FY21-Military-REACH-RFA-508-V2.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATONS

Military REACH

FY 2021 Request for Applications (RFA)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 19, 2021

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Military REACH Program

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.500.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Applications received after this deadline will normally not be considered for funding (see Part IV, C of this RFA). Comments regarding this request for applications (RFA) are requested within six months from the issuance of this notice. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

STAKEHOLDER INPUT: We at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seek your comments about this RFA. We will consider your comments when we develop the next RFA for the program, if applicable, and we’ll use them to meet the requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C.

7613(c)(2)). Submit your written stakeholder comments by the deadline set forth in the DATES portion of this notice via email to Policy@usda.gov. (This email address is only for receiving comments regarding this RFA and not for requesting information or forms.) In your comments, please state that you are responding to the Military REACH RFA.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Military REACH program for fiscal year (FY) 2021 to provide high-quality resources for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in the form of research and professional development tools across the spectrum of family support, resilience, and readiness; REACH stands for Center for Research and Outreach. The anticipated amount available for REACH in FY 2021 is approximately $700,020.

This notice identifies the objectives for REACH projects, deadline dates, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a REACH grant.

mailto:Policy@usda.gov

Table of Contents

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background B. Purpose and Priorities

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Applications C. Project Types D. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package B. Content and Form of Application Submission C. Submission Dates and Times D. Funding Restrictions E. Other Submission Requirements

PART V—APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Criteria C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality D. Organizational Management Information E. Application Disposition

PART VI—AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Award Notice C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements D. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII—AGENCY CONTACT

PART VIII—OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds; Changes B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards C. Regulatory Information D. Definitions E. Materials Available on the Internet

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background

In accordance with the Economy Act of 1932, as amended (31 U.S.C. 1535), the U.S.

Department of Defense (DoD), in order to utilize the unique resources of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), has provided NIFA with Defense Operation and Maintenance funds to support the Military REACH Competitive Grant Program.

Pursuant to 7 U.S.C. Sec. 3318, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Director of the NIFA, may enter into contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, for periods not to exceed five years, with State agricultural experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, all colleges and universities, other research or educational institutions or organizations, Federal and private agencies and organizations, individuals, and any other contractor or recipient, either foreign or domestic, to further research, extension, or teaching programs in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences of the Department of Agriculture.

Within the Department of Defense, Economy Act transactions are governed by Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation, Volume 11A, Chapter 3, Economy Act Orders.

B. Purpose and Priorities

The Military REACH program under Assistance Listing 10.500, directly aligns with the FY 2018

– 2022 USDA Strategic Plan, specifically Goal 4: Facilitate rural prosperity and economic development, Objective 4.2: To expand rural business opportunity and rural quality of life with access to capital; improve infrastructure, broadband access and connectivity; and support workforce availability. Additionally, The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) authorized NIFA to enhance human sciences advances by aiming to improve the nutrition and well-being of American citizens to include military family members.

Background and Context Military families are first and foremost families; they manage the same challenges and stressors as civilian families, though they may experience them in a context that is replete with stressors and buffers to stress that are unique to being affiliated with the military (Hosek & Wadsworth, 2013). Furthermore, there are unique stressors that affect military families, including relocation (Weber & Weber, 2005), deployment and reintegration (Griffith, 2015), and separation (Hosek & Wadsworth, 2013). Family well-being plays a part in Service member readiness (Parcell & Maguire, 2014). Therefore, it is critical that they too are supported and have a sense of empowerment and contribute to the economy.

However, there are often barriers to this. Military Spouses regularly have flexible part time schedules, so they are able to adapt to the military service member’s schedule and often reflects a lower pay (Webster, 2010). As an example, annual earnings of a female military spouse who is married to an active-duty service member reports 14 percent less than their civilian counterparts (Webster, 2010). NIFA strives to close this gap and create a better sense of locus of control for military families. As such, it is important to provide high-quality support to the families of https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:31%20section:1535%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section1535)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:3318%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section3318)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true service members in order to increase family well-being and, in turn, enhance service member readiness.

