MP-CPI-20-006 COVID FINAL (003).pdf

DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

OFFICE OF THE

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH

Office of Minority Health

Funding Opportunity: National Infrastructure for Mitigating the Impact of

COVID-19 within Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Opportunity Number: MP-CPI-20-006

Application Due Date:

Monday, May 11, 2020 6:00 PM Eastern

OVERVIEW

FEDERAL AGENCY NAME

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Office of Minority Health

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE

National Infrastructure for Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 within Racial and Ethnic

Minority Communities

ACTION

Notice

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE

Competitive Cooperative Agreement

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER

MP-CPI-20-006

CFDA NUMBER AND PROGRAM:

93.137 Community Program to Improve Minority Health

DATES

Application Deadline: Monday, May 11, 2020 by 6:00 PM Eastern.

Technical Assistance: Webinar Tuesday, May 05, 2020, at 3:00 PM Eastern.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Office of Minority Health announces the availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY)

2020 cooperative agreement awards under the authority of Section 1707 of the Public Health

Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300u-6).

This notice solicits applications for the National Infrastructure for Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 within Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities Initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to develop and coordinate a strategic and structured national network of national, state/territorial/tribal and local public and community-based organizations that will mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations through: (1) the coordinated development and dissemination of culturally and linguistically diverse information; (2) dissemination of information on available COVID-19 testing and vaccination, other healthcare, and social services, especially in geographic communities highly impacted by COVID-19 and at highest risk for adverse outcomes; and (3) dissemination of effective strategies for COVID-19 response, recovery, and resilience. The initiative is expected to result in: (1) improved reach of COVID-19-related public health messaging to racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations; (2) increased connection to healthcare and social services for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations; (3) decreased disparities in COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates among racial and ethnic minority populations in highly impacted geographic areas; and (4) enhanced state/territorial/tribal capacity and infrastructure to support response, recovery, and resilience for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations. OMH anticipates funding one award for a project period of up to

3 years and total project funding up to $40 million.

HHS/OASH encourages applicants to review all program requirements, eligibility information, application format and submission information, evaluation criteria, and other information in this funding announcement to ensure that its application complies with all requirements and instructions.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DETAILS

A. DATES

1. Application Deadline

Your application is due Monday, May 11, 2020 by 6 p.m. Eastern Time. To receive consideration, you must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov no later than this due date and time. If you do not submit your application by the specified deadline, we will return it to you unread. You must submit electronically via Grants.gov unless you obtain a written exemption from this requirement 2 business days in advance of the deadline from the Director, HHS/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Grants and Acquisitions Management

(GAM). To obtain an exemption, you must request one via email from the HHS/OASH/GAM, and provide details as to why you are technologically unable to submit electronically through

Grants.gov. Your request should be submitted at least 4 business days prior to the application deadline to ensure your request can be considered prior to 2 business days in advance of the deadline. If you request an exemption, include the following in your e-mail request: the

HHS/OASH announcement number; your organization's DUNS number; your organization’s name, address and telephone number; the name and telephone number of your Authorizing

Official; the Grants.gov Tracking Number (for example, GRANT####) assigned to your submission; and a copy of the "Rejected with Errors" notification from Grants.gov. Send the request with supporting documentation to OASH_Grants@hhs.gov. Note: failure to have an active

System for Account Management (SAM) registration prior to the application due date will not be grounds for receiving an exemption to the electronic submission requirement. As a result of the public health emergency for COVID-19, the requirement for an active SAM registration at the time of application submission has been relaxed (see Section F.4). However, if you do not have a

DUNS number at this time, you should contact the Grants.gov to establish a temporary DUNS number. Your application will not be accepted through Grants.gov without this number. Failure to follow Grants.gov instructions to ensure software compatibility will not be grounds for receiving an exemption to the electronic submission requirement.

The HHS/OASH/GAM will only accept applications via alternate methods (hardcopy paper via U.S. mail or other provider or PDF via email) from applicants obtaining prior written approval. If you receive an exemption, you must still submit your application by the deadline.

Only applications submitted through the Grants.gov portal or alternate format (hardcopy paper via

U.S. mail or other service or PDF via email) with an approved written exemption will be accepted.

See Section F.8 (“Other Submission Requirements”) for information on application submission mechanisms.

Executive Order 12372 comment due date: The State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) has

60 days from the application due date to submit any comments. For more information on the SPOC see section F.6 Intergovernmental Review.

To ensure adequate time to submit your application successfully, HHS/OASH recommends that you register as early as possible in Grants.gov since the registration process can take up to one month. You must register an authorizing official for your organization. HHS/OASH does not determine your organization’s authorizing official; your organization makes that designation. For information on registering for Grants.gov, refer to http://www.grants.gov or contact the Grants.gov

Contact Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (excluding Federal holidays) at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Your organization is strongly encouraged to register multiple authorized organization representatives in Grants.gov to ensure someone is available to submit your application.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

2. Technical Assistance

A technical assistance webinar for potential applicants will be held on Tuesday, May 05, 2020 at 3:00 PM Eastern.

We recommend you review the entire announcement promptly so you can have any questions answered well in advance of the application due date. We also recommend you subscribe to this announcement in Grants.gov so you receive any amendments, question and answer documents, or other updates.

B. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Office of Minority Health (OMH) announce the availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 cooperative agreement awards under the authority of Section 1707 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300u-6). OMH is dedicated to improving the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities. Through its demonstration grants, OMH supports the identification of effective approaches for improving health outcomes with the ultimate goal of promoting dissemination and sustainability of these approaches. OMH also works to develop mechanisms that support better information dissemination, education, prevention, and service delivery to individuals from socially vulnerable backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minority groups. This particular cooperative agreement aligns with the federal government priority on COVID-19 response and HHS Strategic Goal 2:

Protect the Health of Americans Where They Live, Learn, Work and Play. 1

1. Background

Past public health crises, like the H1N1 pandemic and Zika epidemic, have demonstrated that racial and ethnic minority populations bear a disproportionate burden of these events. Racial and ethnic minority individuals suffered significantly higher rates of illness, hospitalization and death due to H1N1 and Zika compared with whites.2,3,4,5,6 Racial and ethnic minority and other populations are more vulnerable generally to negative impacts from public health emergencies and disasters. Studies show that racial and ethnic minorities experience higher rates of injury, disease, traumatic stress, death and loss due to public health emergencies than non-minority populations.7 A number of health and social challenges place racial and ethnic minority populations at high risk for poor health in a pandemic, including higher mortality, more complications, limited access to health care, lower annual influenza vaccination rates, and greater socioeconomic, cultural, educational, and linguistic obstacles to adoption of pandemic interventions.8

Emerging data suggests that racial and ethnic minority populations bear a disproportionate burden of illness and death from COVID-19. As of April 28, 2020, black individuals accounted for 29.5% of confirmed COVID-19 cases (with known race/ethnicity) despite making up 13.4% of the U.S. population.9,10 Hispanic individuals accounted for 24.5% of confirmed cases but represent 18.3% of the U.S. population.9,10 A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) analysis found that 33% of hospitalized patients with lab-confirmed COVID-19 were black compared to 18% in the community, suggesting an overrepresentation of blacks among hospitalized patients.11 Data from some states and localities have suggested substantially higher rates of confirmed cases and deaths for black, Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native

(AI/AN) individuals than for white or Asian persons.12,13 However, small differences were observed in a few states for Asians (Iowa, Alabama, Washington), when comparing the share of cases or deaths to their share of the population.13 In California, Native Hawaiians and Pacific

Islanders (NHPIs) comprise 1.3% of cases and 1.1% of deaths despite representing 0.3% of the state population.14 Mortality rates in particular paint an alarming picture of disparity. For instance, black individuals in Wisconsin made up an over six-times higher share of deaths (39% vs. 6%) compared to their share of the total population.13 In Louisiana, black individuals account for 59% of deaths but make up 38% of the population.13 Among AI/AN populations, Navajo Nation

(located in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico) has been particularly affected. In Arizona, AI/AN individuals accounted for five times more deaths compared to their share of the total population

(21% vs. 4%).13 While fully understanding the impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority populations is limited by missing race/ethnicity data for a number of CDC-reported cases, the available data underscores a disproportionate burden of illness and death.9

A number of factors contribute to the disproportionate burden of public health crises on certain populations, with many factors described in the disaster management context as social vulnerability. Social vulnerability “is defined in terms of the characteristics of a person or community that affect their capacity to anticipate, confront, repair, and recover from the effects of a disaster.”15 Factors that might affect a person’s social vulnerability include socioeconomic status, age, minority status, English language proficiency, housing type, vehicle access, and other individual and social characteristics.15,16 Racial and ethnic minorities are at greater risk for exposure to and adverse outcomes from COVID-19 due to these social determinants of health and living and working conditions. Such conditions limit their ability to comply with public health measures to prevent infection like physical distancing, handwashing and quarantine measures.17

