Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA GH 09 001
Apply for RFA GH 09 001
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Infectious Disease Research Capacity for Public Health Action in Guatemala and Central America" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.283 Centers for Disease Control and PreventionInvestigations and Technical Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 15, 2008 and posted on Dec 15, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 4, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,400,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,400,000.00 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).
- Eligible Applicants 1.A. Eligible Institutions You may submit an application(s) if your organization has any of the following characteristics Eligibility for this program is limited to the Center for Health Studies of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala in Guatemala City. This limited eligibility is based on the key objectives of the programs to develop and implement infectious disease research projects, and allow the organization to carry out multiple, ongoing, public health research activities in Guatemala and the Central America region. 1. UVG is currently in its second year of a five year non research cooperative agreement, Implementing Public Health Programs and Strengthening Public Health Science in Guatemala and the Central American Region. Some projects in the non research agreement developed into related research activities. This interim FOA will allow UVG to move all research activities from the non research to a research agreement, ensure these activities are properly peer reviewed, and provide an opportunity for future research capacity. The work of this new FOA is an extension of previous HHS/CDC projects in Guatemala, and will use previously generated databases currently under the administration of the UVG that would not be available to other potential applicants. 2. UVG currently has the only biosafety level laboratory (BSL 2) in Guatemala, and is uniquely equipped to provide lab capacity and support to the Ministry of Health in Guatemala and other countries in the region. 3. As part of a non profit foundation that established the American School in Guatemala, UVG has the legal authority to hire third country nationals with the technical skills to meet the requirements of the proposed research components through an expedited process, which provides UVG with unique capability to bolster research capacity in Guatemala and the region. 4. UVG has an established history of collaboration with HHS/CDC beginning in 1978 under a tripartite agreement among HHS/CDC, the Guatemalan Ministry of Health and the UVG. In 1999, a revised Memorandum of Understanding expanded research, training and technical assistance in the area of infectious diseases. Through this agreement, UVG has developed into the only public health partner in Guatemala with the level of infrastructure and expertise necessary for supporting and strengthening the national regional lab capacity. For the above reasons, UVG is uniquely equipped with the resources and infrastructure necessary for the scope of work required, which will eliminate start up costs, and save significant U.S. taxpayer dollars.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Strengthening Infectious Disease Research Capacity for Public Health Action in Guatemala and Central America opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA GH 09 001) is a CDC cooperative agreement designed to expand infectious disease research and practical public health response capacity in Guatemala and across the Central American region. Administered by HHS/CDC/COGH under CFDA 93.283 (CDC Investigations and Technical Assistance), the program is framed as a partnership-style award in which CDC and the recipient work closely to plan and carry out priority research that can be translated into real-world prevention and control programs. The intent is not just to fund standalone studies, but to build sustainable systems, laboratory capability, and applied evidence that public health authorities can use to detect threats earlier and respond more effectively.
The core purpose is organized around two overarching goals. First, the award supports field and laboratory research on important human infectious diseases, with a clear emphasis on emerging and re-emerging threats as well as other identified public health problems affecting the region. Second, it prioritizes moving research results into operational disease prevention and control programs in Guatemala and Central America, while also ensuring that expertise, methods, and findings are shared with other countries. In practice, this means the funded work is expected to connect science to action: surveillance and diagnostics should feed into policy and program decisions, and research outputs should strengthen regional readiness rather than remain only in academic publications.
Within those broad goals, the announcement highlights three major areas of work that proposed projects may address. One priority is improving the capacity to detect newly emerging diseases, particularly influenza, by implementing or strengthening surveillance systems and by developing and evaluating diagnostic tests that are both sensitive and specific. A second priority is identifying modifiable risk factors for high-priority infectious diseases in Guatemala and Central America. The scope here is intentionally broad, covering influenza and other respiratory diseases, vector-borne illnesses, diarrheal disease, and other waterborne and foodborne infections, with an emphasis on actionable factors that can realistically be changed through interventions, behavior change, environmental improvements, or health system measures. The third priority is assessing and monitoring antimicrobial resistance in emerging infectious pathogens, including resistance to antivirals used for influenza treatment, reflecting concerns about treatment effectiveness and the need for ongoing resistance tracking to guide clinical and public health decision-making.
