Enhancing Understanding and Preparedness for Public Health Threats Through Research in Kenya

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has released a forecasted funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Understanding and Preparedness for Public Health Threats Through Research in Kenya." This cooperative agreement aims to fund research initiatives focused on strengthening public health knowledge and readiness, specifically through in-depth studies of disease transmission and intervention strategies in Kenya. The CDC has a longstanding role in advancing global health security through scientific leadership, surveillance, and outbreak response; this initiative reinforces their commitment to bolstering public health research infrastructure in strategic regions like East Africa. The program's objectives are twofold. Firstly, it seeks to support surveillance, epidemiologic, laboratory, clinical, and operations research targeting public health threats in Kenya. This includes investigating how diseases spread and developing effective medical countermeasures. Secondly, it is designed to enhance Kenya's own capacity to conduct such research, which in turn supports global and U.S. health preparedness by reducing the risk of infectious disease threats spreading internationally. The opportunity explicitly acknowledges the need for strong local research systems in managing emergent and re-emergent health threats globally. The funding will be structured through one cooperative agreement, with an estimated total program funding of $15 million. Individual awards will not exceed $3 million, although no minimum floor is specified. The CDC has not indicated any cost-sharing or matching requirement, which eases the burden on prospective applicants. Awardees are expected to comply with the terms of the cooperative agreement, which often include regular reporting, coordination with CDC teams, and data sharing as appropriate to support broader CDC public health initiatives. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, as well as nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status, provided they are not institutions of higher education. This suggests a focus on leveraging academic and research institutions with established capacity for global health research. The application must be submitted electronically, and the anticipated due date is March 6, 2026, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. No pre-application requirements such as letters of intent or concept papers were stated in the forecast notice. The expected timeline indicates that the application window will open on December 30, 2025, and awards will be made by August 31, 2026. Projects funded under this opportunity are expected to start by September 30, 2026. While this is a forecasted opportunity and subject to change, organizations are encouraged to prepare for a competitive submission process in alignment with CDC priorities and the stated application window. For further information, prospective applicants can contact Lata Kumar at 404-955-6527 or via email at [email protected]. No PDF or supporting document link is provided in the forecast, and all updates should be monitored via the official Grants.gov posting. Given the program's scope and potential impact, it represents a significant investment in global public health research with strategic benefits for both Kenya and the United States.