Foa_Content_of_CDC-RFA-TU-24-0142.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due May 23, 2024

Office of Readiness and Response (ORR)

Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response Opportunity number: CDC-RFA-TU-24-0142

Contents Before you begin 3

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 10

Program description 11

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 62

Get registered 63

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 65

Application contents & format 66

Step 4: Learn About Review & Award 74

Application review 75

Award notices 86

Step 5: Submit Your Application 87

Application submission & deadlines 88

Application checklist 90

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 91

Post-award requirements & administration 92

Contacts & Support 96

Endnotes 98

Contents 2

Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered, make sure your registration is active and up-to-date.

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks) You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days) You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by May 23, 2024 Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 23, 2024.

To help you find what you need, this NOFO uses internal links. In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

Before you begin 3 https://sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/

Jump to a step

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 10

Program description 11

Basic information Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Office of Readiness and Response (ORR)

Establishing regional centers to enhance and implement the evidence base for public health preparedness and response.

Statutory authority The program is authorized under sections 319F of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6), as amended.

Have questions?

See Contacts & Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name:

Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response

Opportunity number:

CDC-RFA-TU-24-0142

Federal Assistance Listing:

93.316

Key dates

Application deadline:

May 23, 2024

Optional letter of intent deadline:

April 9, 2024

Informational call:

April 1, 2024, 2:00 p.m.

– 3:30 p.m. ET

Expected award date:

August 30, 2024

Expected start date:

September 30, 2024

Summary The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to establish up to 10 centers (maximum one in each U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) region) for public health preparedness and response (PHPR).

Our goal is to increase the use of evidence-based strategies and interventions (EBSIs) to improve PHPR in line with the needs of the communities involved.

This NOFO includes five components:

Component A HHS Regions 1, 2, and 5

• Establish a Regional Coordinating Body in the respective region for which you are applying (Year 1 only).

• Establish a Steering Committee (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 – 5.

This may be a subset of the Regional Coordinating Body).

• Establish a regional center (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 – 5).

• Develop in collaboration with your regional coordinating body a Five-Year Regional Work Plan, FY2025-2030 (Year 1).

• Develop activities (Year 1) to meet objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan, FY2025-2030 to increase uptake of evidence-based strategies and interventions (EBSIs).

• Implement and evaluate activities (Years 2 – 5) to meet objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan, FY2025–2030, to increase uptake of evidence-based strategies and interventions (EBSIs).

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5 https://www.cdc.gov/orr/documents/cphps-2023-appropriation-language.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/regional-offices/index.html

Component B HHS Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

• Establish a Steering Committee (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 – 5.

This may be a subset of the Regional Coordinating Body that was established under a FY23 contract to establish Five-Year Regional Work Plans).

• Establish a regional center (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 – 5).

• Develop, implement, and evaluate activities to meet objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan, FY2024 – 2029 provided by CDC to recipients of this cooperative agreement in regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10, to increase uptake of evidence-based strategies and interventions (EBSIs).

Component C Coordinate and support technical assistance to the network of regional centers. (Years 1 – 5; optional)

Component D Plan and implement additional activities to conduct basic and applied research, conduct evaluation, support expansion of EBSIs, and enhance the PHPR workforce’s scientific capabilities and other activities requested by CDC.

(optional, pending availability of funds)

Component E To be considered for funding any time during the five-year period of performance, applicants must submit proposals in the application package for this NOFO.

• Establish working groups and develop and implement regional activities for a Five-Year Regional Work Plans for tribal, rural or frontier community. If funded, CDC will provide work plans that have been developed under previous contract to regions 8, 9 and 10 (tribal, Regions 8 and 10 and Pacific Islands, Region 9) (optional, pending availability of funds).

• Establish working groups and pilot test plans and processes supporting an existing regional data ecosystem model relevant to one of the 10 HHS regions. If funded in regions 4, 8 or 10, CDC will provide ecosystem models that have been developed under previous contract (optional, pending availability of funds).

CDC recommends the use of three templates to document and track the work included in this NOFO[1]: A Five-Year Regional Work Plan template, a Cooperative Agreement Work Plan (CAWP) Template, and an evaluation template.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

• Five-Year Regional Work Plan Template: Use this template to document and track the focus areas, objectives, and priorities established by regional coordinating bodies. Add activities designed to meet those objectives; including the overall NOFO objective of increasing implementation of EBSIs.

• CAWP Template: Use this template to document and track regional center engagement in and progress towards the overall strategies included in the NOFO specific to the regional centers. In your project narrative, you must provide a CAWP for your project.