The funding mechanism is a discretionary cooperative agreement with an expected single award. The estimated total funding and the award ceiling are both listed as $4,400,000, with no stated minimum award amount (award floor $0). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted on December 15, 2008, with an original and current closing date of February 4, 2009, and an archive date of March 6, 2009. The activity category is health, and the structure implies multi-year, capacity-building work rather than a one-off project, especially given its stated role in moving ongoing research activities into a dedicated research agreement.
Eligibility is deliberately limited to one institution: the Center for Health Studies of the Institute for Research at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) in Guatemala City. The announcement explains that this limitation is tied to the program’s objectives and to UVG’s unique position and existing infrastructure. UVG was already in the second year of a five-year, non-research cooperative agreement focused on implementing public health programs and strengthening public health science in Guatemala and the Central American region, and some projects under that non-research agreement evolved into related research activities. This interim funding opportunity is meant to shift those research activities into a research-specific cooperative agreement so they can be appropriately peer reviewed and positioned to strengthen future research capacity. Another cited reason is that the work builds on previously generated databases managed by UVG that would not be available to other applicants, making UVG the only realistic organization able to continue the work efficiently without duplicative start-up costs.
The eligibility justification also emphasizes UVG’s laboratory assets and operating capabilities. UVG is described as having the only biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory in Guatemala at the time, putting it in a distinctive position to provide laboratory capacity and technical support to the Guatemalan Ministry of Health as well as to other countries in the region. The announcement also notes that, as part of a nonprofit foundation that established the American School in Guatemala, UVG has legal authority to hire third-country nationals through an expedited process. This is presented as a practical advantage for quickly bringing in specialized technical expertise to meet research and laboratory requirements, thereby strengthening local and regional capacity without prolonged administrative delays.
Finally, the opportunity is grounded in a long-standing collaboration between CDC, the Guatemalan Ministry of Health, and UVG dating back to 1978, later expanded through a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding to include broader research, training, and technical assistance in infectious diseases. The announcement positions UVG as the only public health partner in Guatemala with the infrastructure and expertise necessary to support and strengthen national and regional laboratory capacity at the scale envisioned. Overall, the grant opportunity reflects a strategic investment in a proven regional partner to improve surveillance, diagnostics, risk factor understanding, and antimicrobial resistance monitoring, with the explicit expectation that research findings will be rapidly translated into public health action and shared across borders.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Strengthening Infectious Disease Research Capacity for Public Health Action in Guatemala and Central America.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA GH 09 001.
Which federal agency is offering and administering this opportunity?
This is a U.S. government opportunity administered by HHS/CDC/COGH (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Office of Global Health).
What type of award is this?
This opportunity is a CDC cooperative agreement. It is described as partnership-style funding where CDC and the recipient work closely together to plan and carry out priority research that can be translated into real-world public health programs.
What is the CFDA number and program listing name?
The opportunity is under CFDA 93.283, CDC Investigations and Technical Assistance.
What is the overall purpose of the cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to expand infectious disease research capacity and practical public health response capacity in Guatemala and across Central America. The intent is not only to fund studies, but also to build sustainable systems, laboratory capability, and applied evidence that public health authorities can use to detect threats earlier and respond more effectively.
What are the main goals of the program?
The program is organized around two overarching goals:
- Support field and laboratory research on important human infectious diseases, emphasizing emerging and re-emerging threats and other identified public health problems in the region.
- Ensure that research results are translated into operational disease prevention and control programs in Guatemala and Central America, and that expertise and findings are shared with other countries.
How is this opportunity different from funding a standalone research study?
The opportunity is framed to connect science to action. Research outputs are expected to strengthen surveillance, diagnostics, policy, and program decisions, and to build regional readiness rather than producing findings that remain only in academic publications.
What kinds of project areas does the announcement highlight?
The announcement highlights three major areas of work that proposed projects may address:
- Emerging disease detection capacity, especially influenza, through surveillance improvements and diagnostic test development/evaluation (sensitive and specific tests).
- Modifiable risk factors for high-priority infectious diseases in Guatemala and Central America.
- Antimicrobial resistance assessment and monitoring in emerging infectious pathogens, including resistance to influenza antivirals.
Is influenza specifically called out as a focus area?
