CDC-RFA-DP15-151302CONT16-FINAL.docx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Procurement and Grants Office Instructions for Preparing an Annual Performance Report (APR) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): 93.336 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: CDC-RFA-DP15-151302CONT16

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, (BRFSS) The National Center for Chorionic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Eligibility:

This award will be a continuation of funds intended only for grantees previously awarded under CDC-RFA-DP15-1513: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Application Submission:

CDC requires grantees to submit their Annual Performance Reports (APR), which serves as the continuation application, through www.Grants.gov NLT 120 days prior to the end of the budget period.

If you encounter any difficulties submitting your annual performance report through www.Grants.gov, please contact CDC’s Technical Information Management Section at 770-488-2700 prior to the submission deadline. If you need further information regarding the annual performance report process, please contact Pam Render, Grants Management Specialist, at 770.488.2712. For programmatic information, please contact Rosalyn Bell, Project Officer, at 770-488-4588.

Reports must be submitted by December 9, 2015, 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on www.Grants.gov for Reporting Period 3/29/2015- 10/31/2015. Late or incomplete reports could result in an enforcement action such as a delay in the award or a reduction in funds. CDC will accept requests for a deadline extension on rare occasions and after adequate justification has been provided.

General Application Packet Tips:

· Properly label each item of the application packet

· Each section should use 1.5 spacing with one-inch margins

· Number all narrative pages only

· This report must not exceed 45 pages excluding administrative reporting; allowed, but web links are allowed

· Where the instructions on the forms conflict with these instructions, follow these instructions

1. CDC requires the use of PDF format for ALL attachments.

2. Use of file formats other than PDF may result in the file being unreadable by CDC staff.

3. Directions for creating PDF files can be found on www.Grants.gov

Checklist of required contents of application packet:

1. SF-424 Application for Federal Domestic Assistance-Short Organizational Form

2. SF-424A Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs

3. Budget Justification

4. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

5. Project Narrative

Instructions for accessing and completing required contents of the application package:

a) Go to: www.Grants.gov

b) Select: “Apply for Grants”

c) Select: “Step 1: Download a Grant Application”

d) Insert the CDC-RFA-DP15-151302CONT16 only

e) Download application package and complete all sections.

1. SF-424 Application for Federal Domestic Assistance-Short Organizational Form:

Complete all sections:

A. In addition to inserting the legal name of your organization in Block #5a, insert the CDC Award Number provided in the CDC Notice of Award. Failure to provide your award number could cause delay in processing your application.

B. Please insert your organization’s Business Official information in Block #8.

SPECIAL NOTE: Items 2, 3, and 4 should be attached to the application through the “Mandatory Documents” section of the “Grant Application” page. Select “Other Attachments Form” and attach as a PDF file.

2. SF-424A Budget Information and Justification:

A. Download the form from www.grants.gov.

B. Complete all applicable sections.

C. Estimated Un-obligated

1. Awardees may request up to 75% of anticipated unobligated funds at the end of the current budget period.

2. If use of estimated un-obligated funds is requested in addition to funding for the next year, complete all columns in Section A of SF-424A and submit an interim Federal Financial Report (FFR), Standard Form-425, available on the CDC internet at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm#closeout.

D. The estimated un-obligated balance should be realistic in order to be consistent with the annual FFR to be submitted via eRA Commons following the end of the budget period.

E. Based on the current rate of obligation, if it appears there will be un-obligated funds at the end of the current budget period, provide detailed actions that will be taken to obligate this amount.

F. If it appears there will be insufficient funds

1. Provide detailed justification of the shortfall

2. List the actions taken to bring the obligations in line with the authorized funding level.

G. The proposed budget should be based on the federal funding level stated in the letter from CDC.

H. In a separate narrative, provide a detailed, line-item budget justification of the funding amount requested to support the activities to be carried out with those funds. Attach in the “Mandatory Documents” box under “Budget Narrative Attachment Form.” Document needs to be in the PDF format.

I. The budget justification must be prepared in the general form, format, and to the level of detail as described in the CDC Budget Guidance. The sample budget guidance is provided on CDC’s internet at: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/foamain.shtm.

J. For any new proposed subcontracts provide the information specified in the Budget Guidance.

K. When non-federal matching is required, provide a line-item list of non-federal contributions including source, amount, and/or value of third party contributions proposed to meet a matching requirement.

3. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (This is not applicable to grantees subject to OMB Guidance A-21 – Educational Institutions. The rates stay the same as the first year award.):

A. If indirect costs are requested, include a copy of the current negotiated federal indirect cost rate agreement or a cost allocation plan approval letter for those Grantees under such a plan.

