Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due Monday, July 6, 2026

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria (DPDM)

Eliminating Parasitic and Neglected Tropical Disease Threats to the United States – Program Support and Research to Reduce Threats to Americans at Home and Abroad Opportunity number: RFA-CK-26-104

Contents

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Agency priorities 9

Program description 12

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 22

Find the application package 23

Get registered 23

Help applying 24

Step 3: Build Your Application 25

Application checklist 26

Application contents and format 28

Step 4: Understand Review, Selection, and Award 33

Application review 34

Award notices 41

Step 5: Submit Your Application 42

Submission requirements and deadlines 43

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 45

Post-award requirements and administration 46

Contacts and Support 51

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 Monday, July 6, 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 6

Agency priorities 9

Program description 12

Basic information Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)

Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria (DPDM)

Helping eliminate parasitic and neglected tropical disease threats to Americans globally through operational research and evaluations.

Have questions?

See Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name:

Eliminating Parasitic and Neglected Tropical Disease Threats to the United States

– Program Support and Research to Reduce Threats to Americans at Home and Abroad

Opportunity number:

RFA-CK-26-104

Activity code: U01

Assistance listing: 93.326

NOFO version: Original

Key dates

Application submission deadline: Monday, July 6, Required letter of intent deadline: June 18, 2026

Expected scientific review date: July 31, 2026

Expected secondary review date: August 7, 2026

Expected award date:

September 29, 2026

Expected start date:

September 30, 2026

Expiration date:

August 5, 2026

See Submit Your Application for other submission requirements and deadlines that may apply to this NOFO.

Summary The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to expand the network of institutes working with CDC to help eliminate or control non-malaria parasitic threats and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This NOFO will focus on threats and diseases that may affect Americans at home or abroad or whose elimination or control would serve other U.S. priorities.

This program will also support research that will provide tools and information to improve NTD and parasitic disease program activities. The program will also integrate evaluation and surveillance activities for multiple NTDs and other parasitic diseases.

Funding details Funding type: Cooperative agreement

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

Period of performance: 5 years in 12-month budget periods

Application type: New

Expected total program funding over the performance period: $10,000,000

Expected total program funding per budget period: $2,000,000

Expected funding per applicant per budget period: $1,000,000

Maximum award amount per budget period: $1,000,000

Minimum award amount per budget period: $500,000

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5

Eligibility 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.

• Foreign organizations.

• Bona fide agents applying on behalf of state, territorial, local, and tribal government organizations. Note: Bona fide agents must submit documentation that demonstrates their arrangement with the eligible applicant. See the other attachments form.

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 application deadline.

• Has a budget exceeding $1,000,000 for the first year of the project. See funding details.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

• Includes no countries or U.S. territory in the geographic area with endemic NTDs or parasitic diseases for the proposed project activities.

Please see the “Neglected Tropical Diseases - Our World in Data.”

• Lacks the letter of support from the relevant Ministry of Health in each proposed country to document agreement to collaborate and to verify previous or ongoing partnerships. See the research plan section for information about how to provide these.

• Exceeds the page limit of 12 pages for your research strategy section. See more information on the research strategy in the research plan section 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.

You may submit only one application per institution. This is normally identified by having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number.

Qualifications for principal investigator or project director We invite anyone who has the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to carry out the proposed research as a project director or principal investigator (PD/PI) to work with their organization or institution to apply.

As PD/PI, you must work with your institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure that your existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with your institution. Your registration must be completed and active before the application due date. We encourage you to start the registration process at least four weeks before the application due date.

The application should demonstrate that the PD/PI:

• Has experience that is relevant to project goals and objectives.

• Has accomplishments in advancing NTD/parasitic disease prevention.

• Has a track record of collaboration with investigators from multiple organizations.

• Has previous experience working with CDC or other federal agencies on projects related to NTDs/parasitic diseases.

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7 https://ourworldindata.org/neglected-tropical-diseases

• Has recent or current experience working with ministries of health in NTD/parasitic disease endemic countries or US territories.

Cost sharing and matching funds This program has no cost-sharing requirement, meaning you do not need to contribute to the costs of this project.

If you choose to include cost-sharing funds, we won’t consider it during review. If you receive an award, we will include your voluntary commitment in the award, and you must report on the 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 8

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, send response teams, train health workers, and provide 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.

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Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9 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 10

• 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.