• Evaluation Template: Use this template to document, track and assess the process and outcomes of evaluation activities.

Funding details Type: Cooperative agreement

Expected total program funding over the performance period: $40,000,000

Expected total program funding per budget period: $8,900,000

Expected awards: Up to 10 (including one that incorporates the national coordination component)

Table: Estimated funding per applicant per budget period

Component Number of awards

Floor Minimum award per budget period

Ceiling Maximum award per budget period

A Up to three (Regions 1, 2, & 5) $500,000 $800,000

B Up to 7 (Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10) $500,000 $800,000

C One, awarded in conjunction with Component A or B

$300,000 $500,000

D Up to 10, awarded in conjunction with Component A or B

$500,000 $1,000,000

E Up to 3 for each strategy a) or b), up to 2 per regional awardee (one per strategy)

$100,000 $200,000

We plan to award projects for five 12-month budget periods for a five-year period of performance.

The number of awards is subject to available funds and program priorities.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7

Funding strategy This NOFO will fund recipients with the necessary capabilities including subject matter expertise; administrative infrastructure; regional, state, and local partnerships; and management capabilities. Previous experience developing Five-Year Regional Work Plans and establishing regional coordinating bodies will not be considered in the review process.

We will fund up to one regional center in each of the 10 HHS regions.

This announcement has one required component (A or B depending on your HHS region) and three optional components (C, D, and E) for which you may apply. Funding for strategies within components C, D, and E are subject to availability of funds. Only those organizations funded for components A and B will be eligible to receive funds through optional components C, D, and E.

We will award one of those 10 regional Centers with Component A or B funds to coordinate and support network activities nationally (Component C).

We may deem any component that is not funded at the time of a new award “Approved but Unfunded (ABU).”

We cannot guarantee funding for all components or all centers in a budget period. ABU components are subject to availability of funds.

If funded, continuation funds will be based on the availability of funds and agency priorities.

Components A and B

• For Year 1 applicants, we will base funding decisions on a competitive process.

• For continuation projects, we will fund only those centers already funded for Year 1 projects. For each continuation year, we will consider the quality of work and burden, needs, and evidence of collaboration documented by the center in the previous year of the period of performance. Continuation funding will be based on the availability of funds and agency priorities.

Component C

• For Year 1 applicants, we will base funding decisions on a competitive process.

• For continuation, we will base our decision on evidence of effective collaboration and network facilitation established in Year 1 activities documented in the previous year of the performance period.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8

Continuation funding will be based on the availability of funds and agency priorities.

• We will fund only one award for this component.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9

Eligibility Who can apply

Eligible applicants We invite only the following types of organizations to apply:

• Institutions of higher education, including accredited schools of public health

• Nonprofit private entities

Justification for less than maximum competition Eligible applicants are set forth in section 319F(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6(d)), as amended.

Other required qualifying factors

Geographical You must be based in the HHS region for which you are applying, and all activities for Components A, B, C, and E should only address the region for which you are applying.

CDC shall distribute awards equitably among the geographical regions of the United States.

Your organization may submit only one application under this announcement.

Cost sharing and matching funds This program has no cost-sharing requirement or matching funds requirement. If you choose to include cost-sharing funds as a contribution to the award, we will not consider it during review of your application.

We encourage you to leverage other resources and related ongoing efforts to promote sustainability. We also encourage you to pursue cost-sharing partnerships that help the center address health disparities.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10 https://www.cdc.gov/orr/documents/cphps-2023-appropriation-language.pdf

Program description Background Overview Recent public health emergencies and other similar events like major hurricanes, extensive wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mpox outbreak have stressed the U.S. public health system to its limit.

The response to these events highlighted known evidence gaps and identified additional needs in public health practice knowledge. These differ across and within geographical regions at the state or local level.

Growing our evidence base To fill these gaps, we must use and grow our PHPR evidence base, taking an all-hazards approach to research, practice, and policy.

We aim to improve PHPR by creating regional centers in each of the 10 HHS regions. Our goal is to increase implementation of EBSIs at the state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) health department levels in collaboration with partners, including health care facilities and health care coalitions.

EBSIs are defined as activities, programs, practices, and policies that have demonstrated effectiveness in studies using quantitative indicators that measure change in an outcome relevant to or when applied to contexts within public health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery programs, events, or incidents.

Working together The PHPR system involves many public and private groups working together across various areas and levels of government. The resources and risks in this system are not evenly shared across or within different regions.

