Improving HPV Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescent Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial of AFIX and Remote Physician-to-Physician Engagement Strategies | RFA IP 17 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA IP 17 002

This CDC funding opportunity (RFA IP 17 002) supports a cooperative agreement to run a rigorous, factorial-design randomized controlled trial focused on improving HPV vaccination coverage among adolescent patients. The central goal is to test and compare two provider-focused strategies, both aimed at changing clinical practice and strengthening how vaccination is recommended and delivered in real-world settings. The first strategy is AFIX, which stands for Assessment, Feedback, Incentives, and eXchange. AFIX is a structured quality-improvement approach commonly used in immunization programs: clinics or providers are assessed using vaccination performance data, given targeted feedback on gaps and opportunities, offered incentives or recognition tied to improvement, and connected to peer learning or best-practice exchange to reinforce effective workflows. The second strategy is remote Physician-to-Physician (P2P) engagement, which emphasizes clinician-to-clinician outreach and coaching delivered at a distance. In practical terms, this often means experienced or respected physicians engaging other vaccine providers through phone, video, webinars, or other remote channels to address barriers, strengthen recommendation practices, and share solutions that resonate with medical decision-making and clinic realities.

A key feature of the announcement is the factorial RCT design, which allows the study to isolate the effects of AFIX alone, P2P alone, and the combined effect of both strategies together, rather than testing only one intervention against a control. This kind of design is useful when a program wants to know not only whether each strategy works, but also whether pairing them creates an additive or synergistic improvement in vaccination coverage. The trial is expected to be implemented among vaccine providers participating in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, meaning the participating clinics are serving children and adolescents who are eligible for publicly purchased vaccines. The work is intended to take place within one or more state, local, or territorial public health jurisdictions, aligning the research with public health immunization infrastructure and data systems.

While HPV vaccination improvement is the primary outcome of interest, the announcement also highlights the need to monitor the broader impact on adolescent immunization service delivery. Specifically, applicants must track whether the interventions affect uptake or delivery of other routine adolescent vaccines: Tdap, MenACWY, and seasonal influenza vaccine. This requirement matters because practice changes aimed at HPV vaccination could influence overall adolescent vaccination workflows, either positively (for example, stronger recommendation habits and better reminder systems raising coverage across vaccines) or negatively (for example, unintended shifts in visit flow or prioritization). The FOA therefore signals an emphasis on both targeted improvement in HPV coverage and awareness of system-wide effects in adolescent immunization.

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial programmatic involvement from CDC during the project. In these arrangements, CDC often collaborates on technical assistance, data and evaluation expectations, and alignment with national immunization priorities, while the recipient carries out the day-to-day implementation and research operations. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the health activity area and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.083 and 93.185. The announcement anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $500,000, suggesting one lead recipient would coordinate the RCT and related evaluation activities at the jurisdictional level.

Eligibility is broad and includes governmental entities (state, county, city/township, and special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments, other tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education where specified). The application window for the original posting closed on February 7, 2017, and the opportunity was created on November 16, 2016, under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ERA system. Overall, the FOA is framed as an applied, real-world effectiveness trial meant to generate actionable evidence about which provider engagement strategies most effectively raise HPV vaccination coverage in VFC-serving settings, while keeping a close watch on impacts across the broader adolescent vaccine platform.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving HPV Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescent Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial of AFIX and Remote Physician-to-Physician Engagement Strategies" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.083, 93.185.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-11-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-02-07. (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, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for RFA IP 17 002

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