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

Program description Background More than 200,000 people die from neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) every year, and millions have disabilities caused by NTDs. An estimated 1.5 billion people need intervention to treat or prevent at least one NTD. Other parasitic threats also impact human health in the U.S. and abroad. The economic costs of NTDs are significant, reaching billions of dollars in direct costs and reduced productivity.

CDC helps countries coordinate, implement, and evaluate parasitic and NTD programs as part of the global control and elimination of these diseases. This work helps keep Americans safe at home and abroad and strengthens economic resilience. CDC works with country NTD programs and international partners to achieve the global NTD targets, focusing on speeding up programmatic actions and intensifying cross-cutting approaches to control and eliminate NTDs. This work also involves operational research that addresses critical implementation challenges in NTD and parasitic disease control and elimination programs. This NOFO is intended to expand CDC’s network of collaborating entities, for both research with and technical assistance to countries endemic for NTDs and other parasitic threats. This NOFO will focus on research synthesis and operational research aimed at controlling and eliminating selected NTDs and other parasitic threats, as well as integrating activities that cross health sectors.

One key strategy for controlling and eliminating these diseases is ensuring access to effective preventive chemotherapy for NTDs that would respond to community mass drug administration (MDA). Other key strategies for controlling and eliminating NTDs and other parasitic diseases include:

• Vector control tools for diseases spread by insects or ticks.

• Timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment of infections.

• Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Coordinated global efforts and private-public partnerships have enabled consistent donations of medicines and vector control tools, which has helped make substantial progress toward eliminating several NTDs. Approximately 1 billion people annually receive MDA for at least one of the NTDs that can be controlled or eliminated with preventive chemotherapy. As a result of increasing use of MDA through 2025, an estimated 350 million people in 41 countries previously at risk of NTDs no longer require yearly treatment.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12

As NTD elimination and control programs have matured, we now need new tools and strategies to:

• Ensure that they reach and treat all groups who remain at risk of NTDs.

• Reach elimination targets so that MDA is no longer necessary.

• Rapidly and efficiently detect any resurgence of these diseases after treatment is stopped.

Related work This NOFO builds on CDC’s previous support of global and domestic partnerships to eliminate and control NTDs and other parasitic diseases. CDC has been a leader in the fight to eliminate and control NTDs around the globe and plays a key role in ongoing research to demonstrate that community MDA can interrupt transmission of endemic NTDs. CDC’s discovery and operational research help develop, validate, and increase the use of novel laboratory tools, field-friendly diagnostic formats and techniques, and epidemiologic methods that NTD elimination programs need in order to achieve, document, and maintain health impact.

Purpose The purpose of this NOFO is to advance strategic and applied research to help control and eliminate NTDs and other parasitic diseases in endemic countries. CDC will fund critical implementation research projects and evaluation activities that inform threat control and elimination activities. This includes program monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and surveillance.

Public health impacts:

• First, these evaluations and studies will provide critical scientific knowledge to guide programs in countries where NTDs and other parasitic diseases are endemic.

• Second, these activities will identify, use, and evaluate evidence-based intervention strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality due to NTDs and other parasitic diseases.

• Third, this work will be used to improve care in the U.S. or reduce the risk of infection of U.S. travelers and military personnel by reducing local transmission.

CDC priorities:

• Ensure state-of-the-art laboratories in science, quality, and safety (CDC core capability).

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13

• Respond quickly to outbreaks at their source (CDC core capability).

• Build on strong global capacity and domestic preparedness (CDC core capability).

Approach This NOFO will focus on research synthesis and operational research aimed at controlling and eliminating selected NTDs and other parasitic diseases, as well as approaches to integrated activities that cross health sectors. The project should address an important problem or critical barrier that is limiting progress in NTD/parasitic disease prevention. Applications should clearly explain how achieving the project aims will enhance scientific knowledge, technical capability, or public health outcomes. The application should detail how successful completion of the aims will transform the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventive interventions that drive NTD/parasitic disease prevention.

You’ll address in your application how to conduct strategic and applied research to:

• Inform NTD/parasitic disease control and elimination activities, including program impact M&E, in NTD/parasitic disease endemic countries and US territories.

• Provide tools and information to improve NTD/parasitic disease program activities.

• Support integration of evaluation and surveillance activities for multiple parasitic diseases and NTDs, where possible.

The overall strategy, methodology, and analyses should be well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the aims of the project. The application should present potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success. The research project plans should anticipate managing risky aspects of the project.

