PKG00248328-instructions.pdf

7541 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Adolescent Health

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: Announcement of Availability of Funds for

Replication of Programs Proven Effective through Rigorous Evaluation to Reduce Teenage

Pregnancy, Behavioral Risk Factors Underlying Teenage Pregnancy, or Other Associated

Risk Factors (Tier 1) – Phase I

ACTION: Notice

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: INITIAL COMPETITIVE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: AH-TP1-19-001

CFDA NUMBER: 93.297

CFDA PROGRAM: TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM

DATES:

Technical Assistance:

A technical assistance webinar for potential applicants will be held on March 4, 2019 at 2:30pm

ET. Please visit https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/grant-programs/funding-opportunities/index.html for webinar logistics.

We recommend you review the entire announcement promptly so you can have any questions answered well in advance of the application due date. We also recommend you subscribe to this announcement in Grants.gov so you receive any amendments, question and answer documents, or other updates.

https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/grant-programs/funding-opportunities/index.html

Applications: Your application is due April 15, 2019 by 6 p.m. Eastern Time. To receive consideration, you must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov no later than this due date and time. If you do not submit your application by the specified deadline, we will return it to you unread. You must submit electronically via Grants.gov unless you obtain a written exemption from this requirement 2 business days in advance of the deadline from the

Director, HHS/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Office of Grants

Management (OGM). To obtain an exemption, you must request one via email from the

HHS/OASH OGM, and provide details as to why you are technologically unable to submit electronically through Grants.gov. Your request should be submitted at least 4 business days prior to the application deadline to ensure your request can be considered prior to 2 business days in advance of the deadline. If you request an exemption, include the following in your e-mail request: the HHS/OASH announcement number; your organization's DUNS number; your organization’s name, address and telephone number; the name and telephone number of your

Authorizing Official; the Grants.gov Tracking Number (for example, GRANT####) assigned to your submission; and a copy of the "Rejected with Errors" notification from Grants.gov. Send the request with supporting documentation to ogm.oash@hhs.gov. Note: failure to have an active

System for Account Management (SAM) registration prior to the application due date will not be grounds for receiving an exemption to the electronic submission requirement. Failure to follow

Grants.gov instructions to ensure software compatibility will not be grounds for receiving an exemption to the electronic submission requirement.

The HHS/OASH OGM will only accept applications via alternate methods

(hardcopy paper via U.S. mail or other provider or PDF via email) from applicants obtaining prior written approval. If you receive an exemption, you must still submit your mailto:ogm.oash@hhs.gov application by the deadline. Only applications submitted through the Grants.gov portal or alternate format (hardcopy paper via U.S. mail or other service or PDF via email) with an approved written exemption will be accepted. See Section D.7 (“Other Submission

Requirements”) for information on application submission mechanisms.

To ensure adequate time to submit your application successfully, HHS/OASH recommends that you register as early as possible in Grants.gov since the registration process can take up to one month. You must register an authorizing official for your organization.

HHS/OASH does not determine your organization’s authorizing official; your organization makes that designation. For information on registering for Grants.gov, refer to http://www.grants.gov or contact the Grants.gov Contact Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

(excluding Federal holidays) at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Your organization is strongly encouraged to register multiple authorized organization representatives in Grants.gov to ensure someone is available to submit your application.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Office of Adolescent Health announces the availability of funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 cooperative agreement awards under the authority of Division

B, Title II of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law No. 115-245).

This notice solicits applications for Phase I Tier 1 projects to replicate programs that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors. Phase I Tier 1 projects will http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov identify how to bring effective programs to scale and build the knowledge base on understanding what elements/components/factors are important to program success.

The objective for Phase I funding is to establish project merit by demonstrating that the project is needed by the population/community, the participants like the program(s) being replicated, the program(s) is/are a good fit for the population, and there is community support for the project; to demonstrate the feasibility of effective program implementation by showing that the project is able to reach the intended number of participants, is implemented with quality, fidelity, and high rates of participant attendance and engagement; and to demonstrate the feasibility of the outcome evaluation plan and readiness to begin conducting the outcome evaluation by the end of Phase I. OAH is interested in projects that focus on addressing optimal health for all young people. Optimal health is a term that refers to the best possible outcomes for an individual’s physical, emotional and social health. Optimal health is integral to health promotion across a variety of health domains as it creates opportunities that open access to environments that make positive health practices the easiest choice. Addressing optimal health includes: weaving the goal of optimal health into all components of the project, clearly communicating that teen sex is a risk behavior, placing a priority on providing information and practical skills to assist youth in successfully avoiding sexual risk, and providing cessation support by providing affirming and practical skills for those engaged in sexual risk to make healthier and risk-free choices in the future.

