ck13-004 foa final amendment 1 draft 02. 01.13.doc

Amendment #1 (1.31.13) Page 23 - Corrected the project period from 18-months to 12-months

Pages 36-38 – Summary of Questions and Answers from Potential Applicant Phone Call

Table of Contents

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST TO ACCOMPANY FIRST SUBMISSION OF RESEARCH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) 2Part 1. Overview Information

3Key Dates

4Required Application Instructions

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………... 4 5Part 2. Full Text

5Section I. Funding Opportunity Announcement Description

9Section II. Award Information

10Section III. Eligibility Information

13Section IV. Application and Submission Information

19Section V. Application Review Information

23Section VI. Award Administration Information

34Section VII. Agency Contacts

35Section VIII. Other Information

Part 1 Overview Information

Funding Opportunity Announcement Type

New

Key Dates

Publication Date

To receive notification of any changes to [PGO to insert FOA #], return to the synopsis page of this announcement at www.grants.gov and click on the “Send Me Change Notification Emails” link An email address is needed for this service.

January 09, 2013

On-time submission requires that electronic applications be error-free and made available to CDC for processing from eRA Commons on or before the deadline date. Applications must be submitted to and validated successfully by Grants.gov/eRA Commons no later than 5:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time. Note: HHS/CDC grant submission procedures do not provide a period of time beyond the application due date to correct any error or warning notices of noncompliance with application instructions that are identified by Grants.gov or eRA systems (i.e., error correction window).

January 28, 2013; 1:00-2:00 pm, EST. This conference call is for

Potential applicants to discuss the FOA.

1-866-662-8986, Participant Passcode: 8378091

Expiration Date

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise in this FOA. Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Note: The Research Strategy component of the Research Plan is limited to 25 pages.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Telecommunications for the Hearing Impaired: TTY 1-888-232-6348

Executive Summary

Purpose. To facilitate research to describe social contact and mixing patterns in the U.S. population. Results from this research will improve contact rate estimation and parameterization for infectious disease transmission models that can be used to evaluate infectious disease prevention and control strategies. Mechanism of Support. Cooperative agreement.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Estimated total funding available including direct and indirect costs for first year (12 month budget period): $1,000,000. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon availability of funds and a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is also anticipated that the size and duration of each award may also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the number, quality, duration and cost of the applications received. The number of awards will be one (1).

Budget and Project Period. Estimated total funding available including direct and indirect costs for first year (12 month budget period): $1,000,000. The project period will run from 09/1/2013 to 08/31/2014.

Application Research Strategy Length: Page limits for the Research Strategy are clearly specified in Section IV. Application and Submission Information of this announcement.

Eligible Institutions/Organizations. Institutions/organizations listed in Section III, 1.A. are eligible to apply.

Eligible Project Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs). Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to work with their institution/organization to develop an application for support. NOTE: CDC does not make awards to individuals directly. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply. Number of PDs/PIs will be one (1).

Number of Applications. Eligible applicant institutions may only submit one application.

Application Type. New - An application that is submitted for funding for the first time. Includes multiple submission attempts within the same round. (Type 1) Special Date(s). January 28, 2013; 1:00-2:00 pm, EST. This conference call is for potential applicants to discuss the FOA. 1-866-662-8986, Participant Passcode: 8378091.

Application Materials. See Section IV.1 for application materials.

Hearing Impaired. Telecommunications for the hearing impaired are available at: TTY: (770) 488-2783.

Part 2. Full Text

Section I. Funding Opportunity Announcement Description

Statutory Authority

Public Health Service Act 317(k); 42 U.S.C. 247b(k)(1)

1. Background and Purpose Non-pharmaceutical interventions are a collection of individual and population level measures designed to mitigate the impact of an emerging influenza pandemic through slowing or limiting disease transmission. Many of these interventions focus on reducing contact between people through social distancing such as school closures, teleworking and postponing mass gatherings. During the response to the emerging 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, public health officials leveraged infectious disease models to develop a range of plausible pandemic scenarios to explore the impact of social distancing on mitigating influenza transmission. Due to a paucity of empirical data from the United States, these models assumed homogenous mixing or relied on contact rate estimates derived from surveys that may not be appropriate for the U.S. population. Therefore, quantification of U.S. based individual contact rates and mixing patterns are greatly needed. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to facilitate research that quantifies individual social contact and mixing patterns of persons from a diverse sample of persons (by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and place of residence) residing in the United States. These data will be used for contact rate estimation and parameterization of infectious disease transmission models aimed at better evaluating disease prevention and control strategies. The objectives are to quantify social contact and mixing patterns of individuals throughout the U.S. as they migrate within and across a range of settings (home, work, school, mass gatherings and the general community) using both previously established (paper-based or phone surveys) and newer approaches (web-based tools and mobile devices) for collecting self-reported individual contact data.

