Rigorously Evaluating Approaches to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Problematic Sexual Behavior among Youth

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, is preparing to release a funding opportunity aimed at advancing research on the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA) and problematic sexual behavior (PSB) among youth. This forecasted grant opportunity reflects the federal government’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based approaches to protect children and adolescents from harm. The CDC’s injury prevention division has historically funded research that informs national policy and community-level interventions, and this initiative continues that mission by emphasizing rigorous evaluation of prevention strategies. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support investigator-initiated research that applies gold standard evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of programs and policies designed to prevent CSA and PSB. CSA is defined as sexual victimization of individuals under the age of eighteen by an adult, while PSB refers to developmentally inappropriate sexual behaviors among youth that may be harmful, whether intentional or not. The grant prioritizes research that builds a strong empirical foundation for prevention strategies, ensuring that funded interventions can be replicated, scaled, and implemented across diverse settings. Applicants must propose projects that align with one of three specified research priorities. These include evaluating prevention strategies in digital environments, such as addressing illegal image sharing or misuse of artificial intelligence; examining interventions targeting the online commercial sexual exploitation of children, including trafficking and recruitment through digital platforms; and assessing organizational policies within youth-serving institutions such as schools, community organizations, and residential care facilities. These focus areas highlight the increasing importance of digital safety and institutional accountability in preventing abuse. Funding will be distributed through discretionary grants, with an estimated total program funding of four million eight hundred thousand dollars and approximately three awards expected. Individual awards may reach up to four hundred thousand dollars. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, allowing applicants to focus resources on research design and implementation. The funding is intended to support comprehensive evaluation activities, including data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings that contribute to the broader public health knowledge base. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and inclusive, encompassing a wide range of entity types such as nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, state and local governments, tribal entities, school districts, public housing authorities, and for-profit organizations. The opportunity is unrestricted among these categories, though additional eligibility details will be clarified in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity. This inclusive approach is intended to encourage diverse applicants with the capacity to conduct rigorous research in varied community and institutional contexts. The application process will require electronic submission through official federal grant systems, with a forecasted posting date of October first, two thousand twenty six, and an estimated application deadline of December first, two thousand twenty six at eleven fifty nine pm Eastern Time. Awards are anticipated to be announced by late August two thousand twenty seven, with project start dates expected at the end of September two thousand twenty seven. Applicants may need to prepare detailed research proposals, including methodology, evaluation design, and implementation plans, though specific application components will be outlined in the forthcoming full announcement. For additional information, applicants may contact the program representative at the CDC via email or phone. As this is a forecasted opportunity, applicants are encouraged to begin preparation early, monitor updates, and align their proposed research with the outlined priorities. This opportunity does not explicitly state a recurring cycle, but similar CDC research grants are often released periodically, suggesting the potential for future rounds depending on funding availability and program priorities.

Align proposal with one of the three priority research areas and emphasize rigorous evaluation design