For the purposes of this FOA, “project” refers to all activities funded by the grant (e.g., staffing, partnerships, program implementation, professional development, dissemination) whereas “program” refers an organized set of activities directed toward a common purpose or goal (e.g., curriculum). The grant funded project includes replication of one or more proven effective programs. Phase I awards will have a ceiling of up to $500,000 per year for a period of

24 months (two 12-month budget periods). The anticipated project period is from 07/01/2019 through 06/30/2021. We anticipate awarding approximately 30 Phase I projects.

Phase II constitutes a separate competition and will be limited to those recipients who have successfully met the objectives for Phase I and can demonstrate the ability to conduct a rigorous impact evaluation in Phase II. Applicants should not confuse this research with that prescribed in the Tier 2 competition. The Department is requiring meritorious Phase 2, Tier 1 grantees to conduct rigorous research of their program in order to confirm or expand previous findings. The

Department finds it beneficial to evaluate the replication of effective programs, since previous replications of evidence-based programs have often been unable to replicate the original, positive results. For example, a federal study of the effect of TPP replications from 2010-2014 showed that of the 37 conveyed results for a 2016 report, 73% either had no impact or had a negative impact on teen behavior, with some teens more likely to begin having sex, to engage in unprotected sex, or to become pregnant [1]. Very few positive results were sustained over time.

Therefore, the Department finds this requirement for rigorous research to be consistent with the intent of Tier 1 funding in order to best help youth avoid pregnancy and other risk factors associated with teen sex. As noted below, the FY 2010 funding announcement for Tier 1 grants also required rigorous evaluation of Tier 1 replications. The clear statutory language in Division

B, Title II of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law No. 115-245) requires grantees to “replicat[e] programs that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors” but does not preclude the Department from requiring certain grantees to evaluate the success of their replications.

By contrast, Tier 2 grantees are funded to implement “research and demonstration grants to develop, replicate, refine, and test additional models and innovative strategies for preventing teenage pregnancy” [Id.]. The overarching difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 grants is the fact that Tier 1 programs have evidence of effectiveness and Tier 2 programs do not yet have evidence of effectiveness. However, the Department believes that both Tier 1 and Tier 2 grants should build the research on what constitutes replicable and successful programs that have consistently positive results. Such research will reveal the existence or lack of existence of research showing the effectiveness of the implemented program.

Funding for Phase II will be based on the success of the Phase I project, the merit and feasibility of the Phase II proposal, and the availability of funds. We anticipate Phase II awards will have a ceiling of $1,000,000 per year for two years. The anticipated project period for Phase

II is from 07/01/2021 through 06/30/2023. OASH/OAH anticipates accepting Phase II applications in March 2021 subject to the availability of funds.

HHS/OASH 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 its application complies with all requirements and instructions.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Purpose

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to replicate programs that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors. Phase I

Tier 1 projects will identify how to bring effective programs to scale and build the knowledge base on understanding what elements/components/factors are important to broad program success.

Applicants should replicate one or more effective programs in a community(ies) and/or among populations identified by current federal statistical reports as being most vulnerable to teen pregnancy, STDs, multiple partners, and other risks associated with sexual activity.

Applicants may also select a community(ies) and/or populations within the community that have not experienced declines in teenage pregnancy or other associated risk factors commensurate with national declines. Applicants are expected to propose to serve age groups most likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors. While younger adolescents may be included in the project, OAH expects that services will also focus on adolescents 15-19 years of age, recognizing the importance of reinforcing healthy decision-making throughout adolescence. Each selected community must be defined by clear geographic boundaries in order to assure that the number of youth served can be identified and rates of teenage pregnancy and other associated risk factors can be monitored.

