oppOJJDP-2018-13512-cfda16.726-instructions..pdf

OMB No. 1121-0329 Approval Expires 11/30/2020

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is seeking applications for funding under the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Mentoring Research Partners Program. This program furthers the Department’s mission to promote public safety by supporting evaluation and data collection efforts of federally funded mentoring programs to develop and improve practices designed to prevent and intervene in youth delinquency and crime.

OJJDP FY 2018 Mentoring Research Partners Program

Applications Due: May 30, 2018

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to states (including territories), units of local government,1 federally recognized tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, nonprofit organizations2 and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations), and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee.

OJJDP welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees).3 The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering funding, managing the entire project, and monitoring and appropriately managing any subawards (“subgrants”).

1 A “unit of local government” means—

(a) Any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a state;

(b) Any law enforcement district or judicial enforcement district that—

(i) Is established under applicable state law, and

(ii) Has the authority to, in a manner independent of other state entities, establish a budget and impose taxes; or

(c) For the purposes of assistance eligibility, any agency of the government of the District of Columbia or the federal government that performs law enforcement functions in and for—

(i) The District of Columbia, or

(ii) Any Trust Territory of the United States.

2 See https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/OrganizationalRequirements.htm for additional information on demonstrating nonprofit status.

3 For additional information on subawards, see "Budget and Associated Documentation" under Section D. Application and Submission Information.

https://www.usdoj.gov/ https://ojp.gov/ https://www.ojjdp.gov/ https://www.ojjdp.gov/

OJJDP-2018-13512

OJJDP may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2018 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time (ET) on May 30, 2018.

To be considered timely, an application must be submitted by the application deadline using Grants.gov, and the applicant must have received a validation message from Grants.gov that indicates successful and timely submission. OJP urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time for the applicant to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

OJP encourages all applicants to read this Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov.

For additional information, see How to Apply in Section D. Application and Submission Information.

Contact Information

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800–518–4726 or 606–545–5035, at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html, or via email to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Response Center (Response Center) at grants@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline to request approval to submit its application after the deadline. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How to Apply section.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the Response Center by telephone at 800–851–3420 or TTY: 301–240–6310 (hearing impaired only), by email at grants@ncjrs.gov, or by web chat. Response Center hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

ET, Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on the solicitation close date. General information on applying for OJJDP awards can be found at https://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html. Answers to frequently asked questions that may assist applicants are posted at https://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2018/FAQ/MentorResearch.pdf.

Grants.gov number assigned to this solicitation: OJJDP-2018-13512

Release date: March 29, 2018 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Grants-govInfo.htm https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:grants@ncjrs.gov mailto:grants@ncjrs.gov https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp https://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html https://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2018/FAQ/MentorResearch.pdf

Contents A. Program Description

Overview

Program-Specific Information

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

B. Federal Award Information

Type of Award

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Budget Information

Cost Sharing or Match Requirement

Preagreement Costs (also known as Preaward Costs)

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable)

C. Eligibility Information

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

How to Apply

E. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

Review Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements

General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

H. Other Information

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552 and 5 U.S.C. 552a)

Provide Feedback to OJP

Application Checklist

OJJDP FY 2018 Mentoring Research Partners

CFDA # 16.726

A. Program Description

Overview

This solicitation aims to support research and evaluation efforts that inform the development and implementation of effective mentoring practices to prevent and intervene in youth delinquency, thereby advancing the Department of Justice’s priority to prevent and reduce crime. With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks applicants who wish to partner with mentoring programs that were funded by OJJDP under its FY 2016 or FY 2017 Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative or its FY 2017 Mentoring for Child Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Domestic Sex Trafficking Initiative to conduct project-specific, independent program evaluations and/or data analyses. This solicitation aims to help individual mentoring programs improve their effectiveness. Findings may also be disseminated to other OJJDP mentoring programs and integrated into OJJDP program planning.

Statutory Authority: Funding for this program is authorized pursuant to the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141).

Program-Specific Information

Juvenile mentoring—a consistent, prosocial relationship between an adult or older peer and one or more youth—can help support the positive development of youth. Research has shown that mentoring can improve self-esteem, academic achievement, and peer relationships and reduce drug use, aggression, depressive symptoms, and delinquent acts.4 5 6 However, research also demonstrates that the size of the effect can vary and there are certain features (i.e., “moderators”) of the mentoring relationship and mentoring program that tend to be associated with better outcomes for youth. Key moderators include the length and quality of the relationship and what types of training the programs provide to mentors. Additional research is needed to further understand the key features and approaches of successful mentoring programs.