Healthy People 2020 and other National strategic priorities – This FOA addresses the “Healthy People 2020” focus area of Immunization and Infectious Diseases. This FOA is in alignment with HHS/CDC/NCIRD’s performance goal(s) to prevent disease, disability, and death from infectious diseases, including vaccine-preventable diseases. For more information, see www.health.gov/healthypeople and http://intra-apps.cdc.gov/fmo/.

Public Health Impact - The data resulting from this project will be used to improve contact rate estimation and parameterization of infectious disease transmission models to better evaluate disease prevention and control strategies. Findings from this work will contribute to the evidence-base regarding the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions for slowing or mitigating an influenza pandemic.

Relevant work- Not Applicable

2. Approach- The overall goal of this funding announcement is to facilitate research and generate data that will estimate contact rates and mixing patterns among the U.S. population in different settings (home, work, school, mass gatherings, and the general community). Data may be obtained through cross-sectional national surveys using traditional paper surveys, telephone interviews, or through web-based tools and mobile devices. Focus will be placed on obtaining these data from a diverse sample of the U.S. population (by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and place of residence). At a minimum, surveys should collect data on the age, gender, race/ethnicity, and place of residence (e.g., zip code) as well as the location, frequency and duration of all contacts during a one to two day period. Ideally, survey data will be collected throughout a 12-month period to allow for the assessment of changes in contact rates and mixing patterns across seasons. Survey results should be used to develop precise age-specific contact matrices for different regions (e.g., West, South, North, and East) in the United States that can be leveraged for evaluating disease prevention and control strategies through mathematical modeling.

For a subset of the target population, longitudinal data (a week-long period of contact data) should be obtained in order to examine changes in mixing patterns by weekday (workday versus non-work day) and during a holiday period. The longitudinal part of this study should focus on collecting contact rates and mixing patterns for persons within the household and work setting. Households should include single family homes, apartments, and multi-family dwellings as well as college residence halls. The work setting should include persons working in office environments, service industries, and factories or manufacturing plants. Corresponding environmental data should be collected for each of these settings (e.g., number of rooms and ventilation systems.)

Objectives/Outcomes Each of the following research objectives must be addressed by the applicant in the research plan of the application to be considered for funding:

· Develop participant Contact Survey and submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval within two (2) months of receiving award.

· Describe and quantify individual social contact rates and mixing patterns of the U.S. population across a range of community settings (home, work, school, and the general community) using traditional paper surveys, telephone interviews, and/or with web-based tools and mobile devices for collecting individual self-reported contact data. A combination of these approaches is encouraged.

· Collect information from a diverse sample of the U.S. population (by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and place of residence [e.g., zip code] – urban and rural). The proposed sample size must be justified based on a 95% confidence interval for the degree of contacts reported in each of the following age-groups for each the four regions (East, West, North, and South) of the U.S. with a precision of +/- 5% assuming that persons will report a mean number of contacts of 10 per day: : 0–4, 5-24, 25-49, 50-64, and ≥ 65. Additionally, the sample must be such that age-specific contact rates can be weighted to the U.S. population by race/ethnicity, place of residence.

· Detail an investigative study design and approach that collects data from the target population across the 12-month period (or at a minimum, data should be collected at distinct times during spring, summer, fall, and winter months). The study design, approach and contact survey should target persons residing in each of the 10 Regions of the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet). Study data from these 10 ILI Regions should then be aggregated into four regions; East, West, North, and South for the purpose of generating precise contact rates by age as described above. A listing of the ILI regions can be found in the Overview of Influenza Surveillance in the United States at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/overview.htm.

