cdc-rfa-jg-26-0046_v4_forPublication.pdf

Division of Global Health Protection

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due Friday, October 2, 2026

Expanding global health security through local partnerships in Ethiopia Opportunity number: CDC-RFA-JG-26-0046

Contents

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 9

Agency priorities 11

Program description 14

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 35

Get registered 36

Find the application package 37

Help applying 37

Step 3: Build Your Application 38

Application checklist 39

Application contents and format 41

Step 4: Understand Review, Selection, and Award 55

Application review 56

Award notices 58

Step 5: Submit Your Application 59

Submission and deadlines 60

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 62

Post-award requirements and administration 63

Contacts and Support 68

Before you begin 3

Contents 2

Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered, make sure your registrations are active and up to date.

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks) You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days) You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by the application due date Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, October 2, 2026.

To help you find what you need, this NOFO uses internal links. In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

Before you begin 3 https://sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 9

Agency priorities 11

Program description 14

Basic information Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Global Health Center

Division of Global Health Protection

Making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous by strengthening global health security through surveillance, prevention and response in Ethiopia.

Have questions?

See Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name:

Expanding global health security through local partnerships in Ethiopia

Opportunity number:

CDC-RFA-JG-26-0046

Assistance listing:

93.318: Protecting and Improving Health Globally: Building and Strengthening Public Health Impact, Systems, Capacity, and Security

NOFO version: Original

Key dates

Application submission deadline:

October 2, 2026

Expected award and start date:

October 30, 2026

We will inform you of your application status by the end of October 2026.

Summary This NOFO aims to strengthen Ethiopia’s public health systems to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks, reinforcing global readiness against emerging threats. The CDC is partnering with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to advance disease surveillance and expand the capacity of emergency operations centers (EOCs).

Core objectives include:

• Faster disease detection and diagnosis through enhanced lab testing and networks.

• A skilled health workforce.

• Stronger disease surveillance systems.

• Effective response coordination of public health emergencies through EOCs.

Activities include:

• Supporting Ethiopia’s Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP).

• Supplying and upgrading essential lab supplies and equipment.

• Fostering coordination between the human and animal health sectors.

• Preparing response teams.

This plan focuses on closing gaps in health preparedness and response at all levels of the health system, especially in rural areas. It will strengthen Ethiopia’s ability to manage future outbreaks, reduce the risk of cross-border health threats, and contribute to a more resilient global health system protecting both Ethiopian and American communities.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5

Funding details Funding type: Cooperative agreement

Expected total NOFO funding for Year 1: $8,000,000 This is the expected total Year 1 funding for all awards made under this NOFO.

Expected awards: 2 to 4 The number of awards is subject to available funds and program priorities.

Exact amounts for each award under this NOFO will be determined upon award.

We plan to award projects for five 12-month budget periods for a five-year period of performance.

Funding strategy

Funding amounts We encourage you to submit an application that includes a budget and work plan for each required component, consistent with the applicable component ceilings. For Year 1, applicants must submit separate budgets and work plans for all three components, not exceeding each component ceiling, although only Component 1 core activities are expected to be funded initially and Components 2, 3, 4 and 5 may be approved but unfunded pending future availability of funds.

Funding amounts for Years 2 through 5 will be set at continuation. We will continue funding based on:

• Availability of funds.

• Evidence of satisfactory progress, as documented in your required reports.

• The determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the federal government.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

Component funding

Overview

We fund all Global Health Security (GHS) cooperative agreements using component funding. You must apply for all components and include a budget and work plan for each. Note: For the purposes of this NOFO, component 1 is considered the core component, meaning it supports baseline GHS activities that are not dependent on emergency funding. This does not change the requirement that applicants apply for all components.

Component funding allows us to provide funding as it becomes available. To do so, we fund sets of activities by project (such as emergency or routine), when necessary.

CDC may fund one or more of your components to start the budget period, and then consider other components based on available funding later. If we can’t yet fund your other components, we will designate the remaining components as “approved but unfunded.” This allows us to award more funding later. We include approved but unfunded components for public health emergencies in all awards. These components are funded when a disease outbreak or other public health emergency requires additional funding.

Component 1 is for activities related to core global health security priorities.

When funding is available, this NOFO will support activities for a moderate (component 2) or a substantial (component 3) response to a disease outbreak or other public health emergency.

This NOFO also supports activities to combat other emerging infectious disease threats (component 4) and emergency management (component 5).

