Foa_Content_of_HHS-2023-ACF-OPRE-PH-0031.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation

Center for Research on Hispanic Children and Families

HHS-2023-ACF-OPRE-PH-0031

Application Due Date: 06/07/2023

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Appendix

Funding Opportunity Title:

Center for Research on Hispanic Children and Families Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2023-ACF-OPRE-PH-0031

Primary CFDA Number:

93.575 Due Date for Applications:

06/07/2023 Executive Summary

Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

This 5-year cooperative agreement will fund a research center to lead and support investigation of the needs of Hispanic populations served by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among Hispanic children and families with low-incomes. This research center (hereafter referred to as "Center") will bring together a diverse, interdisciplinary team of academic, organizational, and community-based partners to provide leadership in culturally competent research that can inform policies concerning Hispanic families with low-incomes and to foster significant scholarship regarding the needs and experiences of the diverse Hispanic populations throughout the nation. Through a combination of research, research capacity building, and communication activities, this Center will address a range of relevant issues including, but not limited to, the following: a) definition and measurement of significant characteristics and experiences of Hispanic individuals, families, and communities; b) identification of barriers and facilitators of service utilization by Hispanic populations; c) examination of strategies to promote the social and economic well-being of Hispanic children and families and to strengthen Hispanic families; and d) evaluation of promising approaches to serving Hispanic populations.

The Center will be expected to develop research and data products, resources, and a comprehensive communication plan that aims to build research capacity in the field and to improve understanding of Hispanic populations in order to inform policy development and programmatic responses. The Center will focus broadly on child care and early education, Head Start, services to support self-sufficiency and economic mobility of families with low-incomes, and related issues such as family stability and children's healthy development and learning. The Center will also focus on the use and accessibility of data to inform human services policy https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant and enable data-driven service delivery and program administration.

The Center will be funded through a cooperative agreement. See Section II. Award Information for a description of the substantial involvement of the Federal Project Officer (FPO) of ACF in the performance of the grant recipient who is awarded this cooperative agreement.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority -Social Security Act, section 413, as amended by the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31), Title IV-A: Block Grants to States for the Temporary Assistance of Needy Families (42 U.S.C. 613)

-Social Services Research and Demonstration: Title XI, part A, section 1110 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1310) -Child Care and Development Block Grant: section 658O of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9858m) -Head Start Act, section 649 as amended by the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act, 2007 (42 U.S.C. 9844)

Description

A. PURPOSE AND PRIORITIES

ACF is interested in better understanding how Hispanic populations served by ACF access, experience, and benefit from ACF programs; systematic differences in their experiences with ACF programs; and factors associated with any differences.

The Center is intended to inform ACF efforts to assess policies, program implementation, and practices that may (1) contribute to disparities in access to services, enrollment in services, or in service delivery outcomes, or (2) reduce disparities. Center activities should aim to inform the goals and priorities outlined in the Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government and support implementation of the goals outlined in the ACF Strategic Plan.

In particular, the Center should leverage a strengths-based lens to inform the following ACF program and policy priorities:

1. The diverse characteristics and underlying needs of low-income Hispanic children and families;

2. Disparities in enrollment, access, services, outcomes, and policies, and changes in disparities over time;

3. Program and policy implementation, structural barriers, implementation practices, and other factors that may contribute to or reduce disparities;

4. Data needs that can support policy development and program implementation and promising data practices that can be used to address equity concerns and reduce disparities around ACF program enrollment, access, services, and outcomes; and

5. Strategies and promising practices to improve the self-sufficiency, stable employment, economic mobility, early learning, health, stability, and well-being of low-income Hispanic families and their children.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.acf.hhs.gov/about/acf-strategic-plan-2022

To effectively inform these ACF program and policy priorities, the Center should collaboratively engage with and incorporate the voices and experiences of ACF program participants, personnel delivering services, and other community members.