· Incorporate methods to collect longitudinal data (7 days or more) on contact rates and patterns for persons within the household (single family home, apartment, and multi-family dwelling as well as college residence hall) and work setting (office, service industry [e.g., restaurant or retail store], and factory) for a subset of the target population. This subset can be based on a geographic region (e.g., a county or state) but must include all age groups specified above. Corresponding environmental data will be collected for each of above defined settings (e.g., number of rooms and ventilation systems.). The proposed sample size must be justified based on a 95% confidence interval for the degree of contacts reported in each setting with a precision of +/- 5% assuming that persons will report a mean number of contacts of 10 per day in these settings.

· Include a plan to document uptake of any routine disease prevention measures among participants (e.g. seasonal influenza vaccination), as well as any non-pharmaceutical interventions that are routinely or reactively implemented by survey participants in response to a local or regional influenza outbreak.

· Describe the sampling strategy, the impact of any design effect, the weighting scheme, and anticipated precision of the age-specific contact rates (and explanation if different than specified above). The study must be able to generate age-specific contact matrices (and other relevant variables) that are suitable for subsequent use in parameterizing infectious disease mathematical models.

· Detail study objectives in SMART format as described: Specific (who and what will be involved), Measurable (quantify outcomes), Achievable (activities can be accomplished within the given time frame), Realistic (objectives consistent with scope of project), and Time-phased (indication of time frame during which objectives will be met).

Target population - The target population is the U.S. population. The capacity to collect individual contact and mixing data from survey instruments prepared both in English and in Spanish is required; addition of other languages would be beneficial.

Collaboration/Partnerships - Applicants should demonstrate expertise in survey design, longitudinal data collection, and analysis of contact survey data. Experience with development of contact matrices and mathematical modeling of infectious diseases is required. Applicants are expected to demonstrate expertise in survey design, longitudinal data collection, and analysis of contact survey data through previous scientific publications and/or demonstrate partnerships with organizations (other academic or research institutions) through letters of support of similar documentation (scientific publications).

Evaluation/Performance measurement- Applications must include a detailed pre-defined timeline for project implementation. Applicants must demonstrate regular progress on research objectives and goals through meeting project milestones in pre-defined timeline, participating in discussions during monthly conference calls and attending at least one on-site meeting in Atlanta with CDC staff. Applicants must also demonstrate that they have the capacity to develop the study contact survey and submit the survey for approval to OMB within two months in order to begin the data collection during the initial 12 month period following the award. This capacity includes a pre-defined sampling frame, drafted contact survey, and previous evidence of successfully generating age-specific contact matrices. For this 12-month long project, a progress report will be required at 9 months following award receipt.

Projects that involve the collection of information from 10 or more individuals/entities and are funded by a grant/cooperative agreement will be subject to review and approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Translation plan – When relevant to the goals of the research project, the PI should describe how the significant findings may be used to promote, enhance, or advance translation of the research to policy or practice. This section should be understandable to a variety of audiences, including policy makers, practitioners, public health programs, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, community groups, researchers, and other potential users. The PI should identify the research findings that were translated into public health policy or practice and how the findings have been or may be adopted in public health settings. Or, if they cannot be applied yet, this section should address which research findings may be translated, how these findings can guide future research or related activities, and recommendations for translation. If relevant, describe how the results of this project could be generalized to populations and communities outside of the study. Questions to consider in preparing this section include:

-How will the scientific findings be translated into public health policy or practice?

-How will the project improve or effect the translation of research findings into policy or practice?

-How will the research findings help promote or accelerate the dissemination, implementation, or diffusion of improvements in public health programs or practices?

-How will the findings advance or guide future research efforts or related activities?.

Section II. Award Information

Application Types Allowed

New

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

Year 1: $1,000,000

List anticipated number of awards here: 1

Estimated total funding available including direct and indirect costs for first year (12 month budget period): $1,000,000

CDC will not accept and review applications with budgets greater than the ceiling amount.

Throughout the project period, CDC's commitment to continuation of awards will depend on the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports), and CDC’s determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.

HHS/CDC grants policies as described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement (http://dhhs.gov/asfr/ogapa/aboutog/grantsnet.html) will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Section III. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions:

· Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education

· Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for CDC support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

· Hispanic-serving Institutions

· Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

· Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

· Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

· Nonprofits (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

Governments

· State Governments

· County Governments

· City or Township Governments

· Special District Governments

· Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)

· Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)

· Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government

· U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

· Independent School Districts

· Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities

· Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

· Faith-based or Community-based Organizations

· Regional Organizations

· Bona Fide Agents: a Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by the state as eligible to submit an application under the state eligibility in lieu of a state application. If applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government, a legal, binding agreement from the state or local government as documentation of the status is required. Attach with "Other Attachment Forms" when submitting via www.grants.gov.

