Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH21 2160
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced a discretionary funding opportunity (CDC RFA GH21 2160) to support hospital-based birth defects surveillance in Kampala, Uganda as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the recipient would carry out the day-to-day work while CDC remains substantially involved through technical guidance, collaboration on implementation, and ongoing oversight of key program elements.
The main purpose of the grant is twofold. First, it is designed to continue an existing birth defects surveillance system across at least four major hospitals in Kampala, with a specific focus on identifying and documenting major external structural birth defects in newborns. This type of surveillance generally involves standardized case finding at delivery sites, consistent clinical definitions, training for clinicians and surveillance staff, structured data collection, and routine quality checks so that the resulting estimates are credible and comparable over time. By concentrating on major external structural defects, the system prioritizes conditions that can be recognized through physical examination at birth, which helps ensure more reliable detection in busy hospital settings and supports trend monitoring.
Second, the opportunity is intended to evaluate whether taking certain medications very early in pregnancy is linked to a higher risk of birth defects. The NOFO specifically highlights dolutegravir (an antiretroviral commonly used in HIV treatment), cotrimoxazole (often used for prophylaxis against opportunistic infections), and potentially other medications used around the time of conception and early gestation. Because many structural birth defects develop in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, the grant emphasizes exposure during very early pregnancy, when medication-related risks, if they exist, are most likely to affect fetal development. In practical terms, this objective requires careful collection of maternal medication histories, clear timing of exposure relative to pregnancy, and linkage of those exposures to birth outcomes captured by the hospital surveillance platform.
The expected public health value of the work is to produce three core outputs that can inform policy and clinical practice. The first is reliable background rates of major external structural birth defects in Kampala, which are essential for understanding what is typical in the local context and for detecting any changes over time. The second is baseline information on how frequently pregnant people are using HIV-related and other relevant medications, which helps quantify real-world exposure patterns rather than relying only on program guidelines. The third is an assessment of whether there is any observable association between early pregnancy medication exposure and external structural birth defects, offering evidence that can either reassure programs about medication safety or signal the need for closer review, updated counseling, or alternative regimens.
Funding details in the announcement note that the Year 1 award ceiling is listed as 0 (none), while CDC anticipated an approximate total fiscal year funding amount of 1,000,000 for Year 1, contingent on funds being available. Only one award was expected. The opportunity was posted March 4, 2021, with an original closing date of May 4, 2021, and applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the full eligibility text of the announcement.
Overall, this grant opportunity centers on strengthening and maintaining a hospital-based surveillance system capable of producing timely, high-quality birth outcomes data in Kampala, and then using that platform to answer a high-priority medication safety question relevant to HIV treatment in pregnancy. The NOFO explicitly states that the World Health Organization (WHO) and PEPFAR plan to use findings from this work to inform guidance on the use of specific HIV medications during pregnancy, making the surveillance results directly relevant to clinical recommendations and program policy in settings where these medicines are widely used.Apply for CDC RFA GH21 2160
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hospital Based Birth Defects Surveillance in Kampala, Uganda under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.067.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 04, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 04, 2021 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name and identifier of this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is a discretionary funding announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified as CDC RFA GH21 2160.
2) Which federal agency is offering this grant?
The opportunity is offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
3) What program context does this award fall under?
The work is supported as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
4) What type of award mechanism is being used?
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.
5) What does a cooperative agreement mean for the recipient and CDC?
In a cooperative agreement, the recipient generally conducts the day-to-day work while CDC remains substantially involved through technical guidance, collaboration on implementation, and ongoing oversight of key program elements.
6) What is the overall purpose of the grant?
The purpose is twofold: (1) to continue an existing hospital-based birth defects surveillance system in Kampala, Uganda, and (2) to evaluate whether taking certain medications very early in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of birth defects.
7) Where will the surveillance activities take place?
The surveillance system is hospital-based in Kampala, Uganda, and is expected to operate across at least four major hospitals in Kampala.
8) What kind of birth defects are the focus of the surveillance?
The surveillance focuses on major external structural birth defects in newborns.
9) Why does the program emphasize major external structural birth defects?
These conditions can typically be recognized through physical examination at birth, which supports more reliable detection in busy hospital settings and allows for credible trend monitoring over time.
10) What does "continuing an existing surveillance system" imply in this announcement?
It indicates the intent to maintain and strengthen an already-established surveillance platform in Kampala rather than creating a completely new system from scratch.
11) What activities are generally involved in this type of hospital-based surveillance?
As described, this type of surveillance generally includes standardized case finding at delivery sites, consistent clinical definitions, training for clinicians and surveillance staff, structured data collection, and routine quality checks.
12) What medication safety question is the grant designed to evaluate?
The grant is intended to evaluate whether exposure to certain medications in very early pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of birth defects.
13) Which medications are specifically highlighted in the announcement?
The NOFO specifically highlights dolutegravir (an antiretroviral used in HIV treatment) and cotrimoxazole (often used for prophylaxis against opportunistic infections), and notes that other medications used around the time of conception and early gestation may also be considered.
14) Why is the focus on very early pregnancy exposure?
Many structural birth defects develop in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, so medication-related risks, if they exist, are most likely to affect fetal development during the time around conception and early gestation.
15) What kind of information needs to be collected to assess medication exposure?
The announcement emphasizes careful collection of maternal medication histories, clear timing of exposure relative to pregnancy, and linkage of those exposures to birth outcomes captured by the hospital surveillance platform.
16) What are the expected public health outputs from this work?
The expected outputs include: (1) reliable background rates of major external structural birth defects in Kampala, (2) baseline information on how frequently pregnant people are using HIV-related and other relevant medications, and (3) an assessment of whether early pregnancy medication exposure is associated with external structural birth defects.
17) Why are "background rates" of birth defects important?
Background rates help establish what is typical in the local context and support detection of changes over time.
18) What is the purpose of collecting baseline information on medication use in pregnancy?
Baseline medication-use information helps quantify real-world exposure patterns rather than relying only on program guidelines.
19) How will the findings be used beyond the local setting?
The NOFO states that the World Health Organization (WHO) and PEPFAR plan to use findings from this work to inform guidance on the use of specific HIV medications during pregnancy.
20) How many awards was CDC expecting to make?
Only one award was expected.
21) What was the posting date for the opportunity?
The opportunity was posted on March 4, 2021.
22) What was the original application closing date?
The original closing date was May 4, 2021.
23) How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted electronically.
24) What time were applications due on the closing date?
Applications were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
25) What funding amount is described for Year 1?
The announcement notes that the Year 1 award ceiling is listed as 0 (none), while CDC anticipated an approximate total fiscal year funding amount of 1,000,000 for Year 1, contingent on funds being available.
26) Does the announcement guarantee that Year 1 funds will be awarded?
No. The Year 1 amount is described as anticipated and contingent on funds being available.
27) Who is eligible to apply based on the summary provided?
Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the full eligibility text of the announcement.
28) What is the main geographic focus of the public health value described?
The public health value is centered on producing high-quality birth outcomes and medication exposure data in Kampala, Uganda, with results intended to inform broader guidance relevant to HIV treatment in pregnancy.
29) What makes this surveillance system suitable for answering medication safety questions?
The surveillance platform is designed to capture consistent, high-quality birth outcome data in hospitals and link those outcomes to carefully timed maternal medication exposure histories, which supports assessment of potential associations between early pregnancy exposure and external structural birth defects.
30) What is the key emphasis for data quality in this opportunity?
The description emphasizes standardized case finding, consistent clinical definitions, training, structured data collection, and routine quality checks to ensure estimates are credible and comparable over time.
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