U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Population Affairs

Notice of Funding Opportunity Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Evaluation Grants

Opportunity Number

PA-PHE-26-001

Application Due Date

August 5, 2026

Technical Assistance Webinar Date July 10, 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 Appendix A - Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs

BASIC INFORMATION

Opportunity Title Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Evaluation Grants

Program Office Office of Population Affairs Application Submission and Format

Electronic application submitted via Grants.gov ONLY.

Opportunity Number

PA-PHE-26-001

Award Type Grant

Application Deadline 8/5/2026

Announcement Type Initial

Technical Assistance Webinar Date 7/10/2026

Assistance Listing

93.343 – Public Health Service Evaluation

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

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 $2,200,000

Estimated Period of Performance (months)

Estimated Number of Awards Up to 7

Anticipated Award Date 09/30/2026

Anticipated Award Funding Range $150,000-$1,100,000

Anticipated Project Start Date 09/30/2026

QUESTIONS?

Additional contact information in Section I https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/funding-opportunities https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/funding-opportunities

SUMMARY

The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) announces the anticipated availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 grants under the authority of Section 241 of the Public Health Service Act and Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-75).

This notice solicits applications for projects to carry out evaluations of teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) approaches that would make significant contributions to preventing teen pregnancy. OPA intends to make available an estimated $2.2 million for up to seven

(7) grant awards for a period of up to three (3) years. The actual amount available will not be determined until enactment of the FY2027 federal budget.

OPA will consider evaluation projects that explore new questions in teen pregnancy prevention and improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of programs and services. These grants are for projects that can be conducted within two to three years, such as secondary data analyses or research using existing program, evaluation, research, or administrative data. Evaluations of teen pregnancy approaches must include one or more approach which (1) strengthens adolescent body and health literacy, supports informed consent, promotes optimal health, and prevents teen pregnancy through medically accurate, age-appropriate programming; (2) builds the capacity of local community organizations to implement programs with fidelity, quality, and transparency, consistent with OASH Priorities; (3) equips young people with the knowledge, skills, and decision-making capabilities necessary to support lifelong optimal health and healthy relationships while reducing risk behaviors associated with teen pregnancy through reproductive goals counseling; (4) upholds parental rights by providing advance notice of program content and meaningful opportunities for parental review and opt-out participation procedures, consistent with applicable law and program requirements; or (5) incorporates sexual risk avoidance education.

OPA encourages applicants to review all program requirements, eligibility information, application format and submission information, evaluation criteria, OASH Priorities, 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.

We encourage you to review all program requirements, eligibility information, application format and submission instructions, OASH Priorities, and other content of this notice to ensure your application complies with all requirements.

A. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants Any public or private nonprofit entity is eligible to apply. For-profit entities are also eligible to apply.

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

a. Eligible Entities

Additional examples of eligible organizations include:

Any public or private nonprofit entity located in a State (which includes one of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Outlaying Islands (Midway, Wake, et al.), the Marshall Islands, the Federated State of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau (hereafter, States)) is eligible to apply for a grant under this announcement. Faith-based organizations and American Indian/Alaska Native/Native American (AI/AN/NA) organizations are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible Organizations include:

• State Governments

• U.S. territories

• County Governments

• City or township governments

• Special district governments

• Independent school districts

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• Public Housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

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

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

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

• Non-profit private institutions of higher education

• For-profit organizations, including small businesses

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:

• Not applicable

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 anticipated availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 grants under the authority of Section 241 of the Public Health Service Act and Division B, Title II of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law No. 119–75).

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 strengthen family formation and promote healthy pregnancies.

Grants funded through this NOFO will conduct evaluations that explore new questions in teen pregnancy prevention and improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of programs and services. Evaluations of reducing teen pregnancy approaches must include one or more of the following approaches which:

1. strengthen adolescent body and health literacy, support informed consent, promote optimal health, and prevent teen pregnancy through medically accurate, age-appropriate programming;

2. build the capacity of local community organizations to implement programs with fidelity, quality, and transparency, consistent with OASH priorities;

3. equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and decision-making capabilities necessary to support lifelong optimal health and healthy relationships while reducing risk behaviors associated with teen pregnancy through reproductive goals counseling;

4. uphold parental rights by providing advance notice of program content and meaningful opportunities for parental review and opt-out participation procedures, consistent with applicable law and program requirements; or

5. incorporate sexual risk avoidance education.

“Age-appropriate” content assures that topics and themes are appropriate for the age group and other specific characteristics of the target audience. All program content must be suitable for the developmental stage of the intended audience and support healthy, informed decision-making, including promoting delayed sexual initiation as a behavior associated with reduced teen pregnancy.

Medically accurate materials and instruction are expected to be grounded in current, evidence-based scientific and clinical knowledge, and be within the scope of TPP statutory requirements to prevent teenage pregnancy. When materials provide information on widely prescribed medications for sexual and reproductive health, for example, the information should reference potential health risks to support minors and their parents or guardians in informed decision-making, which may include a desire to consult with their healthcare provider.

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 TPP 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.

In addition, the recipient is required to administer any project that is awarded under this NOFO in accordance with the following objectives in the TPP program that are authorized to advance them:

1. Promote body literacy education for making informed and healthy decisions that advance optimal health

2. Advance reproductive goals counseling

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 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

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program https://health.gov/priorities

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program is a national, evidence-based program that funds organizations working to give adolescents, and the adults supporting them, the knowledge and tools needed to advance optimal health, prevent teen pregnancy, and promote positive experiences, relationships, and environments to help our nation’s youth thrive. Through medically accurate, age-appropriate education and counseling, the program aims to help young people make informed, future-oriented decisions that promote lifelong optimal health and well-being. It utilizes gold standard science and prioritizes a strength-based approach to serve communities and populations with the greatest needs and facing significant challenges. To learn more about the TPP program, please visit the OPA website https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/teen-pregnancy-prevention-program/about-tpp-program.

With an annual budget of approximately $101 million, OPA invests in “medically accurate and age appropriate programs that reduce teen pregnancy,” which includes “replicating programs that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors” (known as Tier 1), and “research and demonstration grants to develop, replicate, refine, and test additional models and innovate strategies for preventing teenage pregnancy” (known as Tier 2).

PHS/TPP Evaluation Program

Since 2010, the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH), now part of the Office of Population Affairs (OPA), has conducted evaluations as part of its TPP grant program. OPA currently administers multiple large assistance programs and several research and evaluation activities that aim to prevent teenage pregnancy rates and improve adolescent health. At OPA, TPP evaluations build upon previous evidence. These projects aim to provide greater detail about how the different components of TPP programs work together with the goal of improving how communities approach TPP efforts, bringing context to research, and strengthening how new programs are designed.

2. Expectations for Recipients

OPA will consider projects to carry out evaluations (including longitudinal evaluations) of teenage pregnancy prevention approaches. These grants are for projects that can be conducted within two to three years, such as secondary data analyses and research using existing research, program and evaluation data or administrative data. OPA is especially interested in projects that propose to conduct evaluations in one or more of the priority areas listed below:

(1) Strengthening adolescent body and health literacy, supporting informed consent, promoting optimal health, and preventing teen pregnancy through medically accurate, age-appropriate programming;

(2) Building the capacity of local community organizations to implement programs with fidelity, quality, and transparency, consistent with OASH priorities;

(3) Equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and decision-making capabilities necessary to support lifelong optimal health and healthy relationships while reducing risk behaviors associated with teen pregnancy through reproductive goals counseling;

https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/teen-pregnancy-prevention-program/about-tpp-program https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/teen-pregnancy-prevention-program/about-tpp-program

(4) Upholding parental rights by providing advance notice of program content and meaningful opportunities for parental review and opt-out participation procedures, consistent with applicable law and program requirements;

(5) Incorporating sexual risk avoidance education

When effective programs are replicated or scaled up, it is critical to know which program elements are essential in making the program successful. Unfortunately, there is little evidence to date about which program features are critical core components and which features can be adapted without jeopardizing outcomes in these evidence-based interventions. Applicants may propose projects aimed at identifying specific core components of effective TPP programs. For more information about core components please refer to: https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/core-intervention-components-identifying-operationalizing-what-makes-programs-work-0.