To make the public health system more effective and resilient, it is important to coordinate efforts on a regional level. This helps balance differences in resources and risks among different places. We request applications from organizations that will work with their communities and together as a network of centers to make the PHPR system better at preparing for and responding to public health threats and hazards. Organizations should have experience and capacity to increase equitable access to resources and

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11 services related to PHPR and work toward outcomes that increase equitability.[2]

Related work In FY 2023, CDC awarded contracts to seven organizations (one in each of HHS regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) to create Five-Year Regional Work Plans that address current and anticipated future PHPR needs. The Five-Year Regional Work Plans also consider the capacity and capability of the regional health departments, academic, public, and private partners, and other relevant partners, including health care facilities and coalitions, to meet those needs. These existing work plans are intended to be used by selected applicants in these Regions.

Regions 1, 2, and 5 will create a Five-Year Regional Work Plan under this NOFO. The Five-Year Regional Work Plans are informed through collective decision-making by Regional Coordinating Body members comprised of STLT health departments; academic, public, and private partners and other relevant partners, including health care facilities and coalitions, to meet those needs.

Under these contracts, CDC also awarded additional optional tasks aimed at establishing:

• Underserved population work plans for tribal, rural, or frontier areas to establish focus areas that meet the needs of specific target populations, and

• Data ecosystem model work plans and processes to develop a regional data ecosystem model to advance how disaster-related data are collected, managed, analyzed, and shared with the disaster research community and other interested parties during a locally and/or federally declared public health emergency.

You can read that solicitation at Establishing Work Plans for Ten Regional Centers to Enhance Public Health Preparedness and Response – Solicitation.

We awarded an additional contract to support coordination, technical assistance, and training for plan development, including creating an inventory of existing EBSIs across 10 focus areas found to be effective for PHPR practice. CDC will provide the existing Five-Year Regional Work Plans and EBSI inventory at the kick-off meeting.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12 https://sam.gov/opp/64bc10e7487349eebd4e6cc0b9868374/view

Purpose Our goal is to establish and manage a national network of regional centers focused on PHPR that will increase implementation of EBSIs. We aim to enhance how we prepare for and respond to public health threats or emergencies, taking an all-hazards approach, as informed by the PHPR needs of the community, or communities involved. The centers will work towards increasing equitable access to PHPR-related services and resources and increasing equitable outcomes following public health emergencies. Centers will increase implementation of EBSIs by collaborating with STLT health departments and other partners in the PHPR system, including health care facilities and coalitions.

Approach Overview This announcement has one required component (A or B depending on your HHS region) and three optional components (C, D, and E) for which you may apply. Support for strategies within components C, D, and E are subject to availability of funds. Only those organizations funded for components A and B will be eligible to receive funds through optional components C, D, and E.

This NOFO includes five components:

Component A Regions 1, 2, and 5

• Establish a Regional Coordinating Body (Year 1 only).

• In collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Body, develop a Five-Year Regional Work Plan, FY2025-2030.

◦ Your Five-Year Regional Work Plan should include priority areas and objectives, and at least three focus areas within those priority areas that focus on ways STLT jurisdictions can benefit from PHPR EBSIs (Year 1 only).

◦ You should include partners, roles, and resources needed to accomplish the plan’s objectives to increase implementation of EBSIs.

◦ Establish at least 3 multi-year objectives per focus area and provide a detailed description of the objective supported by key data, policy, and/or literature findings.

▪ Objectives should meet the SMART criteria.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13 https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/practice/resources/phqitoolbox/objectives.html#:~:text=A%20SMART%20objective%20is%20one,organization%20will%20achieve%20a%20goal.

▪ Incorporate health equity and population-specific considerations and how it will be addressed within each focus area. If the objective does not include these specifications, please indicate why.

• Establish a Steering Committee (Year 1, to be maintained in Years 2 through 5. This may be a subset of the Regional Coordinating Body).

• Establish a regional center (Year 1, to be maintained in Years 2 through 5).

◦ Develop activities to implement the Five-Year Regional Work Plan in Year 1.

◦ Implementation and evaluation of activities to address the Five-Year Regional Work Plan should begin in Year 2. You should include a plan to implement all Year 2 activities in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan template. This work requires an evaluation plan for one to two strategies or interventions you will implement in Years 2 through 5 of the performance period.

Component B Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

• Establish a Steering Committee (Year 1, to be maintained in Years 2 through 5. This may be a subset of the Regional Coordinating Body)

• Establish a regional center (Year 1, to be maintained in Years 2 through 5)

• Develop, implement, and evaluate activities to meet objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan, FY2024 – 2029 provided by CDC to recipients of this cooperative agreement in regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, to increase uptake of EBSIs. The Five-Year Regional Work Plans (established under a FY23 contract) will include focus areas, partners, roles, and resources needed to accomplish the plan’s objectives.