The emergency components follow the same logic model, with identical overarching strategies and activities.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7

Setting up components

You must set up your components in your application. While preparing your application:

• Review the expectations for Year 1 activities in the strategies and activities section.

• Group your activities under the anticipated components. Only include the activities planned for Year 1.

◦ Component 1: Core Global Health Security Priorities

▪ Component 1 Ceiling: $2,000,000

◦ Component 2: Rapid Small-Scale Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks or other Public Health Emergencies

▪ Component 2 Ceiling: $5,000,000

◦ Component 3: Rapid Large-Scale Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks or other Public Health Emergencies

▪ Component 3 Ceiling: $10,000,000

◦ Component 4: Emerging Infectious Disease Threats

▪ Component 4 Ceiling: $15,000,000

◦ Component 5: Emergency Management

▪ Component 5 Ceiling: $750,000

For information on how to incorporate component funding into your application, see the following sections:

• Budget narrative.

• Component funding instructions for SF-424A.

Local partner funding preference This NOFO includes a funding preference for local partners. Your organization will receive 15 extra points during the selection process if you both:

• Meet the local partner definition.

• Document your status as a local partner.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8

Eligibility Statutory authority This program is authorized under:

• Section 307 of the Public Health Service Act [42 USC 242l].

• Section 301(a) [42 USC 241(a)] of the Public Health Service Act.

Eligible applicants Only these types of organizations may apply.

• State governments.

• County governments.

• City or township governments.

• Special district governments.

• Independent school districts.

• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.

• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized).

• Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities.

• Native American tribal organizations, other than federally recognized tribal governments.

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education.

• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education.

• Private institutions of higher education.

• For-profit organizations other than small businesses.

• Small businesses.

• Foreign or non-U.S. based entities.

Other required qualifying factors

Delivery location You must conduct the project in Ethiopia.

Responsiveness criteria We will review your application to make sure it meets these requirements.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9

These are the basic requirements you must meet to move forward in the competition. We won’t consider an application that:

• Is from an organization that doesn’t meet all eligibility criteria. See requirements in Eligibility.

• Is submitted after the deadline.

• Proposes research activities. See the definition of research.

• Requests funding that exceeds the applicable Year 1 component ceilings described in the Funding Strategy section.

• Exceeds the 30-page limit for the project narrative (see the Project narrative section for what counts toward the page limit).

• Does not include all components.

• Is not in English.

• Includes a budget or budget narrative that uses a currency other than U.S. dollars.

• Does not respond to or is outside the scope of this NOFO.

See the Application checklist to understand which elements of your application are part of the responsiveness criteria.

Application limits You must follow these limits on the number of applications your organization can submit.

Under this NOFO, you may submit only one application under your organization’s UEI.

Cost sharing and matching funds This program has no cost-sharing or matching funds requirement. We will not consider cost-sharing fund contributions during your application review.

However, if you submit voluntary cost-sharing funds and we fund your project, we will require you to report on these funds.

Post-award requirements Before you apply, make sure you understand the requirements that come with an award.

See Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award for information on regulations that apply, reporting, and more.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-31.html

Agency priorities Required alignment with CDC priorities The recipient of this award must implement any funds awarded under this NOFO to effectuate program goals or agency priorities in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Priorities when authorized (for a full description of the CDC Priorities, please follow the provided hyperlink).

Funded activities must:

• Align with CDC’s core priorities by demonstrating a commitment to gold-standard science, transparency, and evidence-based practices.

• Support CDC’s mission to protect Americans from infectious and chronic diseases, strengthen public health systems, and advance innovation in health data and infrastructure.

• Contribute to rapid, science-driven responses to health threats, promote global health leadership, and adhere to principles of integrity, accountability, and compliance with applicable laws and federal priorities.

Consistent with CDC’s values, in carrying out any project funded under this NOFO, the recipient must adhere to the following principles where consistent with the authority and scope of the award and its activities:

• A commitment to gold-standard science and ensuring trust, transparency, and credibility: To build trust and improve CDC’s ability to lead during health crises, CDC will increase transparency, be more accountable, and follow strict, gold-standard scientific practices that are open, unbiased, and based on clear evidence.

• A commitment to global leadership: With staff in 63 countries and supporting 20 more, CDC’s Global Health Center:

◦ Works to prevent disease and advance emergency response.

◦ Detect health threats early, sends response teams, trains health workers, and provides personal protective equipment, vaccines, and medicines.

◦ Test disease samples from around the world to prepare for flu and other serious outbreaks.

