Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due Monday, August 24, 2026

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Reflective Supervision in Home Visiting Research Awards Opportunity number: HHS-2026-ACF-OPRE-PV-0114

Contents

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Agency priorities 8

Program description 10

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 16

Find the application package 17

Get registered 18

Learn more 18

Step 3: Build Your Application 19

Application checklist 20

Application contents and format 22

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 33

Application review 34

Award notices 39

Step 5: Submit Your Application 40

Application submission and deadlines 41

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 43

Post-award requirements and administration 44

Contacts and Support 45

Before you begin 3

Modifications 49

Contents 2

Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered, make sure your registrations are active and up to date.

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks)

You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days)

You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by the application due date

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August 24, 2026.

To help you find what you need, this NOFO uses internal links. In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

Before you begin 3 https://sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Agency priorities 8

Program description 10

Basic information Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Researching and evaluating reflective supervision in the early childhood home visiting field.

Have questions?

See Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name:

Reflective Supervision in Home Visiting Research Awards

Opportunity number:

HHS-2026-ACF-OPRE-

PV-0114

Federal assistance listing:

93.320

NOFO version: Original

Key dates

Application submission deadline: August 24, 2026

Optional notice of intent deadline: August 7, 2026

Expected project start and award date:

September 29, 2026

Summary The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is seeking applications for reflective supervision research awards. This funding opportunity will support projects that use the Supervisor Practices in Reflective Supervision-Home Visiting (SuPRS- HV) measure to research, evaluate, and inform reflective supervision practices in early childhood home visiting programs.

Projects must:

• Address a topic that will contribute to the home visiting field’s understanding of reflective supervision.

• Partner with a program funded by the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program.

• Share findings with people in the field.

Funding details Type: Grant

Expected total program funding: $990,000

Total expected awards: 3

Minimum award amount (award floor): $200,000

Maximum award amount (award ceiling): $330,000

This is full funding. We plan to fund a two-year project period with one budget period.

Awards made under this funding opportunity are subject to federal funds availability.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/supporting-and-strengthening-home-visiting-workforce-sas-hv https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ https://acf.gov/opre/report/measure-manual-supervisor-practices-reflective-supervision-home-visiting-suprs-hv https://acf.gov/opre/report/measure-manual-supervisor-practices-reflective-supervision-home-visiting-suprs-hv

Eligibility Eligible applicants Eligibility for this opportunity is unrestricted.

Other eligibility criteria Individuals (including sole proprietorships), federal entities, and foreign entities are not eligible to apply.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible for awards under this funding opportunity.

Disqualifying factors We will review your application to make sure it meets these responsiveness requirements.

We won’t consider an application that:

• Requests funding above the award ceiling.

• Is submitted after the deadline.

• Is from an individual (including a sole proprietorship), a federal entity, or a foreign entity.

• Is received in paper format that didn’t have a previously approved exemption from ACF.

Application limits If you submit the same application more than once under this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), we will only acknowledge the last on-time submission.

Organizations may apply for this NOFO multiple times, but you must follow these rules:

• Each application must have a different principal investigator (PI).

• Each project must have distinct methods, data sets, and research questions.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

Cost sharing This program has no cost-sharing requirement, meaning you do not need to contribute to the costs of this project.

If you choose to include cost-sharing funds, we won’t consider it during review. If you receive an award, we will include your voluntary commitment in the award, and you must report on the funds. If you don’t provide your promised amount, we may have to decrease your award amount or use other enforcement actions.

Post-award requirements

Before you apply, make sure you understand the requirements that come with an award.

See Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award for information on regulations that apply, reporting, and more.

Statutory authority Social Security Act Title V section 511 [42 U.S.C. 711], as extended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (Public Law 117-328).

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-2024-title42-section711&num=0

Agency priorities Required alignment with ACF vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles The recipient of this award must implement any funds awarded under this NOFO to effectuate program goals or agency priorities in accordance with ACF’s vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles when authorized. Funded activities must advance ACF’s vision of resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure children, youth, families, and communities, and support ACF’s mission to foster health and well-being through effective, accountable, and compassionate human services when awarded in any programs that authorize these priorities.

Consistent with ACF’s values, in carrying out any project that is funded under this NOFO, the recipient is required to adhere to the following principle:

1. Program integrity and fiscal stewardship: Administer funds in accordance with all applicable federal statutes, regulations, and award conditions; maintain strong internal controls; and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

The recipient is also required to adhere to the following principles when consistent with the authority and scope of the award and its activities:

2. Evidence-based and outcome-focused practices: Design and deliver services using evidence-based or evidence-informed approaches, establish measurable performance goals, and use data to monitor outcomes and drive continuous improvement.

3. Partnership and local leadership: Coordinate with state, tribal, territorial, local, and community partners, as appropriate, and tailor services to meet community-identified needs while respecting local decision-making authority.

In addition, in keeping with ACF’s priorities, the recipient must administer any project that is awarded under this NOFO in accordance with the following objectives when consistent with the scope of the award and its activities in programs that are authorized to advance them:

4. Family stability and child well-being: Strengthen families, promote safe and stable home environments, and improve outcomes for children and youth through prevention-focused and developmentally appropriate services.

5. Work, self-sufficiency, and economic mobility: Support pathways to employment, job retention, and economic independence for individuals and

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8 https://acf.gov/about/acf-vision-mission-values families, including through workforce development, education, and supportive services.

6. High-quality early care and learning: Where applicable, invest in high-quality early childhood programs that support school readiness, healthy development, and long-term success.

The recipient must demonstrate ongoing compliance with these values and priorities, in all programs that are authorized to advance them, through program design, implementation, reporting, and evaluation. Failure to meaningfully align funded activities with the applicable requirements may result in corrective action, additional reporting requirements, or other enforcement actions consistent with federal grant regulations found at 2 CFR Part 200 and the terms and conditions of this award.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200

Program description Purpose This NOFO will support projects that use the Supervisor Practices in Reflective Supervision-Home Visiting (SuPRS-HV) measure to research and evaluate reflective supervision in early childhood home visiting. (The measure was developed by OPRE.

Learn more in the following Background section.)

Early childhood home visiting programs aim to improve the lives of pregnant women, children, and their families. Reflective supervision, as described in Reflective Supervision: What We Know and What We Need to Know to Support and Strengthen the Home Visiting Workforce, is a widely endorsed strategy in child welfare and home visiting programs. It aims to help home visitors build skills, strengthen performance, and manage the stress that’s part of their work.

While reflective supervision is theoretically important and regularly used, it’s not consistently defined and measured, in research and in practice. And little evidence has tied reflective supervision practices to specific outcomes of early childhood home visiting, for home visitors, programs, or families.

To address this gap, this NOFO will support projects that research and evaluate reflective supervision practices in home visiting programs. Projects must also do one or more of the following:

• Further how reflective supervision is measured (e.g., explore additional aspects of the validity not explored in the measure development, adapt the measure for supervisees, validate against observational measures).

• Use SuPRS-HV to understand how reflective supervision practices may affect outcomes (e.g., for home visitors, for home visitor-family relationships, or for families).

• Develop tools to help home visiting programs use SuPRS-HV to improve practice (e.g., for monitoring performance or quality improvement).

• Use SuPRS-HV to describe how reflective supervision practices vary (e.g., by communities, staff characteristics, populations served).

Your findings from these projects will inform early childhood home visiting policy, practice, or research and help people in the field better understand reflective supervision practices. You’ll share your findings with researchers, home visiting professionals, technical assistance providers, and model developers.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10 https://acf.gov/opre/report/measure-manual-supervisor-practices-reflective-supervision-home-visiting-suprs-hv https://acf.gov/opre/report/measure-manual-supervisor-practices-reflective-supervision-home-visiting-suprs-hv https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/reflective-supervision-what-we-know-and-what-we-need-know-support-and-strengthen-home https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/reflective-supervision-what-we-know-and-what-we-need-know-support-and-strengthen-home https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/reflective-supervision-what-we-know-and-what-we-need-know-support-and-strengthen-home

This NOFO addresses ACF priorities related to 1) promoting quality early learning environments and improved child outcomes; and 2) gold-standard research. Through furthering knowledge about a widely endorsed strategy in home visiting to build skills, strengthen performance, and cope with job-related stress, this NOFO can help strengthen home visitor practice with young children and families. This effort supports ACF’s a Home for Every Child Initiative through strengthening skills for frontline staff who work to stabilize children and families. This NOFO aligns with ACF priorities around gold-standard research, in that awarded projects should plan for and engage in gold standard research.

Background The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV ) Program The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in partnership with ACF. HRSA funds states and jurisdictions, and ACF funds tribes or tribal entities to develop and carry out early childhood home visiting programs.

Early childhood home visiting is a service that matches expectant parents and caregivers of young children with a designated support person — typically a trained nurse, social worker, or early childhood specialist — who guides them through the early stages of raising a family. One goal is to help stabilize families and prevent child abuse and neglect. Services are voluntary and may include coaching for caregivers or connecting families to other services they need. Services are provided in the family’s home or another location of the family’s choice.

OPRE’s SuPRS—HV Measure OPRE’s Supporting and Strengthening the Home Visiting Workforce (SAS-HV) project developed and validated the Supervisor Practices in Reflective Supervision—Home Visiting (SuPRS—HV) measure. The measure is informed by a literature and measure review, engagement of individuals with technical and practice expertise, and validated through large-scale testing. To access the measure and find more information about how the measure was developed and tested, please see the manual.

The SuPRS-HV is a short, supervisor-report measure of the content discussed and the reflective practices used during a reflective supervision session. The measure was designed primarily for research purposes but is also promising for secondary use or practice and quality improvement.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11 https://acf.gov/about/acf-vision-mission-values#:~:text=as%20public%20servants-,Priorities,-Promoting%20Quality%20Early https://acf.gov/about/acf-vision-mission-values#:~:text=as%20public%20servants-,Priorities,-Promoting%20Quality%20Early https://acf.gov/about/acf-vision-mission-values#:~:text=as%20public%20servants-,Priorities,-Promoting%20Quality%20Early https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/programs/home-visiting/maternal-infant-early-childhood-home-visiting-miechv-program https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/supporting-and-strengthening-home-visiting-workforce-sas-hv https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/reflective-supervision-what-we-know-and-what-we-need-know-support-and-strengthen-home https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/reflective-supervision-what-we-know-and-what-we-need-know-support-and-strengthen-home https://acf.gov/opre/report/measure-manual-supervisor-practices-reflective-supervision-home-visiting-suprs-hv

Project requirements Projects must address:

• Questions about reflective supervision in early childhood home visiting.

• A topic at the national, tribal, state, or local level(s) that will contribute to the home visiting field’s understanding of reflective supervision.

Projects also need to:

• Collect data. This includes administering the SuPRS-HV measure and gathering information from one or more MIECHV-funded home visiting program(s).

• Partner with MIECHV-funded home visiting program(s) through third-party agreements.

• Protect confidentiality, privacy, and maintain data security.

• Produce and share findings so that they are relevant to target audiences.

• Publish findings in an open-access forum.

Primary data collection is required, but you may also use secondary data sources, such as national surveys or administrative data, to inform your analyses. While you need to include at least one MIECHV-funded home visiting program, your sample may include home visiting programs funded through other sources.

Principal investigator Projects must have a principal investigator (PI). The PI must conduct research in a relevant area as a primary professional responsibility. The PI oversees the project.

They’re also required to participate in the following activities organized by OPRE:

• Quarterly calls with other award recipients. The goal of these is to provide opportunities for peer learning and collaboration.

• An annual meeting of award recipients. PIs will be required to summarize their work to date in a short (10 to 15 minute) briefing.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12

Funding policies and limitations Changes in HHS regulations As of October 1, 2025, HHS adopted 2 CFR 200, with some exceptions included in 2 CFR 300. These regulations replace those in 45 CFR 75.

General policies

• We will only make awards if this program receives funding. If Congress appropriates funds for this purpose, we will move forward with the review and award process.

• Support beyond the first budget period will depend on:

◦ Satisfactory progress in meeting your project’s objectives.

◦ A decision that continued funding is in the government’s best interest.

• If we receive more funding for this program, we will consider:

◦ Funding more applicants.

◦ Extending the period of performance.

◦ Awarding supplemental funding.

• To the extent permitted by law, including any relevant court orders, you may not use funds from this NOFO for any diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI and DEIA) activities. This includes:

◦ DEI- or DEIA-related research.

◦ Activities that discriminate or show preference based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or other protected traits.

◦ Any efforts that promote a “discriminatory equity ideology”.

• To the extent permitted by law, including any relevant court orders, ACF will also not allow funds awarded under this NOFO to support any services or activities that inculcate or promote gender ideology.

For guidance on other types of costs that we restrict or do not allow, see General Provisions for Selected Items of Costs of the Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR part 200.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-300 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72

Program-specific limitations and policies We do not allow the following costs under this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO):

• Construction.

• Purchase of real property.

• Major renovation.

• Pre-award costs.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are those shared across multiple projects and not easily separated.

To charge indirect costs you can select one of two methods:

Method 1 — Approved rate. If you currently have an indirect cost rate approved by your cognizant federal agency, you may use that rate.

Method 2 — De minimis rate. If you do not have a negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis rate (see 2 CFR 200.414(f)). This rate may be up to 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). See the definition of MTDC (2 CFR 200.1). You can use this rate indefinitely.

You may not charge costs included in your indirect cost pool as direct costs.

Subawards As the prime recipient, you must maintain a substantive role in the project. This means that you conduct funded activities and provide services necessary and integral to completing the project.

Monitoring your subrecipient’s activities alone as described in 2 CFR 200.332 is not a substantive role.

We do not fund awards where your role is primarily a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute.

All subrecipients must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

Subrecipients must meet the eligibility requirements of this NOFO.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 14 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.414#p-200.414(f) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.332

Salary rate limitation The salary rate limitation in the current appropriations act applies to this program. You may not use awarded funds to pay a salary at a higher rate than the rate for Executive Level II.

For the Executive Level II salary, please see the Office of Personnel Management information on executive and senior level employee pay.

The salary limitation reflects a person’s base salary (including any portion of the salary that is paid with indirect costs). It does not include fringe benefits or any income the person is allowed to earn outside of the duties of the applicant organization.

This salary limitation also applies to subawards, contracts, and subcontracts under an ACF grant or cooperative agreement.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 15 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

Step 2:

Get Ready to Apply

In this step

Find the application package 17

Get registered 18

Learn more 18

Find the application package The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it at this NOFO’s Grants.gov opportunity page. Then select the Package tab.

We recommend that you select the Subscribe button from the View Grant Opportunity page for this NOFO to get updates.

If you can’t use Grants.gov to download application materials or have other technical difficulties, including issues with application submission, contact Grants.gov for assistance.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 17 https://www.grants.gov/support

Get registered SAM.gov You must have an active account with SAM.gov to apply. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process today.

To register:

• Go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and select Get Started. From the same page, you can also select the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

• You must agree to the financial assistance general certifications and representations [PDF] specifically. Those for contracts are different.

When you register, you will also receive your required Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

Once you register:

• You will have to maintain your registration throughout the life of any award.

• If your organization has multiple UEIs, use the one associated with your physical location.

Grants.gov You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by-step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants.

Need help? See Contacts and Support.

Learn more Visit Applying for an ACF Grant Award on the ACF Grants page.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 18 https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

Step 3:

Build Your Application

In this step

Application checklist 20

Application contents and format 22

Application checklist Make sure that you have everything you need to apply. You will find the forms in Grants.gov.

File one: Narratives Use the Project Narrative Attachment form.

Component Included in page limit?

Table of contents Yes

Project summary Yes

Project narrative Yes

Line-item budget and budget narrative Yes

File two: Attachments Insert each in a single Other Attachments form.

Component Included in page limit?

ACF Priorities Alignment Attestation No

Indirect cost agreement Yes

Legal proof of nonprofit status Yes

Legal proof of for-profit status Yes

Legal proof of small businesses Yes

Organizational capacity supporting information (including organization chart) Yes

Third-party agreements No

Letters of support Yes

Protection of human subjects certification No

Step 3: Build Your Application 20

Standard forms Use each required form in Grants.gov.

Component Included in page limit?

Project Abstract Summary No

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) No

Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) No

Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) No

Key Contacts No

Grants.gov Lobbying Form No

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) No

Project/Performance Site Location(s) (SF-P/PSL) No

Step 3: Build Your Application 21

Application contents and format You will submit two files plus the standard forms in the application package.

