Advancing Diagnostic Network Optimization, Stepwise Laboratory Accreditation, and Integrated One Health Specimen Transport in Liberia | CDC RFA JG 24 0134

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA JG 24 0134

The grant opportunity titled "Advancing Diagnostic Network Optimization, Stepwise Laboratory Accreditation, and Integrated One Health Specimen Transport in Liberia" (Funding Opportunity Number CDC RFA JG 24 0134) is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Global Health Center (CDC-GHC) cooperative agreement focused on strengthening how Liberia organizes, moves, and sustains diagnostic testing across the country. The main purpose is to innovate, implement, and evaluate practical approaches that improve a One Health laboratory diagnostic network, meaning the system is designed to support testing needs tied to human health, animal health, and environmental health in a coordinated way rather than in separate silos. The opportunity sits in the health activity category under CFDA 93.318 and is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means CDC expects to remain actively involved with technical input and collaboration during implementation rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.

At the core of the opportunity is the idea that laboratory performance is not just about equipment and staff inside a lab, but about the entire network that connects clinics, field collection sites, veterinary and environmental sampling points, referral laboratories, and national reference capacity. This NOFO specifically emphasizes the inter-dependence between three major components: first, a comprehensive national and sub-national laboratory network that is mapped in terms of resources and capabilities; second, the transportation architecture needed to reliably move specimens and related commodities from one point to another; and third, the digital communication, information, and supply chain systems that keep the network functioning over time. In practice, the NOFO is pushing for a systems approach where improvements in one area are designed to reinforce the others, because gaps in specimen transport, data flow, or supply logistics can undermine even well-equipped laboratories.

A major theme is diagnostic network optimization, which generally refers to analyzing and improving how testing services are distributed and coordinated across a country so that specimens go to the right place, at the right time, using the most efficient pathways. In Liberia, this implies work that can identify which laboratories should offer which tests, how referrals should be routed, what capacities exist at national versus county or district levels, and how to reduce bottlenecks that delay results. The NOFO highlights "resource-mapped" networks, signaling that applicants are expected to look closely at what exists now (infrastructure, staffing, platforms, test menus, turnaround times, quality systems, and geographic access) and use that information to rationalize and strengthen the network rather than building isolated capacities that do not integrate well.

The opportunity also spotlights stepwise laboratory accreditation, which points to structured quality improvement pathways that help laboratories progressively meet recognized standards. Rather than treating accreditation as a one-time finish line, the stepwise approach usually focuses on incremental, measurable improvements in laboratory quality management systems, documentation, internal audits, corrective actions, biosafety practices, equipment maintenance, and competency-based training. In the context of this NOFO, accreditation is framed as part of a broader national network goal: better quality and reliability across the system, not just at a single reference lab. The emphasis on accredited national and sub-national laboratories suggests a push to strengthen quality at multiple tiers so the network can safely and consistently support surveillance, outbreak response, and routine diagnostics.

An integrated One Health specimen transport system is another central pillar of the NOFO. This is about designing and improving the physical movement of human, animal, and environmental specimens so that they can travel point-to-point across the laboratory network with appropriate packaging, biosafety, chain-of-custody where relevant, and temperature control when needed. The wording highlights transportation "architecture," suggesting attention to routes, hubs, scheduling, courier models, handoff procedures, and the coordination required to move specimens efficiently between remote collection sites and testing laboratories. A One Health framing implies that transport solutions should be designed to serve multiple sectors, which can reduce duplication, increase coverage, and improve readiness for zoonotic and environmentally linked threats.

The NOFO also underscores the optimization of digital communication, information, and supply chain systems as enabling functions that make the laboratory and transport components sustainable. Digital systems can include laboratory information management and reporting workflows, tools for tracking specimens in transit, communication channels that connect clinicians and field teams with laboratories, and data systems that support surveillance and decision-making. Supply chain optimization relates to ensuring that reagents, consumables, and other essentials are available where testing occurs, preventing stockouts that disrupt services and slow outbreak detection. The way the NOFO is written implies that applicants should not treat specimen transport as only a logistics problem or laboratories as only a technical problem, but should connect transport tracking, reporting, and inventory management into a coherent end-to-end network.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is open to unrestricted eligible applicants, indicating there are no special eligibility limitations listed in the provided summary. The award ceiling is listed as 0, which commonly indicates the ceiling was not specified in the summary extract rather than meaning no funds are available; applicants typically need to consult the full NOFO for budget ranges, period of performance, and cost expectations. CDC anticipated making three awards, and the original closing date was May 28, 2024, with the opportunity created on April 5, 2024. Overall, the grant is positioned to support multi-component work that modernizes Liberia's diagnostic network in a way that is mapped, quality-assured through stepwise accreditation, and operationally functional through integrated specimen transport and the digital and supply chain systems that keep the network reliable day to day.

• The Centers for Disease Control-GHC in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advancing Diagnostic Network Optimization, Stepwise Laboratory Accreditation, and Integrated One Health Specimen Transport in Liberia" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-28. (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 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for CDC RFA JG 24 0134

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: