Improving the Quality of Life of People with HIV Aged 50 Years and Older in the United States | RFA PS 24 039

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA PS 24 039

This funding opportunity, titled "Improving the Quality of Life of People with HIV Aged 50 Years and Older in the United States" (RFA PS 24 039), is a CDC-led cooperative agreement meant to support investigator-driven research focused on adults living with HIV who are age 50 and older (often referred to as PWH50). The central aim is to build practical, evidence-informed insight into what shapes quality of life for this population and then use those findings to develop and refine real-world strategies that can improve day-to-day wellbeing. The emphasis is not only on describing challenges, but on producing actionable outputs that community organizations, service providers, and public health partners can use.

The project is expected to be designed and led by the recipient, with the recipient conceiving and conducting formative research that relies heavily on qualitative and mixed-method approaches. In practice, this means studies could include interviews, focus groups, community listening sessions, surveys combined with qualitative components, or other methods that help explain both what is happening and why it is happening. The work should explore a broad range of factors that influence quality of life for older adults with HIV, which can include medical and treatment-related issues, mental health, stigma and discrimination, social support and isolation, housing and financial stability, access to culturally competent care, aging-related comorbidities, substance use, caregiving responsibilities, and other social determinants of health. The NOFO is structured to encourage recipients to identify these factors through direct engagement with PWH50 and to ground conclusions in lived experience.

A key expectation is translation from findings into strategies. The research is not meant to end at identifying barriers and facilitators; it should lead to concrete approaches that could improve quality of life. These strategies might take the form of service delivery improvements, patient support interventions, communication tools, provider training concepts, referral and navigation enhancements, or programmatic recommendations for organizations serving PWH50. After developing these potential strategies, the recipient is also expected to assess their acceptability with the intended audiences, meaning PWH50 themselves and/or HIV service providers who would deliver or support the strategies. Acceptability testing can include structured feedback sessions, pilot testing of materials, or other approaches that determine whether strategies are feasible, relevant, and respectful of the needs and preferences of older adults living with HIV.

Dissemination is another required component. The NOFO anticipates that recipients will share findings and practical lessons with organizations and partners that serve PWH50, increasing the likelihood that results move beyond academic products and into the settings where they can influence services and support. Because this is a cooperative agreement, it also implies substantial involvement from the CDC in the conduct of the project, typically through collaboration, technical assistance, and shared planning expectations consistent with the cooperative agreement model.

The opportunity aligns with broader national HIV goals, specifically the HIV National Strategic Plan (2022-2025) and the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative, with particular linkage to the "Treat" pillar. The connection here is that improving quality of life for people aging with HIV supports treatment engagement, retention in care, and long-term health outcomes, while also addressing the lived realities that can affect adherence and sustained viral suppression.

In terms of funding details, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement mechanism. The CDC program area is health (CFDA 93.084). The estimated award ceiling is $350,000, with an expected number of awards listed as one, indicating a single recipient will likely conduct the work. Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses). The original closing date for applications was February 26, 2024, and the opportunity record was created November 29, 2023.

Overall, the NOFO is essentially asking for a well-designed, community- and stakeholder-informed research effort that explains what drives quality of life among people living with HIV who are 50 and older, converts those insights into plausible improvement strategies, checks whether those strategies make sense to the people who would use them, and then actively shares the results with the networks best positioned to apply them.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving the Quality of Life of People with HIV Aged 50 Years and Older in the United States" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.084.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-26. (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 $350,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses.

Apply for RFA PS 24 039

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