Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH20 2126
This funding opportunity, titled "Strengthening Global Health Security by implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) and the Global Health Security Agenda in Nigeria" (CDC RFA GH20-2126), is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement meant to help Nigeria build stronger national capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. It is positioned within the broader global health security framework, specifically supporting implementation of the IHR (2005) and priorities aligned with the Global Health Security Agenda. The opportunity is rooted in the reality that Nigeria, with an estimated population of about 203 million (2018), is both highly vulnerable to infectious disease threats and critically important to international health security because of its size, mobility, and role as a major travel and trade hub.
The grant frames Nigeria's health security needs against two key backdrops: the country has a legal foundation for a modern health system through the National Health Act of 2014, but significant work remains to turn that law into fully operational systems; and the country continues to face recurring outbreaks and the risk of emerging infectious diseases in a context where surveillance and response can be undermined by gaps in infrastructure, uneven health system capacity, and weak coordination among agencies. In practical terms, the opportunity is aimed at tackling systemic barriers that make it harder to spot outbreaks early, share information quickly, mobilize trained responders, confirm diagnoses through reliable laboratory networks, and coordinate an effective multi-agency response.
A central example used to show both risk and potential is Nigeria's 2014 Ebola experience. The index case arrived through Lagos international airport, potentially exposing dozens of people at the airport and in the hospital. The government response, led by the Federal Ministry of Health with technical guidance from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, relied heavily on emergency coordination mechanisms, including the rapid establishment of an Incident Management Center (which is described as a precursor to the current Emergency Operations Center model). The use of an Incident Management System to organize operations and unify decision-making is presented as a major factor in containing the outbreak quickly. This experience is used to justify why structured emergency management, clear coordination lines, and rapid response capacity are essential pillars of health security investment.
The opportunity also builds directly on the findings of Nigeria's 2017 WHO Joint External Evaluation (JEE), a voluntary multi-sector assessment of IHR core capacities. The JEE reviewed preparedness and response capabilities across 19 technical areas and documented both strengths and persistent weaknesses. Those results fed into the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), developed in 2019 as a five-year strategy created with multiple Ministries, Departments, and Agencies and grounded in a "One Health" approach, meaning it recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health systems must work together to manage infectious disease threats. The NAPHS is described as covering all 19 JEE technical areas and serving as the main national roadmap for closing priority gaps identified through the JEE and other assessments.
Within that roadmap, the opportunity highlights a set of concrete national priorities that applicants would be expected to support through implementation and capacity-building. These priorities include passage and implementation of the NCDC Bill (to strengthen the legal and institutional foundation for national public health functions), establishment of a multi-sectoral One Health coordination mechanism at federal, state, and local government area levels (to reduce fragmentation and improve joint action across sectors), strengthening laboratory capacity (to improve diagnostic confirmation and surveillance reliability), scaling up the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) program (to standardize and expand routine detection and reporting), developing and implementing a comprehensive public health workforce strategy (to ensure Nigeria has enough trained epidemiologists, laboratorians, and emergency managers), enhancing the national Emergency Operations Center and incident management system while strengthening sub-national rapid response teams (to ensure coordinated action not only in Abuja but across states), and designation of points of entry (to improve health security at airports, seaports, and land crossings where diseases can spread internationally).
Administratively, the program is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through CDC (CGH) under CFDA/Assistance Listing 93.318, and it uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically indicates substantial involvement and partnership with CDC during implementation rather than a hands-off grant. The posting indicates an expected four awards. The eligibility list is broad and includes various levels of government, public and private universities, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit entities (including small businesses), tribal governments and organizations, and other entities as clarified in the full announcement. The opportunity was posted on February 27, 2020, with an application due date of April 27, 2020 (11:59 p.m. ET for electronic submissions). The award ceiling is listed as 0, which usually signals that applicants must rely on the detailed notice of funding opportunity for exact budget guidance or that the ceiling is not specified in that particular summary field.
Overall, the grant is essentially a targeted investment in the "plumbing" of outbreak readiness: laws and governance, multi-sector coordination, surveillance systems, lab networks, trained workforce, emergency operations, and border health measures. The intended outcome is a Nigeria that can identify public health threats earlier, confirm them faster, coordinate response more efficiently across sectors and levels of government, and meet core IHR (2005) obligations in a way that also reduces regional and global risk.Apply for CDC RFA GH20 2126
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Global Health Security by implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) and the Global Health Security Agenda in Nigeria" 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 Feb 27, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 27, 2020 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 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.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the title and reference number of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Strengthening Global Health Security by implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) and the Global Health Security Agenda in Nigeria" and is identified as CDC RFA GH20-2126.
2) Which agency is offering this grant?
The program is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), specifically CDC's Center for Global Health (CGH).
3) What type of funding mechanism is used?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means CDC expects to have substantial involvement and to work in partnership with recipients during implementation (as opposed to a more hands-off grant).
4) What is the main purpose of the program?
The purpose is to help Nigeria build stronger national capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats by supporting implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) and priorities aligned with the Global Health Security Agenda.
5) Why is Nigeria a focus for this global health security investment?
The opportunity describes Nigeria as both highly vulnerable to infectious disease threats and critically important to international health security due to its large population (estimated about 203 million in 2018), high mobility, and role as a major travel and trade hub.
6) What problem or gap is this funding trying to address?