◦ Has strengthened systems to better protect people at home and abroad after the COVID-19 outbreak.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11 https://www.cdc.gov/about/cdc/index.html

• A commitment to ensuring rapid, evidence-based responses to crises:

During public health emergencies, ensuring rapid, science-driven responses is critical to minimizing harm, maintaining public trust, and restoring stability. To meet this goal, CDC must continue to strengthen its emergency response systems by:

◦ Streamlining internal processes.

◦ Improving risk communication strategies.

◦ Ensuring that laboratory capacity is fully equipped and tested—capable of rapidly developing and deploying scalable diagnostics during crises.

◦ Embedding structures for real-time learning, independent after-action reviews, and the application of lessons learned will ensure that each crisis response is smarter, faster, and more effective than the last.

• A commitment to vaccine safety and efficacy research: CDC will apply “gold-standard” science to all of its vaccine safety and effectiveness research. It will make vaccine data, research methods, and related datasets publicly available through simple data use agreements to improve transparency, accountability, and trust.

• A commitment to advancing our understanding of the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), and chronic disease: CDC conducts research and works with partners to better understand the causes of autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders, and chronic diseases. It will use new and existing data to study the rise in these conditions, including the increase in autism diagnoses from 1 in 150 to nearly 1 in 31 over the past 25 years.

• A commitment to modernizing public health infrastructure and enhancing our approach to health data: CDC will modernize public health infrastructure to create a faster, more efficient health system that can detect and respond to outbreaks in real time. This effort includes:

◦ Replacing data silos with integrated systems.

◦ Using advanced technology.

◦ Strengthening partnerships with states to ensure shared responsibility and strong local health data systems.

◦ Emphasizing collaboration across federal and state partners, resilient and adaptable systems, and accountability for funded programs to ensure they align with these priorities and federal requirements.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12

• Conflicts of interest: CDC will not support funding programs with conflicts of interest and ensure its work is based on transparent, unbiased science.

• Immigration: CDC funds will not be used to support or encourage illegal immigration, consistent with federal law.

• Protecting life and the family: CDC funds will not be used to support elective abortions, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, and will promote maternal health, the dignity of life, and strong families.

• Ending disorder on America’s streets: CDC will prioritize evidence-based programs that reduce homelessness, drug use, and public disorder. It will support comprehensive services for people with serious mental illness and substance use disorder. CDC will not support housing first strategies, harm-reduction or safe consumption sites, or related activities. To the extent allowable by federal law, CDC intends to give priority to grantees in States and municipalities that have laws and policies that support and enforce CDC’s priorities.

• Gender ideology and protecting children [PDF]: CDC will not fund medical interventions for minors seeking gender transition and will define sex based on biological criteria.

• DEI: CDC will not support DEI initiatives based on group identity and focus on merit-based, evidence-driven approaches to improve health outcomes.

• Parental rights: CDC will support policies that protect parental authority, promote transparency, and give parents greater control over their children’s education.

The recipient must demonstrate ongoing compliance with the full description and listing of CDC values and priorities, in all programs that are authorized to advance them, through program design, implementation, reporting, and evaluation.

Failure to meaningfully align funded activities with the applicable requirements may result in corrective action, additional reporting requirements, or other enforcement actions consistent with federal grant regulations found at 2 CFR Part 200 and the terms and conditions of this award. The full CDC Priorities Statement can be found here: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Priorities.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13 https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report.pdf

Program description Background, overview, and related work Health and outbreak challenges in Ethiopia Ethiopia faces a continuous burden of infectious disease outbreaks, including anthrax, cholera, measles, malaria, and dengue fever. Recurring drought and conflict have increased these challenges, leading to severe impacts on public health and equity in healthcare across communities. This shows the need to improve prevention, detection, response and coordination efforts for infectious disease outbreaks and other health threats, including:

• Geographic areas with limited disease surveillance systems.

• Institutional and logistic barriers to adequate service and intervention delivery.

• Reluctance to share outbreak information.

• Newly emerging or increasingly drug-resistant pathogens.

• Limited border health measures.

To address these challenges, the CDC has been coordinating with the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) since 2001. The focus has been on strengthening Ethiopia’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to disease threats through its public health infrastructure.

Strengthening public health This NOFO builds on evidence-based public health approaches targeting four key areas: laboratory capacity, workforce development, disease surveillance, and emergency management. This approach aligns with the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). It focuses on developing a public health infrastructure that can handle emergency responses efficiently and strengthening coordination between public health systems, clinical care, and communities for effective preparedness, response, and recovery.

