HHS-2017-ACL-AOA-FPSG-0206 FOA.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs Financed Solely by 2017 Prevention and Health Funds

(PPHF-2017)

HHS-2017-ACL-AOA-FPSG-0206

Application Due Date: 05/13/2017

Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs Financed Solely by 2017 Prevention and Health Funds

(PPHF-2017)

HHS-2017-ACL-AOA-FPSG-0206

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Funding Opportunity Description I.

Award Information II.

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants 1.

Cost Sharing or Matching 2.

Responsiveness and Screening Criteria 3.

III.

Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package 1.

Content and Form of Application Submission 2.

Submission Dates and Times 3.

Intergovernmental Review 4.

Funding Restrictions 5.

Other Submission Requirements 6.

IV.

Application Review Information Criteria 1.

Review and Selection Process 2.

Anticipated Announcement Award Date 3.

V.

Award Administration Information Award Notices 1.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements 2.

Reporting 3.

FFATA and FSRS Reporting 4.

VI.

Agency Contacts VII.

Other Information VIII.

Department of Health & Human Services

ACL Center: Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Title: Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs Financed Solely by 2017

Prevention and Health Funds (PPHF-2017) Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2017-ACL-AOA-FPSG-0206 Primary CFDA Number: 93.761 Due Date For Letter of Intent: 04/11/2017 Due Date for Applications: 05/13/2017 Date for Informational Conference Call:

04/05/2017

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 http://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary

Through this funding opportunity, the Administration on Aging (AoA), part of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), plans to award approximately 8 cooperative agreements to domestic public or private non-profit entities for a 36 month forward funded project period. Applicants may request a total budget from $500,000 to a maximum of $600,000 for the 36 month project period. To help ensure a wider geographic reach, it is unlikely that more than one applicant per state will be funded. All awards will be subject to the availability of federal funds.

This funding opportunity is designed to significantly increase the number of older adults and older adults with disabilities at risk for falls who participate in evidence-based community programs to reduce falls and falls risks, while concurrently increasing the sustainability of these proven programs.

The awards will be made in the form of cooperative agreements because AoA will be substantially involved.

These cooperative agreements have an anticipated start date of August 1, 2017.

An Informational Conference Call about this Funding Opportunity will be held on April 5, 2017, from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST.

The dial-in information is below:

Toll Free Number: 1-888-566-6179

Toll Number (outside U.S.): 1-517-308-9164

Passcode: 1880150

A recording will be available approximately 24 hours after the call concludes at the following numbers:

Toll Free: 1-866-451-9003 http://www.grants.gov

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background

The mission of ACL is to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities across the lifespan, and their families and caregivers. Falls can have a widespread and significant impact on health, can be deadly, and often result in high costs. One out of four older adults fall each year.[1] In 2014, 2.8 million nonfatal falls among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 800,000 of these patients were hospitalized.[2] In 2014, adjusted for inflation, the direct medical costs for fall injuries were $31 billion annually.[3] Fortunately, research has shown that falls and fall risks can be reduced through systematic risk identification and targeted intervention, including a combination of clinical and community-based interventions .[4] Multiple evidence-based community programs have been shown to reduce falls and/or falls risk factors[5][6][7], as well as provide a positive return on investment.[8]

AoA has a long history of supporting health promotion and disease prevention efforts. Since 2006, AoA has provided grants and Older Americans Act funding that have helped build an infrastructure that supports evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention efforts, including those focused on falls prevention, chronic disease self-management, mental health, medication management, and physical fitness. Between FY2014 and FY2016, AoA funded 32 grants to states and tribal organizations to implement community-based falls prevention programs. For more information about ACL’s Falls Prevention Program – including profiles of current grantees – please visit:http://aoa.acl.gov/AoA_Programs/HPW/Falls_Prevention /Index.aspx.

Purpose

This funding opportunity is designed for applicants to propose how they will achieve the following two major goals:

Goal 1: Significantly increase the number of older adults and older adults with disabilities at risk for falls who participate in evidence-based community programs to reduce falls and falls risks.

