Evaluation of Return to School Programs for Traumatic Brain Injury | RFA CE 19 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CE 19 003

The grant opportunity titled "Evaluation of Return to School Programs for Traumatic Brain Injury" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA CE 19 003) was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), specifically the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). It supports investigator-initiated research aimed at producing strong, real-world evidence on how well existing "Return to School" (RTS) programs work for children who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). The overall purpose is to determine what program components and approaches actually help students transition back into school successfully after a brain injury, and to use that evidence to improve prevention and management practices across education and healthcare settings.

This opportunity focuses on rigorous evaluation research rather than program creation from scratch. The CDC is looking for projects that can meaningfully assess effectiveness, meaning applicants should be prepared to use strong study designs and credible comparison approaches. The programs being evaluated should already exist and should be mature enough to study, with clear pathways for identifying and supporting students after TBI. A key expectation is that the RTS programs address children across the full spectrum of injury severity, including mild, moderate, and severe TBI, and also recognize that TBIs can occur through different injury mechanisms. The target population spans elementary through high school, reflecting the reality that the educational demands and support needs of students vary widely by age and grade level.

A central requirement is that applicants partner with both an RTS program and a comparison school program. In practice, that means the study should not evaluate the RTS program in isolation; it should compare outcomes to a school, district, or program context that does not use the same RTS approach or uses a different approach. This comparative structure is meant to strengthen conclusions about whether observed differences in outcomes are attributable to the RTS program itself rather than unrelated factors. The CDC also signals that programs should have accessible, usable data and be ready for evaluation, with outcomes available across academic, health, and social domains. Academic outcomes could include grades, attendance, standardized performance, special education services, or return-to-learn timelines. Health outcomes may involve symptom burden, recovery trajectory, medical follow-up, or ongoing accommodations related to cognitive or physical effects. Social outcomes can include peer functioning, behavioral indicators, school connectedness, and broader adjustment measures.

The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement by the funding agency during the life of the project. Rather than operating entirely independently, awardees usually collaborate with CDC staff on planning, implementation, reporting, and alignment with federal evidence needs. The activity category is health, and the associated CFDA number is 93.136. The award ceiling listed is $550,000, and the CDC anticipated making two awards under this announcement, suggesting a competitive process with only a small number of funded projects selected.

Eligibility is broad and includes multiple types of public and nonprofit entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where specified). This wide eligibility range reflects the fact that RTS programs can be housed in schools, healthcare systems, universities, public agencies, or community-based organizations, and effective evaluation may require partnerships across these systems.

In short, the opportunity is designed to build practical, decision-ready evidence about what helps children with TBIs successfully return to school. By emphasizing existing programs, comparison groups, and multi-domain outcomes, the CDC is aiming for findings that can inform schools, clinicians, families, and policymakers about which RTS approaches lead to better educational progress, healthier recovery, and stronger social adjustment after injury.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evaluation of Return to School Programs for Traumatic Brain Injury" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.136.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 31, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2019 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 500 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 $550,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for RFA CE 19 003

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