The work of the Center will be supported by research funds connected to multiple related areas of ACF programming, and the activities funded by the Center will focus on the issues listed above specifically in light of the programmatic goals in these areas. Consistent with statutory authority, the Center's resources and activities should be dedicated proportionately to reflect the purposes of the funding streams supporting the Center. They are, as follows:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

The TANF block grant provides funds to states, eligible territories, and tribes to support a wide range of efforts to promote family economic stability. For example, TANF grant dollars are used for programs that promote job readiness through education and training; to provide assistance with child care, transportation, or other services that support employment activities; and to improve services that support family strengthening. One of the goals of the Center will be to increase understanding of how TANF and other programs that serve TANF and TANF-eligible populations can best support the self-sufficiency and economic well-being of Hispanic families.

Priority areas of interest include, but are not limited to, equitable access to and delivery of human services; provision of supports critical to family stabilization such as cash assistance and housing; whole-family and community-based approaches to supporting economic and social well-being; and effective strategies for promoting career advancement including skill-building approaches and occupational training. Funds authorized by the Social Security Act, section 413 for research activities in this area contribute $500,000, or approximately 32 percent, of the Center’s total funds.

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF aims to help low-income working families pay for child care and to improve the quality of child care for all children. One of the goals of the Center will be to increase understanding of child care and early education issues for low-income Hispanic families, including questions about improving access to high-quality child care and early education, supporting the needs of working parents, and implementation of child care and early education systems that equitably support Hispanic children, and families. Research funds associated with CCDF contribute $500,000, or approximately 32 percent, of the Center’s total funds.

Head Start.

Head Start programs offer early learning; and nutritional, health, social, family well-being, and other services. Head Start programs are delivered through direct grants from the federal government to agencies in local communities throughout the nation that provide services in centers, schools, family child care homes, and through home visiting. One of the goals of the Center will be to inform efforts to promote equity in approaches to reach, recruit, and sustain enrollment of Hispanic families. In addition, a goal of the Center will be to improve understanding of approaches to support the diverse strengths and needs of Hispanic families served by Head Start programs and Head Start staff, including those served by and working in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs. The Center’s Head Start work may explore implementation and outcomes of culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate family engagement, professional development, program policies, and teaching and learning practices.

Research funds associated with Head Start contribute $500,000, or approximately 32 percent, of the Center’s total funds.

Social Services Research and Demonstration.

Section 1110 of the Social Security Act authorizes research and demonstration projects such as those which will help improve the administration and effectiveness of programs carried on or assisted under the Social Security Act and related programs. One of the goals of the Center will be to inform data sharing– including open data, or data that is made available to the public– and collaboration efforts to enable policy development and data-driven service delivery and program administration. Research funds associated with Social Services Research and Demonstration contribute $50,000 or approximately 3 percent, of the Center’s total funds.

Consistent with statutory authority, the Center’s expenditures that are paid with these grant funds may only be paid from an ACF programmatic area that authorizes such an expenditure. This means that the grant recipient will need to ensure that funds from each of the individual areas of ACF programming are only used to support costs that fall within that area. This may be accomplished by either:

1. Retaining the amount of funds that are from each of the sources in separate accounts, one pertaining to each program, and ensuring that each account is only used to pay costs that fall within that program’s purpose, or;

2. Retaining the entire grant award (the funds from all four areas of ACF programming) in one account, and allot the funds to each program area, while ensuring that the total amount of costs paid in each program area does not exceed the amount of funding that was awarded from that program area.

It is expected that some of the Center’s costs will be cross-cutting (i.e., fall within the scope of multiple program areas). In these instances, the grant recipient generally has discretion to select the program area to be charged. Any questions concerning this should be directed to the grants officer.

B. GRANT PROGRAM GOALS

The Center will be responsible for pursuing three key goals:

1. Advancing Research: Planning, initiating, and maintaining a focused research program to address key research questions of interest;

2. Building Research Capacity: Developing capacity in the scientific community to conduct research that is relevant to ACF program and policy goals as well as research that is valid, and culturally anchored in the experiences of Hispanic children and families in the United States; and

3. Communicating Research: Developing and maintaining an innovative communication plan and dissemination system to share research and information with key partners and the broader field.