Background

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention program is designed to give youth the information and skills that will enable them to prevent pregnancy and related risks, in order to successfully navigate adolescence into adulthood. While there has been great progress in reducing teen pregnancy and sexual risk taking, the current teen birth rate in 2017 of 18.8 per 1,000 females aged 15-19 [2] is still much higher than other western industrialized nations [3], young people ages 15 to 24 account for nearly one-half of all new cases of sexually transmitted diseases [4], and we continue to see disparities by race [2], ethnicity [2], and among our most vulnerable populations, including youth who are homeless, living in foster care, or involved with the juvenile justice system [5, 6, 7].

Many risk behaviors, including teen sexual risk behaviors, teen pregnancy, violence, substance abuse and delinquency, have a shared set of risk and protective factors [8]. Protective factors work by reducing exposure to risk or encouraging behaviors that prevent negative outcomes. Examples of shared protective factors include: positive connections to supportive adults, active and meaningful youth engagement, healthy relationships, self-regulation and self-control, sense of purpose and positive view of personal future, positive connections with family and caregivers, parental involvement, parental monitoring, family beliefs and attitudes supportive of healthy behaviors, environments supportive of healthy behaviors, and positive connections to schools, neighborhoods, organizations, and communities [9, 10]. Working to build and enhance these shared protective factors can lead to prevention of teen pregnancy and other associated risk behaviors that can impact the health and well-being of adolescents. OAH is interested in projects that address optimal health for all young people and that seek to address protective factors in addition to risk factors. In addition, several tools have been developed to help identify key elements or characteristics of effective programs, and may be helpful to organizations when selecting programs for replication [11, 12].

Replicating Programs

Replication “represents the deliberate or conscious repetition of research efforts, intended to confirm or extend previously or simultaneously obtained, but still uncertain, findings.” [13]

Replication should involve research to validate, add to, or dispute the original results for the purpose of generalizability and explanatory power regarding what elements/factors/ are important to the results. In addition, for purposes of this FOA, replications will be conducted at the “program level,” as it is insufficient to replicate only discrete elements of a program.

This replication is designed to assess whether the same results can be applied to other populations or circumstances. Replication does not have an agreed-upon definition and can take a variety of forms [13]. For example, scientific replication involves repeating a program with different populations or settings. It involves testing the same program, but against different demographic variables (such as sample demographics, a different culture, age group, geographical location), to learn whether it yields the same results. This approach is common among social science applied research replications.

Replicating a study perfectly is difficult, if not impossible, if only because of time-lapse challenges. However, we require replications to, at a minimum, include:

Implementing the selected program with overall fidelity

Slight modifications or adaptations may be made if the publisher confirms that these changes will not compromise fidelity integrity. This requires finding a balance between the tension of fidelity and adaptation and avoiding a compromise of the underlying elements/components of the program.

Programs Eligible for Replication

Programs eligible for replication by the applicant under this FOA are those that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or associated risks.

Drawing from OMB Circular No.A-11 (2018), for the purposes of this FOA, the following terms are defined as follows:

Program - “Generally, an organized set of activities directed toward a common purpose or goal”.

[14] (e.g., curriculum).

Evaluation - “An individual, systematic study to assess how well an entire program, intervention, or some specific aspect of a program works. Evaluations may address questions related to the implementation of the program, the effectiveness of program strategies, or factors that relate to variability in effectiveness of the program or strategies.”[14] “Evaluations can also examine questions related to understanding the contextual factors surrounding a program, as well as effective targeting for a program. Examples of major types of evaluations include:

• Impact and Outcome Evaluation: These types of evaluations assess the impact of a program or aspect of a program on outcomes, typically relative to a counterfactual, meaning some estimate of what would have happened in absence of the program or aspect of the program. These types of evaluations speak to the question, "does it work?"

• Process and Implementation Evaluation: These types of evaluations assess how the program or service is delivered relative to its intended theory of change, and often includes information on content, quantity, quality, and structure of services provided.

• Formative Evaluation: This type of evaluation, typically done before full program implementation, assesses whether a program or aspect of a program is feasible, appropriate, and acceptable before it is fully implemented.

• Descriptive Studies: These studies seek to describe a population or program without inferring causality. These studies are useful to understand relationships between program activities and participant outcomes, describe program participants, and identify trends or patterns in data.” [14]

Rigorous Evaluation – “Regardless of type, evaluations should use the most rigorous methods that are appropriate to the evaluation questions and feasible within budget and other constraints.