4 DuBois, D.L., Portillo, N., Rhodes, J.E., Silverthorn, N., and Valentine, J.C. 2011. How effective are mentoring programs for youth? A systematic assessment of the evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 12(2):57–91.

5 Tolan, P., Henry, D., Schoeny, M., Bass, A., Lovegrove, P., and Nichols, E. 2013. Mentoring interventions to affect juvenile delinquency and associated problems: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews 2013:10. Available at http://campbellcollaboration.org/lib/project/48/.

6 Herrera, C., DuBois, D., and Grossman, J.B. 2013. The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles. New York, NY: A Public/Private Ventures project distributed by MDRC.

Moreover, many at-risk youth do not have access to high-quality mentoring relationships in the United States. One survey estimates that more than one in three young people—an estimated 16 million—never had an adult mentor of any kind (structured or “naturally occurring”) while they were growing up.7

Overall, research has shown that mentoring can have a positive impact on youth, but there is still room for improvement—both in enhancing the strength and quality of the mentoring relationships supported by mentoring programs and in providing additional youth access to mentors. Through the development, identification, and incorporation of evidence-based strategies, federally funded mentoring programs can continue to improve their reach and effectiveness, ultimately reducing youth behaviors that lead to delinquency and crime.

In 2014 and 2015, OJJDP conducted a series of listening sessions and roundtables with its mentoring program grantees. Among the issues identified by the grantees was a need to have additional opportunities to partner with researchers to assist with program-specific data collection, assessment, and evaluation. In addition, OJP’s Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Policy (see page 28) highlights the importance of supporting independent research that minimizes potential personal, organizational, and financial conflicts.

This solicitation responds to these needs by providing support to independent research organizations to work with OJJDP-funded mentoring programs to assess and evaluate their mentoring program models and practices. The research design and methods should be tailored to the specific aims of the program model and program needs, and could include a variety of feasibility, implementation, process, and outcome evaluation methods.

OJJDP supports mentoring programs that implement many different program types and services, are located in different communities across the country, and serve diverse populations of youth.8 By partnering with independent researchers, mentoring programs can receive assistance in tailored, methodologically sound evaluations and data analyses for their unique design, needs, and target population. Program assessment and evaluation can help improve the effectiveness of mentoring for targeted youth by examining whether the mentoring programs are being implemented as intended, meeting the needs of the youth, and producing the intended impact. Mentoring organizations can use the findings from an evaluation to determine whether their programs are accomplishing what they intend or whether strategic adjustments to their program design and services could improve functioning and impact.

Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products

The goal of this program is to advance the independent evaluation activities of OJJDP-funded mentoring programs to improve the implementation and impact of the mentoring services OJJDP supports. Applicants should be entities with research and program evaluation experience and expertise that have documented they will enter into a partnership with a mentoring program funded under one of the OJJDP solicitations listed below.

7 Bruce, M., and Bridgeland, J. 2014. The Mentoring Effect: Young People’s Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring. Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises with Hart Research Associates for MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. Available at http://www.mentoring.org/mentoringeffect.

8 For more information, see OJJDP's Mentoring webpage.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/programs/ProgSummary.asp?pi=54

• Document a partnership with an organization currently implementing an OJJDP-funded mentoring program. The mentoring programs to be evaluated should be in organizations that currently receive funding from OJJDP under one of the following mentoring solicitations:

o OJJDP FY 2015 Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative

The successful applicants under this solicitation are listed on the OJJDP FY 2015 Awards webpage at www.ojjdp.gov/funding/fy16awards.html under the three categories below:

Category 1: National Mentoring Programs Category 2: Multistate Mentoring Programs Category 3: Collaborative Mentoring Programs o OJJDP FY 2016 Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative

The successful applicants under this solicitation are listed on the OJJDP FY 2016 Awards webpage at www.ojjdp.gov/funding/fy17awards.html under the three categories below:

Category 1: National Mentoring Programs Category 2: Multistate Mentoring Programs Category 3: Collaborative Mentoring Programs o OJJDP FY 2017 Mentoring for Child Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Domestic Sex Trafficking Initiative The successful applicants under this solicitation are listed on the OJJDP FY 2017 Awards webpage under Category 1: Mentoring Project Sites.

Applicants should include the name of their partner mentoring organization, as well as their corresponding OJJDP award number. The identified partner mentoring organization may be either the primary recipient or subrecipient in the OJJDP-funded mentoring grantee’s approved budget. The project period end date of the programmatic partner should be September 30, 2019, or later.

Applicants should include a letter of support from or a memorandum of understanding with the (proposed) mentoring program partner.

• Develop a reasonable and feasible plan to conduct a program evaluation of the mentoring program that will improve program service delivery. The purpose of this solicitation is to support research organizations to conduct and complete program evaluations and report on findings that can be used to improve mentoring practice and service delivery, in partnership with OJJDP-funded mentoring programs. The evaluation activities, however, do not necessarily need to be limited to examining (retrospectively) the specific activities or youth served. The activities may focus on the research questions of greatest interest to the mentoring organization, such as evaluating similar mentoring practices delivered to different populations of youth by the mentoring organization or comparing the effectiveness of different activities and practices within a mentoring organization.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2015/MentoringOpportunities.pdf http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/fy16awards.html http://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2016/MentoringOpportunities.pdf http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/fy17awards.html https://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2017/CVCSEDSMent.pdf https://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2017/CVCSEDSMent.pdf https://external.ojp.usdoj.gov/selector/office?po=OJJDP&fiscalYear=2017&defaultYear=Y https://external.ojp.usdoj.gov/selector/office?po=OJJDP&fiscalYear=2017&defaultYear=Y

• Implement a rigorous, systematic, independent evaluation design that is responsive to the most pressing data collection and evaluation needs and gaps of the partner program. While OJJDP values rigorous, random-assignment impact evaluations, applicants under this solicitation should propose a reasonable research design tailored to the most pressing evaluation needs of the partner program. This may include other types of assessment and evaluation, such as feasibility, implementation, or process studies.

Applicants should describe:

o The type of evaluation (e.g., implementation readiness or evaluability assessments, process evaluation, and/or impact evaluation) and its intended objectives, as follows:

For implementation readiness or evaluability assessments, this may include but is not limited to examining and systematically assessing the conceptual design or program model, key components, and external validity considerations.

For process studies, this may include examining and systematically assessing the fidelity, policy, procedures, or staffing of implementation and its relationship to the intended design.

For impact evaluations, this may include examining and systematically assessing outputs and outcomes, and mediators and moderators of impact.

o The proposed evaluation plan and methods and why they are the most rigorous and appropriate for the program’s goals and needs.

o Research subjects/participants and sampling plan (as appropriate), including human subjects considerations.

o Validity considerations of the proposed research methods, addressing (as appropriate) potential issues of:

Internal validity that maximizes the reliability of the findings, while balancing the intended objectives of the study.

Construct validity, including the planned measures, data sources, proposed data collection methods, and potential data collection tools, including why they are theoretically sound approaches for the intended objectives.

Statistical validity and the data analyses anticipated.

External validity and the potential to generalize the findings to other populations or programs.

• Develop an approach to providing the mentoring program partner with the training and support to collect the data that the evaluation requires and apply the findings to program improvements. Applicants will be expected to publish findings independently from their program partner (see below); however, applicants should also describe how they will support the partner program in participating in the evaluation and applying research findings to improve their program.

Deliverables. Proposals should describe all products that the grantee will produce from the project. Successful applicants will submit relevant reports and deliverables to OJJDP. These reports and deliverables will be a part of the applicants’ progress reporting or special reports and will include the following:

• Practitioner-friendly overview documents highlighting the project’s goals and objectives, as OJJDP requires. (Refer to OJJDP News @ a Glance and JuvJust publications for examples of the type of documents requested: www.ojjdp.gov/enews/enews.html.)

• Practitioner-friendly interim reports highlighting the project’s progress and interim findings, as OJJDP requires.

• A detailed progress report to OJJDP every 6 months describing the status of the evaluation, methodological and implementation issues, progress toward the project goals, and any other issues relevant to the project’s completion. At the conclusion of the project, the final progress report should summarize the extent to which the goals and objectives were met throughout the period of performance under the award.

• Electronic copies of (1) a final, technical report summarizing the research questions or objectives, methods, and analytical techniques of the study and the findings and conclusions, similar to the type of information reported in a refereed journal and (2) a plain language executive summary of the final technical report suitable for a nontechnical audience. Both documents will be developed and disseminated at OJJDP’s discretion. (See https://www.ojjdp.gov/research/research-grantee.html#4 for more information.)