Applicants must propose and clearly identify one or more evidence-based community programs proven to reduce falls risks or incidence in the population you are proposing to serve. The program(s) must be on the list of pre-approved interventions in Appendix A or meet the criteria detailed in Appendix A.

Goal 2: Implement innovative funding arrangements, including contracts and collaborations with one or more sustainability partners, to support evidence-based falls prevention program(s) both during and beyond the grant period. Additionally, embed the program(s) into an integrated, sustainable evidence-based prevention program network via centralized, coordinated processes.

Please see Appendix B for the definition of an integrated, sustainable evidence-based prevention program network.

This opportunity does not duplicate nor overlap existing Federal efforts related to falls prevention; it aligns with current efforts to maximize the impact of this funding. Some examples of existing national, state, and local falls prevention efforts that could be leveraged may include:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (CDC) is building partnerships with health systems, providers of healthcare, and those who pay for healthcare services. These partnerships will improve the integration of effective fall prevention strategies and patient care. The CDC’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) initiative provides resources and tools for healthcare providers. These tools include online trainings, screening tools, case studies, videos and information on how to conduct functional assessments, and patient educational materials. CDC is also working with suppliers of electronic health records systems to facilitate the adoption and use of the STEADI tools in the clinic setting. CDC also supports http://aoa.acl.gov/AoA_Programs/HPW/Falls_Prevention/Index.aspx http://aoa.acl.gov/AoA_Programs/HPW/Falls_Prevention/Index.aspx opportunities to broaden and improve the linkage between primary care and evidence-based community falls prevention programs supported by ACL.

Related resources include:

CDC STEADI Initiative

CDC Facts on Older Adult Falls

CDC Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions: What Works for Community-Dwelling Older Adults, 3rd Edition

The ACL-funded National Falls Prevention Resource Center (NFPRC) works to increase public awareness about the risks of falls and how to prevent them, support the implementation of evidence-based falls prevention programs, and serve as a national clearinghouse of tools and best practices. The NFPRC also leads the Falls Free® Initiative, a national effort to address the growing public health issue of falls, fall-related injuries and deaths. The initiative includes 70 national organizations and a 43-member State Coalition on Falls Prevention Workgroup charged with collaboratively promoting effective strategies to address falls.

Related resources include:

National Falls Prevention Resource Center Webpage

Falls Free®; Initiative

Falls Prevention Awareness Day

2015 Falls Free®; National Action Plan

Fall Prevention Facts

Resources for Older Adults and Caregivers

Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Programs

State Policy Toolkit for Advancing Falls Prevention

REFERENCES

[1] U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Facts About Falls. Accessed November 28, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html.

[2] U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Web–based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online], accessed August 5, 2016 at http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/.

[3] Burns EB, Stevens JA, Lee RL. (2016). The direct costs of fatal and non-fatal falls among older adults—United States. Journal of Safety Research.

[4] U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions:

What Works for Community-Dwelling Older Adults, available at: http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreati onalSafety/Falls/compendium.html [5] Fuzhong L, Harmer P, Fisher JK, Mcauley E. (2004) Tai Chi: Improving Functional Balance and Predicting Subsequent Falls in Older Persons. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 36 (12): 2046-2052.

[6] Clemson L, Cumming RG, Kendig H, Swann M, Heard R, Taylor K. (2004) The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Program for Reducing the Incidence of Falls in the Elderly: A Randomized Trial. J Am Geriatr Soc., 52 (9): 1487–1494.

[7] Healy, T.C., Peng, C., Haynes, P., McMahon, E., Botler, J., & Gross, L. (2008). The feasibility and effectiveness of translating A Matter of Balance into a volunteer lay leader model. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 27(1): 34-51.