Rigor is important for all types of evaluations. Impact evaluations require that (1) inferences about cause and effect are well-founded (internal validity); (2) there is clarity about the populations, settings, or circumstance to which results can be generalized (external validity); (3) measures accurately capture the intended information (measurement reliability and validity); (4) samples are large enough for meaningful inferences; and (5) evaluations are conducted with an appropriate level of independence by experts external to the program….” [14]

In addition, for purposes of this FOA, rigorous evaluation is the strict application of the scientific method in order to apply rigorous and objective design, methods, analysis, and reporting of results,1 through any of the following methods: Randomized Controlled Trial, Quasi-Experimental Design (including propensity score analysis), or other rigorous alternative

1 Similar language is found in NIH publications, such as at this site:

https://grants.nih.gov/policy/reproducibility/index.htm.

https://grants.nih.gov/policy/reproducibility/index.htm designs. Scientifically valid evidence must be based on objective scientific principles, and must demonstrate at least one relevant statistically significant positive outcome, and no statistically significant negative outcomes, from a study (or studies) that meets the definition of rigorous evaluation and which provides a strong or reasonable degree of confidence that the outcome found was caused by the program studied.

When selecting effective program(s) for replication under this FOA, the following criteria must be met:

o Program proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or associated risks (specifically sexual activity or other sexual risk behaviors) o Research that demonstrated a statistically significant positive behavioral impact o Peer reviewed research that may be present in either published or grey literature o Research must be conducted by an independent evaluator who is neither part of the publishing team, nor an author of the curriculum chosen.

o Research report must be no older than ten years.

In the 2018 Tier 1 FOA, OAH stated that curricula must be selected, with necessary adaptations made, or supplementary materials presented in tandem with an established curriculum, to address and replicate elements from (or in a continuum between) two programs:

the Center for Relationship Education’s Systematic Method for Assessing Risk-Avoidance Tool

(SMARTool), which describes 9 elements essential for effective sexual risk avoidance, or ETR’s

Tool to Assess the Characteristics of Effective Sex and STD/HIV Education Programs, which describes 17 elements of effective sexual risk reduction projects. OAH continues to intend to pursue a substantially similar approach through Tier 1 funding in the future so as to optimally replicate effective programs for teen pregnancy prevention. Nevertheless, two United States

District Courts enjoined the issuance of awards under the 2018 Tier 1 FOA on the basis of that approach, and the appeal process for those cases is not yet complete. Therefore, for the purposes of this FOA, OAH is using the description of programs eligible for replication that is contained earlier in this section, and the description of expectations of recipients contained below, and

OAH also expresses it is interested in projects that address optimal health for all young people and that seek to address protective factors in addition to risk factors, and notes that several tools have been developed to help identify key elements or characteristics of effective programs, which may be helpful to organizations when selecting programs for replication [11, 12].

OAH Expectations of Recipients

Included below are expectations of recipients throughout the two-year project period.

Demonstrate need and demand from the target population.

Replicate one or more programs proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or associated risks to scale with adolescents in multiple settings.

Replicate programs with quality, fidelity, and the active engagement of youth and families.

Ensure that program materials used in the funded project, and the implementation of program materials, are medically accurate, age appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and trauma-informed.

Provide ongoing professional development for all project staff and facilitators to ensure high quality implementation and evaluation.

Conduct process and implementation evaluation to establish project merit and demonstrate the feasibility of implementation, including collection of performance measure data.

Communicate and disseminate information about the project to raise awareness with youth, their families, and key stakeholders.

Plan for sustainability of the project beyond the grant.

Develop a plan and demonstrate feasibility and readiness for conducting a rigorous outcome evaluation by the end of Phase I.

1. Demonstrate Need and Demand from the Target Population.

Recipients are expected to replicate programs with participants and/or in communities with the greatest need for services. Applicants should select a community(ies) and/or populations within the community that have rates of teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors either at or above the national average. Applicants may also select a community(ies) and populations within the community that have not experienced declines in teenage pregnancy or other associated risk factors commensurate with national declines. Each selected community must be defined by clear geographic boundaries in order to assure that the number of youth served can be identified and rates of teenage pregnancy and other associated risk factors can be monitored.