Required Data Sets and Associated Files and Documentation. Any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be expected to submit to the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) all data sets that result in whole or in part from the work funded by the award, along with associated files and any documentation necessary for future efforts by others to reproduce the project’s findings and/or to extend the scientific value of the data set through secondary analysis. For more information, see “Program Narrative” in Section D. Application and Submission Information.

In addition to these deliverables (and the required reports and data on performance measures described in Section F. Federal Award Administration Information), OJJDP expects scholarly products to result from each award under this solicitation, taking the form of one or more published, peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles and/or (if appropriate) law review journal articles, book chapter(s) or book(s) in the academic press, technological prototypes, patented inventions, or similar scientific products. Successful applicants will be expected to notify OJJDP if a scholarly product has been accepted for publication.

https://www.ojjdp.gov/enews/enews.html https://www.ojjdp.gov/research/research-grantee.html#4

The Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products are directly related to the performance measures that demonstrate the results of the work completed, as set out in the table below..

Performance Measures

OJP will require each successful applicant to submit regular performance data that demonstrate the results of the work carried out under the award (see “General Information About Post- Federal Award Reporting Requirements” in Section F. Federal Award Administration Information).

Applicants should visit OJP’s performance measurement page at www.ojp.gov/performance to view the specific reporting requirements for this grant program.

The application should demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the performance data reporting requirements for this grant program and detail how the applicant will gather the required data should it receive funding.

Applicants are not required to submit performance data with the application. Performance measures information is included as an alert that successful applicants will be required to submit performance data as part of the reporting requirements under an award.

Objective

Performance Measure(s)

Data Recipient Provides

A demonstrated partnership with a current OJJDP-funded mentoring program, which will participate in the program evaluation.

Number of deliverables that met the expectations of the project.

List of deliverables, including citation(s) to all scholarly products, that resulted in whole or in part from work funded under the OJJDP award.

Identified gaps that can be addressed by the proposed research as demonstrated by the scholarly products that result in whole or in part from work funded under the OJJDP award (published, peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles, technical reports, and/or (as appropriate for the funded project) law review journal articles, book chapter(s) or book(s) in the academic press, or similar scientific products).

Quarterly financial reports, semi-annual and final progress reports, a final technical report, and a plain language executive summary of the work performed under the OJJDP award.

Evaluation Research

If an application includes an evaluation research component (or consists entirely of evaluation research), the application is expected to propose the most rigorous evaluation design appropriate for the research questions to be addressed. If the primary purpose of the evaluation is to determine the effectiveness or impact of an intervention (e.g., program, practice, or policy), https://www.ojp.gov/performance the most rigorous evaluation designs may include random selection and assignment of participants (or other appropriate units of analysis) to experimental and control conditions. In cases where randomization is not feasible, applicants should propose a strong quasi-experimental design that can address the risk of selection bias.

Applications that include evaluation research should consider the feasibility of including cost/benefit analysis. In cases where evaluations find that interventions have produced the intended benefit, cost/benefit analysis provides valuable and practical information for practitioners and policymakers that aids decisionmaking.

Evaluation research projects may also address a wide range of research questions beyond those focused on the effectiveness or impact of an intervention. Different research designs may be more appropriate for different research questions and at different stages of program development. The intervention strategies, setting, other contextual factors, and resources should be taken into account when selecting an evaluation design. In all cases, applications are expected to propose the most rigorous evaluation design appropriate for the research questions to be addressed.

Applicants are encouraged to review evidence rating criteria at https://www.crimesolutions.gov/about_starttofinish.aspx for further information on high-quality evaluation design elements.

B. Federal Award Information

OJJDP expects to make up to one award with an estimated total amount awarded of up to $300,000. OJJDP expects to make this award for up to a 48-month period of performance.

To allow time for (among other things) any necessary post-award review and financial clearance by OJP of the proposed budget and for any associated responses or other action(s) that may be required of the recipient, applicants should propose an award start date of October 1, 2018.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Type of Award

OJJDP expects to make any award under this solicitation in the form of a grant. See Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements, under Section F. Federal Award Administration Information, for a brief discussion of important statutes, regulations, and award conditions that apply to many (or in some cases, all) OJP grants.

