HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-INNU-0017.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services -Research

HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-INNU-0017

03/10/2022

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

Summary/Abstract

Problem Statement

Goal(s) and Objective(s)

Approach

Outcomes

Project Management and Organizational Capacity

Evaluation

Dissemination

Budget Narrative/Justification (application attachment)

Workplan (application attachment)

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 Aging

Funding Opportunity Title:

Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services -Research

Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-INNU-0017

Primary CFDA Number:

93.045

Due Date for Letter of Intent:

02/18/2022

Due Date for Applications:

03/10/2022

Date for Informational Conference Call:

02/10/2022 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

Through this funding opportunity, the Administration on Aging (AoA), part of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), plans to award approximately 4 cooperative agreements to domestic public or private non-profit entities for a 60-month project period, 5 budget periods, pending the availability of funding.

This funding opportunity provides for competitive grants to be awarded under the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III authority to develop and implement evidence-based practices for enhancing senior nutrition programs.

There are two types of projects which will be funded under this Funding Opportunity:

PROJECT TYPE A – Demonstrate Congregate Meal Program Impact on Nutrition, Socialization, Health and Well-being Outcomes, and

PROJECT TYPE B – Evaluate and Sustain Effective, Non-Traditional Senior Nutrition Program Delivery Models.

Applicants may only apply for either Project Type A or Project Type B of this Funding Opportunity

These cooperative agreements have an anticipated start date of August 1, 2022.

A separate announcement (HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-INNU-0040) invites applications for Innovations in Nutrition Services and Program Replication projects.

An informational conference call will be held Thursday, February 10 at 2:00pm EST. The dial-in information is below:

Toll Free Number: 888-970-4135 Passcode: 4864439 A recording will be available approximately one hour after the call concludes at the following number:

Toll Free Playback Number: 800-819-5739

I. Funding Opportunity Description

The purposes of the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III-C Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) are to: a) reduce hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, b) promote socialization, and c) enhance health and well-being by delaying the onset of adverse health conditions and assisting individuals in gaining access to nutrition and other disease prevention and health promotion services that delay the onset of health conditions resulting from poor nutritional health or sedentary behavior. Services target older adults who are low-income, minority, rural, those with limited English proficiency and those at risk for institutionalization.

The SNP includes congregate and home-delivered meals, nutrition screening, assessment, counseling and education, as well as opportunities to increase human connection. Meals are required to meet the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as the Dietary Reference Intakes. OAA programming is person-centered and provides a mix of services to meet the widely differing needs of a diverse population of older adults.[1] These services help older adults maintain their physical, mental and social health and manage nutrition-related diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.[2] SNP participants benefit from information on healthy aging and access to additional HCBS services such as transportation, benefits counseling, physical activity programs, and evidence-based workshops (eg, chronic disease self-management, falls prevention, etc). Additional purposes of OAA services, including nutrition services, focus on addressing the social determinants of health, which are defined in Healthy People 2030 as "the conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks." Social determinants of health include access to healthy food, food security, social connectedness and availability of community-based nutrition programs. [3]

Applicants’ proposals must focus on creating partnerships between Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), or other research organizations in collaboration with aging services network organizations to test innovative programs or practices for the SNP. Testing and evaluating efforts may focus on enhancing the quality, effectiveness and sustainability of older adult nutrition programs services in times of emergencies but also must be sustainable during non-emergency situations.

Applicants must reference previously funded ACL Innovation in Nutrition projects to prevent duplication of efforts [4].

Applicant proposals must align with health equity approaches [5] and the OAA by targeting services to underserved older adults with greatest social and economic need, to permit such individuals to remain in home and community-based settings. The at-risk population should include older adults who formerly participated in the congregate nutrition program and other community-based programs, whose activity levels, access to healthy food, as well as opportunities to connect socially with others, grocery shop, obtain medical care, and exercise may have declined or changed significantly during coronavirus 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) .

These individuals, who previously were vigorous and independent, may have experienced declines in nutritional health, food security, physical capabilities, mental health and social connection.

Prospective applicants should consult ACL programmatic evaluations of the SNP [6], the National Survey of OAA Participants [7], relevant national datasets [7,8] and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) [9] while preparing their submission.

Purpose and Goals of this Announcement:

Objective 1 (Project Type A) – Demonstrate Congregate Meal Program Impact on Nutrition, Socialization, Health and Well-being Outcomes Objective 2 (Project Type B) – Evaluate and Sustain Effective, Non-Traditional Senior Nutrition Program Delivery Models

Funding Opportunity At A Glance

Funding Option

Number of Awards

Purpose Eligible Applicants

Match Required

Project Type A:

Demonstrate Congregate Meal Program Impact on Nutrition, Socialization, Health and

A total of approximately 4 cooperative agreements.

60-month project period with five 12-month budget

The goal of this project is to demonstrate that Congregate Meal Program services, practices or policies positively impact SNP participants by reducing hunger/ food insecurity/malnutrition, Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations

Applicant must provide a 25% match of total project budget (cash

Well-being Outcomes enhancing socialization and health and well-being. Projects must have strong potential for replication by the aging services network and sustainability using OAA Title IIIC-1 (congregate meal) funding.

Project Type B: Evaluate and Sustain Effective, Non- Traditional Senior Nutrition Program Delivery Models periods

Pending the availability of federal funding.

Test and validate non-traditional programs, practices or policies that have emerged or experienced significant innovation during COVID-19 that have shown some level of effectiveness and have strong potential for replication by the aging services network and sustainability.

(American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

and/or in-kind)

Project Type A – Demonstrate Congregate Meal Program Impact on Nutrition, Socialization, Health and Well-being Outcomes.

The goal of this project is to demonstrate that Congregate Meal Program services, practices or positively impact SNP participants by reducing hunger/food insecurity/malnutrition, enhancing socialization and/or health and well-being. Projects must have strong potential for replication by the aging services network and sustainability using OAA Title IIIC-1 (congregate meal) funding.

The project research design must incorporate at least one of the following research frameworks:

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) or Cohort study.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the impact of congregate and home-delivered meals in improving the nutrition, socialization and health/well-being of older adults yet some gaps exist, especially regarding congregate meal programs. [10] To address research gaps, Project Type A focuses on creating a strong research framework for demonstrating positive impacts of congregate meals (virtual, hybrid or in-person) to enhance SNP participants’ experience of meaningful socialization, improved health status and increased well-being. Findings are anticipated to be impactful for identifying evidence-based and forward-looking approaches to Title III-C implementation.

The following definitions are provided:

Socialization – Enhancing the opportunity for human connection with the intent to prevent or reduce social isolation.

Health - “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (illness).” [11]. Health includes physical (eg, oral health, chronic disease risk, etc) as well as mental and behavioral (eg, depression, suicide risk, etc) health.

Well-being - generally includes global judgments of life satisfaction and feelings ranging from depression to joy.[12] Health and well-being impacts should aim at delaying the onset of adverse health conditions and assisting individuals in gaining access to nutrition and other disease prevention and health promotion services that delay the onset of health conditions resulting from poor nutritional health or sedentary behavior.

Project Type B – Evaluate and Sustain Effective, Non-Traditional Senior Nutrition Program Delivery Models It is critical that ACL work with the aging services network to validate and/or test new models especially in light of COVID-19 to modernize services to ensure that nutrition services are achieving their intended outcomes, and that every dollar is spent effectively to ensure the sustainability of these services. Translating the knowledge generated by this research into evidence-based models for delivering the SNP and programs at the community level is essential to ensuring the continued efficacy and efficiency of the nutrition programs.

Due to COVID-19, the SNP has experienced significant transformations in service types and delivery methods as well as surge in numbers of persons served by the program. Stay-at-home orders, illness and heightened vulnerability of older adults to the virus– along with the closing of many workplaces, senior centers and meal sites – has and continues to greatly impact the SNP eligible population as well as the SNP workforce (including volunteers), resources (food, protective equipment, etc), services (grab-and-go meals, etc) and operations (delivery frequency, virtual programming, data collection, etc). Guidelines and information regarding these changes can be found on the ACL and NRCNA websites. [13,14]

Project B proposals will evaluate and sustain non-traditional SNP services, practices or policies that have emerged or experienced significant innovation during COVID-19 that have shown some level of effectiveness and have strong potential for replication by the aging services network and sustainability.

Examples of non-traditional SNP services, practices and policies include but are not exclusively listed below:

Congregate meals:

Group dining in “centers without walls” locations; restaurant partnerships; grab-and-go meals that offer opportunities for participants to dine together; “virtual congregate dining” - persons dining together entirely on-line; “hybrid congregate dining” - persons dining together while two or more in an in-person setting and others participate on-line, food trucks in park settings or visiting housing sites, “tailgating” meals, drive-in movie gatherings that include meals.

Home-delivered meals:

Contactless home delivery; grab-and-go meals; phone or virtual safety and wellness interventions; changing eligibility criteria; instituting prioritizing systems.

Cross-cutting:

Phone or virtual intakes/assessments/nutrition education; reducing or eliminating full-time on-site administrative work; intergenerational meals, programs or education; efficient data reporting approaches, policies or service delivery practices when participants experience multiple shifts between home-delivered and congregate meals; effective cross-referrals based on person-centered approaches; participant technology utilization; enhanced cultural meal offerings;

shifting to online recordkeeping, communications and/or reporting; using specialty vendors to serve clients with special needs (eg, specific health needs); redesigning volunteer utilization or staff assignments.

References [1] Administration for Community Living. Nutrition Services. https://acl.gov/programs/health-wellness/nutrition-services [2] Administration for Community Living, Program Evaluations and Reports, https://acl.gov/programs/program-evaluations-and-reports# [3] Department of Health and Human Services Office of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. (2021) Healthy People 2030, Social Determinants of Health.

https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health [4] Administration for Community Living, Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services, https://acl.gov/programs/nutrition/innovations-nutrition-programs-and-services-0 [5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Health Equity.

https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/healthequity/index.htm [6] Administration for Community Living, Program Areas, Health, Wellness and Nutrition, Nutrition Services (Programmatic Evaluation). https://acl.gov/programs/health-wellness/nutrition-services [7] Administration for Community Living, AGing, Independence, and Disability (AGID) Data Portal, Aging and Disability Data Files, NPS. https://agid.acl.gov/DataFiles/NPS/ .

[8 ] US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Research, Datasets.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/datasets/ [9] Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, https://www.openicpsr.org/openicpsr/ [10] CDC Community Preventive Services Task Force Findings Report, Effectiveness of Home-delivered and Congregate Meal Services for Older Adults, https://www.thecommunityguide.org/content/tffrs-nutrition-home-delivered-and-congregate-meal-services-older-adults [11] World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution [12] Health-Related Quality of Life, Well-Being Concepts.

https://www.cdc.gov/hrqol/wellbeing.htm [13] Administration for Community Living, For the Aging and Disability Networks, COVID-19 Response. https://acl.gov/covid19/aging-and-disability-networks [14] National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging, COVID-19 Resources.

https://acl.gov/senior-nutrition/senior-nutrition-covid-19-home

Statutory Authority Further Extending Government Funding Act, P.L. 117-70

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement)

Estimated Total Funding:

$2,000,000

Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$600,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$400,000 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' Through this funding opportunity, the Administration on Aging (AoA), part of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), plans to award approximately 4 cooperative agreements to domestic public or private non-profit entities for a 60 month project period, pending the availability of funding.

Under this competition, AoA/ACL will award cooperative agreements in the amount of $400,000

- $600,000 for each of the five 12-month budget periods, subject to availability of funds. This award is competitive, and applications will be evaluated in part on applicants’ stated plan of action and their demonstrated capacity to effectively and expeditiously begin implementing their grant activities within sixty days of their grant award.

Cooperative Agreement Terms As provided by the terms of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (P.L. 95- 224), this funding opportunity announcement will result in a cooperative agreement which provides for the substantial involvement and collaboration of ACL/AoA in activities that the recipient organization will carry out in accordance with the provisions of the approved grant award. 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 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 grantee agrees to execute the responsibilities outlined below:

1. Fulfill all of the requirements of the grant initiative as outlined in this funding opportunity, as well as carry out project activities as reviewed, approved, and awarded in the grantee workplan.