Research shows that focusing on these core areas improves health security and reduces infection rates. For example, Ethiopia’s Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), which trains health workers to monitor and respond to outbreaks, has been essential for rapid disease containment. Additionally, FETP has recently expanded the workforce’s ability to address zoonotic diseases by integrating animal health training.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 14

Evidence-based program expansion This NOFO builds on successful initiatives (NOFOs GH20-2112 and GH20-2094), such as Ethiopia’s national and regional laboratory network, to increase capacity for priority diseases including anthrax, monkeypox, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Previous NOFO support enabled significant advances in laboratory diagnosis and surveillance, but critical needs remain.

This includes improvements in laboratory supply chains, sustainable laboratory equipment management, quality control, and One Health coordination to integrate human and animal health efforts.

Ethiopia has established one of Africa’s largest FETP programs, with advanced training programs at eight universities and targeted FETP support for regional and local health levels. This training has led to faster disease detection and response times, and CDC will continue to work with the GOE to improve workforce retention, training quality, and multi-sector response capabilities.

Reducing disparities in health preparedness and response There are significant disparities in health security across Ethiopia, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas with limited access to diagnostic tools and emergency response resources. This NOFO targets these gaps by expanding support for regional EOCs, decentralizing laboratory testing, and training multisector emergency teams. This localized support is essential for making sure all regions can respond effectively to outbreaks, especially in underserved communities.

Key outcomes and goals Primary outcomes include:

• A trained and effective health workforce.

• Improved laboratory networks for accurate disease detection.

• Strengthened disease surveillance systems.

• Functional EOCs at regional and national levels able to respond rapidly to public health emergencies.

We expect these enhancements will:

• Reduce infection rates.

• Increase access to essential health services.

• Build a stronger public health infrastructure in Ethiopia capable of addressing future disease outbreaks.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 15

Achievements to fate and path forward Since 2014, CDC-supported initiatives have advanced Ethiopia’s public health capacity, including the surveillance systems, laboratory networks, and EOCs that coordinate responses to COVID-19, monkeypox, and other outbreaks.

The 2023 Joint External Assessment (JEE) and the 2024 National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) highlight the remaining challenges and the ongoing need to improve laboratory systems, workforce capacity, and One Health integration.

By addressing these core needs, this NOFO aims to build a safer and stronger public health landscape for Ethiopia, by expanding access to disease prevention and outbreak response capabilities at all levels of its health systems. Strengthening Ethiopia’s health security also supports global efforts to avoid the spread of emerging threats across borders. This ongoing partnership strengthens Ethiopia’s health security and provides a sustainable model for addressing future threats.

Public health priorities and strategies Your funded activities must also align with CDC’s global health priorities.

These priorities guide how we build, carry out, and evaluate our global health work. We use it to measure progress and impact and make informed decisions about global health activities across CDC. The goals include:

• Stop health threats at their source before they spread to the United States and other countries.

• Contain disruptive outbreaks of disease across the globe.

• Use global data to prevent and mitigate disease in the United States and other countries.

• Save lives and improve health globally.

To make progress on these goals, we encourage you to:

• Strengthen national public health bulletins, health alert notices, CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and Health Alert Network, and other emergency risk communication strategies.

• Share timely, credible, useful public health information with healthcare and public health professionals locally and nationally within our partner countries.

• Develop civil registration, vital statistics systems, and mortality surveillance systems so our partner countries know what is causing

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 16 deaths in their population and whether interventions to reduce them are working.

• Additionally, the effectiveness of your work should be demonstrated in results from timeliness analyses (like the 7-1-7 framework) for early detection and response. For example, the 7-1-7 target provides a standardized benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of outbreak detection and response systems globally. The framework outlines a timeline to aim for in response to a suspected outbreak:

◦ Within 7 days of emergency: Detect the outbreak.

◦ Within 1 day of detection: Notify public health authorities and start the investigation.

◦ Within 7 days of notification: Begin responding effectively to the emergency.

• We also recommend using these supporting strategies and frameworks:

◦ CDC’s strategy for improving GHS, based on three core parts of the agency’s mission to protect public health worldwide:

▪ Prevent.

▪ Detect.

▪ Respond.

◦ Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) framework.

◦ The Department of State America First Global Health Strategy.

◦ United States Global Health Security Strategy

Purpose This NOFO will help Ethiopia improve its labs, public health workforce, disease surveillance, service delivery, and emergency response to meet GHSA and IHR priorities. It focuses on:

• Improving lab capacity for timely disease confirmation.

