Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA GH 18 004
The Advancing Public Health Research in Central America funding opportunity (RFA GH 18 004) is a CDC cooperative agreement designed to strengthen applied public health research and surveillance across eight countries: Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. At its core, the program supports epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory-based projects that generate actionable evidence about major human health threats in the region. The intent is not just to study disease patterns, but to actively monitor them through surveillance and related field and lab activities, producing information that can be used quickly in real-world public health decision-making.
A central theme of the opportunity is building and sustaining the full pipeline from detection to response. Funded recipients are expected to conduct and oversee research and surveillance on priority infectious disease areas such as acute febrile illness, antimicrobial resistance (including hospital-acquired infections), respiratory infections and influenza, and enteric diseases, while also maintaining flexibility to address other urgent or locally important threats. The scope is intentionally broad so that programs can adapt to changing conditions, outbreaks, and shifting burdens of disease, while still maintaining strong technical rigor in study design, data collection, laboratory methods, and analysis.
Another major expectation is translation into operations. The CDC frames this award around incorporating research findings into practical disease detection, prevention, and control programs across the Central American region. In other words, the program is meant to bridge the common gap between research and day-to-day public health practice. Recipients should be prepared to show how results will inform policies, guidelines, surveillance systems, laboratory networks, or response strategies, and how lessons learned will be shared across countries and with relevant partners. Workforce development is also emphasized: the cooperative agreement aims to increase local capacity over time by strengthening skills, systems, and institutional capability in participating countries, rather than relying on external expertise indefinitely.
Beyond the core infectious disease areas listed, the opportunity explicitly allows and encourages work in a wide range of additional public health priorities. These include emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; zoonotic and vector-borne diseases; environmental health issues; neglected tropical diseases; maternal and child health; non-communicable diseases; birth defects and developmental disabilities; vaccine-preventable diseases; biosafety; injury control and prevention; and other public health threats of local importance. This reflects an understanding that the region faces overlapping burdens and that effective public health programming often requires integrated approaches, strong laboratory and surveillance infrastructure, and collaboration across sectors.
Administratively, this is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally means the CDC expects substantial involvement with awardees during implementation compared with a standard grant. The funding activity category is Health (CFDA 93.326). Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and US-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The opportunity was created on January 9, 2018, with an original closing date of March 9, 2018, and electronic applications were due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. The listed award ceiling is $45,000,000, with up to 7 expected awards, signaling support for multiple recipients or multi-country efforts aimed at improving regional public health research, surveillance, and response capacity.Apply for RFA GH 18 004
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Public Health Research in Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.326.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 09, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 09, 2018 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 500 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $45,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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FAQs: Advancing Public Health Research in Central America (RFA GH 18 004)
What is the Advancing Public Health Research in Central America opportunity (RFA GH 18 004)?
It is a CDC discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism. Its purpose is to strengthen applied public health research and surveillance in Central America and nearby participating countries by supporting epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory-based projects that produce actionable evidence for public health decision-making.
What is the main goal of this cooperative agreement?
The main goal is to build and sustain a practical pipeline from detection to response by funding research and surveillance activities that actively monitor major human health threats and generate information that can be used quickly for real-world public health decisions, programs, and policies.
Which countries are included in the program scope?
The opportunity is designed to strengthen public health research and surveillance across eight countries: Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
What types of projects does the program support?
The program supports applied public health research and surveillance projects, including epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory-based work. Activities are expected to include surveillance and related field and laboratory efforts that help detect, monitor, and inform response to health threats.
Which infectious disease areas are explicitly prioritized?
The opportunity highlights priority infectious disease areas including acute febrile illness, antimicrobial resistance (including hospital-acquired infections), respiratory infections and influenza, and enteric diseases.
Is the scope limited to the listed infectious disease priorities?
No. While specific infectious disease areas are named as priorities, the scope is intentionally broad and includes flexibility to address other urgent or locally important threats as conditions change, including outbreaks and shifting burdens of disease.
What does CDC mean by "translation into operations" in this program?
