Identify and Evaluate Potential Risk Factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

The Identify and Evaluate Potential Risk Factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) opportunity is a forecasted federal grant program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This initiative falls under the Innovations in Applied Public Health Research assistance listing and is structured as a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial involvement from the federal agency throughout the project lifecycle. The CDC, as a leading public health authority, seeks to advance scientific understanding of ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, by supporting targeted research into its underlying causes and contributing factors. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to identify and evaluate potential environmental, biological, and behavioral risk factors associated with ALS. The program encourages a broad range of research approaches, including studies focused on military service, participation in contact sports, traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammation, and infectious agents. By supporting both established and emerging lines of inquiry, the CDC aims to build a more comprehensive evidence base that can inform prevention strategies, diagnostic improvements, and therapeutic development. Funding is organized across four distinct research options. Option A supports studies with strong existing evidence, such as investigations into known environmental or genetic risk factors and efforts to refine previous research using improved data. Option B focuses on exploratory and innovative research where evidence is currently limited, encouraging novel methodologies and hypotheses. Option C prioritizes understanding ALS risk in specific populations, particularly military veterans, while Option D emphasizes analysis of biological samples from the Guamanian ALS cluster to explore disease mechanisms, environmental exposures, and potential biomarkers. These options collectively ensure a balanced portfolio of confirmatory, exploratory, and population-specific research. The total estimated program funding is 4500000 dollars, with approximately three awards expected. Individual awards may reach up to 500000 dollars, although a defined minimum award amount is not specified. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, allowing applicants to focus resources entirely on project implementation. Funding is intended to support research activities aligned with the stated objectives, including data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings, within the scope defined by the cooperative agreement. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and inclusive, encompassing a wide range of entity types such as state and local governments, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, institutions of higher education, tribal governments and organizations, school districts, and public housing authorities. The opportunity is effectively nationwide in scope, as it does not impose geographic restrictions beyond eligibility categories. Additional eligibility details are expected to be clarified in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity upon release. The application process is anticipated to open on October 1, 2026, with submissions due by December 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Applications must be submitted electronically through the designated federal grants system. The estimated award date is August 29, 2027, with a projected project start date of September 30, 2027. While specific evaluation criteria are not detailed in the forecast, proposals will likely be assessed based on scientific merit, relevance to program priorities, methodological rigor, and potential public health impact. For additional information, applicants may contact the CDC program lead via the provided email or phone number.