In the News
Dear Colleague: CDC Grantee Guidance from Dr. Jonathan Mermin, CDC
Additional flexibility CDC has made available to its grantees
March 25, 2020
Dear Colleague:
These are unprecedented times in public health for our country and the world. Many of you are heavily engaged in the COVID-19 response in your cities and states. At the same time, your communities are relying on you to prevent HIV, viral hepatitis, STD, and TB, and to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the populations these diseases affect. Over the last few weeks, our day-to-day lives have changed, and we are working to ensure the safety and health of our loved ones, our communities, and our nation.
To help your state and programs meet the challenges we are facing, I want to inform you about additional flexibilities that CDC has made available to its grantees during this national emergency. Under Section 319(e) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CDC is offering some flexibility for program staff to be supported to work with the COVID-19 efforts. A temporary reassignment provision is applicable to state, tribal, and local public health department or agency personnel whose positions are funded, in full or part, under PHS programs, and allows such personnel to respond immediately to the public health emergency in the affected jurisdiction. The Funds provided under the award may be used to support personnel who are temporarily reassigned in accordance with section 319(e).
More details regarding flexibilities now in place for CDC grants, including Guidance for Temporary Reassignment of State and Local Personnel during a Public Health Emergency, are available on these CDC sites:
- Information for CDC Applicants and Recipients of CDC Funding
- Flexibilities Available to Applicants and Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance Affected by COVID-19
- Requesting Temporary Reassignment of State, Tribal, and Local Personnel during an HHS Secretary declared Public Health Emergency
- General Funding and Grants Frequently Asked Questions
Even with a temporary reassignment, staff should continue to coordinate with their CDC Grants Management Officer and Project Officer assigned to their grants or cooperative agreements.
Take care. We are with you.
/Jonathan Mermin/
Jonathan H. Mermin, M.D., MPH
Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS
Director
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention