MP-CPI-22-003 FAQ Document.06172022.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

MP-CPI-22-003 - Community-Driven Approaches to Address Factors Contributing to

Structural Racism in Public Health

Eligibility:

Questions Responses

Who is eligible to apply?

All organizations (public or private nonprofit) located in a State are eligible to apply except for private for-profit institutions of higher education and for-profit organizations (including small businesses).

Public or private nonprofits located in one of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands) is eligible to apply for an award under this announcement.

Faith-based organizations and American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American (AI/AN/NA) organizations that are public or non-profit private entities are eligible to apply. Community based organizations that are public or non-profit private entities are eligible to apply.

Examples of eligible organizations include (NOFO pages 13 – 14):

• State Governments

• County Governments

• City or township governments

• Special district governments

• Independent school districts

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• Public Housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

• Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)

• Nonprofits having 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

• Private non-profit institutions of higher education

Can an existing OMH awardee recipient apply for this funding opportunity?

Yes. Existing OMH awardee recipients can apply for this NOFO if they meet the eligibility requirements outlined on pages 13 – 14 of the NOFO.

Can I submit an application if I previously submitted an application for another OMH NOFO but was not selected for funding?

Yes. Past unfunded application can apply for this NOFO if they meet the eligibility requirements outlined on pages 13 – 14 of the NOFO.

Does the project structure must have a public health agency as the lead organization for this funding

The NOFO does not require a public health agency to be the lead agency for this funding opportunity.

Is this funding opportunity targeting a single organizations/community-based organization or can a larger partnership including multiple

One organization will apply and receive funding under this funding opportunity. All organizations that meet the eligibility requirements as listed on pages 13 - 14 of the NOFO are welcome to apply.

organizations/coalitions/entities apply and provide desired results?

The funding opportunity references tools under development by the “coordinating center established under an OMH cooperative agreement” which appears defined by prior participation in OMH programs.

Is this a requirement for this funding opportunity. If so, would having been a prior OMH awardee or sub awardee qualify?

This NOFO does not require that the applicant be a former OMH recipient or sub-awardee.

Can we submit a proposed budget plan for just the first year of the project?

Applicants must complete the required budget forms and submit a budget narrative with detailed justification as part of your application that covers all 3 years of the project period as outlined on pages 21 – 28 of the NOFO.

Can we get an extension on the application deadline?

Individual extensions on the application deadline will not be granted except as described in the

NOFO on page 5.

I represent a for-profit organization. If I have a non-profit partner that applies and receives the award, can I be a subrecipient?

No. OMH statutory authority limits recipients to public and non-profit entities. Subrecipients must also abide by the statutory limitation.

Who makes a determination concerning whether an entity is considered to be a subrecipient?

The HHS Uniform Administrative Requirements (UAR), 45 CFR 75.351, states that the recipient “must make case-by-case determinations whether each agreement it makes for the disbursement of Federal program funds casts the party receiving the funds in the role of a subrecipient or a contractor.” Characteristics which support the classification of the non- Federal entity as a subrecipient can be found at 45 CFR 75.351. The applicant should consult with its counsel for advice concerning the applicability of this section to its particular situation.

Are there any geographic priorities under this funding?

The MP-CPI-21-003 NOFO does not indicate specific geographic priorities. As part of the Statement of Need, the applicant will define the community in which they propose work.

Applicant must use a data-driven approach that provides specific information on disparities experienced by the proposed priority population(s) and a justification for the proposed geographical area as outlined in the NOFO pages 17– 18.

Application Preparation Information:

Questions Answers

I’m having problems with the Grants.gov application platform. Who should I contact for assistance?

If you are having trouble and need assistance with the Grants.gov application platform, please contact the Grants.gov Applicant Support as outlined in the NOFO page 52.

Website: http://www.grants.gov/

Phone: 1-800-518-4726.

Email: support@grants.gov

Who should I contact if I still have questions about the

NOFO? Questions about developing my application?

• Who to contact will depend on the nature of your question? For programmatic questions, such as developing elements of your application, contact Paul Rodriguez at

Paul.Rodriguez@hhs.gov. Please CC: Duane Barlow on your email

• Contact Duane Barlow at Duane.Barlow@hhs.gov for financial and grants-related questions.

Please CC: Paul Rodriguez on your email (NOFO pages 51-52)

Where can I locate the webinar recording for the

Technical Assistance Webinar for the Community- Driven Approaches to Address Factors Contributing to Structural Racism in Public Health (MP-CPI-22- 003).?

The Technical Assistance Webinar recording for the MP-CPI-22-003 NOFO held on June 9, 2022 at 3 PM ET has been posted to the Office of Minority Health (OMH) YouTube Channel/webpage which can be found here: https://youtu.be/Gyhf8iLkkYQ.

