Call for Abstracts: AJPH Supplement - Insights from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant

• Abstract Submission Deadline: June 30th, 2026. No late submissions will be accepted.
• Decision Notifications: September 30th, 2026
• Manuscript Submission Deadline: February 26th, 2027
• Supplement Closes: August 2027
• Journal Publication: November 2027

The 107 grantees funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant, as well as public health partners, (e.g., T/TA providers, evaluators, practitioners, and public health institutes) that were part of PHIG.

Any organization that received funding from PHIG grantees to complete work under CDC’s Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant are eligible to submit an abstract.

All abstract submissions will receive decision notifications by September 30, 2026, and full manuscripts are due by February 26th, 2027. 

The supplemental issue will be published in November 2027.

We recommend reviewing the call for abstracts and considering the goals and audience for the journal. You may also email PHIGSupplement@nnphi.org with questions concerning fit of your abstract for this supplemental issue.

The Practice Evaluation (formerly Notes from the Field) format is intended for articles that describe the implementation of a public health strategy such as a program, intervention, or grant-funded activity and includes results from a formal evaluation of that effort. However, if your article focuses primarily on practice experiences, perspectives, or lessons learned from implementing PHIG strategies without a formal evaluation component, AJPH has advised that the abstract be submitted as an Opinion Editorial. For more information about this article type, please visit the AJPH website.

Applicants are encouraged to review AJPH article types and expectations to determine whether their data and evaluation approach align with publication standards. Submissions should demonstrate a clear methodology, appropriate use of data, and meaningful findings or insights relevant to public health practice. If data and evaluation work are not deemed rigorous enough for the proposed article type (e.g., research article or practice evaluation) but content is publication worthy, Guest Editors may recommend another article type for your submission (e.g., opinion editorial).

Yes. AJPH welcomes a range of methodological approaches, including mixed-methods studies that combine quantitative and qualitative data.

The supplement aims to reflect the breadth of PHIG work, including representation across the three core areas (workforce, foundational capabilities, and data modernization) as well as different types of recipients and partners. There is no preference for specific recipient types; the goal is to capture a comprehensive picture of PHIG implementation and impact.

There are no restrictions outlined in the Call for Abstracts regarding language such as DEI; This guidance reflects AJPH editorial standards and standard publication practices. AJPH does not place restrictions on language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Yes, applicants are encouraged to review prior AJPH special supplements, including those commissioned by CDC, to better understand article types, structure, and expectations. You can access a previous AJPH special supplement, The CDC’s Initiative to Address COVID-19 health Disparities Among High Risk and Underserved Populations.

No. Abstracts do not need to be tied to specific workplan milestones, but they should clearly relate to PHIG-supported activities or outcomes.

There is no stated preference for abstracts submitted by recipient health departments versus national partners. Submissions from all PHIG-funded entities are encouraged. Within the scoring process, the primary consideration is ensuring a diverse representation of perspectives across recipient types, geographic regions, and populations of focus in order to reflect the breadth and impact of PHIG implementation.

NNPHI will offer webinars and writing coaching to help authors plan, write, and edit abstracts and invited articles. We will additionally be offering one-on-one writing coaching sessions for authors of accepted abstracts as they begin their manuscript drafting. More information will be provided about manuscript writing coaching after decisions are made on September 30, 2026. 

Yes, a structured abstract submission template will be provided to guide applicants. Please review the abstract submission guidelines provided in the link here.

Opportunities for collaboration may be identified during the review process, and Guest Editors may suggest potential connections where appropriate. However, decisions about how and with whom to collaborate with and invite as co-authors are ultimately up to the submitting organizations.

You are welcome to discuss potential collaboration or co-authorship opportunities with your CDC Project Officer. They may be able to offer guidance or connect you with others doing similar work. We encourage you to raise these ideas during your regular check-ins or communication touchpoints.

Although an invitation to submit a manuscript is an important step, it does not guarantee publication. Editors tend to invite a higher number of manuscripts than they intend to publish because they expect a number of them to not make it through AJPH’s peer review process.

The supplement is expected to include approximately 12 final published manuscripts. However, this number could vary depending on the quality and range of submissions. A variety of article types will be considered (e.g., research articles, analytic essays, and practice-based evaluations), and final decisions on inclusion will be made by AJPH editorial leadership.

There is no limit to the number of abstracts an organization may submit. Each abstract will be reviewed independently based on its quality and relevance. While multiple submissions from the same organization may be considered, final selections will take into account overall balance and diversity across topics and recipients/partners.

No. Materials such as success stories, reports, or best practice submissions are not considered prior publication for the purposes of this supplement. Only dissemination or publication in other peer-reviewed journals will be considered prior publication. Authors are encouraged to build on existing work and expand it into a manuscript suitable for a peer-reviewed publication.

No. Presenting your work at a conference, including submitting or having an abstract accepted, is not considered prior publication for the purposes of this supplement. Conference abstracts and presentations are generally permitted under American Journal of Public Health policies. Do not distribute figures, tables or other detailed content during your presentation that you plan to submit for consideration in the supplement. Ideally, your submission to AJPH will also expand on the content you present at a conference. However, once a full manuscript is submitted to AJPH for this supplement, it must not be under consideration by another peer-reviewed journal at the same time.

Yes, all articles in the supplement will be open access.

After being invited to submit a full manuscript, send inquiries about the status of manuscripts to PHIGSupplement@nnphi.org