Radiation Health Protection Involving Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation | CDC RFA EH21 2103

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA EH21 2103

The grant opportunity titled "Radiation Health Protection Involving Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation" (Funding Opportunity Number: CDC RFA EH21-2103) is a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), specifically the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH). Its core aim is to strengthen the scientific base behind radiation health protection so that public health agencies and the radiation protection community can make better, evidence-informed decisions that reduce harm from radiation exposure. The focus is broad and practical, covering radiation exposure that can occur in everyday settings and in high-consequence events, and it explicitly includes both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

The purpose of the program is to improve understanding of radiation science in ways that translate into better protection for the American public, workers, and emergency responders. The opportunity recognizes that exposure risks come from multiple sources, including natural background radiation, environmental contamination, medical uses of radiation, occupational settings, and nuclear disasters. The intent is not simply to advance academic knowledge, but to produce results that can be used by federal, state, and local public health agencies when they are assessing risk, communicating with communities, setting protective guidance, planning for emergencies, or responding to radiation incidents. In other words, the expected work should connect radiation science to real-world public health action, including preparedness and response considerations for disaster scenarios.

The measurable outcomes are framed to align with one or more of NCEH's broader performance goals. These include determining human health effects associated with environmental exposures, preventing or reducing illness, injury, and death related to environmental factors, and building or enhancing effective partnerships that improve environmental health capacity. This signals that CDC is looking for work that either sharpens understanding of health effects and exposure pathways, strengthens prevention and mitigation strategies, and/or expands the ability of agencies and partners to act effectively in radiation-related public health situations. Partnership-building is emphasized as a legitimate outcome area, which often points to a preference for collaborations that help translate technical findings into applied public health practice.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a grant mechanism under the Health funding activity category, listed under CFDA number 93.070. The posted award ceiling is $300,000, and the expected number of awards is one, suggesting a single recipient for this cycle and a competitive environment in which the applicant must clearly demonstrate national or broad public health value. The opportunity was created on March 16, 2021, with an original application deadline of May 15, 2021. Applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

Eligibility is limited primarily to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), along with other eligible entities as described in the announcement's additional eligibility text. That eligibility structure indicates CDC was aiming this funding at mission-driven organizations capable of delivering applied public health work and collaborating with governmental and professional partners, rather than routing it through universities as primary applicants.

Overall, the opportunity is designed to support a targeted effort that advances radiation science in service of public health protection. The ideal output would be the kind of work that improves the radiation protection community's understanding while also giving public health decision-makers stronger tools for evaluating exposure situations, anticipating health impacts, protecting responders and workers, and reducing preventable harm across routine exposures and emergency events.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - NCEH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Radiation Health Protection Involving Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.070.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 16, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 15, 2021 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having 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 CDC RFA EH21 2103

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