Understanding Infant Feeding Preferences, Practices, and Outcomes for Mothers and other Parents with HIV in the United States | RFA PS 24 040

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA PS 24 040

This grant opportunity, titled "Understanding Infant Feeding Preferences, Practices, and Outcomes for Mothers and other Parents with HIV in the United States" (RFA PS 24 040), is a CDC funding announcement designed to support a single, focused research effort that looks closely at how people with HIV in the United States make infant feeding decisions, what they actually do in real-world settings, and what outcomes follow for both parents and infants. The core idea is that HIV treatment has improved so much that perinatal HIV transmission has been dramatically reduced, which has changed the landscape of infant feeding counseling. In that newer context, clinicians and pregnant or postpartum people with HIV may engage in more shared decision making about whether to breastfeed, but the field still lacks enough detailed, practical evidence about the clinical, behavioral, and social forces that shape these decisions and the downstream health outcomes connected to different feeding practices.

The NOFO emphasizes that infant feeding is not just a medical choice, but one influenced by multiple layers of factors that remain insufficiently understood in this population. It points to the need for better clarity on the reasons people with HIV may prefer breastfeeding, formula feeding, or mixed feeding; how advice from healthcare providers affects choices; and how broader social realities such as stigma, cultural norms, family pressures, access to formula, workplace constraints, mental health, and social support play into what happens after delivery. In other words, the study supported through this award is expected to move beyond simple descriptions and instead help explain why certain feeding patterns occur and what barriers or facilitators shape them.

A major priority in the announcement is learning more about infant health outcomes when infants are breastfed by a person with HIV, in a U.S. setting where antiretroviral therapy is widely available and clinical monitoring can be robust. The CDC is signaling interest in evidence that can better inform counseling and clinical practice, especially around safety and follow-up for infants, adherence and viral suppression for postpartum parents, and how clinical teams can monitor and respond to potential risks. Alongside outcomes, the NOFO explicitly calls out interest in interventions, meaning practical strategies or program models that can support postpartum people with HIV to maintain or optimize their own health while also optimizing care for infants who are breastfed. That can include approaches that strengthen postpartum engagement in HIV care, support adherence, improve coordination between obstetric, pediatric, and HIV specialty care, and ensure infants receive appropriate monitoring and services.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means CDC expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, collaboration on project direction, deliverables, or evaluation rather than a hands-off grant). The funding activity category is health, and the CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) number is 93.084. The opportunity anticipates making one award total, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000, indicating a single recipient organization will likely lead the work, potentially with partners or subrecipients, to produce a national-level or multi-site evidence base.

Eligibility is broad and includes many public and private entities: state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), as well as other eligible applicants. The CDC is the sponsoring agency, listed as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA. The original closing date for applications was February 8, 2024, and the opportunity was created on December 6, 2023.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at building a clearer, evidence-driven picture of infant feeding decision making among people with HIV in the United States, documenting real-world feeding practices, identifying the clinical and social drivers behind those practices, and connecting them to meaningful outcomes for infants and parents. The intent is to generate knowledge that can strengthen shared decision making, improve postpartum support, and refine care models for infants who may be breastfed by parents living with HIV, all within the modern era of effective antiretroviral therapy.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Understanding Infant Feeding Preferences, Practices, and Outcomes for Mothers and other Parents with HIV in the United States" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.084.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA PS 24 040

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