Emerging Infections Network - Research for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Travel-associated Infectious Diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Global Migration Health is offering the Emerging Infections Network - Research for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Travel-associated Infectious Diseases cooperative agreement under opportunity RFA-CK-26-035 and activity code U01. The program supports research and surveillance designed to improve detection and prevention of travel-associated infectious diseases and strengthen the global health security of the United States. International travelers can move pathogens rapidly across borders, making traveling populations important for identifying novel, emerging, and re-emerging communicable diseases. The program is intended to produce actionable information about disease burden, severity, diagnostics, treatment, natural history, outcomes, outbreak detection, and prevention strategies. The opportunity contains two components, and applicants may apply for Component A, Component B, or both, although only one component will be awarded per recipient. Component A supports development and maintenance of a clinic-based sentinel network involving travel and tropical medicine institutions. The network must conduct routine surveillance, enhanced surveillance or research, timely data collection and reporting, genomic surveillance when appropriate, scientific investigations, specimen repository activities, and rapid communication of sentinel events and research findings. Component B supports sentinel detection in international transportation hubs through an international aircraft wastewater-based genomic surveillance network. Activities include aircraft wastewater collection, genomic characterization of pathogens and variants, pathogen-agnostic and metagenomic methods, standardized laboratory and bioinformatics workflows, quality assurance, interoperable data, and coordination with global surveillance platforms such as GLOWACON. The cooperative agreement has a five-year period of performance consisting of 12-month budget periods. CDC expects two awards, one for each component, subject to available funding and program priorities. Component A has expected total program funding of $5,000,000 over the performance period, with expected and maximum funding of $1,000,000 per budget period and a minimum of $750,000 per budget period. Component B has expected total program funding of $25,000,000, with expected and maximum funding of $5,000,000 per budget period and a minimum of $1,000,000 per budget period. There is no required cost sharing or matching. Funds may be used only for reasonable program purposes consistent with the award and applicable federal requirements. Clinical care is generally unallowable except as permitted by law, and pre-award costs require authorization. Furniture or equipment generally may not be purchased unless clearly identified and justified. Indirect costs may be charged using an approved negotiated rate or, when applicable, the 15 percent de minimis rate. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments, public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. Bona fide agents may apply on behalf of eligible state, territorial, local, and tribal government organizations but must provide documentation demonstrating the arrangement. Only one application may be submitted per institution, and each institution must have its own Unique Entity Identifier. The PD or PI should have a successful track record in public health research and surveillance, productive collaborations, appropriate expertise, and an ongoing record of accomplishments. A required letter of intent is due September 15, 2026 and must be emailed to SPittBarnes@cdc.gov. It must identify the funding opportunity, organization and address, contact information, proposed research title, PD or PI and other key personnel, and participating institutions. The full application is due November 5, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and must be submitted through Grants.gov, either directly through Workspace, through eRA ASSIST, or through another system-to-system interface connected to Grants.gov. Required materials include the PHS 398 Research Plan, SF-424 forms, applicable budget form, PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information, Other Attachments, letters of support, resource sharing plans, other plans including a Data Management Plan, and other conditional documentation. Specific Aims is limited to one page. The Research Strategy is limited to 12 pages per component and must be organized under significance, innovation, and approach. Applications must clearly identify the component or components sought and clearly delineate activities for each component. Responsive applications undergo a two-level scientific merit review. External scientists conduct the first level, with significance, investigators, innovation, approach, and environment serving as scored criteria. Reviewers also consider applicable human subjects protections, vertebrate animals, biohazards, budget, period of support, and resource sharing. CDC senior scientists conduct the second level, considering program priorities, program relevance, research portfolio balance, geographic considerations, and budgetary considerations. Funding decisions also depend on scientific merit, available funds, and program relevance. The expected scientific review date is December 15, 2026, the expected secondary review date is January 12, 2027, the expected award date is August 2, 2027, and the expected project start date is September 1, 2027. Scientific and research questions may be directed to Brian York at ryork@cdc.gov or (404) 639-7094. Scientific merit review questions may be directed to Seraphine Pitt Barnes at SPittBarnes@cdc.gov or (770) 488-6115, and grants management questions may be directed to Sharon Cassell at ZPR0@cdc.gov or (770) 488-2703.

Clearly identify Component A, Component B, or both in Specific Aims and delineate activities by component. Stay within the 12-page Research Strategy limit per component and within each component budget ceiling. Organize the Research Strategy under significance, innovation, and approach. Address all applicable objectives and performance measures, demonstrate investigator public health research and collaboration experience, provide a scalable and timely surveillance approach, and explain data quality, data sharing, and dissemination. Reviewers separately score significance, investigators, innovation, approach, and environment, and each component is ranked in its own pool.