Instructions_HHS-2024-ACF-OPRE-YE-0080.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Grants

HHS-2024-ACF-OPRE-YE-0080

Application Due Date: 07/08/2024

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Funding Opportunity Title:

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Grants Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2024-ACF-OPRE-YE-0080

Assistance Listing Number:

93.575 Due Date for Applications:

07/08/2024

Executive Summary Notice:

• Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. For more information on applying for an award, please visit "Applying for an ACF Award" at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), within the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF), invites applications for cooperative agreements under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity: Planning Grants (Phase I). These projects are meant to support partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies and researchers to develop and improve state, territory, and tribal data systems and build the capacity of CCDF Lead Agencies to collect, analyze, and use data to guide child care policy decisions and program improvement efforts.

Sponsored projects will work in collaboration to: (1) assess the current data and research capacity of the CCDF Lead Agency; (2) develop questions of interest to investigate state, territory, and tribal child care policies and practices; (3) develop logic models to identify the data needed to address the questions of interest; (4) identify data sources available to answer questions of interest and assess the accessibility of those data; (5) identify possible data sources from other state, territory, tribal, and local data systems for linking; (6) determine whether there is a need to collect data to answer policy-relevant questions; and (7) address the barriers to collecting, analyzing, and using data to inform child care policy decisions. These projects are intended to build the capacity of CCDF Lead Agencies to use data, including data on children, families, the workforce, and providers that participate in the child care subsidy system, to make data-informed decisions to improve child care policies and practices.

These 18-month projects, with one project and budget period, will fund a planning phase to develop a research plan to address questions of interest to the CCDF Lead Agency, including a plan for identifying, linking, and using state, territory, and tribal data to inform child care policy decisions. These planning projects may be followed by a second competition (Phase II), under a https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant separate NOFO, to support execution of the research plans to develop and improve state, territory, and tribal data systems. Projects must be conducted through partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies (i.e., states, territories, Tribes, or local subsidy administering agencies) and researchers from institutions of higher education, within the state agency, research organizations, and/or other organizations with proven expertise conducting policy research.

Applications are invited from CCDF Lead Agencies, institutions of higher education, research organizations, and other organizations with proven expertise conducting policy research. The research supported by this program should be collaborative from start to finish. The CCDF Lead Agency and their research partners must work together to assess the current data and research capacity of the CCDF Lead Agency and develop a feasible plan for identifying, linking, and using data to address questions of relevance to the CCDF Lead Agency.

Sponsored projects will be expected to participate in a consortium that will meet and communicate regularly to identify opportunities for coordination, such as to share information on facilitators and barriers to identifying and using data to inform child care policies and methods for linking data across systems, and to develop collective expertise and resources for the field.

The Consortium’s collaboration will support research capacity and learning within individual projects and across award recipients. Funding is subject to availability of funds and the best interests of the federal government.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority Section 658O(a)(5) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act (42 U.S.C.

9858m(a)(5)).

Description A. Background

CCDF is a federal block grant program administered by the Office of Child Care (OCC) within ACF dedicated to supporting the employment and economic self-sufficiency of low-income working parents by providing access to affordable, high-quality child care that meets health and safety requirements and supports child development. CCDF is authorized by the CCDBG Act of 2014 (codified at 42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.) and Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618).

CCDF is the primary federal funding source for child care subsidies to help eligible working families with low incomes access child care and to improve the quality of child care for all children. As a block grant, CCDF gives funding to states, territories, and Tribes to provide child care subsidies through grants and contracts with providers, as well as vouchers or certificates to families. CCDF Lead Agencies are identified by each state and given the authority to administer the CCDF program and may include one agency, or a joint interagency office, at the state, territory, or tribal level. CCDF promotes children’s healthy development and learning by supporting child care licensing and Quality Improvement Systems (QIS) and by supporting child care professionals to attain more training and education.

To facilitate CCDF services, OCC establishes and oversees the implementation of child care policies and provides guidance and technical assistance to states, territories, and tribal governments as they administer CCDF programs. The CCDF funding reserved for research is intended to help child care decision-makers in crafting policies and initiatives that support positive outcomes for providers, the workforce, families, and children; to increase the capacity for child care research at the national, state, and local levels; and to promote linkages among research, policy, and practice. To date, these funds have supported research efforts that have increased our knowledge about the efficacy of child care subsidy policies and programs in enhancing employment and economic self-sufficiency of families with low incomes and in improving quality in child care and early education settings to support learning and development of children. Descriptions of current and past research projects funded with these research set aside funds can be found at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/research/topic/overview/child-care.

