Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through its National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, has announced a forecasted cooperative agreement opportunity titled Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan. This opportunity, formally numbered CDC-RFA-DD-26-0025, aims to collect and disseminate new information that is not currently captured by other federal programs in order to improve the understanding of needs, resources, and opportunities available to people with autism and Fragile X syndrome and their families. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is structured into three components, each with distinct objectives and requirements. The first component, the Survey to Promote Resources and Opportunities for aUtistic Teens and young adults (SPROUT), builds upon data previously collected from the Study to Explore Early Development, which investigated autism in children between 2 and 5 years of age between 2007 and 2020. By the time this opportunity is awarded, these participants will be between 10 and 25 years old. The SPROUT effort will collect data via caregiver and self-reports to better understand service and support needs, co-occurring conditions, and the educational, transitional, social, and vocational experiences of autistic adolescents and young adults. These data will be used to identify ways to reduce costs associated with autism, decrease morbidity and mortality, and enhance health and well-being. The second component, Focus on Advancing Support and Transition with the Fragile X Online Registry With Accessible Research Database (FAST FORWARD), will recruit clinic-based samples of individuals aged 0 to 40 with Fragile X syndrome. Each awardee will be required to recruit at least 200 participants. Data collection will include information on the timing of diagnosis, barriers to care, service needs, and the impact of co-occurring conditions, along with educational, vocational, and social outcomes. These data will inform strategies to reduce societal and familial costs associated with Fragile X syndrome and improve health outcomes. The third component emphasizes dissemination. Awardees under this section will be responsible for developing and sharing high-quality public health products and materials to support individuals with Fragile X syndrome and their families. These efforts are expected to strengthen national healthcare provider capacity by making evidence-based resources widely available and fostering improved care delivery. Applicants must demonstrate past experience and capacity for outreach, resource development, and engagement with affected communities. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad, covering state and local governments, federally recognized tribal governments, nonprofits, small businesses, for-profit entities, public and private institutions of higher education, school districts, public housing authorities, and special district governments. However, specific eligibility criteria apply to each component. Applicants for Component A must demonstrate access to SEED cohorts or collaborative agreements with previous SEED recipients. Applicants for Component B must provide evidence of access to clinic-based populations of individuals with Fragile X syndrome. Applicants for Component C must demonstrate prior outreach capacity and ability to develop communication and dissemination products. The estimated total program funding is $18,000,000, with an anticipated 11 awards to be made. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which allows for substantial involvement from CDC in the project’s execution. While the award ceiling and floor are not provided in the forecast, it is clear that cost sharing or matching requirements do not apply. The forecast projects a posting date of December 1, 2025, with applications due by January 30, 2026. The estimated award date is June 1, 2026, with funded projects expected to start July 1, 2026. The opportunity will close on March 1, 2026. The primary point of contact for this opportunity is Seema Gupta, who can be reached at (770) 488-6527 or via email at cvk9@cdc.gov. Interested applicants should note the forecasted nature of this opportunity, meaning final details may be subject to change upon official posting. Nonetheless, this funding represents a significant investment in improving health outcomes and quality of life for individuals with autism and Fragile X syndrome across the lifespan.