World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center (U54)

The World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center is a federal funding opportunity issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This opportunity is administered through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as part of the World Trade Center Health Program. It is structured as a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial involvement from the federal agency in project oversight and execution. The initiative stems from a congressional mandate to expand research into the long term impacts of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, specifically focusing on individuals who were exposed at a young age or in utero. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to establish and operate a centralized research coordinating center that will build and maintain a cohort of individuals exposed to the World Trade Center disaster during their youth. The program is designed to support comprehensive, multidisciplinary research examining both health and educational outcomes, including developmental and cognitive effects. The center will serve as a national hub for data collection, analysis, and collaboration, integrating expertise across epidemiology, environmental health, occupational health, information technology, and community engagement disciplines. Funding under this opportunity supports four major functional areas. These include planning, administration, and evaluation activities necessary to sustain the center; development and management of robust information technology and data systems; communication, outreach, and community engagement to ensure effective recruitment and stakeholder involvement; and direct research activities focused on understanding long term impacts. The funding is intended to enable large scale, longitudinal studies that address critical gaps in knowledge regarding the effects of early life exposure to the events of September 11. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes a wide range of domestic entities such as public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and tribal governments. However, foreign entities and non domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. While foreign collaborators may participate in a limited capacity, they cannot be included as primary applicants or organizational components within the funded project. This ensures that the program remains focused on U.S. based research infrastructure and populations. The application process is expected to follow standard federal grant submission procedures through Grants.gov, requiring electronic submission by the specified deadline. While specific application components are not detailed in the forecast, applicants should anticipate comprehensive proposals including research plans, administrative structures, data management strategies, and community engagement approaches. Applications will likely be evaluated based on scientific merit, feasibility, multidisciplinary integration, and the potential to generate meaningful public health insights. The timeline for this opportunity is currently forecasted, with an estimated posting date in late November 2026 and an anticipated application deadline in February 2027. Awards are expected to be made in June 2027, with project activities beginning shortly thereafter in July 2027. The program is expected to fund a single award with substantial total program funding, indicating a large scale, high impact initiative. Interested applicants are encouraged to monitor official postings for updates and prepare early given the complexity and scope of the proposed work.