Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants help many organizations each year bring health, safety, and awareness to surrounding communities throughout the entire world. As a government-run department, CDC grant programs seek to accomplish the agency's ultimate goal of disease control and quality health for all US residents.
Types of Grants
All CDC grants are awarded to public or private organizations, not individuals, to fund public health programs aimed at keeping Americans healthy through research or other means. The two main types of grants are research grants, to fund investigatory projects, and non-research grants, to support actual programs.
Funding Categories
The highest funded categories for 2017 were HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and tuberculosis (TB) prevention, chronic disease prevention and health promotion, and public health preparedness and response. There are more than 15 categories these grants fall into including:
- Birth defects, developmental disabilities, disability, and health
- Environmental health
- Occupational safety and health
- Childhood obesity
- Injury prevention and control
- Vaccines for children
- Zika response and preparedness
Award Examples
Through the CDC's annual Fiscal Year Grants Profile Report for Projects Funded through the Prevention and Public Health Fund, you can see examples of awards.
- The AASTEC Strengthening Tribal Public Health Infrastructure for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Program out of Albuquerque, NM received a grant of over $700 thousand to support ethnic and racial approaches to healthcare.
- Michigan's Department of Community Health was award over $600 thousand for tobacco use prevention programming.
- Nearly half a million dollars was awarded to Health Research out of Albany, NY to fund Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Surveillance.
Applying for a Grant
The application process is highly competitive. To apply, groups first look for a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcement, which can be found at Grants.gov. Here, you will read the purpose of each available grant, how much it is worth, important deadlines, requirements of eligibility, and any other pertinent information.
Eligibility
Each NOFO includes specific information about who is eligible to apply for these funds. There are two main types of eligibility criteria:
- Full and open competition: Any group who meets the NOFO qualifications can apply.
- Limited competition: Only designated groups, like government agencies from small towns or native tribes, can apply.
Submit an Application
All applicants will be directed to register for specific systems and websites like Grants.gov or Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS). Some organizations choose to hire a grant writer to help with this process, but it isn't a requirement. Applicants then download the application package from Grants.gov and complete it using understandable language along with proper grammar and spelling. You can track your application once it has been submitted.
Additional Considerations
Along with each NOFO requirement, there may be other regulations that guide grant award decisions. For example, it is a national policy that funders seek to award a fair share of grants to organizations that are small or owned by women. Public laws, such as the Pro-Children Act of 1994, require agencies receiving federal funds that provide specific services to children to keep a smoke-free workplace. Other documentation may also be necessary like when private nonprofits must provide evidence of their nonprofit status.
Grant Statistics
CDC grants amount to around $6 or $7 billion each year. According to their 2017 report, the CDC funded just over 4,500 grants to roughly 1,300 groups. Of these grantees:
- Over 60 percent were governments
- Of those governments, over 90 percent went to state agencies
- About 20 percent were nonprofits
Funding for Public Health
Funding awards from the CDC work toward creating a better world for all of mankind. If you're part of an organization contributing to this goal through public health initiatives, a CDC grant might be able to help your cause.
