Increasing Influenza and Tdap Vaccination of Pregnant Women in Obstetric/Gynecologic Practices in Large Health Systems through Quality Improvement Interventions | RFA IP 19 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA IP 19 002

This funding opportunity, titled "Increasing Influenza and Tdap Vaccination of Pregnant Women in Obstetric/Gynecologic Practices in Large Health Systems through Quality Improvement Interventions," is a CDC cooperative agreement designed to support a randomized controlled trial focused on improving adult immunization practices in prenatal care settings. The core purpose is to test whether structured quality improvement interventions can meaningfully raise vaccination coverage for two key maternal vaccines, seasonal influenza and Tdap, among pregnant patients receiving care in obstetric/gynecologic practices. The work is intended to take place inside a large health system and must include at least two OB/GYN practices that already stock both influenza and Tdap vaccines, since the interventions are aimed at improving delivery and uptake rather than solving vaccine access through stocking alone.

The project is framed as an effectiveness evaluation using an RCT design, meaning applicants are expected to implement and rigorously assess one or more quality improvement strategies under real-world conditions and compare outcomes between study arms. In practical terms, the trial would likely examine how changes in clinic workflow, provider prompts, standing orders, staff training, performance feedback, patient reminders, or electronic health record-based interventions affect whether pregnant patients receive recommended vaccinations during prenatal visits. The emphasis on a randomized design signals that the CDC is looking for strong causal evidence about what works best in OB/GYN practice environments, not just descriptive reporting or simple before-and-after comparisons.

The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes governmental public health entities and a wide range of partner organizations that commonly participate in applied public health research and healthcare improvement work. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township 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 when specified by category). The listing also includes an "Others" category with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, which typically covers additional types of entities that can demonstrate the capacity to conduct the required work in collaboration with a large health system and applicable public health jurisdictions.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally means the CDC expects substantial involvement during the project period. Cooperative agreements often include technical assistance, collaboration on study design and evaluation, shared decisions about major project elements, and ongoing reporting requirements. The funding activity category is health, and it is associated with CFDA number 93.185. The opportunity was created on October 31, 2018, with an original application deadline of January 29, 2019, and applications were required to be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

In terms of scale, the maximum award amount listed is $500,000, and the CDC anticipated making two awards. This suggests a relatively focused set of funded projects, likely selected for strong study design, access to appropriate clinical sites and patient populations, and the ability to implement and measure quality improvement interventions in a way that produces credible, generalizable findings. Overall, the opportunity is structured to generate high-quality evidence on how large health systems and OB/GYN practices can improve maternal vaccination delivery, with the public health goal of increasing protection for pregnant women and their infants against influenza and pertussis through better clinical implementation of existing vaccine recommendations.

• 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 "Increasing Influenza and Tdap Vaccination of Pregnant Women in Obstetric/Gynecologic Practices in Large Health Systems through Quality Improvement Interventions" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.185.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 31, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 29, 2019 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 500 p.m., 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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 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 IP 19 002

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