The OMH has also added the video link to the FY 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunities page which can be found here https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=102.

What is the deadline for submitting an application in response to this funding opportunity?

Applications are due July 15, 2022 by 6 p.m. Eastern Time. To receive consideration, you must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov no later than this due date and time (see NOFO page 1 & 5).

How can I stay up to date on any updates or changes to the notice of funding?

a. The best way to stay up to date is to subscribe to this NOFO on grants.gov. Please go to www.grants.gov and click the “Search Grants” tab in the upper left of the screen.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:Paul.Rodriguez@hhs.gov mailto:Duane.Barlow@hhs.gov https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FGyhf8iLkkYQ&data=05%7C01%7CSonsiere.Cobb-Souza%40hhs.gov%7C96617798d9f44dbce3c508da4d758ea8%7Cd58addea50534a808499ba4d944910df%7C0%7C0%7C637907464561642734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=WnsWHvCwxwVypeoNPn%2B2ILV1HXpaZTLNoubOBswQpV0%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.minorityhealth.hhs.gov%2Fomh%2Fbrowse.aspx%3Flvl%3D2%26lvlid%3D102&data=05%7C01%7CSonsiere.Cobb-Souza%40hhs.gov%7C96617798d9f44dbce3c508da4d758ea8%7Cd58addea50534a808499ba4d944910df%7C0%7C0%7C637907464561642734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8VeVjjqu9p4LFPgFKBSYcYczWj25vo2sjiBrT31kOWM%3D&reserved=0 opportunity (NOFO), additional information and resources (i.e., Objective

Work Plan Template, FAQ), and other developments?

b. On the next screen, look for the “BASIC SEARCH CRITERIA” fields under SEARCH GRANTS header in the upper left corner. Enter “MP-CPI-22-003” in the Opportunity Number field and click the SEARCH button.

c. Click on the link under the Opportunity Number header. You will see a red “Subscribe” icon in the right corner. You then be prompted to either enter your username and password or establish one, after which you’ll be able to subscribe and get alerts.

Can you explain the page limits? What does or does not count for which limits?

• As outlined on page 15 of the NOFO, your project narrative is limited to 40 pages and does not include your Project Abstract Summary. Since your project narrative plus appendices cannot exceed 80 pages, that leaves 40 pages for your appendices. The appendices should include the items described on pages 28 - 30 of the NOFO and listed here:

o Work Plan o Project Population(s) of Focus o Memorandums of Agreement and/or Letters of Commitment from o Partners, Subrecipient Organizations, and Agencies o Organizational Chart o Logic Model o Curriculum Vitae/Résumé/Biographical Sketches for Key Project Personnel

• You must submit these appendices as a single electronic file uploaded to the Attachments section of your Grants.gov application.

• The SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative

(including budget tables) do not count towards your 40-or 80-page limit.

What is the minimum requirement for submitting Curriculum Vitae/Resumes/Biographical

Sketches for Key Project Personnel with the application?

• Refer to page 30 of the NOFO. You must submit with your application curricula vitae or resumes of the Project Director/Principal Investigator, Evaluator, and all other key personnel.

Key personnel include those individuals who will oversee the technical, professional, managerial, and support functions and/or assume responsibility for assuring the validity and quality of your organization’s program.

• This includes at a minimum the Project Director/Principal Investigator.

Are cost sharing or matching required?

You are not required to provide cost sharing or matching in your proposed budget as described on page 14 of the NOFO.

Is there a population size that applicants are expected to address through this funding opportunity? Are ideal projects community-wide, or are smaller, targeted

(e.g., catchment area) projects eligible?

As part of the Statement of Need, the applicant will define the community in which they propose work. Applicant must use a data-driven approach that provides specific information on disparities

How many awards will there be? What is the award floor and ceiling on dollars per award?

We expect approximately 6 to 10 awards. The ceiling amount is $500,000 and floor amount $300,00 per budget period as outlined on page 13 of the NOFO.

We weren’t sure whether the estimated floor award of $300,000 is a total cost or whether it refers to direct costs. Could you please clarify?

On page 13 of the NOFO, the estimated ceiling of $500,000 and floor award amount of $300,000 is the total cost that should include indirect costs (if applicable) as part of the proposed budget.

Is the award amount listed for 1 year or 3 years?

The award ceiling and floor amounts are listed per budget period (12 months). The project period is for 3 years. Please note that due to timing of award issuance or other administrative factors, funding for all approved budget periods beyond the first year is generally level with the initial award amount and is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, adequate stewardship of Federal funds, and the best interests of the Government as outlined on page 50 of the NOFO.

When does the implementation start?

The Year 1 of this award runs from 9/15/2022 through 9/14/2023.