Note: Any recipient of an award under this solicitation will be required to comply with DOJ regulations on confidentiality and protection of human subjects. See “Requirements related to Research” under “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm.

https://www.crimesolutions.gov/about_starttofinish.aspx https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through entities9) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements10 as set out at 2 C.F.R.

200.303:

(a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

(b) Comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards.

(c) Evaluate and monitor [the recipient’s (and any subrecipient’s)] compliance with statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of Federal awards.

(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including noncompliance identified in audit findings.

(e) Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity designates as sensitive or [the recipient (or any subrecipient)] considers sensitive consistent with applicable Federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality.

To help ensure that applicants understand applicable administrative requirements and cost principles, OJP encourages prospective applicants to enroll, at no charge, in the DOJ Grants Financial Management Online Training, available at https://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/. (This training is required for all OJP recipients.)

Also, applicants should be aware that OJP collects information from applicants on their financial management and systems of internal controls (among other information), which is used to make award decisions. Under Section D. Application and Submission Information, applicants may access and review the OJP Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf) that OJP requires all applicants (other than an individual applying in his/her personal capacity) to download, complete, and submit as part of the application.

9 For purposes of this solicitation, the phrase “pass-through entity” includes any recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward (“subgrant”) to carry out part of the funded award or program.

10 The "Part 200 Uniform Requirements” means the DOJ regulation at 2 C.F.R. Part 2800, which adopts (with certain modifications) the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

https://ojpfgm.webfirst.com/ https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/FinancialCapability.pdf

Budget Information

What will not be funded:

• Applications primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies. (A budget may include these items if they are necessary to conduct research, development, demonstration, evaluation, or analysis.)

• Applications that are not responsive to this specific solicitation.

• OJJDP funds may not be used to support biomedical or behavior control experimentation on individuals or any research involving such experimentation.

• Programmatic services. The purpose of this solicitation is to support evaluation activities and does not include the delivery of program services. It can, however, include costs for a program or program staff to participate in evaluation activities.

Cost Sharing or Match Requirement This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit. For additional cost sharing and match information, see the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm.

Preagreement Costs (also known as Preaward Costs) Preagreement costs are costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of the federal award.

OJP does not typically approve preagreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the prior written approval of OJP for all such costs. All such costs incurred prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant. (Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting federal funding for those costs.) Should there be extenuating circumstances that make it appropriate for OJP to consider approving preagreement costs, the applicant may contact the point of contact listed on the title page of this solicitation for the requirements concerning written requests for approval. If approved in advance by OJP, award funds may be used for preagreement costs, consistent with the recipient’s approved budget and applicable cost principles. See the section on “Costs Requiring Prior Approval” in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm for more information.

Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation; Waiver With respect to any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, a recipient may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any employee of the recipient at a rate that exceeds 110 percent of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year.11 The 2018 salary table for SES employees is available at the Office of Personnel Management website at

11 OJP does not apply this limitation on the use of award funds to the nonprofit organizations listed in Appendix VIII to 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/index.htm https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with nonfederal funds. (Nonfederal funds used for any such additional compensation will not be considered matching funds, where match requirements apply.) If only a portion of an employee’s time is charged to an OJP award, the maximum allowable compensation is equal to the percentage of time worked times the maximum salary limitation.

The OJJDP Administrator may exercise discretion to waive, on an individual basis, this limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award. An applicant that requests a waiver should include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of its application. An applicant that does not submit a waiver request and justification with its application should anticipate that OJP will require the applicant to adjust and resubmit the budget.

The justification should address—in the context of the work the individual would do under the award—the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of a service the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the proposed program or project, and a statement that explains whether and how the individual’s salary under the award would be commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with his/her qualifications and expertise, and for the work he/she would do under the award.

Prior Approval, Planning, and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training Costs OJP strongly encourages every applicant that proposes to use award funds for any conference-, meeting-, or training-related activity (or similar event) to review carefully—before submitting an application—the OJP and DOJ policy and guidance on approval, planning, and reporting of such events, available at www.ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm. OJP policy and guidance (1) encourage minimization of conference, meeting, and training costs; (2) require prior written approval (which may affect project timelines) of most conference, meeting, and training costs for cooperative agreement recipients and of some conference, meeting, and training costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, which include a general prohibition of all food and beverage costs.

Costs Associated With Language Assistance (if applicable) If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to individuals, the costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those services or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. Reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation services, where appropriate.