2. Participate in regular technical assistance related calls, as determined by ACL, to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this Agreement.

3. Communicate with ACL in the execution of the work plan and in understanding the programmatic and budgetary issues of the project. Based on these discussions and emerging issues in the field, if necessary, the grantee will revise the project work plan and/or budget detailing expectations for major activities and products.

4. Engage approximately 25% of your target participants by the end of Year 2, 50% of participants by the end of Year 3, 75% of participants by the end of Year 4, and 100% of participants by the end of Year 5.

5. Commit to sending 1-2 project staff to a yearly Innovations in Nutrition grantee convening. Attendance is expected annually for the duration of your grant activities (including any no-cost extension period, if applicable). As part of that commitment, include funds in each budget year for 1-2 people to attend the convening (assume Washington, D.C. per diem amount).

6. Participate in any national research or evaluations of the proposed program.

7. Participate in dissemination related activities such as webinars and conference sessions by sending 1-2 project staff to a minimum of one nutrition and/or aging conferences annually.

8. Commit to sharing replication materials via a Capstone Project as advised by the ACL project officer for potential aging services network replication of this project.

9. Ensure continuity of the project by creating contingency plans should staff turnover or delays in hiring staff occur.

10. Comply with all other reporting requirements, as outlined in Section VI of this funding opportunity and the Notice of Award.

11. Include the following language when issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other ACL supported publications and forums describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with ACL funding. “This project was supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with XX percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $XX amount and XX percentage funded by non-governmental source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor are an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S.

Government.”

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

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

2. 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.

3. Provide technical advice and assistance in conjunction with the National Nutrition and Aging Resource Center to the grantee regarding project activities related to the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of this grant.

4. Communicate with the grantee principle investigator regularly, and at such other times as are agreed upon, to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried under this Agreement.

5. Work cooperatively with the grantee on programmatic, evaluation 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 AoA.

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.

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:

Yes 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.

Under this ACL program, ACL will fund no more than 75% of the project’s total cost, which means the applicant must cover at least 25% of the project’s total cost with non-federal resources. In other words, for every three (3) dollars received in federal funding, the applicant must contribute at least one (1) dollar in non-federal resources toward the project’s total cost.

This “three-to-one” ratio is reflected in the formula included under Item 18 in the “Instructions for Completing Requested Forms.” You can use this formula to calculate your minimum required match. A common error applicants make is to match 25% of the federal share, rather than 25% of the project’s total cost.

There are two types of match: 1) non-federal cash and 2) non-federal in-kind. In general, costs borne by the applicant and cash contributions of any and all third parties involved in the project, including sub-grantees, contractors and consultants, are considered matching funds. Volunteered time and use of facilities to hold meetings or conduct project activities may be considered in-kind (third party) donations. Examples of non-federal cash match includes budgetary funds provided from the applicant agency’s budget for costs associated with the project. ACL encourages you to not exceed the minimum match requirement. Applications with a match greater than the minimum required will not receive additional consideration under the review.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

Application Responsiveness Criteria Applications must indicate a match of 25% of the project’s total cost.

Applications that fail to meet the responsiveness criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the six 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 Times New Roman or Arial.

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

4. Applications must include a Budget Narrative/Justification for years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 along with a combined Budget Narrative/Justification for the proposed 60 -month budget period. The proposed combined Budget Narrative/Justification must not exceed the total federal 5-year award ceiling of $3,000,000.

5. Applications must include a Project Workplan for years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

6. Application abstract and narrative (Proposed Innovation and Approach Section) must clearly state whether they are applying for either Project Type A or Project Type B of this funding opportunity.

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 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 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

Ms. Judy Simon Administration on Aging (AoA) 202.795.7381 judy.simon@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent

Due Date for Letter Of Intent 02/18/2022

02/18/2022 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:

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. The deadline for submission of the letter of intent is (Insert date here). Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Administration on Aging (AoA) Ms. Judy Simon judy.simon@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative

The Project Narrative is one of the most important components of the application. It will be used as the primary basis to determine whether your project meets the minimum requirements for grants under the authorizing statutes. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project.

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 Times New Roman or Arial. You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats.

The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, Organizational Chart and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit, but all of the other sections in the list below are included in the limit.

Applicants must document all of their source material. If any text, language, and/or materials are from another source, the applicant must make it clear the material is being quoted and where the text comes from. The applicant must also cite any sources when they include numbers, ideas, or other material that are not their own.

The required components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the 20-page limit include:

Abstract Problem Statement Goal(s) and Objective(s) Approach Outcomes Project Management and Organizational Capability Evaluation Dissemination

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

Summary/Abstract

Project Types A and B:

This section should provide a description of the proposed project, not to exceed one page, including: whether the proposed project is Project Type A or B, 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" in the Appendix.

Problem Statement

Project Type A:

This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the food insecurity/malnutrition/hunger, socialization and health and well-being issues the proposed SNP service, practice or policy is designed to address. This section should include how the project will potentially affect targeted and at-risk populations of older adults who are greatest social and economic need, which may include those who have experienced reduced activity levels, access to healthy food and social connections due to COVID-19. Target populations include, but are not limited to, individuals who are Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons;

persons with disabilities; and persons who live in rural areas. This section should also outline how the proposed project has strong potential for replication by the aging services network and sustainability using OAA Title IIIC-1 (congregate meal) funding.

Project Type B:

This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery issue the proposed non-traditional program, practice or policy is designed to address. This section should include how the project will potentially affect targeted and at-risk populations of older adults who are greatest social and economic need, which may include those who have experienced reduced activity levels, access to healthy food and social connections due to COVID-19. Target populations include, but are not limited to, individuals who are Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities;

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; and persons who live in rural areas. This section should also outline how the proposed project has strong potential for replication by the aging services network.

Goal(s) and Objective(s)

Project Type A and Project Type B: This section should consist of a description of the project’s goal(s) and major objectives, and how they will be accomplished. Unless the project involves multiple, complex innovations, we recommend you have only one overall goal.

Approach

Project Type A: This section should clearly describe the following:

Describes how the project plans to demonstrate that congregate meal program services, practices or policies positively impact SNP participants by reducing food insecurity/hunger/malnutrition, enhancing socialization and/or health and well-being.

Socialization approaches should enhance the opportunity for human connection.

Contains a clear and concise description of the congregate meal program service, practice or policy program and how it is anticipated to impact participant outcomes.

Describes how the project idea distinctly addresses the issues described in the “Problem Statement” and includes the rationale and justification for proposing the particular project.

Indicates a specific approach for the service, practice or policy development and implementation.

States how the service, practice or policy has strong potential for replication by the aging services network and sustainability using OAA Title IIIC-1 (congregate meal program) funding.

Explains how the proposed innovation enhances health equity and targets services to underserved older adults with greatest economic need, to permit such individuals to remain in home and community-based settings, as indicated in the OAA.

Includes any major barriers that have been encountered with the service, practice or policy and how the project will be able to overcome those barriers.

States the role and makeup of any strategic partnerships which are planned to accomplish the innovation, including other organizations, supporters, and/or consumer groups.

Indicates a partnership between a University, Tribal College and University (TCU), or other research organization, in collaboration with an aging services network organization(s).

Project Type B: This section should clearly describe the following:

Describes how the project tests and validates the effectiveness of non-traditional programs, practices or policies that have emerged or experienced significant innovation during COVID-19 that have shown some level of effectiveness. If socialization approaches are included, they should enhance the opportunity for human connection.

Contains a clear and concise description of the non-traditional program, practice or policy that has emerged or experienced significant innovation during COVID-19 that has shown some level of effectiveness.

Describes how the project idea distinctly addresses the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery issues described in the “Problem Statement” and includes the rationale and justification for proposing the innovation.

Indicates a specific approach for program or practice development and implementation which includes a definition of the non-traditional program, practice, or policy.

States how the program or practice has strong potential for replication by the aging services network and sustainability.

Includes specific components and ideas that make this application innovative and non-traditional and amenable for broad implementation throughout the aging services network.

Explains how the proposed innovation enhances health equity and targets services to underserved older adults with greatest economic need, to permit such individuals to remain in home and community-based settings, as indicated in the OAA.

Includes any major barriers that were encountered during COVID-19 or the significant innovation and how the project will be able to overcome those barriers.

States the role and makeup of any strategic partnerships which are planned to accomplish the innovation, including other organizations, supporters, and/or consumer groups.

Indicates a partnership between a University, Tribal College and University (TCU), or other research organization, in collaboration with an aging services network organization(s).

Outcomes

This section of the project narrative must clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. (NOTE: ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes). This section should also describe how the project’s findings might benefit the field at large, (e.g., how the findings could help other organizations throughout the nation to address the same or similar problems.) List measurable outcomes in the optional work plan grid (“Project Work Plan – Sample Template”) under “Measurable Outcomes” in addition to any discussion included in the narrative along with a description of how the project might benefit the field at large.

A “measurable outcome” is an observable end-result that describes how a particular intervention benefits consumers. It demonstrates the functional status, mental well-being, knowledge, skill, attitude, awareness or behavior.) It can also describe a change in the degree to which consumers exercise choice over the types of services they receive, or whether they are satisfied with the way a service is delivered. Additional examples include: a change in the responsiveness or cost-effectiveness of a service delivery system; a new model of support or care that can be replicated in the ACL network; new knowledge that can contribute to the field of community living; a measurable increase in community awareness; or a measurable increase in persons receiving services. A measurable outcome is not a measurable “output”, such as: the number of clients served; the number of training sessions held; or the number of service units provided.

You should keep the focus of this section on describing what outcome(s) will be produced by the project. You should use the Evaluation section noted below to describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

Your application will be scored on the clarity and nature of your proposed outcomes, not on the number of outcomes cited.

Project Type A This section of the project narrative must:

Clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project.

Indicate that project’s outcomes are related to EACH of the OAA intents (specifically: 1) reduce hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, 2) promote socialization (socialization approaches increase opportunities for human connection), and 3) promote health and well-being by delaying the onset of adverse health conditions, through the provision of meals and associated nutrition services to vulnerable older adults who are in greatest social and economic need.).

Describes how the project’s findings will benefit the aging and nutrition network at large, and not produce results counterproductive to the mission of the OAA.

Discuss plans for how the research results will be published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and be consistent with ACL’s Public Access Plan (https://acl.gov/news-and-events/announcements/updated-acl-public-access-plan-available)

Project Type B This section of the project narrative must:

Clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project.

Indicate that project’s outcomes are related to EACH of the OAA intents (specifically: 1) reduce hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, 2) promote socialization and 3) enhance health and well-being by delaying the onset of adverse health conditions, through the provision of meals and associated nutrition services to vulnerable older adults who are in greatest social and economic need.)

Describe how the project’s findings will benefit the aging and nutrition network at large, and not produce results counterproductive to the mission of the OAA.

Discuss plans for how the research results will be published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and be consistent with ACL’s Public Access Plan (https://acl.gov/news-and-events/announcements/updated-acl-public-access-plan-available)

Project Management and Organizational Capacity

Project Types A and B This section should include a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants and partner organizations, and how they will contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes. It should 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; communications with other partners and ACL. It should also describe the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Each application should include an organizational capability statement and vitae for key project personnel; key personnel and other key staff should have appropriate training and experience in disciplines required to conduct all proposed activities.

The organizational capability statement should describe how the applicant agency (or the 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. It should also include the organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after federal financial assistance has ended. A plan to ensure project continuity should be noted, to address staffing turnover, delays or changes.

This description should cover capabilities of the applicant agency not included in the program narrative, such as any current or previous relevant experience and/or the record of the project team in preparing cogent and useful reports, publications, and other products. If appropriate, include an organization chart showing the relationship of the project to the current organization. The application should indicate how the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

Please attach short vitae for key project staff only. Also include information about any contractual organization(s) that will have a significant role(s) in implementing project and achieving project goals.

Evaluation

This section should outline the specific evaluation framework that will be used to determine the effectiveness of the intervention(s).

This section should also describe the specific method(s), techniques and tools that will be used to: 1) determine whether the identified program or practice innovation achieved its anticipated outcome(s), and 2) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative - that will be useful to people…