Notice of Funding Opportunity: Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services Through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health

CDC’s Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS) is pleased to announce that CDC-RFA-OT18-1802: Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services Through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health has been published on Grants.gov.

Key Dates & Information

Informational Conference Calls: The informational conference calls have already taken place.
- Informational Conference Call Presentation [PDF – 635 KB]
- Informational Conference Call Script [PDF – 226 KB]
Application Deadline: The application deadline has passed.
Funding Strategy 1 award announcement: May 2018
Funding Strategy 2 award announcement: September 2018
Initiative Overview [PDF – 164 KB]
Target Population Considerations [PDF – 164 KB]
Frequently Asked Questions

Purposes

The purposes of this program are to strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure; ensure a competent, current, and connected public health system; and improve the delivery of essential public health services through capacity-building assistance (CBA) activities. Organizations funded under this NOFO will implement activities to strengthen governmental and nongovernmental components of the public health system. For more information about the purposes, outcomes, and activities of this funding opportunity, see the Initiative Overview [PDF – 164 KB].

Program Strategies

Organizations funded under this NOFO will serve as capacity-building assistance (CBA) providers, working toward sustaining and improving the performance of the public health system, with a priority on state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments. All CBA providers must demonstrate how the proposed activities will benefit state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments. CBA refers to activities that strengthen and maintain the infrastructure and resources necessary to sustain or improve system, organizational, community, or individual processes and competencies. CBA is delivered through technical assistance, training, information sharing, technology transfer, materials development, or funding that enables organizations to serve customers better and operate in a comprehensive, responsive, and effective manner.

The program strategies include strengthening the capacities of public health systems infrastructure; leadership and workforce; data and information systems; communication and information technology; partnerships; laws and policies; and programs and services. In the long term, the CBA provided will help improve public health capacities and capabilities to ensure a current, competent, and connected public health system and enable delivery of the 10 essential public health services.

Target Populations

Successful applicants will receive funding to conduct projects that address the CBA needs of a selected target population. The applicants must deliver CBA to their selected target population throughout the five-year period of performance. Organizations may submit up to two stand-alone applications. The NOFO provides funding to deliver CBA to one target population under one of three categories. See Target Populations Considerations [PDF – 164 KB] to learn more about these categories.

Categories A and B address the CBA needs of target populations within governmental public health departments.

Category A: Governmental Public Health Departments – Meets the priority organizational-level CBA needs of one of the following health department types: state, tribal, local, or territorial. Organizational level includes, but is not limited to, business processes, system design, strategic planning, resource management, agency leadership, and governance.
Category B: Workforce Segments Across Governmental Public Health Departments – Meets the priority CBA needs of one workforce segment across two or more health department types: state, tribal, local, or territorial. Workforce segments can include, but are not limited to, epidemiologists, chronic disease specialists, public health lawyers, environmentalists, informaticians, and nutritionists.

Category C addresses the CBA needs of target populations outside of governmental public health departments.

Category C: Nongovernmental Public Health Components – Meets the priority CBA needs of one type of nongovernmental component of the public health system. Nongovernmental components represent, but are not limited to, community-based organizations, community health centers, primary care providers, governors, hospitals, economists, legislators, education organizations, social action organizations, and public safety agencies.