World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center (U54)
🏛 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA (HHS-CDC-HHSCDCERA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 18, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for institutions and organizations seeking to establish a World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center. Applicants must have demonstrated capacity in epidemiology, occupational health, IT/data management, and community engagement. The center will recruit and maintain a research cohort of individuals age 21 or younger at 9/11 exposure, including those exposed in utero, within proximity to the WTC site.
Activities supported include establishing and maintaining the youth research cohort, developing long-term health and educational impact research, operating IT/data management systems, and conducting community outreach. The center integrates multidisciplinary teams across epidemiology, environmental health, and related fields.
This is a cooperative agreement requiring active federal partnership. Only organizations with substantial research infrastructure, federal grant experience, and community relationships in New York/affected areas are competitive.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Key dates
- Jul 31, 2026 Applications open
- Feb 23, 2027 Application deadline in 127 days
- Jun 26, 2027 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, plans to establish a WTC Youth Research Coordinating Center (“Center”) through a U54 cooperative agreement.
In December 2022, Congress amended the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300mm–51(c)) to direct the WTC Health Program Administrator to establish a research cohort for emerging health impacts on youth. The cohort must be of sufficient size to support future research studies on the health and educational impacts of exposures resulting from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (9/11).
The overall purpose of the Center is to:
- Establish and maintain a WTC Youth Research Cohort of individuals who were:
- 21 years of age or younger at the time of 9/11 exposure, including those exposed in utero.
- Within a certain distance of the WTC site on and after 9/11.
- Develop and implement research on the long-term health and educational (including developmental and cognitive) impacts of individuals exposed at a young age to 9/11.
The Center will integrate multidisciplinary expertise in epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, information technology and data management, community-engaged recruitment and research, and related disciplines. Community engagement and effective stakeholder communication will be central to all Center activities.
The Center will support four functional core activities:
- Planning, Administration, and Evaluation.
- Information Technology (IT) and Data Management.
- Communication, Outreach, and Community Engagement.
- Research and Related Activities.
The expected public health impact includes addressing gaps in knowledge about the health and educational impacts associated with 9/11 among individuals exposed in utero or at a young age. It also includes improving understanding of the long-term effects of 9/11 exposures across the lifespan.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- PHS 398 or SF-424 (R&R) application form
- Project Narrative/Research Plan
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Institutional Biosketches (key personnel)
- Letters of Support (community partners)
- Data Management Plan
- Human Subjects Protection documentation
Program contact
- 👤 James Yiin, PhD, Scientific Program Official
- 📧 jcy5@cdc.gov
- 📞 513-841-4271
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
-
$129,315,396
-
$84,316,965
-
$32,293,512
-
$32,134,720
-
$31,954,524
-
$31,620,262
-
$31,326,776
-
$31,321,584
-
$31,307,359
-
$31,273,504
Top States by Funding
- NY 45 awards $260.4M
- MD 4 awards $137.5M
- CA 12 awards $117.1M
- MA 13 awards $98.1M
- MI 6 awards $92.0M
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?
Organizations with strong research capacity in epidemiology, occupational health, and data management can apply. You must demonstrate ability to engage communities and manage a large research cohort.
What is the funding level?
Awards range up to $10 million. The total funding pool is $50 million for this cooperative agreement mechanism.
What activities does this support?
You can fund cohort establishment and maintenance, research studies on health/educational impacts, IT infrastructure, data management, and community engagement activities.
What makes an application competitive?
Strong track record managing large cohorts, multidisciplinary research teams, prior 9/11-related research experience, and demonstrated community trust help. Federal partnership experience is important.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is February 23, 2027. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your team's multidisciplinary expertise in epidemiology, occupational health, IT, and community engagement. Show how disciplines integrate.
- Demonstrate prior success recruiting and retaining large research cohorts. Include retention rates and engagement strategies.
- Highlight existing relationships with 9/11-affected communities and trusted community partners. Include letters of support from community leaders.
- Plan detailed IT and data management infrastructure. Reviewers prioritize secure, scalable systems for long-term cohort management.
- Explain how you'll reach and engage individuals exposed in utero or as young children. Address recruitment challenges specific to this age group.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications lack demonstrated community trust or prior relationships with 9/11-affected populations. Weak IT/data infrastructure plans undermine competitiveness. Failing to show multidisciplinary team integration across all four core activities.
Similar grants
- OPEN Cooperative Research Agreements Related to the World Trade Center Health Program (U01) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA
- OPEN World Trade Center Health Program Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA
- OPEN Exploratory/Developmental Grants Related to the World Trade Center Health Program (R21) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA
- OPEN Health and Extreme Weather Research Coordination and Data Center (U2C – Clinical Trial Not Allowed) — National Institutes of Health
- OPEN Health and Extreme Weather Solutions-Focused Research Hubs (U54 – Clinical Trial Optional) — National Institutes of Health