• Sustaining accreditation and access to Ethiopia’s FETP for rapid response teams training (RRTs).

• Strengthening disease reporting through clear guidance.

• Enhancing national and regional EOCs to support effective emergency management.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 17 https://www.cdc.gov/global-health/topics-programs/global-health-security.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/security/index.htm https://globalhealthsecurityagenda.org/ https://www.state.gov/america-first-global-health-strategy/ https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/09/america-first-global-health-strategy

Approach Program logic model The following logic model includes the expected strategies under this NOFO.

The logic model also includes the program’s expected outcomes. Outcomes are the results that you intend to achieve and usually show the intended direction of change, such as increase or decrease.

The asterisked (*) outcomes are those we expect you to achieve or substantially contribute to during the five-year period of performance. You must report on these outcomes.

Not all outcomes apply to all strategies. The table shows how they apply. You will use these outcomes as a guide for developing performance measures.

Table: Strategies and outcomes

Strategies and activities Short-term outcomes Intermediate outcomes Long-term outcomes

Strategy 1:

Strengthen leadership and coordination at national and regional levels to implement programs to improve public health.

Improved functionality and information exchange between national and regional public health emergency operation centres (PHEOCs).*

Improved data quality and development of action plan to remediate gaps at source data to strengthen information sharing across all levels of the health sector.*

Strengthened planning that addresses key constraints identified in assessments to improve coordination between national and regional health levels.*

Improved functionality of PHEOCs and effective multisectoral coordination.*

Strengthened response systems action plan for improved data quality.*

Improved information sharing between national and regional levels in monitoring and implementing public health programs.

Strategy 2:

Integrate and capacitate public health laboratory

Improved diagnostic capacity, sample referral systems, and biosafety and

Improved quality of laboratory testing capacity through

Reduced time in identification and containment of highly

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 18

Strategies and activities Short-term outcomes Intermediate outcomes Long-term outcomes systems and diagnostic network for improved reporting.

biosecurity practices through hands-on training, followed by structured engagement through routine expert supervision, and on-site performance monitoring to ensure effective application and institutionalization of skills.

standardized practices.* infectious disease outbreak.*

Strategy 3:

Improve the early warning surveillance system and public health event verification for timely detection and response.

Improved data quality, data sharing and timeliness of Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) early warning and surveillance data through hands on training with mentorship and established routine expert supervision of data management practices.

Improved source and sharing of facility data for PHEM early warning and surveillance data.

Improved capacity of EOCs for early detection and real-time reporting of public health emergencies and threats.*

Improved access to digital platforms at public health institutes for data management, visualization, and use.

Increased timeliness of detection and response to public health emergencies.*

Strategy 4:

Strengthen public health workforce capacity to ensure knowledgeable and experienced workforce.

Improved standardized trainings and mentorship practice for FETP training program.

Improved involvement of trained workforce in outbreak investigations, disaster response, and field

Improved local capacity for surveillance, detection, and response.*

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 19

Strategies and activities Short-term outcomes Intermediate outcomes Long-term outcomes

Improved availability of trained health workforce and rapid response team to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies.

epidemiology activities.*

Strategy 5:

Enhance multi sectoral (One Health) approach to foster collaboration across animal, human, and environmental sectors for improved disease prevention.

Improved multi-sectoral coordination, information exchange, and cross-border communication for zoonotic disease surveillance.*

Increased focus on community sensitization of zoonotic to human disease transmission to empower communities’ awareness.

Increased capacity for early detection of zoonotic diseases at community levels.*

Improved timeliness of suspected outbreak notification and response.

initiation efforts for zoonotic disease.*

Strategy 6:

Support and strengthen public health programs, health service delivery, and implementation science programs.

Improved quality of public health programs.*

Strengthened public health service delivery programs.*

A skilled and culturally responsive public health workforce is available to support public health operations and respond to emergencies.*

Improved ability to follow-up on cases or events of public health importance.*

Increased coverage of service delivery programs to meet community needs.*

Improved and effective coordination between public health systems, clinical care, and communities in preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.*

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 20

Strategies and activities This section elaborates on the strategies described in the logic model by providing expected activities for Year 1 and details about how we expect you to implement your program.

Strategy 1: Strengthen leadership and coordination at national and regional levels to implement programs to improve public health.

Develop a centralized, multi-sector coordination plan for public health emergencies.

