Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH15 16300301SUPP17

This CDC cooperative agreement opportunity (CDC RFA GH15 16300301SUPP17) focuses on helping Liberia sustain and strengthen the core health system functions that were severely strained during the Ebola virus disease (EVD) crisis, especially as hospitals and clinics reopen and return to routine service delivery. Liberia was one of the three West African countries hit hardest by Ebola, and the grant is framed around a practical reality from the outbreak: early Ebola symptoms often look like many common conditions seen every day in clinical settings, such as malaria, other viral illnesses, or complications of pregnancy. That overlap makes it easy to miss Ebola cases early and also increases the risk of exposure for health care workers if triage and infection control are not consistently applied.

A central aim of the award is to reduce infection risk among health care workers, who were among the most impacted groups during the outbreak (more than 360 cases and about 170 deaths among health care workers in Liberia, as cited in the opportunity). The project would implement comprehensive Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training and then go beyond one-time instruction by providing ongoing support and monitoring for frontline staff, particularly in Eastern Liberia. The intent is to make safe triage and patient management routine and durable, so that facilities can identify suspected EVD cases quickly while protecting staff and other patients from potential exposure.

A second major component is strengthening clinical laboratory capacity so facilities can get faster, more reliable answers for Ebola and for other illnesses that present with similar symptoms. The grant emphasizes the value of having rapid diagnostics available closer to the point of care, including the potential role of direct PCR testing or other rapid diagnostic approaches within hospital laboratories. Faster testing supports better clinical decisions: it helps ensure Ebola patients are isolated and treated appropriately, while non-Ebola patients are not unnecessarily diverted or delayed from receiving care. Alongside in-hospital testing capacity, the opportunity also highlights improving specimen referral systems, including transportation processes from hospital labs to reference laboratories, so that testing access is reliable even where advanced diagnostics are not available on site.

The laboratory strengthening approach also includes a system-design element: geographically aligning laboratories to maximize coverage across the country, reduce gaps in access, and improve how samples move through the network. This alignment is meant to increase overall testing reach and efficiency while also creating clearer pathways for education, mentorship, and skills development for Liberian laboratory technicians. In other words, the award is not just about equipment or test kits, but about building a coordinated laboratory network with trained personnel, workable logistics, and sustainable practices.

A third key pillar is improving blood transfusion services in Liberia, presented as a rare opportunity to build lasting capacity while responding to an urgent clinical need. During the outbreak, convalescent plasma and whole blood from Ebola survivors were used based on the theory that survivor antibodies could provide some level of immunity or partial protection to acutely ill patients. Although controlled trials had not definitively proven effectiveness at the time, convalescent plasma had become a commonly used treatment approach in the United States during the epidemic. In Liberia, the opportunity notes that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was funding a clinical trial at ELWA to evaluate convalescent plasma. This CDC award would support strengthening donor collection and implementing component therapy systems so that convalescent plasma can be collected, processed, and stored. The practical promise is scale and readiness: better transfusion services could support larger-volume therapeutic use and potentially prophylactic use during outbreaks, and stored plasma could improve preparedness for future Ebola flare-ups in Liberia and potentially other affected West African countries.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary funding announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, offered as a cooperative agreement (meaning CDC would likely have substantial involvement in program direction and oversight compared with a standard grant). The CFDA number listed is 93.318. The announcement anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000. The posting indicates it was created March 31, 2017, with an original closing date of April 27, 2017, and electronic applications due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with clarification referenced in an additional eligibility section. Overall, the opportunity is designed to build lasting, integrated capacity across infection control, diagnostic laboratory systems, specimen transport networks, workforce training, and transfusion services, so Liberia can better manage Ebola risk while strengthening everyday health service delivery.

  • The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "COPY OF Sustained Strengthening of Public Health Laboratory, Transfusion Services, and Health Care Worker Infection Control Practices for Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Mar 31, 2017.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 27, 2017 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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for CDC RFA GH15 16300301SUPP17

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of CDC RFA GH15 16300301SUPP17?

This CDC cooperative agreement opportunity focuses on helping Liberia sustain and strengthen core health system functions that were severely strained during the Ebola virus disease (EVD) crisis, especially as hospitals and clinics reopen and return to routine service delivery.

Why does the opportunity emphasize triage and infection prevention and control (IPC)?

