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The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to strengthen capabilities of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and District Health Teams (DHTs) to conduct the following activities: (1) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of HIV program including service quality assessment, (2) district led HIV programming (DLP); (3) conducting population case-based surveillance, and lastly (4) strengthening the Ministry of Health (MOH)-owned national Health Management Information System (HMIS), to generate timely, valid, consistent and complete data. This FOA is part of the PEPFAR overall sustainability plan and transition of HIV/AIDS monitoring and evaluation into the primary national health care system towards alignment to the national HIV/AIDS M&E framework and achievement of one national M&E system. The FOA also supports the PEPFAR implementation of a sustainability plan and investments in public health systems, quality improvement, and public health workforce development. At the end of the project, the main expected outcomes include increased use of information for evidence-based decision making, effective health programming at the district levels, and a well-functioning Health Management Information System. All the data collection and reporting activities will emphasize maintaining patients' and participants' confidentiality by treating information that they disclose in a relationship of trust. All of the information provided by patients/participants will be kept confidential and secure in locked rooms/drawers with limited access. Any data analyses will be conducted after all personal identifying information have been removed from electronic datasets.

This NOFO will sustain and continue progress made through the previous CDC SI Cooperative Agreement. The purpose of this NOFO is to promote evidence-based decision making for an AIDS-Free generation by monitoring data quality at the site-level and collecting, analyzing and disseminating data at all levels. NOFO objectives are to: (1) improve capacity of M&E systems to oversee data quality and data use for decision making (including capacity building of M&E staff); (2) enhance district-led and nationally supported evidence-based programming (triangulating data from multiple data sources); (3) improve the understanding of HIV burden, incidence, loss to follow-up, linkages, and referral services across interventions (95-95-95) and facilities; (4) support regular updates to DHIS2 and electronic registers (including use of unique identifiers) to reflect changes to MOH and/or PEPFAR indicators; and (5) improve and/or develop interoperability of DHIS2 with other data systems in country.

NineSigma, representing the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ("Client"), seeks technologies and solutions to make effective use of tablet computers designed to aid rice production in Senegal. It is desirable that such a solution is applicable for use even where Internet connection is slow, and does not require technological expertise in information technology.  As it is currently planned, verification testing for this project will be conducted in cooperation with the National Company for the Development and Exploitation of the Senegal River Delta, Senegal River and Faleme Valley (SAED), which is an organization responsible for promoting the development of irrigated farming on the left bank of the Senegal River, and a JICA Technical Cooperation project that provides aid to SAED. If the technology is established following the demonstration, it may potentially be applied nationwide in Senegal, as well as across Africa.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) addresses the strong need for an electronic repository system in Rwanda. The system will be a web-based monitoring and reporting system to be used by all USG PEPFAR-funded agencies and implementing partners operating in the country, including the Rwandan Ministry of Health, the Rwanda Biomedical Center, and other PEPFAR implementing partners. An initial assessment of the existing electronic system will provide insights on whether or not maintenance, upgrade, or the development of a new platform will address the needs of PEPFAR Rwanda. A flexible and stable platform is needed and will serve as the unique repository of PEPFAR Rwanda program data at the country level. It will be used to generate PEPFAR periodic reports, including the semi-annual and annual progress reports and additional ad hoc requests. The purpose of this FOA is to develop a new system or upgrade and maintain the existing web-based reporting system that has been in place since 2008 and build local capacity within the USG team to manage and maintain the system. The system should include automated checks for data quality. In doing so, the system will add new functionality (e.g., dashboard to easily view achievement of indicators, etc.) as well as add additional data variables to be used for HIV program planning and implementation. The Division of HIV/AIDS at the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) will be one of the major users of the data stored and managed on the system, and the successful applicant will be expected to work closely with this division to refine some of the data elements collected to ensure harmonization with the national system.

The U.S. Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground RTP Division, on behalf of the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO), is issuing a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), W911NF-13-R-0010, for the establishment of Research in Quantum Computing. There are two separate research topics covered in this announcement: 1. Quantum characterization, verification, and validation The Quantum Characterization, Verification, and Validation (QCVV) research topic seeks proposals addressing the development of theoretical and experimental techniques, procedures, and methods for characterizing few-qubit systems with a focus on metrics relevant to robust fault-tolerant quantum computation (FTQC). The ultimate goal is to develop a set of standards and procedures, together with experimental demonstration, that will aid in characterizing increasingly complex quantum information systems. 2. Advanced quantum computing measurement technology Quantum information systems utilize measurement in a variety of ways: for diagnostic purposes while calibrating a quantum information system, to tune up a process for optimal operation, and for final read-out when implementing a quantum information process.