Your organization’s authorized official must certify your application.

Required format Page limit for file one and file two combined: 75 pages

File format: Portable Document Format (PDF) is recommended, but not required.

ACF supports the following file formats when you attach files to the Project Narrative Attachment form and the Other Attachments form:

Accepted file formats

• Adobe PDF (.pdf)

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

• Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx)

• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt)

• Image formats (.JPG, .GIF, .TIFF, or .BMP only)

Document formats Paper size: 8 ½ inches x 11 inches Margins: 1 inch all around Language: English

If possible, include page numbers.

Do not include external links to information you want reviewers to assess because reviewers will score the application solely on information provided in the application.

Fonts Font: Times New Roman Color: Black Size: 12-point font

Footnotes and text in tables and graphics may be 10-point.

Step 3: Build Your Application 22

Spacing Table of contents: Must be single-spaced Project summary: Must be single-spaced Project narrative: Must be double-spaced Line-item budget and budget narrative: Can be single-spaced Attachments: Can be single-spaced Tables and footnotes throughout: Can be single-spaced

See disqualifying factors to understand what may disqualify your application from consideration.

File one: Narratives To submit file one, you will use the Project Narrative Attachment form found in the Grants.gov application package for this NOFO.

This file includes:

• Table of contents.

• Project summary, one page.

• Project narrative.

• Line-item budget and budget narrative.

Table of contents At the beginning of file one, insert a table of contents that guides a reader through the contents of both files in your application. If possible, include links to the relevant content in file one.

Project summary Provide a one-page summary of the project description. Do not cross-reference to other parts of your application. The summary must include:

• At the top, the project title, applicant name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, and any website URL.

• A brief description of the project, including the needs and population you will address, your proposed services or research questions.

Step 3: Build Your Application 23

Project narrative The project narrative is where you address all your proposed activities. It is a critical section of your application, which we evaluate using merit review criteria and rank based on application scores.

Remember that substance and measurable outcomes are more important than length.

We are particularly interested in project narratives that convey strategies for achieving intended performance.

In it, you must:

• Explain how the project will meet the purpose of the NOFO, as described in the program description section.

• Make sure your narrative is clear, concise, and complete.

• Use cross-referencing rather than repetition.

• Be sure to include any required supporting documents noted. You generally provide these in your attachments.

• Use the headings and order of the sections that follow.

Purpose and need State your main objectives and any sub-objectives. Address how the objectives stated relate to the overall purpose of this program and describe how you will achieve the objectives.

Response Outline your action plan. Describe the scope of your proposed project and describe in detail how you will accomplish it. Account for all functions or activities you identify in your application.

Explain potential obstacles and challenges to accomplishing your project goals. Explain the strategies you will use to address them.

Background Include a review that covers the most recent, relevant published and gray literature and other available information about your proposed topic. Your review must:

• Discuss previous studies related to the proposed study and identify gaps in the literature.

• Discuss relevant policy, program, and operational contexts of early childhood home visiting programs.

• Justify the proposed research project and the outcomes of interest.

Step 3: Build Your Application 24

Proposed project Your action plan must:

• Describe your research design, data collection strategy, and analytic plan.

Describe how they address the project goals.

• Specify the measures you’ll use for the planned research, and, if appropriate, their psychometric properties. Demonstrate that the measures are appropriate and sufficient for the questions and the population to be studied.

• Describe how your approach will build on the Supervisor Practices in Reflective Supervision-Home Visiting (SuPRS-HV) validation study and advance the use of the measure.

• Describe your proposed sample, including current partnerships with home visiting programs (with at least one funded through MIECHV and any additional partnerships that you are seeking). Describe your plan for ensuring that the programs will be engaged and benefit from the partnership. Demonstrate that the sample is sufficient for the proposed analyses.

Project timeline and milestones

Provide a timeline for your project that includes milestones. To do so:

• Organize the information by task and subtask, showing related milestones.

• Provide monthly or quarterly quantitative projections for tasks you plan to complete and by when. For example, provide the number of people you plan to serve or the number of a certain activity you plan to complete by a specific date.

• Provide target dates for activities you can’t quantify.

• Cover the full period of performance in your timeline.

