PA-EAA-26-001_EAA NOFO.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Population Affairs

Notice of Funding Opportunity Embryo Adoption Awareness and Services

Opportunity Number

PA-EAA-26-001

Application Due Date

July 10, 2026

Technical Assistance Webinar Date June 17, 2026

Table of Contents

SUMMARY

A. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Application Responsiveness Criteria

3. Cost Sharing or Matching

B. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Background

2. Expectations for Recipients

3. Federal Involvement in the Project

4. Eligibility criteria for project participants

C. AWARD INFORMATION

D. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

1. Format of the Application

2. Content

E. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DATES

1. Obtaining an Application Package

2. Required Registrations

3. Submission Instructions

4. Other Submission Requirements

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Responsiveness Review

2. Merit Review Criteria

3. Merit Review and Selection Process

4. Review of Risk Posed by Applicant

G. AWARD NOTICES

H. AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

2. Program Specific Terms and Conditions

3. Award Closeout

4. Lobbying Prohibitions

5. Non-Discrimination Requirements

6. Smoke- and Tobacco-free Workplace

7. Acknowledgement of Funding

8. HHS Rights to Materials and Data

9. Trafficking in Persons

10. Efficient Spending

11. Whistleblower Protection

12. Health Information Technology (IT) Interoperability

13. Certain telecommunications and video surveillance services or equipment

14. Human Subjects Protection

15. Research Integrity

16. Reporting

I. CONTACTS

J. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Checklist

2. Acronyms

3. Glossary

4. Object Class Descriptions and Required Justifications

5. Considerations in Recipient Plans for Oversight of Federal Funds

6. Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations

7. Protections for Healthcare Entities under Weldon and Other Conscience Protection Statutes

BASIC INFORMATION

Opportunity Title Embryo Adoption Awareness and Services

Program Office Office of Population Affairs Application Submission and Format

Electronic application submitted via Grants.gov ONLY. Opportunity Number

PA-EAA-26-001

Award Type Grant

Application Deadline 7/10/2026

Announcement Type Initial

Technical Assistance Webinar Date 6/17/2026

Assistance Listing

93.007 Public Awareness Campaigns

on Embryo Adoption

Technical Assistance Webinar Details visit the OPA website at https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/funding-opportunities

Eligible Applicants (see Section A.1 for full details) Executive Order 12372 does apply to this NOFO (see section E.3.D)

Estimated Total Funding Available Up to $1,900,000

Estimated Period of Performance (months)

• 12-month first budget period

• 12-month second budget period

• Optional competitive third year

Estimated Number of Awards

Anticipated Award Date 09/30/2026

Anticipated Award Funding Range $100,000-$500,000

Anticipated Project Start Date 09/30/2026

QUESTIONS?

Additional contact information in Section I

SUMMARY

The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) announces the availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 grants under the authority of Division B, Title II of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-75) and Section 1704 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300 u-3).

This notice solicits applications for projects to increase public awareness of embryo adoption and provide individuals adopting embryos the medical and administrative services deemed necessary for such adoptions. OPA intends to make available approximately $2,000,000 for an estimated six (6) awards. The amount of funding an applicant may request ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 per year for a period of two (2) years (212-month budget periods) with an optional competitive third year.

OPA encourages applicants to review all program requirements, eligibility information, application format and submission information, evaluation criteria, and other information in this funding announcement to ensure that their application complies with all requirements and instructions.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Grants and Acquisitions Management Division (GAM) will administer this competition.

A. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants You must meet all of the eligibility requirements in order for us to review your application.

a. Eligible Entities

Any public or private entity is eligible to apply. Only agencies and organizations, not individuals, are eligible to apply

b. PD/PI Eligibility

There is no restriction on an individual’s eligibility to be Project Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI) on an application. However, we will not make an award with a PD/PI who has an active government-wide exclusion, suspension, or debarment recorded in SAM.gov.

We expect that throughout the period of performance the PD/PI will be involved in, and have substantial knowledge about, all aspects of the project. Although your organization may recognize co-PD/PIs on team-managed projects, we recognize only a single PD/PI who will be responsible for the programmatic aspects of the project.

c. Other Considerations Submitting Multiple Applications

You may submit more than one application, but each application must be for a distinctly different project.

If you submit multiple applications for the same project, we will accept only the last application submitted a Grants.gov timestamp that is before the due date and time. We will disqualify all other versions of the application. See Section F.1.b for all disqualification factors.

Submitting an Application as a Group or Consortium

For any given project, we will only make an award to a single eligible entity. More than one entity may choose to work together on a project under this opportunity, but only one entity may submit the application. If awarded, that entity will be the award recipient and will be responsible for conducting the project.

The other entities may participate in the project, if awarded, and would be responsible to the recipient for their respective roles, typically as subrecipients.

Groups may form a consortium, partnership, or other legally recognized entity for the purpose of applying for this opportunity and carrying out any awarded project. The resulting entity must exist and be legally recognized when it applies and must have an active registration in SAM.gov.

We will conduct a risk assessment on the applying entity (Section F.4) prior to making any award.

Eligibility Documentation

We do not require you to submit documentation of your eligibility (e.g., proof of 501(c)(3) status as determined by the Internal Revenue Service or an authorizing tribal resolution) when you submit your application. It is important that your organization is correctly classified in your SAM registration (Section E.2.a).

During our review of your application, we might request additional documentation to support your eligibility. This request means only that your application is under review and not that you will receive an award.

More specific information on the type of documentation that we might request specific to this opportunity appears in Section E.4.b.

Application Disqualification

We will disqualify applications that fail to meet the eligibility, responsiveness, formatting, and submission requirements (Sections F.1.b) prior to conducting merit review. Disqualified applications will not undergo further review.

We will notify disqualified applicants at the end of the competition when we announce the award recipients.

2. Application Responsiveness Criteria We will review your application to determine whether it meets the responsiveness criteria below.

If your application does not meet the responsiveness criteria, we will disqualify it from the competition; we will not review it beyond the initial screening.

The responsiveness criteria are as follows:

• By applying for funds, the grant applicant assures that: (1) Grant funds will only be used for domestic purposes and activities. (2) No project funds will be used to pay for human tissues, nor for any approach that may be construed as involving compensation for the donation of human tissues. (3) No portion of the Federal funds will be used towards the reimbursement of an embryo donor's already accrued costs, including but not limited to storage fees. (4) No grant funds will be used for the donation of human embryos to embryo-destructive research. (5) No grant funds will be used to pay for, subsidize, promote, or otherwise support discarding or destroying human embryos (6) No grant funds will be used to create new human embryos.

3. Cost Sharing or Matching You are not required to provide cost sharing or matching in your proposed budget.

B. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office of Population Affairs (OPA) announces the availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 grants under the authority of Division B, Title II of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-75) and Section 1704 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300 u-3).

The primary focus of OASH is to lead Americans toward healthier lives by promoting health and well-being across the lifespan. This includes the reproductive lifespan, supported through innovative, evidence-based programs, services, partnerships, and research that strengthens family formation and promote healthy pregnancies.

Under this funding opportunity (PA-EAA-26-001), competitive grant awards will be given to an estimated six organizations to increase public awareness of embryo adoption and provide individuals and couples adopting embryos the medical and administrative services deemed necessary for such adoptions.

Required Alignment with OASH Mission and Agency Priorities

Consistent with OASH’s mission, in carrying out any project that is funded under this NOFO, recipients must align program design and activities with agency priorities where consistent with program authority and the scope of the award (“Priorities of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health,” available online at: https://health.gov/priorities), and when authorized by law according to the Title X statute, regulations, legislative mandates, and additional program guidance. Funded activities must advance and support OASH’s mission to improve the health and well-being of Americans.

The recipients must demonstrate ongoing compliance with these priorities, in all programs that are authorized to advance them, through program design, implementation, reporting, and evaluation. Failure to meaningfully align funded activities with the applicable requirements may result in corrective action, additional reporting requirements, or other actions consistent with https://health.gov/priorities federal grant regulations found at 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and the terms and conditions of this award (including termination pursuant to 2 C.F.R. 200.340(a)(4) for no longer effectuating program goals or agency priorities).

1. Background

OPA's Embryo Adoption Awareness and Services program recognizes embryo adoption first and foremost as a response to the needs of children who already exist and are in need of a family. The program provides adoptive parents the medical and administrative services necessary to facilitate such adoptions, with the wellbeing and best interests of the child as the foundation of all program activities. The program was first funded by Congress in Fiscal Year 2002 to increase public awareness of the existence of human embryos that remain after in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, some of which could be made available for adoption.

The scope of the program has since expanded to include medical and administrative services that make embryo adoption more attainable.

