Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA · Department of Health and Human Services
Exploratory/Developmental Grants Related to the World Trade Center Health Program (R21)
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Dec 8, 2026 · 61 days left
- Award size
- Up to $365K
- Total available
- $18M · about 36 awards
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- County government, School district, Small business, Larger business, Public college or university, City or town government, Nonprofit without 501(c)(3), Tribal government, Special district (utility, fire, etc.), Tribal organization, Nonprofit with 501(c)(3), Anyone (unrestricted), Private college or university, State government, and others named in the official notice
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 4
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/f948acf2-c1f2-4a88-8e3a-1751638f87ab · Printed from grantme.click/grants/0a69a070-2ef4-4d3d-8f16-c6ad11154f4e
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
More from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA
- Continuation and Expansion of the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank for Translational Research (U24) · Due about Nov 2, 2026 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
- Emerging Infections Network - Research for Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Travel-associated Infectious Diseases · Due Nov 5, 2026 · 28 days left
- US Travelers Health Research, Surveillance, Communication, and Outreach Network · Due Nov 5, 2026 · 28 days left
- National Center for Construction Safety and Health Research and Translation (U54) · Due Dec 1, 2026 · 54 days left
- Improving Linkage to Care for People with Opioid Use Disorder (U01) · Due about Dec 1, 2026 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
- Identify and Evaluate Potential Risk Factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) · Due about Dec 1, 2026 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
About this grant
The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program supports exploratory and developmental research projects (R21) that address issues related to diagnostic or treatment uncertainty among individuals receiving monitoring and/or treatment under Subtitle C of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, as amended. This R21 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is intended to encourage exploratory/developmental research by supporting the early and conceptual stages of project development to assess the feasibility of new areas of investigation with the potential to improve treatment effectiveness and diagnostic practices. These studies may lead to breakthroughs in a particular area or to the development of new interventions, techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or approaches with potential clinical impact. They are expected to break new ground or extend prior discoveries in new directions or applications. Applicants are expected to propose research for which there is likely to be minimal or no preliminary data.
Who can apply, from the official notice
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct8
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Nov17
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Dec1
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Dec5
Submit
Suggested: submit a few days early. Agency portals can slow down near deadlines. - Dec8
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice rfa-oh-26-015_rev6.pdf (58 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Award size and project length
Award amounts here are per year · p. 6
“New and resubmission Expected total program funding over the performance period: $18 million Expected total program funding per budget period: $6 million Expected funding per applicant per budget period: $250,000 (average) Maximum award amount per budget…” Open page 6
Registrations you need first (4)
SAM.gov, Grants.gov · p. 3
“Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now.” Open page 3
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 3
“This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).” Open page 3
Login.gov · p. 3
“Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.” Open page 3
eRA Commons · p. 30
“You can see step-by- step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants. eRA Commons You must register in eRA Commons.” Open page 30
Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
Steps before the deadline
Letter of intent · p. 5
“October 26, 2027 Optional letter of intent deadline:” Open page 5
Letter of intent · p. 50
“Submission requirements and deadlines Optional letter of intent Due on May 29, 2026;” Open page 50
What to submit
Budget narrative / justification · p. 24
“General guidance All activities proposed in your application and budget narrative must align with applicable law, including but not limited to statutes, executive orders, federal regulations and applicable judicial holdings.” Open page 24
Form SF-424 · p. 32
“SF424 (R&R) All applications.” Open page 32
Data management plan · p. 36
“Data management plan For all public health data you plan to collect, a data management plan (DMP) is required.” Open page 36
Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 43
“Does the proposed project timeline include clearly established objectives for which progress will be measured objectively by defined methods?” Open page 43
Evaluation plan · p. 43
“Does the application include an adequate evaluation plan to assess project activities, outputs, outcomes and impact, measure progress, ensure data quality, identify potential challenges and alternative strategies, and use evaluation findings for continuous…” Open page 43
Letters of support or commitment · p. 44
“For planned or potential collaborations, do letters of support provide sufficient evidence of the commitment and cooperation of other interested parties and specify the nature and extent of their involvement?” Open page 44
Formatting rules
9-point font · p. 41
“Overall impact and criterion scores (1-to-9-point scale: 1 = exceptional; 9 = poor).” Open page 41
Dates in the notice
June 23, 2026 · p. 1
“Notice of Funding Opportunity Application due June 23, 2026;” Open page 1
October 26, 2027 · p. 5
“October 26, 2027 Optional letter of intent deadline:” Open page 5
May 29, 2026 · p. 50
“Submission requirements and deadlines Optional letter of intent Due on May 29, 2026;” Open page 50
Who in Tennessee has won this program
2 awards to Tennessee groups in 1 county since 2024. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $141K spent that year | 2025 |
| Meharry Medical College | Nashville, Davidson County | $101K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 2 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Herowear, LLC | $32K spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Com Affiliation, Inc. (Albert Einstein College of Medicine Managed by Montefiore) | $871 spent that year | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
Occupational Safety and Health Program
Program number 93.262 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Project grant, training
How applications are judged
The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of: (1) the scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; (2) the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; (3) the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; (4) the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; (5) the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project; and (6) the relevance and importance to stated program objectives. Training Grants: Criteria used in evaluating training proposals include: (1) Overall potential contribution of the project toward meeting program objectives; (2) the need for training in the areas outlined in the application; (3) curriculum content and design; (4) previous record of training; (5) evaluation methods; (6) experience and training of the project director and staff; (7) institutional commitment; (8) academic and physical environment; (9) past performance; and (10) appropriateness of budget. The following criteria will be used in considering the scientific and technical merit of SBIR Phase I grant applications: (1) The soundness and technical merit of the proposed approach; (2) the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; (3) the technological innovation of the proposed research; (4) the potential of the proposed research for commercial application; (5) the appropriateness...
Match
None required (federal program listing).