It means awardees are expected to incorporate research findings into practical disease detection, prevention, and control programs. The program is meant to reduce the gap between research and day-to-day public health practice by ensuring results inform policies, guidelines, surveillance systems, laboratory networks, or response strategies.
What kinds of outcomes are awardees expected to demonstrate?
Based on the description, awardees should be prepared to show how research and surveillance results are used in real-world public health decision-making and how findings inform operational public health improvements such as policies, guidance, surveillance enhancements, laboratory capacity, and response approaches.
How important is surveillance compared with research in this opportunity?
Surveillance is central. The intent is not only to study disease patterns, but to actively monitor threats through surveillance and supporting field and laboratory activities so that actionable information is produced and used quickly.
Does the opportunity emphasize laboratory and technical rigor?
Yes. The scope calls for strong technical rigor in study design, data collection, laboratory methods, and analysis, alongside the flexibility to respond to changing conditions.
What additional public health topics are allowed or encouraged beyond the core infectious disease areas?
The opportunity explicitly allows and encourages work across a wide range of public health priorities, including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; zoonotic and vector-borne diseases; environmental health issues; neglected tropical diseases; maternal and child health; non-communicable diseases; birth defects and developmental disabilities; vaccine-preventable diseases; biosafety; injury control and prevention; and other locally important public health threats.
Is cross-cutting capacity building part of the program?
Yes. The cooperative agreement emphasizes strengthening skills, systems, and institutional capability in participating countries over time to increase local capacity rather than relying indefinitely on external expertise.
How is information sharing across countries addressed?
Recipients are expected to share lessons learned across countries and with relevant partners, particularly in ways that support practical improvements in public health detection, prevention, and control efforts across the region.
What funding mechanism is used, and what does that imply?
The mechanism is a cooperative agreement. This generally implies substantial CDC involvement during implementation compared with a standard grant, meaning CDC is expected to be more actively engaged with awardees as projects are carried out.
What is the funding activity category and CFDA number?
The funding activity category is Health. The CFDA number listed is 93.326.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and US-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).
Is eligibility limited to organizations based in the United States?
The eligibility list explicitly includes US-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and also includes public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. No other applicant categories are described in the provided information.
When was this opportunity created, and what were the key dates?
The opportunity was created on January 9, 2018. The original closing date was March 9, 2018, and electronic applications were due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $45,000,000.
How many awards were expected?
Up to 7 awards were expected, suggesting support for multiple recipients or multi-country efforts focused on improving regional public health research, surveillance, and response capacity.
What does it mean that this is a "discretionary" award?
It means the funding is provided through a discretionary program (as described in the opportunity). The details provided emphasize that the award uses a cooperative agreement mechanism with substantial CDC involvement during implementation.
What is meant by building a "full pipeline from detection to response"?
In the context of this opportunity, it refers to supporting activities that detect health threats (through research and surveillance), monitor them with field and lab capacity, and translate findings into timely prevention, control, and response actions that public health programs can use.
Are programs expected to focus only on research publications?
The description emphasizes actionable evidence and rapid use in decision-making rather than research outputs alone. Awardees are expected to integrate findings into operational public health activities such as surveillance systems, laboratory networks, guidelines, and response strategies.
Can a project include hospital-related infection work?
Yes. Antimicrobial resistance is explicitly included as a priority area, and the description specifically mentions hospital-acquired infections within that topic.
Does the opportunity support work related to influenza?
Yes. Respiratory infections and influenza are explicitly listed among the priority infectious disease areas.
Does the opportunity support vaccine-preventable disease work?
Yes. Vaccine-preventable diseases are explicitly included among the additional public health priorities the opportunity allows and encourages.
Does the opportunity support non-communicable disease work?
Yes. Non-communicable diseases are explicitly included among the additional priority areas that are allowed and encouraged.
Does the opportunity allow work on environmental health or injury prevention?
Yes. Environmental health issues and injury control and prevention are explicitly listed among the additional public health priorities that may be addressed.
How does the program address emerging or locally important threats?
The scope is designed to be adaptable. While it sets out key priority areas, it also emphasizes flexibility to respond to outbreaks and other urgent or locally important threats, provided technical rigor is maintained in methods and analysis.
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