The Arthur L. Norberg Travel Fund provides short-term grants-in-aid to help scholars with travel expenses to use archival collections at the Charles Babbage Institute. Each year we plan to award two or more $750 grants. The Charles Babbage Institute (CBI) is an internationally recognized research center and archives focused on the history of information technology. CBI conducts major research projects; publishes books and articles; and collects, processes, and provides open public access to the most diverse and extensive collection of archival materials on computing, software, and networking in the world. CBI collections include the records of corporations, technical and trade associations, personal papers, industry publications, oral histories, photographs, film/video, and an extensive reference library. The Norberg Travel Fund is named for CBI's founding director, Arthur L. Norberg, and is funded by generous gifts from his friends and colleagues.

PEPFAR South Sudan collaborates closely with the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) Ministry of Health (MOH) and other key partners to implement the HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan (NSP) and has developed a five year PEPFAR strategy for the RSS. By targeting geographic areas with high HIV prevalence, PEPFAR will assist the RSS to reach the HIV programmatic goal/tipping point of 16,000 net new HIV patients on treatment and an annual reduction of new HIV infections to below 13,000 by 2017. A primary objective to reach this goal requires improved availability and quality of HIV services for families and other high-impact populations using a public health approach. Under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), PEPFAR South Sudan prioritizes working in collaboration with the MOH to implement the following approaches: 1) expand HIV testing and counseling (HTC) through high-yield testing approaches, 2) improve access to ART services for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, their partners, and children, 3) strengthen pediatric HIV testing, care and treatment within a family centered approach, and 4) advance the development of a sustainable infrastructure for South Sudan's workforce. This FOA solicits a combination of capacity building and mentorship for the RSS MOH at the national, state and local levels as well as through direct service delivery to complement the MOH, Global Fund and other partner efforts to scale-up HIV prevention, care and treatment programs in South Sudan.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications from single institutions, or consortia of institutions, to participate in a network of research groups developing computational models of immunity to infectious diseases other than HIV/AIDS. Applications are sought to develop, refine and validate computational models of immune responses (1) during or following infection, and/or (2) before and after vaccination against an infectious disease, through an iterative approach involving computational studies and immunological experimentation. The main goal of this FOA is to advance our understanding of the complex immune mechanisms triggered by infection and/or vaccination through the development and application of computational models of immunity, coupled with immunological experimentation to validate and improve the utility and robustness of the computational models.Another goal of this FOA is to make the computational models and data developed under this initiative readily available to the broader research community for further refinement or direct use in biological experimentation. This program will also support pilot projects, workshops, and symposia to foster the use of computational models of immunity by the broader research community.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications from single institutions, or consortia of institutions, to participate in a network of research groups developing computational models of immunity to infectious diseases other than HIV/AIDS. Applications are sought to develop, refine and validate computational models of immune responses (1) during or following infection, and/or (2) before and after vaccination against an infectious disease, through an iterative approach involving computational studies and immunological experimentation. The main goal of this FOA is to advance our understanding of the complex immune mechanisms triggered by infection and/or vaccination through the development and application of computational models of immunity, coupled with immunological experimentation to validate and improve the utility and robustness of the computational models.  Another goal of this FOA is to make the computational models and data developed under this initiative readily available to the broader research community for further refinement or direct use in biological experimentation. This program will also support pilot projects, workshops, and symposia to foster the use of computational models of immunity by the broader research community.  

The purpose of this initiative is to support Genomic Centers for Infectious Diseases (GCID) to promote broad use and expand the application of genomics technologies and computational analysis to understand infectious diseases, with an emphasis on pathogens, their interaction with the host and microbiome, and to aid in the development of novel genomics-based tools to diagnose, prevent and treat infectious diseases. The GCID will support innovative technology development in all aspects of genomics, including the use of synthetic and genome editing technologies as well as functional genomics to address basic, translational, and clinically relevant questions in host-pathogen interactions. The knowledge generated, including research data, analytical software tools, computational models, experimental protocols, and reagents, is expected to be widely disseminated to the scientific community through publicly accessible databases and reagent repositories.

The Loan Guaranty Service (LGY), which is an office of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing the availability of funds for the Specially Adapted Housing Assistive Technology (SAHAT) Grant Program. The objective of the grant is to encourage the development of new assistive technologies for specially adapted housing. Veterans Affairs acknowledges there are many emerging technologies that could improve home adaptations or otherwise enhance a Veteran's or Servicemember's ability to live independently. Therefore, VA has defined ''new assistive technology'' as an advancement the Secretary determines could aid or enhance the ability of a Veteran or Servicemember to live in an adapted home. PLEASE NOTE: SAHAT funding does not support the construction or modification of residential dwellings for accessibility. Veterans and Servicemembers interested in receiving assistance to adapt a home are encouraged to contact their local Veterans Affairs Regional Benefits Office, Regional Loan Center, or Medical Center for more information, or visit: http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/adaptedhousing.asp **Note: Some documents may contain an application expiration date of February 25, 2018, that date has been extended to March 4, 2018.

