HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DNCE-0099.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Disabilities

Projects of National Significance: Bridging the Aging and Disabilities Networks

HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DNCE-0099

08/24/2021

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Table of Contents

Summary/Abstract

Statement of Need

Goals and Objective

Proposed Approach

Special Target Populations

Outcomes

Project Management

Evaluation and Dissemination

Organizational Capability

BUDGET NARRATIVE / JUSTIFICATION

WORK PLAN

LETTERS OF COMMITMENT

3. Submission Dates and Times

4. Intergovernmental Review

5. Funding Restrictions

6. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

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

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

Administration on Disabilities Funding Opportunity Title:

Projects of National Significance: Bridging the Aging and Disabilities Networks Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DNCE-0099

Primary CFDA Number:

93.631 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

07/25/2021 Due Date for Applications:

08/24/2021 Date for Informational Conference Call:

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

Executive Summary Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary The Administration for Community Living (ACL), Administration on Disabilities (AOD), U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 funds for a cooperative agreement authorized under Subtitle E of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, Projects of National Significance (PNS).

Funds will be awarded to develop a Community of Practice (CoP) designed to build capacity https://www.grants.gov/ across and within states’ aging and disability networks that will focus on creating culturally competent systems to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and their families to improve planning to address their individual needs, goals, and preferences across the lifespan. The CoP will develop and define the scope of the needs and challenges to be addressed; gather information including the identification of emerging and promising practices across states; establish and maintain mechanisms to share and disseminate data, information and promising practices; develop ideas to address challenges and opportunities to improve strategies, policies, practices and systems supporting families of people with ID/DD that are culturally competent and facilitate self-determination; and provide technical assistance;

and promote interagency collaboration and partnership between the aging and disability networks.

I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Statement of Need

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to strengthen the collaboration between aging and disability networks to better support individuals with ID/DD and their families as they plan for their future across the lifespan.

It is estimated that nearly one million families in the U.S. include adults with ID/DD living with aging parents/families, and that number is expected to grow in the coming years.[1] While the majority of individuals with ID/DD live with their family, about two-thirds of these families do not have advanced care plans in place. At the same time, most are not receiving formal services through their state’s ID/DD agency. More than half (54%) of families indicate that they have not planned for the future, and as a result, are often concerned with what will happen to their loved one(s) with ID/DD when they are no longer able to care for them.[2] The challenge is profound since most individuals with ID/DD have no paid employment to sustain themselves after their aging family caregiver passes on.[3]

Planning for the future is central to the well-being of individuals with ID/DD and their families across the lifespan. Developing successful, culturally competent future planning strategies can play a role in addressing social determinants of health such as improving one’s future in relation to health/medical care, financial plans, legal and advocacy plans, residential plans, vocational plans, and individuals’ preferences for community participation. In order to support aging well, building and strengthening the capacity of disability and aging networks to be inclusive of adults with ID/DD in their services is critical.

B. Program History / Background

In 2012, AoD funded the National Community of Practice for Supporting Families (CoP) grant to build capacity across and within states to create policies, practices, and systems to better assist and support families that include a member with ID/DD. A critical element of the program was the Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) framework which establishes a set of principles to help individuals and their families identify and find supports, assess their options, and envision their best life.

Following the end of the CoP grant, ACL conducted an evaluation to identify how participating states were achieving project outcomes utilizing the CtLC framework and to provide AoD with recommendations vital to continuing family support activities. The evaluation confirmed the need to continue prioritizing and advancing supports to families, particularly family members as they age. The evaluation noted that, “As the life expectancy for individuals with ID/DD grows and families continue to be a primary source of support, unique needs of aging families emerge.

Families need to access services across multiple systems and aging parents who provide support may require their own support.”[4]

This project is consistent with the goals and purposes of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act), Section 161(2)(D)(A)(42 U.S.C. 15081) which authorizes “projects of national significance that … (2) support the development of national and State policies that reinforce and promote, with the support of families, guardians, advocates, and communities, of individuals with developmental disabilities, the self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life of such individuals through (A) family support activities.” Through this project, ACL seeks to assist families in ways that maximize the family’s capacity, strength, cultural preferences, and unique abilities so they can best support, nurture, and facilitate achievement of self-determination, independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion in all facets of community life for their family members. This project also supports the AoD priorities of:

Promoting health equity, Achieving economic security and mobility, Protecting rights and preventing abuse, and Empowering individuals, communities, families.