In order to ensure that efforts are meeting the needs of military families, the DoD needs access to and an understanding of the current research literature related to the context and functioning of military families. The DoD often requires a synthesis of current research literature on specific topics related to military family well-being within a short time frame to allow them to make intentional decisions that will meet the current needs of military families as identified through scientific research.

The primary objective of the Military REACH program is high-quality resources for DoD in the form of research and professional development tools across the spectrum of family support, resilience, and readiness. This objective will be accomplished through the following activities and products:

Timely, quality research reports at the request of the DoD. The goal of this effort is to provide research reports (including synthesis of current literature and identification of relevant program and policy implications) when the DoD has specific knowledge of needs pertaining to a particular aspect of the well-being of Service members and their families.

These reports should be completed in a timely manner (typically within 60 to 90 days) in order to most effectively respond to current DoD needs. The recipient must provide evidence that they have the capacity to complete reports within the specified time frame across the spectrum of military family support/resiliency/readiness.

Online library of current research related to the well-being of military families. This library will provide information about current research for policymakers and professionals who work with and on behalf of military families. This library should include a comprehensive database of the abstracts of peer-reviewed articles about issues directly related to the well-being of military families as well as critical reviews of empirical articles within the database. Furthermore, in an effort to make academic research literature accessible for the target audience, the library should also include guides for how to understand academic literature and brief literature reviews on topics that are particularly relevant for military families. The recipient must demonstrate a familiarity with the range of issues faced by military families as well as the ability to maintain an online library of literature related to military family support/resiliency/readiness.

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The anticipated amount available for Military REACH in FY 2021 is approximately $700,020.

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

The Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this RFA. For more information see https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm.

B. Types of Applications

In FY 2021, you may only submit a new application to the Military REACH Competitive Grant Program:

New application. This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to the Military REACH program. We will review all new applications competitively using the screening for administrative requirements, review panel evaluation of proposals using evaluation criteria and selection process described in Part V—Application Review Requirements.

C. Project Types

For FY 2021, approximately $700,020 will be available to fund one standard grant proposal for one year (see Part I, A. Legislative Authority and Background. The project type will be Extension.

D. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients shall, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training.

For information about the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research, see NIFA Responsible and Ethical Conduct.

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=4f8df8dd721f5eec3d02f66c4f99e588&mc=true&node=pt2.1.422&rgn=div5 https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Only land-grant institutions are eligible to receive the award through the Military REACH program. Eligible land-grant institutions include all 1862, 1890, and 1994 land-grant institutions.

The award recipient may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

NIFA does not require matching support for this program and matching resources will not be factored into the review process as evaluation criteria.

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package

Only electronic applications may be submitted via Grants.gov to NIFA in response to this RFA.

We urge you to submit early to the Grants.gov system. For information about the pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle see Grants 101.

New Users of Grants.gov

Prior to preparing an application, we recommend that the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) first contact an Authorized Representative (AR, also referred to as Authorized Organizational Representative, or AOR) to determine if the organization is prepared to submit electronic applications through Grants.gov. If not (e.g., the institution/organization is new to the electronic grant application process through Grants.gov), then the one-time registration process must be completed PRIOR to submitting an application. It can take as long as two weeks to complete the registration process, so it is critical to begin as soon as possible. In such situations, the AR should go to “Register,” in the top right corner of the Grants.gov web page (or go to Register Grants), for information on registering the institution/organization with Grants.gov. Part II,1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the registration process. Refer to item 2, below, to locate the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.”

Steps to Obtain Application Package Materials

To receive application materials:

1. You must download and install a version of Adobe Reader compatible with Grants.gov to access, complete, and submit applications. For basic system requirements and download instructions, see Adobe Software Compatibility Tool. Grants.gov has a test package that will help you determine whether your current version of Adobe Reader is compatible.