For instance, they are more likely to live in densely populated areas, live in overcrowded housing, live in multi-generational homes, use public transport, lack plumbing and access to clean water, have jobs which do not allow them to work from home, and be overrepresented in jails, prisons and detention centers.12,18,19,20,21,22 Other exposure risks for racial and ethnic minority populations include a greater likelihood of being employed in the essential workforce (e.g., service industry, agriculture) and lack of paid sick leave.12 Systemic and structural factors also play a major contributing role for disparities (e.g., chronic underfunding of the public health infrastructure and inequitable resource allocation) and contribute to risk and persistent disadvantage for racial and ethnic minority and socially vulnerable populations.23

A greater prevalence of underlying health conditions also put racial and ethnic minorities at higher risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19. Preliminary data indicate that persons with a discrete set of chronic health conditions are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-

19, including those: with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma; with serious heart conditions; who are immunocompromised; with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher); with diabetes; with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, and/or with liver disease.24

Racial and ethnic minority populations are more likely to experience many of these chronic health conditions than non-Hispanic whites.25,26,27,28,29,30 When combined with a greater baseline prevalence of underlying health conditions, a public health crisis like COVID-19 further exacerbates the higher morbidity and mortality for racial and ethnic minority communities.

Persistent disparities in access to healthcare pose challenges for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations for receiving COVID-19 services. Racial and ethnic minority populations are more likely than whites to lack health insurance coverage, to report going without needed care due to cost, to experience distrust of the healthcare system, and to encounter language barriers and discrimination.12,31,32 Approximately eight percent of U.S. residents reports speaking English less than very well, and one in five U.S. residents speaks a foreign language at home, which equates to more than 61 million people.33,34 One in five adults in the U.S. have low

English literacy levels, of which 34% are Hispanic and 23% are black.35 Racial and ethnic minority and rural populations also live in areas that are further from medical facilities or where medical facilities are under-resourced.12,36,37 Certain groups like tribal and justice-involved populations are at particular disadvantage due to experiencing many of these social determinants and risk factors.12,38

Challenges also exist for supporting recovery and resilience among racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations. Economic insecurity due to high rates of poverty and greater likelihood of holding low-paying jobs among racial and ethnic minority populations poses barriers to addressing health and other needs and recovering from COVID-19 economic implications.32 Existing disparities in vaccination rates could mean racial and ethnic minorities may experience continued susceptibility to COVID-19, even after a vaccine is available.39,40

OMH is particularly interested in mechanisms and strategies that support effective communication of and access to services for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations highly impacted by COVID-19 and that address risk factors associated with greater susceptibility for COVID-19 and worse health outcomes. Engaging community based organizations that are trusted messengers within these communities is critical to ensuring the rapid coordination and connection of racial and ethnic minority communities with culturally and linguistically diverse information and needed healthcare and social services to mitigate the effects of public health crises like COVID-19.41

As the pandemic takes a disproportionate toll on racial and ethnic minority communities in some areas of the country, there is an urgent need to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate messages directly to the communities that are highly impacted by COVID-19. There is also a need to distribute information using varied communication methods to ensure all racial and ethnic, rural and socially vulnerable communities are receiving and acting upon HHS messages (e.g., related to

COVID-19 physical distancing, prevention, treatment and, ultimately, recovery).

When the anticipated, longer-term effects of COVID-19 occur (e.g., unemployment, food insecurity, decline in physical and mental health, and housing instability), individuals and families will need more health care and social services. Racial and ethnic minority communities rely on trusted, culturally and linguistically competent community organizations to obtain health care and social services. Infrastructure or networks may not already exist in states, tribes or territories to support rapid coordination and connection to services in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

The goal and activities of this initiative align with guiding principles and recommendations outlined by the National Consensus Panel on Emergency Preparedness and Cultural Diversity

(National Consensus Panel). From 2006 to 2008, the National Consensus Panel developed a comprehensive framework and specific guidance for engaging communities to inform the integration of issues related to race, ethnicity, culture, language and trust into preparedness plans, programs and actions.7 The framework and guidance highlighted the importance of taking specific actions that recognize and integrate distinct, individual and especially community-focused race, ethnic, cultural, and language priorities and perspectives into mainstream emergency preparedness, response and recovery plans and programs.7 The National Consensus Panel report recommends establishing sustainable partnerships between community representatives and public health systems for efforts such as assessment of community needs; design and implementation of communications strategies; and coordination of information, resources and actions across organizations and diverse communities. The report also notes that it is essential to include funding strategies for community engagement.7

2. Expectations

OMH expects the recipient to:

a. Develop and coordinate a national strategic information dissemination network of national, state/territorial/tribal and local organizations.

