Foa_Content_of_HHS-2024-ACL-AOA-FPSG-0036.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

2024 Enhancing Statewide Falls Prevention Awareness, Strategy, and Collaboration

HHS-2024-ACL-AOA-FPSG-0036

03/25/2024

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Project Abstract

Project Relevance and Current Need

Approach

Budget Narrative/Justification

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

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Title:

2024 Enhancing Statewide Falls Prevention Awareness, Strategy, and Collaboration Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2024-ACL-AOA-FPSG-0036

Primary CFDA Number:

93.761 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

Date will be generated on synopsis publication Due Date for Applications:

03/25/2024 Date for Informational Conference Call:

02/13/2024 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary The mission of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) is to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities across the lifespan, and their families and caregivers. Through this funding opportunity, the Administration on Aging (AoA), part of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), plans to award one Cooperative Agreement to a domestic public or private non-profit entity.

The intent of this funding opportunity is to award a cooperative agreement to a single entity to facilitate the development and enhancement of collaborative efforts of state falls prevention coalitions to reduce falls and/or the risk of falls among older adults, adults with disabilities and their families and caregivers.

Applicants should have significant experience with the aging and disability network, including being a well-established, recognized, and trusted leader in health promotion and disease prevention efforts. Applicants should also have:

https://www.grants.gov/

• The ability to rapidly deploy and manage up to 12 competitive subawards.

• Expert knowledge of falls prevention initiatives and providing technical assistance through resource development, one-on-one support, and other targeted methods of technical assistance.

• Demonstrated experience in providing national leadership to the aging and disability network to foster the implementation and financial sustainability of falls prevention activities.

• Demonstrated experience addressing the social and behavioral determinants of health that contribute to falls prevention and increasing public awareness about how to prevent falls.

• Demonstrated experience working with ACL or other federal agencies, falls prevention program developers, academia and other partners on aging-related projects and initiatives.

The applicant must request a total budget between $2,000,000 - $2,500,000 in federal funds for the two-year project. All awards are subject to the availability of federal funds.

The award will be made in the form of a Cooperative Agreement to allow for substantial collaboration and involvement with ACL throughout the project period. This Cooperative Agreement has an anticipated start date of August 1, 2024.

An informational conference call will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 2 p.m.

EST.

The dial-in information is below:

Toll Free Number: 888-997-8505, Passcode: 8905666

A recording will be available approximately one hour after the call concludes at the following number:

Toll Free Playback Number: 800-839-1334 Passcode: 8741

I. Funding Opportunity Description Background Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults [1] and have a widespread and serious impact on their health. With an estimated one out of four older adults reporting falling each year [2], falls may significantly reduce the ability of our older adult population to remain independent. Each year an estimated 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for falls injuries and more than 800,000 of these patients are hospitalized [3]. In 2015, the estimated medical costs attributable to fatal and nonfatal falls totaled more than $50 billion [4]. Those who have fallen may become afraid to fall again, which may lead to reduction in their everyday activities, causing them to become weaker and increasing the likelihood of a future fall.

Fortunately, falls are preventable. There are known modifiable risk factors such as balance impairments, muscle weakness, gait deficits, medications, home hazards, problems with vision, and improper footwear [5].

ACL's funding opportunities provide individualized, person-centered home and community-based services and supports, as well as invest in research and best practices, to make community living a reality for millions of people.

With collaboration of various stakeholders, the impact of falls prevention measures across entire states can be amplified. The goal of this funding opportunity is to award one entity which can subgrant awards to provide funding to state falls prevention coalitions or organizations that are developing or have the intent to develop a coalition in a state that currently does not have an active coalition in order to increase the impact of falls prevention efforts statewide at the community level, including implementing falls prevention interventions, leveraging resources, expanding awareness, and educating professionals, older adults, and caregivers about how they can reduce their risk of falling.

