Influenza Modeling and Forecasting

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, under the Department of Health and Human Services, is issuing a Notice of Funding Opportunity to establish a network of influenza modeling and forecasting centers aimed at enhancing situational awareness, advancing scientific methods, and improving public health responses to seasonal and pandemic influenza threats. This cooperative agreement, identified as CDC-RFA-IP-26-0102 and governed by federal grant regulations and HHS policies rather than traditional procurement rules, will support up to seven awards with an estimated average of $475,000 per year over a five-year period, totaling $16.6 million in program funding. Applicants must establish and operate a network site while collaborating across the network, documenting scientific findings, and either informing prevention strategies with modeling or producing seasonal forecasts. Optional activities include synthesizing collaborative efforts, communicating results, and extending modeling capabilities. The work must prioritize populations at higher risk of influenza or with limited access to prevention measures and must be grounded in a feasible work plan aligned with the program’s logic model. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by June 29, 2026, and must include a one-page project abstract, a 20-page project narrative, and an unrestricted budget narrative, all formatted with black ink, single spacing, one-inch margins, and page numbers. Required attachments such as resumes, organizational charts, letters of support, a data management plan, and an indirect cost agreement may be uploaded as a single file in PDF, Word, or Excel format. Applicants must have active SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations, including a Unique Entity Identifier and Login.gov credentials, and are limited to one application per UEI. Award selection is determined through a merit review process weighted around background and approach (45 points), organizational capacity (35 points), and evaluation and performance measurement (20 points), with mandatory pass/fail gates for responsiveness, page limits, and SAM.gov risk review. Successful recipients must submit a performance measurement plan six months after award, annual performance and financial reports, and final reports within 120 days of project completion, while dedicating 5% to 10% of annual funding to monitoring and evaluation. Indirect costs may be claimed at a de minimis rate of 15% of modified total direct costs, and primary data collection is capped at 25% of the annual budget. All award terms align with 2 CFR 200, the HHS Grants Policy Statement