Understanding and Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) and its Division of Human Development and Disability, is offering a cooperative agreement funding opportunity titled Understanding and Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X Syndrome and their Families Across the Lifespan. This federal initiative is designed to improve long-term outcomes, health, and well-being for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome (FXS) by strengthening the evidence base, expanding access to services, and enhancing public health strategies across the lifespan. The program reflects broader CDC priorities related to data modernization, evidence-based practice, and improving health systems. The opportunity is structured into three distinct but related components. Component A, known as the SPROUT surveillance project, focuses on collecting longitudinal data from individuals previously enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development. It aims to understand evolving service needs, transition experiences, and co-occurring conditions among adolescents and young adults with autism. Component B, the FAST FORWARD project, similarly gathers clinic-based data on individuals with fragile X syndrome, emphasizing diagnosis timelines, service barriers, and life-course needs. Component C shifts toward implementation by developing and disseminating educational resources, tools, and support systems for individuals with FXS, their families, and healthcare providers nationwide. Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement mechanism, indicating substantial CDC involvement in project implementation and oversight. The total expected program funding is approximately 18 million dollars over a five-year period, with up to eleven awards distributed across the three components. Award amounts vary by component, with Component A offering between 230,000 and 650,000 dollars annually per site, Component B averaging approximately 333,333 dollars annually, and Component C providing about 200,000 dollars per year. Funds may be used for programmatic activities such as data collection, participant recruitment, public health product development, and dissemination efforts, but may not be used for research, clinical care beyond allowances, or lobbying activities. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is broad and inclusive, allowing applications from a wide range of entities including state and local governments, higher education institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, tribal entities, and small businesses. However, each component includes specific qualifying requirements. For example, Component A applicants must demonstrate access to SEED participant data, while Component B applicants must have access to clinical populations with fragile X syndrome. Component C applicants must demonstrate national reach and capacity to develop and disseminate resources effectively. Only one application per organization is allowed, though applicants may apply to multiple components if eligible. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes a project narrative, budget narrative, and supporting documentation such as organizational charts and letters of support. An optional letter of intent is requested prior to application submission. Applications are evaluated based on criteria including background and approach, strategies and activities, outcomes, evaluation plans, and organizational capacity. Successful applicants are expected to collaborate closely with CDC, adhere to standardized data collection and reporting methods, and contribute to shared datasets and public health outputs. Key dates include an optional letter of intent deadline of June 1, 2026, and a final application deadline of June 15, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced by August 31, 2026, with a project start date of September 30, 2026. The period of performance is five years, divided into annual budget periods. This opportunity is not explicitly recurring, and future funding cycles are not guaranteed. Applicants are encouraged to attend an informational webinar and contact CDC program staff for technical or administrative assistance as needed.

Align closely with CDC logic model; demonstrate data access and technical capacity; emphasize partnerships and dissemination strategy; ensure compliance with standardized data systems and reporting requirements