What registrations are needed to apply to this funding announcement?

As the applicant for an award, you are required to provide your Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for Federal awards through Grants.gov. Should you successfully compete and receive an award, all first-tier sub-award recipients must have a DUNS number at the time you, the recipient, makes a sub-award.

You will also need to register your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM);

please see page 30-31 of NOFO for more information.

A step-by-step description of the requirements for registering your organization to be able to apply for this and other funding announcements, along with the expected time for each step, can be found here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

How do I register my organization on SAM.gov?

What if my registration is expired?

• Please refer to pages 29-30 of the NOFO. Your organization must register online in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/SAM/). Grants.gov may reject submissions from applicants with nonexistent or expired SAM Registrations. A completed registration in SAM may be required prior to receiving any award based on your application.

• Further helpful information and helpful tips are also available through the following link: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

• We recommend beginning your registration process immediately as delays in processing have been reported. Under normal operating conditions we recommend allowing at least up to 10 business days after you submit your registration for it to become active in SAM. This timeframe may be longer if SAM flags the information you provide for manual validation or there are delays in the required submission of a notarized letter by mail. You will receive an email alerting you when your registration is active.

Are applicants required to submit memorandums of agreement (MOAs) and Letters of Commitment (LOCs)?

• Refer to page 29 of the NOFO. If available at the time of submission, signed MOAs or signed LOCs may be submitted for each partner (or one signed MOA with all partners) and include specific roles, responsibilities, resources, and contributions of partner(s) to the project.

• If the applicant is unable to submit signed MOAs, the applicant may submit an unsigned MOA(s).

• Fully executed MOAs and finalized tribal resolutions will be required following the issuance of any award made under this announcement if not received prior to award. If you are not providing these documents with your application, please indicate the anticipated date that you will have fully executed documents available for submission.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

Can you tell me if the awarded funds under this funding opportunity can be used to purchase equipment?

• Applicants should review the Application Content section of the NOFO outlined on pages 17 through 30 of the NOFO to craft a budget for this project. Specifically, for the purchase of equipment, applicants should review and respond in their application to the instructions on the budget narrative content along with equipment description and equipment justification outlined on pages 21 through 28 of the NOFO.

Application Review:

How will my application be reviewed?

Refer to page 36 of the NOFO. An independent review panel will evaluate eligible applications according to criteria outlined in the notice of funding opportunity. In addition to the independent review, Federal staff will review each application for programmatic, budgetary, and grants management compliance.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health provides recommendations for funding to the Grants Management Officer to conduct risk analysis. Upon completion of the risk analysis and concurrence of the

Grants Management Officer, HHS/OASH issues Notices of Award

How will each application be assessed and scored for this funding opportunity?

Refer to pages 36-40 of the NOFO. All eligible entities that advance to the independent review panel will be evaluated based on the quality of their response, the data presented, and other required elements.

Programming:

What is the focal population and geographic areas of focus for this funding opportunity?

• As part of the Statement of Need on pages 17 -18 of the NOFO, the applicant will define the community in which they propose work

• Applicant must use a data-driven approach that provides specific information on disparities experienced by the proposed priority population(s) and a justification for the proposed geographical area as outlined in the NOFO pages 17– 18.

Do OMH and OASH have any specific policy area priorities under this funding? (i.e., is there any guidance more specific than: policies that contribute to structural racism and address various social determinants of health?)

• As described on page 9 of the NOFO, we expect recipients to create a new and/or strengthen an existing multi-sector team focused on addressing factors that may contribute to structural racism in public health.

• As part of the Statement of Need, the applicant will define the community in which they propose work.

• Applicant must use a data-driven approach that provides specific information on disparities

What policy assessment and analysis framework/tools are we expected to use for this funding opportunity?

• As outlined in the NOFO, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) expects the recipients/awardees to utilize the tools under development with the coordinating center. The National Network of Public

Health Institutes (NNPHI) serves as the coordinating center and is developing policy assessment and analysis tools under an established cooperative agreement with the OMH (MP-CPI-21-003).

• For interested applicants, the active NOFO (MP-CPI-22-003) contains the draft NNPHI Policy

Assessment and Analysis Framework on pages 63-67. The NNPHI Policy Assessment and Analysis Framework is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Legal Epidemiology Framework which can be found within the NOFO on pages 68-80.

The NOFO indicates a need to submit sustainability plan 30

Please refer to page 39 of the NOFO. The sustainability plan in the application will be assessed based on the extent to which the applicant:

days after award, but then a sustainability plan is part of the application evaluation criteria for the applications. Can you clarify what is required for the sustainability plan the application?

• Described a feasible approach for developing a time-phased sustainability plan that includes feasible strategies for securing financial, staff, supervisory, and material resources that are needed to sustain the project beyond the project period.