B. Program Goals and Requirements

The purpose of the CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Award Program is to support partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies and researchers to:

• develop and improve state, territory, and tribal data systems; and

• build the capacity of CCDF Lead Agencies to collect, analyze, and use data (particularly data on children, families, the workforce, and providers that participate in the child care subsidy system) to guide child care policy decisions and program improvement efforts.

The CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Award Program will be broken up into two phases. In Phase I (the planning grant funded under the current NOFO), award recipients will produce a research plan that aims to develop and improve state, territory, and tribal data systems that can be used by the CCDF Lead Agency to answer policy-relevant questions of interest. Phase II (the implementation grant, which would be funded under a separate NOFO) will include the implementation of the research plan that is developed under Phase I. It is expected that by the end of the project period, award recipients would be able to submit a competitive application for funding of the implementation of their research plan (in Phase II grants). Please note the following: submitting an application to Phase II does not guarantee funding.

Project Teams will include a state, territory, or Tribal CCDF Lead Agency and a research partner from an institution of higher education, within the state agency, a research organization, and/or an organization with demonstrated capacity to conduct rigorous policy research. The Project Team will:

• work collaboratively throughout all phases of the project to identify questions of interest to the CCDF Lead Agency that are relevant to local, state, and national child care policies;

• identify the data needed to address policy-relevant questions; and

• work with a cohort of other funded award recipients to participate in peer learning, identify opportunities for coordination, and develop collective expertise and resources for the field.

Goal 1. To develop research plans to address policy-relevant questions of interest to the CCDF Lead Agency and identify the data needed to address those policy-relevant questions with the overall goal of improving state, territory, and/or tribal data systems.

Funded projects will develop research plans to help build and improve state, territory, and tribal data systems and the use of data for child care policy decisions and to develop or improve data linkages with other state, territory, tribal, or local data systems.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/research/topic/overview/child-care

The Project Team will begin with an assessment of its current data systems and research needs and develop a research plan for developing, linking, and improving relevant data systems.

Specifically, the Project Team will work in collaboration to:

1. assess the current data and research capacity of the CCDF Lead Agency;

2. develop questions of interest to investigate state, territory, and tribal child care policies and practices;

3. develop logic models to identify the data needed to address the questions of interest;

4. identify data sources available to answer questions of interest and assess the accessibility of those data;

5. identify possible data sources from other state, territory, tribal, and local data systems for linking;

6. determine whether there is a need to collect data to answer policy-relevant questions; and

7. address the barriers to collecting, analyzing, and using data to inform child care policy decisions.

Each project will develop research plans to answer the following key questions:

• What is the current data and research capacity of the CCDF Lead Agency, and what methods will be used to build their data and research capacity?

• What data sources do CCDF Lead Agencies have available to inform child care policies and practices?

• What data sources are available from other state, territory, tribal, and local data systems for linking to help inform child care policy decisions and program improvement efforts?

• What data is needed to answer key questions of interest to CCDF Lead Agencies?

• What are the barriers to collecting, analyzing, and using data to guide policy decisions?

Key data sources that are of significant interest to ACF include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Child Care and Early Education (CCEE) provider and workforce data

• Data on supply, demand, and access of child care for families

• Data on comprehensive services provided to children and their families

Goal 2: To develop research partnerships that support collaboration among CCDF Lead Agencies and child care researchers in order to build the capacity of CCDF Lead Agencies to collect, analyze, and interpret data to improve child care policies and practices.

Sponsored Project Teams will include a state, territory, or tribal CCDF Lead Agency and a research partner from an institution of higher education, within the state agency, a research organization, and/or an organization with demonstrated capacity to conduct rigorous policy research. Partnerships may be formalized through Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), contracts, or sub-award agreements during the course of the project. For state and territory CCDF Lead Agency contact information, please visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/contact-information/state-and-territory-child-care-and-development-fund-administrators. For Tribal CCDF Lead Agency contact information, please visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/contact-information/tribal-ccdf-contacts-state.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/contact-information/state-and-territory-child-care-and-development-fund-administrators https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/contact-information/state-and-territory-child-care-and-development-fund-administrators https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/contact-information/tribal-ccdf-contacts-state https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/contact-information/tribal-ccdf-contacts-state

The research partner and CCDF Lead Agency (or agencies) will actively collaborate with each other through all phases of the project (i.e., selecting questions of interest, developing the logic model, identifying data sources needed to answer questions of interest).