State Falls Prevention Coalitions

For the context of this funding opportunity, a coalition is defined as a group involving multiple sectors of the community coming together to address community needs and solve community problems [6]. State Falls Prevention Coalitions provide the framework, infrastructure, and guidance that can be shared with local communities collaborating to implement falls prevention interventions. They involve all members of a community, including consumers, clinical and community-based service providers, policy makers, older adults themselves, and others, who have a role to play in reducing the number of falls and falls related injuries among older adults.

The intent is a joint effort among multiple stakeholders to implement an effective, coordinated approach to preventing older adults’ falls.

In response to the National Falls Prevention Action Plan (originally created in 2005 and updated in 2015) there have been ongoing efforts to organize a state falls prevention coalition in each state. As a coordinated organization, a coalition can assist in streamlining opportunities for older adults who have been assessed as a high falls risk. The state coalition can provide opportunity for individuals in areas where there may not be falls prevention interventions by connecting them to available resources. It could also act as the avenue for continuum of care in falls prevention, connecting organizations that have not traditionally partnered or collaborated on falls prevention strategies and activities. For instance, participants in an evidence-based falls prevention exercise class may be connected to organizations offering home safety interventions. A list of the current coalitions is found here: State Falls Prevention Coalitions.

Because states and communities are unique entities, state falls prevention coalitions can address the importance of using the state and local data to define the issues and their impact and to design strategies. They can assess what programming and partnerships already exist in the state or region that can be leveraged to identify state and community leaders and find opportunities to create and foster effective partnerships between health care providers and the aging services network. Coalitions have been recognized as a mechanism to create opportunities for communities to maximize resources they already have and to develop sustainable new approaches to societal problems while deterring duplication of effort [7].

Although state falls prevention coalitions are different, there are common goals and activities, which include:

• Increasing the availability and accessibility of community-based falls prevention programs and services. Many state and local falls prevention coalitions are educating https://www.ncoa.org/article/2015-falls-free-national-falls-prevention-action-plan https://www.ncoa.org/page/state-falls-prevention-coalitions their members about evidence-based falls prevention programs that are available, helping to promote the programs, identifying locations to offer the programs, connecting partners that can make referrals to programs, and providing other support to increase the availability and accessibility of programs and services.

• Increasing awareness of the issue and of effective prevention strategies among stakeholders. To increase awareness, Falls Prevention Coalitions frequently sponsor Falls Prevention Awareness Day, host a falls prevention website, host falls prevention educational presentations, and promote falls prevention through traditional and social media.

• Building and leveraging an integrated, sustainable falls prevention network.

Common activities to build and leverage state falls prevention networks include coalition members promoting falls prevention within their own organizations, promoting new internal and external partnerships, establishing partnerships with venues where older adults are served, and supporting the development of local/community falls prevention coalitions.

• Increasing healthcare provider organizations participation in falls prevention practices. Activities to increase healthcare provider participation in falls prevention practices might include promoting falls prevention screening to healthcare providers for all adults age 65 years and older, encouraging the implementation and dissemination of the CDC’s STEADI toolkit for health care providers, and working with professional associations to recognize and promote falls prevention intervention as a priority of professional practice.

• Enhancing data surveillance collection, analysis, and data systems. Activities to enhance data collection include producing user-friendly profiles about the impact and cost of falls among older adults in the state/community, identifying key data resources and partnering with data managers to improve the capture and quality of data that is important to falls prevention, tracking falls prevention programs implemented by various agencies across the state, and tracking the numbers of participants in falls prevention programs and services across the state.

• Improving falls prevention activities in places where older adults reside. Many states are focusing on improving falls prevention activities in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in addition to improving home safety for community-dwelling older adults.

Activities might involve educating individuals and agencies about falls prevention programs, working with agencies to promote falls prevention programs in care facilities, and encouraging the appropriate use of vitamin D for residents.

• Instituting ongoing evaluation of state efforts and outcomes. Evaluating the efforts and outcomes of falls prevention activities helps to increase impact and address areas for improvement. In some states, the Department of Public Health is developing, implementing, and monitoring evaluation as a function of its epidemiological activities or the State Falls Prevention Coalition may have a mechanism (such as an evaluation committee or evaluator) to evaluate its efforts.