2. Foreign Organizations Foreign Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Foreign components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

For this announcement, applicants may not include collaborators or consultants from foreign institutions. All applicable federal laws and policies apply.

3. Responsiveness: Not Applicable:

4. Required Registration Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations.

· (Foreign entities only): Special Instructions for acquiring a Commercial and Governmental Entity (NCAGE) Code: http://www.dlis.dla.mil/Forms/Form_AC135.asp

· System for Award Management (SAM) – must maintain current registration in SAM (the replacement system for the Central Contractor Registration) to be renewed annually, http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp.

· Grants.gov

· eRA Commons

All applicant organizations must register with Grants.gov. Please visit www.Grants.gov at least 30 days prior to submitting your application to familiarize yourself with the registration and submission processes. The “one-time” registration process will take three to five days to complete. However, it is best to start the registration process at least two weeks prior to application submission.

All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization. All registrations must be successfully completed and active before the application due date. Applicant organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.

5. Universal Identifier Requirements and Central Contractor Registration All applicant organizations must obtain a DUN and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the Universal Identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. The DUNS number is a nine-digit number assigned by Dun and Bradstreet Information Services. An AOR should be consulted to determine the appropriate number. If the organization does not have a DUNS number, an AOR should complete the US D&B D-U-N-S Number Request Web Form or contact Dun and Bradstreet by telephone directly at 1-866-705-5711 (toll-free) to obtain one. A DUNS number will be provided immediately by telephone at no charge. Note this is an organizational number. Individual Program Directors/Principal Investigators do not need to register for a DUNS number.

Additionally, all applicant organizations must register in the System for Award Management (SAM), the replacement system for the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. Organizations must maintain the registration with current information at all times during which it has an application under consideration for funding by CDC and, if an award is made, until a final financial report is submitted or the final payment is received, whichever is later. SAM is the primary registrant database for the Federal government and is the repository into which an entity must provide information required for the conduct of business as a recipient. Additional information about registration procedures may be found at the SAM internet site at https://www.sam.gov/index.html.

If an award is granted, the grantee organization must notify potential sub-recipients that no organization may receive a subaward under the grant unless the organization has provided its DUNS number to the grantee organization.

6. Eligible Individuals (Project Director/Principal Investigator) in Organizations/Institutions Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for HHS/CDC support.

7. Cost Sharing This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement (http://dhhs.gov/asfr/ogapa/aboutog/grantsnet.html).

8. Number of Applications

Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number) is allowed.

As defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement, (http://dhhs.gov/asfr/ogapa/aboutog/grantsnet.html), applications received in response to the same funding opportunity announcement generally are scored individually and then ranked with other applications under peer review in their order of relative programmatic, technical, or scientific merit. HHS/CDC will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity from www.Grants.gov.

If access to the Internet is not available or if the applicant encounters difficulty accessing the forms on-line, contact the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section (PGO TIMS) staff at (770) 488-2700 or pgotim@cdc.gov for further instructions. Hours: Monday - Friday, 7am – 4:30pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time. CDC Telecommunications for the hearing impaired or disabled is available at: TTY 1-888-232-6348.

1. Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=12000), except where instructed in this Funding Opportunity Announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate “optional” components.

In conjunction with the SF424 (R&R) components, CDC grants applicants should also complete and submit additional components titled “PHS398.” Note the PHS398 should include assurances and certifications, additional data required by the agency for a complete application. While these are not identical to the PHS398 application form pages, the PHS398 reference is used to distinguish these additional data requirements from the data collected in the SF424 (R&R) components. A complete application to CDC will include SF424 (R&R) and PHS398 components. These forms can be downloaded and uploaded as Attachment A from the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/foamain.shtm

2. Required and Optional Components

A complete application has many components, both required and optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov includes all applicable components for this FOA, required and optional.

3. PHS 398 Research Plan Component The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide includes instructions for applicants to complete a PHS 398 Research Plan that consists of 16 components. Not all 16 components of the Research Plan apply to all Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). Specifically, some of the following 16 components are for Resubmissions or Revisions only. See Part I, Section 5.5 of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=12000) for additional information. Please attach applicable sections of the following Research Plan components as directed in Part 2, Section 1 (Funding Opportunity Announcement Description). Follow the page limits stated in the SF 424 unless otherwise specified in the FOA. As applicable to and specified in the FOA, the application should include the bolded headers in this section and should address activities to be conducted over the course of the entire project, including but not limited to:

1. Introduction to Application (for Resubmission and Revision ONLY) - provide a clear description about the purpose of the proposed research and how it addresses the specific requirements of the FOA.