[8] Carande-Kulisa, V., et al. (2015), A cost–benefit analysis of three older adult fall prevention http://www.cdc.gov/steadi/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/compendium.html http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/compendium.html https://www.ncoa.org/center-for-healthy-aging/falls-resource-center/ https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-free-initiative/ https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-awareness-day/ https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/2015-falls-prevention-action-plan/ https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/ https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/preventing-falls-tips-for-older-adults-and-caregivers/ https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-programs-for-older-adults/ https://www.ncoa.org/resources/state-policy-toolkit-for-advancing-fall-prevention/ http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/ http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/compendium.html http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/compendium.html http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437514001170 interventions, Journal of Safety Research, Accessed January 4th, 2016 from: http://www.sciencedirect.com /science/article/pii/S0022437514001170 .

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for grants under this Funding Opportunity Announcement is contained in Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 300u-2 (Community Programs) and 300u-3 (Information Programs) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300u-11 (Prevention and Public Health Fund).

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $4,023,717 Expected Number of Awards: 8 Award Ceiling: $600,000 Per Project Period Award Floor: $500,000 Per Project Period Average Projected Award Amount: $500,000 Per Project Period Length of Project Period: Other

To help ensure a wider geographic reach, it is unlikely that more than one applicant per state will be funded.

ACL PPHF 2014, 2015, and 2016 Fall Prevention grantees are not excluded from this funding opportunity, but must provide a strong rationale for the need for additional funding, which must include significant enhancement of the integrated, sustainable evidence-based prevention program network developed with prior funding, expansion of the program to geographic areas where the particular program(s) are not currently offered, and/or a focus on reaching a different target population.

Cooperative Agreement Terms

This is a new Cooperative Agreement with the following 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:

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

2. Commit to sending two project representatives to a yearly Falls Prevention-relevant conference mutually agreed upon with the AoA project officer as an appropriate grantee activity. Applicants should include funds in their Years 1, 2, and 3 budgets for this purpose.

3. Meet all training, licensing, fees or other requirements associated with the selected falls prevention program(s) to ensure compliance with all the requirements stipulated by the authorizing entity.

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

5. Collect program data for all program participants, by way of ACL’s specific data collection forms (see Appendix C). Within 30 days of a participant’s completion of a program, grantees are responsible for compiling and reporting the data to the National Falls Prevention Database. Grantees should plan to train workshop leaders on data collection practices and use of these forms. Grantees must also comply with all other reporting requirements, as outlined in Section VI of this Funding Opportunity and the Notice of Award.

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

"This (report/document/etc.) was supported in part by a cooperative agreement (No. XXX) from the Administration on Aging (AoA), Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Grantees carrying out projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions.

Therefore, points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official AoA, ACL, or DHHS policy.

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

1. 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.

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

3. 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.

4. Provide technical advice to the grantee on the provision of technical support and associated tasks related to the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of this grant.

5. Attend and participate in major project events as appropriate.

6. Communicate with the grantee 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 it or the work plan may be made by ACL or the awardee at any time as long as it stays within the original confines of the proposed project description. 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 Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: No

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

Application Responsiveness Criteria Applications that do not meet the following responsiveness criteria will be administratively eliminated and

Applications that do not meet the following responsiveness criteria will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed:

1. Proposed only evidence-based community falls prevention program(s) that are on the of pre-approved interventions in Appendix A or that meet the criteria detailed in Appendix A.

2. Serves as the central, core, and active partner in the initiative and is not simply pass-through funding to sub-contractors or sub-grantees; and

3. Provided signed letters of commitment from key partners and collaborators named in the proposal.

At a minimum, letters are required from each of the following partners:

State Unit on Aging (if the State Unit on Aging declines to provide a letter or you do not have a State Unit on Aging, you must provide documentation indicating this, e.g., an email from the State Unit on Aging stating that letters of support are not being provided or a statement in the Narrative that you do not have a State Unit on Aging). For tribes/tribal entities, this requirement is not applicable.

Area Agency(ies) on Aging that reach/cover your target geographic areas. If you are a Single State Authority or tribe/tribal entity, this requirement is not applicable.