• Increasing funding opportunities and investments for falls prevention. Several states and community falls prevention coalitions have supported the pursuit of funding programs such as grants, use of Title IIID funds for evidence-based falls prevention activities, and encouragement of local health departments, trauma centers, or other stakeholder organizations to include falls prevention activities in their budgets [8].

Coordinating Efforts on Falls Prevention and the Aging Network

Since 2014, ACL has awarded more than $50 million in grants through the Prevention and Public Health Fund for falls prevention programs. These grants have been awarded to domestic public and private nonprofit entities, state agencies, community-based organizations, universities, and tribal organizations.

ACL also funds a nonprofit organization to serve as the National Falls Prevention Resource Center. The purpose of the ACL Falls Prevention program is to empower older adults and adults with disabilities to reduce falls and/or the risk of falls by raising awareness of, developing capacity for, and sustaining evidence-based falls prevention programs and activity in the community.

While this funding opportunity will sub-grant falls prevention on a statewide level, the applicant should plan to work closely with the ACL National Falls Prevention Resource Center to understand the current state of falls prevention coalition work and programs currently being delivered in the Aging Network, as well as strategies for collaborating with community-based aging and disability service organizations.

Applicants should ensure they build upon, not duplicate, the work of the ACL Falls Prevention Program, ACL National Falls Prevention Resource Center, and other falls prevention efforts in the Aging Network.

Purpose Through this opportunity, AoA intends to fund a single entity to leverage and expand upon falls prevention efforts across the country and to work collaboratively, in partnership with the aging and disability network and other stakeholders, to accomplish the following goal:

Award up to 12 subgrants to facilitate the development and enhancement of collaborative efforts of state falls prevention coalitions to reduce falls and/or the risk of falls among older adults, adults with disabilities and their families and caregivers.

Program Goals

Develop and Implement Subawards

A central deliverable, expected within six months of receipt of funds, will be the disbursement of subawards to state falls prevention coalitions or organizations that are developing or have the intent to develop a coalition in a state that currently does not have an active coalition as referenced here: State Falls Prevention Coalitions.

The successful awardee is expected to use a transparent and open process for soliciting, reviewing, selecting, and making the required subawards to these organizations. Applicants should describe how the process will be designed and administered.

Additionally, the awardee is responsible for the monitoring and oversight of all subawards, including tracking sub-recipient work plans and budget goals. Applicants should carefully consider and describe the subaward process. Further, the successful award recipient shall adhere https://www.ncoa.org/professionals/health/center-for-healthy-aging/national-falls-prevention-resource-center https://www.ncoa.org/professionals/health/center-for-healthy-aging/national-falls-prevention-resource-center https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/About/Aging_Network/Index.aspx https://www.ncoa.org/page/state-falls-prevention-coalitions to all requirements, including those for making and monitoring subawards, as outlined in 45 CFR Part 75.

Guidance on Purpose and Intent of Subawards

The applicant will fund a cohort of up to 12 sub-recipients that are a current or developing falls prevention coalition or have the capacity to become a falls prevention coalition over an 18-month timeframe with grants to initiate, expand, and improve falls prevention activity on a statewide level ensuring that the sub-recipients bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to collaboratively identify state and community needs, create and disseminate resources and education, and build infrastructure and sustainability. ACL will work with the recipient of this funding opportunity to determine the most appropriate number of sub-awards as well as the criteria for awards.

The sub-recipients will have flexibility to address priority needs, including, but not limited to:

• Developing or expanding a state falls prevention coalition to coordinate falls reduction efforts

• Building partnerships across the state with the aging network and other key stakeholders such as healthcare provider organizations and emergency response units

• Increasing the awareness of evidence-based programs and resources to grow availability and accessibility

• Compiling state falls data for analysis

• Raising statewide awareness of falls risk through marketing and public service announcements

• Developing a statewide website and/or online locator for evidence-based programs

• Creating a repository of professional and consumer resources that can be accessed by the aging network as well as consumers

• Organizing state or regional falls prevention health fairs

• Increasing fall risk screenings and referrals to falls prevention interventions

• Collaborating within the aging network (for example, senior nutrition programs) to leverage infrastructure already in place to maximize the impact of falls prevention education, resources, and interventions with older adults

Each sub-recipient that is a developing state falls prevention coalition will be required to be documented as an active state coalition by the end of their project period.

