NOFO FAQs MP-CPI-21-003 Coordinating Center FINAL.pdf

FAQs for MP-CPI-21-003

Framework to Address Health Disparities through Collaborative Policy

Efforts: Coordinating Center

A. ELIGIBILITY

1. What applicants are eligible and how will they be defined for this funding opportunity?

a. Any public or private nonprofit entity located in a State (which includes 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/Alaska Native/Native American (AI/AN/NA) organizations are eligible to apply.

Examples of eligible institutions include:

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 nonprofit institutions of higher education

U.S. territories

B. PREPARING TO APPLY

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

a. Applications are due August 23, 2021 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.

2. How can I get more information on this funding opportunity?

a. We strongly suggest that you register and attend the Technical Assistance webinar scheduled for July 20, 2021 from 1:00-2:00pm Eastern Time. To attend the webinar, please register at:

https://hhs.webex.com/hhs/onstage/g.php?MTID=e98e24d8dc4743816782cd2 c71ba12922.

b. After you enter your information and click “Register,” you will get a confirmation email with details on how to join the webinar. There will be an opportunity to submit questions.

c. The webinar will be recorded for those unable to attend live. The recording will be posted to the OMH YouTube channel

(https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficeMinorityHealth).

2. How can I stay up to date on any updates or changes to the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), additional information and resources, and other developments?

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.

b. On the next screen, look for the “BASIC SEARCH CRITERIA” fields under SEARCH

GRANTS header in the upper left corner. Enter MP-CPI-21-003 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.

3. Who should I contact if I still have questions about the NOFO? Questions about developing my application?

a. Who to contact will depend on the nature of your question. For programmatic questions, such as developing elements of your application, contact Paul

Rodriguez (paul.rodriguez@hhs.gov). Please include/CC: Roscoe Brunson on your email.

b. Contact Roscoe Brunson (roscoe.brunson@hhs.gov) for financial and grants-related questions. Please include/CC: Paul Rodriguez on your email.

4. Who should I contact if I have issues with the grants.gov portal or the electronic application process?

a. Please contact Grants.gov Applicant Support:

Email: support@grants.gov

Telephone: 800-518-4726

5. What registrations are needed to apply to this funding announcement?

a. Besides your registration at www.grants.gov, you will need a Dun and

Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant through www.grants.gov. You will also need to register your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM); please see pages

33-34 of NOFO for more information.

b. 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 https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficeMinorityHealth http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:Samuel.wu@hhs.gov mailto:roscoe.brunson@hhs.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

6. How do we get a DUNS number?

a. Obtaining a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number is the first step in registering as an organization applicant in Grants.gov. You can request a number through the Dun and Bradstreet website devoted to providing DUNS numbers to applicants for Federal awards, typically within one business day at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do. You may also call toll-free 1-866-705-5711 for a new DUNS number or if you have forgotten an existing one.

b. The following website has step-by-step instructions:

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

7. How do I register my organization on SAM.gov? What if my registration is expired?

a. Please refer to pages 33-34 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.

b. Further helpful information and helpful tips are also available through the following quick start guide:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.p df (PDF, 111 KB).

c. 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.

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

a. Your project narrative is limited to 50 pages and does not include your Project

Abstract Summary. Since your project narrative plus appendices cannot exceed

75 pages, that leaves 25 pages for your appendices. The appendices should include the items described on pages 31-33 of the NOFO and listed here:

i. Work Plan

ii. Project Populations(s) of Focus

iii. Memorandums of Agreement and/or Letters of Commitment from

Partners, Subrecipient Organizations, and Agencies

iv. Organizational Chart

v. Curriculum Vitae/Resume for Key Project Personnel and Position

Descriptions

vi. Logic Model

b. You must submit these appendices as a single electronic file uploaded to the

Attachments section of your Grants.gov application.

https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.grants.gov/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

c. The SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget

Narrative (including budget tables) do not count towards your 75-page limit.

C. APPLICATION REVIEW

1. How will my application be reviewed?

a. An independent, objective review panel will assess all 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.

2. Are budgets scored as part of the review process?

a. Budgets will not be scored by objective review committees, but they may comment on the appropriateness of the budget, like for example, if too much or too little is budgeted for a corresponding activity. Federal staff will review budgets for compliance with regulatory requirements.

3. Who makes the final funding decisions? Can we appeal if we are not selected?

a. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health makes the final funding recommendations, based on the results of objective reviews. The funding decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

D. PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS

1. What is the Disparity Impact Statement (DIS) expectation? What is the purpose of the

DIS?

a. The DIS is an expectation of the recipient for the OMH program. The DIS should identify racial and ethnic minority populations at highest risk for experiencing health disparities associated with policies that contribute to structural racism. 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.

The disparity impact statement should also include a description of how recipients will use program implementation data and apply the National

Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and

Health Care (National CLAS Standards) to support quality improvement and ensure the project is implemented in a culturally appropriate manner

(http://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov). Disparity impact statements will be required within 30 days following the issuance of any award made under this announcement.

2. What are self-funded participant organizations?

a. Self-funded participant organizations are those which do not receive funding through the MP-CPI-21-004 funding opportunity. In Year 2, OMH expects the

MP-CPI-21-003 recipient to recruit self-funded participant organizations to implement the framework, process, and tool and contribute evaluation data.

These self-funded participant organizations must demonstrate readiness to implement the framework, process, and tool; create new or modify existing policies designed to reduce health disparities by addressing structural racism;

implement the new or modified policies; and contribute evaluation data within the project period.

E. OTHER

1. I noticed this announcement is for a cooperative agreement. Why? What is the difference between cooperative agreements and grants?

a. Cooperative agreements are a form of assistance that allows for substantial involvement between OMH and the recipient during the period of performance.

In addition to the usual monitoring and technical assistance provided under the cooperative agreement (e.g., assistance from assigned Federal project officer, monthly conference calls, occasional site visits, ongoing review of plans and progress, participation in relevant meetings, provision of training and technical assistance), OMH substantial programmatic involvement will include:

i. Review of recipient progress during the planning period and approval to move forward with full implementation. Note funding levels for subsequent budget periods will depend on status of plan approvals and may be negotiated between HHS/OASH and the recipient.

ii. Quarterly review of priorities and work plans for award activities and approval to move forward with implementation of those activities.

iii. Review and approval of the design, questions, and success measures for the project evaluations.

iv. Prior approval for change of time that Key Personnel are dedicated to the project and for replacement of Key Personnel. Key personnel are those individuals who either because of their specialized expertise or because of the specific role they fulfill in the project (e.g., Principal

Investigator/Project Director) are essential to the conduct of the project.

v. Assisting the recipient in connection and coordination with MP-CPI-21-

004 recipients.

vi. Assisting in the determination of an appropriate number of self-funded participant organizations.

vii. Serving as a resource to provide programmatic support during the implementation of the project by participating in the design of the activities and contributing with subject matter expertise.

viii. Assisting the recipient to monitor the progress of the project, which includes but is not limited to collecting, reporting and analyzing data and required comprehensive reporting during the three-year project period.

ix. Participating in the preparation of publications and public presentations of the data obtained under this Cooperative Agreement as well as assisting in the dissemination of any materials or products produced at the conclusion of the project.

x. Reviewing all communications or disseminated work-product co-branded with HHS, OASH, OMH, or any other HHS component for prior approval of the communication method and its contents.

2. How many awards are anticipated? How much will each award cover? What is the period of performance?

a. OMH anticipates a total of 1 award of up to $500,000 per budget period. The award is not to exceed 3 years.