New funding opportunity: Using tech to end HIV Epidemic in the South, iFORWARD

AIDS United, with funding from Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, is pleased to announce the opportunity for grant support through the iFORWARD: Equipping Organizations in the South through Technology to End the HIV Epidemic special project. The full request for proposal text can be accessed here. AIDS United will convene an optional webinar to provide clarification about the RFP and essential application submission tips. This webinar will be held on Feb. 4, 2022. Click here to register. A recording of the webinar will be available on the AIDS United website. For this initiative, iFORWARD will provide eight-month grants to 8-10 organizations in the U.S. South for professional development and technical assistance. Individuals will be able to apply for funding up to $10,000 in a cash grant.  A representative from each awarded organization will also receive 18 hours of professional development through six online sessions that will provide a dive deep into specific topics facilitated by advanced practitioners in the field. Additionally, iFORWARD’s purpose is to:

1. Improve access to information.
2. Enhance organization's ability to communicate.
3. Maintain a sense of social and emotional support.
4. Establish and maintain a virtual community.
5. Extending organizations’ geographic reach.
6. Reduce HIV-related stigma.

Eligible organizations include:

• Community-based organizations.
• AIDS service organizations.
• Federally qualified health centers.
• Other networks of people living with HIV.

Applicants must have a staff member who is based in and who also provides services or focuses their work specifically in the Southern states and jurisdictions impacted by HIV, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. 

How the grant works

A representative from each awarded organization will receive 18 hours of professional development through six online sessions that will provide a dive deep into specific topics facilitated by advanced practitioners in the field. Each course includes prereadings, a 90-minute live online training, and homework. Courses include sessions on:

• Digital inclusion.
• Data management.
• Digital literacy.
• Accessibility.

Each organization, based on their proposal, will be assigned a tech coach in one of the following three areas:   

1. Digital campaigns and digital health literacy.
2. Telemedicine and telehealth.
3. Infrastructure, marketing and communications.

Timeline

Jan. 24, 2022: Application submission portal opens Feb. 4, 2022: RFP Technical Assistance Webinar, 3 p.m. EST. Feb. 17, 2022: Applications due, 5 p.m. EST March 21, 2022: Grant period begins April 26 & 28 2022: Virtual Grantee Convening July 31, 2022: Interim grantee progress reports due Nov. 30, 2022: Grant period ends Jan. 15, 2023: Final grantee progress reports due  The full RFP text can be accessed here. Click here for a Word doc format of the full RFP text. On Feb. 4, AIDS United convened an optional webinar to provide clarification about the RFP and essential application submission tips. To view a recording of the webinar, click here or watch below. For Frequently Asked Questions about the RFP process, click here.