A goal of this initiative is to build a network of national, state/territorial/tribal and local organizations to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations through: (1) the coordinated dissemination of culturally and linguistically diverse information; (2) dissemination of information on available COVID-19 testing, vaccination, other healthcare, social services in highly impacted or at-risk geographic areas; and (3) dissemination of effective strategies for response, recovery and resilience. Engagement of Network partners at all levels who are trusted and usual information sources for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable communities is vitally important to ensuring culturally and linguistically diverse information is not only targeted to these communities, but also is received by these communities to effect improved outcomes and linkages to needed services.

A diverse range of partners and stakeholders is critical to establishing a sustainable network supporting information dissemination and other response, recovery and resilience activities:

(1) generally in racial and ethnic minority communities in each state, territory and tribe; and

(2) specifically in racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations highly impacted by or at risk for worse outcomes due to COVID-19. National, state, territorial, tribal, local and community-based organizations vary in the composition of their stakeholder networks, with each playing a unique role in contributing to the reach and sustainability of this effort. State, territorial and tribal departments of health in particular are central to driving COVID-19 response, recovery and resilience efforts. For states, partnership with State Offices of Minority Health and state chapters of minority health care professional associations can ensure access to important local networks of racial and ethnic minority populations. Organizations with existing relationships with state/tribal/territorial health agencies and local organizations across the nation may be uniquely positioned to develop, coordinate and sustain this network supporting information dissemination and other response, recovery and resilience activities.

OMH expects the recipient to implement a collaborative partnership framework within 3 months of award. Partnerships should include significant roles for the state offices of minority health/health equity and/or other state entity with a similar function.

OMH also expects the recipient to develop a nationwide strategic and structured bi-directional information dissemination network (Network) comprised of a range of national, state, territorial, tribal and local organizations, to include the following.

• Network members have demonstrated capacity to reach and effectively communicate: (1) with racial and ethnic minority populations across the nation in general; and/or (2) with racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations in highly impacted geographic areas or at risk for worse outcomes due to COVID-19. The Network must be centered on a health equity perspective. In addition, Network members should be representative of and have demonstrated relationships with racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable sub-populations at-risk for not receiving COVID-19 public health and other messages (e.g., youth/young adults, the elderly and others without digital access, those with limited English proficiency (LEP), justice-involved individuals, and individuals who are homeless).

• The Network will support three tiers of focus for project activities: 1) national-level information dissemination; 2) state/territorial/tribal-level targeted information dissemination; and 3) community-level information dissemination on availability of COVID-19 testing, vaccination, other healthcare, and social services in highly impacted or at-risk geographic areas.

• Continuous assessment of Network membership, quantification of Network reach, and engagement of additional organizations as areas of need emerge.

OMH expects the recipient to act as the central Network coordinating body that: (1) ensures the Network serves as an effective infrastructure for disseminating national COVID-19 messages, with substantial involvement of OMH, from the national level to the state/territorial/tribal level and ultimately to local community level; (2) ensures project activities are community-centered as informed by the Network; and (3) successfully mobilizes Network members to conduct other

Initiative activities in order to achieve Initiative objectives.

b. Identify state, territories and tribes with highly impacted geographic areas of racial and ethnic minority, rural and/or socially vulnerable individuals at substantially greater risk for COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes.

Targeting resources and efforts to communities of greatest need supports effective and equitable allocation to promote optimal outcomes for response, recovery and resilience.

Populations and communities who have higher prevalence of underlying health conditions (e.g., hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and COPD/lung disease); who experience structural and systemic barriers for complying with public health mitigation measures (e.g., housing and neighborhood conditions, employment in essential workforce, dependence on public transportation, etc.); who experience challenges accessing healthcare and social services (e.g., low socio-economic status; lack of health insurance coverage; lack of availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate, accessible, quality service providers; etc.); and who are socially vulnerable due to community and social conditions (e.g., poverty, systemic discrimination, community disinvestment, etc.) are at greater risk for COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes.

