PKG00261701-instructions.pdf

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Policy Development and Research

Estimating the Prevalence and Probability of Homeless Youth

FR-6400-N-59

07/01/2020

Table of Contents Overview

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Description

B. Authority

II. Award Information

A. Available Funds

B. Number of Awards

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information

D. Period of Performance

E. Type of Funding Instrument

F. Supplementation

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Ineligible Applicants

C. Cost Sharing or Matching

D. Threshold Eligibility Requirements

E. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility

F. Program-Specific Requirements Affecting Eligibility

G. Criteria for Beneficiaries

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Obtaining an Application Package

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number

D. Application Submission Dates and Times

E. Intergovernmental Review

F. Funding Restrictions

G. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

A. Review Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

B. Administrative, National and Department Policy Requirements for HUD recipients

C. Reporting

D. Debriefing

VII. Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

APPENDIX

Program Office:

Policy Development and Research Funding Opportunity Title:

Estimating the Prevalence and Probability of Homeless Youth Funding Opportunity Number:

FR-6400-N-59

Primary CFDA Number:

14.536 Due Date for Applications:

07/01/2020 Overview The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issues this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to invite applications from eligible applicants for the program and purpose described within this NOFA. Prospective applicants should carefully read all instructions in all sections to avoid sending an incomplete or ineligible application. HUD funding is highly competitive. Failure to respond accurately to any submission requirement could result in an incomplete or noncompetitive proposal.

During the selection process HUD is prohibited from disclosing 1) information regarding any applicant’s relative standing, 2) the amount of assistance requested by an applicant, and 3) any information contained in the application. Prior to the application deadline, HUD may not disclose the identity of any applicant or the number of applicants that have applied for assistance.

For Further Information Regarding this NOFA: Please direct questions regarding the specific requirements of this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to the office contact identified in Section VII.

OMB Approval Number(s):

2528-0299

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION.

A. Program Description.

1. Purpose Project: Methods for Estimating the Prevalence and Probability of Homeless Youth– HUD may award one or up to five cooperative agreements, with the total of all awards not to exceed $2,000,000. The award floor is $400,000.

Research Objectives

The objective of this research is to meet the requirements for youth research activities authorized under Section 345 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which calls for “using the best quantitative and qualitative social science research methods available to produce estimates of the incidence and prevalence of runaway and homeless individuals who are not less than 13 years of age but are less than 26 years of age; and … that includes with such estimate an assessment of the characteristics of such individuals.” In 2019, HUD published the Voices of Youth Count (VoYC) Study (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Voices-of-Youth-Report.html) that met the basic requirements of the Act. Using a broad definition of youth homelessness, the VoYC Study offered a nationally representative estimate of homeless youth using Gallup phone-based household surveys, as well as point-in-time estimates of homeless youth based on street and shelter counts. Patterns and subpopulations of homeless youth were identified using qualitative in-depth interviews. To date, however, methods for estimating and predicting the number of homeless youth by linking administrative data from multiple sources have not been fully developed.

Section 345 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act provides for “such other information as the Secretary determines, in consultation with States, units of local government, and national nongovernmental organizations concerned with homelessness, may be useful.” HUD therefore seeks proposals for other information and methods that supplement the findings from the VoYC Study. Such additional information that can be used to produce estimates of the incidence and prevalence of homeless youth may include the integration of administrative data from local, state, and federal institutions that engage at-risk or homeless youth, such as child welfare agencies, juvenile justice and correctional systems, schools, and hospitals (see list of potential data sets below).

This work may build upon existing data linkage efforts for counting homeless youth, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Youth at Risk of Homelessness (YARH) planning efforts that collected and integrated local data sources on at-risk homeless youth in 18 communities (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/analysis-of-data-on-youth-with-child-welfare-involvement-at-risk-of-homelessness).

Examples of potential administrative data sources for counting homeless youth are provided in the table below. Applicants are not limited to these data sources.