2. To obtain the application package from Grants.gov, go to Application Package and enter the funding opportunity number

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-EXCA-008338

From the search result, click “Select Package” to access the application package. A Grant Application Package is tied to a particular funding opportunity. You may submit an application ONLY to the particular funding opportunity to which the Grant Application Package is associated.

Contained within the application package is the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

This guide contains an introduction and general Grants.gov instructions, information about how to use a Grant Application Package in Grants.gov, and instructions on how to complete the application forms.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://get.adobe.com/reader/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/download-application-package.html https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf

If you require assistance to access the application package (e.g., downloading or navigating Adobe forms) or submitting the application, refer to resources available on the Grants.gov website (Applicant FAQs). Grants.gov assistance is also available at:

Grants.gov customer support 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035 Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Closed on federal holidays.

Email: support@grants.gov Grants.gov iPortal): Top 10 requested help topics (FAQs), Searchable knowledge base, self-service ticketing and ticket status, and live web chat (available 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST).

Have the following information available when contacting Grants.gov:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Name of agency you are applying to

• Specific area of concern

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

You should prepare electronic applications following Parts V and VI of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. This guide is part of the corresponding application package (see Section A of this part). The following is additional information you need to prepare an application in response to this RFA. If there is discrepancy between the two documents, the information contained in this RFA is overriding.

Note the attachment requirements (e.g., PDF) in Part III, Section 3 of the guide. ANY PROPOSALS THAT ARE NON-COMPLIANT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS (e.g., content format, PDF file format, file name restrictions, and no password protected files) WILL BE AT RISK OF BEING EXCLUDED FROM NIFA REVIEW. Grants.gov does not check for NIFA required attachments or whether attachments are in PDF format; see Part III, Section 6.1 of the guide for how to check the manifest of submitted files. Partial applications will be excluded from NIFA review. We will accept subsequent submissions of an application until close of business on the closing date in the RFA (see Part V, 2.1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further information).

For any questions related to the preparation of an application, review the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide and the applicable RFA. If assistance is still needed for preparing application forms content, contact:

• Email: Policy@usda.gov

• Business hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST, excluding federal holidays.

1. SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 2 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. See Part V, Section 2.18 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for the required certifications and assurances (e.g., Prohibition Against Entities Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements).

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://cscnpsprod.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants?pt=Grants https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf mailto:Policy@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/

2. SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s) Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 3 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

3. R&R Other Project Information Form Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 4 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

a. Field 7. Project Summary/Abstract.

The summary should also include the relevance of the project to the goals of REACH. See Part V. 4.7 of NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further instructions and a link to a suggested template.

b. Field 8. Project Narrative.

NOTE: The Project Narrative shall not exceed 6 pages of written text, regardless of whether it is single- or double-spaced, and up to 4 additional pages for figures and tables. We have established this maximum (10 pages) to ensure fair and equitable competition. The Project Narrative must include all the following:

Section 1: Statement of Need & Background

a) Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of the issue this project is seeking to address.

b) Describe how the overall project will effectively address the audience(s) to be served.

c) Detail the characteristics of the team(s) that make it particularly qualified to conduct the proposed work and describe ongoing or recently completed significant activities related to the proposed project, especially related to demonstrating expert knowledge on the range of issues faced by military families such as; experience in assessing research-based publications across the spectrum of military family support, resiliency, and readiness; and maintaining an online library of literature related to military family support, resiliency, and readiness.

Section 2: Objectives

List clear, concise, and logically arranged project goals and objectives. Goals must address the statement of need identified in the first section of your proposal; and objectives must link to goals and address program priorities listed in Part 1, Section B.

