No, the ALAI UP Project is only supporting implementation of injectable cabotegravir/rilpivirine as treatment.

However, if you are interested in implementation support for injectable PrEP please send an email to isr_adarc@cumc.columbia.edu, as there may be other opportunities in the near future.

Clinical sites that are not in EHE jurisdictions are eligible to apply.

Rural sites are encouraged to apply. We understand that the epidemic looks different around the US and US territories and will take this into account when evaluating applications under the “Generalizability and Diversity” criterion.

Yes, sites that are already providing injectables are eligible to apply. However, the application should clearly state why participation in the ALAI UP project and additional funding would be useful to the applicant.

Yes. We encourage all sites providing HIV treatment to at least 25 people with HIV to apply, including mobile clinics.

Multiple clinics that are part of a network cannot apply as a single clinical site. We recommend that a network of clinics selects one representative clinic to apply to the ALAI UP Project. If selected, this representative site can serve as a central “hub”, informally sharing technical assistance (TA) and resources with other clinics in their network (the “spokes”) so that the larger network can benefit from the project. If you are a clinic that is a part of a network, please include specific language in the Clinic Questionnaire that explains whether / how your site will be able to report data for your individual clinic.

If patients access care at more than one site within a network of clinics and only one of the network clinics is participating in the ALAI UP Project, the ALAI UP team will work with the selected site to come up with a site-specific, appropriate way to report patient data that captures this patient flow.

Yes, indirect expenses are allowed under “Other Expenses” and there is no cap. However, the $90,000 per year is the total amount available to sites. Since the $90,000 maximum is inclusive of any indirect costs requested, we strongly encourage sites to ensure that sufficient direct funding is available in requested budgets to effectively implement the project.

Funds will be disbursed based on milestone attainment. Details on milestones and timing of disbursements will be agreed to in discussion with selected sites

We suggest budgeting at least $2500 in total for three people to travel per year. This dollar amount is based on the assumption that a flight to New York City or Nashville from anywhere in the US is available for less than $700 per ticket and ground transport to and from the airport would not exceed $200. We therefore estimate that three people travelling together to one annual meeting would cost less than $2500. Sites may budget more than this if their estimated costs exceed this amount.

In Year 1, we anticipate that there will be two annual meetings, one in New York City and a second one in Nashville, TN. Therefore, sites may wish to allocate more funding to travel in Year 1 and budget based on their best estimate of travel from their location to New York City and Nashville.

Please note that sites only need to budget for travel and transportation costs. Once participants have arrived at the meeting venue, food and lodging will be provided separately by the ALAI UP Project.

We anticipate that a Project Champion could expect to spend on average 2 hours a month engaging with the ALAI UP team. In addition, there will be two, two-day meetings in Year 1, one two-day meeting in Year 2, and one two-day meeting in Year 3. In person attendance to these meetings is strongly encouraged.

Time spent conducting on-site activities, for example generating buy-in for injectable treatment, organizing Community Listening Sessions, writing and discussing protocols with staff, and reviewing data internally, will vary by site and stage of the project as well as current stage of implementation at the site.

Not necessarily. However, the applicant should describe how the Project Champion will be able to generate administrative and clinical buy-in for participation in the ALAI UP Project across three years of the program.

Community Listening Sessions can be conducted virtually or in person. The choice of virtual versus in person Listening Session should support the format that will lead to meaningful and diverse community participation, particularly among populations that are traditionally underserved by the healthcare system.

The first Annual Meeting will be held in New York City. Other Annual Meetings will be held in Nashville, TN and other TBD locations based on location of selected sites.

Please fill in the form for the total number of people with HIV at your site.

The goal of the ALAI UP Project is to support Clinical Sites to develop protocols and infrastructure to integrate injectable treatment into their HIV services in a way that prioritizes equity. As such, there is no specific target number of people living with HIV/AIDS to be initiated on injectable cabotegravir/rilpivirine.

A key goal of the ALAI UP Project is to not only directly support eight clinical sites in implementing injectable HIV treatment but also to generate knowledge and resources that can support future, equitable implementation of HIV treatment at sites across the US and US territories.

In service of this goal, clinic site diversity will be evaluated in relation to other applications we receive. We are unlikely to select eight sites that are all from one part of the US, eight sites that are all of one particular type, or eight sites that all serve the same priority population.

We use the term “generalizability” not in the strict “research” sense of the word. Instead, we will consider what can be learned from a particular clinic that may be relevant and useful to other clinic sites in similar geographic areas, of similar clinic type, or serving similar priority populations.