Vision loss affects more than 3.3 million people aged 40 years and older in the U.S., costs the nation $130 billion annually, and is most likely to affect women, racial/ethnic minorities and people who are older and poorer with multiple chronic conditions.
Studies indicate that the number of people with eye diseases will surge in the coming decades. Despite the knowledge about the individual and societal burden of vision loss and eye diseases, the U.S does not have a public health surveillance system. A system is needed to systematically understand and monitor the magnitude and implications of vision loss and indicate where eye services are available.
CDC issued a grants notice on November 30, 2014 titled “Establish a Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System for the Nation” (RFA-DP-15-004) to develop, test, and implement a vision and eye health surveillance system using existing surveys as well as administrative and electronic data sources.
The system will to be built will provide population estimates of vision loss function, eye diseases, health disparities, as well as barriers to vision and eye care at the national, state, and community levels. The surveillance system will provide data to prioritize new program interventions, inform policy changes, and improve public communications.
The estimated funding for the four year project period is $4,000,000 with one award anticipated to be made to a single recipient for about $1,000,000 in FY 2015. Eligible applicants can include state and local governments, school districts, nonprofits, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations, small businesses, and others.
The Letter of Intent is due January 20, 2015 with applications due February 20, 2015. To view the grant notice, go to www.grants.gov/custom/printSynopsisDetails.jsp.