cdc-rfa-jg-26-0214-rev4_For Publication.pdf

Division of Global Health Protection

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due August 14, 2026

Enhancing the Timeliness of Outbreak Detection, Notification, and Response in Partner Countries Opportunity number: CDC-RFA-JG-26-0214

Contents

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 10

Agency priorities 14

Program description 17

Step 2: Get ready to apply 37

Get registered 38

Find the application package 39

Help applying 39

Step 3: Build Your Application 40

Application checklist 41

Application contents and format 43

Step 4: Understand Review, Selection, and Award 57

Application review 58

Award notices 60

Step 5: Submit Your Application 61

Submission and deadlines 62

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 64

Post-award requirements and administration 65

Contacts and Support 70

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 August 14, 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 10

Agency priorities 14

Program description 17

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.

Have questions?

See Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name:

Enhancing the Timeliness of Outbreak Detection, Notification, and Response in Partner Countries

Opportunity number:

CDC-RFA-JG-26-0214

NOFO version:

Original

Assistance listing:

93.318

Key dates

Application submission deadline:

August 14, 2026

Expected award and start date:

September 30, 2026

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

Summary This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports strengthening country systems to detect, notify, and respond to outbreaks by applying time-bound, evidence-based frameworks, such as the 7-1-7 target, which aims to detect outbreaks within 7 days, notify within 1 day, and respond within 7 days. This target was selected to promote rapid containment and minimize health and economic impacts.

Activities under this award will be conducted outside the United States and its territories. Building on previous outbreak experience and other international health emergencies, this NOFO advances American interests by reinforcing systems that protect both the United States and recipient nations.

Activities focus on improving early detection of biological threats, timely notification across sectors and borders, and effective response to contain outbreaks before they spread, consistent with the Detect, Notify, Respond (D- N-R) framework. Efforts include strengthening surveillance, expanding laboratory readiness, enhancing information flows, and improving response operations to reduce economic effects and improve health. These activities emphasize burden sharing, accountability, and efficiency to ensure benefits to Americans at home and abroad, while helping recipient nations achieve long-term self-reliance and stability.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5

Funding details Funding type: Cooperative agreement

Expected total NOFO funding for Year 1: $25,000,000 This is the expected total Year 1 funding for all awards made under this NOFO.

Expected awards: 5 to 10

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 and 3 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.

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: We consider component 1 as the core component, meaning it supports baseline GHS activities that are not

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6 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.

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.

• This NOFO is divided into six components. The applicant must apply for all six components, and the application must include a clearly marked budget and work plan for each component.

• For Component 1, Core Priorities for Detecting, Notifying, and Responding to Disease Threats, the applicant must propose work in multiple countries or regions. In addition to Component 1, this NOFO supports additional activities when funding is made available for a moderate (Component 2) or substantial (Components 3 through 6) response to a disease outbreak or other public health emergency.

• Budgets and work plans for Components 2 through 6 must propose appropriately scaled responses in a relevant region. The same logic model applies for all six components. If you are not initially selected for our core Component 1, an internal approved but unfunded (ABU) roster will be populated and be eligible for awards in the event of a public health emergency, dependent on availability of funds. If this is applicable, CDC will reach out to you.

• Applications are not complete without a budget, budget narrative, technical/project narrative, and work plan for each component included

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7 as part of the main application (not appendices). Within the application, applicants should clearly indicate which countries or regions they are applying to.

Component structure

• Component 1: Core Priorities for Detecting, Notifying, and Responding to Disease Threats

◦ Component 1 ceiling: $4,000,000

◦ These core activities are intended to be funded on an annual basis.

The estimated Year 1 funding available is $4,000,000 per recipient.

Future years funding levels will be dependent on funding availability.

• Component 2: Rapid Response to Localized or Community-Level Outbreaks or Other Public Health Emergencies

◦ Component 2 ceiling: $3,000,000

◦ This is intended to be approved but unfunded (ABU) as a baseline practice. It would be funded to support additional activities needed within a budget period. Estimated planning level is $3,000,000.

• Component 3: Rapid Response to Regional or Expanded Outbreaks or Other Public Health Emergencies

◦ Component 3 ceiling: $5,000,000

◦ This is intended to be approved but unfunded (ABU) as a baseline practice. It would be funded to support additional activities within a budget period. Estimated planning level is $5,000,000.

• Component 4: Rapid Response to National or Cross-Border Outbreaks or Other Public Health Emergencies

◦ Component 4 ceiling: $8,000,000

◦ This is intended to be approved but unfunded (ABU) as a baseline practice. It would be funded to support additional activities needed within a budget period. Estimated planning level is $8,000,000.