Each of these goals should be a priority for the Center, and the grant recipient is expected to develop and realize a program that appropriately balances the Center’s core infrastructure and administrative responsibilities with each of these three key program goals. It is also expected that the grant recipient will identify and develop effective strategies to sustain project activities in support of the grant program's goals after the period of federal funding ends. These goals and the related responsibilities of the Center are discussed in more detail below.

1. Advancing Research The Center will be expected to plan, initiate, and maintain a focused and high-caliber research program. The Center’s program of research should build on the existing literature related to low-income and vulnerable Hispanic children and families and should be relevant to the needs and interests of ACF, as well as of value to the field more generally. The research program may blend national, regional, and state issues, as needed. It may include ongoing or new social, behavioral, and economic policy-related research projects, including pilot and feasibility studies;

evaluation of service approaches and program or policy implementation; development, testing, and refinement of research methods and instruments; secondary analysis of available data sets; or original data collections, as necessary to address ACF program and policy priorities.

All research activities supported with ACF funds must meet standards of scientific rigor and objectivity. The Center will strive for recognition from the research and policy communities for its scientific quality, fairness, and program and policy relevance. The research program should include basic and applied research, quantitative and qualitative research methods, primary data collection, and secondary data analyses, as best suited for the research questions and objectives pursued by the Center. The research program should support Center staff and other affiliated researchers in completing research that informs ACF’s programmatic priorities. The Center should provide intellectual leadership in the national research community by establishing links with a broad range of scholars external to the awardee through a combination of mechanisms, which may include (but is not limited to) leadership roles, partnerships with other institutions of higher education, visiting and postdoctoral appointments, research assistantships, an extramural program of nonresident grants, etc.

The research program should include multi-disciplinary and multi-method approaches to address questions of significance to ACF, beyond what is possible from analysis within the framework of a single discipline or method. The Center team should possess competency in a range of economic, social, and behavioral disciplines and research methodologies, and the cultural and linguistic expertise required to meet Center objectives. Planning and execution of the research program shall always consider the program and policy implications of research findings in a non-partisan manner. The Center should link research to public and private efforts to improve the lives of low-income Hispanic individuals and families. A Steering Committee made up of both Center and federal staff will meet regularly to review and refine plans for Center activities. A Technical Work Group will meet to provide input for the Center’s activities.

Approximately 50-60 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to the goal of advancing research.

2. Building Research Capacity The Center is expected to build research capacity and infrastructure to conduct valid and culturally competent research addressing questions of significance for ACF policies/programs within Hispanic populations. The Center will be responsible for developing tools, resources, and approaches for the field to conduct rigorous and valid research with Hispanic populations with low incomes. In addition, the Center is expected to contribute to the development and expansion of a diverse corps of emerging scholars/researchers who focus their research on the experiences of vulnerable Hispanic populations and those with low incomes, and on policies and programs to promote social and economic well-being among Hispanic families. In order to promote such research broadly in the field, the Center is expected to provide training and mentoring activities to support and encourage the work of emerging scholars/researchers investigating relevant questions (e.g., Ph.D. candidates, postdoctoral scholars, graduate research assistants), not only at the award institution, but also at other institutions. The Center should pursue innovative approaches to foster rigorous, relevant research and to encourage a diverse group of scholars to develop careers in policy-relevant research concerning vulnerable Hispanic children and families and those with low incomes.

Approximately 20-30 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to the goal of building research capacity.

3. Communicating Research Making knowledge and information available to ACF’s audiences is another integral goal of the Center. The Center will be expected to develop and maintain a communication plan and dissemination system that broadly and efficiently communicates research findings and aims to increase use of research, data, and relevant resources for a wide audience including researchers, federal and state policymakers, ACF grant recipients, and program administrators.

