HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response

08/21/2026

Now accepting project proposals! Partner with ASPR to establish vendor managed inventory capabilities for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) used in finished dose form (FDF) drug products.

Applications due September 14. Learn more and apply here: https://bit.ly/4xSxQu2

08/21/2026

ONE WEEK LEFT! The deadline for the DS-MRN Challenge is just 7 days away.

If you are a U.S. innovator hoping to shape the future of resilient medical supply response systems, now is the time to finalize your submissions.

Take this final week to perfect your submission paper, 3-minute pitch video, and 2-page system blueprint.

https://www.expeditionhacks.com/challenges/digital-stockpile-challenge

08/20/2026

Now Accepting Proposals! BARDA is seeking proposals to help prepare our nation for the next influenza pandemic. BARDA is seeking partnerships with companies that can advance national health security and provide regulatory readiness and manufacturing capacity for vaccines, antigens, and adjuvants manufactured under U.S. FDA-licensed manufacturing processes:

- Production of viral seed banks
- Clinical and nonclinical studies
- Bulk vaccine antigen production
- Adjuvant production
- Formulation, filling, and finishing activities
- Storage and stability testing
- Analytical laboratory testing / assays
- Other preparedness and response activities

Proposals due October 30, 2026. Learn more and apply here: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/38ae60ea2cb04f5d8d14713946892925/view

08/19/2026

This morning, John Knox opened the Coordinated Overdose Response to Treatment Convening with a call to action: strengthen our collective response to substance use disorder in communities across the country.

He also highlighted the tremendous potential of the Medical Reserve Corps to support communities in overdose response and recovery.

“We need to address substance use disorder in every community across our country. Medical Reserve Corps volunteers have demonstrated the power of community engagement during public health emergencies,” said John Knox. “Those same capabilities can strengthen overdose response by supporting behavioral health initiatives; facilitating warm handoffs to treatment; assisting communities during overdose surges; and expanding recovery support services.”

ASPR is proud to co-host the convening with SAMHSA, bringing together federal, state, tribal, and local partners, healthcare professionals, and other experts from across the country to share promising practices and strengthen coordinated overdose response efforts.

President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative recognizes that substance use disorder can’t be solved by healthcare alone. At today’s CORT Convening, we brought partners together across disciplines to build on that foundational principal and advance President Donald J. Trump’s vision: save lives, strengthen recovery, restore hope, and build healthier communities.

The partnerships that we build and strengthen today will help strengthen overdose response and connections to treatment and recovery in communities across the country.

08/19/2026

Through the new Trauma Care Readiness and Coordination Program Cooperative Agreement Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), ASPR plans to award grants to enhance trauma system readiness and local preparedness.

When serious injuries happen, fast and coordinated care can save lives. Through the Trauma Care Readiness and Coordination Program, ASPR will support up to four pilot projects that help strengthen coordination between emergency medical services and trauma systems, test innovative care delivery models, and improve trauma system readiness and patient access to the right level of care, ultimately improving health outcomes and saving lives.

This cooperative agreement is open to states, consortia of states, Indian Tribes, trauma centers, and nonprofits associated with Indian Health Services. For details on this grant and the impacts it could have on communities nationwide, read the press release. Eligible entities can apply via Grants.gov by 9/18/26.

🔗 View Press Release : https://www.aspr.gov/news-updates/newsroom/2026-08/hpp-trauma-nofo-19Aug2026

08/19/2026

Recovery is powered by dedicated volunteers and strong local partnerships.

ASPR recognizes the outstanding service of Medical Reserve Corps volunteers who supported communities affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires. Volunteers from Maui County Health Volunteers, the Kauai Medical Reserve Corps, and the Oahu MRC provided critical medical care, behavioral health support, shelter assistance, outreach, and care coordination throughout response and recovery.

Their efforts helped meet urgent community needs while supporting survivors through every stage of recovery. The dedication and adaptability of these volunteers demonstrate the vital role Medical Reserve Corps units play in strengthening local response capabilities and helping communities recover after disasters.