Section 3: Approach and Design

Project Action Plan: Based on the deliverables, a project action plan should be drafted. The project plan will be finalized based on written feedback from the DoD Office of Military Community and Family Policy (OMCFP) designee and NIFA National Program Leader after the award is made. The plan should contain the following:

a) a preliminary project action plan which shows the relationships between objectives, project activities, and anticipated outcomes of 1) providing timely, quality research reports at the request of the DoD; 2) maintaining an online library of current research related to the well-being of military families;

b) the evaluation approach to include internal, process and program evaluations as well as quality assurance controls for each of the two project components as applicable;

c) a description of development and/or implementation challenges that may be encountered and how they will be addressed; and

d) a description of how stakeholder feedback and involvement will be a part of the project.

Priority is placed on continuing with the main activities of the current Military REACH project within the DoD-USDA Partnership for Military Families. Information about the Military REACH project can be found at https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/.

Section 4: Project Communication Plan

Briefly describe how pertinent information, progress and results from this project will be communicated to the project team, as well as relevant stakeholders.

Section 5: Project Management

Provide a brief summary of key personnel, their project functions, qualifications, and expertise along with timelines, reporting, and collaborative efforts.

c. Field 12. Add Other Attachments See Part V. Section 4.12 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide (Field 12 on the form) for instructions regarding mandatory Felony Convictions or Tax Delinquent Status.

4. R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 5 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. This section of the guide includes instructions about senior/key person profile requirements, and details about the biographical sketch and the current and pending support, including a link to a suggested template for the current and pending support.

5. R&R Personal Data – As noted in Part V, 6 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide, the submission of this information is voluntary and is not a precondition of award. Part V.6 also notes the importance and use of the information.

6. R&R Budget Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 7 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

7. Supplemental Information Form Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part VI, 1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

a. Field 2. Program to which you are applying. Enter the program code name (i.e., enter “Military Reach”) and the program code (i.e., enter “REACH”). Note that accurate entry of the program code is very important for proper and timely processing of an application.

https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/ https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf

b. Field 8. Conflict of Interest List. See Part VI, 1.8 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application

Guide for further instructions and a link to a suggested template.

C. Submission Dates and Times

We recommend that you conduct an administrative review of the application before submission of it via Grants.gov to ensure that it complies with all preparation instructions. An application checklist is included in Part VII of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide to assist with this review.

While the checklist should be used to check the application for completeness, the application should be checked additionally for the following required item(s). This is not an exhaustive list of required items; it only serves to highlight required items that are sometimes overlooked by applicants:

Project Summary Project Narrative including Project Action Plan Bibliography Current and Pending Support forms Conflict of Interest forms

Instructions for submitting an application are included in Part IV, Section 1.9 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

Applications must be received by Grants.gov by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Applications received after this deadline will normally not be considered for funding.

If you have trouble submitting an application to Grants.gov, you should FIRST contact the Grants.gov Help Desk to resolve any problems. Keep a record of any such correspondence.

See Part IV. A for Grants.gov contact information.

We send email correspondence to the AR regarding the status of submitted applications. We strongly encourage you to provide accurate email addresses, where designated, on the SF-424 R&R Application for Federal Assistance.

If the AR has not received correspondence from NIFA regarding a submitted application within 10 business days of the established deadline, contact the Agency Contact identified in Part VII of the RFA and request the proposal number assigned to the application. Failure to do so may result in the application not being considered for funding by the peer review panel. Once the application has been assigned a proposal number, you should cite this number on all future correspondence.

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

D. Funding Restrictions

Indirect Cost: Fully negotiated rate. The applicant should use the current negotiated indirect cost rate established (i.e., approved) by its cognizant Federal agency. If the applicant does not have a current negotiated rate, the applicant should request a rate from the Federal agency from which the applicant receives the most funding.

The PD may incur pre-award costs within the 90-day period immediately preceding the effective date of the award providing: the approval of pre-award spending is made and documented in accordance with the awardee's normal procedures prior to the incurrence of the cost(s); the advanced funding is necessary for the effective and economical conduct of the project; and the costs are otherwise allowable. Pre-award expenditures are made at the awardee's risk. AOR authority to approve pre-award costs does not impose an obligation on NIFA: (1) in the absence of appropriations; (2) if an award is subsequently not made; or (3) if an award is made for a lesser amount than the awardee expected.