The scientific environment where the work will be done should improve the chances of program success. The institutional support, equipment, and other physical resources available to the investigators should be adequate to execute the project. The application should describe how the project will benefit from the unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements for the proposed project. Plans for sharing findings with the community should be outlined in the application.

The approach should be innovative by challenging and seeking to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by using novel theoretical

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 14 concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.

The proposed project should be novel to one field of research or novel in a broader context of NTD/parasitic disease prevention. The application should propose to refine, improve, or newly apply theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.

Objectives and outcomes This section includes the outcomes we expect you to report progress on and achieve within the period of performance if you receive funding.

Specific objectives you will need to address in your application include:

• Collaborating with CDC and the relevant Ministry of Health.

• Developing surveillance and diagnostic program tools to help control and eliminate NTD/parasitic diseases and guide these programs.

• Strengthening in-country capacity for monitoring and evaluation, laboratory work, and data use to achieve and sustain NTD/parasitic disease program goals.

You should also conduct at least two of these activities in one or more NTD/ parasitic disease endemic countries or U.S. territories:

• Conduct field studies to determine indicators of transmission and stopping points for MDA.

• Evaluate the reliability and feasibility of new diagnostic tests for NTDs/ parasitic diseases, and/or collect specimens with known and well-documented demographic and epidemiological information that can be used to develop new tests.

• Develop or validate strategies that can be used along with MDA to speed up progress toward eliminating and controlling NTDs/parasitic diseases.

◦ One example is community-directed control of black flies that transmit onchocerciasis, through cutting and clearing trailing vegetation along fast-flowing rivers and streams.

• Develop enhanced or novel strategies to carry out MDA in urban areas, border areas, conflict areas, mobile populations, and other hard-to-reach or hard-to-treat populations. Also assess the impact of these strategies.

◦ One example is onchocerciasis-endemic populations with co-endemic loiasis.

• Evaluate surveillance strategies for NTDs/parasitic diseases after treatment, validation, and/or verification. Include strategies to detect

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 15 potential hot spots. Your approaches to surveillance should be integrated.

• Establish sampling strategies and rules to guide program decisions when using new NTD/parasitic diagnostic tests.

• Develop laboratory and/or epidemiologic methods to evaluate the impact of vector control programs. Optimize vector control, surveillance, and monitoring strategies for program use.

• Strengthen laboratory capacity and quality management in endemic country laboratories and strengthen data management and visualization capacity.

• Develop and assess NTD morbidity markers and monitor effects of treatment on morbidity.

• Evaluate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions on MDA effectiveness for NTDs.

Collaborations You are required to collaborate with health ministries in countries or US territories where you plan to work.

You will need to include a letter of support from the relevant health ministries or other collaborators to verify previous and ongoing partnerships. See the research plan section of this NOFO.

You may also include documentation of any memoranda of understanding/ memoranda of agreement (MOU/MOA) in the appendix to the application.

See more information about the appendix.

Evaluation and performance measurement Your application should include measurable goals and aims based on a five-year research period of performance. You must establish specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-phased (SMART) project objectives for each activity described in your project plan. You will also need to describe how you will develop and use project performance measures based on the program objectives.

Paperwork Reduction Act Any activities involving information collection from 10 or more individuals or organizations may require the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) approval. The PRA requires review and approval of the information collection by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 16

To determine if a proposed activity requires PRA approval, contact your scientific and research contact. 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.

Translation plan In your application, specify how you will integrate the translation activities into the project plan:

• How these scientific findings will be used to inform public health policies or practices of local governments and other stakeholders.

• How the project improves or affects the translation of study findings into policy or practice.

• How the research findings help promote or speed up sharing and carrying out improvements in public health programs and practices.

• How the findings advance or guide future scientific efforts or related activities.

• How the research in this NOFO improves health outcomes.

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 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

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

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 17 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 not receive funding to the extent permitted by law and applicable court orders.

• 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 these purposes, ask the grants management specialist.

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

• Support beyond the first budget year will depend on:

◦ Appropriation of funds.

◦ Satisfactory progress in meeting your project’s objectives.

◦ A decision that continued funding is in the government’s best interest.

• Generally, you may not use funds to purchase furniture. Clearly identify and justify any such proposed spending in the budget.

• If we receive more funding for this program, we will consider:

◦ Funding more applicants.

◦ Extending the period of performance.

◦ Awarding supplemental funding.

Unallowable costs You may not use funds for:

• Clinical care, except as allowed by law.