Organizational capacity

Provide the following information for your full project team, including the applicant organization and any cooperating partners, contractors, and subrecipients:

• Provide evidence that your team has the relevant experience and expertise needed to carry out your project.

• Describe your team’s experience (including any partnering organizations) with administering, developing, implementing, managing, and evaluating similar projects.

• Provide evidence that your team, including partnering organizations, has the organizational capability to fulfill their roles and functions effectively.

• You must disclose your plan to enter into subaward agreements. If planning subawards, describe the work each subrecipient will complete.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Build Your Application 25 https://acf.gov/opre/report/measure-manual-supervisor-practices-reflective-supervision-home-visiting-suprs-hv

• Provide some supporting information in the organizational capacity supporting information section of your attachments.

Plan for oversight of federal award funds and activities

You must ensure proper award oversight. The regulation that governs this oversight is 2 CFR part 200. It includes standards for:

• Financial and program management.

• Property management.

• Procurement.

• Performance and financial monitoring and reporting.

• Subrecipient monitoring and management.

• Record retention and access.

• Remedies for noncompliance.

• Prior written approval.

Describe your framework to make sure that your federal funds and activities have proper oversight. Include:

• A description of the governance, policies and procedures, and systems you use for record-keeping and financial management.

• A description of the procedures you use to identify and mitigate risks and issues.

These might include audit findings, continuous performance assessment findings, and monitoring.

• The key staff who will be responsible for maintaining oversight of program staff and any partners or subrecipients.

Protection of sensitive or confidential information

Describe how you will collect and safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information that is considered sensitive. Make sure your approach is consistent with applicable federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality. Provide:

• The methods and systems you will use to make sure that you properly handle confidential and sensitive information, including information from any subrecipients or contractors.

• A plan for the disposition of such information at the end of the period of performance.

For more information, see 2 CFR 200.303(e).

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Build Your Application 26 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#subpart-D https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.303

Dissemination plan

Propose a plan to disseminate reports, products, and project outputs to key target audiences. Include:

• Dissemination goals and objectives.

• Strategies to identify and engage with target audiences.

• How you will allocate enough staff time and budget for dissemination.

• A preliminary plan to evaluate whether target audiences receive project information and use it as intended.

• The dissemination timeline.

Line-item budget and budget narrative The line-item budget and budget justification support the information you provide in the Budget Information Standard Form SF-424A.

HHS now uses the definitions for equipment and supplies in 2 CFR 200.1. The new definitions change the threshold for equipment to the lesser of the recipient’s capitalization level or $10,000 and the threshold for supplies to below that amount.

Justify the costs you ask for and provide detail, including calculations for the “object class categories” in the Budget Information Standard Form. You will provide this information for the full period of performance. See information on funding periods.

As you develop your budget, consider:

• If the costs are necessary, reasonable, allocable, and consistent with your project’s purpose and activities.

• How you calculate your costs in ways that are clear and repeatable.

• The restrictions on spending funds. See the funding policies and limitations.

Please also review the Standard Form instructions.

To create your line-item budget and justification, see detailed budget instructions on our website.

In general, you must:

• Indicate the method you will use for your indirect cost rate. See the indirect costs section for further information.

• Include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail necessary for the calculation to be duplicated.

• For any cost sharing, include a detailed listing of any funding sources identified in Block 18 of the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Build Your Application 27 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Equipment) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Supply) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.1 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget

• For applicants planning to use subawards, if your subaward budget is more than 50% of total direct costs, justify why you are subawarding that portion of the project. Explain:

• How you plan to maintain a substantive role in the project.

• Why you cannot achieve your goals without the subrecipients’ participation.

Proprietary or personally identifiable information Clearly identify any salary or other proprietary information or personally identifiable information within your application. Identification will ensure this information is not shared with reviewers. Note on page 1 of the attachments file (file two) where the information to be redacted is located.

If you have an exemption for a paper submission, you can protect salary information and any proprietary information by placing that information only in the original application. You can remove the information from the copies, keeping summary information.

File two: Attachments To submit file two, you will use the Other Attachments form found in the Grants.gov application package for this NOFO.

This file includes all attachments.

ACF Priorities Alignment Attestation

Not included in the page limit. This should be submitted with the application or before award.