It will support the Administration’s priorities to support community living and address the institutional bias, support the caregiving infrastructure, and advance equity for marginalized and underserved populations. ACL recognizes that strengthening the communication and collaborative efforts between the aging and disability networks is critical to ensuring more equitable access to appropriate supports that allow individuals with ID/DD to fully participate and live in the community as they and their families age.

C. Program Goals (Outcomes and Performance Measures)

In your application, you should outline major goals and objectives of your proposal that are attainable and will address and respond to the needs outlined above. You should propose outcomes for your project that are clear, realistic, quantifiable, measurable, and consistent with both the program goals as stated below and the definition of a project outcome contained in Project Work Plan – Sample Template (see Appendix).

The following are ACL’s goals for this project:

Initial / Immediate The state’s aging and disability networks will have:

Increased access to culturally competent resources to address the age-related issues of individuals with ID/DD and their families;

Forums to facilitate networking within their communities;Stronger partnerships with various aging agencies and/or entities that provide long-term services and supports;

Opportunities to be more proactive to assist families with developing culturally competent future/advanced plans that address the various social determinants of health (i.e., health/medical care, financial plans, legal and advocacy plans, residential plans, vocational plans, and individuals’ preferences for community participation); and

Opportunities to mentor to result in increasing number of people with ID/DD and their families in new or increased leadership roles.*

Intermediate

More states enter into focused and sustainable collaborations with aging programs within their respective states to address the future planning/advanced planning supports for individuals with ID/DD and their families as they age as a focus area;

More aging organizations (i.e., AAAs and ADRCs) are proactive in assisting families with developing culturally competent future/advanced plans that address the various social determinant needs surrounding., health/medical care, financial plans, legal and advocacy plans, residential plans, vocational plans, and individual’s cultural preferences for community participation; and

More people with ID/DD and their families have increased knowledge of supports needed to help them achieve the life they want as they age.*

Long-Term

States have a more established culturally competent infrastructure that addresses future planning and supports to more effectively respond to the unique needs of each family, including families who are diverse with regard to race, religion, language, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, location, and other factors not listed;

Older adults with ID/DD are living in the community with supports that reflect their needs, cultural preferences, and wants and are aging in their preferred place; and

More policies are changed to improve the experience of people with ID/DD and their families as they age*

* Tracking with performance measures for the Projects of National Significance program

D. Activities As an applicant, you should respond to this funding announcement by submitting a proposal that describes the well-designed, innovative approach you will take, if funded, to build capacity across and within states’ aging and disability networks that focuses on creating practices and culturally competent systems that improve efforts to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and their families to better plan for their future across the lifespan and address key social determinants of health that more effectively address their individual needs, goals, and preferences. You should explain how you plan to implement the activities listed here along with other activities you believe necessary to achieve the outcomes listed above over the five-year period of the grant.

1. Establishing the Community of Practice

The grantee will create a community of practice (CoP) comprised of at least 10 states with plans to expand as appropriate. Applicants to the CoP will be state teams (i.e., consortia) established by formal agreements (e.g., MOUs, MOAs) among a minimum of five organizations/agencies within the state. The state consortia must be led by either the state DD agency or the state DD council, but each consortium must include both entities. The state consortia must also be comprised of the state aging entity. Other members of the consortia may include the State Independent Living Councils, Centers for Independent Living, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Protection and Advocacy agencies, self-advocacy organizations, and other non-profit organizations focused upon the needs of people with ID/DD, their families, and the aging population. The grantee is expected to ensure the state teams incudes groups that represent diverse populations regarding race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, location, and other factors not listed.

2. Establishing and Coordinating a Partnership Council

The grantee, in conjunction with AoD, will form and work with a partnership council. The partnership council will be comprised of at least 50 percent individuals with ID/DD and family members of individuals with disabilities. The partnership council must also include individuals that represent diverse populations regarding race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, location, and other factors not listed. Other members will include representatives from other federal agencies and/or national non-profit organizations that play a vital role in providing services and supports to the disability and aging networks. The purpose of the partnership council is to help guide and support the work of the project, make stronger connections with state-level partners in states that are part of the CoP, and support the collaborative efforts of state consortia. The grantee will convene a meeting with partnership council and solicit input and recommendations at least twice a year.

3. Working with State Consortia Applicants to the CoP will be state teams (i.e., consortia) established by formal agreements (e.g., MOUs, MOAs) among a minimum of five organizations/agencies within the state. The state consortia:

Must be led by either the state DD agency or the state DD council but each consortia must include both entities;

Must include the state aging entity;

Must include groups that represent diverse populations regarding race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, location, and other factors not listed;

May include the State Independent Living Council and one or more Centers for Independent Living;

May include one or more UCEDDs in the state and the Protection and Advocacy agency;

and

May include such non-profit organizations focused upon the needs of people with ID/DD, their families, the aging population, etc. as appropriate.

The grantee will regularly convene and work across all the CoP participants to develop a consensus regarding the scope of the needs and challenges facing aging adults with ID/DD and their support networks from diverse backgrounds, including service needs and others related to social determinants of health as well as the implications/outcomes for families that include a member with ID/DD who is not receiving formal support. outline for this plan used to establish the CoP.

State Consortia Work Plans In general, the grantee will convene the members of each state’s CoP consortium to develop a work plan that will leverage resources to build the capacity of the state’s disability and aging networks, improve culturally competent services and supports for adult individuals with ID/DD and their families to better plan for their future, and assure on sustainability, self-sufficiency, and resilience with regard to these efforts.

Basic components of the work plans should include, but not be limited to:

A consensus statement of the scope of the need in the state;

A landscape analysis of resources and services in the state, including the extent to which the resources and services meet the needs of diverse populations;

Processes for strengthening grantee collaboration among state disability and aging networks (e.g., DDCs, AAAs, P&As, ADRCs, UCEDDs);

Plans to update and refresh MOUs/MOAs among the members of the state’s consortium;

Identifying barriers surrounding advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities;

On-going assessments of the consortium’s activities; and Plans to update the work plan itself on an annual basis.

4. Training and Technical Assistance

The grantee will provide on-going training and technical assistance activities to the state consortia in partnership with applicable DD networks, aging networks, and other relevant federal and state agencies and/or stakeholders. At minimum, the training and technical assistance will include the following:

One in-person and/or virtual meeting for all CoP state consortia members annually.

Four other meetings/trainings (including, but not limited to, teleconferences or webinars) using accessible technology.

Group and one-on-one technical assistance to CoP members to help them conceptualize, implement, adapt, and promote strategies and policy and practice changes needed in aging and disability service delivery systems and communities to improve quality of life outcomes for families that include members with ID/DD, including those from marginalized or underserved communities.

A web presence or other mechanism(s) to collect, maintain, and disseminate information across state consortia and provide and support a platform for the CoP members to discuss topics and common questions.

Trainings, webinars, and other resources that build the capacity of states to better support adults with ID/DD and their families in a culturally competent manner with future planning needs that include but are not limited to the following:

a. Topics that address at least the following areas: health/medical care, financial plans, legal and advocacy plans, residential plans, vocational plans, and individual’s preferences for community participation

b. Emerging practices

c. Available research on future planning for individuals with ID/DD and their families

d. Sample future planning kits and other resources

e. Links to other existing sources of relevant information and resources at the national, state, and local level

f. Recordings and archival copies of trainings for future use

Resources to support the efficient and effective operation of state consortia and promote interagency collaboration and partnership (e.g., sample MOUs).

Promising practices regarding strategies, policies, and practices within the aging and disability networks that support individuals with ID/DD and their families.

Support for peer-to-peer technical assistance.

Assistance to support state consortia’s use of data to guide project decisions, including performance measurement and data management.

Assistance to state consortia with strategic planning, systems change implementation, and sustainability efforts..

5. Emerging and Promising Practices Report

During the course of the project, the grantee will include in their regular reports information on emerging and promising practices that they have identified. These practices will be those that achieve improved coordination, communication, cultural competency, and capacity-building among the disability and aging networks. The grantee will also focus on practices that support the unique needs of aging adults with ID/DD and their families to fully plan for their future and otherwise participate as productive members of society. At the end of the project period, the grantee will submit a comprehensive report addressing emerging and promising practices that surfaced during the lifecycle of the grant. This comprehensive report will be in addition to the customary final program progress report.

