Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health® (U19)
🏛 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA (HHS-CDC-HHSCDCERA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 28, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for academic institutions, research centers, and nonprofits conducting rigorous occupational health research. Applicants must be eligible to receive federal research awards and commit to implementing the NIOSH Worker Well-Being Questionnaire across all projects. Centers must include at least one small and one large research project, plus required administrative and dissemination cores. Preference is given to proposals addressing high-risk occupations, young workers, small/medium enterprises, chronic disease, mental health, substance use disorder, and AI/digital technologies.
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Key dates
- Jul 28, 2026 Applications open
- Feb 26, 2027 Application deadline in 212 days
- Aug 2, 2027 Award announced
- Sep 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
PURPOSE
NIOSH intends to support the Centers of Excellence in Total Worker Health® (TWH). These Centers will conduct rigorous research and translation activities to prevent harmful exposures, improve working conditions, and advance worker well-being. The Centers will develop practical, scalable solutions for employers and workers. All projects must use the NIOSH Worker Well-Being Questionnaire (WellBQ) and share data with the HERO Worker Well-Being Clearinghouse. Large Research Projects require economic evaluation.
PRIORITY AREAS
• High-risk occupations: First responders, vehicle mechanics, and technicians, with emphasis on occupational exposures, related health risks, and prevention strategies
• Young workers, SMEs
• Chronic disease
• Mental health, stress
• Substance use disorder
• Artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies
This is a multi-component NOFO.
COMPONENT STRUCTURE
Percentages indicate maximum share of total budget.
Overall Component (Required)
Provides Center leadership and integration. Applicants should show strong coordination, scientific direction, and alignment across projects.
Administration, Evaluation, and Emerging Issues Core (Required; up to 15%)
Supports management and Center-wide evaluation. Applicants should describe oversight, data governance, and quality assurance.Optional activities include emerging issues and shared research resources.
Outreach, Dissemination, and Impact Core (Required; up to 15%)
Supports communication, worker/employer engagement, training, translation, implementation, and dissemination strategies.
Research Projects (Required; about 60 to 70%)
Includes all research activities. Applicants may propose a mix of projects. Research project distinctions are based on scope and complexity rather than cost. Projects should demonstrate scientific rigor and potential for sustained impact.
- Small Research Projects (Required; at least one project; up to 3 years)
Exploratory, feasibility, early-stage intervention, surveillance, or measurement studies.
Priority areas: high-risk occupations, young workers, SMEs.
Should show innovation and potential to expand. - Large Research Projects (Required; at least one project; up to 5 years)
Multiyear etiologic, mechanistic, intervention, or translational studies.
Priority areas: chronic disease, mental health, substance use disorder.
Economic evaluation is required. Projects should include strong design and analytic plans. - Pilot/Feasibility Program (Optional; 12–18 months)
Short-term studies generating preliminary data or testing AI/digital technology approaches.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) form
- Project Narrative/Research Plan
- Budget Justification (itemized by component and project)
- Biographical Sketches (key personnel)
- Letters of Support (from partners, institutions)
- Data Sharing Plan
- NIOSH Well-Being Questionnaire Integration Plan
- Center Organizational Chart
- Evaluation Plan
Program contact
- 👤 Maria Lioce, MD, Scientific Program Official
- 📧 MLioce@cdc.gov
- 📞 404-498-2575
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.262 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$119,835,396
-
$84,316,965
-
$32,293,512
-
$31,307,359
-
$31,273,504
-
$31,109,864
-
$30,624,479
-
$30,094,184
-
$29,920,153
-
$29,746,441
Top States by Funding
- NY 22 awards $229.1M
- MD 3 awards $121.4M
- CA 6 awards $109.6M
- MA 6 awards $80.8M
- MI 3 awards $76.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.262). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $130,993,880 | |
| 2025 | $127,849,749 | |
| 2026 est. | $113,003,523 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Academic institutions, research centers, and nonprofits eligible for federal awards. You must commit to using NIOSH's standardized questionnaire and sharing data with the HERO Clearinghouse.
What is the award amount and timeline?
Awards range from $500,000 to $1.4 million per year. Projects can run up to 5 years for large research components.
What must my application include?
A center leadership structure, administration/evaluation core, outreach/dissemination core, at least one small research project, and at least one large research project with economic evaluation.
How competitive is this program?
Very competitive. Federal research funding favors strong scientific teams, rigorous study designs, and demonstrated capacity to manage complex multi-component centers.
What are the priority research areas?
First responders, vehicle mechanics, young workers, chronic disease, mental health, substance use disorder, and AI/digital technology applications in occupational health.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Assemble a strong interdisciplinary team early. Centers require research expertise, evaluation capacity, and real-world implementation experience.
- Build genuine partnerships with worker and employer stakeholders. Your dissemination core should show authentic engagement, not just outreach plans.
- Design at least one large research project with rigorous methods and mandatory economic evaluation. Weak study design is a common rejection reason.
- Use the NIOSH Well-Being Questionnaire as a unifying measurement tool across all projects. This shows alignment and data integration capability.
- Start budget planning now. Multi-component centers with 4-5 projects require detailed justification for each budget line and core activity.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak center integration: proposals treat research projects in isolation rather than showing coordinated scientific direction. Incomplete project portfolio: applications include either zero small projects or zero large projects, failing the "at least one of each" requirement. Missing economic evaluation: large research projects omit required cost-benefit analysis or health economic methodology.
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