The purpose of the program is to establish, expand, and sustain a public health workforce to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. This includes mobilizing community outreach workers, which includes community health workers, patient navigators, and social support specialists, to educate and assist individuals in accessing and receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes activities such as conducting faceto-face outreach and reaching out directly to community members to educate them about the vaccine, assisting individuals in making a vaccine appointment, providing resources to find convenient vaccine locations, assisting individuals with transportation or other needs to get to a vaccination site. The program intends to address persistent health disparities by offering support and resources to vulnerable and medically underserved communities, including racial and ethnic minority groups and individuals living in areas of high social vulnerability.
implementing public health programs across broad geographic areas in order to ensure that services will be provided to vulnerable and medically underserved areas across the nation (see data sources in Section IV.7 to identify target populations). This approach will require award recipients to have the relationships and capacity necessary to engage at multiple levels, including with national, regional, state and/or local organizations. Award recipients should propose a multi-state or multi-regional approach based on their capability to administer the program. In addition, award recipients will need to demonstrate that they have the infrastructure set up to implement a program of this scale quickly; clearly describe how they will ensure that the funding will directly serve and impact vulnerable communities; and demonstrate how they will prioritize hiring individuals from the communities they will serve by providing outreach, education and assistance related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
NOTE: Multiple applications from an organization are not allowable.
Interested applicants from within Duke should contact dukeiln@duke.edu as early as possible.
Deadline: May 18, 2021
Eligible applicants include nonprofit private or public organizations with demonstrated experience in implementing public health programs and established relationships with such State, territorial, or local public health departments, particularly in medically underserved areas. This includes Tribes and Tribal organizations as well.
Applicants should have demonstrated experience and expertise in implementing public health programs across broad geographic areas. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the ability to provide services to areas and populations not being reached by current COVID-19 vaccination and response efforts. Applicants are expected to have, and should be able to clearly describe the partnerships they have formed at both the regional and local level to directly assist individuals in getting the COVID-19 vaccine. These partnerships should include organizations such as community-based organizations and other health and social service organizations that can directly hire community outreach workers from the vulnerable and medically underserved communities they will serve and can reach out to these communities across the country; specifically the areas or populations with low vaccination rates to date. Applicants should use recent, relevant data sources to identify counties and target populations of high social vulnerability (see Section IV.7). Applicants should propose a multi-state or multi-regional approach with strong local partnerships.
HRSA estimates $125,000,000 to be available to fund approximately 10 recipients expected to complete their activities within a 6-month period of performance. You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $12,500,000 total cost (includes both direct and indirect, facilities and administrative costs). The period of performance is June 1, 2021 through November 30, 2021 (6-months). This program notice is subject to the appropriation of funds, and is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds appropriately.