E. Definitions

Communities of Practice: Groups of people who share a common interest, a consistent professional perspective, and collaborate on an ongoing basis to share ideas, provide peer-to-peer technical assistance and support, and discuss solutions to shared challenges.

Developmental Disabilities: As defined in the DD Act (Sec. 102(8)(A)), the term "developmental disabilities" means a severe, chronic disability of an individual that is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments that are manifested before the individual attains age 22 and are likely to continue indefinitely. Developmental disabilities result in substantial limitations in three or more of the following functional areas: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and capacity of economic self-sufficiency.

Supporting Families: A comprehensive and coordinated set of strategies that are designed to ensure that families who are assisting family members with I/DD have access to person-centered and family-centered resources, supports, services, and other assistance. These strategies are directed to the family unit, but ultimately benefit the individual with I/DD. The overall objective of family support is to support families in ways that maximize their capacity, strengths, and unique abilities so they can best support, nurture, and love their family members while facilitating achievement of self-determination, independence, productivity, integration and inclusion in all facets of community life consistent with the goals and purposes of the DD Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Intellectual Disability: As defined by the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the term intellectual disability is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving) and in adaptive behavior, which covers a range of everyday social and practical skills and originates before the age of 18.

State Developmental Disabilities Agency: The State executive branch department that has responsibility for serving individuals with I/DD who are receiving home and community-based Medicaid waiver services and other related home and community-based supports.

State Council on Developmental Disabilities: The term "State Council on Developmental Disabilities" means a Council established under section 125 of the DD Act (Sec. 102). Each Council is established to undertake advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change activities that contribute to a coordinated, consumer- and family-centered, consumer- and family-directed, comprehensive system of community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance as directed in the DD Act.

Centers for Independent Living (CILs): are consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential private non-profit agency that are designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities, and provides an array of independent living services.

State Unites on Aging (SUAs): The term State Units on Aging are designated state-level agencies that are responsible for developing and administering multi-year state plans that advocate for and provide assistance to older residents, their families, and, in many states, for adults with physical disabilities. The specific title and organization of each governmental unit varies and may be called a Department, Office, Bureau, Commission, Council, or Board for the elderly, senior, aging, older adults, and/or adults with physical disabilities.

[1] National Community of Practice for Supporting Families Final Evaluation, p. 30.

[2]The ARC of the United States. (2017). FINDS – Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports Community Report. Retrieved from: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/11/1519884/0/en/The-Arc-Releases-2017-FINDS-Survey-Data-on-Caregiving-for-People-with-Intellectual-and-Developmental-Disabilities-I-DD.html [3] The New Editions/Lewin’s final evaluation report findings on the National Community of Practice for Supporting Families [4] Amie Lulinski, Nicole T. Jorwic, Emily Shea Tanis, & David Braddock, 2018

Statutory Authority Subtitle E, Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, Projects of National Significance(PNS)

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$ 400,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$ 400,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$ 380,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' 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. When an award is issued the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference file:///C:/Users/larissa.crossen/OneDrive%20-%20HHS%20Office%20of%20the%20Secretary/Desktop/PNS%20-%20Bridging%20Aging%20and%20Disability%20Networks%20-%20Draft%20NOFO%20for%20review%20(anb%20edits)-final.docx#_ftnref1 file:///C:/Users/larissa.crossen/OneDrive%20-%20HHS%20Office%20of%20the%20Secretary/Desktop/PNS%20-%20Bridging%20Aging%20and%20Disability%20Networks%20-%20Draft%20NOFO%20for%20review%20(anb%20edits)-final.docx#_ftnref1 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/11/1519884/0/en/The-Arc-Releases-2017-FINDS-Survey-Data-on-Caregiving-for-People-with-Intellectual-and-Developmental-Disabilities-I-DD.html https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/11/1519884/0/en/The-Arc-Releases-2017-FINDS-Survey-Data-on-Caregiving-for-People-with-Intellectual-and-Developmental-Disabilities-I-DD.html https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/11/1519884/0/en/The-Arc-Releases-2017-FINDS-Survey-Data-on-Caregiving-for-People-with-Intellectual-and-Developmental-Disabilities-I-DD.html file:///C:/Users/larissa.crossen/OneDrive%20-%20HHS%20Office%20of%20the%20Secretary/Desktop/PNS%20-%20Bridging%20Aging%20and%20Disability%20Networks%20-%20Draft%20NOFO%20for%20review%20(anb%20edits)-final.docx#_ftnref2 file:///C:/Users/larissa.crossen/OneDrive%20-%20HHS%20Office%20of%20the%20Secretary/Desktop/PNS%20-%20Bridging%20Aging%20and%20Disability%20Networks%20-%20Draft%20NOFO%20for%20review%20(anb%20edits)-final.docx#_ftnref1 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.

The ACL project officer agrees to execute the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement outlined below:

Perform the day-to-day federal responsibilities of managing a grant initiative and work with the grantee to ensure that the minimum requirements for the grant are met. Conduct monthly conference calls to ensure goals and objectives are being met.

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

Share information with the grantee about other federally sponsored projects or activities relevant to the interests of the grantee and their activities.

Work with the grantee on the development and implementation of performance measures and quality assurance systems to ensure that performance is measured and continuous improvement occurs.

Provide technical advice on grantee work products to ensure they are accurate, objective, unbiased, and of high professional quality, and they do not violate federal, departmental, or agency grant rules.

Attend and participate in major project events as appropriate.

Provide guidance and technical assistance on required performance measurement.

Make the final determination of which consortia will be approved to participate in the

CoP.

The grantee will agree to execute the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement outlined below:

Collaborate with ACL on any in-scope modifications and commencement of the work plan within 45 days of the award.

Implement the proposed grant activities.

Evaluate the impact of overall project activities and ensure quality assurance systems are in place.

Share information with ACL; the TBI State grantees; national, state, and local partner organizations; and other entities as appropriate.

Work with the ACL project officer to evaluate performance results reported semiannually and jointly develop strategies to address those areas requiring improvement.

Submit resumes of potential key staff hires as detailed under HHS grants prior approval requirements.

Collaborate with the ACL program officer in establishing the Partnership Council.

Collaborate with the ACL program officer in the following key areas regarding the CoP:

o Approval of CoP plan by the ACL project officer before implementation.

o Refining and revising the CoP plan further.

o Establishing the criteria to determine how participating state consortia will be selected.

o Soliciting proposals from state consortia, reviewing the proposals, and ranking them.

o Providing recommendations to the ACL program office in ranking order of which states participate in the state consortia.

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.

SEC. 162. of the DD Act of 2000 states that "The Secretary shall award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public or private nonprofit entities for projects of national significance relating to individuals with developmental disabilities to carry out activities described in section 161(2)."

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

No For awards that require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources (at or above the statutory requirement) in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to provide the statutorily required matching or cost sharing amount (and any voluntary committed amount in excess) may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria N/A

Application Screening Criteria

All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the four 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:

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

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Calibri or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 25 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 25 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 25 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 25-page limit.

4. Applications must contain a budget request that is no more than the “Award Ceiling” amount as found in Section II of this funding announcement.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from https://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission.

For example, you will be required to provide an https://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the application deadline.

IV. Application and Submission Information

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

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

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

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

Eastern Time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 866-705-5711.

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

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

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

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

Administration on Disabilities Larissa Crossen larissa.crossen@acl.hhs.gov 202-795-7333

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent Number Of Days from Publication 30

07/25/2021 Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

(by email) Larissa Crossen larissa.crossen@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Calibri or Arial. You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. The suggested length for the Project Narrative is 20 to 25 pages; 25 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 25 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 25 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 25-page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. ACL recommends that your project narrative include the following components, which will be counted as part of the 25-page limit:

Table of Contents https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:larissa.crossen@acl.hhs.gov

Summary/Abstract Statement of Need Goals and Objectives Proposed Approach Special Target Populations Outcomes Project Management Evaluation Dissemination Organizational Capability

Table of Contents List the contents of the application including corresponding page numbers.

Summary/Abstract Include in this section a brief (265 words maximum) description of the proposed project that includes the project’s goals, objectives, outcomes, overall approach (including target population and significant partnerships), anticipated outcomes, and products to be developed.

Statement of Need Use this section to demonstrate the nature and scope of the particular need for assistance, in both quantitative and qualitative terms.

Goals and Objective Use this section to describe the project’s goals and major objectives.