ASPR is proud of the service Medical Reserve Corps volunteers provide in their local communities around the country.

During the 2023 Maui wildfires, approximately 1,400 volunteers from Maui County Health Volunteers, the Kauai Medical Reserve Corps, and the Oahu MRC supported response and recovery efforts, contributing more than 2,245 volunteer hours, an estimated $107,646 in volunteer service.

MRC volunteers provided medical care, behavioral health support, psychological first aid, patient assessments, outreach, and care coordination. They also distributed personal protective equipment, shared health and safety information, supported shelters and health centers, and assisted individuals and families navigating unimaginable loss.

As Dr. Bridget Velasco of the Hawaiʻi Department of Health reflected, the response was "truly a community effort,” one that showcased the adaptability, compassion, and dedication of Medical Reserve Corps volunteers.

Thank you to every volunteer who answered the call to serve.

08/19/2026

Smarter data drives smarter responses. Join the next session to explore how AI and analytics can help clinicians assess risk, understand patient impact, and strengthen emergency preparedness and response. During this session, expert speakers will discuss key data sources and their potential to analyze risk, explore legal and regulatory issues related to data use, and understand potential integration with electronic health records.

Join us on September 8 from 12:00-1:15 PM ET for the next Clinical Readiness Rounds session, “Leveraging AI and Data Analysis in Disaster Management and Emergency Response.”

Participation is free, but registration is required. One hour of Continuing Medical Education, Continuing Nursing Education, and Continuing Education for Emergency Medical Services credits are available to participants who attend the live sessions and fill out a brief survey.

🔗 Register Today:

https://echo.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lYHqjCOVRPqquMOvRRC9Jw #/registration

The Clinical Readiness Rounds sessions will be held exclusively through Zoom moving forward, and the iECHO site will be retired. Please register once through Zoom to access the upcoming September session and future sessions in the series. If you were previously registered through iECHO, you will need to re-register in Zoom.

08/19/2026

How can Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units engage the next generation of emergency preparedness leaders?

In this MRC Voices from the Field Speaker Series session, Event Operations Manager Tristen Rothrum and State Director Summer Hagy of Minnesota HOSA share how the Minnesota HOSA-Medical Reserve Corps Camp provides high school students with a three-day, hands-on experience in emergency preparedness at Camp Ripley.

The session explores how the camp introduces students to disaster response, public health, and emergency medical careers through immersive training and real-world learning opportunities. Discover how partnerships between HOSA and the Medical Reserve Corps can help build leadership skills, strengthen community preparedness, and inspire future healthcare professionals.https://files.asprtracie.hhs.gov/documents/mrc-voices-from-the-field-speaker-series-mn-hosa-mrc-camp.pdf

08/18/2026

Following the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, ASPR worked alongside local, state, and federal partners to help families during an unimaginable tragedy.

ASPR's Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORT) and Victim Information Center specialists played a critical role in fatality management, supporting victim identification, collecting DNA reference samples, assisting with missing persons investigations, and helping families receive answers about their loved ones.

Through close collaboration among forensic experts, emergency responders, health care partners, and government agencies, response teams achieved a 99% victim identification rate while providing compassionate support to families throughout the recovery process.

While no response can erase the tragedy, coordinated fatality management helps provide answers to families, supports communities in mourning, and honors those who were lost.

08/18/2026

New in the Hospital Readiness and Response Online Guidebook!

The latest chapter, Information Management, explores how effective information management supports coordinated emergency response and informed decision-making.

From collecting and analyzing data to sharing critical information with partners, this new chapter offers practical guidance to help hospital leadership strengthen messaging around situational awareness and improve information flow before, during, and after an emergency.

Explore the newest addition to the Guidebook and learn how strong information management can support health care readiness.

Learn more:https://files.asprtracie.hhs.gov/documents/hrrog-information-management.pdf