OMH expects the recipient to apply criteria for assessing risk (including those previously outlined) for COVID-19 and adverse outcomes to identify states, territories and tribes with highly impacted geographic areas of racial and ethnic minority, rural and/or socially vulnerable individuals in which project activities, in particular information dissemination on available healthcare and social services, and intensive response, recovery and resilience efforts can be targeted. The recipient should monitor surveillance and data on an ongoing basis throughout the project period to identify new and emerging areas of need.

c. Develop and disseminate culturally and linguistically diverse multi-media outreach and education.

Communication and information dissemination are critical to ensuring individuals and communities are informed with the latest and most accurate information about COVID-19 to slow the spread of infection and to mitigate its effects, including information on how individuals can protect themselves, on when and how to seek care, and on how to access other supports needed.

However, to reach diverse populations effectively, information needs to be provided in a manner that is culturally responsive, in the languages spoken by individuals, at accessible literacy and health literacy levels, and through communications methods by which individuals are most likely to receive, understand and act upon the information. Communication efforts also need to overcome barriers such as stigma, distrust of government, and the perpetuation of myths. OMH expects the recipient to develop and disseminate culturally and linguistically diverse multi-media materials and execute an outreach and education effort in collaboration with the Network, to include the following.

• Identification of populations and communities of greatest need for information, based on current or anticipated impact of COVID-19, known challenges/barriers to receipt and comprehension of public health information, known information dissemination infrastructure gaps, and other relevant factors. The recipient should focus on racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations, and also consider sub-groups for which messaging requires special consideration and/or is limited (e.g., those employed in work sectors such as the meat and poultry processing industry or non-clinical healthcare [e.g. janitors, food service workers, etc.], those who are limited

English proficiency (LEP), those with limited literacy and health literacy, etc.)

• Assessment of population-specific information needs and gaps among populations of greatest need, including in highly impacted geographic areas

• Identification of strategies to address information needs and gaps

• Development of culturally and linguistically diverse (including in-language), accurate, actionable, plain language messaging and information

(e.g., information on COVID-19 prevention, testing, treatment, vaccination, etc.) for a variety of settings (e.g., home, work, etc.), informed and tested by

Network members and tailored to populations and communities of greatest need

(at national, state/territorial/tribal and community levels). Message testing should be representative of target populations and comply with OMB

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requirements, securing applicable approvals.

Message development may include augmentation of national/HHS messages with state/territory/tribe/community-specific guidance.

• Strategic dissemination and delivery of information through the Network in a variety of formats (e.g., electronic, print, audio, etc.) and through communications channels (e.g., websites, social media, public service announcements (PSAs), print and radio media, ethnic media, fact sheets, infographics, newsletters, grassroots channels, events, etc.) deemed most effective for reaching specific populations and communities of focus. OMH expects recipients to disseminate information on a national scale to all state, territorial, tribal and community partners. The recipient is also expected to conduct intensive outreach and information dissemination in highly impacted geographic areas.

• Design and execution of a strategic paid media effort, with a focus on targeted geographic areas. The paid media campaign should cover radio, mobile, online and social media advertising in languages spoken in the target areas.

• Assessment of receipt, comprehension and utilization of information by populations and communities of focus, including barriers and facilitators

• Development of performance targets which specify and allow documentation of the reach of culturally and linguistically diverse materials

d. Partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) to disseminate information and ensure CBOs link at-risk individuals to testing, vaccination, other healthcare, and social services, in particular in highly impacted geographic areas.

• CBOs (e.g., faith-based organizations, cultural associations, neighborhood centers, and community health clinics) who are trusted voices in the community are essential partners for ensuring the saturation and receipt of information and for assisting with identifying and addressing the needs of racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations. CBOs often have developed substantive relationships with community members, healthcare providers and social service agencies; are knowledgeable about the characteristics, preferences, beliefs and needs of the community; and are representative of the community itself. OMH expects the recipient to engage CBOs, in particular those in identified highly impacted geographic areas, in the Network and as key partners to inform and conduct project activities and achieve project objectives.