Applicants may also propose a project investigating program adaptations. Adaptations to effective programs are changes to the program content, program delivery, or core components of a program. Some adaptations are minor and might be necessary to better meet the needs of a population, to implement in a different setting, and/or be more engaging; however, some adaptations are major and significantly change the core components of a program. By exploring the impacts of adaptations made to effective TPP programs, we may be better able to identify when adaptations should be made and when they shouldn’t be and how to help facilitators and others implement adaptations effectively to improve outcomes of programs.

Projects may:

• Synthesize and translate existing research into practice to help stakeholders prevent teen pregnancy and improve adolescent health. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to healthcare professionals, youth-serving professionals, parents and caregivers;

• Evaluate or assess best practices or strategies that make information easily available to best promote adolescent health educational materials and messaging;

• Study how fostering engagement among various stakeholders may ultimately lead to healthier relationships, healthier behaviors, improved confidence and decision-making skills and prevent teen pregnancy;

• Engage partners to carry out the work, in the form of a collaborative or research alliance, which may include researchers, businesses, community groups, state and local governments, health departments, and other relevant stakeholders for the proposed topic area.

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 https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/core-intervention-components-identifying-operationalizing-what-makes-programs-work-0 https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/core-intervention-components-identifying-operationalizing-what-makes-programs-work-0

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 (SectionF.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 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.1112 C.F.R. § 200.111(a)).

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 ____60_____

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.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.111 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.111#p-200.111(a)

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 for determining whether your project merits an award. The Project Narrative should provide a clear, concise, and well-organized description of the proposed evaluation project and demonstrate how the proposed work aligns with the purpose of this NOFO and OASH priorities.

Applications should clearly describe how the proposed evaluation will contribute to improving the efficiency, effectiveness, quality, transparency, and implementation of teen pregnancy prevention programs and services that support adolescent optimal health and well-being.

Applicants should organize the Project Narrative using the sections below.

1. Project Significance and Alignment with Priority Areas

Applicants must clearly identify the priority area(s) addressed by the proposed project and explain how the evaluation aligns with the purpose of this NOFO and OASH priorities described in Section B. Applications should describe the significance of the proposed work and explain how the project will contribute to improving teen pregnancy prevention approaches, adolescent health outcomes, healthy decision-making, and long-term well-being.

Applicants should clearly describe:

• The teen pregnancy prevention issue, implementation challenge, evidence gap, or research question to be addressed;

• Why the issue is important to adolescent optimal health and well-being;

• How the proposed evaluation will improve understanding of effective approaches to preventing teen pregnancy and supporting optimal health;

• The relevance of the project to practitioners, families, youth-serving organizations, healthcare providers, educators, parents/caregivers, policymakers, and other stakeholders;

and;

• How the proposed project supports medically accurate, age-appropriate, and evidence-informed approaches to adolescent health education and teen pregnancy prevention.

Projects should align with one or more of the following priority areas:

• Strengthening adolescent body and health literacy, supporting informed consent, promoting optimal health, and preventing teen pregnancy through medically accurate, age-appropriate programming;

• Building the capacity of local community organizations to implement programs with fidelity, quality, and transparency, consistent with OASH Priorities;

• Equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and decision-making capabilities necessary to support lifelong optimal health and healthy relationships while reducing risk behaviors associated with teen pregnancy;

• Upholding parental rights by providing advance notice of program content and meaningful opportunities for parental review and opt-out participation procedures, consistent with applicable law and program requirements; and/or

• Evaluating or incorporating sexual risk avoidance education approaches.

Applicants should also describe how the proposed evaluation may strengthen implementation quality, improve transparency, support informed decision-making, identify protective factors, or improve delivery of evidence-informed programming for adolescents and their families.

2. Technical Approach and Evaluation Design

Applicants should provide a detailed description of the proposed evaluation design, methodology, and analytic approach. The application should clearly explain what activities will be conducted, why the proposed methods are appropriate, and how the project will produce meaningful and actionable findings within the proposed project period.

Applicants should describe:

• The proposed evaluation design and rationale;

• The research questions and hypotheses to be examined;

• The program, intervention, strategy, dataset, or implementation approach to be evaluated;

• The target population and setting;

• The proposed data sources, including existing research, evaluation, programmatic, administrative, or longitudinal data, as applicable;

• Any proposed data collection activities;

• The analytic methods that will be used;

• Any anticipated barriers or limitations and proposed mitigation strategies; and

• How findings will contribute to improving the quality, effectiveness, implementation, or dissemination of teen pregnancy prevention programs and services.