Faith-based organizations have been integral partners in this program since its founding and have historically been among its primary grant recipients. Their contributions, including counseling, family matching services, and community outreach, have been instrumental in making embryo adoption accessible to families across the country. OPA affirms the vital role of faith-based organizations in this work and encourages their continued participation as recipients, subrecipients, and partners under this program, consistent with applicable law, including 45 CFR Part 87.

Embryo adoption is understood by this program as a response to the existence of surplus embryos already created. The program places the best interests of the child at the center of all activities, encompassing the child's right to know their biological origins and medical history, the child's right to be placed with adoptive parents who have undergone rigorous screening including background checks, home studies, and reference checks, and the importance of ensuring that biological and adoptive parents have reached informed, mutual agreement regarding the suitability of the placement.

Recipients of the EAA program services should be couples or individuals that are currently involved, soon may be involved, or are interested in adopting or donating embryos, and the medical facilities/providers involved in assisting those couples and individuals with embryo adoption and donation. This may include couples or individuals that are having trouble achieving pregnancy, interested in having more children through frozen embryo transfer, or who have existing surplus embryos. Embryo adoption is distinct from infertility treatment.

Rather than addressing the reproductive needs of prospective parents, it serves the needs of a child already in existence, offering that child the opportunity for life within a stable and loving family. This distinction is fundamental to the design and purpose of this program.

2. Expectations for Recipients

OPA expects funded recipients to:

1. Provide medical and administrative services to facilitate the use of human embryo adoption

2. Increase knowledge, awareness, and understanding of embryo adoption. Center the rights and long-term wellbeing of the child in all program design and service delivery, including the requirement that embryo adoption agencies conduct background checks, home visits, and other assessments coordinated by a qualified case worker

3. Promote open/identified donation practices that protect the child's right to know their biological origins and medical history

4. Implement a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement (MEI) Plan

5. Communicate and disseminate activities, successes, and lessons learned

We expect the funded applicants to:

1. Provide medical and/or administrative services to facilitate the use of embryo adoption.

Provide medical and/or administrative services that facilitate the use of embryo adoption to couples and individuals involved or interested in adopting or donating embryos, as well as the healthcare facilities and providers assisting those couples and individuals with embryo adoption or donation. For the purposes of this NOFO, medical services include, but are not limited to, counseling and education services for couples and individuals, as well as training and support services for healthcare facilities/providers. Recipients should consider including approaches that inform couples and individuals who are interested in pursuing embryo adoption about the medical risks associated with embryo adoption and provide couples with an assessment of their own physical ability to sustain an embryo adoption pregnancy. Administrative services include, but are not limited to, services to assist with the financial, legal, practical, and other non-biologic obstacles that may occur in the process of embryo adoption or donation. All medical and administrative services should be tailored based on the needs, experiences, and motivations of the couples and individuals served, and should always keep the best interests of the child at the forefront.

All counseling and education services provided under this program should include evidence-based information on the psychological and developmental needs of children born through embryo adoption, including the child's interest in knowing their biological origins and identity.

Counseling should draw on research regarding donor-conceived persons' experiences, including identity formation, genealogical bewilderment, and the significance of biological connection.

Recipients must require that prospective adoptive parents complete adoption-equivalent screening prior to placement, including home studies, background checks, reference checks, and physical and mental health evaluations, as well as post-placement supervision coordinated by a qualified case worker. Unlike traditional adoption, which is designed with the child's best interest in mind and requires rigorous screening of prospective parents, embryo adoption currently lacks these safeguards, subjecting children to increased risk. Programs funded under this NOFO are expected to close that gap.

Recipients should not promote or encourage anonymous embryo donation. Program materials and counseling should affirmatively present open or identified donation — in which the child will have access to information about, and where possible contact with, their biological family — as the preferred and recommended model. The reasons for this preference, grounded in the child's developmental and identity interests, should be clearly communicated to donors and recipients.

Training for a range of healthcare providers assisting couples and individuals involved or interested in adopting or donating embryos should be designed to enhance the ability of multiple levels of providers to share information and to assist potential donors with embryo donation and/or adoption. Training design and content should be adjusted to the skill and practice role of the providers being trained. Appropriate continuing education credits may be made available for professional training activities provided under this NOFO.

