Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Preventing Interpersonal Violence Impacting Children and Youth

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), is forecasting the release of funding opportunity RFA-CE-26-021, titled “Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Preventing Interpersonal Violence Impacting Children and Youth.” This grant program will utilize the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) mechanism to help early-career scientists strengthen their skills in violence prevention research, with the ultimate goal of enabling them to become independent researchers. The opportunity is projected to post on September 30, 2025, with applications due by December 1, 2025, and awards anticipated in August 2026. Projects are expected to start September 30, 2026. The scope of this program focuses on research addressing one or more of NCIPC’s stated priority areas related to interpersonal violence and suicide among children and youth from birth to age 17. This includes adverse childhood experiences, child abuse and neglect, youth violence, intimate partner violence (including teen dating violence), sexual violence, suicide, and cross-cutting prevention strategies that examine two or more of these topics. Applicants are encouraged to investigate multiple forms of interpersonal violence or suicide, community risk factors that contribute to these issues, and the practical implications for prevention and intervention. Funding is expected to total $1,800,000 across an estimated four awards, with each individual award capped at $150,000. The award floor is listed as zero, but applicants should interpret this as no minimum amount specified. Funding is provided through federal sources under Assistance Listing 93.136, Injury Prevention and Control Research and State and Community-Based Programs. There are no cost-sharing or matching requirements. Eligible applicants include a broad range of U.S. entities such as nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, tribal governments (federally recognized and non-recognized), school districts, housing authorities, and special district governments. Additional eligibility conditions will be detailed in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) upon release. Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the listed due date. The opportunity is not currently open and remains in forecast status, meaning applications cannot yet be submitted. All submission and application format requirements will be specified in the forthcoming NOFO. At present, no pre-application, letter of intent, or other preliminary deadlines are listed. Inquiries about the opportunity should be directed to Tamara N. Crawford at the CDC via email at ncipc_erpo@cdc.gov. Interested parties are encouraged to review CDC’s research priorities on the agency’s website to align proposed projects with NCIPC’s strategic focus areas. The funding timeline indicates a multi-step review process culminating in final award decisions in late summer 2026.