Improving Adolescent Health and Well-Being Through School-Based Surveillance and the What Works in Schools Program | CDC RFA DP 24 0139

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA DP 24 0139

The CDC funding opportunity titled "Improving Adolescent Health and Well-Being Through School-Based Surveillance and the What Works in Schools Program" (CDC RFA DP 24 0139) is a discretionary cooperative agreement aimed at helping schools reduce key adolescent health risks by strengthening prevention work where young people spend much of their time. The rationale behind the program is straightforward: schools reach more than 50 million students for roughly six hours each day, which gives districts a powerful platform to shape health knowledge, expand access to supports, and improve day-to-day learning conditions that influence behavior and mental well-being.

At the center of the opportunity is CDC's What Works in Schools program, described as a primary prevention approach built around three core strategies. First, it supports districts in delivering quality health education, meaning instruction that is well-designed, age-appropriate, and effective at building skills and knowledge that reduce risk. Second, it focuses on connecting youth to health services, which can include improving referral pathways, strengthening school-based or school-linked services, and ensuring students can access help when they need it. Third, it emphasizes creating safe and supportive learning environments, recognizing that school climate, safety, connectedness, and supportive relationships are closely tied to both risk behaviors and mental health outcomes. CDC notes that the program has demonstrated impact in real-world settings, with students in participating schools being less likely to engage in sexual risk behavior, less likely to use substances, and less likely to experience violence. The description also highlights mental health-related benefits, stating that core elements have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

The grant is designed to fund work at multiple levels of the public education system rather than focusing only on isolated classroom interventions. In practical terms, awards are intended to support implementation of What Works in Schools in middle and high schools, while also building the capacity of agencies to assist local education agencies (districts and schools). This indicates an emphasis not only on direct implementation in districts, but also on developing the infrastructure, technical assistance, and support systems that help schools adopt and sustain the strategies with fidelity and consistency over time.

A second major pillar of the opportunity is strengthening school-based surveillance and the use of data for decision-making. Funding supports the collection and use of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data and School Health Profiles data. These surveillance systems are used to track student health behaviors and experiences over time and to assess school health policies and practices. By tying implementation funding to surveillance, the opportunity signals that grantees should be able to measure needs, monitor trends, target interventions, and evaluate progress using established data sources rather than relying on informal or inconsistent reporting.

The notice lays out two application components with specific eligibility expectations around scale and authority. Under Component 1, an applicant must demonstrate legal authority and oversight for the policies and practices of its school district, and the district must have at least 40,000 students. Under Component 2, the applicant must serve as the fiscal agent and lead agency for a consortium of contiguous school districts. In that consortium model, the lead agency is responsible for managing financial and reporting duties for the group, and the combined enrollment across the consortium districts must be at least 40,000 students. In both components, applicants must show that the district(s) have the legal authority and oversight needed to implement relevant policies and practices. The opportunity lists acceptable examples of how to document that authority, including state, territorial, or local legislation; a charter document; a letter from the state or local superintendent; or a letter from the Governor's office.

Administratively, the opportunity is issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCCDPHP, under CFDA 93.079. It is categorized as a cooperative agreement, which typically means CDC expects substantial involvement, coordination, or technical partnership during the project period rather than a hands-off grant structure. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, but the component requirements effectively narrow the pool to large districts or large contiguous consortia that can document governance authority. The posting indicates an original closing date of 2024-04-01, an estimated 88 expected awards, and an award ceiling listed as 0 (which often means the ceiling was not specified in the summary field or is determined elsewhere in the full announcement). The opportunity was formerly forecasted as CDC-RFA-PS-24-0006 Component 1, which may help applicants connect it to earlier planning materials or forecasts.

Overall, the grant is best understood as a combined implementation-and-data initiative: it funds districts (or consortia) large enough to operate at scale, it focuses on proven prevention strategies delivered through education, service connections, and supportive environments, and it expects grantees to use established surveillance tools like YRBS and School Health Profiles to guide planning and demonstrate progress in reducing risk behaviors, violence exposure, and mental health harms among adolescents.

• The Centers for Disease Control - NCCDPHP in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Adolescent Health and Well-Being Through School-Based Surveillance and the What Works in Schools Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.079.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-01. (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 88 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for CDC RFA DP 24 0139

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