oppRDRC-RDRC-18-01-cfda96.007-instructions.doc

OVERVIEW

Federal Agency: Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics

Title: Retirement and Disability Research Consortium

Announcement Type: New Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number: RDRC-RDRC-18-01 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: CFDA 96.007, SSA Research and Demonstration. SSA announces the solicitation of applications for cooperative agreements to compete the Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC). SSA seeks applications in support of the RDRC that will continue to serve as a national resource fostering high quality research, communication, and education on matters related to retirement and disability policy. The Consortium may consist of one or more research “centers” – research organizations, universities, and associations of research organizations and universities in the United States that may include affiliates at other research institutions. The Consortium’s program purpose is to benefit the public through research, evaluation, and data development; dissemination; and training and education on topics relevant to Social Security.

Deadlines:

Application Deadline: The opening date of this announcement is the date of publication. The closing date for receipt of grant applications under this announcement is 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday, June 8, 2018.

Letter of Intent Deadline: Prospective applicants are asked to submit by Monday, May 7, 2018, a letter of intent that includes (1) the funding opportunity number and title; (2) a brief description of the proposed center; (3) the name, postal, and e-mail addresses, and the telephone and fax numbers of the center’s director; and (4) the identities of the key personnel and participating institutions. The letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review process of a subsequent application. The purpose of the letter of intent is limited to allowing SSA staff to estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflicts of interest in the review. The letter of intent should be sent to: Grants.Team@ssa.gov, Attn. Nick Love, Office of Retirement and Disability Policy.

Frequently Asked Questions: We will be posting a running list of questions and answers on the web at http://www.ssa.gov/policy /rdrc/faq.html. Submit questions to GrantsTeam@ssa.gov. All potential applicants should monitor the website frequently to ensure that they have the latest updates and answers.

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose As authorized under section 1110 of the Social Security Act, SSA announces the solicitation of applications for cooperative agreements to compete a Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC). SSA seeks applications in support of the RDRC that will continue to serve as a national resource fostering high quality research on matters related to retirement and disability policy. The Consortium may consist of one or more research “centers” – research organizations, universities, and associations of research organizations and universities in the United States that may include affiliates at other research institutions (see section III.A. Eligible Applicants). The Consortium’s program purpose is to benefit the public through the following:

a. Research, evaluation and data development. SSA expects the RDRC to plan, initiate, and maintain a social science research program of high quality that will cover issues related to Social Security programs in addition to broader retirement and disability policy. To facilitate the production of research, the RDRC can conduct data development activities including both the development of and expanded access to research data.

b. Dissemination. The RDRC will disseminate policy research findings using a variety of media to inform the academic community, policymakers, and the public.

c. Training. The RDRC will train and provide funding support for graduate students and postgraduates to conduct research on retirement and disability policy related matters.

2. Scope of Work The role of the centers is to build and strengthen SSA's capacity to undertake necessary research, evaluation, and policy development for the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. The centers must develop research, training, and dissemination plans designed to provide Social Security, disability, and retirement policy information to assist policymakers, the public, and the media in understanding Social Security, retirement, and disability policy issues. Research should relate to the prevention and reduction of dependency and/or help improve the administration and effectiveness of programs carried on or assisted under the Social Security Act and programs related thereto.

All research and other activities should fall within the scope described below. This scope is in place for the duration of any cooperative awards made under this announcement. Because specific research needs may evolve over time, SSA will provide a list of focal areas of research that may change each year: focal area topics are specific topics within the scope of this RFA that SSA may add or remove over the duration of the cooperative awards. In each year of the cooperative award, SSA will be making awards consistent with the goal of balancing research that provides a foundation for current and future policy analysis needs with the immediate requests for research described in a memo presenting annual focal areas.

Scope: At the broadest level, RDRC proposed center research and activities must be relevant to at least one of SSA’s program areas or populations. Some research may speak directly to one or two programs and the distributional, behavioral, or adequacy issues related to those programs. Other research, including changes in mortality, fertility, immigration, health, and marital status, is foundational and may support policy evaluation for all three programs. Proposed research activities may employ a variety of approaches to contribute to the evidence base for policy, including descriptive and causal studies, simulations, and international comparisons.

Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI)

Social Security benefits are essential to the economic well-being of millions of aged Americans, providing benefits to retired workers, their spouses and dependents, and the survivors of deceased insured workers. Policymakers rely on research that increases understanding of this population, assesses the effects of recent or proposed policy changes, and analyzes long-term program trends.