◦ Ensure objectives meet the SMART criteria.

◦ Implementation and evaluation of activities should begin as soon as possible and must begin by the third quarter of Year 1.

◦ You should include a plan to implement all activities in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan template. This work requires an evaluation plan for one to two strategies or interventions you will implement per year of the period of performance.

Component C Coordinate and support technical assistance to the network of regional centers. (Years 1 – 5; optional)

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 14 https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/practice/resources/phqitoolbox/objectives.html#:~:text=A%20SMART%20objective%20is%20one,organization%20will%20achieve%20a%20goal.

Component D Plan and implement additional activities to conduct basic and applied research, conduct evaluation, support expansion of EBSIs, and enhance the PHPR workforce’s scientific capabilities and other activities requested by the agency. (optional)

• Developing a regional work plan and activities to address needs of an underserved population and implementing and evaluating those activities.

• Implementing and evaluating strategies and interventions to address future and current preparedness for, response to, and recovery from public health events.

• Translating and disseminating information about strategies and interventions necessary to address future and current preparedness for, response to, and recovery from public health events.

• Educating and training practitioners to enhance the PHPR science workforce.

• Conducting basic or applied research or using and expanding relevant technological and analytical capabilities to inform future and current public health and medical response and recovery efforts.

Component E To be considered for funding any time during the five-year period of performance, applicants must submit proposals in the application package for this NOFO.

• Establish working groups and develop and implement regional activities for a Five-Year Regional Work Plans for tribal, rural or frontier community. If funded, CDC will provide work plans that have been developed under previous contract to regions 8, 9 and 10 (tribal, Regions 8 and 10 and Pacific Islands, Region 9) (optional, pending availability of funds). Other regions will need to propose the development of regional Four-Year work plans in collaboration with working groups, in addition to developing and implementing regional activities addressing the regional work plan (optional, pending availability of funds).

• Establish working groups and pilot test plans and processes supporting a regional data ecosystem model relevant to one of the 10 HHS regions. If funded in regions 4, 8 or 10, CDC will provide ecosystem models that have been developed under previous contract (optional, pending availability of funds). Other regions will need to propose the development of ecosystem models in collaboration with working groups, in addition to

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 15 pilot testing plans and processes supporting the regional data ecosystem model (optional, pending availability of funds).

Program logic model The following logic model includes the strategies and activities required under this NOFO. It also includes the program’s expected outcomes. The outcomes with an asterisk (*) are those we expect you to achieve during the five-year period of performance.

Outcomes are the results that you intend to achieve and usually show the intended direction of change, such as increase or decrease.

Not all outcomes apply to all strategies. The table shows how they apply. You will use these outcomes as a guide for developing performance measures.

Table: Components A and B

Strategies and Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate

Outcomes Long-term Outcomes

Regions 1, 2, and 5

Strategy 1a: Establish a Regional Coordinating Body

Strategy 1a: Develop and disseminate a Five-Year Regional Work Plan

Inclusion of voices of communities in the region*

Documentation of regional focus areas, objectives, and prioritized strategies and interventions to implement*

Increased knowledge and awareness of regional priorities, objectives, and available strategies and interventions to meet objectives

Increased collaboration and coordination in regional planning and increased opportunities to enhance reach or scale of implementation of EBSIs

All 10 regions

Strategy 1b: Establish a Regional PHPR Center

Established regional coordination and collaboration structure to increase implementation of EBSIs*

Increased collaboration and coordination with other regional initiatives to increase the potential reach or scale of implementation of EBSIs*

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 16

Strategies and Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate

Outcomes Long-term Outcomes

Strategy 2: Establish a Steering Committee

Increased communication, coordination, and sharing of resources among regional participants and partners*

Inclusion of voices of communities in the region*

Increased STLT HD awareness of, availability of, and/or access to effective EBSIs that align with the priority objectives, contexts, and populations described in the Five-Year Regional Work Plans

Improved PHPR, supported by enhanced regional coordination and collaboration, and informed by the PHPR needs of the communities (and regions) involved

Strategy 3: Develop activities to meet objectives prioritized in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan

Established plan to meet the objectives*

Strategy 4: Execute and evaluate activities included in your plans for implementation

Executed activities including development, implementation, and evaluation of EBSIs*

Increased STLT health department and partner implementation of EBSIs*

Improved PHPR, supported by enhanced regional coordination and collaboration, and informed by the PHPR needs of the communities (and regions) involved

