Cooperative Research Agreements Related to the World Trade Center Health Program (U01) | RFA OH 26 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OH 26 001

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is offering funding under a cooperative agreement mechanism to support research tied to the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. This opportunity focuses on generating practical, scientifically rigorous evidence that helps the program better understand and respond to health conditions linked to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The overall emphasis is on WTC-related physical and mental health conditions, particularly in areas where there is still uncertainty about how best to diagnose certain conditions or how to treat them effectively. NIOSH is also open to studying conditions that have emerged more recently, including those recognized after the treatment program began or after the WTC Health Program was formally established.

The main goals of the funding opportunity are to strengthen the WTC Health Program in ways that directly improve care and decision-making. Funded projects are expected to contribute to improved diagnosis and treatment activities within the program, expand what is known about the health effects of 9/11 exposures, answer high-priority questions about WTC-related health conditions, and translate lessons learned into better preparedness and response for future disasters. Because this is a cooperative agreement (U01), applicants should anticipate substantial program involvement from the funding agency compared with a standard research grant, with collaboration and coordination typically playing a bigger role in shaping and monitoring the work.

NIOSH is looking for a wide range of research types as long as they are clearly relevant to the WTC-exposed population and can meaningfully inform screening, clinical care, or public health practice. Proposed studies may include screening research to assess or improve methods for detecting disorders or health conditions, as well as diagnostic research that evaluates or develops improved approaches for identifying diseases or conditions where diagnostic clarity is lacking. Treatment research is encouraged, including studies that evaluate existing interventions, compare treatment approaches, or develop new and novel strategies when current care options remain uncertain. Prevention-focused projects are also eligible, particularly those that aim to prevent the onset, progression, or recurrence of disease, or that mitigate symptoms and complications over time.

The announcement also highlights several areas that broaden the scope beyond classic clinical trials. Quality of life research is explicitly included, reflecting the program’s interest in improving daily functioning, comfort, and overall well-being for individuals dealing with chronic illness, multiple conditions at once (multimorbidity), or long-term impacts of exposure. Omics research is another allowable category, including work on phenotypes, biomarkers, and genetic factors that may help predict disease risk or explain differences in disease development or treatment response. In addition, epidemiologic and clinical research is encouraged to identify patterns, causes, and risk factors among people exposed to 9/11-related hazards, while health services research can examine access to care, costs, and outcomes associated with how care is delivered within or alongside the WTC Health Program.

Implementation research is also in scope, aimed at understanding how evidence-based practices and research findings are shared, adopted, put into practice, maintained over time, and scaled in real-world clinical or program settings. Finally, the opportunity explicitly allows epidemiologic investigations into emerging conditions where early data suggest a possible connection to 9/11 exposure, even if the causal link is not yet confirmed. The CDC maintains examples of previously supported or received projects on its website, which can help applicants understand the types of studies that fit the program’s priorities.

Key administrative details include that this is a discretionary funding opportunity (CFDA 93.262) issued by CDC/NIOSH, with the funding opportunity number RFA OH 26 001 and a closing date of June 23, 2026. The award ceiling is listed as $550,000, and the agency expects to make about 30 awards. Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based entities and includes state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other eligible tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other unrestricted eligible applicants as specified in the announcement. Foreign institutions are not eligible, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, meaning the proposed work and the applicant organization’s eligible components must be domestic.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Research Agreements Related to the World Trade Center Health Program (U01)" 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 2026-05-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-06-23. (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 $550,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 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.

Apply for RFA OH 26 001

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