Disability Insurance (DI)

Social Security pays DI benefits to eligible workers who can no longer work because they have a medical condition that’s expected to last at least one year or result in death. The program also covers certain family members of DI-eligible workers. Research in this area may include topics such as investigating how the disability determination guidelines (e.g., medical conditions, age, education, past work experience, and any transferable skills) interact with changes in medical science and labor markets over time.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Research on SSI helps us understand program trends and clarifies how work and other factors influence eligibility and welfare. Targeted research initiatives can evaluate the efficacy of specific program interventions or policy changes as well as discover possible unmet needs and areas for program improvement.

Social Security (OASI and DI)

OASDI research explores the economic and social factors that impact the Social Security programs and how reform plans may affect individual retirement planning and the U.S. economy as a whole. Our research in this area also informs the Social Security Trustees in their annual Trust Funds analysis.

Disability Support (DI and SSI)

This shared area of research requires comprehensive reviews of impairment classifications, medical developments, disability trends, and the wide array of social programs available for Americans with disabilities—including Veterans’ benefits, privately organized programs, rehabilitation centers, return-to-work initiatives, and more. This area may also lead to better understanding of the events that precede disability application or evaluate policy or service interventions.

Old-Age Income Support (OASI and SSI)

One of Social Security’s objectives is to ensure vulnerable groups have adequate income resources. In this area, we consider retirement security, poverty measures, and sources of income for the elderly and low-income populations.

Cross-Program Topics None of the three SSA programs operates in a vacuum. Some aspects of each program are unique and require dedicated research projects, but research initiatives may support cross-program knowledge building. There is significant value in supporting cross-program research because of its applicability to any or all of the individual program areas. Much of this work is also forward-looking, whether in developing new data sources and improving projections or in gaining insights from how social insurance programs are evolving in other countries around the world.

Examples of topics within the scope of the RDRC include, but are not limited to:

· The roles of policy and behavioral aspects of decision-making on the timing of retirement and the claiming of benefits;

· The impact of changes in Social Security program rules and demographics on Trust Fund solvency.

· The macroeconomic and financial effects of Social Security and changes in policy on national saving, investment, and economic growth.

· The effects of early intervention efforts or return-to-work services for persons with disabilities

· Sources of income in retirement or during disability and wealth accumulation/decumulation.

· Interactions between OASDI, SSI, other public or private programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private disability or long term care insurance, as well as pension plans and personal saving.

· Comparative studies of eligibility and disability determination in state/local, other federal, or international programs

· Cross-national comparisons of retirement and disability policy reform, health insurance and claiming behavior, and pension reform.

· Differences in the effects of Social Security policy alternatives among workers and beneficiaries by age, race/ethnicity, sex, and occupation.

· How changing patterns of work, health, retirement, asset and debt accumulation and decumulation will affect the economic security of today’s workers,

· How disabilities develop and what conditions are necessary for individuals to keep working or to return to work

· Development of models to evaluate of the effects of policy changes and simulate the effects of policy alternatives Focal Areas for Year 1 of the Cooperative Agreement: Focal areas are more narrowly defined topics for research. In Year 1, SSA will specifically be looking for research that addresses:

· Disability incidence in the population. Changes in population health and function can lead to meaningful changes in DI applications and awards and affect the fiscal status of the OASDI system. Understanding cohort trends in health and function can provide important insights about the level and composition of the insured population that could seek benefits, their duration on the program if they receive an award and the potential for work if they do not. Measuring function and interpreting survey data intended to capture the concept is a challenge. For example, the degree that a condition affects function versus the conduct of defined social roles (i.e., work) can confound the connection between health and disability. Are there distinguishable age-cohort trends in function (e.g., physical, mental, and cognitive), and what are the factors driving changes in the composition of function in the population? What are the factors of geographic variation among the disabled population (e.g., health status, unemployment rates)? How might geographic variation affect national program policy?

· Labor force participation. Age-adjusted labor force participation rates are at low levels for reasons that are not yet fully understood. While aging and pre-recession trends explain most of the decline, many studies that have sought to explain the remainder have focused on rather specific factors that might influence participation, such as age, disability, or some social factors. One example is the connection with education, finding that an increase in school enrollment offset some of the decline. Another is the research showing that mental and physical health are factors associated with not participating in the labor force—a factor also associated with the use of pain medication. What are the driving causes of the current relatively low labor force participation rate?