Communication planning will be comprehensive and utilize diverse media, channels, and strategic partnerships as best suited to connect target audiences with the research findings and resources that can inform their work. The Center’s dissemination system will include traditional, social, and innovative media, such as developing accessible written, visual, and audio products;

holding events, such as webinars, workshops, roundtables, or symposia; and engaging in outreach activities such as listening sessions and presentations at research and practice-focused gatherings, collaboration with ACF technical assistance providers, and meetings with stakeholders and community members to inform stakeholders and to inform Center communication activities. The Center’s communication plan will demonstrate strong links to the goals and objectives of the Center.

Approximately 10-20 percent of the Center’s overall effort should be dedicated to the goal of communicating research.

C. GRANT PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The Center’s organizational structure will include the following key elements: the Center Director (or co-Directors); the Center’s staff and academic partners; a Steering Committee; and a Technical Work Group. Each of these elements is described below:

Center Director. The Director of the Center will be the primary Center personnel representing the Center across all activities. His or her expertise, knowledge, and skills will inform each portion of the Center's activities and will contribute directly to the collaborative efforts involved.

Through his or her efforts, the Center will advance the state of research concerning low-income and vulnerable Hispanic children and families. The Director will not only be primarily responsible for the successful completion of the Center’s research activities, but will also be responsible for establishing and maintaining coherence in goals and purpose across the Center’s activities and collaboration across the various structural elements and participants in the Center’s activities.

The Director must have a Ph.D. or equivalent for their field and should be an established expert as demonstrated by a substantial body of published work, including peer-reviewed articles related to low-income and vulnerable Hispanic children and families. Gaps in the Director’s skills should be addressed through additional Center leadership and staff, subcontracts with other institutions and organizations, and partnerships with other scholars and professionals (i.e., Co- Directors, consultants, logistics management support, research team members). Changes in the Center Director during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by ACF.

It will be of key importance that the Director commits appropriate time and effort to the Center, to ensure ongoing management and oversight, and high-quality results and products. The grant recipient should inform the FPO regarding any significant changes in these time demands over the course of the project period.

Center Staff and Partners. The Center’s staff and partners (i.e., project managers, coordinators, writers, data collectors, subcontracted research and logistics support, research partners) are critical to the success of all of the Center’s activities. The Center team must include individuals with experience and skills for completing research with Hispanic children and families of low-incomes, including sufficient bilingual staff to support all Center activities. The Center team must include individuals with expertise in ACF's program and policy priorities as identified in Section I. Program Description. The Center team must also include staff with competencies and experience required to support high-quality and effective dissemination of Center products and resources. Gaps in Director or Co-Director abilities may be addressed by identified strengths in the Center’s staff and partners. It will be of key importance that key Center staff commit appropriate time and effort to the Center to ensure completion of a robust research program and communications. Key Center staff include the Center Director(s) (or Principal Investigator(s)) and other key staff, such as senior research staff, project managers, communications and technical personnel, etc. The grant recipient is encouraged to seek out and partner with other organizations, research institutions, and experts throughout the course of funding, given the depth of expertise that is required by this project. Changes in key personnel during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by ACF.

Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will consist of the Center’s Director (or Co- Directors, if applicable), other selected key Center personnel, the FPO from Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), and other representatives of ACF (as needed and available).

This Steering Committee will meet regularly to discuss the Center’s plans, activities, and progress, with a focus on ACF’s goals for the Center. The Center Director and staff will be responsible for day-to-day operations and decisions. The Steering Committee will:

(a) Provide input on plans and products of the Center with an eye towards the Center's short- and long-term goals;

(b) Identify supplemental activities to address emerging programmatic concerns;

(c) Identify and support opportunities for dissemination of the Center's work;

(d) Identify opportunities for the Center to consult with policymakers and other key stakeholders;

(e) Facilitate communication and collaboration with other ACF-sponsored projects; and

(f) Provide problem-solving feedback regarding Center activities.

The committee will meet via teleconference or in person as needed to support strong communication across the Center staff, clarity and consistency in the Center’s mission and procedures, and a robust research portfolio.

Community, Programmatic, Policy, and Research Engagement. The Center will engage community, programmatic, policy, and research experts to inform the rigor and relevance of the Center. This includes engagement, as appropriate, across the lifecycle of various Center activities from initial planning to external review of products as well as to inform communication efforts.

