USAID Child Blindness Program (CBP) | PGRD 16 0004

Opportunity Information: Apply for PGRD 16 0004

The USAID Child Blindness Program (CBP) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: PGRD 16 0004) is a discretionary USAID-funded grant competition administered by Partners for Global Research and Development (PGRD). Its main purpose is to support projects that both expand access to high-quality eye care services for children and strengthen global knowledge about pediatric eye care. The program is especially interested in practical innovations and best-practice approaches that can improve real-world service delivery, particularly for children and other vulnerable populations who face barriers to care. CBP frames this as part of a longer-term effort, noting that since 1991 it has invested in effective and efficient pediatric eye care programs designed to grow the evidence base and increase the number of children reached.

This request for applications emphasizes innovations that can produce measurable improvements in on-the-ground programming rather than purely theoretical or academic work. Applicants are encouraged to propose creative, problem-solving projects that align with CBP goals, relevant topic areas (referenced as IGBP topic areas in the notice), and the pediatric eye care Continuum of Care (cited in the opportunity as appearing on pages 5 to 6 of the full materials). A key expectation is that proposed solutions are not only imaginative but also actionable in real settings, grounded in verifiable data and credible sources such as peer-reviewed literature and other reliable evidence. In practice, that means applicants should be prepared to show why their approach should work, what evidence supports it, and how impact will be demonstrated.

CBP is open to a range of project types as long as they help maximize the impact of child-focused eye health interventions. The opportunity explicitly allows for operations research (for example, studying how to improve uptake, referral pathways, quality, efficiency, or outcomes within routine programs), scaling up existing approaches that have already shown promise, and structured reviews that clarify current trends or identify knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. The scope is also broad across eye care delivery functions, meaning proposals can target clinical improvements (such as screening, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, or referral systems), as well as managerial and administrative components (such as workforce models, supply chain considerations, service integration, data systems, quality improvement methods, or clinic and program management practices). The central thread is that projects should plausibly lead to more children receiving better eye care and should contribute useful lessons that can be shared and applied beyond a single site.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is described as unrestricted, and it is open to a wide variety of legally registered organizations. Eligible applicants include US not-for-profit organizations (including private voluntary organizations, foundations, and private universities), US for-profit organizations (with the important restriction that no profit or fee is allowed under the grant), and non-US for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (also with no profit or fee permitted). All applicants must also be able to meet standard US government eligibility and compliance requirements, including rules related to nondiscrimination, lobbying restrictions, debarment and suspension, and terrorist financing prohibitions.

The award instrument is a grant under the health funding activity category (CFDA 11.111). The posted award ceiling is $250,000. The opportunity was created on 2016-11-04, and the original closing date for submissions was 2016-12-16. Overall, the competition is designed to fund implementable, evidence-based innovations and learning activities that improve pediatric eye care delivery and expand the number of children who can access quality services, while also generating knowledge that can be used to strengthen programs more broadly.

• The Agency for International Development in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID Child Blindness Program (CBP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.111.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-11-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-12-16. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for PGRD 16 0004

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