· Measuring sources of income and adequacy. One of the main purposes of Social Security is to provide assured basic income during retirement. There is a considerable amount yet to learn about the measurement of retirement income adequacy, the evolving risks to economic security, and how future beneficiary cohorts will fare. Evaluating the adequacy of income for supporting needs while living with a health-based work limitation or in retirement requires data on the sources and significance of specific types of financial and in-kind resources. Research should take a broad view of the retirement portfolio, looking at all sources of economic security, as well as the spectrum of resource needs to address financial risks, including long-term care. Further, income and wealth data have been the subject of recent discourse on the quality of self-reported income data collected in surveys. More analysis is required to identify the specific areas that may be deficient and identify remedies.

· Informing projections. Projected SSA program costs are very sensitive to economic and demographic assumptions and are of ongoing interest to the agency. Projections require continual refinement based on recent interest rate trends, shifts in labor-force participation, and changing mortality factors as well as updates to the weights assigned to these and other variables along the projection horizon. Research in this area informs the development of key assumptions that influence the estimates of the status of our programs.

Specific questions include 1) what guidance does the existing evidence provide on current and future interest rates and what does the empirical literature report on recent rates as well as forecasting/expectations? 2) what are the drivers of disability rates (e.g., possible explanations for the recent decline in DI applications)?

· Communication and behavior. Social and behavioral research has shown that the presentation and comprehension of information can affect decision-making. SSA communicates with workers, claimants, and beneficiaries through many modes and channels (e.g. the ssa.gov website, the Social Security statement, etc.). Beneficiary comprehension of program rules can drive behavior (i.e. claiming and employment decisions) in important ways that can influence long-term welfare. More research is needed to understand gaps in knowledge and how knowledge is employed in key decisions related to retirement and disability programs.

· Program interactions with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA expanded access to Medicaid and provided incentives for uncovered individuals to purchase health insurance. These changes (as well as other aspects of the law) may alter incentives to work or claim OASDI benefits. Several researchers have sought to use the ACA-initiated policy changes to examine the influence of health insurance on these outcomes. Early findings show that the ACA led to more insured people but had little measurable change in outcomes such as DI applications or OASI claims. However, the current research may be capturing a transition period and longer-term effects of the ACA on these outcomes may arrive over time. We seek research examining longer-term effects of the ACA.

· State and local government pensions. State and local government pension plans (the majority of U.S. defined-benefit plans) cover approximately 19.5 million participants and represent an important resource for the 28 percent of state and local government workers not covered by Social Security. The Great Recession’s impact on asset returns coupled with the historic levels of plan contributions raise concerns about these plans having insufficient funds to cover benefit payments. Failure of these plans could negatively affect the retirement resources of state and local pensioners. State and local government plan challenges could also have spillover effects on the Social Security system. We seek analyses of the vulnerabilities of the system to both beneficiaries and SSA.

· Vocational grid. The protocol for determining DI awards is a multi-stage process: individuals who do not qualify as disabled under medical listings and who are unable to engage in their previous work move to the medical-vocational grid for evaluation. The grid creates categories based on distinct levels of physical limitations, skill, age, and education/literacy. Research might inform the prescribed grid outcomes, which were established many years ago. By design, the grid rules produce discontinuities in outcomes based on categorical divisions (e.g., age 54 and 55), and allowance is generally more likely at older ages. However, life expectancy is improving, labor force participation at older ages has increased, and educational attainment and the types of employment people from different educational strata occupy has shifted. Research on changes in work capacity over time can help inform grid structure and outcomes, with a specific focus on changes in education, work at older ages, and the changing nature of the labor force as it relates to the physical capacity required for work.

3. The Role of the Centers

The role of the centers is to build and strengthen SSA's capacity to undertake necessary research and evaluation for the Social Security and SSI programs. The centers must develop research, training, and dissemination plans designed to provide Social Security, disability, and retirement information to assist policymakers, the public, and the media in understanding Social Security, retirement, and disability policy issues.

