Health Professional Support Program for Children with Congenital Zika Virus (ZIKV) Infection | HRSA 17 116

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 17 116

The Health Professional Support (HPS) Program for Children with Congenital Zika Virus (ZIKV) Infection is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), focused on strengthening the pediatric health workforce and specialty support systems for children affected by Zika. The program is designed for jurisdictions that faced Zika-related impacts and where pediatric specialty capacity can be limited by geography and workforce constraints, specifically Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Basin, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The central aim is to improve health and developmental outcomes for children by expanding access to pediatric health professionals, including subspecialists and allied health professionals, and by improving the ability of local clinicians to deliver coordinated, interdisciplinary care.

A key feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on workforce development paired with real-world clinical support. Rather than funding direct services alone, the program is intended to build sustainable local capacity by training health professionals to recognize, monitor, and manage the complex neurodevelopmental and medical needs associated with congenital Zika exposure and infection. Importantly, the program defines the target pediatric population broadly: it includes not only children who were clearly symptomatic at birth, but also children born to Zika-infected mothers who were asymptomatic at birth (meaning signs may emerge later), as well as children who may have been exposed during the postnatal period. This framing reflects the reality that developmental and neurologic concerns can appear over time and require ongoing monitoring.

The HPS Program has two primary objectives. First, it seeks to expand the capacity of health professionals to provide appropriate interdisciplinary care for children with congenital ZIKV infection. This means building skills and systems so that multiple disciplines can work together effectively around a child and family, rather than care being fragmented across isolated visits or specialties. Second, it aims to increase access to pediatric specialty care for affected children, which is often a major barrier in island territories and remote areas where subspecialists may be scarce and travel can be difficult or expensive.

To meet these objectives, the grant focuses on three major components. The first component is developing and delivering training for health professionals, with a strong emphasis on neurodevelopmental disabilities and other disability-related needs linked to congenital Zika exposure, as well as best practices in interdisciplinary pediatric care. Training under this program is meant to equip frontline clinicians and specialists alike with the knowledge to provide developmental surveillance, identify early warning signs, coordinate referrals, and support families over time. The second component is providing interdisciplinary consultation services to health professionals, essentially creating a mechanism where clinicians can access expert input across disciplines to guide evaluation and management. This consultation element is meant to strengthen clinical decision-making and consistency of care, particularly in settings where a local provider may not routinely manage complex pediatric neurologic or developmental conditions. The third component supports the delivery of interdisciplinary specialty care through innovative service models, such as telemedicine or traveling pediatric subspecialty teams, to ensure children receive ongoing developmental monitoring, timely intervention, and appropriate follow-up care even when specialists are not locally available.

The opportunity highlights the wide range of pediatric professionals who may be involved in caring for children with congenital or at-risk Zika exposure. This includes, but is not limited to, audiologists, behavioral health professionals, cardiologists, clinical geneticists, developmental-behavioral pediatricians, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, nurses, nutritionists, occupational therapists, pulmonologists, physical therapists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, ophthalmologists, and orthopedists. By naming this breadth of disciplines, the announcement signals that congenital Zika-related care is not confined to one specialty area, but often requires coordinated support across sensory screening (hearing and vision), physical and occupational therapies, feeding and nutrition, respiratory or cardiac evaluation where needed, developmental and behavioral assessment, family support services, and broader care coordination.

Administratively, the funding opportunity is listed as HRSA-17-116 under CFDA 93.110, with an original closing date of June 12, 2017, and a creation date of April 12, 2017. It anticipated making up to three awards, with an award ceiling of $80,000. Eligibility is noted as "Others" with clarification referenced in the full announcement text, indicating that applicants would need to review the detailed eligibility language to confirm whether their organization type and service footprint align with HRSA requirements. Overall, the grant is structured to help territories and affiliated jurisdictions strengthen pediatric specialty access and interdisciplinary practice models so children impacted by Zika, including those whose challenges may emerge later, can receive earlier identification, better coordinated interventions, and more consistent long-term developmental care.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Health Professional Support Program for Children with Congenital Zika Virus (ZIKV) Infection" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.110.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 12, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 2017. (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 $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 17 116

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