The funding is aimed at systemic barriers that can hinder early outbreak detection and effective response, including gaps in infrastructure, uneven health system capacity, and weak coordination among agencies. In practical terms, it targets challenges related to surveillance, rapid information sharing, trained responders, reliable laboratory confirmation, and multi-agency response coordination.
7) How does the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) fit into this opportunity?
The IHR (2005) is a core framework guiding the program. The opportunity supports work that strengthens Nigeria's capacity to meet IHR (2005) obligations, particularly around preparedness, detection, and response to public health threats.
8) How does the Global Health Security Agenda relate to this funding?
The opportunity sits within the broader global health security framework and supports priorities aligned with the Global Health Security Agenda, alongside IHR (2005) implementation.
9) What national laws or policy context does the grant reference?
The opportunity references Nigeria's National Health Act of 2014 as providing a legal foundation for a modern health system, while noting that significant work remains to turn that law into fully operational systems.
10) Why does the opportunity discuss Nigeria's 2014 Ebola outbreak?
The 2014 Ebola experience is used as a central example of both risk and potential. The opportunity highlights that the government response relied on emergency coordination mechanisms, including rapid establishment of an Incident Management Center (described as a precursor to the current Emergency Operations Center model). The use of an Incident Management System is presented as a major factor in containing the outbreak quickly, reinforcing the importance of structured emergency management and clear coordination lines.
11) What is the WHO Joint External Evaluation (JEE), and why is it mentioned?
The JEE is described as a voluntary multi-sector assessment of IHR core capacities. Nigeria's 2017 JEE reviewed preparedness and response capabilities across 19 technical areas and documented strengths and weaknesses. The results informed national planning referenced in this funding opportunity.
12) What is Nigeria's National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), and how is it connected to this grant?
The NAPHS is described as a five-year strategy developed in 2019 with multiple Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. It is grounded in a "One Health" approach and covers all 19 JEE technical areas. The opportunity describes NAPHS as the main national roadmap for closing priority gaps identified through the JEE and other assessments, and applicants are expected to support implementation and capacity-building aligned to these priorities.
13) What does "One Health" mean in the context of this opportunity?
"One Health" is described as an approach recognizing that human, animal, and environmental health systems must work together to manage infectious disease threats. The opportunity highlights the establishment of multi-sectoral One Health coordination mechanisms at federal, state, and local government area levels.
14) What are the key national priorities highlighted for support under this funding?
The opportunity highlights priorities including: passage and implementation of the NCDC Bill; establishing multi-sectoral One Health coordination mechanisms at federal, state, and local government area levels; strengthening laboratory capacity; scaling up the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) program; developing and implementing a comprehensive public health workforce strategy; enhancing the national Emergency Operations Center and incident management system while strengthening sub-national rapid response teams; and designation of points of entry.
15) What does the opportunity mean by strengthening laboratory capacity?
It refers to improving diagnostic confirmation and the reliability of surveillance by strengthening laboratory networks and capacity to confirm suspected public health threats.
16) What is IDSR, and what does "scaling up IDSR" imply here?
IDSR refers to the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response program. In this opportunity, scaling up IDSR is framed as a way to standardize and expand routine detection and reporting.
17) What workforce improvements does the opportunity emphasize?
The opportunity emphasizes developing and implementing a comprehensive public health workforce strategy to ensure Nigeria has enough trained professionals, including epidemiologists, laboratorians, and emergency managers.
18) What emergency management capabilities are emphasized?
The opportunity emphasizes enhancing the national Emergency Operations Center and incident management system, while also strengthening sub-national rapid response teams so coordinated action can occur across states, not only at the national level in Abuja.
19) What are "points of entry," and why are they included?
Points of entry refer to locations such as airports, seaports, and land crossings. The opportunity highlights designation of points of entry to improve health security where diseases can spread internationally through travel and trade routes.
20) How many awards are expected?
The posting indicates an expected four awards.
21) What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The program is listed under CFDA/Assistance Listing 93.318.
22) Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
The eligibility list is broad and includes various levels of government, public and private universities, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit entities (including small businesses), tribal governments and organizations, and other entities as clarified in the full announcement.
23) When was the opportunity posted, and when were applications due?
The opportunity was posted on February 27, 2020. Applications were due April 27, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. ET for electronic submissions.
24) What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the summary information. This typically indicates that the ceiling is not specified in that summary field and applicants should rely on the detailed notice of funding opportunity for exact budget guidance.
25) What kinds of outcomes is this funding trying to achieve?
The intended outcome is improved national capacity in Nigeria to identify public health threats earlier, confirm them faster through reliable laboratory networks, coordinate response more efficiently across sectors and levels of government, and meet core IHR (2005) obligations in a way that also reduces regional and global risk.
26) What does the opportunity mean by investing in the "plumbing" of outbreak readiness?
It refers to strengthening the underlying systems that make outbreak readiness work in practice: laws and governance, multi-sector coordination, surveillance systems, laboratory networks, trained workforce, emergency operations capabilities, and border health measures.
27) Which Nigerian institutions are mentioned in the context of outbreak response?
The opportunity references outbreak response leadership by Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health and technical guidance from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), particularly in the context of the 2014 Ebola response and the evolution of emergency coordination mechanisms.
28) What does the opportunity say about coordination challenges?
It notes that surveillance and response can be undermined by weak coordination among agencies and fragmentation across systems, which is why it emphasizes structured incident management and multi-sectoral One Health coordination mechanisms across federal, state, and local government area levels.
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