• Strengthen the national and regional EOCs with strong surveillance system and skilled staff, ensuring they function as command centers during outbreaks.

• Conduct leadership training for public health officials to improve emergency management.

• Facilitate simulation exercises to clarify roles in multi-sector emergency responses.

• Address data quality issues, improve data management through standard operating procedures (SOPs), and implement surveillance systems at all levels of the health system.

• Review and streamline the Incident Management Systems (IMS) to improve command and control during emergencies.

Strategy 2: Integrate and capacitate public health laboratory systems and diagnostic networks for improved reporting.

• Standardize diagnostic protocols and provide ongoing training in diagnostic techniques and quality management to meet global standards at both the regional and national laboratories.

• Enhance the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to improve data collection, sharing, and real-time reporting across regions, extending down to sub-regional levels, including regional and community levels.

• Strengthen procurement and distribution networks for essential diagnostic supplies and equipment, ensuring availability during emergencies.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 21

Strategy 3: Improve the early warning surveillance system and public health event verification for timely detection and response.

• Invest in digital platforms for real-time data collection and sharing, linking health facilities, laboratories, and public health agencies.

• Enhance national surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and improve disease detection at points of entry (land borders, airports).

• Train healthcare workers in surveillance techniques to improve clinical service and the accuracy and speed of outbreak detection.

• Development and implementation of data sharing agreements critical to establish effective surveillance workflows, improving the flow of essential data across institutions and partners, ensuring timely, accurate information is available to guide appropriate outbreak response at all levels of the health system.

Strategy 4: Strengthen public health workforce capacity to ensure knowledgeable and experienced workforce.

• Support and improve FETP trainings with strengthened mentorship, integration of One Health tactics, and hands-on outbreak experience.

• Regularly test public health emergency management teams through simulation exercises across health system sectors and levels.

• Supervise and continue to mentor rapid response teams deploying to the multiple outbreaks happening at the same time in Ethiopia.

• Improve data management skills at all levels of the health system for data sharing and informed decision-making during public health emergencies.

Strategy 5: Enhance multisectoral (One Health) approach to foster collaboration across animal, human, and environmental sectors for improved disease prevention.

• Develop frameworks for coordination between human health, animal health, agriculture, and environmental sectors to improve service delivery during global health security threats.

• Strengthen data sharing and early warning systems to detect emerging infectious diseases.

• Enhance community awareness of the impact of zoonotic diseases on human health and strengthen early recognition of zoonotic risks. Equip

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 22 communities with the knowledge and tools needed to identify threats early and take preventive action.

• Help sectors communicate so they can exchange information on disease trends, outbreaks, and best practices.

Strategy 6: Support and strengthen public health programs, health service delivery, and implementation science programs.

• Provide additional health services and programs for communities to support public health initiatives and outcomes during an outbreak, response, or routine operations.

• Integrate evidence-based practices, policies, and interventions into routine health care and public health settings.

• Provide technical assistance to host country governments and partners to strengthen disease and outbreak responses, develop future pandemic preparedness and response capacity, and mitigate the effects of disease outbreak on public health programs such as:

◦ Viral hemorrhagic fevers (e.g., Ebola, Marburg).

◦ HIV.

◦ Vector-borne disease (malaria, dengue).

◦ Cholera.

◦ Mpox.

◦ Immunization services.

◦ Vaccine-preventable diseases.

• Support a quality and comprehensive service package for prevention, care, and treatment of priority GHSA and IHR diseases (but not limited to the reportable diseases listed on PHEM – Ethiopian Public Health Institute). This includes strengthening linkages between community and facility-based interventions and systematic approaches to setting multisectoral response mechanisms.

• Support public health campaigns, including routine vaccination campaigns or outbreak response campaigns.

• Improve multilevel public health workforce capacities to investigate outbreaks, conduct event-based surveillance, strengthen diagnostic capacities, and improve sample transportation and laboratory diagnostic quality.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 23 https://ephi.gov.et/public-health-emergency/#1624555142841-81f02f6b-d7f9 https://ephi.gov.et/public-health-emergency/#1624555142841-81f02f6b-d7f9

• Identify and analyze knowledge and skill gaps to develop a continuous training program that addresses the key gaps among the multisectoral public health workforce. This should align with globally agreed-upon competency models and increasing quality of public health programs.

• Develop task- or function-specific SOPs to incorporate data use and data-driven decision-making in service delivery and public health programs.