For additional information, see the "Civil Rights Compliance" section under “Overview of Legal Requirements Generally Applicable to OJP Grants and Cooperative Agreements - FY 2018 Awards” in the OJP Funding Resource Center at https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm.

C. Eligibility Information

For eligibility information, see the title page.

For information on cost sharing or match requirements, see Section B. Federal Award Information.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/exec/html/ES.aspx https://ojp.gov/financialguide/DOJ/PostawardRequirements/chapter3.10a.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/LegalOverview/index.htm https://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

This section describes in detail what an application should include. An applicant should anticipate that if it fails to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of its application; and, should a decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of award conditions that preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds until the recipient satisfies the conditions and OJP makes the funds available.

Moreover, an applicant should anticipate that an application that OJP determines is nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, including the funding limit, or that OJP determines does not include the application elements that OJJDP has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, OJJDP has designated the following application elements as critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet, Budget Narrative, and résumés/curriculum vitae of key personnel. (For purposes of this solicitation, “key personnel” means the principal investigator and any and all coprincipal investigators.)

NOTE: OJP has combined the Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative in a single document collectively referred to as the Budget Detail Worksheet. See “Budget Information and Associated Documentation” below for more information about the Budget Detail Worksheet and where it can be accessed.

OJP strongly recommends that applicants use appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., “Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet,” “Timelines,” “Memoranda of Understanding,” “Résumés”) for all attachments. Also, OJP recommends that applicants include résumés in a single file.

Please review the “Note on File Names and File Types” under How to Apply to be sure applications are submitted in permitted formats.

1. Information To Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications, applications, and related information. Grants.gov and OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS) take information from the applicant’s profile to populate the fields on this form. When selecting "type of applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit entity, select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small Business" (as applicable).

To avoid processing delays, an applicant must include an accurate legal name on its SF-

424. On the SF-424, current OJP award recipients, when completing the field for “Legal Name” (box 8a), should use the same legal name that appears on the prior year award document (which is also the legal name stored in OJP’s financial system). Also, current recipients should enter the Employer Identification Number (EIN) in box 8b exactly as it appears on the prior year award document. An applicant with a current, active award(s) must ensure that its GMS profile is current. If the profile is not current, the applicant should submit a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) updating the information on its GMS profile prior to applying under this solicitation.

A new applicant entity should enter its official legal name in box 8a, its address in box 8d, its EIN in box 8b, and its Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in box 8c of the SF-424. A new applicant entity should attach official legal documents to its application (e.g., articles of incorporation, 501(c)(3) status documentation, organizational letterhead, etc.) to confirm the legal name, address, and EIN entered into the SF-424. OJP will use the System for Award Management (SAM) to confirm the legal name and DUNS number entered in the SF-424; therefore, an applicant should ensure that the information entered in the SF-424 matches its current registration in SAM. See the How to Apply section for more information on SAM and DUNS numbers.

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation ("funding opportunity") is subject to Executive Order 12372. An applicant may find the names and addresses of state Single Points of Contact (SPOCs) at the following website:https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Intergovernmental_-Review-_SPOC_01_2018_OFFM.pdf. If the state appears on the SPOC list, the applicant must contact the state SPOC to find out about, and comply with, the state’s process under E.O. 12372. In completing the SF-424, an applicant whose state appears on the SPOC list is to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19 once the applicant has complied with its state E.O. 12372 process.

(An applicant whose state does not appear on the SPOC list should answer question 19 by selecting the response that the “Program is subject to E.O. 12372 but has not been selected by the state for review.”)

2. Project Abstract

The project abstract is a very important part of the application, and serves as an introduction to the proposed project. OJJDP uses the project abstract for a number of purposes, including assignment of the application to an appropriate review panel. If the application is funded, the project abstract typically will become public information and be used to describe the project.

Applications should include a high-quality project abstract that summarizes the proposed project in 250–400 words. Project abstracts not submitted in the template below should be—

• Written for a general public audience.

• Submitted as a separate attachment with “Project Abstract” as part of its file name.

• Single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (such as Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins.

The abstract should describe—

• The purpose of the project, the problem to be investigated, and the anticipated relevance to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention policy, practice, and theory.

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Intergovernmental_-Review-_SPOC_01_2018_OFFM.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Intergovernmental_-Review-_SPOC_01_2018_OFFM.pdf

• The proposed approach to conducting statistical analyses and disseminating juvenile justice data to the public, and addressing each of the key activities identified in the “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and Expected Scholarly Products” section on pages 5– 8.