Organize Facilitated Technical Assistance

The primary responsibility of the awardee will be to serve as a national focal point to provide technical assistance (TA) to scale and support new and existing state falls prevention coalitions, with an emphasis on organizations in the aging network. The awardee will ensure coordination and engagement with other relevant partners and have the capacity and expertise to work with multiple partners across the network to advance collaborative approaches.

Delivery of technical assistance should be interactive and engaging, tailored to each coalition to enhance the quality, effectiveness, and proven outcomes of falls prevention activities proposed by the sub-recipients. ACL envisions that the awardee will collaborate with experts, as necessary, regarding the approach to coalition development and expansion and may include https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75 connecting coalitions to learn from each other, brainstorming new opportunities, and making recommendations for ongoing sustainability of the coalition.

Technical assistance will be multi-faceted, including regular one-on-one meetings with the sub-recipients, cohort convenings on a quarterly basis and working with each sub-recipient to develop a capstone product to capture best practices and lessons learned.

Evaluation of Impact

The awardee of this funding opportunity will work with ACL to finalize the design and implementation of an evaluation to assess the impact of the sub-recipients efforts on the delivery and coordination of falls prevention services. This would involve evaluation of the metrics clearly defined by the sub-recipients in their workplans. Frequency of reporting and the range of metrics collected will be finalized by ACL and the recipient following award.

Partnership

Applicants should clearly describe if or how they plan to partner with other organizations to address the expectations of this funding opportunity.

REFERENCES

1. WISQARS. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS).

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2021 [cited 2021 June]; Accessed January 4, 2024, from:

www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars

2. Bergen G, Stevens MR, Burns ER. Falls and Fall Injuries Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years

— United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:993–998. Accessed January 4, 2024, from:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6537a2.htm?s_cid=mm6537a2_w

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016) Facts About Falls. Accessed January 4, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html

4. Florence CS, Bergen G, Atherly A, Burns ER, Stevens JA, Drake C. Medical costs of fatal and nonfatal falls in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2018 March, DOI:10.1111/jgs.15304

5. Bergen G. Stevens MA. Kakara R. Burns EA. Understanding Modifiable and Unmodifiable Older Adult Fall Risk Factors to Create Effective Prevention Strategies.

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. October 2019 DOI:10.1177/1559827619880529Gillespie LD, Robertson MC,

6. Berkowitz, B., & Wolff, T. (2000). The spirit of the coalition. Washington, DC:

American Public Health Association.

7. Beattie, B, Schneider, E. Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Older Adults: A Practical Guide to State Coalition Building to Address a Growing Public Health Issue. Accessed January 4, 2024, at https://www.ncoa.org/article/a-practical-guide-to-state-coalition-building-for-falls-prevention

8. Beattie, B, Schneider, E. Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Older Adults: A Practical Guide to State Coalition Building to Address a Growing Public Health Issue. Accessed http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6537a2.htm?s_cid=mm6537a2_w https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html https://www.ncoa.org/article/a-practical-guide-to-state-coalition-building-for-falls-prevention

January 4, 2024, at https://www.ncoa.org/article/a-practical-guide-to-state-coalition-building-for-falls-prevention

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for grants under this Notice of Funding Opportunity is contained in the Older Americans Act, Title IV; Section 411.

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$2,500,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$2,500,000 Per Project Period

Award Floor:

$2,500,000 Per Project Period

Length of Project Period:

Other Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' 24 month project period and 24 month budget period (fully funded)

Cooperative Agreement Terms As provided by the terms of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (P.L. 95- 224), this Cooperative Agreement provides for the substantial involvement and collaboration of AoA in activities that the recipient organization will carry out in accordance with the provisions of the approved grant award.

