Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA OE20 2001
The grant opportunity "Enhancing Public Health Laboratory Capabilities and Increasing Capacity" (CDC RFA OE20-2001) is a CDC cooperative agreement designed to strengthen public health laboratories across the United States, not just as individual organizations but as an interconnected national system that supports surveillance, routine testing, and emergency response. The overall purpose is to make public health laboratories more effective, timely, and reliable contributors to public health decision-making, including informing guidelines and policies and serving as an early warning system for emerging or unexpected threats that could affect the nations health.
The NOFO focuses on building laboratory strength through four broad strategy categories that cover the full scope of how modern public health labs operate. First, it emphasizes science, management, and operations, meaning the technical and organizational foundations needed to deliver high-quality testing and services at scale. Second, it targets policy, partnership, and communication, reflecting the reality that laboratory impact depends heavily on coordination with health departments, clinical partners, federal agencies, and other stakeholders, as well as clear communication of results and implications. Third, it prioritizes training and capacity building to expand and sustain the workforce and ensure laboratorians can keep pace with evolving methods and threats. Fourth, it advances laboratory quality, safety, and informatics, tying together rigorous quality systems, safe practices, and strong data capabilities so results can be trusted, shared, and used quickly for public health action.
These strategies are carried out through nine specific focus areas that translate the broad goals into practical domains of work. The focus areas include foundational leadership and support, which centers on the core coordination and governance functions that keep labs aligned and capable over time. Environmental health work addresses laboratory services related to environmental exposures and hazards. Foodborne, waterborne, and environmentally transmitted diseases covers testing and surveillance connected to contamination and transmission through food and water systems. Infectious diseases supports laboratory readiness and capability for detecting and monitoring pathogens of public health concern. Informatics concentrates on laboratory data systems, interoperability, and the ability to move information efficiently for surveillance and response. Newborn screening and genetics supports specialized programs that detect conditions early in life and rely on consistent quality and specialized expertise. Preparedness and response strengthens the ability of laboratory networks to surge, coordinate, and deliver reliable testing during emergencies. Quality and safety systems focus on the policies, procedures, and continuous improvement structures that protect staff and ensure dependable results. Workforce development aims to recruit, retain, train, and develop laboratorians and future leaders, addressing long-term sustainability challenges.
This funding is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning CDC expects substantial involvement in program oversight and implementation rather than simply awarding funds and stepping back. The work is intended to build scientific knowledge and strengthen partnerships across the public health laboratory community, while also expanding the use of informatics to improve speed, consistency, and usability of laboratory data. A major theme is ensuring that laboratory networks stay positioned at the front lines of emerging threats, functioning as sentinel systems that can detect conditions that may harm population health and support rapid public health action.
The opportunity is a single-source award with only one eligible applicant: the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). The NOFO explains that this limitation is based on APHLs existing role and capacity, including deep expertise in public health laboratory practice, a demonstrated history of successful partnerships with public health laboratories, recognized credibility and influence within the laboratory community, and a track record of improving laboratory practice through training, continuing education, career promotion, and leadership development. APHL had also previously been funded under an earlier five-year cooperative agreement (CDC-RFA-OE15-1501) that began July 1, 2015, and this NOFO builds on that established foundation.
Evaluation and accountability are built into the design. CDCs evaluation and performance measurement approach includes both process evaluation (whether planned activities are being implemented effectively) and outcome evaluation (whether those activities produce measurable improvements). The NOFO indicates that strategies and intended outcomes will be mapped through a Logic Model, and each focus area will have a dedicated Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan with defined performance measures. Ongoing monitoring includes routine work plans and progress reporting, tracking performance measures, financial reporting, conference calls, and site visits. Any data collection requirements during the project period are subject to Office of Management and Budget review and approval, consistent with federal grants requirements. Post-award monitoring is framed around tracking progress toward outcomes, ensuring recipients data systems are adequate to generate reliable reports, and maintaining an environment that supports integrity in program performance and results.
In practical terms, the program is meant to drive near-term improvements (proximal outcomes) and mid-range improvements (intermediate outcomes) that, over time, strengthen the effectiveness of public health laboratories nationwide. By enhancing technical capability, improving quality and safety systems, expanding workforce capacity, and strengthening partnerships and data systems, the cooperative agreement aims to ensure laboratories can support day-to-day public health needs while also scaling rapidly and coordinating effectively during public health emergencies. Key administrative details include an award ceiling of $100,000,000, an expected number of awards of 1, the administering agency being the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CSELS), and the CFDA listing of 93.322. The original application closing date was February 5, 2020, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.Apply for CDC RFA OE20 2001
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CSELS in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Public Health Laboratory Capabilities and Increasing Capacity" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.322.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 24, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 05, 2020 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 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 $100,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the "Enhancing Public Health Laboratory Capabilities and Increasing Capacity" opportunity?
It is a CDC cooperative agreement (RFA OE20-2001) intended to strengthen public health laboratories across the United States as a connected national system. The goal is to improve how laboratories support surveillance, routine testing, and emergency response so they can contribute more effectively, quickly, and reliably to public health decision-making.
2) What is the overall purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to improve public health laboratory capability and capacity so lab testing and data can better inform guidelines and policies and function as an early warning (sentinel) system for emerging or unexpected threats that could affect the nation's health.
3) Which agency is offering and administering this funding?
The administering agency is the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through CSELS.
4) What type of funding mechanism is this (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
This is a cooperative agreement. That means CDC expects substantial involvement in program oversight and implementation, rather than awarding funds with minimal federal engagement.
5) What does CDC "substantial involvement" mean in this context?
Based on the information provided, CDC involvement includes ongoing program oversight and monitoring through mechanisms such as routine work plans and progress reporting, tracking performance measures, financial reporting, conference calls, and site visits, all aimed at ensuring progress toward outcomes and integrity of results.
6) Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
This is a single-source award with only one eligible applicant: the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL).
7) Why is the opportunity limited to APHL?
The NOFO states the limitation is based on APHL's established national role and capacity, including deep expertise in public health laboratory practice, a history of successful partnerships with public health laboratories, credibility and influence in the laboratory community, and a track record of improving laboratory practice through training, continuing education, career promotion, and leadership development.
8) Is this opportunity intended to strengthen individual labs or the broader laboratory system?
It is intended to strengthen public health laboratories not just as individual organizations but as an interconnected national system that supports surveillance, routine testing, and emergency response.
9) How does the NOFO describe the role of public health laboratories in public health decision-making?
The NOFO frames laboratories as critical contributors to decision-making by providing timely and reliable results that can inform guidelines and policies. It also emphasizes labs as an early warning system for emerging or unexpected threats.
10) What are the four broad strategy categories in this NOFO?
The NOFO organizes work into four strategy categories:
- Science, management, and operations (the technical and organizational foundations needed for high-quality testing and services at scale)
- Policy, partnership, and communication (coordination with stakeholders and clear communication of results and implications)
- Training and capacity building (building and sustaining the workforce and keeping pace with evolving threats and methods)
- Laboratory quality, safety, and informatics (quality systems, safe practices, and strong data capabilities so results can be trusted and used quickly)
11) What are the nine specific focus areas included in the NOFO?
The NOFO lists nine focus areas that translate the broader strategies into practical domains of work:
- Foundational leadership and support
- Environmental health
- Foodborne, waterborne, and environmentally transmitted diseases
- Infectious diseases
- Informatics
- Newborn screening and genetics
- Preparedness and response
- Quality and safety systems
- Workforce development
12) What is meant by "foundational leadership and support" in this program?
It refers to the core coordination and governance functions that keep laboratories aligned, supported, and capable over time.
13) What kinds of topics fall under the "environmental health" focus area?
The NOFO describes environmental health as laboratory services related to environmental exposures and hazards.
14) What does the focus area for foodborne, waterborne, and environmentally transmitted diseases cover?
It covers testing and surveillance tied to contamination and transmission through food and water systems and other environmentally transmitted pathways.
15) What is included in the infectious diseases focus area?
It supports laboratory readiness and capability for detecting and monitoring pathogens of public health concern.
16) What does the informatics focus area emphasize?
It concentrates on laboratory data systems, interoperability, and the ability to move information efficiently to support surveillance and response.
17) What does "newborn screening and genetics" refer to in this opportunity?
It supports specialized programs that detect conditions early in life and rely on consistent quality and specialized expertise.
18) What is the purpose of the preparedness and response focus area?
It strengthens the ability of laboratory networks to surge, coordinate, and deliver reliable testing during emergencies.
19) What is meant by quality and safety systems?
It refers to the policies, procedures, and continuous improvement structures that protect staff and help ensure dependable, trustworthy results.
20) How does the NOFO address workforce needs?
Workforce development is a dedicated focus area aimed at recruiting, retaining, training, and developing laboratorians and future leaders to address long-term sustainability challenges.
21) What is the role of partnerships and communication in this program?
The NOFO highlights that laboratory impact depends on coordination with health departments, clinical partners, federal agencies, and other stakeholders, along with clear communication of test results and their implications.
22) How does the opportunity aim to improve the usefulness of laboratory data?
A major theme is expanding the use of informatics to improve the speed, consistency, and usability of laboratory data, including the ability to share information quickly for public health action.
23) Does the NOFO include an evaluation and performance measurement approach?
Yes. CDC's approach includes both process evaluation (whether activities are implemented effectively) and outcome evaluation (whether activities produce measurable improvements).
24) What is the Logic Model used for in this program?
The NOFO indicates strategies and intended outcomes will be mapped through a Logic Model, linking activities to proximal (near-term) and intermediate (mid-range) outcomes.
25) Will each focus area have its own evaluation plan?
Yes. The NOFO states that each focus area will have a dedicated Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan with defined performance measures.
26) What kinds of monitoring and reporting does CDC describe post-award?
Ongoing monitoring includes routine work plans and progress reporting, performance measure tracking, financial reporting, conference calls, and site visits. Monitoring is framed around tracking progress toward outcomes, ensuring data systems are adequate to generate reliable reports, and supporting integrity in program performance and results.
27) Are there any federal requirements related to data collection during the project?
Yes. The NOFO notes that any data collection requirements during the project period are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review and approval, consistent with federal grants requirements.
28) How does the NOFO describe the intended timeline of improvements?
The program is meant to drive near-term (proximal) improvements and mid-range (intermediate) improvements that, over time, strengthen the effectiveness of public health laboratories nationwide.
29) What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is $100,000,000.
30) How many awards does CDC expect to make under this NOFO?
The expected number of awards is 1.
31) What is the CFDA listing for this opportunity?
The CFDA listing provided is 93.322.
32) Was there a specific application deadline listed?
Yes. The original application closing date was February 5, 2020.
33) What time were electronic submissions due on the closing date?
Electronic submissions were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
34) Does this NOFO build on previous CDC funding?
Yes. It builds on an earlier five-year cooperative agreement (CDC-RFA-OE15-1501) that began July 1, 2015, under which APHL was previously funded.
35) What is the broader public health impact CDC is aiming for through this cooperative agreement?
By enhancing technical capability, improving quality and safety systems, expanding workforce capacity, strengthening partnerships, and improving data systems, the program aims to ensure laboratories can meet day-to-day public health needs and scale rapidly and coordinate effectively during public health emergencies.
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