NIH-PEPFAR Local Implementation Science Network

In collaboration with PEPFAR and the Bureau of Global Health Security and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research, the Center for Global Health Studies at the Fogarty International Center is launching an initiative to support NIH/PEPFAR Local Implementation Science Network (LISN) in sub-Saharan African countries with PEPFAR Country Operational Plans as of 2024. This list limited to: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The goal of this initiative is to build and strengthen national implementation science (IS) alliances that will utilize IS to address emergent and pressing priorities related to HIV, and in so doing develop a base of in-country IS capacity and experience.

Inclusion in LISN consists of two parts:

1. Development of a local alliance that responds to the local priorities and context.

• • Each alliance will convene partners to develop activities related to implementation challenges in the context of HIV and an overall agenda that addresses consensus-driven implementation science priorities. Alliance activities should be driven by collective identification of key challenges in program implementation and should include development of a locally relevant implementation research agenda, IS capacity building activities, and disseminating and sharing of research results. The local alliance should focus on local priority areas that could include but are not limited to those identified below that align with PEPFAR and NIH priorities:
    • • Developing Local Implementation Science Agenda for Integrated HIV and NCD Care
      • Developing Local Implementation Science Agenda for Youth Interventions
      • Formative Planning for Scaling Long-Acting Prevention Modalities for Priority Populations
      • Developing Local Implementation Science Agenda to Address Retention in Care

2. Engagement with the larger cross-alliance network comprised of members of all the local alliances

• • Members of the local alliances will also be part of the larger, cross-alliance network that will convene members to facilitate knowledge sharing, promote cross-alliance activities, and identify common challenges, successes and potential synergies. The cross-alliance network activities may include IS training geared towards researchers, policymakers, and program implementers. The cross-alliance network will be organized and led by NIH/FIC in collaboration with PEPFAR with guidance from an inter-agency steering committee. Successful applicants should plan to attend the LISN launch meeting at the end of January 2025.

This design is intended to allow the local alliances to tailor efforts and activities to their unique needs while also creating a broader learning environment that enables sharing of knowledge, challenges, and learning among the local alliances

In relation to the identified priority area, successful applications will describe how they will conduct the following activities:

• • Partner Engagement: Provide a description of how the alliance will identify and collaborate with local parties impacted by the research to ensure the activities and research agenda is relevant and impactful. Describe intended mechanisms for engagement of all relevant potential collaborators including program implementers, policymakers and the community in the research process from planning to execution and analysis.
  • Agenda Development: Describe plans for development of an implementation science agenda that includes objectives, methodologies, and evaluation metrics that address the unique aspects of the interventions in the local contexts.
  • Protocol Development: Describe plans for the co-development of detailed research protocols ensuring they are adaptable to local contexts and scalable contingent on additional funding.
  • Capacity Building: Describe plans to organize capacity building activities including workshops and training sessions to enhance local researcher and program capacity in implementation science, fostering sustainable research practices.
  • Scaling Strategy: Describe plans for the development of evidence-based recommendations for scaling up these modalities tailored to the specific needs and contexts of the target populations.
  • Alliance Sustainability Plan: Describe a plan for how the alliance will sustain itself to ensures ongoing activities and collaborations.

Successful applications will propose local alliance leadership teams that include one researcher with demonstrated experience and expertise in IS, at least one member from the country’s MOH, and at least one in-country PEPFAR implementing agency member with an option to have up to five members total. Applicants should identify a single or multiple priority areas, propose the scope, structure, and specific activities for the alliance outlining goals that could be achieved over the course of one year. All applications should address the activities above, including plans for implementation science capacity-building activities, sustainability, and dissemination.  Applications must also indicate specific deliverables and intended impacts.

Applications must be led by a principal investigator with a relevant NIH-supported research project that is or was active in the last five years (note, co-PIs and other leadership roles on the grant are eligible to apply) and demonstrate expertise within their research team related to HIV and implementation science. Applicants can be of any nationality or residency, though their research must be conducted in sub-Saharan African countries with PEPFAR Country Operational Plans as of 2024. Applications led by someone from the focus country or with teams made up completely of individuals from the proposed focus country will be prioritized. In addition, applicants must designate at least two but no more than five in-country partners to be part of their alliance team. These partners must be primarily located in the PEPFAR country and can include PEPFAR in-country staff, key in-country government representatives, and/or in-country research collaborators. Applicants and their designated partners are expected to be actively engaged in the local alliance and attend all cross-alliance network meetings.

The ideal applicant will have strong interest in and work related to implementation science as it applies to HIV, strong collaborations with in-country research and non-research partners, and plans to use the interactions supported by the alliance to inform and enhance the impact of their research.

All proposals must be submitted through the CRDF Global Electronic Proposal Submission (EPS) form. In order to gain access to the EPS, please contact Annie King (aking@crdfglobal.org).

E-mail attachments and hard copies will NOT be accepted.

Program Point of Contact: Annie King, CRDF Global | aking@crdfglobal.org