Pre-award costs incurred outside the 90-day period immediately preceding the effective date of the award must receive written approval from the ADO. Please verify with the Administrative/Business Contact listed in this RFA before any pre-award expenditures. Any expenditures made before then are at your own risk.

E. Other Submission Requirements

You should follow the submission requirements noted in Part IV, Section 1.9 in the document entitled NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

For information about the status of a submitted application, see Part III, Section 6 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf

PART V—APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process NIFA evaluates each application in a two-part process. First, we screen each application to ensure that it meets the administrative requirements as set forth in this RFA. Second, a scientific peer- review process will be used to technically evaluate applications that meet the administrative requirements using a review panel (see NIFA Peer Review Process).

Scientific Peer Review Process:

NIFA selects reviewers for the review panel based upon their training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors:

• the level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities;

• the need to include experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields;

• the need to include other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs;

• the need to include experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, and private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations;

• the need to maintain a balanced composition with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and

• the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness of each application to producers and the general public.

After each peer review panel has completed its deliberations, the responsible program staff of NIFA will recommend that your project is either approved for support from currently available funds or declined due to insufficient funds or unfavorable review.

NIFA reserves the right to negotiate with the PD/PI and/or the submitting organization or institution regarding project revisions (e.g., reductions in the scope of work, funding level, period, or method of support) prior to recommending any project for funding.

After the review process has been completed, NIFA sends copies of reviews, not including the identity of reviewers, and a summary (if applicable) of the review panel comments to the PD.

B. Evaluation Criteria

We will use the evaluation criteria below to review applications submitted in response to this

RFA:

1. Potential for successfully providing high-quality resources for the DoD in the form of research and professional development tools across the spectrum of family support, resilience, and readiness https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA-Peer-Review-Process-for-Competitive-Grant-Applications_0.pdf

This criterion is used to assess the likelihood that the project will succeed in: (1) providing the overall management of this project including partnerships and management of project staff; (2) meeting project objectives; 3) demonstrating expert knowledge on the range of issues faced by military families; 4) assessing research-based publications across the spectrum of military family support, resiliency, and readiness; and 5) maintaining an online library of literature related to military family support, resiliency, and readiness.

2. Proposed Approach and Program Coordination This criterion is used to assess the soundness and sustainability of the proposed approach including statement of need, scope of the project, objectives, project plan, design, methods, key personnel, timeline, expected products and results, and communication plan.

3. Evaluation This criterion is used to assess the adequacy of the strategies that will be used for internal, process and outcome evaluations for programs and products as well as quality assurance controls for the overall project.

4. Budget and Budget Narrative This criterion is used to assess the extent to which the total budget adequately supports the project and is cost effective based on budget outline provided. Elements considered include: the necessity and reasonableness of costs to carry out project activities and achieve project objective and the adequacy of time committed to the project by key project personnel.

C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality

During the peer evaluation process, we take extreme care to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may impact review or evaluation. See NIFA Peer Review Process for Competitive Grant Applications for further information about conflicts of interest and confidentiality as related to the peer review process.

D. Organizational Management Information

Specific management information relating to an applicant shall be submitted one-time, with updates on an as-needed basis. This requirement is part of the responsibility determined prior to the award of a grant identified under this RFA if such information has not been provided previously under this or another NIFA program. We will provide you copies of forms recommended for use in fulfilling these requirements as part of the pre-award process. Although an applicant may be eligible based on its status as one of these entities, there are factors that may exclude an applicant from receiving federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits under this program (e.g., debarment or suspension of an individual involved or a determination that an applicant is not responsible based on submitted organizational management information).

