Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA DD 26 0025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), is soliciting applications for a cooperative agreement titled "Understanding and Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan" (Funding Opportunity Number CDC RFA DD 26 0025; CFDA 93.073). The central aim is to collect practical, real-world information that is not already captured by other federal programs in order to better understand what people with autism or Fragile X syndrome (FXS), and their families, need across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The emphasis is on identifying resources and opportunities that can improve long-term outcomes and reduce preventable harms, including morbidity and mortality, while also addressing economic impacts on individuals, families, and society. In plain terms, CDC wants stronger data on what helps (and what gets in the way) when people with autism or FXS seek healthcare, supports, education, employment, housing stability, and meaningful social participation over time.
The opportunity is organized into three connected components, with two focused on data collection (one for autism and one for FXS) and one focused on translating FXS information into widely usable public health products. Component A is the autism-focused effort, called the Survey to Promote Resources and Opportunities for aUtistic Teens and young adults (SPROUT). SPROUT is designed to follow up with participants from the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) Phases 1 through 3, which previously enrolled children ages 2 to 5 in case-control studies conducted from 2007 to 2020. By the time awards are made under this announcement, those SEED participants will be roughly 10 to 25 years old, allowing CDC and funded partners to learn about adolescence and early adulthood, including transition periods that often come with major shifts in services. SPROUT will use both caregiver-report and self-report surveys to gather detailed information in two broad areas: first, the types of services and supports autistic people and their families need, and how co-occurring conditions influence daily life, wellbeing, and support needs; and second, the educational, transitional, social, and vocational experiences and needs of autistic teens and young adults. The intent is to generate actionable evidence that can guide improvements in supports and reduce downstream costs and health risks.
Component B is the FXS data-collection effort, titled Focus on Advancing Support and Transition with the Fragile X Online Registry With Accessible Research Database (FAST FORWARD). Under this component, awardees will recruit and enroll participants through clinics, with an expectation that each clinic-based awardee will aim to enroll at least 200 eligible individuals with a full mutation FXS diagnosis. The target age range spans from birth through age 40, which is meant to capture early diagnosis experiences as well as the needs that emerge during school years, the transition to adulthood, and adult life. Similar to SPROUT, FAST FORWARD focuses on collecting information that can directly inform better public health and service systems. Specific topics include the timing of diagnosis and barriers families face in getting an accurate diagnosis, the service and support needs of individuals and families (including the influence of co-occurring conditions), and the educational, transitional, social, and vocational experiences of people with FXS and their families. Awardees are expected not only to enroll and survey participants, but also to participate in project meetings, enter data into a centralized platform, and create high-quality public health products based on what is learned, with the same overarching goal of reducing health burdens and improving quality of life.
Component C shifts from data gathering to dissemination and capacity-building, with a specific focus on FXS. The purpose is to produce and distribute quality public health materials that can measurably improve health and wellbeing for people with FXS and their families. The funded organization under Component C will take part in project meetings, develop communication materials, and deliver them to relevant audiences nationwide. A key priority is strengthening the ability of healthcare providers to recognize, understand, and appropriately support patients with FXS, meaning the outputs should be practical, evidence-based, and oriented toward real changes in care and support. This component also emphasizes maintaining up-to-date resources, creating new communications as needs evolve, and tracking impact metrics so dissemination is not just broad, but demonstrably effective.
The eligibility and readiness requirements differ by component and are central to whether an applicant is competitive. For Component A (SPROUT), applicants must be able to reach SEED participants, which requires documented access to individual contact and eligibility information from SEED Phase 1, 2, and/or 3 cohorts. This effectively limits viable applicants to either the original SEED data-collecting entities or organizations that have established formal collaborative agreements with the former SEED recipients who hold participant contact information. For Component B (FAST FORWARD), applicants must show they can access clinic-based samples of children, adolescents, and adults (ages 0 to 40) with confirmed full mutation FXS and demonstrate the capacity to collect data from at least 200 unique individuals in that population. For Component C (FXS dissemination), applicants must show they can identify and reach people with FXS and their families and communities nationwide, as well as healthcare providers who treat FXS patients, and that they can continually generate and update resources while quantifying engagement and impact. CDC is looking for a proven track record of outreach that includes evidence-based educational information, resources, and support, not just a plan to build those capabilities from scratch.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means CDC expects substantial involvement in coordination, technical input, and shared decision-making across the funded project activities. A wide range of applicant types are eligible, including federal-recognized tribal governments and organizations, state and local governments, public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), public housing authorities, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), independent school districts, and other unrestricted applicants. The original closing date listed is 2026-06-15. The notice anticipates up to 11 awards, and the award ceiling is listed as 0, which commonly indicates that applicants need to rely on the full NOFO details for budgeting expectations and that a fixed maximum award amount is not being stated in the summary fields.