The opportunity is framed around a key reality from the Ebola outbreak: early Ebola symptoms can resemble common conditions frequently seen in clinical care (such as malaria, other viral illnesses, or complications of pregnancy). Because of that overlap, Ebola can be missed early, and health care workers may be exposed if triage and infection control are not applied consistently.

Who is a central focus of the project and why?

Health care workers are a central focus because they were among the most impacted groups during the outbreak in Liberia. The opportunity cites more than 360 cases and about 170 deaths among health care workers in Liberia, underscoring the need to reduce infection risk for frontline staff.

What geographic area is highlighted for frontline IPC support?

The opportunity particularly emphasizes providing ongoing support and monitoring for frontline staff in Eastern Liberia as part of making safe triage and patient management routine and durable.

Is the IPC approach limited to one-time training?

No. The project would implement comprehensive IPC training and then go beyond one-time instruction by providing ongoing support and monitoring to help ensure safe practices become routine and long-lasting in health facilities.

What is the intended outcome of strengthening IPC in health facilities?

The intent is to make safe triage and patient management routine and durable so that facilities can identify suspected EVD cases quickly while protecting staff and other patients from potential exposure.

Why is strengthening clinical laboratory capacity a major component of the award?

Strengthening laboratory capacity supports faster, more reliable answers for Ebola and for other illnesses that present with similar symptoms. Faster diagnostics help clinicians make better decisions, including isolating and treating Ebola patients appropriately while avoiding unnecessary diversion or delays in care for non-Ebola patients.

What types of diagnostic approaches are mentioned?

The opportunity emphasizes the value of having rapid diagnostics available closer to the point of care, including the potential role of direct PCR testing or other rapid diagnostic approaches within hospital laboratories.

How does faster testing affect patient management?

Faster testing helps ensure Ebola patients are identified and isolated quickly and treated appropriately. It also helps ensure that patients who do not have Ebola are not unnecessarily diverted or delayed from receiving routine care.

What is meant by improving specimen referral systems?

The opportunity highlights improving the processes that move specimens from hospital laboratories to reference laboratories, including transportation. The goal is reliable access to testing even when advanced diagnostics are not available on site.

Does the laboratory component include a national system design element?

Yes. The opportunity describes geographically aligning laboratories to maximize coverage across Liberia, reduce gaps in access, and improve how samples move through the network.

Beyond equipment and test kits, what does the laboratory strengthening approach aim to build?

It aims to build a coordinated laboratory network with trained personnel, workable logistics, and sustainable practices. It also seeks to create clearer pathways for education, mentorship, and skills development for Liberian laboratory technicians.

What is the third key pillar of the opportunity?

A third key pillar is improving blood transfusion services in Liberia, presented as an opportunity to build lasting capacity while responding to urgent clinical needs related to Ebola.

How does convalescent plasma relate to this opportunity?

During the outbreak, convalescent plasma and whole blood from Ebola survivors were used based on the theory that survivor antibodies might provide some immunity or partial protection to acutely ill patients. The opportunity notes that, although controlled trials had not definitively proven effectiveness at the time, convalescent plasma had become a commonly used treatment approach in the United States during the epidemic.

What related research activity in Liberia is mentioned?

The opportunity notes that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was funding a clinical trial at ELWA to evaluate convalescent plasma.

What specific transfusion-related capacities would this CDC award support?

The award would support strengthening donor collection and implementing component therapy systems so that convalescent plasma can be collected, processed, and stored.

How is strengthening transfusion services linked to preparedness?

The opportunity suggests that improved transfusion services could support larger-volume therapeutic use and potentially prophylactic use during outbreaks, and that stored plasma could improve readiness for future Ebola flare-ups in Liberia and potentially other affected West African countries.

Which U.S. agency and program area are offering this funding?

This is a discretionary funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health.

What type of funding mechanism is used?

The opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning CDC would likely have substantial involvement in program direction and oversight compared with a standard grant.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.318.

How many awards were anticipated and what was the maximum funding level?

The announcement anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000.

When was the opportunity posted and what were the application deadline details?

The posting indicates it was created on March 31, 2017. The original closing date was April 27, 2017, and electronic applications were due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline.

Who was eligible to apply based on the information provided?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with a note that additional clarification is referenced in an additional eligibility section.

What overall capacities is the opportunity designed to strengthen?

Overall, the opportunity is designed to build lasting, integrated capacity across infection control, diagnostic laboratory systems, specimen transport networks, workforce training, and transfusion services so Liberia can better manage Ebola risk while strengthening everyday health service delivery.

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