• Pre-award costs, unless we give you prior written approval.

• Other than for normal and recognized executive-legislative relationships:

◦ Publicity or propaganda purposes, including preparing, distributing, or using any material designed to support or defeat the enactment of legislation before any legislative body.

◦ The salary or expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent acting for such recipient, related to any activity designed to influence the enactment of legislation, appropriations, regulation, administrative action, or executive order proposed or pending before any legislative body.

See Anti-Lobbying Restrictions for CDC Recipients [PDF].

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Step 1: Review the Opportunity 18 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/documents/Anti-Lobbying-Restrictions.pdf

For guidance on some types of costs that we restrict or do not allow, see 2 CFR 200.420, Considerations for Selected Items of Cost.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are those shared across multiple projects and not easily separated. Learn more at CDC Budget Preparation Guidelines [PDF].

To charge indirect costs you can select one of two methods:

Method 1 — Approved rate. If you currently have an indirect cost rate approved by your cognizant federal agency, you may use that rate.

Enclose a copy of the current approved rate agreement in your Other Attachments form.

Method 2 — De minimis rate. If you do not have a current negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis rate (see 2 CFR 200.414(f)). This rate is 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). See the definition of MTDC (2 CFR 200.1). You can use this rate indefinitely.

For foreign awards, recipients may charge indirect costs on awards to foreign organizations and foreign public entities performed fully outside of the U.S.

and its territories to support the costs of complying with federal requirements. This rate is fixed at 8% of MTDC, excluding tuition and related fees, direct expenditures for equipment, and subawards over $50,000.

Negotiated indirect costs may be paid to the American University, Beirut, and the World Health Organization.

Other indirect cost policies As described in 2 CFR 200.403(d), you must consistently charge items as either indirect or direct costs and may not double charge.

Indirect costs may include the cost of collecting, managing, sharing, and preserving data.

Salary rate limitation The salary rate limitation in the current appropriations act applies to this program. As of January 2026, the salary rate limitation is $228,000. We update this limitation when it changes.

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Step 1: Review the Opportunity 19 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.420 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/documents/budget-preparation-guidance.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.403(d)

Program income If you earn any money from your award-supported project activities (known as program income), you must use it for the purposes and under the conditions of the award. Find more about program income at 2 CFR 200.307.

Expanded authority For more information on expanded authority and pre-award costs, see the HHS Grants Policy Statement and speak to the grants management contact.

Pre-award costs may be allowable as an expanded authority, but only if we authorize the costs.

Public health data We require that awards include the needed costs and methods to share public health data. You may include the reasonable cost of sharing or archiving public health data as part of your requested budget for first-time or continuation awards. For more information, see Data Management and Access.

Human subjects We will restrict funds related to conducting research involving human subjects until the appropriate assurances and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals are in place. To lift the restrictions, we require copies of all current local IRB approval letters, local IRB-approved protocols, and CDC IRB approval letters, when applicable.

If the proposed research project involves more than one institution and will be conducted in the United States, we expect you to:

• Use a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) to conduct the required ethical review.

• Include a single IRB plan in your research plan and PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form, unless either of the following is true:

◦ Review by an sIRB would be prohibited by a federal, tribal, or state law, regulation, or policy.

◦ You provide a compelling justification based on ethical or human subject protection issues or other well-justified reasons.

Do not duplicate information in the research plan form and the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form.

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Step 1: Review the Opportunity 20 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.307 https://www.hhs.gov/grants-contracts/grants/grants-policies-regulations/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html

In your research plan, discuss the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses of your proposed research. Use the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form to provide detailed information for human subjects studies and clinical trials.

We will review and approve exceptions in accordance with 45 CFR part 46 and, as applicable, 21 CFR part 50 and 21 CFR part 56, or we may place a restriction on the award.

Note: The sIRB requirement applies to participating sites in the United States.

Foreign sites participating in CDC-funded, cooperative research studies do not need to follow the requirement for sIRB.

For more information, please consult the scientific and research contact listed for this NOFO.

Statutory authority Public Health Service Act, Section 301(a), 42 USC 241a; Section 307, 42 USC 242l; and Section 317(k)(2), 42 USC 247b(k)(2).

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Step 1: Review the Opportunity 21 https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/index.html https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-50 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-56

Step 2:

Get Ready to Apply

In this step

Find the application package 23

Get registered 23

Help applying 24

Find the application package The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it online. Go to Grants Search at Grants.gov or eRA ASSIST and search for opportunity number RFA-CK-26-104. After opening the opportunity, select the “package” tab to see the forms.