The centers have the primary and lead responsibility to define research objectives and approaches; organize a network of researchers, not confined to their home institution; plan research, conduct studies, and analyze data; and publish results, interpretations, and conclusions of their work. In general, SSA seeks organizations with demonstrated capacity for providing quality policy research and training, and working with government policymakers. Research should relate to the prevention and reduction of dependency and/or help improve the administration and effectiveness of programs carried on or assisted under the Social Security Act and programs related thereto

a. Research, Evaluation, and Data Development Research, evaluation, and data development. Each center should plan, initiate, and maintain a research program that meets the highest standards of rigor and objectivity. Centers’ research plans should be specific about long-term research themes and projects. They shall include detailed descriptions of individual research projects that they expect to complete in the center's first year of operation. Research plans should include complete discussions of the expected significance of proposed analysis, data, methods, investigator qualifications, and complementarity or overlap with existing or ongoing research. An application that contains an ad hoc, unstructured set of research projects, rather than a set of projects that strike coherent themes, will be judged unfavorably.

While planning and execution of research activities shall always consider the program implications of research findings, SSA also considers it appropriate, for example, to engage in activities to make advances in research techniques, where these are related to primary objectives of the Consortium. SSA recognizes the value of high-quality comprehensive data for conducting policy research. To facilitate the production of research, the RDRC can conduct data development activities including both the development of and expanded access to research data. Such efforts must adhere to relevant privacy protection requirements that are consistent with applicable law, which protect the micro-data from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. Where available, access may be granted through secure data site, like those administered by the U.S. Census Bureau or the National Center for Health Statistics, subject to the rules and restrictions of those sites. In addition, other federal agency restricted data sites, such as those of the Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics, subject to the rules and restrictions of those sites. Examples of data improvement efforts include improving the quality of existing data sources and their documentation; developing sophisticated statistical techniques to mask micro-data; and developing new sources of data for policy analysis.

Joint research between Consortium centers and SSA researchers is encouraged, as is collaboration with other organizations interested in retirement and disability policy. SSA encourages collaborative research arrangements that promote diversity, where diversity is defined broadly in terms of research disciplines, institutional composition, and demographic composition. Federal employees cannot receive any funding support for collaborations. To ensure the policy relevance, utility, and scope of the centers' research, evaluation, and data development goals, a group of nationally recognized scholars and practitioners (See Part I, Section D, Role of the Agency) will periodically review RDRC activities and provide recommendations to SSA and the centers for the purposes of enhancing RDRC activities.

Quick Turnaround Projects: Occasionally, SSA will request Quick Turnaround projects from the RDRC to meet research needs that develop off-cycle. These projects may include commenting on SSA research plans, providing critical commentary on research products, composing policy briefs, performing statistical policy analyses, and other activities designed to inform SSA's research, evaluation, and policy analysis function. Funding for these as well as other related activities should be included in the budget narrative at a level of $100,000. The agency can raise the ceiling above $100,000 for quick turnaround projects if both need and funds exist.

Focal Area Meeting: At SSA’s discretion, there will be a meeting to discuss research needs for the upcoming budget period. SSA will be responsible for coordinating the meeting time, location, and agenda. Each center is responsible for sending their director(s), and up to three key researchers or staff.

b. Dissemination Plan Another important feature of each center’s responsibilities is making knowledge and information available to the academic and policy communities and the public. The RDRC will facilitate the translation of research findings into practical knowledge. The centers will be expected to maintain a dissemination system of quarterly newsletters, research papers, policy briefs, or other research products. These products should be accessible to the public via the Internet on a center-maintained Web site. The Consortium will hold an annual conference presenting findings from research completed during the year.

SSA encourages applicants to propose creative methods of disseminating data and information. Applications should show sensitivity to alternative dissemination strategies that may be appropriate for different audiences, such as policymakers, practitioners, the public, advocates, and academics. The research and dissemination will be nonpartisan and of value to all levels of policymaking. SSA reserves the right to review and approve or disapprove all research products, including publications, created using SSA funding through the Consortium, based on the review terms below.

Audience: Centers are responsible for providing a plan to disseminate research and findings to Social Security stakeholders, including policymakers at SSA and other government entities in the executive and legislative branches; researchers in academia and at think tanks; advocates in the retirement and disability communities; the media; as well as the public.

Plain Language: While research papers may be aimed at a scientifically literate audience, these must be supplemented by plain language materials targeted to a broader audience. In particular, proposal and paper abstracts should communicate, in a clear and jargon-free way, why the research is relevant to Social Security, how the research was or will be done, and the main findings of a completed project.

Review: SSA reserves the right to review and approve or disapprove all research products, including but not limited to newsletters, publications, policy briefs, and research papers , created using SSA funding through the Consortium, prior to dissemination beyond the Center conducting the research. Specifically, SSA reviews for any inaccurate descriptions of agency policy or procedure, inaccurate data content, privacy and disclosure concerns, and any instances of policy advocacy/lobbying. SSA’s review is not intended to be a technical peer review: investigators’ interpretations and conclusions are their own.