The target population should be youth ages 10-19 and families/caregivers of youth ages 10-

19, with special focus on adolescents 15-19 years of age, recognizing the importance of reinforcing healthy decision-making throughout adolescence. Applicants are expected to demonstrate that there is a need and a demand for the project from the community and populations that will be served, and that the programs selected for replication are a good fit for the community and populations served.

2. Replicate programs proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or associated risks to scale with adolescents in multiple settings.

Recipients are expected to replicate one or more programs proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or associated risks. For all effective programs, the applicant and its partners are expected to adopt strategies to replicate them with as many youth and families from the target population and in as many settings as possible. OAH is interested in projects that address optimal health for all young people and that seek to address protective factors in addition to risk factors.

OAH expects funded recipients to form partnerships and a collaborative culture to support the overall project and replicate programs to scale. Key partners should be pre-established, but additional partners should be added or changed throughout the award period, as deemed appropriate by the recipient. The recipient is responsible for ensuring that partners meet expectations and successfully fulfill their roles and responsibilities. Applications should clearly demonstrate existence of the partnerships required to replicate the project with as many youth and families from the target population as possible with Memoranda of

Understanding (MOUs) or subawards. Upon award, funded recipients are expected to submit copies of all final agreements to OAH. Funded recipients are expected to leverage resources and assets to replicate programs to increase impact, ensure collaboration, and avoid duplication with other projects serving the same population, community, or settings.

Programs selected for replications should be implementation-ready as described below.

Table 1: Characteristics to Demonstrate Implementation-Readiness

Name for the program(s) to be replicated and any curricula that will be used to replicate the selected program(s).

Clear theory or theory of change

All materials needed for implementation available, clear, and fully developed

Procedures and activities of the program fully developed and clear

Population for whom the program designed is clear

Who implements program, including their unique qualifications, is clear

Mode of delivery is determined (i.e. face-to-face; electronically; individual, group, mixed)

Location/setting of program delivery is determined

Fidelity measures or monitoring mechanism available for program

3. Implement programs with quality, fidelity, and the active engagement of youth and families.

Recipients are expected to implement effective programs with fidelity and quality.

Recipients will be required to monitor the extent to which effective programs are implemented with fidelity and quality, and will be allowed to make minor adaptations (i.e., changes to the content and/or delivery of the program) as long as the adaptations are justified and shown to not impact the effectiveness of the program. Recipients will be required to establish and implement a fidelity monitoring plan that includes, at a minimum, collecting data on fidelity and quality from program facilitators as well as from observations of at least

10% of all program sessions and 100% of all program facilitators, reviewing and analyzing data on a regular basis, using data to provide feedback to facilitators, and using the data to make continuous quality improvements to the program and its implementation. Recipients are expected to incorporate meaningful and authentic engagement of the youth, families, and caregivers throughout the development, implementation, and evaluation of their project.

4. Ensure that program materials, and the implementation of program materials, is medically accurate, age appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and trauma-informed.

All materials used in the funded project, and the implementation of program materials, are expected to be medically accurate, age appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and trauma-informed. Medical accuracy assures that statements neither understate nor overstate the facts and/or best medical evidence. For purposes of this announcement, the term “medically accurate” means the information will be referenced to peer reviewed publications by educational, scientific, governmental, or health organizations. Age appropriateness assures that topics and themes are appropriate for the age group and other specific characteristics of the target audience. Age appropriate means it will be appropriate for the general developmental and social maturity of the targeted age group. The ability to cognitively understand a concept is not evidence that the concept is age appropriate.

Recipients are expected to conduct their own review of all materials to ensure they are medically accurate, age appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and trauma-informed. Recipients will certify that all materials are medically accurate prior to use. OAH may review for medical accuracy, if deemed necessary. Any necessary modifications must be made by the recipient to ensure medical accuracy.

Applicants who choose to use any copyrighted curriculum materials in their proposed project must include a signed agreement with the developer or purveyor of the materials that demonstrates that the applicant has permission to use the materials as planned. This should include, but is not limited to, permission to use the materials as proposed in the application and/or alter them as needed for compliance with OAH medical accuracy review. Without an agreement with the developer or purveyor the project will not be funded.

5. Provide ongoing professional development for all project staff and facilitators to ensure high quality implementation and evaluation.

