PPHF 2014 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) Building and Strengthening Epidemiology, Laboratory and Health Information Systems Capacity in State and Local Health Departments financed in part by 2014 Prevention and P | Apply Online

FAQs: PPHF 2014 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC)

What is the ELC grant opportunity (CDC-RFA-CK14-1401PPHF14)?

The PPHF 2014 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number CDC-RFA-CK14-1401PPHF14) is a CDC cooperative agreement focused on protecting public health by strengthening how jurisdictions detect, respond to, prevent, and control infectious diseases, including newly emerging and re-emerging threats.

What is the main purpose of this funding?

The main purpose is to build and reinforce public health infrastructure so agencies can handle routine, day-to-day surveillance and response work while also being able to scale quickly during outbreaks and other emergencies. The emphasis is on strengthening the overall system rather than funding isolated, stand-alone activities.

What kinds of public health problems is the program designed to address?

The program is designed to improve readiness for infectious disease detection and control, including both newly emerging and re-emerging threats. It supports better surveillance, faster outbreak detection, improved incident response, and stronger prevention and control capacity.

Which four focus areas does the program emphasize?

The opportunity highlights four connected areas: (1) epidemiologic capacity, (2) laboratory capacity, (3) health information systems, and (4) collaboration and integration across epidemiology, laboratory, and information systems so they function as coordinated cornerstones of infectious disease control.

What does “strengthening epidemiologic capacity” mean in this program?

It refers to strengthening the people, processes, and tools used to track diseases, investigate cases and outbreaks, and translate data into public health action. The goal is to support both routine surveillance and surge needs during emergencies.

What does “enhancing laboratory capacity” mean in this program?

It means ensuring public health laboratories have modern diagnostic technologies, trained staff, and the supplies and systems needed to identify pathogens accurately and quickly, so lab testing can effectively support surveillance and outbreak response.

How does the program address health information systems?

The program supports improvements that help surveillance, laboratory, and epidemiology data move efficiently in electronic form, be analyzed effectively, and support timely decision-making. A key theme is reducing delays, duplication, and data quality problems through better electronic information flow.

What does “integration” mean in the ELC program?

Integration means epidemiologists, laboratorians, and informatics staff operate in a connected way. In practical terms: lab test results should feed surveillance rapidly, surveillance signals should guide targeted testing and investigations, and electronic systems should make data sharing faster and cleaner.

Why are public health laboratories described as central to this opportunity?

The CDC frames public health laboratories as indispensable because they determine what pathogen is present and provide information that drives surveillance and outbreak response. The opportunity is intended to help labs maintain up-to-date diagnostics, retain and train skilled staff, and run information systems that can handle electronic data efficiently.

Is this opportunity meant to fund individual projects or broader capacity?

It is best understood as infrastructure-oriented funding. While funding can support discrete needs (like staffing, supplies, or informatics tools), the expectation is that these investments align and improve overall system performance rather than operating as disconnected activities.

What types of costs or investments are mentioned as allowable in the description?

The description indicates funding can be used for items such as staffing (including roles like microbiologists and epidemiologists), laboratory supplies, and informatics hardware or software, with the expectation that these support an integrated, better-performing overall system.

What kind of funding mechanism is used?

This was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism. A cooperative agreement typically involves more substantial CDC involvement than a standard grant, such as technical assistance, collaboration on implementation approaches, and alignment with national public health objectives.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category listed is health.

How many awards and how much total funding were estimated?

The opportunity listed an estimated 64 awards and an estimated total funding amount of $427,319,480.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.521, tied to Affordable Care Act-related efforts to build epidemiology, laboratory, and health information systems capacity.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated that no cost sharing or matching was required.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was restricted to existing ELC grantees previously funded under earlier ELC announcements (CI10-1012 and/or CK12-1201). Eligible entities included all U.S. states; six large local health departments (Los Angeles County, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Houston, and the District of Columbia); U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands); and U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions (including American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Mariana Islands).

Which local health departments were specifically named as eligible?

The announcement specifically named Los Angeles County, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Houston, and the District of Columbia.

Were U.S. territories and U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions included?

Yes. The eligible list included Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions including American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Mariana Islands.

When was the opportunity posted and when was it created?

The opportunity was posted on March 14, 2014, and created on May 14, 2014.

What was the application deadline and was it extended?

The application deadline was originally set for May 14, 2014, and it was extended to May 16, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern via Grants.gov.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date listed was June 13, 2014.

How were applications submitted?

Applications were submitted via Grants.gov, with the extended deadline specified as May 16, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.

How should someone understand the overall intent of the ELC program?

The ELC opportunity is a broad investment in the underlying public health system: workforce capability, laboratory readiness, and informatics and data capacity. The goal is to help jurisdictions spot unusual disease activity early, confirm causes through testing, share information quickly, and coordinate effective control measures.

What is the practical benefit of the program’s “feedback loop” approach?

The program emphasizes tight feedback loops where surveillance and lab testing reinforce each other: lab results quickly inform surveillance, surveillance trends guide targeted testing and investigations, and electronic information systems reduce delays and improve data quality so responses can be faster and better coordinated.