Falls Prevention Coalition (if there is one in your state/region/ tribe)

At least one sustainability partner that clearly describes their specific plans and commitments to help sustain the proposed program(s) in the aging network

Each of these letters should clearly describe the SPECIFIC role each of these entities will have in the project.

In addition, your current infrastructure must be adequate to allow you to begin delivering your proposed evidence-based community falls prevention program(s) within three months after you receive your Notice of Award. If you require training for the evidence-based program(s) you propose before you can begin delivery of the program(s), you must include in your application a letter of support from the program developer(s) and/or entity(ies) that will be providing training for the evidence-based programs(s) proposed. The letter should state that the developer(s) and/or entity(ies) will provide at least one training within three months after award notification.

Please include the letters of commitment as an Appendix to your application and use a Table of Contents to clarify which letters are from the: 1) State Unit on Aging (if not applicable, please note this); (2) Area Agency(ies) (if not applicable, please note this); 3) Falls Prevention Coalition(s) (if not applicable, please note this); and 4) sustainability partner(s).

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the three 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 the following screening requirements:

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

1.

The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8 ½” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 11, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

2.

The Project Narrative must not exceed 20 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of

3.

http://www.grants.gov/

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

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from http://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an http ://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 http://www.grants.gov or http://www.acl.gov/Funding_Opportu nities/ Announcements/Index.aspx.

Please note, ACL is requiring applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http ://www.grants.gov. The Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered with http://www.grants.gov , please begin this process immediately. For assistance with http://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

At the http://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 through http://www.grants .gov ;because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

All applicants must have a DUNS number (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/) 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 the life of the award.

Applicants should finalize a new, or renew an existing, registration at least two weeks before the application deadline. 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/ transcript/ SAM_Quick_ Guide_Grants_ Registrations-v1.6. ;pdf .

The agency is prohibited from making an award until an applicant has complied with these requirements. At the time an award is ready to be made, if the intended recipient has not complied with these requirements, the agency:

May determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award; and May use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 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 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 be:

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

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

2.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.acl.gov/Funding_Opportunities/Announcements/Index.aspx http://www.acl.gov/Funding_Opportunities/Announcements/Index.aspx http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov?subject=Support http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_Quick_Guide_Grants_Registrations-v1.6.pdf https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_Quick_Guide_Grants_Registrations-v1.6.pdf

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

An award cannot be made until the applicant has complied with these requirements. At the time an award is ready to be made, if the intended recipient has not complied with these requirements, the OPDIV/STAFFDIV:

May determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award; and May use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

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

Since October 1, 2003, The Office of Management and Budget has required applicants to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. It is entered on the SF 424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities. The DUNS number is free and easy to obtain.

Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or by using this link to access a guide: http://www. ;white house.gov/ sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns _num_guide.pdf.

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications.

Your application must comply with any page limitation requirements described in this Program Announcement.

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

Contact person about this announcement:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Shannon Skowronski E-mail: shannon.skowronski@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Letter of Intent Due Date for Letter of Intent: 04/11/2017 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 by email to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Shannon Skowronski Administration on Aging Email: shannon.skowronski@acl.hhs.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns_num_guide.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns_num_guide.pdf http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:shannon.skowronski@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8 ½” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 11, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. Twenty pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, Vitae of Key Project Personnel, and Budget Narrative/Justification are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application, since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether or not 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. ACL recommends that your project narrative include the following components:

1. Project Abstract

2. Project Relevance and Current Need

3. Approach

4. Outcomes and Evaluation

5. Sustainability

6. Organizational Capacity

7. Budget Narrative/Justification

To assist reviewers in scoring your application, we suggest that applicants organize their proposals using the headings above.

Project Abstract This section should include a brief - no more than 265 words maximum - description of the proposed project, including: goal(s), objectives, outcomes, and products to be developed. Detailed instructions for completing the summary/abstract are included in the “Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/Abstract”, found in the Appendix of this funding announcement.