OAH expects funded recipients to implement, and maintain a training and technical assistance plan for the professional development of project staff that is relevant to their project. If sub-awarding, recipients should ensure training is provided to subrecipients as well as to recipients’ staff. Recipients should assess the professional development needs of staff and partners on a regular basis and use the results to develop a plan for ongoing professional development and support.

6. Conduct process and implementation evaluation to establish project merit and demonstrate the feasibility of implementation, including collection of performance measure data.

Process and implementation evaluation should take place before and during the project’s implementation in order to establish project merit and ensure feasibility and ongoing quality improvement of both project design and performance. Recipients are expected to continuously improve the quality of the project, by assessing whether the project is being implemented as intended and is relevant and resonant with the intended audience. The process and implementation evaluation should systematically document challenges, successes, and lessons learned to improve implementation and ensure successful execution strategies. OAH will provide core questions or themes to be included in such evaluation.

Recipients will be expected to develop a process and implementation evaluation report by the end of the grant that summarizes the findings. Recipients are expected to publish or otherwise make publicly available the results of the work supported through the funded project, including the process and implementation evaluation report. In addition, OAH expects funded recipients to retain their evaluation data for future secondary analyses for at least three years after the end of the project period. The recipients and its evaluator are expected to participate in technical assistance provided by OAH or its contractor(s).

In tandem with individually designed process and implementation evaluation, recipients will also be required to collect and use performance measures to make continuous quality improvements. All recipients are expected to collect a common set of performance measures to assess project implementation and outcomes and use measures for learning. Recipients will be expected to collect data to monitor ongoing implementation, and to use the data to make continuous quality improvements to the project to ensure that high-quality programming and high-levels of participant engagement are maintained. Recipients must collect all performance measures and report to OAH on a semi-annual basis (pending OMB approval). Final performance measures will be provided to recipients during the first six months of funding and may include measures on reach, dosage, implementation quality, sustainability, partnerships, trainings, and dissemination. Recipients should review relevant state laws, organizational policies, and other administrative procedures of their sites or partner organizations to ensure the feasibility of data collection. Recipients should obtain any necessary permissions to collect required data.

7. Communicate and disseminate information about the project to raise awareness with youth, their families, and key stakeholders.

Recipients are expected to have a robust communication and dissemination plan in place that aligns with their overall project and helps build and share knowledge gained. The communication and dissemination plan should include broadly publicizing information about the project. It should also include efforts to communicate and share knowledge, on-going activities, milestones, evaluation results, and lessons learned through the project. The recipient should use diverse dissemination and communication methods and techniques. At a minimum, recipients are expected to have an online presence for the project; use social media effectively; share lessons-learned as well as successes with key stakeholders; and publish articles or present at professional conferences, as appropriate.

8. Plan for sustainability of the project beyond the grant.

Recipients are expected to design their project with sustainability in mind from the very beginning of the grant project. Within the first six months of the project, OAH expects that recipients will implement activities focused on the goal of sustaining the project and consistently throughout the project. OAH expects recipients to include a sustainability objective in their work plan, with corresponding objectives and activities focused on implementing strategies aimed at sustaining the project over time.

9. Develop a plan and demonstrate feasibility and readiness for conducting a rigorous outcome evaluation by the end of Phase I.

By the end of Phase I, recipients are expected to have developed a plan for conducting a rigorous outcome evaluation. Grantee-level, independent evaluation research to address the question of whether replications of evidence-based programs were effective, was also incorporated in the 2010 Tier 1 funding announcement, laying the precedent for the evaluation of Tier 1 replications of evidence-based programs. (See, e.g., pages 11-12, 22-23, 40-42 in the 2010 Tier 1 FOA). Such evaluation planning was so important in the FY 2010 funding announcement that it received significant points in the review criteria for funding.

(Ibid, page 31) For the current funding announcement, outcome evaluations should include

(evaluations of key components of existing programs or strategies to determine which parts of the program or its implementation are most important for obtaining outcomes. The outcome evaluation plan should include, for each study, the proposed research questions, proposed research design(s), discussion of the counterfactual and context, the target population, the consent methods, evaluation processes, outcomes/goals for the research, measures, data sources, data collection timing, procedures and modes of data collection, and potential analyses. Use of an independent evaluator who is neither part of the publishing team, nor an author of the curriculum chosen is required for all outcome evaluations.