To ensure the greatest impact of services provided, funded recipients are expected to clearly identify the target audience(s) for their project (e.g., couples and individuals involved/interested in embryo adoption, couples and individuals involved/interested in embryo donation, healthcare facilities/providers, specific geographic areas), and to assess the needs of their target audience to determine the medical and administrative services that would best facilitate their use of embryo adoption and donation. Recipients are then expected to use the data collected to identify and provide the medical and administrative services that would be most beneficial to facilitate use of embryo adoption and donation for their target audience in a manner consistent with OASH priorities, including “respect for the dignity of life.” (See https://health.gov/priorities). It is expected that the recipients will include current, evidence-based information in all phases of the design, delivery, and evaluation of the project.

2. Increase knowledge, awareness, and understanding of embryo adoption.

Implement activities to increase knowledge, awareness, and understanding of embryo adoption and donation. Public awareness activities should present an honest and complete picture of embryo adoption, including:

• The child's perspective and long-term interests, including the well-documented importance to many donor-conceived persons of knowing their biological origins

• The psychological literature on identity formation in children raised apart from one or both biological parents

• The distinction between embryo adoption as a response to already-existing surplus embryos versus practices that intentionally create surplus embryos; this program supports the former and does not encourage the latter

• The importance of a best interest of the child assessment in the embryo adoption process

Identify the specific goal(s) and target audience(s) for the awareness raising activities. Describe the specific awareness raising activities planned, the methodology that will be used for each and why it was selected, and the intended outcomes for each activity. Describe how the activities will increase the knowledge, awareness, and understanding of embryo adoption and donation, and increase the ability of couples and individuals to access embryo adoption and/or donation services. Activities should be directed at specific populations, including, but not limited to https://health.gov/priorities individuals and couples likely to donate and/or accept donated embryos for family formation or medical and other professionals that provide medical or administrative services related to embryo adoption and donation, and related fields. Awareness raising activities should account for and address existing and/or perceived barriers and facilitators to embryo adoption and donation.

As a part of obtaining informed consent from individuals seeking human embryo adoption, grant recipients will be expected to provide information and counseling to patients about the living state of the human embryos for potential adoption, a description of the adoption procedures, potential health risks, and commonly reported misconceptions, such as the differences between diagnostic genetic testing, which seeks to identify present genetic conditions, and genetic screening, which only estimates a potential risk of a condition.

3. Implement a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement (MEI) Plan.

Develop and implement a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement (MEI) Plan for the project.

The MEI plan should describe how the grantee will continuously monitor and evaluate the project to improve the medical and administrative services available for individuals and couples interested in embryo adoption and donation and increase public awareness of embryo adoption.

The MEI plan should identify and clearly define the overall goal of the project, identify the most relevant outputs and outcomes to measure success of the project, and define how the outputs and outcomes will be measured. Recipients are expected to evaluate both the implementation and outcomes of the project. This includes establishing procedures to collect OPA performance measures and other relevant data to track progress, make and maintain improvements, and assure quality, as well as to document and monitor the project overall. The plan should be flexible and adaptable to ensure the most critical programmatic questions are addressed as the need arises.

All recipients are expected to collect and report to OPA a common set of performance measures on an annual basis and acknowledge that reported data may be published.

The broad categories of the measures that grantees are expected to collect and report on include:

• Number of individuals receiving medical services to assist with embryo adoption/donation

• Number of couples receiving medical services to assist with embryo adoption/donation

• Number of healthcare providers receiving training on medical services to assist with embryo adoption/donation

• Number of individuals receiving administrative services to assist with embryo adoption/donation

• Number of couples receiving administrative services to assist with embryo adoption/donation

• Number of healthcare providers receiving training on administrative services to assist with embryo adoption/donation

• Number of human embryos implanted that results in a birth, noting how many of these embryos are in ongoing pregnancies that will go beyond the project’s period of performance

• Number of human embryos donated during each budget period

• Number of human embryos currently cryopreserved under the grant recipient’s care and at participating partners

• Number of formal and informal partners engaged in the project

• Number and description of each specific public awareness activity

• Number of individuals and couples reached through public awareness activities

• Report on best interests of the child practices implemented, including background checks, home visits, and referrals coordinated by a qualified case worker

• Report on the progress made toward each of the documented goals and objectives identified as part of your project plan; and

• Identification of any barriers and obstacles encountered in the implementation of the project, including proposed or realized solutions to these challenges.

4. Communicate and disseminate activities, successes, and lessons learned.

Strategically communicate and disseminate the activities, successes, and lessons learned from the project about embryo adoption awareness and services on a regular basis. Identify the goal, target audience, and intended outcomes of communication and dissemination activities. Develop and implement strategies and diverse approaches (e.g., web content, written products, presentations/webinars, social media) for disseminating and communicating information about project activities, lessons learned, successes, and evaluation results with key stakeholders.