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 17

Table: Component C

Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate

Outcomes Long-term Outcomes

Strategy 5:

Coordinate and provide technical assistance to the network of regional centers

Increased communication, coordination, and sharing of resources, knowledge, and best practices across regions nationally by centers and partners*

Improved awareness and ability to develop and implement EBSIs*

Increased collaboration and coordination with other regional centers in the network to reduce redundancies or increase the reach or scale of implementation of EBSIs*

Improved PHPR, supported by enhanced regional coordination and collaboration, and informed by the PHPR needs of the communities (and regions) involved

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 18

Table: Component D

Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate Outcomes Long-Term

Outcomes

Strategy 6: Develop a two- or three-year regional work plan and activities to address needs of an underserved population

Coordinated, targeted regional effort to identify and prioritize needs of an underserved population*

Complete implementation of regional activities to address needs of underserved populations*

Improved PHPR for underserved populations, supported by enhanced regional coordination and collaboration, and informed by the PHPR needs of the communities (and regions) involved

Strategy 7: Apply or enhance the evidence base through development, implementation, evaluation, dissemination or translation of strategies and interventions to address active emergencies or recovery from public health events that occur during the funded period

Creation of new strategies and interventions*

Increased dissemination of and access to EBSIs relevant to active response or recovery*

Creation of intervention knowledge relevant to current and potential future public health emergency responses and recovery*

Availability of new EBSIs*

Uptake of new intervention knowledge relevant to current and potential future public health emergency responses and recovery*

Uptake and implementation of EBSIs by PHPR system partners during active response and recovery

Strategy 8: Enrich education and training of practitioners to enhance the PHPR science workforce

Expanded offerings and uptake of training and education to strengthen the PHPR scientific workforce*

Enhance the broader science capabilities of the PHPR workforce*

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 19

Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate Outcomes Long-Term

Outcomes

Strategy 9: Conduct basic or applied research or use and expand relevant technological and analytical capabilities to inform public health and medical response and recovery efforts

Increase in knowledge, technologies, analytic capabilities, strategies and interventions*

Improved PHPR

Table: Component E

Strategies and Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate

Outcomes Long-Term Outcomes

Strategy 10: Develop and implement regional activities to address needs of a pre-identified underserved population informed by Five-Year PHPR work plans for tribal, rural, or frontier areas

New plans and activities to address needs of underserved populations*

Complete implementation of regional activities to address needs of underserved populations*

Improved PHPR, supported by enhanced regional coordination and collaboration, and informed by the PHPR needs of the communities (and regions) involved

Strategy 11: Pilot test plans and processes supporting a pre-established regional data ecosystem model

Partners coordinated and foundations established to implement regional data ecosystem model*

Complete data ecosystem model pilot*

Enhanced collection, sharing, and use of data in regions during public health emergencies*

Improved PHPR, supported by enhanced regional coordination and collaboration, and informed by the PHPR needs of the communities (and regions) involved

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 20

Strategies & activities This section elaborates on the strategies and activities described in the logic model and provides details on expectations of recipients to implement the

NOFO.

We intend for this program’s strategies and activities to ensure that regional centers follow the program’s statutory requirements and intent. The goal is to increase implementation of EBSIs as informed by communities in the regions and their needs for PHPR. The centers will use the Five-Year Regional Work Plans as their guide. CDC will provide these plans for HHS Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, while the regional centers themselves will develop plans for HHS Regions 1, 2, and 5.

Your application must include Component A (HHS Regions 1, 2, and 5) or Component B (HHS Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10).

Component A (HHS Regions 1, 2, and 5) Focus:

• Establishing a Regional Coordinating Body (Year 1 only).

• Developing a Five-Year Regional Work Plan, FY2025-2030 with priority areas and objectives, and STLT PHPR focus areas (at least three) (Year 1 only).

• Establishing a Steering Committee (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 –

5. This may be a subset of the Regional Coordinating Body).

• Establishing a regional center (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 – 5)

• Developing activities to meet the objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan.

Component B (HHS Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10) Focus:

• Establishing a Steering Committee (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 –

5. This may be a subset of the Regional Coordinating Body established under previous contracts).

• Establishing a regional center (Year 1, to be maintained in years 2 – 5).

• Developing activities to meet the objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan.

• Developing a plan to implement the activities.

• Implementing those activities by the third quarter of Year 1.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 21

• Developing evaluation plans for one to two strategies or interventions per year of the period of performance.