Recipients are expected to demonstrate the feasibility of their outcome evaluation plan and their readiness to begin conducting the outcome evaluation by the end of Phase I funding. This includes demonstrating the ability to conduct a rigorous outcome evaluation, including sufficient sample size and power, adequate treatment and control contrast, no confounds, the ability to collect data (i.e., IRB approval, MOUs with sites where data will be collected, data collection plan), and capability of generating preliminary data, including demonstrating high response rates for surveys conducted with youth and families in Phase I.

PROGRAMMATIC INVOLVEMENT OF THE FEDERAL AGENCY IN THE

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

Awards will be in the form of a two-year cooperative agreement with the recipient. A cooperative agreement, as opposed to a grant, is an award instrument of financial assistance where substantial programmatic involvement is anticipated between OAH and the recipient during performance of the project or activity.

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

1) Prior approval for change of time that Key Personnel are dedicated to the project and for replacement of Key Personnel. Key Personnel includes any position that supports day-to-day project management in addition to Project Director, such as Project Manager, Project

Coordinator, etc. Key Personnel also includes the lead evaluator.

2) Consulting with the awardee throughout the preparation and dissemination of materials related to the project.

3) Review and approval of implementation and evaluation plans.

4) Review project materials prior to use in the project to ensure the materials are medically accurate, if deemed necessary.

5) Review and approval of design and implementation of provisions in the FOA expectations section.

AUTHORITY: Division B, Title II of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human

Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019

(Public Law No. 115-245).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Office of Adolescent Health intends to make funds available for competing cooperative agreements. We will fund awards in annual increments (budget periods) and generally for a project period up to 2 years, although we may approve shorter project periods.

Budget periods may also vary from the estimate indicated below due to timing of award issuance or other administrative factors. Funding for all approved budget periods beyond the first is generally level with the initial award amount and is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, adequate stewardship of Federal funds, and the best interests of the Government.

Award Information

Estimated Federal Funds Available: $15 million

Anticipated Number of Awards: 30

Award Ceiling (Federal Funds including indirect costs): $500,000 per budget period

Award Floor (Federal Funds including indirect costs): $200,000

Anticipated Start Date: 07/01/2019

Estimated Period of Performance: Not to exceed 2 years

Anticipated Initial Budget Period Length: 12 months

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. Agency substantial involvement is outlined in the Program Description in Section A.

Type of Application Accepted: Electronic via Grants.gov ONLY unless an exemption is granted

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants.

Nonprofit with or without 501(c)3 IRS status (other than institution of higher education)

For-profit organizations (other than small business)

Small, minority, and women-owned businesses

Universities and colleges

Research institutions

Hospitals

Community-based organization

Faith-based organizations

Federally recognized or state-recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribal governments

American Indian/Alaska Native tribally designated organizations

Alaska Native health corporations

Urban Indian health organizations

Tribal epidemiology centers

State and local governments or their Bona Fide Agents (this includes the District of

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the

Federal States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau)

Political subdivisions of States

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

3. Other Eligibility Information

Application Disqualification Criteria

If you successfully submit an application, we will screen it to ensure it meets the below requirements. If we determine your application fails to meet the criteria described below we will disqualify it, that is, we will not review it and will give it no further consideration.

a) You must submit your application electronically via www.grants.gov (unless an exemption was granted 2 business days prior to the deadline) by the date and time indicated in the

DATES section of this announcement.

b) If you successfully submit multiple applications from the same organization for the same project, we will only review the last application received by the deadline.

c) HHS/OASH/OGM deems your application eligible according to section C.1 Eligible

Applicants.

d) You must complete the required forms in the application package: SF-424, SF-424A, SF-

424B, SF-LLL, and Project Abstract Summary.

e) Your Project Narrative section of the application must be double-spaced, on the equivalent of

8 ½ ” x 11” inch page size, with 1” margins on all sides (top, bottom, left and right) and font size not less than 12 points.

f) Your Project Narrative must not exceed 50 pages. NOTE: The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-

424B, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables).

g) Your total application, including the Project Narrative plus Appendices, must not exceed 100 pages. NOTE: items listed in “f” immediately above do not count toward total page limit.

h) Your Federal funds request including indirect costs must not exceed the maximum indicated in Award Ceiling.

i) Your Federal funds request including indirect costs must not be below the minimum indicated in Award Floor.

j) Your application must meet the Application Responsiveness Criteria outlined above.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

You may obtain an application package electronically by accessing Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/. You can find it by searching on the CFDA number shown on page 1 of this funding opportunity announcement. If you have problems accessing the application or difficulty downloading, contact:

Office of Grants Management

Phone: 240-453-8822

Email: ogm.oash@hhs.gov mailto:ogm.oash@hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

i. Application Format

Your application must be prepared using the forms and information provided in the online application package.