Award recipients will consult with other child care policy collaborators, especially organizations that own relevant data. For example, the following entities may also be included as part of a research partnership project, in addition to the CCDF Lead Agency and research partner:

1. Partnerships across state and/or local agencies;

2. Departments and agencies that administer child care programs for children in families with low incomes, including public or private child care centers, Head Start, or public pre-K;

3. Resource and referral organizations;

4. State agencies or organizations that oversee QIS or licensing initiatives;

5. State agencies designated as Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (PDG B-

5) Lead Agencies;

6. Tribal agencies that administer child care subsidy programs;

7. Tribal agencies participating in the Tribal Early Learning Initiative;

8. County or local agencies that administer child care subsidy programs;

9. State education agencies or organizations that house Pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 data;

10. State education agencies or organizations that house Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act Part C and Part B, Section 619 data;

11. State agencies or organizations that house public health and screening data;

12. State agencies or organizations that house workforce registry or professional development data;

13. Programs and services that provide comprehensive services to young children and their families, including, but not limited to, education and employment services, financial capability services, housing and food assistance, and physical and mental health services;

14. Foundations and charitable organizations;

15. Community-based research agencies and organizations;

16. Head Start/Early Head Start grant recipients;

17. For-profit, center-based providers or networks;

18. Family child care providers or networks;

19. People with lived experience, including, but not limited to, parents; and

20. Providers of technical assistance or consumer education, and other collaborators.

Partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies and research organizations are expected to increase the long-term capacity of the field to produce, access, and use data to inform child care policies.

Specifically, expected partnership outcomes include CCDF Lead Agencies developing greater capacity for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to improve child care policies and practices. Additionally, expected partnership outcomes for research organizations include developing a greater capacity for producing and communicating policy-relevant research.

Past project descriptions can be found at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/child-care-state-research-capacity-cooperative-agreements-2001-2011 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/child-care-state-research-capacity-cooperative-agreements-2001-2011 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/child-care-state-research-capacity-cooperative-agreements-2001-2011

Goal 3: To foster active communication and collaboration among award recipients in order to strengthen individual projects and build knowledge about the accessibility and use of data to guide child care policy.

Cross-project collaboration will strengthen individual projects and result in data that informs the field more broadly. Project Teams will be expected to participate in a CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Consortium that will include CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity award recipients and will convene virtually, at least monthly. The CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Consortium will be supported by an OPRE-sponsored federal research center (“Center”). The Center will facilitate collaborative research and dissemination efforts.

Project Teams should reserve sufficient effort to participate in the CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Consortium and participate in Center-sponsored activities, including, but not limited to:

• Attending monthly web meetings;

• Participating in regular discussions with Consortium members;

• Sharing lessons learned;

• Identifying collaboration opportunities, including examining similar research questions and sharing methods for linking data across systems;

• Identifying commonalities and developing collective expertise;

• Participating in the development of cross-project dissemination activities, including publications and presentations to be shared with the field at large; and

• Engaging in collaborative activities or communities of learning with other federally sponsored child care research grants.

To support shared learning and dissemination, award recipients will attend and budget for the following required meetings and conferences:

• CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Consortium Kick-Off Meeting:

Key project personnel (e.g., Principal Investigator(s) and CCDF Lead Agency partners) will attend the 2-day, in-person, kick-off meeting. This meeting is typically held in Washington, DC (although it could be held virtually), within the first 3 months of the project period. This will be an opportunity to meet other Project Teams in-person, discuss research plans, and identify plans for the monthly web meetings. Upon award, award recipients will be notified of the date of this meeting.

• Monthly CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Consortium Meeting:

Key project personnel will participate in a monthly virtual convening of the Consortium for the duration of the project period. These meetings will be scheduled after award and are expected to be about 1-hour in length. These meetings will serve as the primary venue for cross-project collaboration and shared learning.

• Child Care and Early Education Policy Research Consortium (CCEEPRC) Biennial Meeting: Key project personnel will attend the CCEEPRC Biennial Meeting, which is typically held biennially in Washington, DC (although it could be held virtually), in the spring for 2 full days. The meeting brings together award recipients; contracted researchers funded by ACF; and federal, state, territory, and tribal CCDF administrators to discuss child care policy research. The next meeting will be held in 2025.

• CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Award Recipient Meeting: Key project personnel will attend the award recipient meeting to discuss project developments, issues of common interest, and potential collaborative products and resources. This meeting is typically held 1 day prior to or following the CCEEPRC meeting in Washington, DC (although it could be held virtually).

Additionally, Project Teams are encouraged, but not required, to attend:

• State and Territories CCDF Administrators Meeting (STAM). STAM is hosted annually in Washington, DC, typically in August, if space is available.

• National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC). NRCEC is hosted biennially in Washington, DC, typically in June. The next meeting will be held in summer 2026.

If there are health and safety concerns with in-person convenings, the federal project officer and the CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Consortium will confer regarding acceptable alternatives to these meeting requirements.

Goal 4: Disseminate child care research at the national, state, territory, tribal, and/or local levels.

Results of the research activities funded through this NOFO will be made widely accessible.

Project Teams are expected to identify and/or develop opportunities, products, activities, or resources to communicate about the implications and innovations of the research project to both research and policy audiences at the local, state, and national levels. Project Teams will confer with ACF to determine whether specific products are appropriate to be archived with Child Care and Early Education Research Connections (https://www.researchconnections.org/).

II. Federal Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$1,500,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$150,000 Per Project Period

Award Floor:

$75,000 Per Project Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$150,000 Per Project Period https://www.researchconnections.org/

Anticipated Project Start Date:

09/30/2024 Length of Project Periods:

18-month project period and budget period

Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' Additional Information on Awards:

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

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement Award

Under the cooperative agreements, substantial involvement is anticipated by ACF throughout the duration of the funded projects. ACF will:

• Monitor the project and provide technical assistance and feedback when necessary, including joint decision-making on the research plan and dissemination.

• Provide leadership to maximize cooperation and collaboration among award recipients, including organizing periodic consultations and monthly teleconferences to discuss research activities, share information, and promote coordination among the sponsored projects.

• Schedule and host the award recipient meetings (two in-person meetings and regular teleconferences throughout the project period), set the agenda, and coordinate activities for each meeting.

• Work collaboratively with award recipients to facilitate accomplishment of project goals.

• Facilitate collaboration and coordination with other award recipients, a child care policy research partnerships support center, ACF program offices (e.g., OCC) and their technical assistance providers, and other contractors.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants The applicant eligibility is unrestricted.

Applicants are required to submit written evidence that research is a primary organizational activity of the research partner as part of the application submission. Research partners are described in Section I. Program Description, B. Program Goals and Requirements. The required documentation is described in Section IV.2. The Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation. Lack of the required documentation will disqualify the application from review and from award. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Applicants are required to provide either:

1. A letter showing approval of the application from, or

2. A letter of proof that the applicant is, the CCDF Lead Agency that is responsible for setting relevant subsidy policies (i.e., Lead Agency in states, territories, or Tribes). CCDF Lead Agencies are identified by each state and given the authority to administer the CCDF program and may include one agency, or a joint interagency office, at the state, territory, or tribal level. If the policies of interest are determined at the county level or other jurisdiction/area in the state, applications from partnerships between the Lead Agency at that level and research organizations will be eligible.

Applicants that fail to submit either form of the required documentation will be disqualified from review and award. The required documentation is described in Section IV.2. The Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

Reference to Legal Status See Section IV.2. Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No See Section IV.2. The Project Budget and Budget Justification, Commitment of Non-Federal Resources for more information.

III.3. Other

Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Award Ceiling Disqualification

Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period, as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission

ACF requires electronic submission of applications at Grants.gov. Paper applications received that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

If you do not have an internet connection or sufficient capacity to upload large documents to the internet you may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow you to submit your application in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission."

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications)

The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to Grants.gov after 11:59 pm ET on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from Grants.gov, will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov which fail their validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by ACF. If you submit an application for the same NOFO more than once, only the last on-time submission will be acknowledged.

Paper applications with an approved exemption from the electronic submission requirement must be received by 4:30 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 pm ET on the due date will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Evidence of Research as a Primary Organizational Activity

Applications that do not include written evidence that research is a primary organizational activity of the research partner will be disqualified from review and from funding under this NOFO. See Section III. I. Eligible Applicants, and Section IV.2. Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation for more information. Research partners are described in Section I.

Program Description, B. Program Goals and Requirements.