• Component 5: Small-Scale Emerging Infectious Disease Threats

◦ Component 5 ceiling: $4,000,000

◦ This is intended to be approved but unfunded (ABU) as a baseline practice. It would be funded to support additional activities needed within a budget period. Estimated planning level is $4,000,000.

• Component 6: Large-Scale Emerging Infectious Disease Threats

◦ Component 6 ceiling: $8,000,000

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8

◦ This is intended to be approved but unfunded (ABU) as a baseline practice. It would be funded to support additional activities needed within a budget period. Estimated planning level is $8,000,000.

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

• Budget narrative

• Component funding instructions for SF-424A

In-country local partner funding preference This NOFO includes a funding preference for local partners. Your organization will receive 10 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 9

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 the region/countries as described below.

You can submit applications supporting the core activities in any country or region. However, for Year 1 we encourage you to submit proposals for these countries or regions, which are aligned with CDC global health presence:

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10

Bilateral presence:

• Bangladesh

• Burkina Faso

• Cambodia

• Cameroon

• China

• Congo (DRC)

• Cote d’Ivoire

• Ethiopia

• Georgia

• Ghana

• Guinea

• Haiti

• India

• Indonesia

• Kenya

• Liberia

• Mali

• Mozambique

• Nigeria

• Pakistan

• Philippines

• Senegal

• Sierra Leone

• South Africa

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Uganda

• Vietnam

• Zambia

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11

Regional:

• Caribbean region

• Central America region

• Central Asia region

• Middle East and North Africa region

• South America region

You are not required to apply for all countries in a region. However, we will prioritize applicants who demonstrate the capacity to work in multiple countries and/or regions. While there is no minimum number of countries for which you can apply, CDC seeks to maximize coverage of public health activities geographically.

We will make final decisions on which countries and activities will be funded at the time of award based on funding availability at the time of the award.

We will rank applications by each country and/or region. CDC may fund out of rank order to:

• Respond to an unforeseen public health emergency in any country of international concern.

• Align with U.S. government– and/or agency-prioritized technical areas and activities.

• Align with funding availability for countries or geographic areas at the time of award.

• Ensure operational capacity to work in countries applied for, including organizations with in-country registration or certificate of incorporation.

• Ensure maximum coverage of core activities geographically.

• Avoid duplication of activities with other CDC funding mechanisms.

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

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.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-31.html

• Exceeds the 60-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.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13

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.

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

◦ Tests 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 14 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 15

• 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: 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 16 https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report.pdf

Program description Background, overview, and related work The U.S. government recognizes that infectious disease outbreaks threaten American health, national security, and the global economy. The COVID-19 pandemic, repeated outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers, the global spread of Clades I and II Mpox, and other major health emergencies have shown that weaknesses in public health capacity persist despite important progress.

These gaps include inadequate disease surveillance systems, which delay detection of outbreaks; barriers that prevent authorities from notifying emergency response channels in a timely manner; and lack of timely outbreak data or biological samples, which slows notification and response.

Together, these challenges highlight the urgent need for accountable, measurable approaches to ensure suspected outbreaks are detected quickly, decision-makers are notified without delay, and effective response measures are implemented in time to protect Americans. These challenges also show the need for the U.S. to help other nations strengthen their own capacities.

This NOFO will apply time-bound, evidence-based frameworks, such as the Detect-Notify-Respond (D-N-R) framework, integrated with the 7-1-7 target approach, to control outbreaks quickly. The combined framework sets clear, time-bound goals:

• Suspected outbreaks are detected within 7 days.

• Public health authorities are notified and an investigation begins within 1 day.

• Effective response measures are implemented within 7 days of notification.

Using the D-N-R framework ensures that officials react to every outbreak consistently—from initial detection to immediate notification to swift response. Together, these frameworks provide a structured method for reducing delays that would increase infection rates, deaths, and economic disruption.

The specific outcomes of this NOFO are to:

• Accelerate the speed and reliability of outbreak detection, notification, and response.

• Strengthen national and regional preparedness, service delivery, and emergency response functions.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 17

• Better integrate surveillance, diagnostic, service delivery, and emergency response systems.

• Advance self-sufficiency and accountability by embedding measurable outcomes in the evaluation and performance measurement plan.

This NOFO also builds on work supported through CDC-RFA-GH20-2110.

During the various disease outbreaks experienced in the last few years, activities funded under CDC-RFA-GH20-2110 sped up mobilization of laboratory services, helped deploy a trained workforce, continued essential health services, and strengthened surveillance systems. The lessons learned from that program form the foundation for the next phase of work.