The grantee agrees to execute the responsibilities outlined below:

• Fulfill all requirements of the grant initiative as outlined in this program announcement, as well as carry out project activities as reviewed, approved, and awarded.

• Communicate with the AoA Project Officer at such times as are agreed upon, to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this Agreement.

• Comply with all other reporting requirements, as outlined in Section VI of this Funding Opportunity and the Notice of Award.

• Work collaboratively with the ACL/National Falls Prevention Resource Center to ensure build upon current and deter duplication of effort.

• Participate in any ACL/National Falls Prevention Resource Center sponsored research and/or evaluations.

• Work with ACL on developing the application criteria for subawards, including Agreement Terms.

• Include the following disclaimer on all products produced using this grant funding:

HHS Grant or Cooperative Agreement that is NOT funded with other non-governmental sources:

"This [project/publication/program/website, etc.] [is/was] supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

The HHS Grant or Cooperative Agreement that IS partially funded with other nongovernmental sources:

"This [project/publication/program/website, etc.] [is/was] supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with XX percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $XX amount and XX percentage funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

The AoA project officer agrees to execute the responsibilities outlined below:

• Perform the day-to-day Federal responsibilities of managing a Cooperative Agreement and work with the grantee to ensure that the minimum requirements for the grant are met.

• Work cooperatively with the grantee to clarify the programmatic and budgetary issues to be addressed by the grantee project, and, as necessary, negotiate with the grantee to achieve a mutually agreed upon solution to any needs identified by the grantee or AoA.

• Assist the grantee project leadership in understanding the strategic goals and objectives, policy perspectives, and priorities of AoA, ACL, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and about other federally sponsored projects and activities relevant to activities funded under this announcement.

• Provide technical assistance to the grantee on the provision of programmatic support and associated tasks related to the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of this grant.

• Attend and participate in major project events, as appropriate.

• Communicate with the grant project director monthly, or at such other times as are agreed upon, to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this Agreement.

Once a Cooperative Agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend the agreement or the work plan may be made by ACL or the awardee at any time, as long as the request stays within the scope of work. Major changes may affect the integrity of the competitive review process.

Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the execution of an award notice. Unless ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments, when an award is issued, the Cooperative Agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants For FY 2024 the below guidance is provided to advance the Administration’s policy, as stated in E.O. 13985, to “pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” This guidance is intended to begin to address inequities in HHS programs, processes, and policies that may serve as barriers to equal opportunity. By advancing equity in our NOFOs, we can “create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone.”

Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state governments, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, special district governments, nonprofits having a 501(C)(3) status with the IRS other than institutions of higher education, city or township governments, public and state controlled institutes of higher education, independent school districts, private institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS other than institutions of higher education, county governments, faith based organizations, and community organizations.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved 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.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria Not Applicable

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the five screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet all of the following screening requirements:

• Applications must be submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

• The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” pages with 1” margins on all sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, Times New Roman or Arial.

• The Project Narrative (defined below) must not exceed 20 pages. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, Organizational Chart, Budget Narrative/Justification, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

• Applications must include a Budget Narrative/Justification for years 1 and 2 along with a combined Budget Narrative/Justification for the proposed 24-month budget period. The proposed combined Budget Narrative/Justification must not exceed the award ceiling of $2,500,000.

• Applications must include a Project Work Plan for years 1 and 2. Project Work Plans must be consistent with the proposed Project Narrative and Budget Narrative/Justifications.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from https://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an https://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the application deadline.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

• At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

• All applicants must have a UEI and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

• Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

• Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a UEI number at the time the subaward is made.

• The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities.

• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from https://www.grants.gov.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs Donna Bethge Email: Donna.Bethge@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent Due Date for Letter Of Intent 02/20/2024

Date will be generated on synopsis publication Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Administration on Aging Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs Donna Bethge Email: Donna.bethge@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” pages with 1” margins on all sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, Times New Roman or Arial. The entirety of the Project Narrative, including tables, graphics, and headings must be double-spaced. You can use smaller font sizes to complete the Standard Forms and Sample Formats outside of the Project Narrative section, such as the Project Work Plans and Budget Narrative/Justifications. Twenty

(20) pages is the maximum length allowed.

The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, Vitae of Key Personnel, Organizational Chart, and Budget Narrative/Justification are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

Applicants must document all source material. If any text, language, and/or materials are from another source, the applicant must make it clear the material is being quoted and where the text comes from. The applicant must also cite any sources when they include numbers, ideas, or other https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov mailto:Donna.Bethge@acl.hhs.gov mailto:Donna.Bethge@acl.hhs.gov material that are not their own.

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether your project meets the minimum requirements for grants under the authorizing statutes. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. See Appendix E for resources on writing a grant application.

Your Project Narrative must include the following sections and be clearly labeled:

• Project Abstract

• Project Relevance and Current Need

• Approach

• Outcomes and Evaluation

• Organizational Capacity

To assist reviewers in scoring your application, applicants are required to organize their proposal using the headings above.

Project Abstract

• This section should include a brief description (265 word maximum) of the proposed project, including: goal(s), objectives, outcomes, and products to be developed. Detailed instructions for completing the project abstract are included below in the “Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/Abstract”.

Project Relevance and Current Need This section should describe the nature and scope of the particular problem or issue the proposed project is designed to address.

In this section:

• Briefly describe your knowledge of the current landscape with respect to the risk and impact of falls in the aging population across the country and an overview of the prevalence and impact of collaborative falls prevention activities and interventions that are currently in place.

• Describe the gap that your proposed falls project fills and the impact it will have on falls prevention to allow individuals to remain independent in the community. This should include a description of the work of current or developing state falls prevention coalitions, collaboration of organizations, delivery status of falls prevention interventions and activity, and why the strategies in your proposed project can fill the existing gap.

• Describe your understanding of the types of issues that organizations are likely to experience as they expand collaboration across a state and the strategies you will use to address these issues.

Approach Goals and Objectives

This section should consist of a description of the project's goal(s) and major objectives, including how the project will meet the goal of this funding opportunity announcement:

Goal: Award up to 12 sub grants to facilitate the development and enhancement of collaborative efforts of state falls prevention coalitions to reduce falls and/or the risk of falls among older adults, adults with disabilities and their families and caregivers.

• State the project’s result-based goals and major objectives.

• Describe your plan to develop and implement a process to transparently compete and issue up to 12 subawards within six months of award to organizations that are a current or developing falls prevention coalition or have the capacity to become a falls' prevention coalition.

• Describe how you intend to identify, market to, and recruit applicants for the Request for Proposal. Consider what specific marketing strategies would effectively reach your target population, including any brand messaging, referral systems, media platforms, and partner involvement.

• Describe any existing state falls prevention coalitions and/or other falls prevention initiatives and how you plan to coordinate with and leverage these efforts. This should include a description of any existing resources, lessons learned, guides or action plans available.

• Provide a detailed description of your plans to develop and implement a comprehensive model to provide technical assistance (TA) to the sub-recipients and offer leadership to overcome the challenges being faced by the aging services network (area agencies on aging, aging service provider organizations, state and local departments of public health, disability agencies, tribes/tribal entities, centers for independent living, and other state and community-based organizations), and the communities they serve.

o In addition to regular one-on-one TA meetings with the sub-recipients, the grantee will be required to hold cohort convenings of the sub-recipients on a quarterly basis to facilitate an opportunity for small group connection and sharing.

o Grantee will work with each sub-recipient to develop a type of capstone product to capture best practices and lessons learned. This could be in the form of a tip sheet, toolkit, guide, fireside chat, webinar or other, to share out as new resources for the falls' prevention state coalition workgroup and the network.

• Describe the major challenges and barriers you anticipate encountering, and how your project will address those challenges and barriers.

