The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is offering a grant opportunity through its Asthma Education, Policy, and Care Coverage (AEPCC) program. This program is funded through state resources, specifically the Tobacco Settlement Recovery Fund, and is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s EXHALE Technical Package and Community Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. The AEPCC program aims to improve outcomes for children with asthma by enhancing statewide infrastructure, expanding access to asthma self-management education (AS-ME), and evaluating the implementation of emergency asthma medication programs in schools.

The awarded organization will be responsible for delivering evidence-based asthma education to students, caregivers, and intermediary audiences such as school staff and health professionals. The AS-ME curriculum must align with the National Asthma Education Prevention Program guidelines. Additionally, the recipient must evaluate the RESCUE program, which provides undesignated emergency asthma medication access in Illinois schools, assessing both health and economic outcomes. The organization is expected to report quarterly and annually on measurable health impacts, practices supporting asthma management, and policies advancing health equity.

Eligible applicants must be Illinois-based nonprofit entities with demonstrated experience in delivering AS-ME and training related to asthma control policies. Applicants must be registered and prequalified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) portal and fulfill requirements including active SAM.gov registration, fiscal soundness, and good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State. Applications must detail prior experience, evaluation strategies, and approaches to equity-focused asthma education and policy dissemination.

Funding for this grant totals $535,000, with only one award anticipated. The award period spans from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Indirect costs are allowable and unrestricted, and no matching funds are required. However, organizations must have or elect an indirect cost rate through one of several eligible methods, including a federally negotiated rate or de minimis rate. Allowable uses of funds include personnel, supplies, training, travel (excluding airfare or out-of-state), and evaluation. Prohibited expenses include lobbying, gifts, entertainment, and capital improvements, among others.

Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Grants Administration and Management System (EGrAMS) at idphgrants.com by 5:00 PM on May 15, 2025. No technical assistance session will be provided. Applications will be reviewed based on program alignment, work plan quality, budget justification, and integration of health equity principles, which account for a significant portion of the evaluation score.

The contact for this funding opportunity is Nikki Woolverton, who can be reached by email at nikki.woolverton@illinois.gov or by phone at 217-782-3300. Award announcements are anticipated by June 6, 2025, with formal project start scheduled for July 1, 2025. All reporting must be timely to ensure disbursement of funds, and grantees must comply with state and federal cost principles.