Strengthening Global Health Security through local partnerships inSierra Leone

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is offering the Strengthening Global Health Security through local partnerships in Sierra Leone cooperative agreement through the Global Health Center, Division of Global Health Protection. The opportunity number is CDC-RFA-JG-26-0050 and the assistance listing is 93.318, Protecting and Improving Health Globally: Building and Strengthening Public Health Impact, Systems, Capacity, and Security. The program builds on prior U.S. Government and CDC investments in Sierra Leone following the West Africa Ebola epidemic and subsequent global health security work. Its purpose is to strengthen Sierra Leone's capacity to detect, notify, and respond to infectious disease threats, prevent emerging threats from spreading, improve health security, and support the Government of Sierra Leone in developing resilient and durable health systems. The program is organized around five strategies. These are improving national and subnational laboratory capacity and management for disease diagnostics; scaling emergency response actions to contain disease outbreaks; integrating surveillance, laboratory, clinical, emergency operational, and environmental health data for improved detection and decision making; expanding Sierra Leone's public health workforce and emergency surge capacity; and strengthening health systems to improve service delivery and public health protection. Activities include specimen referral systems, laboratory workforce development and quality management, emergency management training and simulation exercises, early warning and digital surveillance systems, Field Epidemiology Training Program activities, workforce mapping, International Health Regulations preparedness planning, and technical assistance to the Government of Sierra Leone. Recipients must provide appropriate access to data, software, tools, training materials, guidelines, and systems developed under the award. The cooperative agreement uses component funding. Applicants must apply for all components and provide separate Year 1 budgets and work plans for them. Component 1, Core Global Health Security Priorities, has a ceiling of $1,000,000. Component 2, Rapid Small-Scale Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks or other Public Health Emergencies, has a ceiling of $10,000,000. Component 3, Rapid Large-Scale Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks or other Public Health Emergencies, has a ceiling of $15,000,000. Component 4, Emerging Infectious Disease Threats, has a ceiling of $20,000,000. Expected total NOFO funding for Year 1 is $3,000,000 across an expected three awards. Only Component 1 core activities are expected to be funded initially, while the other components may be approved but unfunded until funding becomes available. CDC plans five 12-month budget periods over a five-year period of performance. There is no required cost sharing or matching. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of project funding is expected to support monitoring, reporting, and evaluation. Funds may not be used for research, generally may not support clinical care except as allowed by law, and may not support pre-award costs without authorization. Other federal funding restrictions and CDC priorities also apply. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and foreign or non-U.S.-based entities. Projects must be conducted in Sierra Leone, and an organization may submit only one application under its UEI. CDC provides a 15-point selection preference for qualifying local partners that submit the required documentation. Applications are nonresponsive if they fail eligibility requirements, are late, propose research, exceed applicable Year 1 component ceilings, exceed the 30-page project narrative limit, omit required components, are not in English, use currency other than U.S. dollars in the budget or budget narrative, or fall outside the NOFO scope. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov, and applicants must maintain the required SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and use the UEI associated with the physical location receiving federal funds. Required materials include a one-page project summary, a project narrative of no more than 30 pages, a budget narrative, and required attachments. The project narrative must use the prescribed headings and order for Background and approach, Evaluation and performance measurement plan, and Organizational capacity. Applicants must provide an initial evaluation and performance measurement plan and an initial data management plan. Required attachments include a table of contents, experience statement, financial capability statement, resumes and job descriptions, and organizational chart, plus an indirect cost agreement and report on overlap when applicable. Standard forms include SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-LLL when applicable. Applicants seeking the local partner funding preference must provide supporting documentation. The NOFO prominently states an application deadline of October 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on its cover and introductory instructions, although one basic information section states October 6, 2026 and the submission section contains an unresolved placeholder. October 2, 2026 is therefore treated as the controlling deadline while noting this internal discrepancy. Applications first undergo a responsiveness review. Responsive applications proceed to panel merit review and are scored out of 100 points: 35 points for Background and approach, 30 points for the Evaluation and performance measurement plan, and 35 points for Organizational capacity. Reviewers consider the applicant's understanding of the public health problem, evidence-based and measurable activities, methodology, alignment with Sierra Leone's national response, performance measures and reporting systems, local Global Health Security experience, ability to work with the Government of Sierra Leone, and qualified personnel. CDC generally funds according to rank but may depart from rank for stated programmatic reasons, available funding, funding preferences, emergencies, geographic or activity coverage, or program priorities. A qualifying local partner receives 15 additional points after merit review. Successful applicants receive a Notice of Award by email, and unsuccessful or disqualified applicants are also notified. The NOFO states that applicants will be informed of their status by the end of October 2026, with an expected award and start date of October 30, 2026. The program contact is the Division of Global Health Protection NOFO team at DGHPNOFOs@cdc.gov. The grants management contact is Randolph Williams, Grants Management Officer, at gur2@cdc.gov. After award, recipients must comply with CDC terms and conditions, applicable federal regulations, host country laws, financial and performance reporting requirements, and CDC monitoring. Required post-award reporting includes detailed evaluation and performance measurement and data management plans within six months, annual performance reports, financial reports, expenditure reporting, performance measure reporting, final reports, and applicable foreign tax and audit reporting. CDC will have substantial involvement through technical assistance, oversight, collaboration, review of key personnel and relevant partners, monitoring and evaluation guidance, and ongoing review of technical and financial progress.

Use the exact required project narrative headings and order. Keep the project narrative within 30 pages and attachments within 50 pages, excluding local partner preference documentation. Address the 100-point review structure directly: Background and approach 35 points, Evaluation and performance measurement plan 30 points, and Organizational capacity 35 points. Show evidence-based, realistic, measurable, culturally appropriate activities; a clear methodology; alignment with Sierra Leone's national response; strong performance indicators and financial/program reporting systems; local GHS experience; ability to work with the Government of Sierra Leone; and qualified staff with local experience and fluency in Sierra Leone's official language. Apply for all components without exceeding each component ceiling. If eligible, document local partner status carefully because it adds 15 points after merit review. Submit through Grants.gov before the deadline and ensure validation succeeds.