NCBDDD Outcomes and Developmental Data Assistance Center for EHDI (ODDACE) Programs | CDC RFA DD20 2005

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA DD20 2005

The NCBDDD Outcomes and Developmental Data Assistance Center for EHDI (ODDACE) Programs grant opportunity (CDC RFA DD20-2005) is a CDC cooperative agreement designed to strengthen what happens after a child is identified as deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). The CDC Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program has helped states improve early identification through the widely used "1-3-6" goals: complete newborn hearing screening by 1 month of age, confirm diagnosis by 3 months for infants who do not pass screening, and enroll infants with permanent hearing loss in early intervention by 6 months. Even with strong progress on early screening and diagnosis, the opportunity highlights a persistent gap: public health systems often do not have consistent, patient-level information about the intervention services children actually receive or how children are doing developmentally and linguistically over time. In other words, states may know that a child was screened and diagnosed, but not reliably know the type, frequency, quality, and timing of intervention, or whether the child is on track for language development and kindergarten readiness.

A central problem the grant aims to address is that developmental and language outcomes for early-identified children who are D/HH are frequently unknown at both state and national levels because those data are not routinely collected, standardized, or shared with public health agencies. The announcement notes that more than 1,200 infants each year (about 20% in the context provided) either do not receive early intervention services or there is no documentation that they received them, and even when intervention enrollment occurs, states often cannot gather or use meaningful outcomes data. This weakens the ability of CDC, state EHDI programs, and partners to understand which approaches work best, where children are falling behind, and what public health actions beyond early identification might reduce the long-term consequences of hearing loss. The opportunity frames this as a surveillance and quality improvement challenge: without good data on intervention and outcomes, it is difficult to measure developmental progress, identify effective strategies, and document the real impact of EHDI activities nationwide.

To close that gap, CDC proposes establishing and supporting ODDACE, a developmental outcomes data center that operates as an extension of the CDC EHDI team. Rather than directly delivering clinical services, ODDACE is intended to provide guidance and technical assistance to a select number of states so they can routinely gather, analyze, and apply standardized intervention and outcomes data for infants and young children who are D/HH. The goal is to expand EHDI public health surveillance beyond screening and diagnosis into the intervention and outcomes space, enabling states and CDC to understand not only whether children enter early intervention, but also what services they receive and how those services relate to language development and school readiness. Prior multi-state projects are cited as evidence that a centralized center can successfully coordinate and standardize outcomes-related data collection across states, suggesting ODDACE is meant to scale and formalize that kind of support.

The scope of work for ODDACE emphasizes building shared definitions, practical data systems, and cross-agency collaboration. Key activities include identifying the most relevant intervention and outcomes data elements and standardizing definitions and measures, particularly around intervention services, developmental outcomes, and kindergarten or school readiness for children who are D/HH. ODDACE is also expected to strengthen public health surveillance capacity by helping states collect timely, standardized data and by supporting innovative and efficient methods for collecting and reporting those data. Because intervention data often sit outside health department control (for example, within early intervention programs or education systems), the center is also tasked with promoting coordination among local/county programs, state EHDI programs, and early intervention partners. Where needed, ODDACE may facilitate family engagement to obtain appropriate consents consistent with federal privacy requirements, enabling more complete and timely access to intervention-related information.

A major deliverable implied throughout the announcement is the ability to use the collected data for real decision-making, not just reporting. ODDACE is expected to help participating states analyze outcomes data across programs and across states to assess whether children are receiving appropriate interventions and whether those interventions are associated with better developmental trajectories. The center is also charged with identifying and documenting factors that influence outcomes, including modifiable factors beyond simply meeting the 1-3-6 timeline, such as the frequency, type, and quality of intervention services. This analysis is meant to feed back into practice and policy: states can use findings to target quality improvements, support children who are not performing on par with hearing peers, and inform policy decisions aimed at improving kindergarten readiness. The opportunity also stresses the importance of promoting data sharing among strategic partners, including CDC, state and local programs, families, service providers, policymakers, and researchers, and demonstrating the benefits of sharing intervention and outcomes information with public health programs.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under NCBDDD, using a cooperative agreement mechanism (meaning CDC is expected to have substantial involvement in the work). The CFDA number is 93.314. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other eligible entities as clarified in the full notice. The funding opportunity listed an award ceiling of $700,000, with one expected award. The notice was created February 8, 2020, with an original closing date of May 7, 2020, and applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

Taken together, the grant is essentially about moving EHDI from an early identification success story into an outcomes-focused public health system: building the infrastructure, partnerships, standardized measures, and analytic capacity needed to understand what interventions children who are D/HH actually receive and whether those interventions are helping them reach age-appropriate language milestones and enter kindergarten ready to learn. The long-term intent is to reduce preventable delays, make intervention more effective, and give CDC and states the data they need to improve programs and provide more targeted technical assistance across the entire EHDI continuum of care.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - NCBDDD in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCBDDD Outcomes and Developmental Data Assistance Center for EHDI (ODDACE) Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.314.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 08, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 07, 2020 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 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 $700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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.

Apply for CDC RFA DD20 2005

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