In your abstract, you should clearly specify the proposed evidence-based community falls prevention program(s) you plan to implement and your projected number of program participants.

Project Relevance and Current Need In this section:

Describe the impact of falls in your state/region/tribe and how your proposed project will address this impact.

Describe the “gap” between the current availability of your proposed evidence-based community falls prevention program(s) and the “ideal” situation where these programs are readily available. Please include a description of the current geographic/population reach of the proposed program(s) in your state/region/tribe and the extent to which an integrated prevention program network exists for systematically delivering and supporting these program(s).

Include a Project Map of your state/region/tribe that shows where your proposed programs are already being offered and which areas are being selected for this project. Provide data to support why you are targeting those areas (e.g., the number of older adults at high risk for falls, the lack of available programs, etc.).

State whether or not you a current 2014, 2015, and/or 2016 ACL Fall Prevention grantee. If you are a current grantee, state how your proposed project differs from your prior cooperative agreement(s).

Briefly summarize your key outcomes from that project (including the extent to which you have reached your participant targets, met other key project goals, etc.) and describe your rationale for the need for additional funding.

Approach Project Description

This section should:

State the project's goal(s) and major objectives.

Identify the specific evidence-based community falls prevention program(s) that you propose to implement and a rationale for selecting the program(s). If you are proposing program(s) other than those on the pre-approved list in Appendix A, please include the required documentation outlined in Appendix A. This documentation will not be counted toward the 20-page limit for the Project Narrative.

Clearly indicate the projected total number of participants that you expect to reach through your proposed evidence-based community falls prevention program(s) and explain how you developed your target number(s).

Provide a coherent approach to implementing/disseminating the proposed evidence-based community falls prevention program(s).

Describe any existing evidence-based falls prevention efforts and/or programs in your area and how you plan to coordinate with and leverage these efforts. This should include a description of any existing capacity to deliver the proposed program(s), i.e., the number of host sites, implementation sites and delivery personnel (such as trainers and leaders/ coaches), etc. If your existing infrastuture for your proposed program(s) is inadequate, please describe and provide a rationale for any proposed training(s). If you require training, you must include a letter of support from the program developer(s) and/or entity(ies) that will be providing training with your application. The letter(s) should state that the developer(s) and/or entity(ies) will provide a training no more than three months after the applicant receives the Notice of Award from ACL.

Describe how you intend to identify, market to, and recruit participants for your proposed program(s).

Describe any major challenges and barriers you anticipate encountering, and how your project will be able to overcome those challenges and barriers.

Special Target Populations and Organizations

This section should:

Describe the target population(s)/subgroup at risk for falls that will be served by the proposed evidence-based community falls prevention program(s). including any underserved populations you may be proposing to target; and Provide a rationale for selecting the target group(s) and describe any involvement of organizations that would be collaborating in reaching the proposed population(s).

Work Plan

You should also provide a project Work Plan for Years 1, 2, and 3 that reflects and is consistent with the Project Narrative and Budgets. This workplan should include a statement of the project’s overall goal(s), anticipated outcome(s), key objectives, and the major tasks / action steps that will be pursued to achieve the goal and outcome(s), and identify timeframes involved (including start and end dates) and the lead person responsible for completing the task.

Outcomes and Evaluation Outcomes

Outcomes

This section should clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. List measurable outcomes in the work plan grid under “Measurable Outcomes”, in addition to any discussion included in the narrative. Please reference the optional Sample Work Plan Template included under the Downloads for this Funding Opportunity Announcement as posted at http://www.acl.gov/Funding_Opportu nities/Announcements/docs/Work-Plan-Template.doc). Any proposed outcomes should address the goals of this funding opportunity and be quantifiable, measurable, and likely to be achieved during the project period.

