Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH15 1629
Apply for CDC RFA GH15 1629
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rapid Response to Ebola Viral Disease in West Africa through Strengthening of Surveillance Systems and Disruption of Chain of Transmission Interventions" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318 Protecting and Improving Health Globally Building and Strengthening Public Health Impact, Systems, Capacity and Securit.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 10, 2015 and posted on Mar 12, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 13, 2015 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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).
- eHealth Africa 17971 Santa Clara Avenue Santa Clara, CA 92705
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Rapid Response to Ebola Viral Disease in West Africa through Strengthening of Surveillance Systems and Disruption of Chain of Transmission Interventions" was a CDC cooperative agreement announcement released during the height of the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola crisis. It was framed as an emergency public health response aimed primarily at Liberia while also supporting cross-border risk areas involving Sierra Leone and Guinea. The background section anchors the need for rapid action in the scale of the outbreak at the time: more than 23,000 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases across the three most affected countries, and over 9,000 deaths, with Liberia alone estimated at about 9,007 cases and 3,900 deaths (citing WHO figures from February 18, 2015). The overall intent was to move beyond passive reporting and instead strengthen the systems that detect cases quickly, manage information reliably, and cut off transmission chains through coordinated fieldwork, laboratory support, and infection control.
A central focus of the opportunity is improving Ebola surveillance capacity at multiple levels of the health system. The announcement emphasizes training epidemiologists at both local (county or district) and national levels so that surveillance does not depend on a small number of specialists in the capital. In addition to training, the FOA calls for placing national-level Ebola subject matter expert epidemiologists who can directly support county field teams, helping them investigate alerts, conduct case finding, and improve data quality and timeliness. The grant also anticipates the practical realities of outbreak work by explicitly including logistical support, supplies, and equipment for epidemiology field teams. In other words, it is not only about technical training, but also about ensuring field staff have the tools and operational support needed to actually perform surveillance activities in challenging conditions.
Another major component is laboratory system strengthening, with the goal of speeding up and improving the reliability of testing and reporting, which is critical for isolating cases, tracing contacts, and making public health decisions. The FOA describes bringing in a senior laboratory data specialist and upgrading laboratory data integration systems, suggesting a push to connect laboratory results more directly to surveillance and response teams. It also highlights the need for tangible laboratory inputs such as supplies, reagents, and equipment, reflecting the common outbreak bottleneck where testing capacity is limited not only by staffing but also by shortages of consumables and functioning infrastructure. The emphasis on data integration signals that the CDC wanted laboratory confirmation to flow quickly into surveillance datasets and operational decision-making, rather than sitting in disconnected systems.
The opportunity also targets direct interruption of Ebola transmission, described as "disruption of chain of transmission interventions." This includes assessing health facilities across the country and conducting epidemiological active surveillance nationwide at the county level. Facility assessments in an Ebola context typically relate to readiness to identify and isolate suspected cases, safe patient flow, protective practices, and basic infection control infrastructure. Active surveillance implies going beyond waiting for facilities to report cases and instead systematically searching for suspected cases and monitoring high-risk settings and communities to find transmission early. These activities are meant to shorten the time between symptom onset, detection, isolation, testing, and contact follow-up, which is one of the most effective ways to reduce onward spread.
Training and prevention measures for frontline workers and communities are also built into the program design. The FOA specifically calls for training health care workers and community health leaders in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and infection prevention and control (IPC). This reflects the recognition that Ebola outbreaks accelerate when infection control breaks down in clinics and hospitals and when community-level practices are not aligned with safe care and safe referral. By including community health leaders, the FOA signals an intent to extend prevention knowledge and practices beyond formal facilities and into community structures that influence behavior, reporting, and adherence to safety measures.
From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Funding Opportunity Number CDC RFA GH15-1629. The funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates substantial federal involvement in implementation and oversight compared with a standard grant. The activity category is health, and the CFDA listing provided is 93.318, associated with global health protection and strengthening public health impact, systems, capacity, and security. The opportunity anticipated a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1). The notice was posted March 12, 2015, created April 10, 2015, with an application deadline of April 13, 2015 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern, and an archive date of May 13, 2015, all of which underscore that this was designed as a fast-moving emergency response mechanism. The eligibility section points to a specific organization, eHealth Africa, listed with an address in Santa Clara, California, indicating the intended or allowable applicant was narrowly defined rather than broadly open competition. The FOA states no cost sharing or matching requirement. The listing shows estimated total funding and award ceiling/floor as 0, which sometimes appears in public summaries when final funding amounts are handled through other documentation or were not populated in the public-facing fields.
Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as a rapid, operationally focused package: build and reinforce surveillance staffing and field capability, modernize and connect laboratory data systems while ensuring labs have essential inputs, and reduce Ebola transmission through facility assessments, active surveillance, and strong WASH/IPC training for both healthcare workers and community leaders. The common thread across all parts is speed and integration: detecting cases quickly, confirming them through functional labs and data systems, and acting decisively to prevent additional infections.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Rapid Response to Ebola Viral Disease in West Africa through Strengthening of Surveillance Systems and Disruption of Chain of Transmission Interventions."
