Optimization and Standardization of Methods to Suppress Ixodes scapularis and Disrupt Enzootic Pathogen Transmission in Settings Posing an Elevated Risk to Humans | RFA CK 22 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CK 22 004

This funding opportunity, RFA CK 22 004, is a CDC (Department of Health and Human Services) cooperative agreement focused on practical, real-world research to reduce human risk from Ixodes scapularis (the blacklegged tick) in parts of the United States where Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens are already common. The core aim is not to invent entirely new tick control technologies, but to take strategies that already exist and make them more effective, more consistent, and easier to implement correctly in the kinds of places where people are most likely to encounter infected ticks, such as wooded residential yards and heavily used wooded recreational areas. The key outcome the program is trying to influence is a reduction in the number of host-seeking nymphal ticks infected with human pathogens, especially the Lyme disease bacterium, often measured as density of infected nymphs (DIN), since nymphs are small, hard to detect, and a major driver of human infections.

The NOFO lays out three main research goals. First, it supports work to optimize and standardize how existing tick suppression and pathogen transmission disruption methods are implemented so they reliably reduce infected, host-seeking nymphs. This implies applicants should concentrate on implementation details that often determine whether an intervention works outside of a tightly controlled study, such as timing, placement, dose or coverage, frequency, maintenance, and integration with site conditions. Second, it prioritizes evaluation of efficacy and reproducibility when these protocols are used operationally, meaning under conditions similar to how they would actually be deployed by pest control professionals, vector control programs, or the public (depending on the intervention). The emphasis on reproducibility signals that the CDC is looking for approaches that hold up across different sites, different operators, and different ecological contexts, rather than results that only occur in a single demonstration location or under expert-only application. Third, the NOFO calls for development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) that translate research findings into clear, usable instructions that homeowners, communities, and vector control professionals can follow to implement interventions consistently in areas where people face elevated exposure risk.

Geographically, the work is intended for high-risk settings in the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, specifically where baseline DIN is elevated. In other words, the funded research is expected to be grounded in places that already have a meaningful burden of infected ticks, so that effectiveness can be measured under realistic pressure from enzootic transmission cycles (pathogens circulating among wildlife and ticks). The overall public health logic is that lowering the density of infected nymphs in the environments people use most can reduce the probability of tick bites leading to infection, complementing personal protection measures and clinical awareness.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism. A cooperative agreement usually means substantial involvement by the CDC during the project, such as collaboration on study design elements, metrics, evaluation plans, or dissemination expectations, rather than a fully hands-off grant. It falls under a health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.084. The opportunity was created on December 14, 2021, with an original application deadline of February 15, 2022, and applications were due electronically by 5:00 pm Eastern Time on the due date. The award ceiling listed is $1,000,000, and the expected number of awards is 1, suggesting a single, relatively large project intended to produce broadly applicable, standardized deliverables rather than many smaller exploratory studies.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of public and nonprofit entities: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in the nonprofit category). The listing also includes an "Others" category referencing additional eligibility details in the full announcement, which typically covers special cases or clarifications for applicants not neatly captured in standard categories.

In practical terms, a strong project under this NOFO would likely combine field-based evaluation in real properties or recreational landscapes with clear measurement of tick outcomes, especially DIN, and would end with concrete SOPs that can be adopted by communities and professionals. The CDC is essentially asking for a bridge between what is known to work in principle and what can be implemented reliably at scale, with enough standardization that results are comparable across sites and operators and that communities can apply the methods with confidence.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Optimization and Standardization of Methods to Suppress Ixodes scapularis and Disrupt Enzootic Pathogen Transmission in Settings Posing an Elevated Risk to Humans" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.084.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 14, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 15, 2022 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 500 pm ET on the listed application due date.. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RFA CK 22 004

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