5. Engage in sustainability planning.

Plan for sustaining the project after the period of Federal funding ends. The applicant should describe what sustainability means for the proposed project, sustainability priorities, and how sustainability will be integrated into the earliest stages of program planning. The recipient is expected to anticipate and plan for challenges to sustainability, and to incorporate a specific objective(s) and activities focused on sustainability into the annual work plan.

3. Federal Involvement in the Project If you receive an award, we will encourage you to seek the advice and opinion of federal staff when problems arise. However, you would be responsible for making sound programmatic and administrative judgments. The responsibility for operating decisions will be yours and does not shift to HHS, OASH, or Office of Population Affairs.

Under a grant, the program office’s involvement may include routine monitoring and technical assistance such as monthly conference calls, occasional site visits, ongoing review of plans and progress, participation in relevant meetings, provision of training and technical assistance.

4. Eligibility criteria for project participants You must not restrict participation in the project on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, or another protected characteristic (See Section H.5).

C. AWARD INFORMATION

Budget period(s)

We expect to fund awards in 12-month budget periods for a total period of performance up to 36 month(s). However, we may approve shorter periods of performance. Budget periods may vary from the estimated 12 months because of the timing of award issuance or other administrative factors.

For multi-year projects, recipients must submit a non-competing continuation (NCC) application for each budget period after the first. We will provide guidance generally 3 months prior to the end of the active budget period. Continuation funding is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, appropriate stewardship of federal funds, and the best interests of the government. Funding for all approved budget periods after the first is generally the same as the initial award amount and may be subject to any offset with funds unused in a previous budget period.

D. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

1. Format of the Application You must prepare your application using the forms and information described in this NOFO.

The official online application package on Grants.gov contains all necessary forms and guidance for preparing an application. This package includes but is not limited to:

• Full Text of the NOFO

• Standard forms (required) and their instructions o SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance o SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs o SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities o Project Abstract Summary

• Sample templates, if available.

In addition to the four standard forms in the application package, your application will consist of 3 sections of materials you prepare:

1. Project Narrative

2. Appendices to the Project Narrative

3. Budget Package.

We strongly encourage you to read all instructions for the application format and content to avoid disqualification of your application. An application checklist is available in Section J.1.

a. Project Narrative – Formatting Following the formatting instructions below will help ensure that your application is readable for review process. Acceptable electronic file formats are in Section E.3.a.

Names of Individuals

We encourage you to use individuals’ full names (first, middle, last) on the standard forms and any other documents such as résumés/curricula vitae/biographical sketches to distinguish them for verification in the SAM exclusion records. Delays may result in award processing if full names are not provided.

You should avoid submitting personally identifiable information such as personal contact information (e.g., home address and telephone number) on résumés/curricula vitae/biographical sketches. Do not submit social security numbers.

If you receive an award, only one Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) will be named on the award documents. (Section A.1.b) Avoid using a placeholder or honorary PD/PI. If you have not hired an individual to be the PD/PI, you should name an interim PD/PI, and your application should clearly identify that person as such.

We typically expect the PD/PI to be named on the SF-424 in box 8.f. Avoid naming grant writers in box 8.f unless they have the expertise to respond to technical questions about the proposed project in a timely manner.

Identify other personnel who are essential or key to the execution of the proposed project clearly in your project narrative.

If you receive an award, a request for a change in PD/PI or key personnel under any circumstance requires prior approval of the grants management officer before becoming effective. We may disallow any costs incurred as a result of that change prior to our approval. See Section H.1.c.

Page Formatting

If you submit documents that do not conform to the following instructions, GAM will disqualify your application during the review process (Section F.1.b).

Use an easily readable typeface, such as Times New Roman or Arial.

Use a 12-point font.

Use an 8.5” X 11” page size. Any other size page (e.g., A4, legal) will disqualify your application.

You must double-space the Project Narrative pages or we will disqualify your application. You may single-space tables or use alternate fonts, but you must ensure the tables are easy to read.

Do not number pages or include a table of contents. Our grants management system will generate page numbers once your application is complete.

You must submit your application in the English language and in terms of U.S. dollars (2 C.F.R. 200.111).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.111

Page Limits

Your project narrative and appendices must adhere to these page limits.

The page limits do not include the budget package (Section D.2.c)

The page limits do not include the required forms (SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, and the Project Abstract Summary)

If your application exceeds the specified page limits when printed on 8.5” X 11” page, we will not review your application further.

