Developing Global Standards for Public Health Emergency Operations Centers | EP IDS 17 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for EP IDS 17 002

The grant opportunity titled Developing Global Standards for Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (Funding Opportunity Number EP IDS 17 002) is a single-source, discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). It is designed as a three-year collaboration specifically with the World Health Organization (WHO) Public Health Emergency Operations Centres Network (EOC-NET), reflecting an ongoing U.S.-WHO partnership to strengthen global readiness for public health threats and support implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005).

At its core, the opportunity focuses on advancing and institutionalizing global standards for public health Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs). The intended outcomes include validating and promoting common approaches for EOC construction and operations, expanding and strengthening the partnership network across WHO Member States, and establishing a durable platform for international EOC exercises. The emphasis is not simply on producing guidance, but on ensuring those standards are practical, tested, and broadly adopted through structured international engagement and repeated use in real-world and simulated emergency settings.

The WHO EOC-NET is positioned as the central mechanism for this work because it already functions as a collaborative arrangement between WHO and its Member States to improve how EOCs operate. The network’s scope includes strengthening communication technology and infrastructure, improving shared data sets and standards, refining procedures and plans, and developing training and exercise programs. Prior accomplishments highlighted in the announcement include establishing membership terms of reference, creating a network website, setting a format for global meetings, and producing an initial overarching guidance document for developing and implementing a public health EOC.

A major technical foundation for the planned work is the Public Health EOC Framework, first published in 2015 following multilateral consultation and technical research. The announcement frames this framework as a starting point for producing additional practical standardization handbooks that countries can use to build and run EOCs more effectively, particularly in resource-constrained environments. The cooperative agreement is meant to help the EOC-NET further develop, refine, and validate these guidelines through organized international projects, systems research, exchanges between EOCs, and field-based activities that translate written standards into operational capability.

ASPR’s rationale for a single-source cooperative agreement is tied to WHO and EOC-NET’s unique convening authority and responsibilities in global health emergency management. The FOA explicitly recognizes their role in guiding and standardizing approaches, organizing and convening partners, and evaluating activities at regional and country levels, all within the political and legal realities that shape international public health work. In practical terms, the agreement anticipates close collaboration between ASPR and WHO EOC-NET across a broad range of activities intended to strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery worldwide.

Key administrative details include an expected single award with an award ceiling of $500,000. The listed activity categories are disaster prevention and relief and health (CFDA 93.019). The FOA was created on June 29, 2017, with an original closing date of August 29, 2017, and it anticipates one funded applicant given the single-source nature of the opportunity. Eligible applicants are described broadly in the source data (including for-profit organizations other than small businesses and "others"), but the narrative makes clear that the invitation is specifically directed to the WHO EOC-NET as the applicant and implementing partner.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the disaster prevention and relief, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Developing Global Standards for Public Health Emergency Operations Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.019.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 29, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 29, 2017 No Explanation. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for EP IDS 17 002

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