Child Welfare Housing & Homelessness Other Sources Adoption and Foster

Care Analysis and Reporting System

(AFCARS)

National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS)

National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS)

National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW)

American Housing Survey (AHS)

Public and Indian Housing Information Center (PIC) Data

Homeless Management Information System

(HMIS)

Annual Point in Time (PIT) Counts or Dedicated Youth Counts

Runaway and Homeless Youth Management Information System

(RHYMIS)

Compendium of National Juvenile Justice Datasets

Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program Data

Secondary Education Enrollment Data

The National Vital Statistics System (Birth Certificates)

Public Assistance Data (ie: TANF, SNAP, etc) https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Voices-of-Youth-Report.html https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/analysis-of-data-on-youth-with-child-welfare-involvement-at-risk-of-homelessness https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/resource/analysis-of-data-on-youth-with-child-welfare-involvement-at-risk-of-homelessness

Hospital Discharge Data

Additionally, HUD seeks proposals that demonstrate how methods for estimating and predicting homeless youth can be replicated over time in multiple geographies and how they could be used to aid communities in assessing their local needs. This may include an implementation guide for communities that provides practical instructions, best practices, and recommendations for operationalizing their methods for appropriate geographies.

Research Questions

Applicants should propose research projects that attempt to address one or more of the following research questions. We expect the most competitive proposals will cover multiple research objectives.

Based on an exhaustive review with administrative data sources, what methods are recommended to count homeless youth? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach compared to counting and surveying efforts researchers have previously attempted?

Using administrative data, what is the incidence of homeless youth (the applicant may wish to tackle this question for any size geography—e.g., city, town, county, state, nation, etc.)? What characteristics and histories of youth are most likely to produce homelessness?

What opportunities exist for inventive linkages among administrative data sources to better understand the characteristics of homeless youth? What novel information can be linked with administrative data to provide a better understanding of the pathways into homelessness for youth? How would this data allow for better predictions or estimates of the incidence of homeless youth? Are there methods that could be used to produce generalizable estimates?

How could administrative data be used to help providers prioritize and differentiate needs among subpopulations of homeless youth and design appropriate interventions?

Can a methodology be developed to predict youth homelessness to inform a community’s planning and program needs? Can administrative data linkages serve other important purposes in reducing and preventing youth homelessness?

What are the geographies at which the best estimates of homeless youth can be produced (state, Continuum of Care (CoC), county, town, or other locality or governmental division)? What data are available at those levels that prove useful for estimation and prediction? What are the costs and challenges for obtaining and analyzing these data, and how can these challenges be resolved?

How could administrative data sources be used to supplement existing counting and surveying activities that communities already conduct?

Is there potential for replicating your methodology for estimating homeless youth nationally and across multiple jurisdictions? What are the obstacles or requirements for such replication?

What would each method of estimation cost and how often and at what geography or type of jurisdiction could estimates be updated?

Eligible Activities

In support of the project objectives listed above you may be asked to undertake a variety of research and analysis activities, from articulating research questions to conducting the research itself, and culminating it into research findings and producing informational tools and resources that improve practice and policies. We consider the activities listed below to be essential in creating and completing the project in a manner that achieves its objectives. However, this list is not intended to be comprehensive.

a. Research design and work plan development. Developing a research design and work plan that will effectively respond to the research goals identified in this NOFA. The development of these materials will be done in close consultation with the HUD Government Technical Representative (GTR), Government Technical Monitor (GTM), and/or other staff and experts as the HUD GTR directs. This activity includes:

Honing research questions and explaining their significance Conducting a literature review Consulting outside experts and stakeholders Developing a research design, which should include research questions, hypotheses, data sources, data collection methods, data collection instruments, and analysis methods Formulating a data collection plan, including if appropriate, sampling plans, surveys and pre-testing of Survey instruments and interview guides if applicable, detailed data system design and testing, and matching of administrative data across datasets held by different agencies, as applicable.

Identifying existing local, state and national data that would contribute to producing estimates, and evaluating strengths, weaknesses and availability of data.

Developing and enacting data use agreements and discussing with which entities they will likely be used. The researcher must plan for developing and executing data use agreements with all relevant data sources.