All activities under this NOFO are aligned with the America First Global Health Strategy, which calls for making the U.S. safer, stronger, and more prosperous. The strategy emphasizes stopping outbreaks before they reach U.S. shores, strengthening bilateral agreements that advance national interests, maintaining frontline support for commodities (such as personal protective equipment, laboratory supplies, diagnostics, etc.) and health workers, requiring recipient countries to co-invest, and expanding U.S. health innovation globally. This NOFO supports cost-effective, time-limited programming that advances accountability, efficiency, and sustainability while reinforcing U.S. national security and foreign policy priorities.

By using time-bound evidence-based frameworks, integrating service delivery, and embedding accountability into national systems, this NOFO will protect Americans, strengthen bilateral relationships, and foster resilient, country-led health systems. Together, these efforts will contribute to a future where outbreaks are detected and contained locally, lives are saved, and America’s health, security, and prosperity are safeguarded.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 18 https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/09/america-first-global-health-strategy https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/09/america-first-global-health-strategy

Public health priorities and strategies Your funded activities must also align with CDC’s global approach to strengthening global health security. This approach guides 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 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. 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.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 19

• We also recommend using these supporting strategies and frameworks:

◦ CDC’s approach to 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.

Purpose The purpose of this NOFO is to strengthen country and regional capacities to detect, notify, and respond to infectious disease threats. Award recipients will do this by applying time-bound, evidence-based frameworks that reduce delays in outbreak control, protect Americans from infectious disease threats and other health security risks, and advance sustainable public health systems to safeguard the health, safety, and prosperity of Americans.

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:

Outbreak detection

Event-based, indicator, and routine surveillance platforms

Integrated, real-time multisectoral data systems interoperable

Sustained national capacity to detect and report events rapidly,

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 20 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/

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

Strategy 2:

Outbreak notification

Strategy 3:

Outbreak response operational, with more complete and timely data.*

Core public health laboratory capacity established to confirm priority diseases within 7 days.*

Frontline health workers and epidemiologists trained in detection protocols.*

Biosafety/biosecurity practices introduced in lab settings.*

Standardized notification protocols established with triggers and thresholds for reporting.*

Automated reporting mechanisms linked to diagnostic networks.*

Rapid disease notification enabled by trained field epidemiologists.*

Initial stakeholder coordination platforms for notification activated.*

Emergency surveillance data tools across human, animal, and environmental health.*

Increased use of bottleneck analysis and after-action reviews to identify gaps.*

National Public Health Institutes coordinating surveillance and detection.*

Outbreaks detected within 7 days of emergence.*

National disease alert systems interoperable across sectors and administrative levels.*

Laboratory and surveillance data systematically integrated into notification platforms.*

Multisectoral coordination platforms used for timely notification.*

Increased initiation of outbreak response actions within 7 days of notification.*

National rapid response programs consistent with 7-1-7 targets.*

Detection led by resilient, country-led institutions, with reduced reliance on external actors.*

Increased national ownership and leadership that foster stronger bilateral ties and burden-sharing.*

Increased ability of countries to contain outbreaks locally, reducing global disruptions and protecting U.S.

interests.*

Sustained national capacity to contain outbreaks before they escalate to epidemics.*

Sustained reduction in morbidity and mortality from outbreaks and emerging threats.*

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 21

Strategies and activities Short-term outcomes Intermediate outcomes Long-term outcomes deployed; after-action reviews piloted.*

Rapid response teams (RRTs) established and trained in emergency operations center (EOC), incident management structure (IMS), and 7-1-7 standards.*

Initial laboratory surge protocols and logistics systems tested.*

Community risk communication units trained for outbreak response.* institutionalized, with multidisciplinary RRTs routinely used.*

Accelerated provision of supplies, equipment, and personnel for outbreak response.*

Increased continuity of essential health services during outbreaks.*

Increased effectiveness of national and subnational responses through multisectoral coordination.*

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: Outbreak detection Strengthen systems to rapidly identify outbreaks and priority health threats at their source.

• Conduct active, event-based, and sentinel surveillance for priority diseases.

• Expand early warning and environmental/wastewater surveillance platforms.

• Integrate multisectoral data systems with interoperable standards and real-time dashboards.

• Convene disease prioritization workshops and use 7-1-7 bottleneck analyses to improve systems.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 22

• Expand diagnostic capacity and specimen transport for priority diseases and emerging pathogens.

• Introduce genomic sequencing and advanced diagnostic tools for variant and multipathogen detection.

• Strengthen biosafety, biosecurity, and quality assurance programs across networks.