• Describe whether your existing infrastructure for implementing the proposed project is adequate. If not, describe and provide a rationale for any proposed modifications.

Special Target Populations

• Describe how the applicant will attract and provide support to sub-awardees that will reach diverse consumers and traditionally hard-to-reach populations (as defined by Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government).

Outcomes and Evaluation

Project Outcomes

In this section you must:

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/

• Describe the quantifiable and measurable outcomes that will result from your comprehensive strategy to implement this project. Any proposed outcomes should address the goal of this funding opportunity, and be quantifiable, measurable, and likely to be achieved during the project period.

• List measurable outcomes in the Work Plan grid under "Measurable Outcomes" in addition to any discussion included in the narrative.

Evaluation

• Describe the method(s), techniques, and tools that will be used to:

o Assess the impact of the sub-recipients’ efforts on the delivery and coordination of falls prevention services, including evaluation of the metrics clearly defined by the sub-recipients in their work plans o Document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative – from the project.

Dissemination

• Describe the method that will be used to disseminate the project’s results and findings in a timely manner and in easily understandable formats to parties who might be interested in using the results to inform practice, service delivery, program development, and/or policymaking, including and especially those parties who would be interested in replicating the project.

• Applicants should also highlight their willingness to participate in conferences, webinars, and other presentation formats to share project-relevant information with interested parties.

Organizational Capacity

Structure and Capacity

In this section:

• Describe how your agency is organized, the nature and scope of its work, and/or the capabilities it possesses. Include an organizational chart as an appendix to your application.

• Describe your knowledge and experience working at the national level on the issues to be addressed by this funding opportunity.

• Describe your experience and commitment to providing technical assistance to the aging and disability network to advance falls prevention programs and activity targeted to older adults and adults with disabilities and leading public health education awareness efforts.

• Describe your experience competing, issuing, and monitoring funding to community-based organizations.

• Describe the project management, including the roles and responsibilities of project staff.

You should:

o Provide a description of the qualifications and experience of the key personnel for this proposed project, including for the Project Director. Application must include resumes or CVs as an appendix to the application.

o Specify who will have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as leadership of project, monitoring the project’s on-going progress, preparation of reports, and communications with other partners and ACL.

Letters of Commitment

If necessary, applicants will include Letters of Support/Commitment as an appendix to their application and use a Table of Contents to clearly identify which letters represent which partners.

• Include confirmation of the commitments to the project (should it be funded) made by key collaborating organizations and agencies (including national organizations and aging network partners or their representatives) in this part of the application. Any organization that is specifically named to have a significant role in carrying out the project should be considered an essential collaborator.

The quality of the letter content (i.e., specificity with respect to the role of that partner) is more important than the quantity of letters submitted with your application. Signed letters of commitment should be scanned and included as attachments. Letters of commitment must be uploaded as part of the applicant package via Grants.gov – hard copies will not be accepted.

Work Plan

• You must provide a project Work Plan for Year 1 and Year 2.

• Each Work Plan should reflect and be consistent with the Project Narrative and Budget

Narrative/Justification.

• Each Work Plan should include a statement of the project’s overall goals, anticipated outcomes, key objectives, and the major tasks/action steps that will be pursued to achieve the results-oriented goals and outcomes.

• Applicants should identify timeframes involved (including start- and end-dates) and the lead person responsible for completing the task.

Provide each Work Plan formatted according to the guidelines below in Project Work Plan – Sample Template section.

The Work Plan should be attached to your application as an appendix.

Budget Narrative/Justification

• You must submit the following:

o Budget Narrative/Justification for Year 1;

o Budget Narrative/Justification for Year 2; and o A total combined two-year Budget.

• Your Budget Narrative/Justifications should be aligned with the proposed activities in your Project Narrative and Work Plans.

Provide each Budget Narrative/Justification formatted according to the guidelines in the Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format section below. Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to these guidelines, which provide an example of the level of detail sought.

The Budget Narrative/Justifications should be attached to your application as an appendix.

3. Unique…