Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Report on Conference Spending
January 31, 2024
About the Report
CDC works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable, or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same.
CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats and responds when these arise. Effective outreach to our partners, grantees, and the public is central to our mission. Our success is also contingent on our ability to collaborate with tens of thousands of healthcare and human services providers, scientific researchers, clinicians, advocates, and other key non-government partners across the country and internationally. Our support and attendance at conferences and other related meetings are critical for our researchers to leverage and advance the biomedical, scientific, and public health mission of CDC.
This report is submitted as required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum on Promoting Efficient Spending to Support Agency Operations M-12-12 dated May 11, 2012, which stipulates that federal agencies report publicly on all agency-sponsored (hosted) conferences1 where the expenses exceed $100,000.
Description of the Report
In compliance with OMB Memorandum M-12-12, this report includes:
- Information about CDC conference expenses for FY 2023, as well as general information about conference activities throughout the year.
- A description of all CDC-hosted conferences for FY 2023 where expenses associated with the conference exceeded $100,000, including:
- The date of the conference
- The location of the conference
- A brief explanation on how the conference advanced the mission of the agency
- A description of exceptional circumstances for conferences where net expenses exceeded $500,000
- The total expenses incurred by the agency for the conference
- The total number of individuals whose travel expenses or other conference expenses were paid by the agency
Fiscal Year 2023 Summary
CDC continues to take positive steps in support of the agency’s initiatives to gain efficiencies in the use of appropriated funds for conferences and meetings (as prescribed in HHS Policy on Promoting Efficient Spending.) At the forefront of these efforts is CDC’s work to implement improvements to conference management practices through the release of updated training materials and resources.
The following summarizes information about CDC-hosted conferences in FY 2023 that exceeded $100,000[2].
| OPDIV | Total Number of Conferences | Total Cost | Total Number of Attendees | Total Number of Federal Attendees (travel paid by CDC) |
Total Number of Non-Federal Attendees (travel paid by CDC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC | 5 | $4,966,885 | 1,929 | 762 | 186 |
[1]HHS defines a conference as “a meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium or event that involves attendee travel. The term “conference” also applies to training activities that are considered to be conferences under 5 CFR 410.404.”
[2]Total estimated costs are based on readily identifiable and known costs for contractor support, venue, and audio-visual related expenses, as well as registration fees, travel, and other miscellaneous costs.
2023 Center for Global Health (CGH) Conference & Training Meeting
Dates: May 29-June 17, 2023
Venue, City, State, or Country: Crown Plaza Ravinia – Atlanta, Georgia
How the Conference Advanced the Mission of the Agency: The mission of HHS/CDC is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability; and to protect Americans both domestically and abroad by shielding them from health threats via international prevention, detection and response networks. CDC, through its Center for Global Health (CGH), is in a unique position to bring its scientific expertise and credibility to advance the global initiatives of the United States Government (USG) to save lives, reduce suffering, and support the health and dignity of people around the world.
This meeting supports the agency’s effort to develop and implement a unified CDC vision to address global diseases in a manner that positively impacts global health efforts across the agency. Specifically, this meeting will support the strategic development, implementation, and evaluation of global efforts to achieve maximum impact not only across the agency but also with external partners whose missions align with ours.
Description of Exceptional Circumstances: Hosting a multi-week event with over 1,200 participants in a major US city is inherently expensive. As CDC is located in Atlanta, hosting in another city is impractical. A venue large enough to accommodate the meeting and training sessions also impact the cost of this conference. The bulk of the conference price is travel-associated costs because a substantial portion of CGH’s workforce is located overseas. All Federal Travel Regulations will be followed to ensure travel costs are compliant with existing regulations.
Total Estimated Cost: $4,205,532
Total Attendees: 1,181
Total Feds on Travel: 394
Total Non-Feds on Travel: 0
2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Training (BRFSS) Annual Meeting
Dates: March 27-31, 2023
Venue, City, State, or Country: Marriott Century Center – Atlanta, Georgia
How the Conference Advanced the Mission of the Agency: The 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Training Annual Meeting is a fundamental part of CDC’s obligation to provide assistance to states under Program Announcement DP20-2007. This edition of the BRFSS meeting is particularly crucial to BRFSS program success as it represents the last opportunity for a face-to-face, hands-on working meeting prior to the scheduled launch of the new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in August 2024. The training workshop serves as the means by which the content of the BRFSS questionnaire for the upcoming calendar year is developed. The CDC programs or other federal agencies which have proposed new or revised questions for the BRFSS questionnaire will have the opportunity to present proposals and justifications for suggested changes to the state health departments.
Total Estimated Cost: $240,718
Total Attendees: 271
Total Feds on Travel: 85
Total Non-Feds on Travel: 186
National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce (NCSTLTPHIW)
Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Class of 2021 Graduation and Training
Dates: June 27-30, 2023
Venue, City, State, or Country: CDC Roybal Global Communications Center – Atlanta, Georgia
How the Conference Advanced the Mission of the Agency: Mandatory training for the PHAP Class of 2021. Provides opportunities to establish associate-supervisor-branch relationships; introduces associates to DISC and conflict resolution concepts and tools; allows for associate interaction with other CIO representatives in preparation for possible conversion positions at the end of the two-year program. Helps develop future public health workforce and leaders.
Total Estimated Cost: $265,000
Total Attendees: 215
Total Feds on Travel: 137
Total Non-Feds on Travel: 0
PHAP Class of 2022 Orientation – Group 1
Dates: November 29-December 2, 2022
Venue, City, State, or Country: CDC Roybal Global Communications Center – Atlanta, Georgia
How the Conference Advanced the Mission of the Agency: 2022 Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Orientation for the new class (group #1). This orientation provides PIV SmartCard badging, laptop distribution and troubleshooting, and meetings with PHAP supervisors, program/CSTLTS/CDC leadership, and CIO representatives.
Total Estimated Cost: $126,799
Total Attendees: 127
Total Feds on Travel: 71
Total Non-Feds on Travel: 0
PHAP Class of 2022 Orientation – Group 2
Dates: December 13-16, 2022
Venue, City, State, or Country: CDC Roybal Global Communications Center – Atlanta, Georgia
How the Conference Advanced the Mission of the Agency: 2022 Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Orientation for the new class (group #2). This orientation provides PIV SmartCard badging, laptop distribution and troubleshooting, and meetings with PHAP supervisors, program/CSTLTS/CDC leadership, and CIO representatives.
Total Estimated Cost: $128,836
Total Attendees: 135
Total Feds on Travel: 75
Total Non-Feds on Travel: 0
