Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA GH 21 006
The grant opportunity titled "Strengthening Public Health Research and Implementation Science (Operations Research) to Control and Eliminate Infectious Diseases Globally" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA GH 21 006) is a CDC cooperative agreement designed to support applied public health research and practical, on-the-ground implementation science aimed at improving how countries detect, prevent, and respond to infectious disease threats. It focuses on generating usable evidence and quickly translating that evidence into real public health programs, with an emphasis on global settings where outbreaks can spread rapidly and health systems may need added support to expand surveillance and response capacity.
A central goal of the opportunity is to conduct and monitor epidemiologic and laboratory-based work related to COVID-19 and other emerging or re-emerging public health threats across several priority regions: Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The work described includes surveillance and research activities that help quantify pathogen exposure and transmission, particularly through serologic testing (blood-based testing that can identify prior infection or immune response). Applicants are expected to support studies and surveillance approaches that can estimate how widely a pathogen has circulated, evaluate transmission patterns, and improve understanding of immune responses to infectious agents. The opportunity also highlights methodological work, such as assessing different approaches for collecting, managing, and analyzing serology results, which can include evaluating sampling strategies, test performance, data systems, and interpretation frameworks that make results more actionable for decision-makers.
Another major requirement is that the resulting evidence cannot remain academic; it must be incorporated into operational public health programs. In practice, that means recipients are expected to help public health authorities use findings to improve disease detection, prevention, control, and response strategies. This may involve strengthening routine and event-based surveillance, improving laboratory networks and testing strategies, refining outbreak investigation workflows, and supporting data-driven interventions that reduce transmission. The grant explicitly ties this applied work to broader public health capacity building aligned with the Global Health Security Agenda, signaling that recipients should contribute to sustainable system improvements such as workforce development, laboratory and surveillance strengthening, emergency preparedness, and better coordination across agencies and partners.
Dissemination is also built into the purpose of the award. Recipients are expected to share findings across the supported regions, with in-country and international partners, and with the global public health community. This implies producing practical outputs such as technical reports, guidance, and lessons learned that others can adopt, along with more formal scientific dissemination where appropriate. The overall expectation is a cycle of generating evidence, applying it to improve programs, and then spreading what works so that improvements can be replicated across settings facing similar threats.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CFDA 93.326), offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically means CDC anticipates substantial involvement in technical direction, collaboration, and oversight during the project period. The original posting date was November 16, 2020, with an original application deadline of February 22, 2021 (applications due by 5:00 p.m. ET). The award ceiling was listed at $2,000,000, with an expectation of six awards, indicating a competitive process aimed at supporting a small number of relatively well-resourced projects with meaningful regional impact.
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), as well as other eligible entities as described in the opportunity’s additional eligibility language. Overall, the opportunity is geared toward organizations that can combine strong technical expertise in epidemiology and laboratory science with the operational capability to work with public health programs in multiple countries or regions, implement studies and surveillance activities, and translate results into improved real-world disease control and outbreak response.Apply for RFA GH 21 006
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Public Health Research and Implementation Science (Operations Research) to Control and Eliminate Infectious Diseases Globally" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.326.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 16, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 22, 2021 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 500 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Strengthening Public Health Research and Implementation Science (Operations Research) to Control and Eliminate Infectious Diseases Globally."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA GH 21 006.
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What type of award mechanism is used?
The award is a cooperative agreement. This typically means CDC expects substantial involvement during the project period through technical direction, collaboration, and oversight.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.326.
What is the main purpose of the cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to support applied public health research and implementation science (operations research) that improves how countries detect, prevent, and respond to infectious disease threats, and to quickly translate evidence into practical public health programs.
What kinds of activities does the opportunity emphasize?
It emphasizes applied epidemiologic and laboratory-based work, including surveillance and research activities, with a strong expectation that findings are used operationally to improve real-world public health programs rather than remaining purely academic.
Which diseases or threats are specifically referenced?
The opportunity explicitly references COVID-19 and other emerging or re-emerging public health threats.
Which regions are identified as priority areas for work?
The priority regions listed are Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
What is meant by "implementation science" or "operations research" in this context?
In this opportunity, implementation science (operations research) refers to generating usable evidence from applied public health research and then rapidly incorporating that evidence into on-the-ground public health programs to improve detection, prevention, control, and response.
What role does serologic testing play in the supported work?
Serologic testing (blood-based testing that can identify prior infection or immune response) is highlighted as a key approach to quantify pathogen exposure and transmission, estimate how widely a pathogen has circulated, evaluate transmission patterns, and improve understanding of immune responses.
Are applicants expected to do methodological work related to serology?
Yes. The opportunity highlights methodological assessments of approaches for collecting, managing, and analyzing serology results. Examples mentioned include evaluating sampling strategies, test performance, data systems, and interpretation frameworks to make results more actionable for decision-makers.
Is the research expected to be translated into public health practice?
Yes. A major requirement is that evidence must be incorporated into operational public health programs to improve disease detection, prevention, control, and response strategies.
What are examples of operational public health improvements mentioned?
Examples described include strengthening routine and event-based surveillance, improving laboratory networks and testing strategies, refining outbreak investigation workflows, and supporting data-driven interventions that reduce transmission.
How does the opportunity connect to broader health security efforts?
The opportunity ties applied work to public health capacity building aligned with the Global Health Security Agenda, emphasizing sustainable improvements such as workforce development, laboratory and surveillance strengthening, emergency preparedness, and better coordination across agencies and partners.
Are recipients expected to share or disseminate findings?
Yes. Dissemination is built into the award purpose. Recipients are expected to share findings across the supported regions, with in-country and international partners, and with the global public health community.
What types of dissemination outputs are implied?
The description implies practical outputs such as technical reports, guidance, and lessons learned that others can adopt, along with formal scientific dissemination where appropriate.
How many awards were expected under this opportunity?
The opportunity indicated an expectation of six awards.
What was the maximum award amount (ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling was $2,000,000.
When was the opportunity originally posted?
The original posting date was November 16, 2020.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was February 22, 2021, with applications due by 5:00 p.m. ET.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), as well as other eligible entities as described in the opportunity's additional eligibility language.
What kinds of organizations is this opportunity best suited for?
It is geared toward organizations that combine technical expertise in epidemiology and laboratory science with the operational capability to work with public health programs across multiple countries or regions, implement studies and surveillance activities, and translate results into improved disease control and outbreak response.
Does CDC anticipate an active role during the project?
Yes. Because it is a cooperative agreement, CDC anticipates substantial involvement in technical direction, collaboration, and oversight.
Is this opportunity designed for multi-country or regional impact?
Yes. The focus on multiple priority regions and dissemination across supported regions signals an expectation of meaningful regional impact and sharing of practices that can be replicated in similar settings.
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