Programmatic Interventions to Increase Uptake of Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination Among Students Attending Institutions of Higher Education | RFA IP 23 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA IP 23 003

This funding opportunity, RFA IP 23 003, is a CDC (Department of Health and Human Services) cooperative agreement focused on boosting influenza and COVID-19 vaccination rates among undergraduate students at institutions of higher education. The core idea is to support applied, campus-relevant research that not only measures what students think and know about these vaccines, but also tests practical strategies that a college or university could use to move vaccination coverage upward. The work is meant to be evidence-driven and intervention-oriented, with a clear expectation that applicants will move beyond description of the problem into designing and evaluating solutions.

The project has four main objectives that build on one another. First, awardees are expected to assess undergraduate students knowledge and attitudes related to influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, including perceptions of vaccine coverage and vaccine requirements or mandates on campus. Second, the project must identify barriers to vaccination and the factors that influence whether students are likely to get vaccinated, which can include structural access issues, trust and confidence concerns, misconceptions, social norms, perceived risk, convenience, and policy or administrative friction. Third, based on what is learned in the initial assessment, the applicant must design, implement, and rigorously evaluate one or more approaches intended to increase vaccination coverage among undergraduates for both influenza and COVID-19. Finally, the project must include a cost assessment of the intervention or interventions, so the results are useful for real-world decision-making by campuses and public health partners, not just statistically significant on paper.

The required study approach is structured and evaluative. It includes a pre-intervention survey to establish baseline knowledge, attitudes, and relevant predictors of vaccine behavior, followed by implementation of interventions that are informed by the pre-intervention findings. The intervention testing is expected to use a randomized controlled trial design, meaning students or groups of students are assigned to intervention versus comparison conditions in a way that supports credible causal conclusions about what worked. After implementation, a post-intervention survey is used to measure changes and outcomes. Alongside effectiveness evaluation, the project must conduct a cost analysis for each intervention implemented, which typically involves tracking the resources required (staff time, materials, technology, incentives, clinic operations, communications costs, and other direct or indirect expenses) and relating those costs to the outcomes achieved.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally indicates substantial involvement from the CDC during the project period (for example, collaboration on study design elements, evaluation expectations, or dissemination). The activity category is health, and the CFDA number listed is 93.185. The program anticipates making one award, with an award ceiling of $500,000, indicating a single, relatively concentrated project rather than multiple smaller pilots spread across many sites.

Eligibility is broad and includes various levels of government (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled colleges and universities, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, public housing authorities or Indian housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)) that are not institutions of higher education, as well as other entities as clarified in the additional eligibility text. The opportunity was created on November 7, 2022, and the original application deadline was January 13, 2023, with applications required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the due date.

In practical terms, a strong project under this announcement would look like a campus-centered research and implementation effort that starts by diagnosing why students are or are not getting vaccinated, then uses that information to test specific, scalable interventions (such as targeted communications, peer-led outreach, clinic access enhancements, reminder and recall systems, on-campus vaccination events, appointment or walk-in process redesign, or policy and administrative nudges), and ends with both an effectiveness readout and a clear accounting of what it cost to achieve improvements. The overall goal is actionable evidence that institutions of higher education and public health partners can use to increase influenza and COVID-19 vaccination uptake in undergraduate populations.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Programmatic Interventions to Increase Uptake of Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination Among Students Attending Institutions of Higher Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.185.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 07, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 13, 2023 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 pm ET on the listed application due date.. (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 $500,000.00 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RFA IP 23 003

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