Overall, the opportunity is centered on building a clearer national picture of what supports and opportunities actually look like for autistic people and people with FXS as they age, especially during life transitions when services often change or disappear. By combining follow-up surveys of an established autism cohort (SEED), new clinic-based enrollment and data collection for FXS (FAST FORWARD), and a dedicated dissemination effort to strengthen provider and community capacity around FXS, CDC is aiming to turn under-collected, experience-based information into practical public health knowledge that can reduce harm, improve wellbeing, and lessen long-term social and economic costs.Apply for CDC RFA DD 26 0025
- The Centers for Disease Control - NCBDDD in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Understanding and Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.073.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-06-15. (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 11 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement opportunity through the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) titled "Understanding and Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan." The Funding Opportunity Number is CDC RFA DD 26 0025 and the CFDA number is 93.073.
2) What is CDC trying to accomplish with this cooperative agreement?
The central aim is to collect practical, real-world information not already captured by other federal programs to better understand what people with autism or Fragile X syndrome (FXS), and their families, need across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The emphasis is on identifying resources and opportunities that improve long-term outcomes and reduce preventable harms (including morbidity and mortality) while also considering economic impacts on individuals, families, and society.
3) What kinds of needs and life areas are included in the focus?
Based on the opportunity description, CDC is seeking stronger information on what helps (and what gets in the way) when people with autism or FXS seek healthcare, supports, education, employment, housing stability, and meaningful social participation over time, especially during major life transitions.
4) How is the opportunity structured?
The work is organized into three connected components: two data-collection components (one for autism and one for FXS) and one component focused on translating FXS information into widely usable public health products.
5) What is Component A (SPROUT)?
Component A is the autism-focused effort called the Survey to Promote Resources and Opportunities for aUtistic Teens and young adults (SPROUT). It is designed to follow up with participants from the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) Phases 1 through 3.
6) Who are the SPROUT participants and what ages will they be?
SPROUT follows up with SEED Phase 1-3 participants who were enrolled as young children (ages 2 to 5) in case-control studies conducted from 2007 to 2020. By the time awards are made under this announcement, those participants are expected to be roughly 10 to 25 years old, allowing CDC and partners to learn about adolescence and early adulthood.
7) What information will SPROUT collect?
SPROUT will use both caregiver-report and self-report surveys to gather detailed information in two broad areas: (1) the services and supports autistic people and their families need, including how co-occurring conditions influence daily life, wellbeing, and support needs; and (2) educational, transitional, social, and vocational experiences and needs of autistic teens and young adults.
8) Why is SPROUT focused on adolescence and early adulthood?
The opportunity highlights that adolescence and early adulthood include transition periods that often come with major shifts in services. SPROUT is intended to generate actionable evidence that can guide improvements in supports and reduce downstream costs and health risks during these transitions.
9) What is Component B (FAST FORWARD)?
Component B is the Fragile X syndrome data-collection effort titled Focus on Advancing Support and Transition with the Fragile X Online Registry With Accessible Research Database (FAST FORWARD).
10) How are FAST FORWARD participants recruited?
FAST FORWARD participants are recruited and enrolled through clinics. The expectation described is that each clinic-based awardee will aim to enroll at least 200 eligible individuals with a confirmed full mutation FXS diagnosis.
11) What age range does FAST FORWARD cover, and why?
The target age range for FAST FORWARD spans from birth through age 40. This is intended to capture early diagnosis experiences as well as needs that emerge during school years, the transition to adulthood, and adult life.
