Centers of Excellence in Healthcare Quality and Safety

The Centers of Excellence in Healthcare Quality and Safety program is a forecasted federal funding opportunity administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, the program is managed through the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, reflecting the agency’s broader mission to prevent disease, disability, and death. This initiative aligns with federal priorities to strengthen healthcare systems, improve patient outcomes, and enhance preparedness for emerging health threats. The program is structured as a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial federal involvement in project implementation and collaboration with award recipients. The primary purpose of this program is to establish a national network of healthcare systems and partners dedicated to improving healthcare quality, safety, and resilience. The initiative focuses on rapidly detecting, responding to, and preventing threats that impact both patients and healthcare workers. The scope of supported activities includes coordination across multiple healthcare settings such as acute care hospitals, including rural and community hospitals, long-term acute care facilities, nursing homes, dialysis centers, emergency and urgent care facilities, outpatient clinics, and home health providers. The program also emphasizes collaboration with public health departments and organizations possessing relevant expertise, creating a multi-sectoral approach to healthcare improvement. Funding under this opportunity is substantial, with an estimated total program funding of 1.1 billion dollars and approximately ten awards anticipated. Individual award amounts range from a floor of 3.5 million dollars to a ceiling of 22 million dollars. The funding is intended to support large-scale, system-level initiatives that enhance healthcare delivery infrastructure, improve infection prevention and control practices, and strengthen emergency response capabilities. While specific allowable cost categories are not detailed in the forecast, funding is expected to support programmatic activities, personnel, coordination efforts, and infrastructure improvements consistent with healthcare quality and safety objectives. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for applicants. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and inclusive, encompassing a wide range of entity types. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and special district governments; federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribal governments and organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations; small businesses; public housing authorities; and independent school districts. The opportunity is described as unrestricted among these categories, although applicants must adhere to funding limits, as proposals exceeding the award ceiling will be deemed non-responsive. Individual applicants are not required to independently represent all components of the envisioned network but are expected to demonstrate collaborative capacity. The application process for this opportunity is expected to follow standard federal grant submission procedures through Grants.gov. While specific application components are not detailed in the forecast, applicants should anticipate preparing comprehensive proposals that outline project design, partnerships, implementation strategies, and evaluation plans. Applications must be submitted electronically by the stated deadline, and submissions received after 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the due date will not be considered. Evaluation criteria are not specified in the forecast but will likely include alignment with program goals, organizational capacity, partnership strength, and anticipated impact on healthcare quality and safety. The timeline for this opportunity indicates that it is currently in a forecast stage, with an estimated posting date of November 5, 2026, and an anticipated application deadline of January 4, 2027. Awards are expected to be issued around May 4, 2027, with project activities beginning on June 1, 2027. This suggests a relatively short application window following the official release of the funding announcement. No recurring cycle is explicitly stated, and there are no pre-application requirements such as letters of intent indicated at this stage. For further information, applicants may contact the program representative, Carla Doan, via email or phone as provided in the opportunity listing.