You must self-certify that you will align with the ACF priorities that are relevant to this funding opportunity, as identified in both the Program description and Step 4, under Merit review process, Scoring criteria, Alignment with ACF Vision, Mission, Values, Priorities, and Guiding Principles, elements 2 and 3. You must provide the following on your organization’s letterhead.

Step 3: Build Your Application 28

I hereby attest and certify that:

_____________________ (Applicant Name) affirms its commitment to supporting and advancing ACF’s published Vision, Mission, Values, Priorities, and Guiding Principles of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), consistent with applicable federal statutes, regulations, and Administration priorities.

Insert Date of Signature:

Print Name and Title of the AOR:

Signature of AOR:

Indirect cost agreement If you include indirect costs in your budget using an approved rate, include a copy of your current agreement approved by your cognizant agency for indirect costs. If you use the de minimis rate, you do not need to submit this attachment.

See the indirect costs section for more information.

Legal proof of nonprofit status If your organization is a nonprofit, you need to attach proof. We will accept any of the following:

• A reference to your listing in the IRS’s most recent list of tax-exempt organizations.

• A copy of a current tax exemption certificate from the IRS.

• A letter from your state’s tax department, attorney general, or another appropriate state official saying that your group is a nonprofit and that none of your net earnings go to private shareholders or others.

• A certified copy of your certificate of incorporation or similar document. This document must show that your group is a nonprofit.

• Any of these documents for a parent organization. Also include a statement signed by an official of the parent group that your organization is a nonprofit affiliate.

Legal proof of for-profit status If your organization is a for-profit, including a small business, you need to attach proof.

Include documentation establishing your organization’s power to enter into contractual relationships or accept awards. This might include your articles of incorporation or bylaws.

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Step 3: Build Your Application 29 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Cognizant%20agency%20for%20indirect%20costs)

Legal proof of small businesses In addition to the proof that your organization is for-profit required in the previous section, small businesses must submit a certification signed by the chief executive officer or designee that states that the entity qualifies as a small business under 13 CFR 121.101-121.201.

Organizational capacity supporting information You must attach the following information to support the information in your organizational capacity section:

• Organizational charts, including all partners.

• Resumes, biographical sketches, or curricula vitae for all key personnel.

• Copy or description of your organization’s fiscal control and accountability procedures.

• Copy or description of your organization’s personnel policies.

• Information on compliance with federal, state, and local government standards.

Third-party agreements You must submit agreements with all third parties involved in the project. Third parties include subrecipients, contractors, and other cooperating entities. Third-party agreements include letters of commitment, memoranda of understanding, and memoranda of agreement. We do not consider general letters of support to be third-party agreements.

Any such agreement must:

• Describe each party’s roles and responsibilities for project activities.

• Describe the support and resources that the third party is committing to the proposed project.

• Be signed by the person in the third-party organization with the authority to make such commitments.

• Detail work schedules and estimated compensation with an understanding that the parties will negotiate a final agreement after award.

• Identify the primary applicant and all collaborators responsible for project activities if the agreement is for a collaboration or consortia application.

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Step 3: Build Your Application 30 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-121/subject-group-ECFRd133f03f6d8398b https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-121/subject-group-ECFRd133f03f6d8398b https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-121.201

Protection of human subjects certification Not included in the page limit.

You must attach a Protection of Human Subjects: Assurance Identification / Certification /Declaration of Exemption form. You can find this form at the Office of Human Research Protections Forms website.

For more on this topic see the Office of Human Research Protections website. If you have questions, you can email them at OHRP@HHS.gov or call them at 240-453-6900.

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Build Your Application 31 https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/register-irbs-and-obtain-fwas/forms/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/register-irbs-and-obtain-fwas/forms/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/index.html mailto:OHRP@HHS.gov

Standard forms You will need to complete some other required standard forms other than those in files one and two. You can find them in the NOFO application package or review them and their instructions at Grants.gov Forms.

Forms Submission requirement

Project Abstract Summary With the application.

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) With the application.

Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) With the application.

Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) With the application.

Key Contacts With the application.

Grants.gov Lobbying form With the application or before award.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) If applicable based on instructions, with the application or before award.

Project/Performance Site Location(s) (SF-P/PSL) With the application. Cite your primary location and up to 29 additional performance sites.