Quality Assurance

This section should describe your plans for developing and implementing a quality assurance program to ensure continuous quality improvement and ongoing methods for monitoring the fidelity of the selected evidence-based community falls prevention program(s). This section should include the method(s), techniques and tools that will be used to: 1) monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives;

2) monitor whether the falls prevention programs are being implemented with fidelity and processes for corrective actions; 3) ensure the ACL required falls prevention dataset is being collected and reported accurately by the implementation sites and how you will identify and troubleshoot any potential problems);

and 4) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative.

Dissemination

This section should 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 of the project to inform practice, service delivery, program development, and/or policy-making, including and especially those parties who would be interested in replicating the proposed project.

Sustainability Sustainability

This section should:

Describe your proposed or current centralized and coordinated processes to promote a unified and consistent approach across your state/region/tribe to achieve the goal of an integrated, sustainable evidence-based prevention program network. These processes may be operationalized by using a Network Hub approach. For more information on the Network Hub approach, visit https://www.ncoa .org/toolkits/community-integrated-healthcare-toolkit/ and click on the Program Delivery and Evaluation section to view a description of Centralized and Coordinated Processes.

Describe your plans for expanding funding for the proposed program(s), particularly in the aging network, beyond the end of the grant period, including:

who your sustainability partners are;

your proposed plans for contracts, partnerships, and/or collaborations with health care entities, insurance entities, and/or large employers or other innovative funding sources;

any other business planning efforts to be undertaken; and any mechanisms that are in development or already in place to accept payment for your proposed program(s) (i.e., infrastructure, Health IT, and back-office support to bill and accept reimbursement from contracts, private pay clients, and/or other potential payers)

Describe any existing and proposed delivery system partners that have multiple delivery sites and have committed to or have the capacity to embed the proposed program(s( into their routine operations and budget.

Letters of Commitment

Provide letters of support confirming commitments to the project by key collaborating organizations and agencies. These letters should describe the SPECIFIC role of each partner in the project (should it be http://www.acl.gov/Funding_Opportunities/Announcements/docs/Work-Plan-Template.doc http://www.acl.gov/Funding_Opportunities/Announcements/docs/Work-Plan-Template.doc https://www.ncoa.org/toolkits/community-integrated-healthcare-toolkit/ https://www.ncoa.org/toolkits/community-integrated-healthcare-toolkit/ funded). 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. Applicants unable to scan the signed letters of commitment may fax them to the ACL Office of Grants Management at 202-205-0402 by the application submission deadline. In your fax, be sure to include the funding opportunity announcement number and your agency name. Letters of commitment sent by other means (e.g., postal mail) will not be accepted.

At a minimum, letters are required from each of the following partners:

State Unit on Aging (if the State Unit on Aging declines to provide a letter or you do not have a State Unit on Aging, you must provide documentation indicating this, e.g., an email from the State Unit on Aging stating that letters of support are not being provided, or a statement in the Narrative that you do not have a State Unit on Aging). For tribes/tribal entities, this requirement is not applicable.

Area Agency(ies) on Aging that reach/cover your target geographic areas. If you are a Single State Authority or tribe/tribal entity, this requirement is not applicable.

Falls Prevention Coalition (if there is one in your state/region/ tribe)

At least one sustainability partner that clearly describes their specific plans and commitments to help sustain the proposed program(s) in the aging network

In addition, your current infrastructure must be adequate to allow you to begin delivering your proposed evidence-based community falls prevention program(s) within three months after you receive your Notice of Award. If you require training for the evidence-based program(s) you propose before you can begin delivery of the program(s), you must include in your application a letter of support from the program developer(s) and/or entity(ies) that will be providing training for the evidence-based programs(s) proposed. The letter should state that the developer(s) and/or entity(ies) will provide at least one training within three months after award notification.

Please include the letters of commitment as an Appendix to your application and use a Table of Contents to clarify for reviewers which letters are from the: 1) State Unit on Aging (if not applicable, please note this); (2) Area Agency(ies) (if not applicable, please note this); 3) Falls Prevention Coalition(s) (if not applicable, please note this); and 4) sustainability partner(s).