We encourage you to print out your application before submitting it to ensure that it is within the page limits and is easy to read. Do not reduce pages to fit multiple pages on a single sheet to avoid exceeding the page limitation.

Do not hyperlink to documents or sites outside of your application to augment your application. Reviewers will not be permitted to follow links to external content during their assessment of your application. The one exception to this is a link to your internal controls as part of your budget package (Section D.2.c.3).

Page Limit

Project Narrative _____30____

Project Narrative plus Appendices ____75_____

Labeling Proprietary Information

Proprietary information includes patentable ideas, trade secrets, privileged or confidential commercial or financial information, the disclosure of which may harm the applicant.

You should include proprietary information in your application only to the extent that it is essential to the reviewers’ understanding of the project. Proprietary information should not appear in your Project Abstract Summary.

If your application contains proprietary information, you should clearly label the top of the first page of the project narrative. For example, Contains proprietary or confidential information that [Your Organization Name] requests not be released to persons outside the government, except for purposes of review and evaluation.

Awarded applications are subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with redactions as the FOIA statute permits.

b. Appendices to the Project Narrative – Formatting Your appendices should include any specific items outlined in Section D.2.b. Your documents should be easy to read.

You should use the same formatting specified for the Project Narrative. However, documents such as résumés/curricula vitae/biographical sketches, organizational charts, tables, Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) or Letters of Commitment (LOCs) may have formatting common to those documents, so long as the pages are easy to read. For example, resumes, MOAs and LOCs may be single-spaced.

You must upload all of your appendices as a single, consolidated file in the Attachments section of your Grants.gov application. You must use an acceptable file format (Section E.3.a). We strongly encourage you to convert your file(s) to PDF format before uploading and review them to ensure accurate conversion.

Your Project Narrative plus the Appendices may not exceed the total number of pages for the application (Section D.1.a).

c. Budget Package - Formatting The budget narrative should use the formatting required of the project narrative for the explanatory text. Budget tables may be single-spaced but should be laid out in an easily readable format and within the printable margins of an 8.5” x 11” page. You must use an acceptable file format (Section E.3.a). We do not accept Excel or other similar spreadsheet formats.

The application page limit does not include the SF-424A or the budget narrative (including budget tables).

We recommend you present budget amounts and computations in a columnar format: first column, object class categories; second column, federal funds requested; third column, non-federal resources; and last column, total budget.

Object Class Federal Funds Requested

Non-Federal Resources Total Budget

Personnel $100,000 $25,000 $125,000

2. Content

a. Project Narrative - Content The Project Narrative is the most important part of your application. We will use it as the primary basis to determine whether your project merits an award. The project narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. We recommend that your project narrative include the following components with the requested information. Labeling the sections accordingly will help the reviewers find information quickly.

Successful proposals should include the following:

1. Understanding of and Experience with Embryo Adoption Services

You should:

• Describe your understanding of and experience working to address the goals of the embryo adoption program.

• Provide evidence of your familiarity with existing embryo adoption and donation services.

• Describe your understanding of the current and future needs related to o (1) providing medical and administrative services that facilitate the use of embryo adoption to individuals and couples involved or interested in adopting or donating embryos, and the healthcare facilities and providers assisting those individuals and couples with embryo adoption or donation; and o (2) increasing knowledge, awareness, and understanding of embryo adoption and donation services.

• Demonstrate familiarity with the research on donor-conceived persons' experiences, including studies on the importance of biological identity, access to origins, and the outcomes associated with anonymous versus open donation.

• Describe your organization's capacity and approach to requiring prospective adoptive parents to complete adoption-equivalent screening prior to placement, including home studies, background checks, reference checks, and physical and mental health evaluations, as well as post-placement supervision coordinated by a qualified case worker.

• Describe the broad contextual factors that will facilitate or impede the project.

2. Need for Proposed Project

• Describe how the proposed project will provide individuals and couples adopting human embryos the medical and administrative services deemed necessary for such adoptions, and how the project will increase the knowledge, awareness, and understanding of human embryo adoption/donation services.

• Describe the extent to which the proposed project will utilize effective strategies and best practices in the field of human embryo adoption/donation.

• Describe how the proposed project will ensure that adopted human embryos receive adoption-level protections throughout the process, including adoption-equivalent screening for parents prior to placement, such as home studies, background checks, reference checks, and physical and mental health evaluations, as well as post-placement supervision coordinated by a qualified case worker, and how the project will support adoptive families in understanding and communicating their child's biological origins.