Yes. Influenza is specifically emphasized, including strengthening surveillance systems and developing and evaluating diagnostic tests, as well as monitoring antiviral resistance relevant to influenza treatment.
Which disease categories are included in the modifiable risk factor priority area?
The scope is broad and includes influenza and other respiratory diseases, vector-borne illnesses, diarrheal disease, and other waterborne and foodborne infections, with an emphasis on risk factors that can realistically be changed through interventions or system improvements.
What does the opportunity mean by "modifiable risk factors"?
Based on the announcement language, it refers to actionable factors that can realistically be changed through interventions such as behavior change, environmental improvements, or health system measures (rather than factors that cannot be influenced in practice).
What does the antimicrobial resistance priority include?
It includes assessing and monitoring antimicrobial resistance in emerging infectious pathogens, including resistance to antivirals used for influenza treatment, to help guide clinical and public health decision-making.
What is the activity category for this funding opportunity?
The activity category is Health.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates an expected single award.
What is the total estimated funding amount?
The estimated total funding is $4,400,000.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is listed as $4,400,000.
Is there a minimum award amount (award floor)?
No minimum award amount is stated. The award floor is listed as $0.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What are the key dates for the opportunity?
- Posted date: December 15, 2008
- Closing date (original and current): February 4, 2009
- Archive date: March 6, 2009
Is eligibility open to multiple organizations?
No. Eligibility is deliberately limited to one institution: the Center for Health Studies of the Institute for Research at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) in Guatemala City.
Why is eligibility limited to UVG?
The announcement provides several reasons tied to program objectives and UVG's position and infrastructure, including:
- UVG was already in the second year of a five-year, non-research cooperative agreement focused on implementing public health programs and strengthening public health science in Guatemala and the region.
- Some projects under the non-research agreement evolved into related research activities, and this opportunity is intended to shift those research activities into a research-specific cooperative agreement for appropriate peer review and future capacity strengthening.
- The work builds on previously generated databases managed by UVG that would not be available to other applicants, and continuing without UVG would create duplicative start-up costs.
- UVG is described as having the only biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory in Guatemala at the time and can provide laboratory capacity and technical support to the Guatemalan Ministry of Health and other countries in the region.
What laboratory capacity is specifically mentioned in the announcement?
The announcement states UVG had the only BSL-2 laboratory in Guatemala at the time, positioning it to provide laboratory capacity and technical support domestically and regionally.
Does the announcement mention any staffing or hiring advantages for UVG?
Yes. It notes that as part of a nonprofit foundation that established the American School in Guatemala, UVG has legal authority to hire third-country nationals through an expedited process to bring in specialized technical expertise without prolonged administrative delays.
What is meant by a "partnership-style" award in this context?
It means CDC and the recipient are expected to work closely to plan and carry out priority research, with the expectation that research results will be translated into public health prevention and control programs rather than remaining purely academic.
Is the work intended to benefit only Guatemala?
No. The opportunity is explicitly regional, aiming to strengthen capacity in Guatemala and across Central America, and to share expertise, methods, and findings with other countries.
How does the announcement connect research to public health action?
It emphasizes that surveillance and diagnostics should feed into policy and program decisions, and that funded work should strengthen operational readiness and disease control efforts rather than being limited to publications.
What existing collaborations support this opportunity?
The opportunity is grounded in a long-standing collaboration among CDC, the Guatemalan Ministry of Health, and UVG dating back to 1978, later expanded through a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding to include broader research, training, and technical assistance in infectious diseases.
Is this described as short-term funding or more capacity-building over time?
The structure is described as multi-year, capacity-building in nature rather than a one-off project, including shifting ongoing research activities into a dedicated research cooperative agreement.
What is the strategic intent behind moving activities into a research-specific cooperative agreement?
According to the announcement, the intent is to place related research activities into a research-specific agreement so they can be appropriately peer reviewed and positioned to strengthen future infectious disease research capacity.
What kinds of outputs or impacts does the opportunity appear to expect?
Based on the stated goals and priorities, expected impacts include stronger surveillance and diagnostics, improved understanding of modifiable risk factors for key infectious diseases, and more systematic antimicrobial resistance monitoring, with results translated into prevention and control programs and shared regionally.
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