One component of this engagement shall be the establishment of a Technical Work Group made up of experts and community members from outside of the grant recipient/funded institution(s), with research, programmatic, and/or lived expertise in ACF’s priorities of concern regarding Hispanic children and families. Those with lived expertise may include individuals who have participated in, are currently participating in, or may be eligible for participation in ACF or other human services programs, as well as those who have served as administrators or directors of such programs. This group will provide input and feedback to inform priorities and refine plans for Center activities. The Technical Work Group will be regarded as a resource for the Center, supporting the Center in defining the state of the field; identifying forward-looking questions, concerns, and major gaps in the knowledge base; and in ensuring that the Center’s work will build research capacity while addressing issues relevant to policy and program leaders. The Center should convene and engage this group purposefully to help realize ACF’s goals for the Center and to expand the reach of the Center’s activities. Efforts will be made in selecting this group to assure representation from a broad range of organizations (such as academic, research, policy, and program organizations) and fields of study. To enable deeper discussions on selected topics and connections among experts and stakeholders, it is expected that the Technical Work Group will meet together at least once each year, via teleconference or in person, as needed.

D. ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF GRANT RECIPIENT

In support of the overarching grant program goals detailed in Section I.B., the Center will be responsible for the following additional tasks:

Supplemental Activities. During the course of the project period, the Center will be called upon to complete several supplemental activities, as needed, to respond to pressing research and policy needs that fall within the scope of the Center. For designing, refining, and carrying out these supplemental projects, the Center will work through a consultative process with federal staff, and as needed and appropriate, with additional consultants and the Technical Work Group. The

Center is expected to plan for approximately 10 percent of its effort to support such activities. It is expected that these activities may overlap to some extent with projects/efforts developed in pursuit of the Center's primary research, research capacity building, and communication goals.

Specific supplemental activities will be identified during the course of the grant. However, a few examples of potential activities include:

Developing research briefs on specific topics of interest to ACF programs;

Development and pilot testing of culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate research protocols to better engage and reflect the experiences of Hispanic individuals and families of low-incomes; and

Development and validation of measures for inclusion in federal research examining experiences of Hispanic populations with ACF programs.

Meetings and Conferences. Participation in meetings and conferences can help deepen understanding, strengthen connections, and promote collaboration among individuals, institutions, and perspectives. In support of the research capacity-building and communication goals of this grant program, the grant recipient will be expected to attend (and, in some cases, to host) the following required meetings and conferences should they be held in-person. The proposed budget should reflect travel funds for the Director and at least one key personnel to attend the required meetings and all costs and logistical support (i.e., hotel, travel) for any proposed meetings or conferencing activities.

Steering Committee. (Grant recipient will host/organize.) In addition to regular teleconferences, it may be appropriate for the entire Steering Committee to meet in person during the course of the project period. The Steering Committee is discussed in more detail in Section I.C.

Technical Work Group Meeting. (Grant recipient will host/organize.) The Center will host an annual consultation with the Technical Work Group. The Technical Work Group should be convened and individual members engaged throughout the course of the project; however, an annual meeting would be an opportunity for deeper, sustained discussion with the work group regarding Center priorities and plans, specific issues or priorities for the field, recent developments in the field, or opportunities for collaboration.

The Technical Work Group is discussed in more detail in Section I.C.

Child Care and Early Education Policy Research Consortium (CCEEPRC) Annual Meeting. (Grant recipient will attend.) It is expected that key Center personnel will attend the annual meeting of CCEEPRC, which is typically held in Washington, DC. The meeting brings together grant recipients and contracted researchers funded by ACF and federal and state CCDF administrators to discuss child care policy research and is an excellent opportunity for the Center to build relationships with key stakeholders and to discuss implications of research developments and the Center’s work.