3. Technical Approach

• Describe the goal(s), objectives, and major activities for the proposed project and explain how the proposed approach will contribute to achieving these goals.

• Describe how you will design, implement, and assess the proposed project.

Specifically describe how you will:

o Provide medical and administrative services that facilitate the use of human embryo adoption to individuals and couples involved or interested in adopting or donating embryos, and the healthcare facilities and providers assisting those individuals and couples with embryo adoption or donation.

o Implement activities to increase knowledge, awareness, and understanding of human embryo adoption/donation.

o Strategically communicate and disseminate the activities, successes, and lessons learned from the project on a regular basis.

o Plan for sustaining the project after the period of Federal funding ends.

• Describe how your project will center the rights and long-term wellbeing of children born through embryo adoption, not only the desires and needs of prospective adoptive parents.

• Describe how your project will promote open or identified donation as the preferred model, and how it will discourage anonymous donation.

• Cite factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work and state reasons for taking the proposed approach rather than others.

• Provide the rationale for use of the proposed approach based upon previous practice, review of the literature, and evaluation findings.

• Describe any innovative approaches that will be applied to the proposed project and the rationale and evidence for each.

• Any relevant data based on studies should be included or referred to in the proposed approach and referred to in the endnotes/footnotes.

4. Evaluation

Describe your MEI plan and how you will continuously monitor and evaluate the project to improve the medical and administrative services available for individuals interested in human embryo adoption/donation and increase public awareness of embryo adoption.

Program-Specific Outcome Measures (required):

• Include among your outcome measures the rate of open versus anonymous donations facilitated by the program, with open donation as the target outcome.

• Include measures that capture whether adoptive parents underwent adoption-equivalent screening as required under this program, including background checks, home visits, and physical and mental health evaluations by a qualified case worker, tracking rates of completion for each screening component.

• Include measures that capture whether counseling addressed the child's identity and biological-origins interests, specifically:

o Whether counselors provided information to prospective adoptive parents about the psychological literature on donor-conceived persons' experiences, including research on identity formation and genealogical bewilderment o Whether donors were counseled on the distinction between open and anonymous donation and the implications of each for the child's ability to know their biological origins o Whether prospective adoptive parents received guidance on how and when to disclose to the child the nature of their conception and biological origins o Whether counseling included information on resources available to donor-conceived persons seeking information about their biological family

• Describe how your evaluation plan will assess the degree to which the rights and best interests of children born through human embryo adoption are being met by the program, including how program activities are designed to serve the long-term developmental and identity needs of the child, how the program tracks and responds to emerging research on donor-conceived persons' outcomes, and how feedback mechanisms will, where appropriate, incorporate the perspectives of donor-conceived individuals and advocacy organizations representing their interests.

General Evaluation Methods:

• Describe the overall goal of the project, identify the most relevant outputs and outcomes to measure success of the project, and define how the outputs and outcomes will be measured.

• Describe the quantitative and qualitative tools and techniques that will be employed to measure the outcome(s), and how lessons learned will be identified and documented.

• Describe the methodology that will be used to determine if the needs of the target audience(s) are being met and if the project results are being achieved.

• Describe how you will use the feedback and data collected to identify and address areas for continuous quality improvement.

• Describe how you will collect and use performance measure data.

5. Project Management

• Demonstrate your organization’s capacity to successfully and effectively develop, implement, and evaluate the proposed project.

• Identify how your organization will establish/maintain, and coordinate linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations to support and enhance the proposed project.

• Provide relevant information on the capacity of applicant organization and cooperating partners such as organizational charts, professional accreditation, experience with similar projects, experience with the target audience(s), and other pertinent information.

• Describe a feasible management plan for implementing the proposed project. This section should detail how the program will be structured and managed, how timeliness of activities will be ensured, how quality will be maintained, and how costs will be controlled.

• If applicable, the role and responsibilities of the lead agency should be clearly defined, and applicants should describe the management and coordination of activities carried out by any partners, subcontractors, or consultants.

• Describe the qualifications and experience of the project leadership, including those who are consultants or subcontractors, and the suitability of the organizational structure for the proposed project.

b. Appendices to the Project Narrative – Content All items described in this section will count toward the total page limit of your application. You must submit them as a single electronic file uploaded to the Attachments section of your Grants.gov application.