Accessibility: Section 508 is a law that requires federal agencies to make sure the technology we use is accessible to a person who has a disability. The law applies to

· all electronic content we post to the web (including web pages, documents, videos, surveys, etc.)

· all software and mainframe applications that have screens

· all hardware (including: computers, servers, printers, copiers, fax machines, etc.)

· all stand alone devices (for example: field office kiosks)

· all telecommunications systems (including desktop phones, cell phones, internet based phone systems, etc.)

· technology services associated with installing, configuring, supporting, maintaining, and providing training and electronic documentation for information technology.

Although Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 only applies to federal agencies, other laws do apply, and as recipients of federal assistance, center websites are required to be accessible. SSA requires all RDRC center websites/dissemination products to be accessible and websites consistent with the standards set forth in Section 508. Please see Section508.gov for accessibility standards.

Any form of documentation provided by the selected centers (i.e. training manual, user guides, embedded documents etc.), including any documentation deliverables required in the request for applications, shall be provided in a fully accessible format. The documents shall be provided in one of the following formats: Text, RTF, Microsoft Word or HTML format, or properly “tagged” PDF. Properly tagged PDFs can be verified by using Adobe Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker. Documentation delivered in a manner that is interactive (e.g., table of contents, index, search, etc.) shall be keyboard navigable, move focus to selected items (or have a keyboard alternative), and be comparable in keyboard access to mouse usage. All images (especially screenshots and technical diagrams that are the sole means for conveying instructions) should include alternative text explaining the image so that a person who is blind would understand the screenshot, chart, figure, etc. Documentation shall include information on the accessibility features of the product. If keyboard shortcuts are provided to allow access to program functionality, a list of the keyboard shortcuts shall be provided. Documentation that is delivered in a video or multimedia publication shall comply with the Section 508 requirements detailed in 36 CFR part 1194.24 and the functional performance criteria detailed in 36 CFR 1194 Subpart C. In addition, SSA requires conformance to SSA’s Accessibility Requirements for all video and multi-media deliverables. SSA does not accept text equivalents used to replace speech, and requires captions to be synchronized with speech. See http://access-board.gov/508.htm for additional information on accessibility and the Section 508 requirements.

Executive Order 13166 directs each agency providing federal financial assistance to issue guidance to recipients of such assistance on their legal obligations to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access for limited English proficient (LEP) persons under the national origin nondiscrimination provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and implementing regulations (see http://www.lep.gov/13166/AG_021711_EO_13166_Memo_to_Agencies_with_Supplement.pdf). Applicants should reference the LEP policy guidance for HHS recipients at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2003-08-08/pdf/03-20179.pdf. While designed to be a flexible and fact-dependent standard, the starting point is an individualized assessment that balances the following four factors: (1) The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the program or awardee; (2) the frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with the program; (3) the nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided to people’s lives; and (4) the resources available to the awardee/recipient and costs. A recipient may conclude that different language assistance measures are sufficient for the different types of programs or activities in which it engages, or that, in certain circumstances, recipient-provided language services are not necessary. Applications should include plans for accommodating LEP persons in light of these four factors.

1. Center Websites Each research center must host a website that is publicly accessible without requiring registration, containing at a minimum the following:

a. A landing page for each approved project, completed or in progress, containing the abstract (see above) and links to all completed documents for that project (with alternative accessible format, if needed). Abstracts for newly funded projects are to be posted within 30 days of award. Research products are to be posted within 30 days of final SSA review approval, along with updated abstracts.

b. All completed research products that have passed SSA review.

c. Easy navigation and search of research products by authors and keywords.

d. A privacy policy describing the Center’s information collection practices through the website.

e. Information about the Research Consortium and its objectives in addition to links to SSA Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics RDRC site and the other RDRC centers

2. Newsletters Each research center must distribute a free opt-in e-mail newsletter informing subscribers of the availability of completed research products.

a. At a minimum, the newsletter should be quarterly and include the plain-language abstracts of completed research projects. The organization is not required to be chronological: the project abstracts may be distributed over the year to even out the number of projects per issue. Thematic grouping is encouraged.

b. Newsletters must include an unsubscribe link.

c. Centers must protect any personal information about individuals that it collects as part of its newsletter subscriptions from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure.

d. Centers may additionally propose to produce regular newsletters and/or blogs with articles synthesizing multiple research projects from all the centers. Issues or articles could focus on completed and upcoming research about one theme. Newsletter proposals should indicate which areas they will focus on (e.g. retirement, disability, all Social Security policy) and which audience they will target (general public, policymakers, etc.).