ACF’s National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC). (Grant recipient will attend.) It is expected that key Center personnel will attend NRCEC, which is typically held biennially in the Washington, DC area. The next conference is expected to be held in June 2024. This conference aims to identify and disseminate research relevant to young children (birth to 8 years) and their families; encourage collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to build the evidence base for policy and practice; and foster discussion of research priorities, gaps, and needs.

Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS). (Grant recipient will attend.) It is expected that key Center personnel will attend the biennial RECS, which is typically held in Washington, DC. The next conference is expected to be held in May 2024. This conference brings together researchers and administrators to discuss cutting-edge research on family economic self-sufficiency and social welfare programs and policies.

Other opportunities to meet with ACF stakeholders. (Grant recipient will attend.) In addition, OPRE will identify and facilitate opportunities to present Center work and engage with federal and state policymakers, program administrators, ACF training and technical assistance providers, ACF-sponsored research teams, and other ACF audiences in order to maximize timely information sharing and coordination as appropriate. For example, the grant recipient may be asked to present at the annual meeting of state, territory, and tribal child care administrators (State and Territory Administrators Meeting (STAM)), which is typically held in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, or to participate remotely in briefings or webinars with ACF staff or technical assistance providers.

II. Federal Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$1,550,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$1,550,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$500,000 Per Budget Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$1,550,000 Per Budget Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

09/30/2023 Length of Project Periods:

60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other'

DEFINITIONS

Budget Period: The period of time for which funds are made available to a particular grant recipient. There will be five 12-month budget periods for the project period. The project period will be 60 months in length.

Project Period: The total length of the proposed project is 60 months. The project period start date will be no later than September 30, 2023. As an example, for a 60-month proposed project, the project period would start September 30, 2023, and end September 29, 2028.

Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this funding opportunity are subject to the availability of federal funds.

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Note: For those programs that require matching or cost sharing, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the required amount of match or cost share. A recipient's failure to provide the required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds.

For more information on these requirements, see Section III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching.

Funds for this project are authorized separately. The grant recipient will be required to maintain accounting records which track the funds and the associated activities/costs supported by each of the funding streams within the award. Any non-federal funds used to support Center activities must be properly documented, including disclosure of the source of such funds, and accounting records should track these funds separately showing the associated activities/costs supported with such funds.

The initial award will be made for the first 12-month budget period. The need for additional years of funding during the 60-month project period should be identified in the application (Item 17 on Standard Form (SF) 424), in the project narrative, and in the budget. Continuation awards for subsequent years will be considered on a noncompetitive basis, subject to the availability of funds, and any other “for cause” basis. Grant recipients will receive instructions on how to submit non-competing continuation applications during the first budget period to request funds for subsequent budget periods. For each additional year of funding requested, grant recipients must complete a non-competing continuation application no later than 90 days prior to the end of the current budget period. Applications for non-competing continuation awards should include a sufficiently detailed work plan for the next year of funding, linked to an updated plan of activities for the remaining years of the proposed project period.

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement Award

Under this cooperative agreement, substantial involvement is anticipated between ACF and the grant recipient throughout the duration of the funded project.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OPRE

OPRE staff will collaboratively negotiate with the recipient of funds regarding the roles and responsibilities outlined in this announcement, prior to finalizing the cooperative agreement.

This will include discussions regarding whether there are gaps or weaknesses identified by the review panel that need to be addressed, such as additional areas of expertise or support needed within the Center’s organizational structure, and working with the grant recipient to address significant gaps or weaknesses.

ACF will monitor the grant recipient, providing guidance when necessary. ACF will work collaboratively with the grant recipient to facilitate accomplishment of project goals. ACF will facilitate collaboration and coordination with other ACF-sponsored grant recipients and projects (e.g., research projects, training and technical assistance providers) and ACF program offices (e.g., Office of Child Care, Office of Head Start, Office of Family Assistance).

The FPO and other ACF staff, as needed, will participate in the Steering Committee to provide input, information, assistance, and feedback reflecting ACF’s programmatic and research goals and to remain informed about project activities and progress. ACF staff will provide feedback regarding proposed plans and products to ensure that the activities and the products developed are filling needs and are relevant and translatable to the policy and practice communities. ACF staff will also provide feedback to ensure that the Center's resources and activities are dedicated proportionately to reflect the purposes of the funding streams supporting the Center.

