Deadline: 01-Sep-21
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is accepting applications for a cooperative agreement for Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) serving American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes and Urban Indian communities.
The purpose of this IHS cooperative agreement is to strengthen public health capacity and to fund Tribes, Tribal organizations, and UIOs, and inter-Tribal consortia in identifying relevant health status indicators and priorities to support Public Health interventions that reduce morbidity and mortality in the population using sound epidemiologic principles.
Goals & Objectives
The following goals and selected objectives are:
- Goal 1: Prevent New STIs
- Objective 1.1 – Increase awareness of STIs and sexual health.
- Objective 1.2 – Expand implementation of quality, comprehensive STI primary prevention activities.
- Objective 1.3 – Increase completion rates of routinely recommended human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.
- Objective 1.4 – Increase the capacity of public health, health care delivery systems, and the health workforce to prevent STIs.
- Goal 2: Improve the Health of People by Reducing Adverse Outcomes of STIs
- Objective 2.1 – Expand high-quality affordable STI secondary prevention, including screening, care, and treatment, in communities and populations most impacted by STIs.
- Objective 2.2 – Work to effectively identify, diagnose, and provide holistic care and treatment for people with STIs by increasing the capacity of public health, health care delivery systems, and the health workforce.
- Goal 3: Accelerate Progress in STI Research, Technology, and Innovation
- Objective 3.4 – Identify, evaluate, and scale up best practices in STI prevention and treatment, including through translational, implementation, and communication science research.
- Goal 4: Reduce STI-Related Health Disparities and Health Inequities
- Objective 4.1 – Reduce stigma and discrimination associated with STIs.
- Objective 4.2 – Expand culturally competent and linguistically appropriate STI prevention, care, and treatment services in communities disproportionately impacted by STIs.
- Objective 4.3 – Address social determinants of health and co-occurring conditions.
- Goal 5: Achieve Integrated, Coordinated Efforts that Address the STI Epidemic
- Objective 5.1 – Integrate programs to address the syndemic of STIs, HIV, viral hepatitis, and substance use disorders.
- Objective 5.2 – Improve quality, accessibility, timeliness, and use of data related to STIs and social determinants of health.
- Objective 5.3 – Improve mechanisms to measure, monitor, evaluate, report, and disseminate progress toward achieving national STI goals.
Core Functions
The seven core functions of the TECs are:
- Collect data relating to, and monitor progress made toward meeting, each of the health status objectives of the Service, the Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and UIOs in the service area;
- Evaluate existing delivery systems, data systems, and other systems that impact the improvement of Indian health;
- Assist Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and UIOs in identifying highestpriority health status objectives and the services needed to achieve those objectives, based on epidemiological data;
- Make recommendations for the targeting of services needed by the populations served;
- Make recommendations to improve health care delivery systems for Indians and Urban Indians;
- Provide requested technical assistance to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and UIOs in the development of local health service priorities and incidence and prevalence rates of disease and other illness in the community; and
- Provide disease surveillance and assist Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian communities to promote public health.
Funding Information
- The total funding identified for fiscal year (FY) 2021 is approximately $30,750,000. Individual award amounts for the first budget year are anticipated to be between $1,070,000 and $3,000,000.
- Anticipated Number of Awards: Approximately 12 awards will be issued under this program announcement.
- Period of Performance: The period of performance is for five years.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this FY 2021 funding opportunity applicants must:
- Be one of the following:
- A Federally recognized Indian Tribe. The term “Indian Tribe” means any Indian Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or group or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the U.S. to Indians because of their status as Indians.
- A Tribal organization. The term “Tribal organization” has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act: “Tribal organization” means the recognized governing body of any Indian Tribe; any legally established organization of Indians which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of Indians in all phases of its activities: Provided that, in any case where a contract is let or grant made to an organization to perform services benefiting more than one Indian Tribe, the approval of each such Indian Tribe shall be a prerequisite to the letting or making of such contract or grant. Applicant shall submit letters of support and/or Tribal Resolutions from the Tribes to be served.
- An Intertribal Consortium or Indian organization as:
- incorporated for the primary purpose of improving Indian health; and
- representative of the Indian Tribes or Urban Indian communities residing in the area in which the Intertribal consortium is located.
- Demonstrate that they have complied with previous terms and conditions of the Epidemiology Program for AI/AN Tribes and Urban Indian Communities grant in order to receive funding under this announcement; and
- Represent or serve a population of at least 60,000 AI/AN people or 70 percent of the Tribal governments in the Area to be eligible, as demonstrated by Tribal Resolutions, blanket Tribal Resolutions, Tribal Letters of Support (LoS) or LoS from Urban Indian clinic directors and/or Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). Applicants must describe the population of AI/AN people and Tribes that will be represented. The number of AI/AN people served must be substantiated by documentation describing IHS user populations, U.S. Census Bureau data, clinical catchment data, or any method that is scientifically and epidemiologically valid.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=330101