2. Specific Aims – state the problem the proposed research addresses and how it will result in public health impact and improvements in population health.

3. Research Strategy – the research strategy should be organized under 3 headings: Significance, Innovation and Approach. Describe the proposed research plan, including staffing and timeline.

4. Inclusion Enrollment Report (Renewal and Revision applications ONLY)

5. Progress Report Publication List (for Continuation ONLY) Human Subjects Section

6. Protection of Human Subjects

7. Inclusion of Women and Minorities

8. Targeted/Planned Enrollment Table (for New Application ONLY)

9. Inclusion of Children

Other Research Plan Sections

10. Vertebrate Animals

11. Select Agent Research

12. Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan.

13. Consortium/Contractual Arrangements

14. Letters of Support

15. Resource Sharing Plan(s)

16. Appendix

Component 4 (Inclusion Enrollment Report) applies only to Renewal and Revision applications for clinical research. Clinical research is that which is conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human subjects. Excluded from this definition are in vitro studies that utilize human tissues that cannot be linked to a living individual. Patient-oriented research includes: (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b) therapeutic interventions, (c) clinical trials, and (d) development of new technologies). Follow the page limits in the SF 424 unless otherwise specified in the FOA.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_General_Adobe_VerB.pdf) must be followed along with any additional instructions provided in the FOA.

4. Appendix Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits. A maximum of 10 PDF documents are allowed in the appendix. Additionally, up to 3 publications may be included that are not publically available. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

5. Page Limitations All page limitations described in this individual FOA must be followed. For this specific FOA, the

Research Strategy component of the Research Plan narrative is limited to 25 pages.

Supporting materials for the Research Plan narrative included as appendices may not exceed 10 PDF files with a maximum of 50 pages for all appendices.

6. Format for Attachments

Designed to maximize system-conducted validations, multiple separate attachments are required for a complete application. When the application is received by the agency, all submitted forms and all separate attachments are combined into a single document that is used by peer reviewers and agency staff. Applicants should ensure that all attachments are uploaded to the system.

CDC requires all text attachments to the Adobe application forms be submitted as PDFs and that all text attachments conform to the agency-specific formatting requirements noted in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (Part I, Section 2) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=12000).

7. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit in advance of the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/), the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies. The eRA Commons systems retrieve the application from Grants.gov and check the application against CDC business rules. If no errors are found, the application will be assembled in the eRA Commons for viewing by the applicant before moving on for further CDC processing.

If errors are found, the applicant will be notified in the eRA Commons. They must make required changes to the local copy of their application and submit again through Grants.gov. Applicants are responsible for viewing their application in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Once you can see your application in the Commons, be sure to review it carefully as this is what the reviewer will see. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=11123).

Information on the submission process is provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Note: HHS/CDC grant submission procedures do not provide a period of time beyond the grant application due date to correct any error or warning notices of noncompliance with application instructions that are identified by Grants.gov or eRA systems (i.e. error correction window).

The application package is not complete until it has passed the Grants.gov/eRA Commons validation process. This process and email notifications of receipt, validation or rejection may take two (2) business days.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to allocate additional time prior to the submission deadline to submit their applications and to correct errors identified in the validation process. Applicants are encouraged also to check the status of their application submission to determine if the application packages are complete and error-free. Applicants who encounter system errors when submitting their applications must attempt to resolve them by contacting the Grants.gov Contact Center (1-800-518-4726; support@grants.gov). If the system errors cannot be resolved, applicants must contact CDC PGO TIMS at 770-488-2700; www.pgotim@cdc.gov for guidance at least 3 calendar days before the deadline date.

After submission of your application package, applicants will receive a “submission receipt” email generated by Grants.gov. Grants.gov will then generate a second e-mail message to applicants which will either validate or reject their submitted application package. This validation process may take as long as two (2) business days. A third and final e-mail message is generated once the applicant’s application package has passed validation and the grantor has confirmed receipt of the application.