The Project Narrative, and total application including appendices, must adhere to the page limit indicated in Application Disqualification Criteria listed in Section C. The page limit does not include the Budget Narrative (including budget tables), required forms, assurances, and certifications as described in the Application Disqualification Criteria. Please do not number pages or include a table of contents. Our grants management system will generate page numbers once your application is complete. If your application exceeds the specified page limits for the Project Narrative or Project Narrative plus Appendices when printed on 8.5” X 11” paper by HHS/OASH/OGM, we will not review it. We recommend you print out your application before submitting electronically to ensure that it is within the page limits and is easy to read.

You must double-space the Project Narrative pages.

You should use an easily readable typeface, such as Times New Roman or Arial. You must use 12-point font. You may single-space tables or use alternate fonts but you must ensure the tables are easy to read.

Appendices Format

Your Appendices should include any specific documents outlined in Section D.2.ii, under the heading “Appendices” in the Application Content section of this funding opportunity announcement. Your documents should be easy to read. You should use the same formatting specified for the Project Narrative. However, documents such as résumés/CVs, organizational charts, tables, or letters of commitment may use formatting common to those documents, but the pages must be easy to read. All of your appendices must be uploaded as a single, consolidated file in the Attachments section of your Grants.gov application.

Project Abstract Summary Format

You must complete the Project Abstract Summary form provided in the application package. The abstract will be used to provide reviewers with an overview of the application and will form the basis for the application summary in grants management and program summary documents. If your project is funded, HHS may publish information from your form; therefore, do not include sensitive or proprietary information.

Budget Narrative Format

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 the page.

ii. Application Content

Successful applications will contain the following information:

Project Narrative Content

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application, since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether your project meets the minimum requirements for an award under this announcement. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. HHS/OASH recommends that your project narrative include the following components:

Demonstrated Need and Demand for the Project

Selection of Programs Proven Effective Through Rigorous Evaluation

Technical Approach

Capacity and Partnerships

Project Management and Experience

Demonstrated Need and Demand for the Project

You should:

Describe the community(ies), populations, and settings within the community that will be served, and demonstrate that they are those with the greatest need for services. Describe the resources already available within the community(ies) for youth and families related to preventing teen pregnancy and associated risk factors, and improving adolescent health. Describe how the services provided through the award will contribute to and enhance the services already available in the community. Provide assurances that the services provided through the award will not duplicate services and/or programs that already exist in the populations or communities to be served.

Describe how the needs and resources were identified, and how you will assess needs and resources on an ongoing basis to ensure the project continues to be aligned with changing needs.

Demonstrate that there is a demand for the project from the community and populations that will be served.

Describe the number of youth and families you plan to serve in the community(ies) and settings, and describe how the project is designed to maximize reach of those most in need of services and impact. Provide specific details on how the estimates were obtained, including the total number of youth and families/caregivers in each community, and the percentage that will be served in each.

Selection of Programs Proven Effective through Rigorous Evaluation

You should:

For each program selected for replication, describe the evaluation evidence that supports the effective program. Demonstrate that the program has been proven effective by at least one study that meets the definition of rigorous evaluation (pp. 8-10), that the rigorous evaluation evidence supporting the program demonstrated at least one statistically significant positive behavioral impact, no statistically significant negative outcomes, is available in the published or grey literature, was conducted by an independent evaluator, and is no older than ten years. For each evaluation study cited, include the citation and a copy of the study’s abstract with your application.

For each program selected for replication, describe the content and delivery of the program, the intended target audience, process for selecting the program, and show that the program is implementation ready. Please note that the content of the selected curriculum should not normalize sex for teens and proposals will be scored in part according to whether the replicable programs selected normalize teen sex. The scoring criteria is set forth later in this document.