Letter of Approval from, or Proof of, CCDF Lead Agency

Applications that do not include either:

1. A letter showing approval of the application from, or

2. A letter of proof that the applicant is, https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf the CCDF Lead Agency that is responsible for setting relevant subsidy policies (i.e., Lead Agency in states, territories, Tribes, or local subsidy administering agencies), will be disqualified from review and from funding under this NOFO.

See Section III.1. Eligible Applicants, and Section IV.2. Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation.

CCDF Lead Agencies can partner on multiple applications for funding under this awards program; however, it is unlikely that a Lead Agency would receive more than one award as the award recipient or as the partner. This also applies to research partner organizations, such that organizations may submit multiple applications as the research partner, but an organization is unlikely to receive more than one award as the award recipient or as the partner.

Notification of Application Disqualification Applicants will be notified of a disqualification determination by email or by USPS postal mail within 30 federal business days from the closing date of this NOFO.

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package OPRE Review Team CCDF Lead Agency Data and Research Capacity Award c/o ICF 1902 Reston Metro Plaza Reston

VA

20190

(877) 350-5913 (phone)

(703) 934-3740 (fax) CCDFresearch@icf.com Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

The electronic application submission package is available in the NOFO's listing at Grants.gov.

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Notice of Two-File Requirement Applicants applying via Grants.gov must upload only two electronic files, excluding Standard Forms (SFs) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved forms. Additional files will be removed prior to the merit review.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Signature of Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) Each applicant must designate an authorized organization representative (AOR) with authority to act on the organization’s behalf on matters related to the application submission and administration of awards. The AOR signature must appear on all forms in which a signature is required. By signing, the AOR agrees the organization will abide by all applicable Federal statutes, regulations and terms and conditions of the award.

Accepted Font Style and Size Applications must be in Times New Roman 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be 10-point font. Pages that contain blurred or illegible text will be removed.

If documents must be scanned, the font size on any scanned documents must be large enough so that it is readable. You may not scan more than one page of a documents onto a single page.

Pages with blurred text will be removed from the application.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. See 45 CFR §75.111 for more information.

Page Limitations You must observe the page limitation(s) listed under "PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS" later in this section. Page limitation(s) do not include SFs and OMB-approved forms.

All applications must be double-spaced. An application that exceeds the cited page limitation for double-spaced pages will have extra pages removed, and those pages will not be reviewed.

Application Elements Exempted from Double-Spacing Requirements The following elements of the application submission are exempt from the double-spacing requirements and may be single-spaced:

• Table of Contents

• One-page Project Summary

• Required Assurances and Certifications

• SFs and OMB-approved forms

• Resumes, Logic Models, Proof of Legal Status/Non-Profit Status, Third-Party

Agreements, Letters of Support, footnotes and tables

• Line-Item Budget and/or the Budget Justification

Adherence to NOFO Formatting, Font, and Page Limitation Requirements Applications that fail to adhere to ACF’s NOFO formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will be adjusted by the removal of page(s) from the application. Pages will be removed before the merit review and will not be made available to reviewers.

NOTE: Applicants failing to adhere to ACF’s NOFO formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will receive a letter from ACF notifying them that their application was amended.

The letter will be sent after awards have been issued and will specify the reason(s) for removal of page(s).

Corrections/Updates to Submitted Applications When applicants revise a previously submitted application, ACF will accept only the last on-time application for pre-review under the Application Disqualification Factors. See Section III.3.

Other, Application Disqualification Factors and Section IV.2. Application Submission Options.

Copies Required Applicants must submit one complete copy of the application package electronically. Applicants must follow the registration and application submission instructions provided at Grants.gov.

Accepted Application Format With the exception of the required SFs and OMB-approved forms, all application materials must be formatted so that they are 8 ½" x 11" white paper with 1-inch margins all around.

If possible, applicants are encouraged to include page numbers for each page within the application.

PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:

Page Limits. Applicants must limit the entire application to 100 pages. This page limit applies to the length of the Project Description File and the Appendices File, combined.

The required SFs, assurances, and certifications are submitted separately from the Project Description and Appendices files. Therefore, they are not included in the 100-page limit.

Organization of Application. Applicants are strongly advised to use heading and subheadings that correspond to the required application sections. Sections must be carefully labeled to ease reviewer's identification of information relevant to the application review criteria. Additional headers and sub-headers may also be used to organize the content of each section.

The Project Description File includes the following sections. Applicants must number the pages of the file, beginning with the Table of Contents. ACF suggests organizing the file according to the sections and in the order presented below. See additional instructions later in this section (under "The Project Description") for details on preparing the full project description.