Projects may include, but are not limited to:

• Secondary analyses of existing datasets;

• Longitudinal analyses;

• Evaluations of implementation quality or fidelity;

• Assessments of parental engagement approaches;

• Studies examining adolescent decision-making, health literacy, or protective factors;

• Evaluations of medically accurate and age-appropriate programming approaches;

• Studies examining transparency, informed consent, or opt-out implementation practices;

• Research examining factors associated with successful program delivery in community settings; and/or

• Research synthesizing existing evidence to support translation into practice.

Applicants proposing to use existing datasets or administrative data should clearly describe data availability, access, permissions, and readiness to begin the proposed work.

Recipients are responsible for obtaining and documenting all necessary permissions, approvals, and agreements required to access or use proposed data sources. Documentation may include memoranda of understanding (MOUs), data use agreements, institutional approvals, school district approvals, parental consent materials, or other applicable documentation. OASH may request supporting documentation during the project period.

3. Measurable Outcomes and Evaluation Measures

Applicants must identify clear, measurable outcomes that align with the goals and objectives of the proposed project. Proposed outcomes should be specific, feasible, and directly connected to the proposed evaluation activities.

Examples of measurable outcomes may include:

• Improvements in adolescent knowledge, body literacy, health literacy, or informed decision-making;

• Improved understanding of implementation fidelity or program quality;

• Increased parental engagement or transparency practices;

• Identification of protective factors associated with preventing teen pregnancy;

• Improved understanding of effective implementation practices;

• Improvements in healthy relationship skills, attitudes, or behaviors;

• Increased organizational capacity to deliver programming with fidelity and quality;

and/or

• Findings that strengthen the evidence base for medically accurate and age-appropriate teen pregnancy prevention approaches.

Outputs alone, such as the number of participants served or trainings conducted, are not considered measurable outcomes unless clearly connected to meaningful evaluation findings or impacts.

Applicants should also describe:

• How outcomes will be measured;

• The instruments or measures that will be used;

• Plans for ensuring data quality and reliability; and

• Any validated tools or evidence-informed measures that will be utilized.

4. Organizational Capacity and Experience

Applicants should demonstrate the organizational capability, staffing, infrastructure, and experience necessary to successfully complete the proposed project within the proposed project period.

Applications should describe:

• Relevant experience conducting evaluations, research, or analyses related to adolescent health or teen pregnancy prevention;

• Experience working with adolescents, families, schools, community organizations, healthcare providers, or other relevant stakeholders;

• Experience managing projects of similar size and scope;

• Experience using existing datasets or conducting quantitative and/or qualitative analyses;

• Experience implementing or evaluating medically accurate and age-appropriate programming;

• Experience supporting implementation fidelity, transparency, parental engagement, or informed consent practices, where applicable; and

• Capacity to manage data privacy, confidentiality, and human subjects protections, as applicable.

Applicants should identify all key personnel and describe their qualifications, expertise, roles, and level of effort. Applications should clearly describe the responsibilities of the Project Director/Principal Investigator and any key partners, subcontractors, consultants, or collaborating organizations.

If positions are not yet filled, applicants should describe the qualifications and expertise required for those positions and provide a timeline for hiring.

5. Project Management and Dissemination

Applicants should describe how the project will be managed and monitored throughout the period of performance.

Applications should describe:

• The project management structure;

• Roles and responsibilities of key personnel;

• Plans for monitoring progress and ensuring timely completion of activities;

• Coordination among partners or collaborators;

• Procedures for monitoring project milestones and deliverables; and

• Strategies to address implementation challenges or delays.

Applicants should also describe how findings will be disseminated to relevant audiences in a timely, accessible, and practical manner.

Dissemination plans should identify how findings will be shared with:

• Community organizations;

• Practitioners and educators;

• Parents and caregivers;

• Public health professionals;

• Researchers;

• Policymakers; and/or

• Other stakeholders involved in adolescent health and teen pregnancy prevention.