Strategy 1a: Develop a Five-Year Regional Work Plan

When: Year 1 Who: Any funded recipient in each of HHS Regions 1, 2, and 5

Activity 1

• Establish and convene a Regional Coordinating Body (a subset of whom may also serve as the Steering Committee for the regional center) of applicable STLT health departments and officials; health care facilities and health care coalitions; academic, public, and private partners; and individuals who have experience working with underserved populations, including tribal communities. Individuals should have relevant knowledge in public health emergency preparedness and response and/or emergency management specific to the STLT needs within the region.

• Discuss with your Regional Coordinating Body the major disasters and risks expected in the region over the next five years, along with resources available to deal with them; especially for populations at greatest risk.

Include discussion of EBSIs relevant to the greatest risks in the region.

• Use this information about needs, risks, and resources to create your Five-Year Regional Work Plan. This plan should cover focus areas, known or needed strategies or interventions, and action plans for each. These plans should include training, translating, implementing, or developing and evaluating new approaches.

Activity 2

• Coordinate with the Regional Coordinating Body to establish priorities and objectives based on PHPR focus areas that would benefit from translation, dissemination, and evaluation of EBSIs.

• Focus areas may be broad and be based on things like public health emergency type and you may select focus areas related to specific underserved populations or systems change to increase equitable access to PHPR-related resources and services.

Activity 3

• Set specific priorities (at least three) in the focus areas that consider what the regional health departments, and their academic, public, and private partners can do. These priorities should be specific and focus on strategies or interventions that STLT health departments or public health coordinators can carry out with help from a regional center.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 22 https://emergency.cdc.gov/hazards-specific.asp https://emergency.cdc.gov/hazards-specific.asp

Activity 4

Create a Five-Year Regional Work Plan that includes:

• Descriptions of regional focus areas where STLT PHPR can improve by using new or enhanced EBSIs, especially to promote health equity.

• Strategies to understand and, as applicable, address known health disparities and prioritize disproportionately affected populations from the public health threat and emergencies and list potential groups that have been historically affected per previous response and recovery efforts. This includes engagement with partners from communities or organizations. These partners and organizations should represent populations experiencing health disparities related to PHPR.

• A list of existing and needed approaches to meet these needs, including consideration of the ability of STLT health departments to carry them out.

If needed, plans may recommend developing and evaluating new strategies or interventions to enhance the region’s ability to prepare and respond to public health emergencies.

Activity 5

• Disseminate the Five-Year Regional Work Plan to the members of the Regional Coordinating Body and CDC.

Strategy 1b: Establish a Regional PHPR Center

When: Year 1 Who: Any funded regional recipients

Activity 1

• Establish the staffing plan and management structure, including hiring necessary staff.

Activity 2

• Establish the partnership and collaboration structure. We require regional centers to collaborate with STLT health departments and PHPR partners, including health care facilities and coalitions, in their HHS Region. See also Steering Committee in Strategy 2.

Activity 3

• Establish performance management systems to monitor organizational objectives.

Activity 4

• Establish and maintain effective financial management systems.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 23

Activity 5

• Identify and build mechanisms that enable the regional center to coordinate with equivalent regional entities, such as Regional Disaster Health Response Systems in your HHS region.

Activity 6

• Coordinate and collaborate across regional centers and with national partners. This might include sharing promising practices and new EBSIs developed, including in networking meetings organized under Component B activities.

Activity 7

• Collaborate with partners to create a simple plan that ensures sustainability of the relationships, resources, and activities established by the center. This includes hosting access to training materials, strategies, and interventions. The goal is to continue regional coordination among partners even after federal funding ends.

Strategy 2: Establish a Regional Steering Committee

When: Year 1 Who: Any funded regional recipients

Activity 1

Identify members for the Steering Committee from across the HHS region.

We require regional centers to collaborate with STLT health departments and PHPR partners, including health care facilities and coalitions, in their region.

• Develop the relationships needed for planning, coordinating, collaborating, and implementing the Five-Year Regional Work Plan.

• Regional centers can include participants from regional coordinating bodies established through contracts in 2023 or in Strategy 1a. We will provide more information about these bodies on request.

• The Steering Committee should have a constitution and structure that balances inclusiveness and overall representation throughout the regions, both in terms of key sectors and population demographics. The committees should include partners from communities or organizations representing populations experiencing prioritized health disparities. The committee should be small enough to be manageable and productive.

Check the Collaborations section for details on who should be part of the committee.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 24 https://aspr.hhs.gov/RDHRS/Pages/default.aspx https://aspr.hhs.gov/RDHRS/Pages/default.aspx

Activity 2

• Propose and implement a charter for the Steering Committee that helps successfully carry out and coordinate the activities in this NOFO.