The Engineering Design and Systems Engineering (EDSE) program supports fundamental research into the basic processes and phenomena of engineering design and systems engineering. The program seeks proposals leading to improved understanding about how processes, organizational structure, social interactions, strategic decision making, and other factors impact success in the planning and execution of engineering design and systems engineering projects. It also supports advances pertaining to engineering design and systems engineering in areas that include, but are not limited to, decision making under uncertainty, including preference and demand modeling; problem decomposition and decision delegation; applications of reverse game theory (mechanism design); computer-aided design; design representation; system performance modeling and prediction; design optimization; uncertainty quantification; domain- or concern-specific design methods; and advanced computational techniques for supporting effective human cognition, decision making, and collaboration. Competitive proposals for novel methods will include a plan to evaluate rigorously the effectiveness and performance of the proposed approach. The EDSE program encourages multidisciplinary collaborations of experts in design and systems engineering with experts in other domains. Of particular interest is research on the design of engineering material systems that leverages the unique aspects of a particular material system to realize advanced design methods that are driven by performance metrics and incorporate processing/manufacturing considerations.

The Arthur L. Norberg Travel Fund provides short-term grants-in-aid to help scholars with travel expenses to use archival collections at the Charles Babbage Institute.  Each year we plan to award two or more $750 grants. The Charles Babbage Institute (CBI) is an internationally recognized research center and archives focused on the history of information technology.  CBI conducts major research projects; publishes books and articles; and collects, processes, and provides open public access to the most diverse and extensive collection of archival materials on computing, software, and networking in the world.  CBI collections include the records of corporations, technical and trade associations, personal papers, industry publications, oral histories, photographs, film/video, and an extensive reference library.  The Norberg Travel Fund is named for CBI's founding director, Arthur L. Norberg, and is funded by generous gifts from his friends and colleagues.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Burma and the National Department of Health (NDOH) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) plan to rapidly expand high-quality antiretroviral treatment (ART) coverage in the coming years by increasing capacity at existing delivery sites and decentralizing selected services to provincial, district and township levels. In order to accomplish this expansion, the MOH and NDOH need strong laboratory systems that ensure high-quality HIV diagnostic and clinical monitoring of patients at the existing and new service delivery sites. This will require strengthening the capacity of Burma's National Health Laboratory (NHL) and Papua New Guinea's Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL), as well as building capacity of sub-national laboratories and improving the laboratory network in these countries.This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will be awarded to a technical assistance (TA) partner to provide support to NHL and CPHL in several key areas, including: (1) developing and helping implement standard operating procedures, policies, guidelines, and training materials related to management and operations of national and sub-national laboratories; (2) building capacity of NHL and CPHL staff to validate, conduct, and ensure strong (and often cross-cutting) quality assurance and monitoring systems for HIV-related diagnostic and clinical monitoring activities; (3) strengthening the overall laboratory network in Burma and PNG that may include specimen transport and right-sizing of various classes of laboratories; and (4) providing supporting mentoring of NHL and NDOH staff and opportunities for professional development.

CDC Tanzania is seeking to enter into a cooperative agreement to provide software development and other health information systems (HIS) related support services to United Republic of Tanzania government ministries, agencies or departments. The partner(s) will help increase the use of electronic systems to improve delivery of services, increase the number of interoperable systems exchanging and sharing data to support evidence-based decision making, and improve the alignment between health information systems and health sector service delivery and management requirements.

Human resources (HR) are an essential component of Zimbabwe's health system, and are therefore critical for an effective response to the HIV epidemic. Still recovering from the effects of the political crisis in the first decade of the 21st century, the country's health institutions are understaffed and the workforce overburdened. Efficient information systems can provide knowledge to equitably distribute scarce human resources. This includes both applications to manage information about the health sector workforce and means to electronically share information across systems. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will build on past and current CDC-supported activities at the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) and the Health Professional Regulatory Bodies.

This call, issued to universities worldwide, may be addressed by an individual investigator or a research team. Our selection process is divided into two stages. Interested parties are requested to submit a 1-page white paper, which should identify what can be done in a three-year period beginning January 1, 2019. A successfully selected white paper will result in an invitation to submit a full proposal. These proposals will be further down-selected for research contracts.