National Syndromic Surveillance Program Community of Practice | CDC RFA OE16 1601

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA OE16 1601

The National Syndromic Surveillance Program Community of Practice opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number CDC RFA OE16 1601) is a CDC discretionary funding announcement issued through CSELS that uses a cooperative agreement mechanism to support one organization in building and running a national Community of Practice (CoP) for syndromic surveillance. The main goal is practical: CDC wants a capable, experienced partner to develop, implement, promote, and maintain an ongoing peer-to-peer network that helps public health practitioners use syndromic surveillance data more effectively for local, regional, and national situational awareness.

This grant is grounded in the idea of syndromic surveillance as a near real-time approach that relies on pre-diagnostic data (information collected before a final diagnosis is confirmed) combined with statistical methods to spot and describe unusual patterns that may signal emerging health events. CDC previously funded around 25 health departments in 2015 under a related program to strengthen syndromic surveillance capacity and practice. This new award is meant to complement that earlier investment by creating a shared space where practitioners and stakeholders can continuously exchange know-how, tools, and lessons learned, so the overall national practice improves faster than it would through isolated efforts.

The funded organization would be expected to work closely with CDC to design multiple ways for CoP members to connect and collaborate. That includes setting up forums or other engagement strategies where participants can troubleshoot common problems, share resources and experiences, discuss new developments in the field, and identify and document best practices. A key theme is actively building peer networks and making the community useful by mapping who knows what, recognizing where knowledge gaps exist, and helping the group fill those gaps over time.

On the operational side, the recipient must develop and maintain a content management system and knowledge repository so that practical resources do not get lost in email threads or one-off meetings. The award also emphasizes training and knowledge sharing through a mix of synchronous activities (live webinars, virtual meetings, workshops) and asynchronous options (recorded sessions, self-paced materials, discussion boards, curated guidance). To keep the community organized and credible, the recipient must establish a steering committee to guide priorities and direction, and must also create a structured process for peer-to-peer mentoring and coaching so experienced practitioners can support others in applying syndromic surveillance methods in day-to-day public health work.

Another required element is demonstrating value: the recipient must identify ways to capture and share success stories and must measure the CoP's usefulness and outcomes. In practice, that means setting up feedback loops and metrics that show whether the community is improving practice, speeding problem-solving, increasing adoption of effective approaches, or strengthening collaboration across jurisdictions and stakeholder groups.

Eligibility is broad in terms of entity type but narrow in terms of demonstrated experience. Applicants can come from many sectors, including state and local governments, territorial governments, tribal governments, state-controlled institutions of higher education, public housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), private colleges and universities, community-based and faith-based organizations, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. However, to be competitive and eligible as described, an organization must have more than a decade of experience advancing the science and practice of syndromic surveillance and must show a track record managing a distributed community of practice. The capacity requirement stresses real-world, applied support for syndromic surveillance rather than academic or purely theoretical work.

Key administrative details include an expected single award, an award ceiling of $400,000, and an original application closing date of March 7, 2016. The program is listed under CFDA 93.852, and the activity category is Health. The overall intent is to strengthen national electronic surveillance capacity by giving practitioners a structured, well-supported environment to learn from one another and coordinate improvements in how syndromic surveillance is used in public health.

• The Centers for Disease Control - CSELS in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Syndromic Surveillance Program Community of Practice" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.852.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-12-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-03-07. (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 $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for CDC RFA OE16 1601

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