Last week, ASPPH Advocacy staff met with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Washington, DC staff to discuss ASPPH’s top federal priorities and initiatives, including its newly developed Academic Public Health Research and Partnerships Agenda. The agenda proposes a federal initiative to enhance public health practice through applied research, evaluation, and training, collaborating with agencies like the CDC, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and more.

The proposed initiative aims to strengthen small and midsize health departments, promote evidence-based interventions, and address barriers to public health implementation, ultimately improving the US public health infrastructure and outcomes.

CDC staff emphasized the shared goals with ASPPH, such as the need to expand programs like the Prevention Research Centers (PRCs). The discussion also explored additional synergies, especially within the context of Fiscal Year (FY) 25 budget constraints.

In addition to the Research and Partnerships agenda, ASPPH continues to prioritize the CDC and several existing programs, including PRCs and the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA), through its FY 2025 advocacy efforts.