Request for Application: Hepatitis Advocacy Consultants
RFA Issue Date: September 10, 2026
RFA Closing Date: November 10, 2026 at 11:59 pm Eastern
NASTAD anticipates contracting with two (2) consultants for this RFA.
NASTAD is seeking applications for its Hepatitis Advocacy Consultant Cohort, an initiative designed to support the leadership of people with living and lived experience and reduce stigma associated with hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis D (HDV), and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).
Selected Consultants will be compensated to participate in a virtual and in-person training program designed to strengthen their skills as advocates, educators, and trainers. The program will build participants' knowledge and skills related to messaging, and person-centered communication. Following successful completion of the training, consultants will work with NASTAD to inform educational content and messaging and contribute to peer- and provider-focused educational activities.
Application Instructions
Applications are due by November 10, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET. and must be submitted via email.
For questions about this opportunity or the application process, please contact:
Isabel Lechuga, Director, Hepatitis
Overview
NASTAD's mission is to advance the health and dignity of people living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics by strengthening governmental public health and leveraging community partnerships. NASTAD represents public health officials across U.S. states, territories, and directly funded local jurisdictions and works with public health agencies, community-based organizations, healthcare providers, and people with lived experience to strengthen health systems and improve access to care.
With support from the CDA Foundation's A.L.L.I.E.S. initiative, NASTAD is expanding the consultant program to strengthen patient leadership and address stigma related to HBV, HCV, HDV, and PBC. The project will enhance the advocacy curriculum, and support provider-focused education on stigma reduction and patient-centered communication.
About the Hepatitis Advocacy Consultant Program
People living with or affected by liver disease bring knowledge and perspectives that are essential to improving healthcare and public health programs. At the same time, stigma and misconceptions surrounding liver disease can affect how individuals experience healthcare, communicate with providers, seek services, and engage with public health systems.
NASTAD recognizes lived experience as expertise. Through this program, consultants will use their experiences to promote education, advocacy, and leadership while maintaining agency over how and when their personal experiences are shared.
The expanded program will address stigma and misconceptions associated with four liver conditions:
- Hepatitis B (HBV)
- Hepatitis C (HCV)
- Hepatitis D (HDV)
- Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
Although these conditions have different causes and clinical experiences, individuals may encounter shared misconceptions and stigma surrounding liver disease. The project seeks to promote inclusive messaging while maintaining disease-specific accuracy.
Hepatitis Advocacy Consultant - Scope of Work
Selected consultants will participate in a virtual and in-person training (date and location TBD). Training topics are expected to include:
Messaging and Audience Engagement
- Developing messages and approaches for engaging peers, community members, public health professionals, and healthcare providers.
Patient-Provider Communication
- Exploring strategies for improving communication, empathy, and person-centered interactions between patients and healthcare providers.
- Training and Facilitation Skills
- Building skills to facilitate or co-facilitate educational sessions and preparing consultants to serve as lived-experience trainers.
The approved project specifically calls for structured educational content addressing liver health literacy, stigma, harm reduction and structural determinants of health, storytelling for advocacy, and patient-provider communication, along with expanded advocacy and messaging content.
Consultant Responsibilities
During the training period, selected consultants will be expected to:
- Attend two-day in-person training (date and location to be determined)
- Actively participate in scheduled virtual and in-person training sessions;
- Complete assigned training activities and exercises;
- Contribute their perspectives to discussions about liver health, stigma, advocacy, and patient-centered care;
- Support other advocates in learning about and educating providers on HBV, HCV, HDV, primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
- Participate in the development or refinement of educational messaging and training content, as appropriate;
- Build skills in storytelling, facilitation, advocacy, and communication; and
- Participate in program evaluation activities, including pre- and post-training assessments.
NASTAD will create a supportive learning environment that recognizes lived experience as expertise and prioritizes meaningful participation rather than tokenization. The approved project specifically commits to supporting participants' agency in shaping messaging, storytelling approaches, and educational materials.