1. Table of Contents

2. Project Summary/Abstract (single-spaced, one page maximum)

3. Approach o Objectives and Significance o Research Approach o Description of Research Partnership o Management Plan o Dissemination Plan o Staff Roles and Qualifications o Organizational Capacity o References o Project Timeline and Milestones o Subawards (optional)

4. Budget and Budget Justification

The Appendices file includes the following sections. ACF suggests organizing the file according to the sections and in the order presented below:

1. Additional Eligibility Documentation: Letter of Approval from, or Proof of CCDF Lead Agency and Evidence of Research as a Primary Organizational Activity

2. Supporting Documentation of Organizational Capacity

3. Supporting Documentation of Staff Qualifications o Resumes/Curriculum Vitaes

4. Letters of Support, Third-Party Agreements and/or MOU

5. Protection of Sensitive and/or Confidential Information

6. Plan for Oversight of Federal Awards Funds

7. Proof of Legal Status of Applicant Entity (if applicable)

8. Other Materials in Support of the Proposal

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

You are required to submit applications electronically unless you have received an exemption that will allow submission in paper format. See Section IV.2. Application Submission Options for information about requesting an exemption.

Electronic applications will only be accepted via Grants.gov. ACF will not accept applications submitted via email or via facsimile.

Each applicant is required to upload ONLY two electronic files, excluding SFs and OMB-approved forms.

File One: Must contain the entire Project Description, and the Budget and Budget Justification (including a line-item budget and a budget narrative).

File Two: Must contain all documents required in the Appendices.

Formatting Submission Files ACF strongly recommends that File One and File Two be uploaded as Portable Document Files (PDFs).

To adhere to the two-file requirement, you may need to convert and/or merge documents together using a PDF converter software. Applicants using Adobe Acrobat Reader software will be able to merge these documents together. ACF recommends merging documents electronically rather than scanning multiple documents into one document manually.

Applicants must ensure that the version of Adobe Acrobat Reader they are using is compatible with Grants.gov. To verify Adobe software compatibility please go to Grants.gov and click on “Applicants” at the top bar menu and select “Adobe Software Compatibility."

Naming Application Submission Files Carefully observe the file naming conventions required by Grants.gov. Limit file names to 50 characters (characters and spaces).Please also see https://www.grants.gov/applicants/submitting-utf-8-special-characters.

Use only file formats supported by ACF While ACF supports all of the following file formats, we strongly recommend that the two files (Project Description and Appendices) are uploaded as PDFs in order to comply with the two-file upload limitation.

ACF supports the following file formats:

• Adobe PDF – Portable Document Format (.pdf)

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

• Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx)

• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt)

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

Documents in file formats not listed here will be removed from the application and will not be used in the merit review. This may make the application incomplete, and ACF will not make awards based on an incomplete application.

Do Not Encrypt or Password-Protect the Electronic Application Files If ACF cannot access submitted electronic files because they are encrypted or password protected, the affected file will not be reviewed. This may make the application incomplete, and ACF will not make awards based on an incomplete application.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS:

You must receive an exemption in order for a paper application to be accepted for review. For more information on the exemption, see "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission."

Applicants with an approved exemption for paper application submission should download the forms package associated with the NOFO's Synopsis on Grants.gov under the Package tab.

All copies of mailed paper applications must be submitted in a single package. If an applicant is submitting multiple applications under a single NOFO, or multiple applications under separate NOFOs, each submission must be packaged separately. The package(s) must be clearly labeled with the NOFO title and Funding Opportunity Number.

Applicants must submit one original and two copies of the complete application, including all SFs and OMB-approved forms. The original copy must have original signatures. Copies of the https://www.grants.gov/applicants/submitting-utf-8-special-characters https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf application, not the original, will be reproduced by the federal government for review. All application materials must be one-sided for duplication purposes. All pages in the application submission must be sequentially numbered.

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications Applicants seeking an award under this funding opportunity must submit the listed SFs, assurances, and certifications with the application. All required SFs, assurances, and certifications are available in the Application Package posted for this NOFO at Grants.gov.

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement Notes/Description

Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification / IRB Certification / Declaration of Exemption (Common Rule)

Submission of the required information and forms is due with the application package by the due date listed in the Overview and Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. If the information is not available at the time of application, it must be submitted prior to the award of a grant.

