Early Detection, Response, and Control of Global Rabies Outbreaks and Associated Threats to America's Dog-Rabies Free Status

The Early Detection, Response, and Control of Global Rabies Outbreaks and Associated Threats to America's Dog-Rabies Free Status funding opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This forecasted cooperative agreement is designed to support research and programmatic activities that strengthen global capacity to detect, respond to, and control rabies outbreaks, particularly those that could threaten the United States’ status as free from dog-mediated rabies. The initiative reflects the federal government’s broader public health mission to prevent infectious diseases and protect population health both domestically and internationally. The primary purpose of this opportunity is to advance the development and implementation of innovative, technology-driven, and cost-effective tools that reduce the global burden of human rabies. The program emphasizes generating actionable data and scalable strategies that support canine rabies elimination efforts, particularly in high-burden countries where transmission remains persistent. By focusing on international rabies control, the program indirectly safeguards U.S. public health by reducing the risk of reintroduction through travel or animal importation. Funding under this opportunity supports a range of research and operational activities. These include the development of electronic systems for tracking rabies vaccinations in both humans and dogs, improving management processes for human rabies exposure investigations, enhancing laboratory information management systems, modeling the economic impact of rabies interventions, and estimating populations of rabies-susceptible dogs. Awardees are expected to implement, monitor, and evaluate these tools to produce measurable outcomes that inform policy and intervention strategies. The cooperative agreement structure indicates substantial involvement from the CDC in project oversight and collaboration. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and inclusive, encompassing a wide range of domestic and international entities. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, tribal governments and organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, independent school districts, public housing authorities, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. Foreign applicants and components are also explicitly eligible, reflecting the global scope of the program and its emphasis on international disease control efforts. The application process is expected to be conducted electronically through Grants.gov, with submissions required by the stated deadline. While specific application components are not detailed in the forecast notice, applicants should anticipate standard federal grant requirements, including project narratives, budgets, and supporting documentation aligned with CDC guidelines. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement associated with this opportunity, which may broaden accessibility for eligible organizations. The timeline for this funding opportunity indicates that it is currently in a forecast stage. The estimated posting date is October 30, 2026, with an anticipated application deadline of February 1, 2027. Awards are expected to be announced by July 30, 2027, with project activities beginning on September 1, 2027. The total estimated program funding is 2,000,000 dollars, with individual awards ranging from 150,000 to 400,000 dollars and only one award expected. Applicants are encouraged to monitor updates as the opportunity progresses from forecast to active status and to prepare in advance for submission requirements.