Important: Public information

When filling out your SF-424 form, pay attention to Box 15: Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project.

We share what you put there with USAspending. This is where the public goes to learn how the federal government spends taxpayer money.

Instead of just a title, insert a short description of your project and what it will do.

See instructions and examples [PDF]

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Step 3: Build Your Application 32 https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family https://www.usaspending.gov/ https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-writing-award-descriptions.pdf

Step 4:

Learn About Review and Award

In this step

Application review 34

Award notices 39

Application review Initial review We will review your application to make sure that it meets the responsiveness requirements listed in the disqualification factors section. If your application does not meet these criteria, we will disqualify it and we will not move it to the merit review (scoring) phase.

We will let you know if your application is disqualified within 30 days of the application deadline. You won’t receive any notice from ACF if your application failed Grants.gov validation checks.

If you submit more than two files in addition to your forms, we will remove the extra files. We will let you know if this happens.

We will also remove blurred or illegible pages and any file formats that are not supported.

We will not review any pages that exceed the page limit.

If your application fails to adhere to ACF’s NOFO formatting, font, and page limitation requirements, we will adjust your application by removing page(s) from the application. We will remove the pages before the merit review and will not send them to reviewers.

If we do so, we will send you a letter after we make awards to notify you that we amended your application.

Merit review process A panel reviews all applications that pass the initial review. The panel members use the criteria shown in each section of the project narrative and in the line-item budget and budget narrative section.

Our reviewers typically are not federal employees. See the section on proprietary and personally identifiable information.

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 34

Criteria summary

Criterion Total number of points = 110

1. Purpose and need 20 points

2. Response 40 points

3. Dissemination 15 points

4. Organizational capacity 15 points

5. Budget 10 points

6. ACF Priority Alignment 10 points

Scoring criteria

1. Purpose and need Maximum points: 20

The reviewer will assess how well you:

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of previous studies and knowledge gaps in the literature related to the topic.

• Demonstrate knowledge of the relevant policy, program, and operational contexts of early childhood home visiting programs.

• Propose to conduct a research or evaluation project that will significantly contribute to the understanding of reflective supervision in the home visiting field.

• Describe how the project is expected to inform early childhood home visiting policy, practice, or research.

2. Response Maximum points: 40

The reviewer will assess how well you:

• Propose a research design, data collection strategy, and analytic plan that are clear, feasible, innovative, and appropriate to address the project goals.

• Clearly describe how the proposed approach will build on the Supervisor Practices in Reflective Supervision-Home Visiting (SuPRS-HV) validation study and advance the use of the measure.

• Identify potential challenges to carrying out the work as designed and potential solutions to address those challenges.

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 35

• Articulate a project timeline with specific milestones that is clear, feasible, and will address the project goals.

• Demonstrate a feasible and appropriate partnership with one or more home visiting programs (including one funded through MIECHV) that will be ethically engaged and benefit from the project.

• Demonstrate a strong plan to protect confidentiality, privacy, and maintain data security within the project.

3. Dissemination Maximum points: 15

The reviewer will assess how well you:

• Propose a plan to effectively disseminate findings, including a description of target audiences (for example, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners), expected products, and a strategy to produce and disseminate products in open-access forums.

• Propose a plan to develop useful tools or resources for practice.

4. Organizational capacity Maximum points: 15

The reviewer will assess how well you:

• Demonstrate that the proposed principal investigator has the necessary qualifications, experience, and available time to lead the project.

• Demonstrate that the proposed research team and any partners have the necessary qualifications, experience, and available time to accomplish the project objectives.

• Propose an appropriate management plan to achieve the project objectives on time and in partnership with one or more home visiting programs.

5. Budget Maximum points: 10

The reviewer will assess how well you:

• Propose project costs that are reasonable, appropriately allocated, and sufficient to successfully carry out the proposed approach and dissemination activities.

• Detail how funds will be used to carry out the research in partnership with one or more home visiting programs.

• Detail how funds will support dissemination activities.

We do not consider voluntary cost sharing during merit review.

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 36

6. Alignment with ACF vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles (up to 10 points) ACF’s published vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles inform programmatic and administrative expectations under this funding opportunity.

Applicants must demonstrate alignment by describing how the proposed project advances relevant ACF…