12) What topics will FAST FORWARD data collection include?
FAST FORWARD focuses on information that can directly inform better public health and service systems. Topics described include: timing of diagnosis and barriers to getting an accurate diagnosis; service and support needs of individuals and families (including the influence of co-occurring conditions); and educational, transitional, social, and vocational experiences of people with FXS and their families.
13) Beyond recruitment and surveys, what else are Component B awardees expected to do?
Component B awardees are expected to participate in project meetings, enter data into a centralized platform, and create high-quality public health products based on what is learned, in addition to enrolling and surveying participants.
14) What is Component C and how is it different from Components A and B?
Component C shifts from data gathering to dissemination and capacity-building, with a specific focus on FXS. Instead of primarily collecting new participant data, Component C is focused on producing and distributing quality public health materials intended to measurably improve health and wellbeing for people with FXS and their families.
15) What are the priorities for Component C materials and dissemination?
A key priority is strengthening the ability of healthcare providers to recognize, understand, and appropriately support patients with FXS. The component emphasizes practical, evidence-based outputs aimed at real changes in care and support. It also emphasizes maintaining up-to-date resources, creating new communications as needs evolve, and tracking impact metrics to demonstrate effectiveness.
16) What does CDC mean by a cooperative agreement in this context?
This is described as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism. The summary notes that cooperative agreements typically involve substantial CDC involvement in coordination, technical input, and shared decision-making across project activities.
17) Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity indicates a wide range of eligible applicant types, including: federally recognized tribal governments and organizations; state and local governments; public and private higher education institutions; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); public housing authorities; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); independent school districts; and other unrestricted applicants.
18) Are eligibility and readiness requirements the same for all components?
No. The description states that eligibility and readiness requirements differ by component and are central to competitiveness, with specific access and capacity expectations for each component.
19) What are the key eligibility/readiness requirements for Component A (SPROUT)?
Applicants for Component A must be able to reach SEED participants, which requires documented access to individual contact and eligibility information from SEED Phase 1, 2, and/or 3 cohorts. This effectively limits viable applicants to original SEED data-collecting entities or organizations with formal collaborative agreements with former SEED recipients that hold participant contact information.
20) What are the key eligibility/readiness requirements for Component B (FAST FORWARD)?
Applicants for Component B must show access to clinic-based samples of children, adolescents, and adults (ages 0 to 40) with confirmed full mutation FXS and demonstrate capacity to collect data from at least 200 unique individuals in that population.
21) What are the key eligibility/readiness requirements for Component C (FXS dissemination)?
Applicants for Component C must show they can identify and reach people with FXS and their families and communities nationwide, as well as healthcare providers who treat FXS patients. They must also show they can continually generate and update resources while quantifying engagement and impact. CDC is looking for a proven track record of outreach with evidence-based educational information, resources, and support.
22) How many awards does CDC anticipate making?
The notice anticipates up to 11 awards.
23) What is the application due date listed in the summary?
The original closing date listed is 2026-06-15.
24) Is there a maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the summary. The description notes this commonly indicates that applicants should rely on the full NOFO for budgeting expectations and that a fixed maximum award amount is not stated in the summary fields.
25) What are the expected public health outcomes of the overall project?
Overall, the opportunity is intended to build a clearer national picture of what supports and opportunities look like for autistic people and people with FXS as they age, especially during life transitions. The goal is to turn under-collected, experience-based information into practical public health knowledge that can reduce harm, improve wellbeing, and lessen long-term social and economic costs.
26) What makes this opportunity different from other federal data efforts (as described here)?
The description emphasizes collecting practical, real-world information that is not already captured by other federal programs, focusing on services, barriers, supports, and lived experiences across the lifespan to inform actionable improvements.
27) What kinds of survey respondents are included in SPROUT?
SPROUT is described as using both caregiver-report and self-report surveys, meaning information may be provided by caregivers and by autistic teens and young adults themselves (as applicable).
28) What kinds of deliverables are implied across the components?
From the summary: Components A and B center on collecting detailed survey information; Component B also includes entering data into a centralized platform and creating public health products; Component C centers on developing, updating, and disseminating communication materials nationwide and tracking engagement and impact metrics.
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