Organizational Capacity This section should:

Describe how the applicant agency (or the particular division of a larger agency which will have responsibility for this project) is organized, the nature and scope of its work and/or the capabilities it possesses. If appropriate, include an organization chart showing the relationship of the project to the current organization. Also include information about any contractual organization(s) that will have a significant role(s) in implementing project and achieving project goals.

Describe any experience with evidence-based community falls prevention programs, and how you will leverage current/previous efforts to integrate these and other health promotion and disease prevention programs into your state’s/region/tribe’s long-term services and supports systems and health care systems.

Describe the project management, including the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants and partner organizations, and how they will contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes. You should:

Provide a description of the qualifications and experience of any key personnel, including for the Project Director, and include their resumes(s) or CV(s);

Specify who would have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as: leadership of project;

Specify who would 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; and Detail the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Budget Narrative/Justification Applicants are required to provide detailed Budget Narrative/Justifications.

The Budget Narrative/Justification can be provided using the format included in the document, “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format.” Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to this document, which provides an example of the level of detail sought.

Applicants must submit the following:

Budget Narrative/Justification for Year 1;

Budget Narrative/Justification for Year 2;

Budget Narrative/Justification for Year 3; and A Combined Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 Budget.

3. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications: 05/13/2017 Date for Informational Conference Call: 04/05/2017 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 http://www.grants.gov . Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: http://www .grants.gov/web/grants/register.html .

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only.) If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, please contact the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice and provide a written explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. ACL will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note: We will not consider your application for further review if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

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

://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the cut off date.

Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) will automatically send applicants a tracking number and date of receipt verification electronically once the application has been successfully received and validated in http://www .grants.gov.

Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)

The individual named by the applicant/recipient organization who is authorized to act for the applicant/recipient and to assume the obligations imposed by the federal laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions that apply to grant applications or awards.

Each applicant must designate an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). An AOR is responsible for assuming the financial obligations of the award. AORs may be required to work with ACL to ensure that laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions of the award are being met.

AOR Authorization is part of the registration process at www.grants.gov where the AOR will create a short profile and obtain a username and password from the Grants.gov Credential Provider. AORs will only be authorized for the DUNS number registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

Project Director

Each applicant must designate a Project Director (PD) for the proposed project. The Project Director (also sometimes referred to as the Principal Investigator) is the primary point of contact on matters involving the application. If the applicant is awarded funding for the proposed project, the PD will serve as the primary contact for ACL and will be responsible for programmatic updates and reports. The PD must be available to answer any questions pertaining to the application.

4. Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity announcement is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."

5. Funding Restrictions The following activities are not fundable:

Construction and/or major rehabilitation of buildings Basic research (e.g. scientific or medical experiments) Continuation of existing projects without expansion or new and innovative approaches

Note: A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has raised considerable concerns about grantees and contractors charging the Federal government for additional meals outside of the standard allowance for travel subsistence known as per diem expenses. Executive Orders on Promoting Efficient Spending (EO 13589) and Delivering Efficient, Effective and Accountable Government (EO 13576) have been issued and instruct Federal agencies to promote efficient spending. Therefore, if meals are to be charged in your proposal, applicants should understand such costs must meet the following criteria outlined in the Executive Orders and HHS Grants Policy Statement:

Meals are generally unallowable except for the following:

For subjects and patients under study (usually a research program);

Where specifically approved as part of the project or program activity, e.g., in programs providing children’s services (e.g., Headstart);

When an organization customarily provides meals to employees working beyond the normal workday, as a part of a formal compensation arrangement; As part of a per diem or subsistence http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ allowance provided in conjunction with allowable travel; and Under a conference grant, when meals are a necessary and integral part of a conference, provided that meal costs are not duplicated in participants’ per diem or subsistence allowances.

(Note: conference grant means the sole purpose of the award is to hold a…