Activity 3

• Work with the Steering Committee to obtain input, review of, and support for Strategies 3, 4, and 5.

Strategy 3: Develop activities to meet objectives prioritized in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan

When: Year 1 Who: Any funded regional recipients

• Most of the work you conduct as a regional center will be implementing activities developed for the Five-Year Regional Work Plan. The approach for each activity may differ and may result in various methods including:

◦ Developing activities to meet objectives.

◦ Implementing the activity directly.

◦ Helping to coordinate implementation.

◦ Supporting implementation by providing technical assistance, training, or guidance.

• You may determine that EBSIs do not exist to meet the prioritized objectives. In that case, we encourage you to develop new or modified strategies and interventions to meet these needs and enhance the knowledge base. If this is done, you must develop, submit, and implement an evaluation plan.

• Describe your approach for engagement with partners from communities or organizations representing populations experiencing prioritized health disparities to inform and develop Work Plan activities.

Activity 1

• Review the Five-Year Regional Work Plan provided by CDC (Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) or developed in Strategy 1a (Regions 1, 2, and 5).

• If, at any time, your regional center wants to modify the focus areas, priorities, or objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan, you must consult with and gain approval from your Steering Committee and CDC project officer.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 25

Activity 2

• Develop:

◦ Activities to meet objectives and support implementation of the Five- Year Regional Work Plan.

◦ A prioritized list of strategies and interventions you plan to implement and develop, if needed, over the next four or five years.

Note that the Five-Year Regional Work Plans you receive may include recommended activities. These activities should focus on increasing implementation of EBSIs.

◦ CDC will provide a FY23 EBSI inventory at the kick-off meeting. You may suggest EBSIs for inclusion in the inventory. You must consult your CDC project officer regarding use of strategies or interventions not in the inventory.

Activity 3

• Develop a plan to implement the activities over the remainder of the period of performance. Include this plan in your Five-year Regional Work Plan.

Your plans for implementation should:

• Focus on high priority objectives indicated in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan and associated activities.

• Consider contextual needs, resources, rules, expectations, employment laws, and any other policies and procedures that may inform the approaches selected.

• Include development and implementation of quality improvement processes for practices, processes, strategies, and interventions.

Activity 4

• Develop a plan to sustain implementation of evidence-based practices in the region after the Five-Year Regional Plan ends.

Activity 5

• Develop evaluation plans with 1 to 2 strategies or interventions designed to meet objectives with required quantitative and optional qualitative measures. The goal of evaluation is to make sure the strategies and interventions are implemented properly and are effective for the context and population they are intended to impact.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 26

Activity 6

• Complete the Five-year Regional Work plan and evaluation plan templates.

Upon award, CDC will provide templates for a Five-Year Regional Work plan and evaluation plans.

Strategy 4: Execute activities included in the Five-Year Regional Work plan

When and Who: Years 1 – 5 (Any funded recipient in each of HHS Regions 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10) When and Who: Years 2 – 5 (Any funded recipient in each of HHS Regions 1, 2, and 5)

In all planning, we expect centers to work with:

• At minimum, the CDC project officer, the Steering Committee, and state health departments within the region.

• As appropriate, tribal, local, and territory health departments may engage directly in implementation of evidence-based strategies.

• As appropriate, health care centers or health care coalitions.

• As appropriate, partners from communities or organizations representing populations experiencing health disparities pertinent to planned activities.

Activity 1

• Carry out implementation of activities with partners, including health care facilities and health care coalitions.

Activity 2

• Conduct evaluations as described in your evaluation plans.

Activity 3

• Employ quality improvement processes to ensure appropriate coordination, collaboration, and implementation.

Component C This component is optional. We will make one award to a selected Component A or B recipient. Component C provides coordination and technical assistance to the entire national network of regional centers.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 27

Strategy 5: Coordinate and provide technical assistance to the network of regional centers

When: Years 1 – 5 Who: Selected center

Activity 1

• Within three months of the award, coordinate a virtual networking meeting with up to two participants per funded regional center to:

◦ Introduce all parties involved.

◦ Discuss project objectives and activities.

◦ Review coordination and alignment of efforts.

◦ Discuss other pertinent issues and activities to support the network of regional centers.

Activity 2

• Plan and host virtual meetings every two months. You may facilitate discussions regarding relevant updates, barriers, challenges, opportunities, and proposed solutions to activities in the NOFO. You may host presentations by other centers, external experts or regional federal and non-federal partners.