3. Annual Meeting The Consortium centers will take part in an annual conference on issues related to Social Security policy. The conference will be held in Washington D.C. The primary responsibility for setting the agenda for the annual meeting will rotate across centers. SSA will designate the rotation order. However, a cross-center and SSA panel must approve the final agenda.

One center will be selected by SSA to arrange the logistics of the annual meeting. Logistics include arranging the most cost-effective venue; providing lunch for attendees; hosting a registration web page; and preparing and distributing a bound volume of summaries of conference papers and related materials to conference participants.

When selecting the venue for the RDRC annual meetings, the following conditions must be met:

a. 2 CFR 200 sections 318 – General Procurement Standards and 432 – Conferences

b. Competitive sourcing: Prior to signing a contract for a venue, documentation of the procedure for competitive selection of the venue must be submitted to SSA for approval by SSA grants and program officials.

c. Location: Washington, D.C. The meeting site should be located near Capitol Hill and easily accessible from public transportation, preferably near a Metro rail station. Total travel time should not exceed 30 minutes between the Hill and the venue. Hotel facilities should also be nearby for presenters traveling to the meeting; transportation time and expense should be accounted for when considering hotel-venue distance.

d. Dates: The annual meeting will occur on two consecutive weekdays during the first half of August. The first Thursday-Friday of August is preferred. The second Thursday-Friday of August is SSA’s second choice.

e. Size: Unless instructed otherwise by SSA Program Officials prior to the start of the competitive selection process, the venue should be able to accommodate a minimum of 350 attendees at table seating.

f. Press accessible: The venue should have facilities available for the press to use and be able to accommodate television and audio recording equipment.

g. Additional meeting space: An additional meeting space with teleconferencing capabilities for up to 40 persons should be available before or after proceedings. This space will be used for the meeting of the Panel of Outside Scholars and Practitioners defined in Section D.

h. Materials distribution space: Tables for distribution of meeting materials and other displays shall also be available outside, but in the proximity of, the main meeting space (minimum 48 linear feet, e.g., 6 8’ tables).

i. Webinar capability: Any proposal should include the options for and costs of live streaming the annual meetings as a webinar, audio and video recording by the venue (if available).

j. Presentation technology: We require the following equipment for effective presentation to a large audience:

a. microphones at lectern and for persons at head table/speakers/audio system;

b. projector with laptop and screen for displaying PowerPoint/pdf presentations;

c. additional monitors to display visual presentation;

d. additional lighting for presenter/head table.

k. Food and refreshments: The venue should provide estimated costs associated with 350 persons on each day of the annual meeting, including boxed lunch with beverages, coffee/tea, and whole fruit each morning.

After all bids are received, the awardee will present their selection with a summary of their selection criteria for prior approval. If the lowest cost bidder is not selected, please provide justification relating to the specifications enumerated in this subsection. Any scoring mechanisms used to evaluate proposals shall also be provided for all bids received.

4. Additional Dissemination Activities Additional dissemination activities may be proposed by the centers. Prior center dissemination activities have included posting on blogs or social media, operating a display booth at professional/academic conferences, and conducting research seminars or similar events.

c. Training Training. The RDRC is expected to both train new scholars to conduct research on issues relating to retirement and disability. SSA expects each center to develop and expand a diverse corps of scholars/researchers who focus their analytical skills on research and policy issues central to the consortium's mission.

SSA expects the centers to financially support the training and research of scholars new to the field of retirement and disability research. The RDRC should allocate funding in a variety of ways. Examples include: dissertation fellowships to support PhD candidates writing dissertations, internships for undergraduate and graduate students conducting research, pre- and post-doctoral research fellowships, and small research grants to support postdoctoral researchers and junior scholars. Applications solicited widely and nationally are encouraged. SSA is particularly interested in promoting diversity among training grant recipients, where diversity is defined broadly in terms of research disciplines, institutional composition, and demographic composition. Graduate students working with RDRC researchers on funded projects as research assistants will be included in the research budget, not in the training budget.

d. Post Award Reporting Requirements

a. Program Reporting:

(1) Quarterly Performance Reports – These reports must be uploaded to SSA’s online grants management system as a grant note. Upon award, a successful applicant will be given further instructions and access to that online system.

