National Minority AIDS Council Building Healthier Communities

August 28, 2008

Please see Special Message to 2008 Equal Access Initiative: Computer Grants Program Participants.

** Click here to download the 2009 EAI Computer Grants Program RFP brochure.   **

Applications are due February 7 - National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of AIDS Research (OAR) are pleased to announce the 2008 Equal Access Initiative (EAI) Computer Grants Program.

Recipients this year will receive the following:

One hundred (100) F/CBOs will be selected to participate in the EAI Computer Grants Program this year. Each participant receives the following:

• A wireless-ready laptop computer with a pre-installed with a Windows operating system.
  
  
• Laptop lock
  
  
• Microsoft Office software package.
  
  
• Scholarship package to send one representative to participate in the Equal Access Initiative: HIV/AIDS Information Resources from the National Library of Medicine training, sponsored by NLM. The 2008 training will take place September 18-19, at USCA, which will be held September 18-21, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
  
  Each scholarship package will include the following for one representative from each grantee organization:
• One (1) USCA registration
• Hotel accommodation
• Per diem

Please note: Grant awards DO NOT include printers or furniture. We are sorry, but we CANNOT offer airfare.

Who May Apply?

Participation in this program is restricted to community-based organizations holding current 501(c)(3) status in the United States, its territories and possessions. Individuals are not eligible.

In addition, each CBO must:

• Not have been a recipient of the 2008 Equal Access Initiative Computer Grant. Organizations that have received an Equal Access Initiative Computer Grant in 2008 are not eligible to receive an award during this funding period.
  
  
• Be committed to developing and/or expanding HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention education programming for their clients.
   
• Already have established, or plan to establish, Internet access in some form. This program is intended to provide clients and staff greater access to Internet-based treatment and prevention education resources. It is not intended to supply general Internet access to the entire F/CBO.
  
  
• Plan additional activities to help clients benefit from the new system. The new computer system should be accessible to clients and integrated into the organization’s HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs.
  
  
• Agree to participate in a comprehensive evaluation of the Computer Grants Program by NMAC after six months. This evaluation may include requests for direct, confidential interviews with clients and staff concerning the new computer system.
  
  
• Any F/CBO that meets the above criteria is eligible to apply; however, NMAC is targeting minority F/CBOs that could not otherwise afford broader client and frontline staff access to Internet-based treatment and prevention education resources. Geographic diversity also will be an important factor in the final selection of participants. Organizations selected to receive a computer grant must agree to participate in all NMAC and OAR Internet programs.

Please note: Organizations that received computer grants in 2007 or earlier are eligible to re-apply during this special application submission period.

Additional Information
For additional details, send an an e-mail to NMAC’s Communications Division communications@nmac.org or at (202) 483-NMAC (6622).