Form is available at http:// www.hhs.gov/ ohrp/ assurances/ forms/index.html.

General information about the HHS Protection of Human Subjects regulations can be obtained at http://www. hhs.gov/ ohrp/ . Applicants may also contact OHRP by email (OHRP@HHS.gov) or by phone (240-453-6900).

SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Required for all applications.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) registration.

Required of all applicants.

Applicants must have a UEI and maintain an active SAM registration throughout the application and project award period.

See Section IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) for more information.

http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/assurances/forms/index.html http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/assurances/forms/index.html http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/assurances/forms/index.html http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/ http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/ mailto:OHRP@HHS.gov

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement Notes/Description

Obtain a UEI and SAM registration at:

http://www.sam.gov.

SF-424 Key Contact Form

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Required for all applications.

Certification Regarding Lobbying (Grants.gov Lobbying Form)

Submission required of all applicants with the application package. If it is not submitted with the application package, it must be submitted prior to award.

Submission of the certification is required for all applicants.

SF-424A - Budget Information - Non- Construction Programs and SF-424B - Assurances - Non- Construction Programs

Submission is required for all applicants when applying for a non-construction project.

SFs must be used.

Forms must be submitted by the application due date.

By signing and submitting the SF- 424B, applicants are making the appropriate certification of their compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination.

Required for all applications when applying for a non-construction project.

SF-Project/Performance Site Location(s) (SF-P/PSL)

Submission is required for all

Required for all applications. In the SF-P/PSL, applicants must cite their primary location and up https://www.sam.gov/

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement Notes/Description applicants by the application due date.

to 29 additional performance sites.

SF-LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

If submission of this form is applicable, it is due at the time of application. If it is not available at the time of application, it may also be submitted prior to award.

If any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the applicant shall complete and submit the SF-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions.

Additional Required Assurances and Certifications Mandatory Grant Disclosures All applicants and recipients are required to submit, in writing, to ACF and the HHS Office of the Inspector General, all information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. (Mandatory Disclosures, 45 CFR § 75.113)

Disclosures must be sent in writing to:

The Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Grants Management, ATTN: Grants Management Specialist, 330 C Street, SW., Switzer Building, Corridor 3200, Washington, DC 20201

And to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, ATTN:

Mandatory Grant Disclosures, Intake Coordinator, 330 Independence Avenue, SW., Cohen Building, Room 5527, Washington, DC 20201

Fax: (202) 205-0604 (Include “Mandatory Grant Disclosures” in subject line) or Email: grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov

Proprietary Information and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) ACF will be using non-federal reviewers in the review process. You have the option of omitting mailto:grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov from the application copies (not the original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified in the application budget as well as Social Security Numbers, if otherwise required for individuals. The copies may include summary salary information. If applications are submitted electronically, ACF will omit the same specific salary rate information from copies made for use during the review process.

The Project Description The Project Description Overview

General Expectations and Instructions The Project Description requests the information by which an application is evaluated and ranked in competition with other applications for financial assistance. It must address all activities for which federal funds are being requested and all application requirements as stated in this section. The Project Description must explain how the project will meet the purpose of the NOFO, as described in Section I. Program Description. As a reminder, reviewers will be evaluating this section in accordance with Section V.1. Criteria.

The Project Description must be clear, concise, and complete. ACF is particularly interested in Project Descriptions that convey strategies for achieving intended performance. Project Descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance and measurable outcomes, not length.

Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. Supporting documents designated as required must be included in the Appendix of the application.

Letter of Intent Applicants are strongly encouraged to notify ACF of their intention to submit an application under this NOFO. The letter of intent is optional. Failure to submit a letter of intent will not impact eligibility to submit an application and will not disqualify an applicant from the merit review. Letter of intent information will be used to determine the number of expert reviewers needed to evaluate applications.

Please submit a letter of intent by the deadline date listed in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. The letter of intent should include the following information: number and title of this funding opportunity; the name and address of the applicant organization; and the name, phone number, fax number and email address of a contact person.

Letters of intent should be submitted via email to CCDFresearch@icf.com.

Table of Contents List the contents of the application including corresponding page numbers. The table of contents may be single spaced.

Project Summary Provide a summary of the project description. The summary must include a brief description of the applicant's proposed project including the needs to be addressed, the proposed activities or services, and if applicable, the population group(s) to be served. The summary must be clear, accurate, concise, and without cross-references to other parts of the application.