Every three months during the award period, the awardee will produce a progress report. The awardee’s quarterly progress reports should provide a concise summary of the progress the awardee makes toward completion of activities in the annual work plan. The awardee should pay particular attention to reporting on achieving any milestones set forth in the work plan, delays in achieving milestones, and the effect of delays on the final product. SSA will provide details regarding the format and due dates of quarterly progress reports in the Terms and Conditions at the time of award.

(2) Outcome Report

Principal Investigators (PI) conducting research often continue or refine their research after they produce project findings for the cooperative agreement. Prior research supported by SSA under the RRC and DRC often resulted in conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal publications or book chapters, sometimes years after a project is considered completed for the cooperative award. Centers are required to provide to SSA a report of outcomes for all research conducted under the RDRC including: the project identifier, names of PI(s), type of product (journal article, conference presentation, etc.), publication or conference name and date of publication or conference. SSA will provide a template for reporting this information in the terms and conditions of the notice of grant award.

(3) Subaward Funding Report Following the issuance of the notice of cooperative agreement award, centers will provide a summary worksheet of recipients of funding under the award. The worksheet will list a description of the activity, the funding amount, the recipient institution, the city and state of the recipient institution, and whether the recipient institution is academic, not-for-profit, or for-profit. SSA will provide a template in the terms and conditions of the notice of grant award.

(4) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Outreach Report The centers are required to submit an annual report listing goals and measurable objectives for encouraging participation by HBCUs and MSIs, programs implemented to encourage participation, total funding to HBCUs and MSIs, and highlights of noteworthy accomplishments. A template will be provided in the terms and conditions of the notice of grant award. Executive Orders that we reference for the MSI Report and Plan:

· EO 13779: White House Initiative To Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

· EO 13592: Improving American Indian and Alaska Native Educational Opportunities and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities

· EO 13621: White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

· EO 13515: Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs

· EO 13555: White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

b. Financial Reports

(1) Federal Financial Report SSA requires awardees to file the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) quarterly via its online grants management system. SSA will withhold future awards and fund drawdowns if financial reports are delinquent.

(2) Federal Funding and Accountability and Transparency Act

Unless otherwise exempt, award recipients must report each action that obligates $25,000 or more in federal funds for a subaward to an entity. See 2 CFR 170 for more information on reporting subaward and executive compensation information.

D. The Role of the Agency SSA will be involved with the Consortium centers in jointly establishing research priorities and deliverable dates to accomplish the objectives of this announcement. SSA, or its representatives, will provide the following types of support to the centers:

1. Consultation and technical assistance in planning, operating and evaluating the centers’ activities. Once SSA selects successful RDRC applicants, SSA will review the centers’ research agendas and make funding decisions to achieve research goals. This may include the addition, modification, or removal of proposed research projects. After review, each center will submit to SSA a revised research plan and budget. A center’s research plan may be periodically reviewed and revised as necessary during the award period.

2. Information about SSA programs, policies, and research priorities.

3. Assistance in identifying relevant SSA program data and guidance on protocols for viable sharing arrangements to support center research activities.

4. SSA will review center activities and provide feedback to ensure that objectives and award conditions are being met. SSA will use quarterly reports and final papers to evaluate center performance. SSA may suspend or terminate any cooperative agreement in completely or in part at any time before the date of expiration if the awardee materially fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement, does not meet the technical performance requirements, or if the agency determines that it no longer wishes the project to continue. SSA will promptly notify the awardee in writing of the determination and the reasons for suspension or termination together with the effective date. SSA reserves the right to suspend funding for individual projects in process or in previously approved research areas or tasks after making awards.

5. Panel of Outside Scholars and Practitioners. SSA will select 10-12 nationally recognized scholars and practitioners who are unaffiliated with any center for recommendations on research activities for the RDRC. While centers are encouraged to suggest scholars/practitioners, SSA will invite scholars/practitioners to participate. When choosing these scholar/practitioners, SSA will attempt to have diverse representation from academia, other federal agencies, and the practitioner/advocacy community. Funded under this agreement, the scholars/practitioners must meet once a year at an SSA-led meeting at the RDRC Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Further, the centers may contact the scholars/practitioners throughout the year for suggestions regarding center activities. The SSA Program Official or representative will participate in all meetings. Parties may participate via telephone or video as needed with approval from the SSA Program Official or representative.