Samples and optional forms/templates for some of these items are located under the Related Documents tab for this NOFO on Grants.gov.

Your application should include the following appendices:

Work Plan

Include a detailed work plan that is consistent with your project narrative and budget narrative. Your work plan should cover all years of the estimated period of performance.

A work plan should include a statement of the project’s overall goal(s), key SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound), milestone activities, and anticipated measurable outcome(s)/impact(s). Your objectives should align with the expectations of this opportunity, and the major tasks, action steps, or activities to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task, action step, or activity, the work plan should identify the person(s) responsible, the timeline for completing activities (including start- and end-dates), and measures of success.

Logic Model The application should include a detailed logic model to describe the overall project, including the inputs and activities of the project and the intended outputs and outcomes.

Signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) from Partners The application should include signed, detailed MOUs with subrecipients and/or partners involved in implementing the proposed project. Each MOU should clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the applicant and the subrecipient/partner. The signed MOUs should detail the resources that will be provided and activities that will be undertaken in support of the applicant.

Letters of Support The application should include Letters of Support that help to demonstrate capacity or otherwise strengthen the application. Letters of support are letters that are general in nature that speak to the writer’s belief in the capability of an applicant to accomplish a goal/task and/or demonstrate a demand for the project within the community. Letters of support also may indicate an intent or interest to work together in the future, but they lack specificity.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume for Key Project Personnel and Job Descriptions for Positions to be Hired

You should submit with your application curriculum vitae and/or resumes for Key Personnel who will be responsible for day-to-day management and oversight of the project. Also, include with your application, position descriptions for key personnel positions that will need to be filled if funds are awarded.

You should use full names (first, middle, last) on these documents to distinguish them for verification in the System for Award Management exclusion records. Use the formatting common to those documents. (See https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm for templates and sample biographical sketches.)

Organizational Chart

Include an organizational chart that reflects the management structure for the project and demonstrates where the project resides within the greater organization.

c. Budget Package - Content A complete budget package consists of the following required components:

• SF-424A “Budget Information Non-Construction Programs”

• Budget narrative with detailed justification by cost category/object class, and

• Plan for oversight of federal funds.

You should include supporting documentation for your budget (e.g., a copy of your approved indirect cost rate) as part of the budget package, not as part of your appendices to the project narrative. There is no page limit for the budget package contents. If you are recommended for an award, you may be asked to provide additional information about your budget package.

Throughout your budget package, “Federal resources” refers only to the funds you are requesting from the program office for this project. “Non-federal resources” are all other non-HHS/OASH federal and non-federal resources. Funds from federal grant programs typically are not eligible as cost share for other federal grants. It is your responsibility to confirm with other federal agencies whether funds you receive from them are eligible resources to apply to your proposed project.

1. Standard Form SF-424A

You must enter the project budget according to the directions provided with the standard form.

You must provide costs by object class category for the first 12 months (i.e., first budget period) of the proposed project using Section B, box 6 of SF-424A. If the estimated period of performance is 12 months or less, this will be your total budget request for the entire project.

"Federal resources" refers only to the funds for which you are applying under this NOFO. "Non-federal resources" are all other resources (federal and non-federal).

Do not include costs beyond the first budget period in the object class budget in box 6 of SF- 424A or box 18 of SF-424. The amounts entered in these sections should only reflect the first budget period.

If there is a discrepancy between your SF-424A and budget narrative and justification, we will rely on the narrative and justification to determine the final amounts.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm

2. Budget Narrative with Justification

Your budget narrative must include a detailed line-item budget and must include calculations for all costs and activities by the “object class categories” identified on SF-424A. You must provide a detailed justification for the costs by object class. The object class budget organizes your proposed costs into a set of defined categories.

Use the guidelines in Section J.4 for preparing the detailed object class budget.

Budget Periods

Your budget narrative must describe the first budget period in detail. For each proposed cost for the first budget period, provide a justification that includes explanatory text and line-item detail.

You should describe how you derived your categorical costs. Your justification should show the necessity and reasonableness of the proposed costs for the project.

For subsequent budget years in an anticipated multi-year period of performance, provide a summary narrative and line-item budget for each year beyond the first. For categories or items that differ significantly from the first budget period, provide a detailed justification explaining these changes.

Funding levels for all approved budget periods after the first are generally the same as the initial award amount and are subject to an offset with funds unused in the previous budget period.

Carryover of unobligated funds from one budget period to the next requires prior approval.

Determining Proposed Costs

Your budget narrative should justify…