OMH expects the recipient, in coordination with CBO partners in particular in identified highly impacted geographic areas to:

• Disseminate public health messaging and information to communities of greatest need

• Assess and inventory community assets for COVID-19 testing, vaccination, other healthcare (e.g., treatment, symptom management, chronic disease management, mental health and substance use treatment services, etc.) and social services

• Assess and document community gaps for COVID-19 testing, vaccination, other healthcare (e.g., treatment, symptom management, chronic disease management, mental health and substance use treatment services, etc.) and social services

• Develop strategies to identify at-risk individuals, assess their needs and link them to COVID-19 testing, vaccination, other healthcare (e.g., treatment, symptom management, chronic disease management, mental health and substance use treatment services, etc.) and social services

• Assess and track the utilization of COVID-19 testing, vaccination, other healthcare (e.g., treatment, symptom management, chronic disease management, mental health and substance use treatment services) and social services among individuals linked to testing, vaccination, other healthcare, and social services

e. Identify and disseminate successful state, tribal, territorial and local strategies addressing immediate response, recovery and resilience; and implement risk reduction strategies for vulnerable populations in highly impacted geographic areas.

Promoting knowledge exchange among states, tribes, territories and communities of effective and promising approaches for response, recovery and resilience for racial and ethnic minority, rural or socially vulnerable populations can support increased implementation of these approaches to effect improved outcomes among these populations. OMH expects the recipient to identify and disseminate successful state, tribal, territorial and local strategies, in coordination with the Network, to include:

• Assessment of effective strategies utilized in past public health crises and disasters (e.g., H1N1 pandemic, Zika epidemic, Hurricane Katrina, etc.) for application to COVID-19 response, recovery and resilience

• Development and implementation of a protocol for the identification of best practices, promising approaches and effective strategies for COVID-19 response, recovery and resilience for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations. Response, recovery and resilience best practices, approaches and strategies may include those specific to COVID-19

(e.g., prevention, screening, testing, contact tracing, treatment, vaccination, etc.) and those addressing risk and protective factors, collateral consequences and systemic issues (e.g., social needs and social determinants of health, chronic disease prevention and management, mental health promotion, substance use prevention, suicide prevention, community resilience, vaccine education and acceptance, surveillance and data, public health infrastructure and workforce development, culturally inclusive preparedness, cultural competence and implicit bias training, etc.).

• Documentation of best practices, promising approaches and effective strategies and development of appropriate materials to support dissemination, to include the creation of a community-informed, comprehensive, cross-cultural toolkit to promote community resilience. The recipient should ensure best practices, promising approaches and effective strategies are documented in a manner that is clear and actionable by states, tribes, territories or communities.

• Facilitation of the exchange of best practices, promising approaches and effective strategies across states, tribes, territories and communities, in particular those hardest hit by and at greater risk for COVID-19 and adverse outcomes

• Assessment of the facilitation of the sharing of best practices, promising approaches and effective strategies, including barriers and facilitators

Furthermore, targeted implementation of strategies that can reduce or mitigate risk of

COVID-19 exposure and adverse outcomes for those who are particularly vulnerable and who live in highly impacted geographic areas can help address critical gaps left by under-funded and under-resourced public health systems. OMH expects the recipient to support the implementation of innovative strategies or approaches in up to five highly impacted geographic areas, to include:

• Identification of up to five communities in highly impacted geographic areas with particularly vulnerable subpopulations at greater risk for COVID-19 and adverse outcomes, due to factors such as occupation (e.g., meat processing workers, transit workers, farmworkers, hospital cleaning staff, etc.), living arrangements (e.g., overcrowding, multi-generational housing, etc.), dependence on public transit, underlying health conditions, limited English proficiency, and lack of access to healthcare.

• Support of the implementation of innovative strategies or approaches for reducing or mitigating risk of exposure to COVID-19 and adverse outcomes among vulnerable subpopulations in each community. Strategies or approaches should be identified based on community need.

• Assessment of awareness and adoption of public health practices (e.g., physical distancing, COVID-19 testing, vaccination, chronic disease management, etc.)

among vulnerable subgroups in the selected communities.

The budget to support the implementation of the innovative strategies or approaches in these highly impacted geographic areas should not exceed 5% of the total award.

f. Develop and implement a Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality

Improvement plan.

