NEARS Support

The National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS) is an online tool from the CDC used by jurisdictions across the United States to track environmental assessments that are conducted as a result of foodborne illness investigations.

CDC NEARS Participants are equipped to:

  • Identify environmental causes of outbreaks in your jurisdiction.
  • Take follow-up action to reduce or prevent future foodborne illness outbreaks.
  • Evaluate your food safety program and make improvements based on established guidelines.
  • Develop or modify program policies or regulations.
  • Focus limited program resources on actions with the highest impact.
  • Help their program meet the Food and Drug Administration’s Retail Food Program Standards (Standard 5).

Explorer Program

To encourage involvement in the CDC NEARS Program, we offer the fully funded Explorer Program for state, territorial, local, and tribal jurisdictions.

Explorer Program

Success Stories & Webinars

Check out these success stories of how participating in CDC NEARS prevented and reduced future outbreaks in communities.

Success Stories

Cooperative Agreement

The 2024 NEARS Explorer Program duration is four months, beginning on February 1, 2024. This is a $5,000 funding opportunity for state agencies. The NEARS Explorer Program is supported through a cooperative agreement between the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States (US) Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).