2. Which federal agency offered this opportunity?
The opportunity was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3. What type of funding instrument is this?
This is a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal government expects substantial involvement in implementation and oversight compared with a standard grant.
4. What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is CDC RFA GH15-1629.
5. What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing provided is 93.318 (global health protection and strengthening public health impact, systems, capacity, and security).
6. What was the main purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The intent was an emergency public health response during the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola crisis, focused on strengthening surveillance systems, improving laboratory support and data integration, and disrupting chains of Ebola transmission through coordinated field interventions.
7. Which countries or geographic areas were the focus?
The opportunity was aimed primarily at Liberia, while also supporting cross-border risk areas involving Sierra Leone and Guinea.
8. Why was this opportunity considered urgent?
The background referenced the scale of the outbreak at the time, citing more than 23,000 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected Ebola virus disease cases across the three most affected countries and over 9,000 deaths (with WHO figures referenced as of February 18, 2015). The timeline (posting and deadline dates) also reflects a fast-moving emergency response design.
9. What does the opportunity mean by strengthening "surveillance systems"?
It emphasizes moving beyond passive reporting to improve rapid detection and reliable information management. Key elements include training epidemiologists at local (county/district) and national levels, placing national-level Ebola subject matter expert epidemiologists to support county teams, and providing logistical support, supplies, and equipment so field teams can function effectively.
10. What kinds of workforce activities were highlighted for surveillance?
The FOA highlights training epidemiologists at multiple levels (local and national) and placing national-level Ebola subject matter expert epidemiologists to provide direct support to county field teams for alert investigation, case finding, and improvements in data quality and timeliness.
11. Does the FOA include operational and logistical support, or only training?
It explicitly includes logistical support, supplies, and equipment for epidemiology field teams, indicating an operational approach in addition to technical training.
12. What laboratory-related activities were included?
The opportunity includes strengthening laboratory systems to speed up and improve the reliability of testing and reporting. It describes bringing in a senior laboratory data specialist, upgrading laboratory data integration systems, and providing tangible laboratory inputs such as supplies, reagents, and equipment.
13. What is meant by "laboratory data integration" in this FOA?
Based on the description, it refers to improving how laboratory results connect to surveillance and response teams, so confirmed results flow quickly into surveillance datasets and operational decision-making rather than remaining in disconnected systems.
14. What are "disruption of chain of transmission interventions" in this context?
These are activities intended to interrupt Ebola spread, including assessing health facilities across the country and conducting epidemiological active surveillance nationwide at the county level to identify cases earlier and shorten the time from symptom onset to detection, isolation, testing, and follow-up.
15. What is the difference between active surveillance and passive reporting as described here?
Passive reporting relies on facilities or systems to report cases as they occur. Active surveillance, as described, implies going beyond waiting for reports by systematically searching for suspected cases and monitoring high-risk settings and communities to detect transmission earlier.
16. What kinds of health facility activities were anticipated?
The FOA describes assessing health facilities across the country. In an Ebola context, facility assessments typically relate to readiness to identify and isolate suspected cases, safe patient flow, protective practices, and basic infection control infrastructure.
17. What training components are included for prevention and control?
The FOA calls for training health care workers and community health leaders in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and infection prevention and control (IPC).
18. Why does the FOA include both healthcare workers and community health leaders in training?
The design reflects that Ebola transmission can accelerate when infection control breaks down in clinics/hospitals and when community-level practices are not aligned with safe care and safe referral. Including community leaders indicates an intent to extend prevention practices beyond facilities into community structures that influence reporting and safety behaviors.
19. How many awards were expected?
The opportunity anticipated a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1).
20. Who was eligible to apply based on the posted eligibility information?
The eligibility section points to a specific organization, eHealth Africa, listed with an address in Santa Clara, California, indicating the intended or allowable applicant was narrowly defined rather than broadly open competition.
21. Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
22. What were the key dates for this opportunity?
The notice was posted March 12, 2015, created April 10, 2015, with an application deadline of April 13, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. The archive date was May 13, 2015.
23. What does the short application window suggest about the program?
The tight timeline underscores that this was structured as a rapid, emergency response mechanism during an active crisis, rather than a long-planned open competition.
24. What funding amount information was provided in the public listing?
The listing shows estimated total funding and award ceiling/floor as 0. Public summaries sometimes display zeros when final funding amounts are handled through other documentation or were not populated in the public-facing fields.
25. What is the overall approach or "theory of action" described by the FOA?
The opportunity is presented as an integrated package focused on speed and coordination: strengthen surveillance staffing and field capability, modernize and connect laboratory data systems while ensuring labs have essential inputs, and reduce transmission through facility assessments, active surveillance, and WASH/IPC training for healthcare workers and community leaders.
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