The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently published a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) aimed at increasing the number of health professionals providing HIV care and treatment services to people of color through pilot projects that integrate HIV information into the curricula of undergraduate minority serving institutions of higher education (MSIs).

MSIs include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AAPISIs). MSIs play a critical role in the nation’s response to ending the HIV epidemic by educating and preparing the next generation of leaders, health care providers, researchers, educators, and public health professionals; conducting research that helps us improve the response to the HIV epidemic; and educating their faculty, staff and communities about HIV.

HRSA’s Building the HIV Workforce and Strengthening Engagement in Communities of Color (B-SEC) initiative emphasizes leveraging the long-standing presence and trusted voice of MSIs in communities of color disproportionately affected by HIV, through educating and training students in HIV care and treatment, raising awareness about the advances in HIV care and treatment, and reducing stigma in the communities in which the MSIs are located. Funding under this announcement will support a cooperative agreement for a four-year award to a single organization to address the national shortage of minority-serving providers in the HIV workforce.

The award recipient will integrate topics in HIV into health-related courses and the HRSA National HIV CurriculumExit Disclaimer into the curricula of participating accredited health professions programs in at least two undergraduate MSIs. Integrating topics in HIV into the broader curriculum offers an opportunity for more students to become educated about HIV regardless of their area of study. In addition, the organization will partner with MSIs to develop and implement community engagement activities, raise awareness about the advances in HIV care and treatment, and reduce the stigma that is a barrier to care in many communities of color.

The B-SEC project is supported by resources from the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund, administered by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

Applications are due on July 6.

Read more about this funding opportunity. Access the funding announcementExit Disclaimer.