See Section I. Program Description for a description of the responsibilities and structure required of the grant recipient under this award.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

There are no limitations on eligible applicants other than individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

Reference to Legal Status See Section IV.2. Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

Yes Recipients are required to meet a non-federal share of the project cost, in accordance with Social Security Act Section 1110(a)(1)(A).

Recipients must provide at least 1 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The total approved cost of the project is the sum of the ACF (federal) share and the non-federal share. The non-federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although recipients are encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions. For example, in order to meet the match requirements, a project requesting $1,550,000 in ACF (federal) funds must provide a non-federal share of the approved total project cost of at least $ 15,500, which is 1 percent of total approved project cost of $ 1,550,000.

For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

For awards that require matching by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the amount required by the statutory match. A recipient’s failure to provide the statutorily required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds.

Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF. Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NoA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project budget in the NoA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

Cost sharing is required for the $50,000 in funds authorized under Social Services Research and Demonstration, Title XI, Part A, section 1110 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1310).

Applicants must provide a cost sharing amount in the application's Budget and Budget Justification. Cost sharing may be in cash or in-kind, including time spent on the project by third-party volunteers, and may include unrecovered indirect costs in accordance with 45 CFR 75.306.

Since the cost sharing amount is not part of the federal share, it does not affect the Award Ceiling amount under the application disqualification factor. Please see Section IV.2. Budget and Budget Justification, Commitment of Non-Federal Resources and Section V.1. Criteria, Budget and Budget Justification.

III.3. Other

Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Award Ceiling Disqualification

Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission

ACF requires electronic submission of applications at Grants.gov. Paper applications received from applicants that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applicants that do not have an internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission."

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications)

The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to Grants.gov after 11:59 pm ET on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. That is, applications submitted to Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 am ET on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via Grants.gov, the submission will generate a new date and time-stamp email notification. Only those applications with on-time date and time stamps https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf that result in a validated application, which is transmitted to ACF will be acknowledged.

The deadline for receipt of paper applications is 4:30 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 pm ET on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Notification of Application Disqualification Applicants will be notified of a disqualification determination by email or by USPS postal mail within 30 federal business days from the closing date of this NOFO.

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

OPRE Review Team: Hispanic Research Center C/O ICF International 1902 Reston Metro Plaza Reston

VA

20190 877-350-5913 HispanicResearch@icfi.com Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

The electronic application submission package is available in the NOFO's listing at Grants.gov.

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms (SFs), assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the NOFO's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at Grants.gov. See Section IV.2. Request an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission if applicants do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents (files) to Grants.gov.

Federal Relay Service:

Hearing-impaired and speech-impaired callers may contact the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) for assistance at www.gsa.gov/fedrelay.

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Each applicant applying electronically via Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding SFs and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay forms. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. SFs and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and administration of grants. In signing a grant application, this individual agrees that the organization will assume the obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded.

Point of Contact In addition to the AOR, a point of contact on matters involving the application must also be identified. The point of contact, known as the Project Director or Principal Investigator, should not be identical to the person identified as the AOR. The point of contact must be available to answer any questions pertaining to the application.

Application Checklist Applicants may refer to Section VIII. Other Information for a checklist of application requirements that may be used in developing and organizing application materials.

Accepted Font Style Applications must be in Times New Roman (TNR), 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be TNR 10-point font. Pages that contain blurred text, or text that is too small to read comfortably, will be removed.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. If applications are submitted using another currency, ACF will convert the foreign currency to U.S. currency using the date of receipt of the application to determine the rate of exchange.

Page Limitations Applicants must observe the page limitation(s) listed under "PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:." Page limitation(s) do not include SFs and OMB-approved forms.

All applications must be double-spaced. An application that exceeds the cited page limitation for double-spaced pages in the Project Description file or the Appendices file will have extra pages removed, and…