Advancing country-led sustainable digital health transformation across PEPFAR-supported countries through informatics workforce capacity development to end HIV/AIDS and TB as a public health threat by 2030 under PEPFAR | CDC RFA JG 25 0055

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA JG 25 0055

This CDC funding opportunity (CDC RFA JG 25 0055) is a PEPFAR-aligned cooperative agreement focused on helping PEPFAR-supported countries strengthen and sustain the digital health systems needed to end HIV/AIDS and TB as public health threats by 2030. It is framed around a central idea: HIV epidemic control and integrated patient care depend on trustworthy, secure, country-owned health information systems (HIS) and a capable local informatics workforce that can operate, improve, and govern those systems long after external assistance is reduced. The opportunity emphasizes practical, country-led digital health transformation that supports better data collection, management, analysis, and use for decision-making across HIV and related services.

The program sits within PEPFARs broader strategy across roughly 50 countries, which is aligned to the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and prioritizes accelerated testing and treatment, stronger surveillance and prevention, and routine use of quality data to guide resources and program decisions. In that context, the purpose of this award is not simply to introduce new tools, but to optimize informatics strategies so countries can run resilient, secure, and interoperable digital systems that enable accurate patient-level and program-level insights. A strong theme throughout the announcement is sustainability through country ownership: countries should be able to define their own digital health strategies, oversee governance and standards, and maintain systems through locally available skills and institutions.

The NOFO highlights several core technical directions. One is the development and reinforcement of country-owned and operated HIS, meaning systems that are managed in-country with durable operational capacity rather than being dependent on external contractors or parallel donor platforms. Another is support for country-owned and led digital health strategies and governance frameworks, which typically includes clarifying decision rights, standards, architecture, interoperability approaches, and policies for data quality, data sharing, privacy, and system stewardship. A third pillar is building a skilled health informatics workforce, which is presented as essential for sustainable digital health solutions. This includes strengthening local capacity in areas like systems administration, data engineering, analytics, software and platform management, enterprise architecture, and informatics leadership, so ministries of health and implementing partners can maintain and improve systems over time. The fourth pillar is robust monitoring and evaluation to continuously optimize HIS performance, program efficiency, and resource allocation, reinforcing the expectation that digital investments should measurably improve data use and program outcomes rather than exist as stand-alone technology projects.

Cybersecurity and broader digital trust are explicit priorities. The announcement calls for strengthened governance and cybersecurity as key enablers of modern digital health, recognizing that patient-level HIV data are sensitive and that countries need capabilities to manage risk, protect confidentiality, and keep systems reliable. Alongside security, the NOFO also promotes the use of innovative technologies and encourages transformative partnerships that can bring additional expertise, infrastructure, and resources into country ecosystems, including public-private collaboration where appropriate. At the same time, it flags digital health equity as a necessary design principle, urging inclusive digital solutions that work for marginalized populations who often face barriers to access, stigma, or limited connectivity, and who can be left behind when systems are designed only around well-served facilities and populations.

On funding and structure, CDC anticipates approximately $25,000,000 in total fiscal year funding for Year 1, subject to the availability of funds, and expects to make about five awards. The award ceiling for Year 1 is listed as $0 (none), which typically signals that the funding level is not capped per award in the standard way and that budgets will be evaluated based on merit, reasonableness, and program design rather than a fixed maximum. The instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect substantial CDC involvement, such as technical collaboration, joint planning, and ongoing program oversight consistent with cooperative agreement terms. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the health activity area under CFDA 93.067, and the original closing date is February 21, 2025.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education where specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and unrestricted applicants. In practice, this range indicates CDC is open to proposals from government entities, academic institutions, nonprofits, and private-sector organizations that can credibly support country-led informatics workforce development, digital health governance, and sustainable HIS strengthening in PEPFAR-supported settings.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a capacity-building and systems-strengthening initiative that treats informatics workforce development, governance, and cybersecurity as foundational to sustainable HIV and TB program success. The end goal is not technology for its own sake, but durable, locally managed digital health systems that improve data quality and data use, enable integrated patient care services, and help countries make faster, smarter decisions to achieve and sustain epidemic control through 2030.

• The Centers for Disease Control-GHC in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing country-led sustainable digital health transformation across PEPFAR-supported countries through informatics workforce capacity development to end HIV/AIDS and TB as a public health threat by 2030 under 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 2024-12-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-21. (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 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Unrestricted.

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