Developing a work plan, which should include staffing assignments, task budgets, and a timeline of key activities

Completing OMB Paperwork Reduction Act, Privacy Impact Assessment, and System of Record Notification documentation, as applicable.

Obtaining Institutional Review Board approval as needed to ensure human subjects research protections in accordance with federal requirements (see http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/commonrule)

b. Data Collection. This work will predominately use existing data (e.g., see table with potential administrative data sources above).This project could also include data collection using qualitative and/or quantitative methods that may be in-person, by mail, by phone, or via the internet if appropriate. The researcher must plan for developing and executing data use agreements with all relevant data sources.

c. Data Matching and Analysis. Merging, tabulating, analyzing, modeling, validating and presenting data from surveys and existing administrative data sources, including third-party sources, to answer the research questions. Such analysis may include qualitative data analysis and synthesis, descriptive statistics, data visualization as appropriate to present the data.

d. Communication. Synthesize and communicate findings through briefings, presentations, written reports, and the production of guidance and informational tools. These are to be designed to effectively communicate findings to non-research audiences specializing in direct-service, policy, and budgeting at the Federal, State, or local level.

e. Other Eligible Activities: Other activities could include developing short papers or policy briefs on specific findings of the research that could guide decision-makers at the State and local level, or a tool-kit that would help communities replicate the counting methods used for this study.

Deliverables

At a minimum, we expect the award recipient to produce the following deliverables. The GTR and/or other HUD staff as assigned by the GTR will work closely with the awardee on defining these deliverables. HUD expects to have an opportunity to review and comment to ensure that they meet the project objectives.

a. Management and Work Plan: The Management and Work Plan will outline the overall strategy for completing the research within the budget and timeframe allotted. It will describe http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/commonrule activities to be undertaken, assign staff and level of effort, and provide a schedule of key tasks. A draft Management and Work Plan must be submitted with the application. After award, HUD will provide feedback to the awardee, and a final Management and Work Plan must be submitted to HUD within two weeks of the receipt of HUD comments.

b. Research Design: The Research Design will provide a detailed plan for technical aspects of the research, including research questions, hypotheses, data sources, data collection methods, data collection instruments, and analysis methods. The Research Design must demonstrate how the proposed methodology, including the data collection and analysis strategy, will address the research questions and hypotheses proposed. A draft Research Design must be submitted with the application. After award, HUD will provide feedback to you, and a final Research Design must be submitted to HUD within four weeks of the receipt of HUD comments.

c. Monthly Progress Reports: Monthly Progress Reports will document activities completed in the most recent reporting period, planned activities for the upcoming reporting period, and budget expenditures by line item (including hours worked for specific staff).

d. Best Practices Guidance/Toolkit: This guidance will describe best practices that can be deployed to communities for overcoming common challenges associated with implementing data use and sharing agreements. Such guidance will discuss specific data sources as well as types of data or activities communities should undertake to collect so as to further the ability to produce estimates of the numbers, characteristics, and circumstances of youth homelessness. In consultation with the GTR, this deliverable may be optional depending on the amount of funding awarded and if sufficient funds are available.

e. Final report: Applicants will be required to submit a final report which summarizes the entire work, achievements, and findings conducted under the award. This report will address the specific outcomes described in the applicant’s proposal, the cooperative agreement award, achievement of project goals and metrics, and the management plan. The report format and style requirements are provided at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/About/style-guide-for-reports.pdf.

2. Changes from Previous NOFA.

This is a new NOFA.

3. Definitions.

a. Standard Definitions

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). The obligation to affirmatively further the purposes and policies of the Fair Housing Act.

Assistance Listings (formerly CFDA) is a directory of the various Federal listings, projects, services and activities offering financial and non-financial assistance and benefits to the American public. An Assistance Listing (CFDA) Number is the unique number assigned to each program, project, service or activity listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA).

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is the person authorized to submit applications on behalf of the organization via Grants.gov. The AOR is authorized by the E-Biz point of contact in the System for Award Management. The AOR is listed in item 21 on the SF-

424.

