HHS CDC - Secure HIV-TRACE Bioinformatics Application - MRAS

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the General Services Administration (GSA), is conducting market research to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their efforts to enhance public health through HIV prevention. The focus of this research is on the Secure HIV-TRACE Bioinformatics Application, a critical tool developed to aid in the detection of molecular clusters associated with rapid HIV transmission. This initiative aligns with the broader goals of the Division of HIV Prevention (DHP) within the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), which aims to prevent new HIV infections and improve health outcomes across the United States.

The work being requested involves maintaining and enhancing Secure HIV-TRACE, a secure web-based bioinformatics application originally developed by the University of California, San Diego. This platform facilitates real-time local analysis by state and local health departments to identify networks of ongoing HIV transmission. The application allows these jurisdictions to utilize existing surveillance data effectively, enabling timely interventions that can prevent further transmission. The CDC emphasizes that continued maintenance is crucial for ensuring compliance with security standards and accommodating evolving programmatic priorities related to cluster detection and response.

In addition to maintaining Secure HIV-TRACE, there is an emphasis on building bioinformatics capacity at state and local levels. Health departments need robust tools capable of integrating molecular cluster detection into their surveillance programs. This integration helps jurisdictions swiftly identify clusters indicative of rapid transmission, thereby allowing for prioritized intervention strategies using biomedical approaches proven effective in preventing HIV spread.

Furthermore, as part of this solicitation, HHS seeks expertise in various technical domains necessary for supporting Secure HIV-TRACE's functionality. These include proficiency in bioinformatics tool development for molecular detection, experience with specialized molecular analytic methods such as phylogenetic analysis, as well as capabilities in software engineering using technologies like JavaScript, C++, Python, React.js, Node.js, and AWS infrastructure management.