Unsuccessful Submissions:

If an application submission was unsuccessful, the applicant must:

1. Track his/her submission and verify the submission status (tracking should be done initially regardless of rejection or success).

a. If the status states “rejected,” do #2a or #2b.

2. Check his/her emails from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons for rejection notices.

a. If the deadline has passed, he/she should email the Grant Management Specialist listed in the FOA (pgotim@cdc.gov) explaining why the submission failed.

b. If there is time before the deadline, he/she should correct the problem(s) and resubmit as soon as possible.

8. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372) Your application is subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, as governed by Executive Order 12372 (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html). This order sets up a system for state and local review of proposed federal assistance applications. You should contact your state single point of contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert the SPOC to prospective applications, and to receive instructions on your state’s process. Click on the following link to get the current SPOC list: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/

9. Funding Restrictions

All HHS/CDC awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other requirements described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement. Pre-award costs may be allowable as an expanded authority, but only if authorized by CDC.

10. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=11144).

Important reminders:

All PD/PIs must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF 424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to CDC.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Applicants are reminded to enter the approved Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) that the applicant has on file with the Office for Human Research Protections, if available. If the applicant has a FWA number, enter the 8-digit number. Do not enter the FWA before the number. If a Project/Performance Site is engaged in research involving human subjects, the applicant organization is responsible for ensuring that the Project/Performance Site operates under and appropriate Federal Wide Assurance for the protection of human subjects and complies with 45 CFR Part 46 and other CDC human subject related policies described in Part II of this Application Guide and in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

See more resources to avoid common errors and submitting, tracking, and viewing applications: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/avoiding_errors.htm or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/submit_app.htm Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the CDC Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) and responsiveness by PGO and the Center, Institute or Office of the CDC. Applications that are incomplete and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Section V. Application Review Information

11. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the CDC mission (http://www.cdc.gov/about/organization/mission.htm), all applications submitted to the CDC in support of public health research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the CDC peer review system.

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Significance

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Investigator(s)

Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? Have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project? Is the investigative team well suited to the project? Have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project? Does the research team have documented experience / expertise with development of contact matrices and mathematical modeling of infectious diseases? Can the research team demonstrate experience in developing and implementation of contact surveys and longitudinal studies? Evidence can be demonstrated by previous scientific publications as well as documentation regarding current research projects. Does the research team have sufficient collaborators to conduct a national-based survey, with adequate data management capacity for collecting, storing, and analyzing large datasets? Proposed collaborations and partnerships must be supported by letters of support and documentation from the organizations/institutions supporting capacity (e.g., examples of previous scientific investigations).

Innovation

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Approach Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Does the proposal include plans to measure progress toward achieving the stated objectives and does application detail SMART objectives? Has the research team implemented previous contact surveys for the purpose of developing age-specific contact matrices appropriate for mathematical modeling? Does the research team demonstrate ability to contact and collect data from a diverse sample of the U.S. population (reaching rural and urban areas, different racial/ethnic groups (including non-English speaking groups)? Does the research team have experience in using mobile device applications and/or technology for facilitating survey data collection? Does the approach ensure that persons residing in each of the 10 Regions of the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) are recruited to participate in the survey?

If the project involves clinical research, are there plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Environment

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Does the environment support implementation of a national survey, with means for identifying, contacting, recruiting, and collecting information from a diverse sample of the U.S. population? Can the applicants provide documentation (including letters of support from collaboration organizations) to support project implementation? Documentation can include scientific publications on previous national surveys and information regarding institutions existing scientific and research facilities (e.g., department of survey development and analysis, .etc.)

Does the environment maintain appropriate data management facilities (and practices) for ensuring protection and confidentiality of survey participants? Documentation can include information regarding institutions existing computer resources and server capacity as well as previous experience (e.g., scientific publications) in working with confidential survey data.

2. Additional Review Criteria As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact/priority score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects

If the research involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46 , the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the HHS/CDC Requirements under AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements (http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/additional_req.shtm#ar1).

If your proposed research involves the use of human data and/or biological specimens, you must provide a justification for your claim that no human subjects are involved in the Protection of Human Subjects section of the Research Plan.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the policy on the Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Research (http://www.cdc.gov/OD/foia/policies/inclusio.htm) and the policy on the Inclusion of Persons Under21 in Research (http://aops-mas-iis.cdc.gov/Policy/Doc/policy496.pdf).

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=11150).

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

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