Enhancing sustainable HIV health systems and networks for quality detection, management, and monitoring to end HIV as a public health threat in India under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has released a forecasted cooperative agreement opportunity under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The initiative is titled Enhancing sustainable HIV health systems and networks for quality detection, management, and monitoring to end HIV as a public health threat in India. This funding is expected to build capacity and infrastructure to support India’s National AIDS Control Organization in achieving Phase VI program objectives, which are aligned with global health security priorities and U.S. foreign assistance policies. The program is designed to advance sustainable and resilient HIV health systems in India by strengthening laboratory networks, health information systems, and program monitoring structures. A central focus will be the optimization of national laboratory networks for HIV, tuberculosis, early infant diagnosis, and comorbidity testing. Proposals are expected to emphasize efficiency, accessibility, biosafety, and coverage, especially in relation to viral load testing saturation and drug resistance monitoring. Molecular epidemiology will be leveraged to track transmission networks and emerging threats in drug resistance, ensuring timely responses to epidemic dynamics. Another core component of this program is improving the ability of health systems to generate, analyze, and use high-quality data to inform decision-making, improve patient care, and monitor progress toward epidemic control. Proposals should also reinforce long-term sustainability by focusing on local ownership and integration within India’s public health systems. Activities should contribute to closing testing and treatment gaps in line with the 95-95-95 targets established for global HIV response efforts. Investments will also strengthen biosafety and laboratory quality systems and integrate innovative technologies to bridge service delivery challenges. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad, encompassing U.S. and international entities including nonprofits, for-profit organizations, higher education institutions, tribal governments and organizations, state and local governments, small businesses, and public housing authorities. Both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible, along with public and private higher education institutions. The notice specifies that the award ceiling for the first year is zero, but the Centers for Disease Control anticipates an approximate total funding level of $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, contingent upon the availability of funds. Two awards are expected to be made under this program. Applications will be accepted electronically, with an estimated due date of 2026-02-17. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date. The estimated posting date for the full Notice of Funding Opportunity is 2025-12-02. The estimated award date is 2026-09-30, with projects starting on the same day. The forecast indicates that the funding is expected to recur annually, as it aligns with broader PEPFAR programming cycles. The forecast status of this opportunity means that potential applicants should monitor for official release and prepare for early engagement. Grantor contact for this opportunity is the CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB. Inquiries should be directed to the provided email address pepfarfoas@cdc.gov. No phone contact is listed in the forecast notice. Interested applicants are encouraged to monitor Grants.gov and CDC resources for updates, detailed requirements, and technical assistance information as the official notice approaches its estimated posting date.