Activity 3

• At or shortly after the award, we will provide you with an inventory established under an FY2023 contract. The inventory includes a subset of existing EBSIs for PHPR practice. You will enhance it at least once a year during and after FY24 to incorporate new EBSIs identified through the network of regional centers through coordination and literature reviews, as appropriate.

Activity 4

• Provide technical assistance (TA) to the regional centers in coordination with STLT health departments and partners to increase implementation of EBSIs.

• Provide TA to the regional centers on how to best coordinate and communicate with STLT health departments and other relevant PHPR system partners to increase implementation of EBSIs. This includes sharing strategies, approaches, scientific documents, templates, and resources.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 28

Activity 5

• Collaborate with CDC staff as needed to plan and execute TA activities, including use of CDC-provided templates to ensure consistent products across regions.

Component D Each strategy within Component D is optional and will be assessed and funded separately. You may submit capabilities for any of the following strategies. You should work toward understanding and decreasing known health disparities in your region. In planning and implementation of the strategies you should include partners from communities or organizations representing populations experiencing health disparities in PHPR.

We may activate funding of strategies in this component if funds are available.

Component D strategies include:

• Developing a regional work plan and activities to address PHPR needs of an underserved population.

• Implementing and evaluating strategies and interventions to address future and current preparedness for, response to, and recovery from public health events.

• Translating and disseminating information about strategies and interventions necessary to address future and current preparedness for, response to, and recovery from public health events.

• Educating and training practitioners to enhance the PHPR science workforce.

• Conducting basic or applied research or using and expanding relevant technological and analytical capabilities to address future and current preparedness for, response to, and recovery from public health events.

If you would like to be considered for future research funding in any of this component’s areas, in your project narrative:

• Describe how you will establish a research program that will allow you to develop, adapt, evaluate, and broadly implement strategies, interventions, technologies, or tools for use in public health that align with the relevant component. This should include your process for obtaining human subjects research approval.

• Explain how the research program will ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements for proposed research activities.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 29

• Do not propose work supported by other CDC-funded grants or cooperative agreements in your institution or agency.

• Provide two examples of how you would use your capabilities to support public health emergency response or recovery.

Strategy 6: Develop a two- or three-year regional work plan and activities to address needs of an underserved population

When: Years 1 – 5 Who: Any funded regional recipients

Activity 1

• In Year 1, in collaboration with the Steering Committee, identify an underserved population with the Steering Committee.

Activity 2

• In Year 1, establish a regional underserved population working group to develop a regional work plan and regional activities that address needs of the underserved population identified. This group is separate from Steering Committee and should represent the underserved population, though membership may overlap.

• Regional centers may build upon and incorporate participation from entities contributing to the regional coordinating bodies established under contract in FY2023. CDC will provide information about those bodies upon request.

• The working group should have a constitution and structure that balances inclusiveness and overall representation. The working group should be small enough to be manageable and productive. Check the Collaborations section for details on who should be part of the committee.

Activity 3

• In project Year 1, develop a two- or three-year regional underserved population work plan to address needs of the identified underserved population.

• Engage the regional underserved population working group for this strategy.

• When establishing priority activities within these focus areas, consider the needs, capacity, and capability of the regional health departments, academic, public, and private partners. This includes community organizations or representatives from the underserved population of interest.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 30

Activity 4

• In project Year 2, a plan to implement activities in the underserved population work plan.

• Engage the regional underserved population working group to develop your implementation plan for the regional work plan created in Activity 3.

Prioritize development or uptake of EBSIs by health departments and partners to address underserved population needs.

• When establishing priority activities within these focus areas, consider the needs, capacity, and capability of the regional health departments, academic, public, and private partners. This includes community organizations or representatives from the underserved population of interest. Consider the following resources: Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services - Think Cultural Health (hhs.gov), Social Determinants of Health - Healthy People 2030 | health.gov, NCCDPHP_SDOH-Measures-List-2.10.22.pdf (cdc.gov), and Health Equity Intervention and Action Principles | Health Equity Projects | CDC.

Activity 5

• As early as the fourth quarter of Year 1 and as funding is available, implement activities included in the underserved population work plan to increase implementation of EBSIs by STLT health departments to address needs of underserved populations.

Activity 6

• Develop an evaluation plan.

• Evaluate processes and outcomes.

• Disseminate results.

Strategy 7: Apply or enhance the evidence base through development, implementation, evaluation, dissemination, or translation of strategies and interventions

When: Years 1 – 5 Who: Any funded regional recipients

Activity 1

• Work within your region to support implementation and evaluation of strategies and interventions.

• Activities may include:

◦ Identifying, translating, and disseminating promising research findings or strategies to increase implementation of EBSIs to inform

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity…