Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CK 26 035
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is offering a cooperative agreement funding opportunity titled "Emerging Infections Network - Research for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Travel-associated Infectious Diseases" (Funding Opportunity Number: RFA CK 26 035; CFDA/Assistance Listing: 93.084). The core purpose is to generate practical, actionable evidence about infectious diseases in international travelers, with an emphasis on faster detection of emerging threats and better prevention and clinical management strategies. The work is framed around the idea that timely surveillance and sentinel detection are critical for getting real-world data quickly enough to guide public health decisions, particularly when outbreaks may be seeded or amplified through international travel.
The research focus is broad but clearly oriented toward outcomes that can improve public health practice. Projects should tackle questions that speed up outbreak detection, strengthen evidence for clinical guidance, and improve patient care recommendations. The CDC is also looking for work that deepens understanding of disease natural history in travelers, which can include how infections present, progress, and resolve in this population, as well as how severity and outcomes vary by pathogen, host factors, and travel context. Another major priority is improving and optimizing genomic surveillance along with diagnostics and treatment strategies, meaning applicants are encouraged to integrate modern pathogen characterization (including sequencing where appropriate) with practical diagnostic workflows and clinically relevant treatment considerations. All of these goals are tied to a larger national objective: advancing the global health security of the United States by improving early warning and response capabilities for travel-associated infectious disease threats.
This NOFO is structured into two distinct but related components, and applicants may apply to Component A, Component B, or both. Component A is a clinic-based sentinel network, which implies building or leveraging a network of clinical sites that see international travelers and can systematically identify, evaluate, and report travel-associated infections. The intent is to use clinics as sentinel points for detecting unusual patterns, collecting standardized clinical and epidemiologic data, and supporting research that can translate into improved guidelines and recommendations. Component B focuses on sentinel detection in international transportation hubs, which points to surveillance and detection activities positioned where travelers move through the system, such as airports or other international transit points, to identify infectious threats earlier and closer to points of entry and dissemination. If an applicant applies to both components and that combined application is ranked at the top, Component B will be awarded, indicating that there is a selection rule affecting how the transportation hub work is funded relative to the clinic network.
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial involvement by the CDC in the execution of the project compared with a standard grant. This often includes collaboration on technical approaches, alignment with CDC surveillance priorities, and coordinated implementation to ensure data are timely, standardized, and useful for public health action. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary and falls under the health activity category.
The anticipated scale of funding is significant. The award ceiling is listed as $6,000,000, and CDC expects to make 2 awards under this announcement. The opportunity was created on 2026-08-03, and the original closing date for applications is 2026-11-05, giving applicants a defined window to assemble partnerships, protocols, and operational plans for either or both components.
Eligibility is wide-ranging and includes many types of domestic organizations capable of conducting surveillance and applied infectious disease research. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those specific nonprofit categories); and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. This broad eligibility suggests CDC is seeking strong operational capability and access to traveler populations, whether through public health systems, academic-clinical networks, or other entities positioned to implement sentinel detection and generate high-quality data.
In practical terms, a competitive application would be expected to show how the proposed sentinel approach will produce timely, actionable surveillance data; how it will translate findings into improved clinical or public health guidance; how it will integrate appropriate diagnostics and genomic methods; and how it will support rapid detection of outbreaks or emerging pathogens linked to international travel. The program is ultimately aimed at improving the United States' ability to detect, understand, and manage travel-associated infectious diseases before they become larger domestic public health events.Apply for RFA CK 26 035
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Emerging Infections Network - Research for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Travel-associated Infectious Diseases" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.084.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-08-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-05. (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 $6,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: 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/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the official title of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Emerging Infections Network - Research for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Travel-associated Infectious Diseases."
2) Who is offering this funding?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is offering this funding opportunity.
3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA CK 26 035.
4) What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number?
The CFDA/Assistance Listing number is 93.084.
5) What type of funding mechanism is being used?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement.
6) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically means the CDC will have substantial involvement in the project compared with a standard grant. Based on the description provided, this can include collaboration on technical approaches, alignment with CDC surveillance priorities, and coordinated implementation so data are timely, standardized, and useful for public health action.