• Train frontline health workers, epidemiologists, and laboratorians in case detection, diagnostics, and Infection, Prevention, and Control (IPC).

• Improve public health workers’ management and leadership skills.

• Strengthen national public health institutes (NPHIs) and other institutions to lead and coordinate detection activities.

• Develop national workforce improvement strategies and continuous training programs.

• Help integrate different infectious diseases into surveillance and detection platforms.

• Enhance infectious disease monitoring at health facilities and in communities.

• Strengthen surveillance and lab functions in fragile and emergency settings.

• Reinforce subnational emergency operations centers (EOCs) and district-level detection and investigation capacity.

Strategy 2: Outbreak notification Ensure timely, accurate, and transparent notification of outbreaks at national, regional, and global levels.

• Standardize national notification protocols, and include defined thresholds and triggers.

• Build interoperable digital systems that connect facility, lab, and community reporting.

• Establish national public health bulletins and feedback loops so facilities and labs receive timely results.

• Automate data flows from diagnostic networks into national reporting platforms.

• Ensure laboratory-confirmed results are reflected in surveillance and notification systems.

• Train and deploy field epidemiologists and program staff to carry out rapid disease notification.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 23

• Strengthen institutional capacity (at Ministry of Health [MOH], NPHIs, and subnational authorities) to sustain routine and emergency reporting.

• Build capacity to notify on programmatic health indicators when relevant to outbreak or emergency risks.

• Integrate different infectious disease reporting into national notification platforms.

• Strengthen stakeholder coordination and emergency communication mechanisms for rapid cross-sector and cross-border notifications.

• Pilot mobile or digital systems for notification in remote or fragile settings.

Strategy 3: Outbreak response Strengthen readiness and capacity to mount effective responses to outbreaks of all scales.

• Deploy emergency surveillance and data collection tools to track outbreaks in real time.

• Use intra-action and after-action reviews to identify and resolve bottlenecks.

• Use monitoring frameworks to measure timeliness and effectiveness of response.

• Establish surge capacity in labs, including logistics, supply chain, and staff mobilization.

• Expand quality assurance, proficiency testing, and genomic tools to control outbreaks.

• Establish and sustain multidisciplinary rapid response teams (RRTs).

• Strengthen field epidemiology training programs (FETP) with outbreak response training and career pathways.

• Train responders in IMS/EOC operations, logistics, finance, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), and essential service continuity.

• Ensure continuity of essential health services during outbreaks.

• Implement health services measures that respond to outbreaks. This could include providing treatment and prevention services and other post-infection measures.

• Provide technical support for case management, contact tracing, and community engagement.

• Provide rapid logistical support (such as supplies, personnel, and funding) to add to the host government’s response.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 24

• Pre-position stockpiles and create mechanisms to distribute them rapidly.

• Strengthen the resilience of the national and subnational health system so they can manage concurrent emergencies.

We expect you to provide copies of and/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 framework Your strategies under this project should follow CDC’s global approach to strengthening global health security.

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. CDC will work with you on any adjustments throughout the period of performance.

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.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 25

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:

• Other CDC programs and CDC-funded organizations:

◦ Implementing partners, including nongovernmental organizations, universities, MOHs, and other host governmental bodies and other organizations that receive CDC funds. You should ensure your proposed activities are not duplicating activities that other CDC-funded organizations are conducting.

• Organizations not funded by CDC:

◦ Partner governments, specifically MOHs and other government entities who are working toward the objectives of this NOFO.

◦ Other stakeholders in the country and at the global level, including other government entities, nongovernmental organizations, universities, civil society, the private sector, other U.S. government agencies, and other regional and multicounty partners. These collaborations allow you to combine resources in countries to integrate public health programs and to avoid duplicating efforts.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 26

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.

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 Evaluation and Performance Management Plan (EPMP) 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.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 27

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.

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.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 28 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html

• 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.

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.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 29

◦ Efficiency.

◦ The economic impact of the intervention.

Describe:

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

• Key evaluation questions these evaluations will address.

• Other information, such as measures and data sources.

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.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 30

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.

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.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 31

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.

Funding policies and limitations Changes in HHS regulations As of October 1, 2025, HHS 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 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.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 32 https://www.cdc.gov/scientific-integrity/php/public-information-collection/ https://www.cdc.gov/scientific-integrity/php/public-information-collection/ 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

• You may use funds only for reasonable program purposes consistent with the award, its terms and conditions, and federal laws and regulations that apply to the award. If you have questions about this determination, ask the grants management officer.

• Generally, you may not use funds to purchase…