HHS/OASH may publish your findings (including online). Applicants are encouraged to propose dissemination approaches that support translation of findings into practice and improve implementation quality, transparency, fidelity, and adolescent health outcomes.

Recipients may be expected to participate in meetings, presentations, technical assistance activities, or other dissemination efforts coordinated by OASH during the project period.

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:

1) Work Plan

Your work plan should reflect, and be consistent with, the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative, and must cover all years of the period of performance. However, each year’s activities should be fully attainable in one budget year. You may propose multi-year activities, as well as activities that build upon each other, but each phase of the project must be discrete and attainable within a single budget year.

Your work plan should include a statement of the project’s overall goal, anticipated outcome(s), key objectives, and the major tasks, action steps, or products that will be pursued or developed to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task of each year, action step, or product, your work plan should identify the timeframes involved (including start and end dates), and the lead person responsible for completing the task.

2) Letters of Commitment from Project Partners

You may include signed Letters of Commitment for the organizations that have been specifically named to carry out any aspects of the project. The signed letters of commitment should include the specific role and resources that will be provided (if any), or activities that will be undertaken, in support of the applicant. The entity’s expertise, experience, and access to the targeted population(s) should also be described in the letter of commitment.

Letters of commitment are not the same as letters of support. 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. Letters of support also may indicate an intent or interest to work together in the future, but they lack specificity. You should NOT provide letters of support, and letters of support such as this will not be considered during the review.

3) Curriculum Vitae/Resume for Key Project Personnel

You must submit with your application curriculum vitae and/or resumes of all key personnel. Key Personnel includes those individuals who will oversee the technical, professional, and managerial functions and/or assume responsibility for assuring the validity and quality of your organization’s program. This includes at a minimum the Project Director and Program Manager/Coordinator. We encourage individuals to use their full name (first, middle, last) on these documents to distinguish them for verification in the System for Award Management exclusion records.

4) Organizational Chart

You must submit a staff organization chart that includes all key personnel, project personnel, and any proposed subawards or collaborators. If subaward organizations or collaborators are part of the proposed project, the organization chart should make clear how they will interact with key personnel on the project.

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.

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 the overall cost of the project as well as the proposed cost per activity, service delivered, and/or product. For example, the budget narrative should define the amount of work you have planned and expect to perform, what it will cost, and an explanation of how the result is cost effective. If you are proposing to provide services to clients, you should describe how many clients you expect to serve, the unit cost of serving each client, and how this is cost effective.

Proposed costs must adhere to the cost principles described in 2 C.F.R. §200.416. We have provided additional information on the most common cost categories for applications for OASH awards in Section J.4.

Budget calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient to verify the calculations. Carefully review Funding Restrictions (below) for specific information regarding allowable, unallowable, and restricted costs.

Describing Federal and Non-federal Share

Both federal and non-federal resources (if applicable) must be detailed and justified in the budget narrative. “Federal resources” refers only to the HHS/OASH funds for which you are applying under this NOFO. “Non-federal resources” are all other non-HHS/OASH federal and non-federal resources.

If matching or cost sharing is required or offered voluntarily, you must include a detailed listing of any funding sources identified in box 18 of SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance).

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs for training are limited to a fixed rate of eight percent of the modified total direct costs (MTDC) exclusive of tuition and related fees, direct expenditures for equipment, and subawards in excess of $50,000 (2 C.F.R. § 200.414 (c)(1).

Funding Restrictions

The following restrictions apply to costs you may propose and be awarded.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E

Pre-Award Costs

Pre-award costs are NOT allowed. Pre-award costs (2 C.F.R. § 200.458) are those incurred prior to the effective date of the Federal award directly pursuant to the negotiation and in anticipation of the Federal award where such costs are necessary for efficient and timely performance of the scope of work.

Salary Rate Limitation

Each year’s appropriations act limits the salary rate that you may charge to the grants and cooperative agreements that we award. You must not use award funds to pay the salary of an individual at a rate in excess of Federal Executive Pay Scale Executive Level II.

As of January 2026, the Executive Level II maximum salary is $228,000. This amount reflects an individual’s base salary exclusive of fringe benefits and any income that an individual working on the award project may be permitted to earn outside of the duties to the applicant organization.