Expansion of Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Across the U.S. | CDC RFA CE22 2204

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA CE22 2204

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) Injury Center, released a fiscal year 2022 cooperative agreement funding opportunity titled "Expansion of Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Across the U.S." (CDC-RFA-CE22-2204). The grant is designed to help jurisdictions move beyond isolated suicide prevention activities and instead build, implement, and evaluate a coordinated, public health approach that can be sustained over time. The central idea is to organize partners, use local data to focus efforts where risk is highest, apply strategies backed by evidence, and continuously evaluate what is working so programs improve and produce measurable reductions in suicide-related harm.

The opportunity emphasizes a comprehensive prevention model that starts with convening and connecting multi-sector partners. Applicants are expected to bring together public health, mental health, and other relevant systems, while also meaningfully including people with lived experience. The intent is to create a functioning network where agencies and community stakeholders share responsibility, align activities, and avoid duplication. This partnership requirement reflects how suicide prevention typically depends on multiple touchpoints such as healthcare, schools, workplaces, social services, housing, justice systems, tribal and community organizations, and crisis response supports.

A major requirement is a strong, practical use of data. Funded recipients are expected to use available data to identify disproportionately affected populations (DAPs) within their jurisdiction, understand contributing factors, and track trends in suicide morbidity and mortality over time. In this notice, DAPs are described as populations that carry a significant portion of the suicide burden and/or have suicide rates higher than the general population in the applicant's state, county, tribe, or other defined jurisdiction. Examples named in the announcement include veterans, rural communities, tribal populations, LGBTQ populations, and people experiencing homelessness, though applicants may propose other groups based on local evidence. The data focus is meant to ensure resources are targeted rather than spread thinly, and that decisions are driven by measurable need and changing patterns of risk.

Applicants are also expected to assess gaps in existing suicide prevention efforts and infrastructure within their jurisdiction. This gap assessment is meant to identify what is already in place, what is missing, and where programs are not reaching the populations most affected. Rather than reinventing work that is already happening, the grant aims to help recipients strengthen and connect efforts, fill service and prevention gaps, and create a clearer overall strategy. This includes identifying barriers to implementation, coordination issues between agencies, and shortcomings in current prevention, response, and postvention supports.

On the intervention side, the funding supports implementing complementary strategies that draw on the best available evidence, specifically referencing the CDC resource "Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs, and Practices." That technical package is widely used as a menu of evidence-informed approaches, and the notice signals that recipients should select strategies that work together rather than relying on a single program. In practice, that means combining multiple prevention levers (policy, systems changes, and community or clinical interventions) in a way that fits local conditions and the needs of the selected DAPs. The expectation is not only to implement activities, but to do so with a clear logic for how the chosen strategies will reduce risk factors, strengthen protective factors, and ultimately lower suicide attempts and deaths.

Communication and shared learning are also built into the model. Recipients are expected to communicate trends, progress, successes, and lessons learned to partners, which supports accountability and helps keep multi-sector collaborators engaged. This dissemination component is framed as ongoing communication that allows partners to adjust strategies, celebrate progress, and respond to emerging data. It also reinforces the public health approach of transparency and continuous improvement, rather than treating prevention as a closed program operating in isolation.

Evaluation is a core feature of the award and is described as rigorous, with an explicit emphasis on continuous quality improvement and sustained impact. In other words, recipients are expected to measure implementation and outcomes, learn from results, and refine strategies over time, rather than simply reporting activities completed. The evaluation focus supports understanding both whether strategies are being delivered as intended and whether they are making a difference for the priority populations identified through the data process.

The stated purpose of the opportunity is to implement and evaluate this comprehensive approach with particular attention to one or more disproportionately affected populations within a defined jurisdiction such as a state, county, or tribe. The key outcome highlighted in the notice is a 10 percent reduction in suicide morbidity and mortality among the selected DAP(s) in the chosen jurisdiction, signaling that the program is outcome-driven and expects measurable public health impact rather than only capacity-building.

Administratively, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect a substantial level of CDC involvement typical of cooperative agreements (for example, coordination, technical assistance, and shared direction on program and evaluation expectations). The award ceiling is listed as $1,000,000, and CDC anticipated making about 6 awards. The opportunity is broadly open to many applicant types, including state, county, and local governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; public housing authorities; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other eligible entities as clarified in the full announcement. The funding opportunity was created on April 5, 2022, with an original closing date of June 6, 2022, and applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the due date.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - NCIPC in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Expansion of Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Across the U.S." 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 Apr 05, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 06, 2022 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 pm 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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification), Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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