Strengthening public health efforts to protect and improve health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

The funding opportunity titled Strengthening public health efforts to protect and improve health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through its Global Health Center, Division of Global Health Protection. This federal cooperative agreement is designed to advance global health security by strengthening systems that prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The initiative builds on prior CDC investments and aligns with broader United States global health strategies focused on protecting both domestic and international populations from emerging public health risks. The primary purpose of this opportunity is to enhance the capacity of the DRC health system to manage public health emergencies through improvements in laboratory systems, surveillance infrastructure, workforce development, and emergency response coordination. The program adopts evidence based frameworks such as the 7-1-7 model, which emphasizes rapid detection, notification, and response timelines for outbreaks. Activities supported under this funding are intended to create sustainable and resilient systems capable of addressing recurring epidemics including Ebola, cholera, measles, and other infectious diseases that have historically affected the region. Funding is structured as a cooperative agreement with an expected total of ten million dollars available in the first year across approximately four awards. The program operates over a five year period of performance with annual budget periods. Applicants are required to submit budgets and work plans across multiple components, including core global health security activities and scalable emergency response components. While only core activities may be funded initially, additional components may receive funding later depending on availability and public health needs. Funding use is restricted to programmatic activities aligned with CDC priorities, and cannot be used for research, lobbying, or other prohibited costs. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes domestic and international entities such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, and for profit entities. However, all funded activities must be implemented within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to collaborate with the DRC Ministry of Health and other stakeholders. The program also offers a competitive preference for local partners that meet specific ownership and staffing criteria, reflecting an emphasis on locally led and sustainable health system strengthening. The application process requires registration in federal systems including SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to submission. Applicants must submit a comprehensive application package that includes a project narrative, budget narrative, evaluation and performance measurement plan, data management plan, and supporting organizational documentation. The project narrative is limited to sixty pages and must address background, approach, evaluation strategy, and organizational capacity. Applications are evaluated based on technical merit, alignment with program goals, and the ability to implement evidence based strategies in the DRC context. Applications are due by August 14, 2026, with submissions required by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Awards are expected to be issued by the end of September 2026, and applicants will be notified of their status by the end of August 2026. The program is not described as recurring, indicating that future funding opportunities would depend on new announcements. Throughout the award period, recipients must comply with reporting requirements, performance monitoring, and evaluation expectations, including dedicating a portion of funding to monitoring and evaluation activities. This opportunity represents a significant investment in strengthening global health systems and mitigating the spread of infectious diseases at their source.

Align proposal with CDC priorities and evidence based strategies; demonstrate strong collaboration with Ministry of Health; provide clear monitoring and evaluation plans