• Described how existing collaborative partnerships with organizations that might embed the project within their operations beyond the project period.

• Described the process for identifying key individuals and/or organizations whose support will be needed to sustain activities.

What is the Disparity

Impact Statement (DIS) expectation and is it part of the application review criteria?

• Refer to page 11 of the NOFO. A DIS is not a required part of your application. Only those receiving awards are expected to complete a DIS after the project has started. The DIS should identify sub-populations at highest risk for health disparities for its focus population.

• The DIS will provide the contextual and measurement framework for ongoing monitoring and determining the impact of the project activities on outcomes and the overarching goal of advancing health equity.

• A Disparity Impact Statement refers to the demographic, cultural, and linguistic data that identify the population(s) in which health disparities exist and the quality improvement plan designed to address the noted disparities.

What is the minimum and the maximum amount of policies that can be considered/developed for this project (if any)?

The NOFO does not require a minimum or maximum number of policies to be considered or developed under this funding opportunity.

Can a collaborating organization carry out a specific task as it relates to the project?

If organization X takes the lead on submitting this application, can some of the

Yes. As outlined on page 29 of the NOFO, applicants should include a signed memorandum of agreement (MOA) with all partners who will contribute substantially to this project. The MOA(s) submitted in your application must be signed by all partners and include specific roles, responsibilities, resources, and contributions of partner(s) to the project. If the applicant is unable to submit a signed MOA, the applicant should submit an unsigned MOA and signed letters of commitment (LOCs) with all partners.

expectations be met by a collaborating partner?

What collaborations and partnerships are expected in this funding

As described on page 9 of the NOFO, we expect recipients to create a new and/or strengthen an existing multi-sector team focused on addressing factors that may contribute to structural racism in public health. The multi-sector team should include members who represent communities experiencing health disparities as a result of structural racism. The team should also include decision-makers at state and local levels (e.g., leadership from the offices of the governor or other state-wide office holders, local and municipal officeholders [mayors, county commissioners], etc.), and representatives from different sectors, (i.e., community development, planning, public health, transportation, public works, education, housing, etc.)

The multi-sector team should provide outreach and training opportunities to community members on the impact of structural racism in their community, opportunities for policy and practice change to address structural racism, and information on how to become more involved in the multi-sector team's efforts to address factors that may contribute to structural racism.

Will my project require Institutional Review

Board (IRB) approval?

Recipients must comply with all HHS regulations, including those governing protection of human subjects. You may find more information online at http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.html. To the extent the HHS regulation governing protection of human subjects applies, IRB approval is required prior to beginning any work with human subjects (Subpart A of 45 CFR Part 46).

http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.html

Evaluation and Performance Management:

My organization has been approached to potentially serve as the evaluators on two OMH proposals. I reviewed the NOFO, and it appears that it would be allowed. Can you advise if this is allowed?

Yes, this would be allowed.

We would like to find out what the OMH’s data reporting expectations are for this project.

Do we need to collect and report on data at baseline, exit, and follow-up?

As part of the application content, the funded recipient is responsible for submitting a process and outcome plan as outlined on page 21 of the NOFO. Recipients will be required to report on outcomes identified in the logic model that will accompany your evaluation plan as described on page 21 of the NOFO.

As outlined on page 40 of the NOFO, your application will be assessed on the degree to which your evaluation plan describes a feasible approach for collecting baseline, interim and post-intervention process, outcomes and impact measures.

When should baseline and outcome measures be collected?

Each applicant should describe a feasible approach for collecting baseline, interim and post-intervention process, outcome and impact measures as outlined on page 39 of the

NOFO.

What is a measurable outcome?

As outlined on page 18 of the NOFO, a “measurable outcome” is an observable end-result that describes how a particular intervention benefits project participant. It demonstrates the

“impact” of the intervention. For example, it describes a change in participants’ financial, health, and/or functional status; mental well-being; knowledge; skill; attitude; awareness; or behavior. It can also describe a change in the degree to which participants exercise choice over behavior.

The NOFO speaks to outcomes that are phrased as policy and practice impacts (environmental health, mental health, preventative health services or other health services). Is there an expectation that the projects also provide data that these policy and practice changes have made measurable differences in population metrics overall or within some tracked cohort?

Yes, for the grant recipient’s policy intervention(s). Recipients will select appropriate policy intervention(s) to evaluate, which will include showing a measurable difference in selected populations as described on pages 38 - 39 of the NOFO.

Does OMH have a requirement for hiring an external evaluator for the project?

The NOFO does not require the applicant to hire an external evaluator.

Is a control group a requirement for the evaluation?

No. A control group is not required for this funding opportunity.