We recommend that you select the Subscribe button from the View Grant Opportunity page for this NOFO to get updates.

If you can’t use Grants.gov to download application materials or have other technical difficulties, including issues with application submission, contact Grants.gov for help.

Get registered You must be registered in both SAM.gov and Grants.gov to apply. You can review the requirements and get started on developing your application before your registrations are complete.

SAM.gov You must have an active account with SAM.gov to apply. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process today.

To register:

• Go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and select Get Started. From the same page, you can also select the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

• You must agree to the financial assistance general certifications and representations [PDF] specifically. Those for contracts are different.

When you register, you will also receive your required Unique Entity Identifier

(UEI).

Once you register:

• You will have to maintain your registration throughout the life of any award.

• If your organization has multiple UEIs, use the one associated with your physical location.

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

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 23 https://grants.gov/search-grants https://public.era.nih.gov/assist/public/login.era?TARGET=https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.era.nih.gov%3A443%2Fassist%2F https://www.grants.gov/support https://www.grants.gov/support https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf

Grants.gov You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants.

eRA Commons You must register in eRA Commons. Your senior and key personnel must also register and affiliate their accounts with your organization’s account.

Register at least four weeks before the application deadline.

Need help? See Contacts and Support.

Help applying For help with the application process and tips for preparing your application, see How to Apply on our website and the Research Instructions for NIH and Other PHS Agencies [PDF].

If any instructions differ from those in this NOFO, follow the instructions in this NOFO.

For other questions, see Contacts and Support.

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

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 24 https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/login.era?TARGET=https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.era.nih.gov%3A443%2Fcommons https://www.cdc.gov/grants/applying/index.html https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-i/research-forms-i.pdf

Step 3:

Build Your Application

In this step

Application checklist 26

Application contents and format 28

Application checklist You must follow the research instructions [PDF] to complete your application.

In this section, we also provide NOFO-specific guidance for some forms.

Make sure that you have everything you need to apply:

Form Required for

PHS 398 Research Plan form All applications.

SF-424 (R&R) All applications.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement form All applications.

SF-424 (R&R) Other Project Information All applications.

SF-424 (R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations All applications.

SF-424 (R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile All applications.

R&R Budget form or HS 398 Modular Budget form

All applications.

• Include only one of these forms, not both, in your application.

• The modular form is typically used by domestic organizations requesting $250,000 or less per budget period in direct costs.

R&R Subaward Budget Attachments form If your application proposes subawards.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All applications.

PHS Assignment Request form Optional.

Other Attachments form All applications.

Report on overlap If applicable.

Bona fide agents documentation If applicable.

Indirect cost agreement If applicable.

See submission requirements and deadlines to see if there are other requirements beyond the application itself.

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

Step 3: Build Your Application 26

Important: Public information

When filling out your SF-424 form, pay attention to Box 15: Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project.

We share what you put there with USAspending. This is where the public goes to learn how the federal government spends their money.

Instead of just a title, insert a short description of your project and what it will do.

See instructions and examples [PDF].

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

Step 3: Build Your Application 27 https://www.usaspending.gov/ https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-writing-award-descriptions.pdf

Application contents and format You must follow the research instructions [PDF] in the How to Apply:

Application Guide unless this NOFO says otherwise. We strictly enforce these requirements. If you do not follow them, we may delay or not accept your application for review.

See responsiveness criteria to make sure you meet all requirements.

As you build your application, keep the review criteria in mind.

PHS 398 Research Plan form You will use the PHS 398 Research Plan form to complete your research plan.

You will upload each of the following parts of the form as a separate attachment.

Some parts may not be required for your application. We provide guidance here and in the Application Guide.

Follow all instructions beginning on page 80 of the research instructions [PDF]. We note additional instructions in this NOFO.

Introduction This section only applies to resubmission or revision applications. Do not include this section if you are submitting a new or renewal application.

Research plan section To complete this section use the instructions beginning on page 82 of the research instructions. The parts for this section include:

Parts Required for Page limit

Specific aims All applications. 1 page

Research strategy All applications. 12 pages

• Specific aims: State the problem your proposed research will address and how your research will affect public health and improve population health.

