mentoring best practices research frequently asked questions.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions

OJJDP FY 2012 Mentoring Best Practices Research

Solicitation Specific FAQs

1. What is the deadline for this solicitation?

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 1, 2012. (On March 16, 2012, the deadline was extended because of a Grants.gov outage scheduled for April 28-29, 2012.

The original deadline was April 30, 2012.)

2. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to states (including territories), units of local government (including federally recognized tribal governments, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations), and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee.

3. Is there a match requirement?

There is no match requirement.

4. Is there a minimum maximum funding amount that I can apply for?

OJJDP anticipates that it will make as many as 6 awards of between $100,000 to $500,000 for a 12-month to 5-year project period. The amount is for the entire award period. OJJDP will make no additional awards in subsequent years.

5. What is the CFDA number?

16.726

6. How many applications were received last year and how many awards were made?

In FY 2011, 66 applications were received and 5 awards were made.

7. Is there a list of awardees from prior years?

OJJDP posts the prior year’s awards on its Web site, www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html#2.

8. What date should I list as the start date on the SF-424 form?

Applicants may begin their proposed project dates on or after October 1, 2012

9. Can funds under this award support the delivery of mentoring services or the provision of direct services?

Because this is a research and evaluation program, applicants cannot use funds to support http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html#2 training, program development, or the provision of services (i.e., program implementation).

Applicants may use funds to evaluate training, prevention, and intervention programs.

10. Does this solicitation also support secondary data analysis of preexisting data sources?

Yes. In addition to supporting primary data collection and new research studies, OJJDP intends to support secondary data-analysis. Additionally, some previous studies on mentoring have been criticized for their short-term followup of program participants.

Consequently, OJJDP is also interested in augmenting or extending the follow-up period of previous studies on mentoring participants. A longer follow-up period for mentoring participants will also likely enhance a study’s ability to analyze the cost effectiveness of a mentoring strategy or program.

General FAQs

11. How do I apply for this funding opportunity?

Applicants will submit their applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find funding opportunities and apply for funding. To find complete instructions on how to register and submit an application, go to www.Grants.gov.

12. Who do I contact for help with Grants.gov?

If the applicant experiences technical difficulties during this process, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, or via e-mail to support@grants.gov, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password.

OJP highly recommends that applicants register as early as possible to prevent delays in submitting an application package by the specified application deadline.

13. What is a DUNS number and how do I get one?

The Office of Management and Budget requires that all agencies, businesses, and nonprofit applicants for federal funds include a DUNS (Data Universal Numeric System) number in their application for a new award or renewal of an award. Individuals are exempt from this requirement. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and tracking entities receiving federal funds. The identifier is used to validate address and point of contact information. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, simple, one-time activity.

Call 1B866B705B5711 or apply online at www.dunandbradstreet.com to obtain a number.

14. What is CCR, and how do I register?

OJP requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial assistance maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. An applicant must be registered in the CCR to successfully register in Grants.gov. The CCR database is the repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. Organizations that have previously submitted applications via Grants.gov are already registered with CCR. However, applicants must http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/ update or renew their CCR registration annually to maintain an active status. Access information about CCR registration procedures at www.ccr.gov.

15. What information is included in the page limit?

The program narrative should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins, not exceeding 30 pages of 8½ by 11 inches, and use a standard 12-point font, preferably Times New Roman.

Pages should be numbered “1 of 30,” etc. The project abstract, tables, charts, pictures, etc., including all captions, legends, keys, subtext, etc., may be single-spaced, and will count in the 30-page limit. Material required under the “Budget and Budget Narrative” and “Other Attachments” sections will not count toward the program narrative page count. Applicants may provide bibliographical references as a separate attachment that will not count toward the 30 page program narrative limit. If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, OJJDP may consider the application to be noncompliance in peer review and final award decisions.

16. Is there a budget format or sample that is available?

A budget detailed worksheet form is available on OJP’s Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms/budget_detail.pdf. When using this form, you must also include a budget narrative, in MS Word or PDF format, as a separate attachment.

17. In my application, do I need to address all performance measures listed in this specific solicitation?

A summary of the specific performance measures that OJJDP will use to measure grantee performance is under the section within the solicitation titled Performance Measures.

Applicants should include a brief narrative discussion in their application that indicates their understanding of the performance measures for this solicitation and how they intend to provide the required data to OJJDP.

18. Can I submit a paper version via U.S. mail instead of an electronic application through the Grants.gov system?

No. Applicants must submit their applications electronically. OJJDP will not accept paper submissions.

19. How does the review and awarding process work? How can I track the status of my application?

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with OJJDP, reviews applications for potential discretionary awards to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of applicants; examines proposed costs to determine if the budget detail worksheet and budget narrative accurately explain project costs; and determines whether costs are reasonable, necessary, and allowable under applicable federal cost principles and agency regulations.

During that time, you may be asked additional questions about your application for clarification purposes.

Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, the Assistant Attorney General, who also may consider other factors including, but not limited to, underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and http://www.ccr.gov/ http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/forms/budget_detail.pdf available funding, will make all final award decisions.

To prevent compromising the integrity of the competitive review process, OJJDP will not discuss details regarding the status of your applications until all awards have been made to grant recipients. It is anticipated that awards will be made no later than September 30, 2012.

20. How will I be notified if my agency is selected to receive an award?

Both the point of contact and the authorizing official listed on the grant application will receive an e-mail award notification, which will provide further information on procedures for receiving funds.

21. I am experiencing technical difficulties submitting my applications to Grants.gov. Is there an alternate way to submit my application?

Applicants who experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues that prevent them from submitting their applications by the deadline must e-mail the Justice Information Center (see Page 1 for contact information) within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application. Applicants must include a description of the technical difficulties, a timeline of their submission efforts, the complete grant application, their DUNS number, and Grants.gov Help Desk tracking number(s) in their e-mail. Note:

OJJDP does not automatically approve requests. After the program office reviews the submitted information and contacts the Grants.gov Help Desk to validate the technical issues reported, OJP will contact applicants to inform them on whether their request has been approved. If OJP cannot validate the technical issues reported, the application will be rejected as untimely.

To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the following conditions are not valid reasons to permit late submissions: (1) failure to register in sufficient time, (2) failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply as posted on its Web site, (3) failure to follow all of the instructions in the OJP solicitation, and (4) technical issues experienced with the applicant’s computer or information technology environment, including firewalls.

Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov, if any, are posted at the top of the OJP funding Web page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/solicitations.htm.

http://www.ojp.gov/funding/solicitations.htm