7) What is the main purpose of this program?
The core purpose is to generate practical, actionable evidence about infectious diseases in international travelers, with an emphasis on faster detection of emerging threats and improved prevention and clinical management strategies.
8) What public health problem is this program trying to address?
The program is focused on travel-associated infectious disease risks, especially the need for timely surveillance and sentinel detection to produce real-world data quickly enough to guide public health decisions when outbreaks may be seeded or amplified through international travel.
9) What kinds of research outcomes is CDC looking for?
Projects should be oriented toward outcomes that improve public health practice, including faster outbreak detection, stronger evidence for clinical guidance, and better patient care recommendations for travel-associated infections.
10) What topics or research areas are emphasized?
The described priorities include: speeding up outbreak detection; strengthening evidence for clinical guidance and recommendations; improving patient care recommendations; deepening understanding of disease natural history in travelers (how infections present, progress, and resolve); and improving and optimizing genomic surveillance along with diagnostics and treatment strategies.
11) What does "natural history of disease in travelers" mean in this context?
In this opportunity, it includes understanding how infections present, progress, and resolve in international travelers, and how severity and outcomes vary by pathogen, host factors, and travel context.
12) Is genomic surveillance part of the expected work?
Yes. A major priority described is improving and optimizing genomic surveillance along with diagnostics and treatment strategies, including modern pathogen characterization (sequencing where appropriate) integrated with practical diagnostic workflows and clinically relevant treatment considerations.
13) How does this opportunity connect to national goals?
The work is tied to advancing the global health security of the United States by improving early warning and response capabilities for travel-associated infectious disease threats.
14) How is the NOFO structured?
The NOFO is structured into two distinct but related components: Component A and Component B. Applicants may apply to Component A, Component B, or both.
15) What is Component A?
Component A is a clinic-based sentinel network. It implies building or leveraging a network of clinical sites that see international travelers and can systematically identify, evaluate, and report travel-associated infections, collect standardized clinical and epidemiologic data, and support research that can translate into improved guidelines and recommendations.
16) What is Component B?
Component B focuses on sentinel detection in international transportation hubs. It points to surveillance and detection activities positioned where travelers move through the system, such as airports or other international transit points, to identify infectious threats earlier and closer to points of entry and dissemination.
17) Can an applicant apply to both components?
Yes. Applicants may apply to Component A, Component B, or both.
18) Is there a special selection rule if an applicant applies to both components?
Yes. If an applicant applies to both components and that combined application is ranked at the top, Component B will be awarded. This indicates a selection rule affecting how the transportation hub work is funded relative to the clinic network.
19) What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $6,000,000.
20) How many awards does CDC expect to make?
CDC expects to make 2 awards under this announcement.
21) When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on 2026-08-03.
22) What is the application due date?
The original closing date for applications is 2026-11-05.
23) How long do applicants have to apply based on the dates provided?
Based on the creation date (2026-08-03) and the original closing date (2026-11-05), applicants have a defined window during that period to assemble partnerships, protocols, and operational plans.
24) What is the program category and activity type?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary and falls under the health activity category.
25) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
26) Are academic institutions eligible?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.
27) Are tribal entities eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
28) Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status are listed as eligible, with the note that institutions of higher education are excluded from those specific nonprofit categories.
29) Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible applicants.
30) What would a competitive application likely need to demonstrate?
Based on the description provided, a competitive application would be expected to show: how the sentinel approach will produce timely, actionable surveillance data; how findings will translate into improved clinical or public health guidance; how appropriate diagnostics and genomic methods will be integrated; and how the project will support rapid detection of outbreaks or emerging pathogens linked to international travel.
31) What is meant by "sentinel detection" in this opportunity?
In the context provided, sentinel detection refers to strategically positioned surveillance systems (such as clinics seeing international travelers or international transportation hubs) that can detect unusual patterns or emerging infectious threats early, enabling faster access to real-world data for public health decision-making.
32) What is the ultimate program goal?
The program is aimed at improving the United States' ability to detect, understand, and manage travel-associated infectious diseases before they become larger domestic public health events.
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