BRIDGE

In Fiscal Year 2025, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded an initiative titled “Addressing Stigma to End the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.” Emory University, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, has formed the BRIDGE Initiative to carry out this funding opportunity. The purpose of the initiative is to increase access to stigma-free, high-quality care, treatment, and prevention services for people who have yet to be successfully maintained in HIV care and people engaged in behaviors that increase risk for HIV. The program will provide training and technical assistance, as well as evaluation and dissemination to 20 organizations to serve as Demonstration Sites.

Training and Technical Assistance

1. Provide national anti‑stigma training to HIV care, treatment, and prevention organizations.
2. Select approximately 20 organizations through a competitive process to serve as demonstration sites.  
3. Provide ongoing technical assistance as sites adapt and implement anti-stigma approaches. For the purposes of this initiative, “anti-stigma” and “stigma mitigation” may be used interchangeably.

Evaluation and Dissemination

1. Evaluate the national anti-stigma training to understand how well it works and how it can be improved.
2. Evaluate demonstration sites’ implementation of selected interventions, including adaptations, barriers and facilitators, activities, and costs, among other effectiveness outcomes.  
3. Share results widely through clear, user‑friendly materials and multimedia products designed for different audiences.