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

Step 3: Build Your Application 28 https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-i/research-forms-i.pdf https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=82400 https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=82400 https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/write-application/how-to-apply-application-guide https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-i/research-forms-i.pdf#page=80 https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-i/research-forms-i.pdf#page=80 https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-i/research-forms-i.pdf#page=82

• Research strategy: Organize your research strategy under three headings: significance, innovation, and approach. Describe your proposed research plan, including staffing and a timeline of planned activities.

◦ Include how you will conduct at least two of the activities listed in the Objectives and outcomes section of the program description.

◦ Include the information requested in the Evaluation and performance measurement section of the program description.

◦ Include the information requested in the Translation plan section of the program description.

◦ See the scientific merit review section for the questions reviewers will consider when reviewing your application.

To complete this section use the instructions beginning on page 86 of the research instructions [PDF]. The parts for this section include:

Parts Required for Page limit

Vertebrate animals If you answer “Yes” to the question “Are Vertebrate Animals Used?” on the R.220 - R&R Other Project Information form.

None

Select agent research If your proposed activities involve the use of select agents at any time during the proposed period of performance.

None

Multiple PI/PD leadership plan If you designate multiple PD/PIs (on the R.240 - R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form).

None

Consortium and contractual arrangements

If you include any consortiums or contracts in your budget.

None

Letters of Support All applications. None

Resource sharing plans All applications. None

Other plans All applications. None

Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources

All applications. None

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

Step 3: Build Your Application 29 https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-i/research-forms-i.pdf#page=86

Other plans: Data management plan For all public health data you plan to collect, a data management plan (DMP) is required. For a definition of “public health data” and other key information, see Data Management and Access on our website.

Submit your DMP in the Other Plans section of your PHS 398 Research Plan and include:

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

• Whether there are reasons why you cannot share data collected or generated under the award with CDC. These could include legal, regulatory, policy, or technical concerns.

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

• Data standards that explain what documentation released data will have.

That documentation should describe collection methods, what the data represent, and data limitations.

• Archival and long-term data preservation plans.

• 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. For more information about CDC’s policy on the DMP, see Data Management and Access Requirement at CDC’s website.

• Examples of DMPs may be found at the California Digital Library’s DMP Tool or U.S. Geological Survey Data Management Plans.

Appendix We allow only limited appendix materials. Follow all the appendix instructions detailed on page 94 of the research instructions [PDF].

Do not use the appendix to get around page limits. You may attach up to 10 PDF documents in the appendix. Additionally, you can include up to three publications that are not publicly available.

Budget form To develop your budget, see CDC’s Budget Preparation Guidelines [PDF].

Be sure to follow the guidance in funding policies and limitations.

The budget can include both direct costs and indirect costs as allowed.

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

Step 3: Build Your Application 30 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-25.html https://dmptool.org/ https://dmptool.org/ https://www.usgs.gov/data-management/data-management-plans https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-i/research-forms-i.pdf#page=94 https://www.cdc.gov/grants/documents/Budget-Preparation-Guidance.pdf

Other Attachments Form You will use the Other Attachments form to upload the following attachments.

Report on overlap File name: Report on overlap

You must provide this attachment only if you have submitted a similar request for a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract to another funding source in the same fiscal year and that request may result in any of the following types of overlap:

Programmatic

• They are substantially the same project.

• A specific objective and the project design for accomplishing it are the same or closely related.

Budgetary

• You request duplicate or equivalent budget items that are already funded by another source or requested in the other submission.

Commitment

• Given all current and potential funding sources, an individual’s time commitment exceeds 100%, which is not allowed.

• We will discuss the overlap with you and resolve the issue before award.

Bona fide agent documentation File name: Bona fide agent

A bona fide agent is an organization eligible to submit an application on behalf of another organization.

If you are applying as a bona fide agent of a state, territorial, tribal, or local government, you must attach a legal, binding agreement from the government as documentation of your status as their agent.

Step 3: Build Your Application 31

Indirect cost agreement File name: Indirect cost agreement

If you include indirect costs in your budget using an approved rate, include a copy of your current agreement approved by your cognizant agency for indirect costs (2 CFR 200.1). If you use the de minimis rate, you do not need to submit this attachment.

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

Step 3: Build Your Application 32 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Cognizant%20agency%20for%20indirect%20costs) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Cognizant%20agency%20for%20indirect%20costs)

Step 4:

Understand Review, Selection, and Award

In this step

Application review 34

Award notices 41

Application review Initial review We will review your application to make sure that it meets the responsiveness…