Understanding and 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 released a forecasted funding opportunity under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This opportunity, titled "Understanding and Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan," is identified as CDC-RFA-DD-26-0025. The program is being offered as a cooperative agreement and falls under the category of health funding. Its intent is to provide unique information that is not currently collected by other federal programs to expand knowledge about the needs of individuals with autism or Fragile X Syndrome and their families across their lifespan. The notice outlines three major components of the program. Component A, the Survey to Promote Resources and Opportunities for aUtistic Teens and young adults (SPROUT), will rely on participants from previous phases of the Study to Explore Early Development. It will focus on survey-based data collection from autistic adolescents and young adults, as well as their caregivers, to better understand service, support, educational, social, and vocational needs. Component B, known as FAST FORWARD, involves clinical-based data collection with a recruitment goal of at least 200 participants with Fragile X Syndrome per site. This component seeks to capture detailed information on diagnosis, service needs, co-occurring conditions, and transitions throughout the life course. Component C is centered on dissemination of evidence-based public health products for Fragile X Syndrome, with a focus on reaching both affected families and healthcare providers nationwide. The total estimated program funding is projected at $18,000,000, with an estimated 11 awards expected. However, no specific floor or ceiling values have been disclosed for individual awards. The anticipated award date is June 1, 2026, with funded projects expected to begin on July 1, 2026. This program does not require cost sharing or matching contributions from applicants. The forecast indicates that the full application will be due on February 13, 2026, and applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The estimated post date for the official funding announcement is December 1, 2025. The eligibility criteria are broad and include state governments, county and city governments, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, private and public higher education institutions, independent school districts, for-profit entities, housing authorities, small businesses, and special district governments. However, additional eligibility conditions apply depending on the specific component. For Component A, applicants must have access to Study to Explore Early Development data from prior phases or established agreements with entities that do. For Component B, applicants must demonstrate access to Fragile X clinic-based samples with capacity to collect at least 200 participants. For Component C, applicants must show demonstrated capacity for outreach and resource dissemination to Fragile X populations and providers. The opportunity is currently in forecast stage, meaning applications are not yet being accepted. The forecast was last updated on September 12, 2025. The archive date for this opportunity is March 15, 2026, after which the funding notice will no longer be active. The assistance listing tied to this program is 93.073, which corresponds to Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities – Prevention and Surveillance. Because it is nationwide in scope, eligible applicants may apply from any U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and eligible territories. Applicants with interest in this program should carefully review the eligibility requirements and prepare to demonstrate the necessary data access and outreach capacities. The official grant contact is Seema Gupta, who can be reached at (770) 488-6527 or by email at cvk9@cdc.gov. Additional information will be available once the full notice of funding opportunity is published in December 2025, at which point application instructions and package details will be released through Grants.gov.