We expect you to provide copies of or access to all data, software, tools, training materials, guidelines, and systems you develop under this NOFO to the Ministry of Health, CDC, and other relevant stakeholders for appropriate use consistent with underlying authorities.

Related guidance Your activities under this project should follow CDC’s global health priorities.

You might also be asked to follow other strategies, guidance, or planning documents that are released later.

Geographic focus If the program or GHS priorities change during the period of performance, you may be asked to change the geographic area of your activities.

Outcomes We expect you to achieve or substantially contribute to the outcomes asterisked (*) in the logic model by the end of the five-year period of performance. You will be expected to report on these outcomes.

Organizational capacity You must include a heading in your project narrative titled “Organizational capacity.” In this section, briefly describe your organizational capacity to carry out these strategies and activities.

You must also provide supporting documentation in your attachments. See the attachments section for full instructions.

Collaborations If funded, we will expect you to collaborate with:

• GOE entities: You will work with the MOH or related organizations, and other governmental entities that specifically work with the various technical teams associated with PHEM.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 24

• Other CDC programs and CDC-funded organizations: You will work with other CDC implementing partners, including non-governmental organizations, universities, and multi-lateral organizations that receive CDC funds. You should ensure proposed activities are not duplicating activities already implemented by other CDC-funded organizations.

• Organizations that are not CDC-funded: You will work primarily and directly with partner governments, specifically with the MOH and other government entities who are working towards the objectives of this NOFO. In addition, you will work with other stakeholders in-country and at the global level, including other government entities, non-governmental organizations, universities, civil society, the private sector, and other U.S. Government (USG) agencies.

Data, monitoring, and evaluation CDC strategy CDC collects and reports on indicators to measure progress toward achieving the activities and outcomes. CDC will also use results for program planning, improvement, accountability, and reporting. CDC will share the results with key parties.

CDC will work with you throughout the life of this award to ensure that all activities and expected outcomes align with your strategies and goals, and those of the U.S. government.

Your strategies and goals will be monitored and evaluated. You should dedicate some of the NOFO’s funds to evaluate and monitor the performance of your project. You and CDC will agree on the final funding amount, but we expect that you will dedicate approximately 5 to 10% of your project’s funding to monitoring, reporting, and evaluation activities.

Required performance measures While completing your work plan, identify indicators within the partner-level indicator list that best align with your proposed activities for each component.

You can find the separate list within the application package on Grants.gov.

These indicators are your performance measures. You will also include these indicators in your initial evaluation and performance measurement plan (EPMP). If awarded, we will work with you to finalize the partner-level indicators that will best measure your funded strategies and activities. We will provide a more detailed description of the indicators when you are awarded.

You will report on your performance measures in the annual progress report.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 25

While you will be responsible for reporting on your partner-level indicators, you can use additional indicators to assess your program. You’re encouraged to propose additional relevant indicators that you will monitor over the course of the project.

Evaluation and performance measurement plan You must submit an initial draft of your EPMP plan with your application. In your EPMP, you will identify which of the partner-level indicators you plan to report on in your annual performance report). These indicators will be finalized with CDC.

You must submit a more detailed plan within the first six months of the award. See Reporting.

Be sure to align your evaluation and performance measurement plan with host country, agency, and program requirements and priorities.

Include the following elements in your evaluation and performance measurement plan.

Methods Describe how you will:

• Collect the performance measures.

• Respond to the evaluation topics.

• Use evaluation findings for continuous program quality improvement.

• Incorporate evaluation and performance measurement into planning, implementing, and reporting project activities.

Additionally, explain:

• How key program partners will participate in the evaluation and performance measurement process.

• How feasible it will be to collect appropriate evaluation and performance data.

• How you will share evaluation findings with communities and stakeholders.

• Other relevant information, such as performance measures you propose.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 26

Data management plan For all public health data you plan to collect, you must have a data management plan (DMP). For a definition of “public health data” and more information about CDC’s policy on the DMP, see Data Management and Access.

You must submit an initial draft of your DMP with your application. You will submit a more detailed plan within the first six months of the award. See Reporting.

Submit your DMP with your application and include:

• The data you will collect or generate, and what its sources will be.

• Who can access the data and how you will protect and secure it.

• Data standards that explain what documentation the released data will have. Documentation should describe collection methods, what the data represents, and data limitations.

• Archival and long-term data preservation plans.

• Any reasons why you cannot share data collected or generated under this award with CDC. These could include legal, regulatory, policy, or technical reasons.