• The expected key deliverables, identified in the “Goals, Objectives, Deliverables, and

Expected Scholarly Products” section on pages 5–8.

As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the page limit for the program narrative.

Project abstracts should follow the detailed template available at ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/ProjectAbstractTemplate.pdf. Formatting cannot be altered in this template; therefore, the above formatting requirements do not apply.

3. Program Narrative

Applicants must submit a program narrative that presents a detailed description of the purpose, goals, objectives, strategies, design, and management of the proposed program.

The program narrative section of the application should not exceed 30 double-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. If included in the main body of the program narrative, tables, charts, figures, and other illustrations count toward the 30-page limit for the narrative section. The project abstract, table of contents, résumés of key staff, appendices, attachments (including bibliographical references), budget and budget narrative, and government forms do not count toward the 30-page limit.

If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, OJJDP may consider such noncompliance in peer review and in final award decisions.

The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative.

Program Narrative Guidelines:

a. Title Page (not counted against the 30-page program narrative limit).

The title page should include the title of the project, submission date, funding opportunity number, and the name and complete contact information (i.e., address, telephone number, and email address) for both the applicant and the principal investigator.

b. Resubmit Response (if applicable) (not counted against the 30-page program narrative limit).

If an applicant is resubmitting an application presented previously to OJJDP, but not funded, the applicant should indicate this. A statement should be provided, no more than two pages, addressing (1) the title, submission date, and OJJDP-assigned application number of the previous application and (2) a brief summary of revisions to the application, including responses to previous feedback received from OJJDP.

https://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/ProjectAbstractTemplate.pdf

c. Table of Contents and Figures (not counted against the 30-page program narrative limit).

d. Main Body.

The main body of the program narrative should describe the proposed project in depth. This proposal should be responsive to the presentation of program-specific information (page 4).The following sections should be included as part of the program narrative:

• Statement of the Problem and Research Questions. The statement of the problem should address the need for research in this area. Applicants should discuss current gaps in data, research, and knowledge, including those for particular justice sectors, for certain populations, and to answer questions relevant to current policy and practice needs and public interests. As part of this discussion, applicants should present a review of previous literature and discuss previous research related to these problems.

This section should also identify the proposed research questions and discuss the purpose, goals, and objectives of the proposed project.

• Project Design and Implementation. Applicants should provide a detailed description of the strategies to implement this research/evaluation project and address the research questions. Design elements should follow directly from the research project’s goals and objectives and address the program-specific information noted on page 4. Applicants should describe the research methodology in detail and demonstrate the validity and usefulness of the data they will collect. Applicants should consider the rigor and soundness of the methodology and analytical and technical approaches for the proposed research and address the feasibility of the proposed project and potential challenges or problems in carrying out the activities. Applicants should address any anticipated problems associated with carrying out the activities under this program and should propose potential solutions.

• Timeline. Applicants should submit a realistic timeline or milestone chart that indicates major tasks associated with the goals and objectives of the project, assigns responsibility for each, and plots completion of each task by month or quarter for the duration of the award, using “Year 1,” “Month 1,” “Quarter 1,” etc., not calendar dates (see “Sample Project Timelines” at www.ojjdp.gov/grantees/timelines.html) .

Applicants should submit the timeline as a separate attachment, as stipulated in Appendices on page 20.

• Potential Impact. Applicants should describe the potential impact of the research and how it may inform or improve juvenile justice-related policy, practice, or theory in the United States.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/grantees/timelines.html

The discussion of impact should include a discussion of the deliverables, including planned scholarly products indicated in the program-specific information (page 4) and a plan for dissemination to appropriate audiences.

Applicants should identify plans to produce or make available the planned scholarly products to broader interested practitioners and policymakers in a form that is designed to be readily accessible and useful to them.

• Capabilities/Competencies. This section should describe the experience and capability of the applicant organization, key staff, and any proposed subgrantees (including consultants) that the applicant will use to implement and manage this effort and the federal funds under this award, highlighting any previous experience implementing research/evaluation projects of similar scope, design, and magnitude. Applicants should address:

• Experience and capacity to work with the proposed data sources in the conduct of similar research efforts.

• Experience and capacity to design and implement rigorous research and data analysis projects.

• Experience producing and disseminating meaningful deliverables.

Applicants should also outline the management plan and organization that connects to the goals and objectives of the project.