Extension of the World Trade Center Health Registry (U50) | RFA OH 26 016

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OH 26 016

The Extension of the World Trade Center Health Registry (U50) funding opportunity, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), supports the continued operation and scientific use of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry, a long-running public health cohort created in 2002 by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the New York City Health Department. The Registry was established to track and better understand the long-term health outcomes of people directly exposed to the September 11, 2001 WTC disaster, including both physical and mental health effects that can emerge or persist years after the event. This announcement specifically aligns with the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act requirement to extend the Registry, ensuring that follow-up data collection continues and that the Registry remains a central, unified source of information for studying the ongoing health and well-being of affected populations.

Because this is a cooperative agreement (U50), the award is designed for a relationship where the recipient carries out the day-to-day work but does so in close coordination with CDC, reflecting substantial federal involvement in shaping or supporting the project’s direction. The overall intent is to fund a scientifically rigorous program of ongoing data collection and research activity that preserves the Registry’s value as a population-based resource, strengthens long-term monitoring, and supports high-quality analyses that can inform public health action. In practical terms, the funded work is expected to keep the Registry functioning as a robust longitudinal database that can detect trends, identify risk factors, and clarify associations between 9/11-related exposures and later health outcomes.

The opportunity emphasizes several core functions of the WTC Health Registry. First, it supports identifying long-term physical and mental health impacts associated with 9/11 exposures. Second, it prioritizes disseminating findings and recommendations not only to scientific audiences but also to enrollees, other exposed individuals, and the general public, reinforcing the Registry’s role as a feedback mechanism to the community it serves. Third, it supports sharing information about 9/11-related resources and services, which can help connect affected individuals with available supports. Finally, it underscores the importance of translating Registry findings into broader healthcare policy considerations and disaster response planning, meaning the Registry is not only a research platform but also a tool for improving preparedness and long-term recovery strategies after large-scale disasters.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity under CFDA 93.262, with an anticipated single award (ExpectedAwards: 1). The award ceiling is listed as $9,480,000, signaling a large, multi-function program rather than a small, narrowly scoped research project. The funding opportunity number is RFA OH 26 016, and the original closing date is 2026-02-20. The eligible applicant pool is broad within the United States and includes state, county, and city or township governments; 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; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. Eligibility is explicitly limited to domestic entities: non-U.S. institutions are not eligible, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by HHS policy) are not allowed, reinforcing that all funded activities and organizational participation must remain within U.S. domestic parameters.

Taken together, this opportunity is best understood as federal support for sustaining and extending one of the most important long-term disaster-exposure health cohorts in the United States. The emphasis is on continuity of data collection, scientific rigor, meaningful communication of results to affected communities and stakeholders, and the practical use of findings to guide healthcare policy and future disaster response planning, all while maintaining the Registry as a central, unified database for understanding the enduring health consequences of 9/11.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Extension of the World Trade Center Health Registry (U50)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.262.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-12-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-02-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,480,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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), 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.

Apply for RFA OH 26 016

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