Who Should Apply?
NASTAD encourages applications from individuals with lived or living experience related to HBV, HCV, HDV, and/or PBC who are interested in using their experiences to contribute to education, advocacy, stigma reduction, and improvements in healthcare and public health.This RFA is open only to applicants in the United States and territories.
Applicants should:
- Have lived or living experience relevant to one or more of the liver conditions addressed by this project;
- Have experience in public speaking and health education geared towards clinicians and people with lived experience
- Be interested in reducing stigma and misconceptions surrounding liver disease;
- Be interested in developing skills related to advocacy, education, storytelling, communication, and/or facilitation;
- Be willing to participate actively in a virtual learning environment;
- Be interested in engaging with peers, public health professionals, healthcare providers, and/or community audiences; and
- Be able to participate in the approximately two-day in-person training.
If selected, consultants will be compensated for their participation.
Specific compensation, payment schedules, and expectations will be communicated to selected applicants before contracting.
The approved proposal commits to compensating Hepatitis Advocacy Consultants for training participation, content input, and facilitation of provider-facing webinar sessions.
Application Instructions
Applications are due by November 10, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET and must be submitted via email:
Interested applicants should submit an application to hepatitisrfp@nastad.org
Please include “RFA Hepatitis Advocacy Consultant” in the subject line.
Applicants will be asked to provide the following basic information:
Contact Information:
First and last name
Pronouns (optional)
Email address
Phone number (optional)
City and state/territory
Organizational affiliation, if applicable
Applicants do not need to be affiliated with an organization to apply.
Application Narrative
Please respond to the following questions. Responses will be reviewed by the NASTAD project team and treated with appropriate confidentiality. Applicants should share only information they are comfortable sharing as part of the application process.
1. Please describe your lived or living experience related to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and/or primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).
Maximum: 300 words
2. Based on your experience, what stigma, misconceptions, or barriers related to liver disease would you most like to see addressed?
Maximum: 300 words
3. Why are you interested in using your lived experience to educate, advocate for, or support others?
Maximum: 300 words
4. What perspectives, experiences, or skills would you bring when engaging with peers, healthcare providers, public health professionals, or community members?
Maximum: 300 words
5. What do you hope to learn or accomplish by participating in the Hepatitis Advocacy Consultant program?
Maximum: 300 words
Optional Supporting Materials
Applicants may also submit:
- A CV or résumé, if available; and/or
- Other materials that demonstrate relevant advocacy, education, community engagement, or lived-experience leadership.
- A professional résumé or CV is not required to be considered for this opportunity.
Selection Process
NASTAD will review applications based on applicants' lived/living experience, interest in addressing stigma related to liver health, interest in advocacy or health education, perspectives they would bring to the cohort, and ability to participate in the training program.
NASTAD may invite a small number of applicants to participate in brief virtual interviews to learn more about their interests, answer questions, and clarify program expectations.
Selected applicants will be contacted directly by NASTAD.
What Happens After Training?
Successful completion of the training is intended to prepare participants to serve as Hepatitis Advocacy leaders and trainers.
Following training, consultants will work with NASTAD on activities such as:
- Informing educational messaging and content development;
- Providing perspectives from lived experience in educational materials;
- Contributing to the development or refinement of training materials;
- Facilitating or co-facilitating peer-focused educational activities;
- Contributing to provider-focused webinars and trainings;
- Sharing lived-experience-informed strategies for reducing stigma and improving patient-provider communication; and
- Supporting other education and advocacy activities aligned with the Hepatitis Advocacy initiative.
The approved proposal specifically positions Hepatitis Advocacy Consultants as leaders/trainers rather than only participants and anticipates their involvement in provider-facing education designed to address stigma at the point of care.
Post-training opportunities will be based on project needs, consultant interest and availability, and the scope of individual consulting agreements. Participation in the initial training does not constitute full-time employment with NASTAD.
For additional questions about this opportunity or the application process, please contact:
Isabel Lechuga, Director, Hepatitis