B. Clearly describe the method used to calculate indirect costs. Make sure the method is consistent with the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

C. To be entitled to use indirect cost rates, a rate agreement must be in effect at the start of the budget period.

D. If an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement is not in effect, indirect costs may be charged as direct if (1) this practice is consist with the grantee’s/applicant’s approved accounting practices; and (2) if the costs are adequately supported and justified. Please see the Budget Guidelines (http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/foamain.shtm) for additional information.

E. If applicable, attach in the “Mandatory Documents” box under “Other Attachments Form”. Name document “Indirect Cost Rate.”

4. Project Narrative:

Section I. Current Budget Period Progress:

Provide a brief report addressing the following elements of each objective or activity.

The annual performance report must include the following:

· Work Plan –Awardees must update work plan each budget period.

· Successes

· Awardees must report progress on completing activities outlined in the work plan.

· Awardees must describe any additional successes (e.g., identified through evaluation results or lessons learned) achieved in the past year.

· Awardees must describe success stories.

· Challenges

· Awardees must describe any challenges that might affect their ability to achieve annual and project-period outcomes, conduct performance measures, or complete the activities in the work plan.

· Awardees must describe any additional challenges (e.g., identified through evaluation results or lessons learned) encountered in the past year.

· CDC Program Support to Awardees

· Awardees must describe how CDC could help them overcome challenges to achieving annual and project-period outcomes and performance measures, and completing activities outlined in the work plan.

· Administrative Reporting (No page limit)

· SF-424A Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs.

· Budget Narrative–must use the format outlined in “Content and Form of Application

· Submission, Budget Narrative” section.

· Indirect Cost-Rate Agreement.

Section II. New Budget Period Proposed Objectives and Activities:

A. List proposed objectives for the upcoming budget period. These objectives must support the intent of the original Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or Program Announcement (PA).

B. Each objective and activity must contain a performance or outcome measure that assesses the effectiveness of the project.

C. For each objective:

1. List activities that will be implemented;

2. Provide a timeline for accomplishment;

3. Identify and justify any redirection of activities; and

4. Explain the methods you will use to implement the new, redirected activities.

D. In addition to this information, include comments pertaining to budgetary issues that might hamper the success or completion of the project as originally proposed and approved. Please utilize the work plan format in the original work plan, if applicable.

For budget period 02 and beyond of the award, awardees may request up to 75% of their estimated unobligated funds be carried over into the next budget period.

The carryover request must:

· Express a bona fide need for permission to use an unobligated balance;

· Include a signed, dated, and accurate Federal Financial Report (FFR) for the budget period from which funds will be transferred (NTE 75% of unobligated balances); and

· Include a list of proposed activities, an itemized budget, and a narrative justification for those activities.]

5. Additional Program Requirements (If applicable)

Program should include guidance for any additional requirements of the recipient for the upcoming budget period. Changes in programmatic priorities must be within the scope of the approved funding opportunity announcement and Notice of Award.

Performance Measure Reporting: CDC programs must require awardees to submit performance measures annually as a minimum, and may require reporting more frequently. Performance measure reporting must be limited to data collection. When funding is awarded initially, CDC programs must specify required reporting frequency, data fields, and format.

Required CDC Travel:

State BRFSS Coordinator and state BRFSS epidemiologist or other state staff assigned to BRFSS (2 per state) are requested to attend the annual BRFSS meeting to receive training on current scientific and programmatic issues pertaining to the BRFSS survey operation and to participate in the annual questionnaire review process and selection of optional modules for the 2017 BRFSS survey. Specific travel information is listed below and should be included in the budget and budget narrative.

Percentage of interviews by cell phone:

The grantee is encouraged to complete at least 35 to 65% or greater of their total number of completed interviews by cell phone.

Annual Self-Certification The grantee is required to complete the annual self-certification form by December 31, 2015 to assist with preparing for the 2016 data collection year.

Administration of optional modules and Field Test:

Please provide funding estimates for selected optional modules to be completed in calendar year 2016. Please contact your BRFSS Project Officer for potential optional module list.

Those grantees interested in conducting the Asthma Call-Back Surveys should provide cost estimates in their budget.

Please provide an estimated cost based on ten questions for “Emerging Issues”.

For states wishing to host the 2017 BRFSS Questionnaire Field test for the 2017 BRFSS Questionnaire, please provide an estimated cost. The criteria for hosting the 2017 Field Test are listed below:

1. Interviewers should follow BRFSS protocols and guidelines.

2. Have morning, evening and weekend shifts.

3. Ability to remotely monitor (audibly and visually) both interviewer and respondent during the interview.

4. Ability to make CATI revisions, as needed, during the field test.

5. The grantee will be required to provide a minimum of 300 completed interviews within a week.

Rev. 4/28/15 image1.tiff