The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will award a total of $125 million to states in supplemental funding for the Healthy Communities program, focusing on three priority areas: tobacco control, behavioral risk factor surveillance systems, and diabetes control and prevention. The money comes from the federal Recovery Act of 2008.

"Recovery Act funds must be used for obesity, nutrition, physical activity and tobacco control strategies to change systems, develop and implement policies, change the environment in which eating, tobacco use, and physical activity occur, and impact population groups rather than individuals within the two-year timeframe for this award," according to the grant announcement. "To this end, Recovery Act funds may not be used to provide direct services such as patient care, personal health services medications (except for nicotine replacement, therapy as described in this announcement), patient rehabilitation, or other costs associated with the treatment of diseases caused by poor nutrition, tobacco use or physical inactivity."

States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands can apply for funding. Application deadline is Nov. 24.

For more details, see the full grant announcement online at the Grants.gov website.