E. Application Disposition

An application may be withdrawn at any time before a final funding decision is made regarding the application. Each application that is not selected for funding, including those that are withdrawn, will be retained by REACH program staff for a period of three years.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-peer-review-process-competitive-grant-applications https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-peer-review-process-competitive-grant-applications

PART VI—AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General

Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA awarding official shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in this RFA. The date specified by the NIFA awarding official as the effective date of the grant shall be no later than September 30 of the federal fiscal year in which the project is approved for support and funds are appropriated for such purpose, unless otherwise permitted by law. The project need not be initiated on the grant effective date, but as soon thereafter as practical so that project goals may be attained within the funded project period.

All funds granted by NIFA under this RFA may be used only for the purpose for which they are granted in accordance with the approved application and budget, regulations, terms and conditions of the award, applicable federal cost principles, USDA assistance regulations, and NIFA General Awards Administration Provisions at 7 CFR part 3430, subparts A through E.

B. Award Notice

The award document will provide pertinent instructions and information including, at a minimum, the information described in 2 CFR 200.211.

See NIFA Terms and Conditions to view current NIFA award terms and conditions.

C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Several federal statutes and regulations apply to grant applications considered for review and to project grants awarded under this program. These may include, but are not limited to, the ones listed on the NIFA web page – Federal Regulations.

NIFA Federal Assistance Policy Guide—a compendium of basic NIFA policies and procedures that apply to all NIFA awards, unless there are statutory, regulatory, or award-specific requirements to the contrary—is available at NIFA Policy Guide.

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research Refer to Part II, D for more information.

D. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

The output and reporting requirements are included in the award terms and conditions (see NIFA Terms and Conditions for information about NIFA award terms). If there are any program or award-specific award terms, those, if any, will be identified in the award.

Data Use: Use of data provided to NIFA awardees pursuant to this grant shall comply with the provisions of this paragraph. NIFA awardees shall be free to publish in professional, refereed journals information or data developed or collected (except confidential data or information including Protected Health Information (PHI) or Personal Identifiable Information (PII)) https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1c7e52c7a482853e35948cdc9d09756c&mc=true&node=pt7.15.3430&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=26c043b0a0041aa4470ba5aafa392a66&mc=true&n=sp2.1.200.c&r=SUBPART&ty=HTML#se2.1.200_1211 https://nifa.usda.gov/terms-and-conditions https://nifa.usda.gov/federal-regulations https://nifa.usda.gov/policy-guide https://nifa.usda.gov/terms-and-conditions resulting from the activities under this agreement. Awardees will be required to submit a copy of any such publication to USDA NIFA sixty (60) days prior to publication for review and approval by NIFA and the DoD/OMCFP to ensure that any confidentiality necessary related to the deliverables is maintained and that NIFA and the DoD/OMCFP have been accurately represented. All educational and technical assistance materials developed by the awardee under an agreement with NIFA shall be owned by the awardee. NIFA and the DoD/OMCFP will have a non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferable, irrevocable license to reproduce, prepare derivative work and distribute copies of the deliverables so long as such deliverables are used for non-commercial educational or government purposes. Any work produced under a NIFA award is subject to 2 CFR Part 200.315 related to intangible property.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=61f815cb7be46f4bc3e7660a0fc04b53&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1315

PART VII—AGENCY CONTACT

Applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to contact:

Programmatic Contact:

R. Brent Elrod National Program Leader Division of Family and Consumer Sciences USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) 202.445.5456 richard.elrod@usda.gov

For administrative questions related to

• Grants.gov, see Part IV of this RFA

• Other RFA or application questions, please email policy@usda.gov

• Awards under this RFA, please email awards@usda.gov

U.S. Postal Mailing Address:

National Institute of Food and Agriculture P.O. Box 419205, MS 10000 Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

Courier/Package Delivery Address:

National Institute of Food and Agriculture 2312 East Bannister Road, MS 10000 Kansas City, MO 64141-3061 mailto:richard.elrod@usda.gov mailto:policy@usda.gov mailto:awards@usda.gov

PART VIII—OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds; Changes

1. Delegation of Fiscal Responsibility

Unless the terms and conditions of the award state otherwise, awardees may not in whole or in part delegate or transfer to another person, institution, or organization the responsibility for use or expenditure of award funds.

