Great Health for America

The Great Health for America funding opportunity is administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under opportunity number CDC-RFA-DP26-0233. This initiative is designed as a cooperative agreement that supports large-scale, community-driven demonstration projects aimed at reducing chronic disease among children. The program reflects federal priorities to address root causes of chronic disease through evidence-based, data-driven, and community-engaged approaches. The CDC emphasizes alignment with its broader mission to strengthen public health systems, improve health outcomes, and generate replicable models for national application. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to reduce childhood chronic disease burden in four specific communities: Lake County, Indiana; the Sandusky and Toledo metro area in Ohio; Brownsville, Texas; and Petersburg, Virginia. Applicants must propose interventions that address the underlying biological, behavioral, social, and environmental drivers of chronic disease. The initiative focuses on early-life interventions, recognizing that many chronic conditions originate in childhood and are influenced by factors such as nutrition, physical activity, environmental exposures, and access to care. The program is structured to produce measurable improvements in child health outcomes while also generating evidence that can inform future federal investments and replication in other communities. Funding under this opportunity totals approximately 32000000 dollars over a two-year period, with four anticipated awards averaging 8000000 dollars each, or about 4000000 dollars annually per recipient. Funds must be used for programmatic activities aligned with the approved work plan, including community engagement, health assessments, data infrastructure development, intervention implementation, and evaluation. Allowable uses include building partnerships, improving access to care, enhancing nutrition and physical activity environments, and developing data systems. Unallowable costs include research activities, lobbying, and certain clinical services unless explicitly authorized. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, although voluntary contributions may be reported post-award. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes state, local, and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations with or without 501c3 status, public and private institutions of higher education, school districts, housing authorities, and for-profit entities including small businesses. Applicants must demonstrate strong ties to one of the four designated communities and may submit only one application tied to a single site. A key requirement is the ability to convene and maintain a community coalition that includes stakeholders such as families, schools, healthcare providers, and local government agencies. Applicants must also demonstrate prior experience implementing health interventions within the target community and the capacity to manage large federal awards. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes a project abstract, a detailed project narrative, a budget narrative, and multiple attachments such as a data management plan and evaluation plan. Applicants must also maintain active registrations with SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to submission. The project narrative is evaluated based on background, strategy alignment with five core program components, expected outcomes, work plan quality, evaluation approach, and organizational capacity. Reviewers assess the applicant’s ability to implement evidence-based interventions, manage data systems, and engage communities effectively. Applications are due by August 3, 2026 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Awards are expected to be announced by August 31, 2026, with a project start date of September 30, 2026. The period of performance is two years, divided into annual budget periods. During implementation, recipients must meet reporting requirements, including submission of a finalized data management plan within 30 days and an evaluation plan within six months. Continuous monitoring, data reporting, and collaboration with CDC and HHS are required throughout the project. Overall, this funding opportunity represents a significant federal investment in community-based chronic disease prevention. By combining flexible intervention design with rigorous evaluation and strong community engagement, the program aims to produce scalable models that can reduce healthcare costs and improve long-term health outcomes across the United States.

Ensure strong demonstrated ties to the target community; align all strategies with the five required program components; provide detailed data infrastructure and evaluation plans; clearly document prior community health work