Strengthening the Diagnostic in Liberia Through the Implementation of a Sample Referral Network | CDC RFA GH15 16310301SUPP17

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH15 16310301SUPP17

The grant opportunity titled "Strengthening the Diagnostic in Liberia Through the Implementation of a Sample Referral Network" focuses on fixing a major systems gap that became obvious during the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak: Liberia did not have a formal, nationwide way to move clinical specimens from where they are collected (hospitals, clinics, and community or surveillance sites) to laboratories that can test them quickly and safely. During the height of the outbreak, many health facilities and public health laboratories shut down, which disrupted routine care and made it harder to detect and contain Ebola virus disease (EVD). Even after international partners stepped in to help with testing and treatment capacity, specimen movement largely depended on ad hoc arrangements rather than a coordinated national network.

A central problem described in the opportunity is that specimen transport in Liberia was being handled through an informal patchwork of NGOs. These organizations were transporting samples for Ebola testing and, in some cases, collecting and transporting swabs from deceased individuals as part of temporary active surveillance efforts. While that stopgap approach helped in the short term, it also created inefficiencies, duplicated effort, and diverted NGOs away from their primary responsibilities for case identification, clinical care, and outbreak response. As the country worked toward achieving and sustaining zero Ebola cases, the continued reliance on informal transport was viewed as a risk to both speed and reliability of diagnosis and to broader disease surveillance.

The project supported by this funding is meant to develop and implement a national specimen transportation (sample referral) network for Liberia. In practical terms, that means establishing a structured system that links specimen collection points across the country, including hospitals, health care centers, and active Ebola surveillance activities, to the nearest appropriate laboratory with the ability to test for Ebola and potentially other common priority diseases. The emphasis is not just on moving samples, but on moving them rapidly and in a way that protects specimen integrity, which is essential for accurate test results. A well-run referral network typically requires defined routes and schedules, trained personnel, standardized packaging and biosafety procedures, tracking and documentation, and clear communication between clinics, transporters, and laboratories so that results can get back to clinicians and surveillance teams without delay.

The intended public health impact goes beyond Ebola. While maintaining zero EVD cases is a headline goal, the opportunity frames the specimen transport network as foundational infrastructure for future outbreak preparedness and routine national surveillance. By strengthening the logistics that connect frontline health facilities and community surveillance to diagnostic capacity, Liberia can improve early detection of emerging threats, reduce turnaround time for lab confirmation, and support faster response actions. In that sense, the network becomes a permanent capability that can be used for multiple diseases and public health priorities, rather than a temporary Ebola-only mechanism.

From the administrative details provided, this was a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health (CGH), offered as a cooperative agreement under funding opportunity number CDC RFA GH15 16310301SUPP17 and CFDA 93.318. The expected number of awards was one, and the listed award ceiling is shown as 0, which typically indicates that the ceiling was not specified in the posted summary or is defined elsewhere in the full announcement. The original closing date was May 24, 2017, and the eligible applicants category is listed as "Others," suggesting it was intended for a specific type of organization or a limited pool rather than a broad open competition. The description also references Riders for Health with addresses in Monrovia, Liberia and in Northamptonshire, UK, indicating an implementation partner or key organization connected to the specimen transport and logistics approach envisioned by the project.

Overall, the opportunity is about turning an improvised, NGO-driven specimen transport practice into a formal national sample referral system that can reliably move specimens from collection sites to capable labs, preserve quality and safety in transit, and strengthen Liberia's diagnostic and surveillance backbone for Ebola and other infectious disease threats.

• The Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening the Diagnostic in Liberia Through the Implementation of a Sample Referral Network" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-04-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-05-24. (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 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for CDC RFA GH15 16310301SUPP17

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