Advancing Infectious Disease Detection and Response in Liberia | RFA GH 19 013

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA GH 19 013

The grant opportunity "Advancing Infectious Disease Detection and Response in Liberia" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA GH 19 013) is a U.S. government public health funding program run by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is offered as a cooperative agreement, which means the CDC is expected to have an active role in the work beyond simply providing funds. The overall goal is to strengthen Liberia's ability to detect, track, study, and respond to infectious diseases by supporting a mix of applied public health activities and research that can be translated into real-world disease control programs.

At the core of the opportunity is support for epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory-based projects in Liberia. In practical terms, this includes improving surveillance systems that identify disease events early, conducting field and facility-based investigations to understand how diseases spread and who is most affected, and strengthening laboratory capacity so suspected cases can be confirmed accurately and quickly. The work is not limited to routine monitoring; it also emphasizes targeted studies and research on diseases of public health importance, with the expectation that projects generate usable evidence for decision-making.

A key emphasis is that findings should not stay in reports or academic publications. The opportunity explicitly calls for incorporating results into operational disease detection, prevention, response, and control programs. That focus on implementation implies the supported activities should feed into policies, standard operating procedures, outbreak response practices, clinical guidance, laboratory workflows, and other on-the-ground systems that directly affect public health outcomes in Liberia. It also suggests that awardees should plan for how evidence will be translated into practice, including coordination with national and local health authorities and other implementing partners.

Another major objective is strengthening local workforce capacity. This means building the skills and experience of Liberian professionals and institutions involved in epidemiology, clinical investigation, laboratory diagnostics, surveillance data management, and public health response operations. Workforce strengthening can include training, mentorship, structured field experience, and systems that help retain and continuously develop talent. The program also highlights dissemination of findings, not only within Liberia but across the region and globally, indicating an expectation that lessons learned and data will be shared with partners and broader public health networks in a responsible and timely way.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is broadly open to a wide range of organizations, including U.S. state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments and organizations, public housing authorities, and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status. The listing also notes "others" and "unrestricted" within the categories provided, with the caveat that any additional eligibility clarifications would be described in the official notice text. This wide eligibility structure is consistent with a program that may require multidisciplinary capacity, such as universities, nonprofit implementers, and government-linked entities that can manage complex public health activities and partnerships.

Financially, the opportunity has an award ceiling of $12,500,000 and anticipates making about five awards. It is associated with CFDA number 93.326 and falls under the Health funding activity category. The posting was created on January 3, 2019, with an original application deadline of March 4, 2019. Applications were required to be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Infectious Disease Detection and Response in Liberia" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.326.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 03, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 04, 2019 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 500 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $12,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification), Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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