PPHF � Public Health Laboratory Infrastructure � financed solely by Prevention and Public Health Fund

Over the course of the cooperative agreement period, the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) will engage in activities to strengthen public health infectious disease laboratory infrastructure by addressing gaps in public health laboratory practice, and assist with development, implementation and ongoing support of laboratory technologies for use in public health. The specific objectives may include but are not limited to: 1. Assess public health infectious disease laboratory capabilities and capacities by conducting and analyzing formal and informal surveys and other methodologies. 2. Convene Committees/Task Forces/Workgroups to develop or review guidelines and recommendations on PHL laboratory capacity and quality laboratory practice. 3. Provide training and other resources to address knowledge and capacity gaps. 4. Convene forums to exchange knowledge and build communities of practice and promote the role of public health laboratories in infectious disease control, especially in emerging infectious diseases. 5. Sustain and enhance strategic partnerships with governmental and non-governmental agencies and professional organizations including CDC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Federal Drug Administration (FDA), American Society of Microbiology (ASM), Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), ASTHO, CSTE, NACCHO, National Tuberculosis Controllers Association (NTCA), Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET), National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), and U.S. Department of Defense to contribute to public policy development and reinforce and expand the role of public health laboratories in infectious disease detection and control. 6. Enhance communication and professional linkages regarding infectious diseases between public health laboratories and clinical and academic laboratories. 7. Provide expert consultation regarding infectious diseases to regulatory agencies and standard setting organizations (e.g., United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], FDA, and CMS). 8. Assure and enhance technology transfer from CDC and other agencies to public health laboratories. Assuring knowledge of appropriate quality control by end users when technology is further transferred to community based organizations involved in infectious disease testing. 9. Provide programmatic and technical support to other focus areas, including policy, emergency preparedness, global health, informatics, and professional development.

Types of Assistance: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS