipient must assess adaptability, meaning they should help others understand which parts of a model are essential versus flexible, and how an intervention might be modified for different clinic sizes, patient populations, or local resource constraints. Fifth, the recipient must actively promote replication of effective models among RWHAP providers and other organizations serving people with HIV, shifting the project from passive reporting to active support for spread and uptake.

HRSA provides examples of the kinds of rapid ART models and interventions that fit the purpose of the grant. These include approaches proven to reduce the time from HIV diagnosis to entry into care and initiation of ART, including models that speed up eligibility determination for RWHAP services. They also include interventions that show improved retention in care, recognizing that rapid initiation alone is not enough if patients are not supported to stay connected over time. Finally, HRSA highlights interventions that demonstrate a reduced time from rapid ART initiation to viral suppression, along with sustained virologic response, aligning the program with clinical and public health goals such as durable viral suppression and reduced HIV transmission risk.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a grant (not a contract) with an expected single award. The award ceiling is $1,000,000, and HRSA anticipates making one award total, reinforcing that the selected organization will serve as the central hub for this national dissemination and technical assistance-style function. The program falls under the health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.928 (RWHAP). The opportunity was posted with a creation date of November 15, 2019, and an original closing date of March 3, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with applicants directed to the opportunity’s eligibility clarification section for specifics, which typically signals HRSA is open to a range of organizational types that can credibly execute national-level scanning, analysis, and dissemination work.

Overall, this grant is designed to accelerate the field’s ability to implement rapid ART start by capturing proven or promising strategies, examining the real policy and workflow conditions behind them, and turning that knowledge into practical dissemination that helps more clinics adopt models that get people from diagnosis to treatment faster, keep them engaged, and reach viral suppression sooner and more reliably.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Start in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – Dissemination Assistance Provider" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.928.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 15, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 03, 2020. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 20 076

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