Proposed Approach Use this section to provide a clear and concise description of the project you propose to use to address the problem you described in the “Statement of Need.” Also, describe the rationale for using the particular project, including factors such as: “lessons learned” for similar projects previously tested in your community, or in other areas of the country; factors in the larger environment that have created the “right conditions” for the intervention (e.g., existing social or economic factors that you’ll be able to take advantage of, etc.). Also, note the major barriers you anticipate and your strategies to overcome them. Be sure to describe the makeup of any strategic partnerships and the role they will play in your project.

Special Target Populations In this section, describe how your project will target disadvantaged populations, including racially marginalized communities, limited-English speaking populations, and/or those of greatest economic and social need.

Outcomes In this section, clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from your project. If you use the optional work plan grid found in the Appendix section at the end of this funding announcement, list your measurable outcomes in the grid in addition to including them in the narrative. Also, describe how the project’s findings might benefit the field at large, (e.g., how the findings could help other organizations address the same or similar problems in their communities.) Please keep the focus of this section on describing what outcome(s) will be produced by the project and use the “Evaluation” section below to describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

Project Management Use this section to delineate the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants, and partner organizations. Describe how they will contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes. Clearly specify who will have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as:

leadership of project; monitoring the project’s on-going progress (i.e., measure of performance towards the goals); preparation of reports; and communications with partners and ACL. Also, describe the approach you will use to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Evaluation and Dissemination Use this section to describe the specific outcomes (e.g., changes in clients, organizations, and/or communities) you expect as a result of your proposed project. Describe the method(s), techniques, and tools you will use to: 1) determine whether the project achieved its anticipated outcome(s), and 2) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative – from the project that will be useful to people interested in replicating your project, if it proves successful.

Also, use this section to describe how you will disseminate the project’s results and findings to others who might be interested, particularly those who are interested in replicating the project in whole or in part. Include details in how you will do this in a timely manner and in easily understandable formats.

Organizational Capability Use this section of your application to describe in detail your organizational capacity including how the training and technical assistance efforts will be managed and to document your experience in fostering collaboration among various organizations, as well as your experience with aging and disability policies. You should be aware of the opportunities for networking and building cross community supports. You should also describe strategies that will help improve the capacity of each state to better support aging individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. You should describe in detail barriers to and opportunities for better coordination and communication between the aging and disability networks.

Also, use this section to describe the capability and capacity of your organization and any partner organizations that will have a significant role in implementing the project and/or achieving the project goals. Include resumes/vitae for key project personnel. Describe the organization of the applicant agency (or the particular division of a larger agency that will have responsibility for this project), the nature and scope of its work, and its capacity. Also, include a description of the organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after federal financial assistance has ended.

NOTE: Resumes/vitae for project staff along with any organizational charts do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit.

BUDGET NARRATIVE / JUSTIFICATION

For the Budget Narrative/Justification, you may use the “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format” found in the Appendix section at the end of this funding announcement. Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to this format, which provides an example of the level of detail ACL is looking for. ACL requires that you submit a combined multi-year Budget Narrative/Justification covering the life of the grant as well as a detailed Budget Narrative/Justification for each year of potential grant funding.

WORK PLAN

Your Project Work Plan should reflect and be consistent with the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative/Justification. In your Project Work Plan, include a statement of the project’s overall goal, the anticipated outcome(s), the key objectives, and the major tasks / action steps that you will undertake to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task / action step in the Project Work Plan, identify timeframes involved (including start- and end-dates) and the lead person responsible. You may use the “Project Work Plan - Sample Template” format found in the Appendix section at the end of this funding announcement as a reference and resource.

LETTERS OF COMMITMENT

In this part of your application, include confirmation of the commitments to the project (should it be funded) made by key collaborating organizations and agencies. Any organization you name in your application as having a significant role in carrying out the project should be considered an essential collaborator. For applications submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov, scan and include signed letters of commitment as attachments. If you are unable to scan the signed letters of commitment, you may fax them to the ACL Office of Grants Management at 202-357- 3467 by the application submission deadline. In your fax, be sure to include the funding opportunity number and your agency/organization name.

3. Submission Dates and Times Number Of Days from Publication 60

08/24/2021 Date for Informational Conference Call:

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…