OMH expects the recipient to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for monitoring, process and outcomes evaluation and quality improvement. The plan should reflect how the recipient will continuously monitor, evaluate, and improve the project. For this FOA, the purpose of monitoring and evaluation is to focus on assessing the impact of project activities and ensuring the quality of all aspects of the project, which may include outcomes related to participant engagement, assessing whether the project is meeting the needs of the community, etc. The recipient will be required to meet performance metrics developed with and agreed to by

OMH. OMH expects project outcomes to address:

• The extent to which public health messaging and information materials developed under this initiative are demonstrated to be comprehended by target populations and are culturally and linguistically appropriate

• The degree to which population-specific information gaps among populations of greatest need were reduced through the production and dissemination of culturally and linguistically diverse materials (e.g., number of in-language materials disseminated; number of languages into which COVID-19 materials are translated/produced/number of languages into which COVID-19 materials are needed)

• The extent to which racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations are reached by culturally and linguistically appropriate public health messaging and information developed and disseminated through the

Network

• The extent to which racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations are linked to healthcare and social services and receive necessary healthcare and social services (e.g., amount and types of health care and social services received by those tested)

• The extent to which disparities in COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates among racial and ethnic minority populations are decreased in highly impacted geographic areas (e.g., number of tests and vaccinations per 100,000 population by race and ethnicity)

• The extent to which state/territorial/tribal capacity and infrastructure are enhanced to support response, recovery, and resilience for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations as evidenced through receipt of materials/technical support regarding promising approaches and effective strategies for COVID-19 response, recovery and resilience for racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations (e.g., number of states, territories and tribes receiving materials and technical support)

• The extent to which awareness and adoption of public health practices (e.g., physical distancing, COVID-19 testing, vaccination, chronic disease management, etc.) is increased among vulnerable subgroups in the selected communities.

OMH expects the recipient to use performance measures not only to support project monitoring, but also to inform continuous improvement of project activities.

g. Document and disseminate lessons learned, successes, challenges and other project knowledge and findings.

While common themes have been observed for the experiences of racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations in past public health crises and emergencies, COVID-19 has posed unique challenges as this new infectious disease has made its way across an increasingly diverse nation. OMH anticipates the project will give rise to new knowledge about response, recovery and resilience in racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable populations. The recipient should document project knowledge and findings, to include lessons learned, successes and challenges as related to infrastructure development, information development and dissemination, partner and community engagement, connection to healthcare and social services, promising approaches and effective strategies, and sustainability. OMH expects the recipient to communicate and disseminate project knowledge and findings in collaboration with the Network, to include dissemination to federal, state, territorial and tribal public agencies;

policymakers; community organizations; community members; and other stakeholders.

3. Substantial Involvement

The award will be in the form of a cooperative agreement with the recipient. Cooperative agreements are a form of assistance that allows for substantial involvement between OMH and the recipient during the project period. In addition to the usual monitoring and technical assistance provided under the cooperative agreement (e.g., assistance from assigned Federal project officer, monthly conference calls, periodic site visits, ongoing review of plans and progress, participation in relevant meetings, provision of training and technical assistance), OMH substantial programmatic involvement will include:

• Review of recipient progress during the planning period and approval to move forward with full implementation. Note funding levels for subsequent budget periods will depend on status of plan approvals and may be negotiated between

HHS/OASH and the recipient.

• Quarterly review of priorities and work plans for award activities and approval to move forward with implementation of those activities.

• Review and approval of the design, questions, and success measures for the project evaluations.

• Prior approval for change of time that Key Personnel are dedicated to the project and for replacement of Key Personnel. Key personnel are those individuals who either because of their specialized expertise or because of the specific role they fulfill in the project (e.g., Evaluator, Data Coordinator) are essential to the conduct of the project.

• Assisting the awardee in development of the Network, including identification and engagement of Network members.

• Serving as a resource to provide programmatic support during the implementation of the project by participating in the design of the activities, and contributing with subject matter expertise.

• Identifying and recommending other organizations with whom the awardee may be asked to develop cooperative and collaborative relationships and partnerships.

• Assisting the awardee in the identification of highly impacted geographic areas of racial and ethnic minority, rural and socially vulnerable individuals at substantially greater risk for COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes.

• Reviewing selected communications materials to ensure information is scientifically accurate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, in plain language and at accessible literacy and health literacy levels.

• Providing input on methods/mechanisms for disseminating information/messaging and best practices, promising approaches and effective strategies.

• Collaborating on the development of measures, methods, and materials to be tested or used.

• Review and approval of appropriate targets for measurement of impact on project outcomes.

• Assisting the awardee to monitor the progress of the project, which includes but is not limited to collecting, reporting and analyzing data and required comprehensive reporting during the three-year project period.

• Participating in the preparation of publications and public presentations of the data obtained under this Cooperative Agreement as well as assisting in the dissemination of any materials or products produced at the conclusion of the project.

