Centers of Excellence in Public Health Informatics (P01)

There exists an imperative for a new RFA to fund research that will leverage and build upon the developmental accomplishments from the first series of PHI CoEs. The translational research generated has sparked new questions and offers new possibilities in this new funding cycle for informatics. This is essential in order to move forward to apply, translate and evaluate public health informatics. New surveillance tools and technologies are rapidly emerging, and the public health informatics community must take part in their development and dissemination. Additionally, President Obama's emphasis on smart technology, health IT, and infrastructure building all rely upon quickly mastering the complicated landscape of advanced informatics, proposing innovative methodologies, and conducting test interventions to assure quality and stewardship of the funds entrusted to CDC. This emphasis will best be accomplished through an RFA that establishes a new generation of Centers of Excellence. This RFA fulfills a national strategic need to protect and improve the public’s health through discovery, innovation, and service in health information technology and informatics. The research produced through this RFA will improve health care, and facilitate early detection and prevention of disease outbreaks and possible terrorist events.