• How you will update the DMP as new information becomes available over the life of the project. You will provide updates to the DMP in annual reports.

In addition to the other requirements listed, also include:

• Cybersecurity plans.

• How you will protect personally identifiable information (PII) when you collect, store, transfer, and use this data.

• How you will remove information from the data that could reveal participants’ identities (de-identify the data) in intermediate and final data sets.

CDC will inform you of data you need to share with us and how and when it should be shared.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 27 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html

Evaluation activities You must carry out at least one evaluation for each cooperative agreement during your funding. The evaluation can be one of these:

• A process evaluation, which measures:

◦ How you delivered the services.

◦ What worked and what did not.

◦ The differences between who you intended to serve and who you actually served.

◦ Who could access your services.

• An outcome evaluation, which measures how the intervention affected changes in knowledge, attitudes, or behavior.

• An economic evaluation, which measures:

◦ How much the intervention cost.

◦ What caused these costs.

◦ Cost effectiveness.

◦ Efficiency.

◦ The economic impact of the intervention.

Describe:

• The type of evaluations (process, outcome, or economic).

• Key evaluation questions these evaluations will address.

• Other information, such as measures and data sources.

Work plan You must provide a work plan for each component for your project. For each component, provide a detailed work plan for the first year and a high-level work plan for later years. The work plan connects your performance outcomes, strategies and activities, and measures. It provides more detail on how you will measure outcomes and processes. A sample work plan is provided below.

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Table: Sample format

Activities you will implement

Progress or process measures

From the Data, monitoring, and evaluation section.

Relevant period of performance outcomes

From the Outcomes section.

Responsible position or party

Completion date

Strategy 1:

1.

2.

3.

Strategy 2:

1.

2.

3.

Paperwork Reduction Act Any activities involving information collection from 10 or more individuals or organizations may require Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) approval. The PRA requires review and approval of the information collection by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). For further information to determine if a proposed activity requires PRA approval, contact your project officer.

Collections include items like surveys and questionnaires. If you have collections requiring PRA approval, CDC is responsible for working with OMB to gain the approval.

For more information about CDC’s requirements under PRA see CDC Paperwork Reduction Act Compliance.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 29 https://www.cdc.gov/scientific-integrity/php/public-information-collection/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/os/integrity/reducepublicburden/index.htm#cdc_data_surveillance_section_1-cdc-paperwork-reduction-act-compliance https://www.cdc.gov/scientific-integrity/php/public-information-collection/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/os/integrity/reducepublicburden/index.htm#cdc_data_surveillance_section_1-cdc-paperwork-reduction-act-compliance

Dissemination of evaluation results By the end of the period of performance, your evaluation and performance measures will yield findings to demonstrate the value of your projects. You will disseminate these findings through the Annual Performance Report (APR).

You are expected to pursue additional dissemination in public domains and through informal channels. Dissemination channels could include:

• Local and international conferences and forum abstract presentations.

• Conference poster displays.

• Public health and global health journals.

• Manuscripts.

• Bulletins.

• Reports.

• Presentations to technical working groups and stakeholder meetings.

• Other approved products in print and electronic media, including websites and newsletters.

Program interest holders will be the primary intended users of your evaluation results and findings.

CDC and interest holders will use your evaluation findings during the five-year project period to share and implement key recommendations to strengthen program implementation, effectiveness, sustainability, and continued improvement after the award ends.

Funding policies and limitations Changes in HHS regulations As of October 1, 2025, HHS has adopted 2 CFR 200, with some exceptions included in 2 CFR 300. These regulations replace those in 45 CFR 75. You can find details in HHS Summary of Regulatory Changes, which is posted in the Grants.gov Related Documents tab for this opportunity.

General guidance All activities proposed in your application and budget narrative must align with applicable law, including but not limited to statutes, executive orders, federal regulations and applicable judicial holdings. Accordingly, discretionary awards shall not be used to fund, promote, encourage, subsidize, or facilitate;

racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination by the recipient, including activities where race or intentional proxies for race will be used as a

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 30 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-300 https://ecfr.io/Title-45/Part-75 selection criterion for employment or program participation; denial by the recipient of the sex binary in humans, or the belief that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic; illegal immigration; or any other initiatives that compromise public safety. If an application does not align, the application will not receive funding to the extent permitted by law and applicable court orders.

• Your budget is arranged in eight categories: salaries and wages, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, other (includes consultant costs), and indirect costs.

• You may use funds only for reasonable program purposes consistent with the award, its…