2. Changes in Budget or Project Plans

In accordance with 2 CFR 200.308, awardees must request prior approval from NIFA for the following program or budget-related reasons, unless the terms and conditions of the award state otherwise.

(i) Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program (even if there is no associated budget revision requiring prior written approval).

(ii) Change in a key person specified in the application or the federal award.

(iii) The disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project, by the approved project director or principal investigator.

(iv) The inclusion, unless waived by the federal awarding agency, of costs that require prior approval in accordance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E—Cost Principles of this part or 45 CFR Part 75 Appendix IX, “Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development under Awards and Contracts with Hospitals,” or 48 CFR Part 31, “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures,” as applicable.

(v) The transfer of funds budgeted for participant support costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.456 Participant support costs to other categories of expense.

(vi) Unless described in the application and funded in the approved federal awards, the sub awarding, transferring or contracting out of any work under a federal award, including fixed amount subawards as described in 2 CFR §200.333 Fixed amount subawards. This provision does not apply to the acquisition of supplies, material, equipment, or general support services.

(vii) Changes in the approved cost-sharing or matching provided by the non-federal entity.

(viii) The need arises for additional federal funds to complete the project.

The awardee will be subject to the terms and conditions identified in the award. See NIFA Terms and Conditions for information about NIFA award terms.

B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards

When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of NIFA transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary of Agriculture determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=3af89506559b05297e7d0334cb283e24&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1308&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=2810341a5911f090b24115e1aa6e9096&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#sp2.1.200.e https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99cb5d96e8ff844fff0467cf4b6df806&mc=true&node=pt45.1.75&rgn=div5#ap45.1.75_1521.ix https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99cb5d96e8ff844fff0467cf4b6df806&mc=true&node=pt45.1.75&rgn=div5#ap45.1.75_1521.ix https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99cb5d96e8ff844fff0467cf4b6df806&mc=true&node=pt45.1.75&rgn=div5#ap45.1.75_1521.ix https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=64a5653cbbe06c9bfedb474f25642b62&mc=true&node=pt48.1.31&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=64a5653cbbe06c9bfedb474f25642b62&mc=true&node=pt48.1.31&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=ab772c67d822eb2946bcfbcf949589e1&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1456&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=ab772c67d822eb2946bcfbcf949589e1&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1456&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b9c34224802662373d7289130e48b492&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1333 application. We will retain for three years a copy of an application that does not result in an award. Such an application will be released only with the consent of the applicant or to the extent required by law. An application may be withdrawn at any time prior to the final action thereon.

C. Regulatory Information

For the reasons set forth in the final Rule related Notice to 2 CFR Part 415, Subpart C, this program is excluded from the scope of the Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with state and local officials. Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the collection of information requirements contained in this notice have been approved under OMB Document No. 0524- 0039.

D. Definitions

Please refer to 7 CFR 3430, Competitive and Noncompetitive Non-formula Financial Assistance Programs--General Award Administrative Provisions, for applicable definitions for this NIFA grant program.

E. Materials Available on the Internet

Military REACH https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/

References

Griffith, J. (2015). Homecoming of soldiers who are citizens: Re-employment and financial status of returning Army National Guard soldiers from Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF). Work, 50(1), 85-96.

Hosek, J., & Wadsworth, S. M. (2013). Economic conditions of military families. The Future of Children,41-59.

Parcell, E. S., & Maguire, K. C. (2014). Comfort, cliques, and clashes: Family readiness groups as dilemmatic sites of relating during wartime. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 31(4), 497-515.

Weber, E. G., & Weber, D. K. (2005). Geographic relocation frequency, resilience, and military adolescent behavior. Military Medicine, 170(7), 638-642.

Webster, B. H. (2010). Income, earnings, and poverty data from the 2005 American Community Survey. DIANE Publishing.

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