Overview

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognize that it is critical to establish relationships with organizations that encourage and foster communication and information access. A major effort to enhance the understanding of information needs, resources, and services began in June 1993 when NLM and the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) cosponsored a conference that brought together users of NIH information resources including health care providers, scientists, information specialists, journalists, and members of the community affected by HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the conference was to review the various HIV/AIDS information services, assess current efforts with respect to needs, and identify additional needs. The outcome of the conference was the Report of a Conference Co-sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and the NIH Office of AIDS Research. As a result of the recommendations made during the conference, the NLM issued a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for AIDS Community Information Outreach Projects in May of 1994.

The purpose of the HIV/AIDS Community Information Outreach Project is to design local programs for improving HIV/AIDS health information access for patients and the affected community as well as their caregivers and the general public. Emphasis is on providing information or access to health and medical information in a way that is meaningful to the target community, and increasing the awareness and utilization of NLM online health and medical resources in the HIV/AIDS community.

Projects must involve one or more of the following information access categories:

• Information Retrieval: To provide or improve access to electronic AIDS- and other health-related information resources by the organization or by the clients they serve and to implement access to state-of-the-art AIDS-related information tools via the Internet;
  
  
• Skills Development: Training to develop skills in accessing or using HIV/AIDS-related information including the use of online databases and general AIDS information resources in order to improve services and benefit the community;
  
  
• Resource Development: To support an organization to meet the needs of their clients or communities by developing specific educational or informational materials such as culturally or language specific fact sheets, bibliographies, guides or other products; and/ or
  
  
• Document Access: Access to HIV/AIDS-related documents and other types of health information.

Emphasis is placed on the following types of organizations or consortia for developing these programs:

• Community-based organizations or patient advocacy groups currently providing HIV/AIDS related services to the affected community;
  
  
• Public libraries serving communities in the provision of AIDS-related information and resources;
  
  
• Health Departments or other local, municipal, or state agencies working to improve the public health;
  
  
• Faith-based organizations currently providing AIDS related services; and/or
  
  
• Multi-type consortia of the above-listed organizations that may be in existence or formed specifically for this purpose.

NLM has continued to issue this solicitation and has awarded over 270 organizations with funding in an effort to eliminate disparity of information access in the HIV/AIDS community. Express awards are offered for up to $10,000 and Standard awards are offered for up to $60,000.

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Current Funding Opportunity

AIDS Community Information Outreach Program has been funded for 2012. Please check back in 2013.

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Past Funded Projects

Projects funded for 2012
Projects funded for 2011
Projects funded for 2010
Projects funded for 2009
Projects funded for 2008
Projects funded for 2007
Projects funded for 2006
Projects funded for 2005
Projects funded for 2004
Projects funded for 2003
Projects funded for 2002
Projects funded for 2001
Projects funded for 2000
Projects funded for 1994-1999

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