• Reviewing all communications or disseminated work-product co-branded with

HHS, OASH, OMH, or any other HHS component, any will require prior approval of the communication method and its contents.

C. AUTHORITY

Section 1707 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300u-6)

D. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Office of Minority Health intends to make funds available for competing cooperative agreement.

We will fund awards in annual increments (budget periods) and generally for a project period up to 3 years, although we may approve shorter project periods. Budget periods may also vary from the estimate indicated below due to timing of award issuance or other administrative factors. Funding for all approved budget periods beyond the first is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, adequate stewardship of Federal funds, and the best interests of the Government.

Award Information

Estimated Federal Funds Available: $40,000,000 over three years

Anticipated Number of Awards: 1

Award Ceiling (Federal Funds including indirect costs): $22,000,000 in year 1

Award Floor (Federal Funds including indirect costs): $10,000,000 in year 1

Anticipated Start Date: June 15, 2020

Estimated Period of Performance: Not to exceed 3 years

Anticipated Initial Budget Period Length: 12 months

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. Agency substantial involvement outlined above in Program Description.

Type of Application Accepted: Electronic via Grants.gov ONLY unless an exemption is granted

E. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants.

All entities are eligible except for-profit institutions of higher education and for-profit organizations including small businesses. Eligible applicants includes the U.S. territories and private non-profit institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

You are not required to provide cost sharing or matching in your proposed budget.

3. Application Responsiveness Criteria

We will review your application to determine whether it meets the responsiveness criteria below. If your application does not meet the responsiveness criteria, we will disqualify it from the competition; we will not review it beyond the initial screening. The responsiveness criteria are as follows:

The applicant demonstrates the ability to establish and manage a national initiative of this scope, to include engagement of and coordination across national, state, tribal, territorial and local partners.

4. Application Disqualification Criteria

If you successfully submit an application, we will screen it to ensure it meets the below requirements. If we determine your application fails to meet the criteria described below we will disqualify it, that is, we will not review it and will give it no further consideration.

a) You must submit your application electronically via www.grants.gov

(unless an exemption was granted 2 business days prior to the deadline) by the date and time indicated in the DATES section (A.1) of this announcement.

b) If you successfully submit multiple applications from the same organization for the same project, we will only review the last application received by the deadline.

c) HHS/OASH/GAM deems your application eligible according to section E.1 Eligible Applicants.

d) You must complete the required forms in the application package: SF-

424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and Project Abstract Summary.

e) Your Project Narrative section of the application must be double-spaced, on the equivalent of 8 ½ ” x 11” inch page size, with 1” margins on all sides (top, bottom, left and right) and font size not less than 12 points.

f) Your Project Narrative must not exceed 50 pages. NOTE: The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, Project Abstract

Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables).

g) Your total application, including the Project Narrative plus Appendices, must not exceed 75 pages. NOTE: items listed in “(f)” immediately above do not count toward total page limit.

h) Your Federal funds request including indirect costs must not exceed the maximum indicated in Award Ceiling.

i) Your Federal funds request including indirect costs must not be below the minimum indicated in Award Floor.

j) Your application must meet the Application Responsiveness Criteria outlined above.

F. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

You may obtain an application package electronically by accessing Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/. You can find it by searching on the CFDA number shown on page 2 of this funding opportunity announcement. If you have problems accessing the application or difficulty downloading, contact:

OASH Grants and Acquisitions Management

Phone: 240-453-8822

Email: OASH_Grants@hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Application Format

Your application must be prepared using the forms and information provided in the online application package.

The Project Narrative, and total application including appendices, must adhere to the page limit indicated in Application Disqualification Criteria listed in Section E.4. The page limit does not include the Budget Narrative (including budget tables), required forms, assurances, and certifications as described in the Application Disqualification Criteria. Please do not number pages or include a table of contents. Our grants management system will generate page numbers once your application is complete. If your application exceeds the specified page limits for the Project

Narrative or Project Narrative plus Appendices when printed on 8.5” X 11” paper by

HHS/OASH/GAM, we will not review it. We recommend you print out your application before submitting electronically to ensure that it is within the page limits and is easy to read.

You must double-space the Project Narrative pages.

You should use an easily readable typeface, such as Times New Roman or Arial. You must use 12-point font. You may single-space tables or use alternate fonts but you must ensure the tables are easy to read.

b. Appendices…