E. Access to SSA Data

If an awardee proposes research that requires or may benefit from access to SSA data that is not currently publicly available, the awardee must make a written request to SSA for the information using the Data Exchange Request Form (SSA-157) – see https://www.ssa.gov/dataexchange/. Awardees should only request from SSA the minimum amount of data needed to perform the applicable research project. The awardee must provide any follow-up information about the data access request, upon SSA’s request.

SSA will review the data access request, and any follow-up information provided by the awardee, and provide a written determination as to whether the requested data can be provided, in whole or in part, for the research described in the request, and whether and under what conditions SSA can provide the data through the awardee’s preferred method of access. SSA will only approve requests if disclosure is legally authorized under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a), the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1306), SSA’s privacy regulations (20 C.F.R. Part 401), and other applicable Federal law. SSA will not disclose data SSA determines to be sensitive or proprietary in nature. For approved data access requests, SSA will only release the minimum amount of SSA data that is relevant and necessary for the research. When feasible, SSA will disclose de-identified records in lieu of identifiable records.

If SSA approves a data access request that involves access to SSA data that constitutes Personally Identifiable Information (PII), the awardee may only obtain access to the SSA data if (1) the awardee agrees to comply with all the Federal requirements for data access, including applicable Federal law, policy, and procedures identified by SSA and (2) SSA has agreed to fund the research for which the data access was approved under the award. The Federal requirements for data access will include but are not limited to the need for a suitability review and clearance and compliance with limitations on use, treatment, and safeguarding of data under the Privacy Act of 1974; SSA’s privacy regulations, Office of Management and Budget guidelines related to privacy and security of Federal information; the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. § 3541, et seq.), as amended by the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-283); and related National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines. These requirements will also detail the procedures an awardee must follow in the instance of a PII breach. Specific requirements will vary depending on the method of access and will be detailed in an Onsite or Offsite Data Use Agreement between SSA and awardee.

If SSA approves a data access request that involves access to aggregated or tabulated SSA data that does not constitute PII, SSA may provide the data if (1) SSA has issued a written approval of the awardee’s data access request and (2) SSA has agreed to fund the research for which the data access was approved under the award. No separate Data Use Agreement is necessary. In these instances, unless SSA has provided written notification to awardee that the SSA data has been made publicly available, the awardee must:

1. Use and access the SSA data only for the research described in SSA’s data access request approval.

2. Re-disclose the SSA data only as approved in writing by SSA.

3. Protect the SSA data from unauthorized use, access, and disclosure.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Type of Award

All awards made under this program will be made in the form of a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement, as distinct from a grant, and anticipates SSA’s substantial involvement during the performance of the project. A comprehensive annual review process will allow SSA to evaluate, recommend changes, and approve each center's activities. SSA’s involvement may include collaboration or participation in the activities of the centers as determined at the time of award. The terms of award are in addition to, not in lieu of, otherwise applicable guidelines and procedures, and will be issued along with notice of award.

The awardee must apply annually to continue the cooperative agreement in order to receive funds in subsequent years of the 5-year agreement (noncompeting renewal). For the noncompeting renewal, the awardee will produce a continuation application, subject to review and approval by SSA. The continuation applications will require similar content to this initial competitive application: the applications should clearly describe a set of research, training, and dissemination activities for the upcoming year that best address the priorities of SSA. Successful applicants will be provided additional instructions on the requirements for continuation applications in the terms and conditions of the notice of grant award. SSA will engage in a dialogue with awardees throughout the award period regarding research topics. Based on that dialogue, SSA will provide the awardee with guidance (in writing) on the agency’s research priorities for the subsequent continuation cycle.

2. Availability and Duration of Funding

a. We anticipate that approximately $10,695,000 will be available to fund the initial 12-month budget period of one or more five-year cooperative agreement(s) pursuant to the announcement.

b. Applicants must include detailed budget estimates for the first year, assuming a funding level of up to $3.0 million.

c. The amount of funds available for the cooperative agreement in future years has not been established. Legislative support for continued funding of the RDRC cannot be guaranteed and funding is subject to future appropriations and budgetary approval.

d. This announcement allows for the unequal division of funds among multiple chosen centers.

e. Additional funds may become available from SSA or other federal agencies in support of RDRC projects.

f. SSA will make initial awards pursuant to this announcement on or about September 30, 2018. The performance period will run from September 30, 2018 through September 29, 2023.

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