CDC puts $1.5M into TRAIN

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on July 29 that it would award about $1.5 million in first-year funding to the Public Health Foundation to modernize CDC TRAIN, the online learning system used across public health agencies. The notice, published in the Federal Register, said the cooperative agreement will support upgrades to CDC TRAIN and the broader TRAIN Learning Network, along with workforce training, performance management and quality-improvement work. The award period is set to begin on September 1, 2026 and run through August 31, 2031. CDC said the Public Health Foundation was the only entity that could carry out the work because it owns and manages the TRAIN Learning Network. ### Why did CDC make the award to the Public Health Foundation? The Federal Register notice said CDC used a sole-source cooperative agreement because the Public Health Foundation owns and manages the TRAIN Learning Network. CDC said it has partnered with the network since 2010 and that the system now has more than two million CDC TRAIN learner accounts. (federalregister.gov) The award notice said the funding is meant to ensure that state, tribal, local and territorial public health and healthcare professionals have the knowledge and skills to serve their communities. CDC said the work will include enhancing and expanding the learning management system and strengthening workforce services tied to competencies, academic health departments and cross-sector collaborations. (federalregister.gov) ### What exactly is CDC TRAIN? CDC said on its CDC TRAIN site that the platform is a free online learning system for public health and healthcare professionals. The agency said the system gives users access to thousands of courses, including courses that offer continuing education, and that it is part of the nationwide TRAIN Learning Network managed by the Public Health Foundation. (federalregister.gov) A CDC fact sheet dated March 2026 said CDC TRAIN offers access to 10,000 courses, including thousands developed by CDC experts. The agency said those courses cover subjects including emergency response, infectious disease prevention and health promotion, and that many courses provide continuing-education credit at no cost. (cdc.gov) ### How large is the platform now? CDC’s March 2026 fact sheet said the platform had two million registered learners in its 2024 snapshot. The same document said 200,000 professionals earned continuing-education credits in 2024, with 1.4 million course registrations and 480,000 total CE credits earned. CDC also said users saved about $9.1 million in training and CE costs. (cdc.gov) CDC’s Division of Workforce Development said more than 456,000 unique learners completed over 1.3 million courses in CDC TRAIN in fiscal year 2024. The division said it uses competency-based training and workforce-development programs to strengthen the current public health workforce and support public health labs, health departments and partner organizations. (cdc.gov) ### What changes is CDC trying to make through this funding? The July 29 notice said the money will support modernization and enhancement of CDC TRAIN and the wider TRAIN Learning Network. CDC said the work also includes capacity building and training to improve workforce skills and competence, plus performance management, quality improvement and innovation in governmental public health. (cdc.gov) CDC said on its CDC TRAIN page that the platform already consolidates CDC continuing-education offerings into one system and helps organize group courses by topic, role or skill level. The agency also said its previous Training and Continuing Education Online system retired at the end of 2025, leaving CDC TRAIN as the main platform for many CDC education and CE functions. (federalregister.gov) ### Where does this fit in CDC’s broader workforce effort? CDC’s Division of Workforce Development said its goal is to strengthen education, training and professional development across the public health workforce. The division said it promotes accredited, competency-based training and works with national, state, tribal, local and territorial organizations to address workforce priorities. (cdc.gov) The Federal Register notice said future funding for years two through five will be set at continuation. The notice lists Cindi Melanson of CDC’s National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce as the contact for the award, with the cooperative agreement scheduled to start on September 1. (federalregister.gov) (cdc.gov)