Award, as used in this NOFA means a federal grant OR cooperative agreement as specified in Section II.E (Type of Funding Instrument).

Consolidated Plan is a document developed by states and local jurisdictions. This plan is completed by engaging in a participatory process to assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions with funding from formula grant programs. (See 24 CFR part 91 for more information about the Consolidated Plan and related Action Plan).

Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in this NOFA does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward (See 2

CFR 200.22.)

Contractor means an entity receiving a contract.

Deficiency is information missing or omitted within a submitted application. Examples of deficiencies include missing documents, information on a form, or some other type of unsatisfied information requirement (e.g., an unsigned form, unchecked box.). Depending on specific criteria, deficiencies may be either curable or non-curable.

Curable Deficiency – Applicants may correct a curable deficiency with timely action.

To be curable the deficiency must:

Not be a threshold requirement, except for documentation of applicant eligibility;

not influence how an applicant is ranked or scored versus other applicants; and be remedied within the time frame specified in the notice of deficiency.

Non-Curable Deficiency – An applicant cannot correct a non-curable deficiency after the submission deadline.

Non-curable deficiencies are deficiencies that, if corrected, would change an applicant’s score or rank versus other applicants. Non-curable deficiencies may result in an application being marked ineligible, or otherwise adversely affect an application’s score and final determination.

DUNS Number is the nine-digit identification number assigned to a business or organization by Dun & Bradstreet and provides a means of identifying business entities on a location-specific basis. Requests for a DUNS number can be made by visiting the Online DUNS Request Portal.

Eligibility requirements are mandatory requirements for an application to be eligible for funding.

Grants.gov is the website serving as the Federal government’s central portal for searching and applying for federal financial assistance throughout the Federal government. Registration on Grants.gov is required for submission of applications to prospective agencies unless otherwise specified in this NOFA.

Non-Federal Entity is a state, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), or non-profit organization carrying out a Federal award as a recipient or sub recipient.

If eligible applicants under the NOFA include for profit entities, this definition of non-federal entity includes for profit entities.

Point of Contact (POC) is the person who may be contacted with questions about the application submitted by the AOR. The POC is listed in item 8F on the SF-424.

Recipient means a non-Federal entity receiving an award directly from HUD to carry out an activity under a HUD program.

Subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the recipient. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract. The legal agreement must contain the subrecipient’s assurance of compliance with program requirements, including but not limited to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity requirements.

Subrecipient is a non-Federal entity receiving a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a HUD program; but does not include an individual beneficiary of such program. A subrecipient may also receive other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency (including HUD).

System for Award Management (SAM), is a U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of Central Contractor Registry (CCR), Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). Registration with SAM is required for submission of applications via Grants.gov. You can access the website at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. There is no cost to use SAM.

Threshold Requirements are an eligibility requirement that must be met for an application to be reviewed. Threshold requirements are not curable, except for documentation of applicant eligibility and are listed in Section III.D Threshold Eligibility Requirements. Similarly, there are eligibility requirements under Section III.E, Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility.

Unique Entity Identifier is a number used to identify a specific commercial, nonprofit, or government entity. SAM states that currently Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is the designated entity to establish and maintain the DUNS Number as the unique entity identifier required for registration in SAM and further used throughout federal procurement, financial assistance, and financial management systems. Beginning December 2020, the DUNS number will no longer be the official identifier for entities doing business with the government.

4. Program Definitions B. Authority.

Funding for this program is provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6, approved February 15, 2019). This program is authorized under sections 501 and 502 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970 (12 U.S.C. §§ 1701z-1 and 1701z-2.

II. Award Information.

A. Available Funds Funding of approximately $ 2,000,000 is available through this NOFA.

Additional funds may become available for award under this NOFA, because of HUD's efforts to recapture funds, use carryover funds, or because of the availability of additional appropriated funds. Use of these funds is subject to statutory constraints. All awards are subject to the funding restrictions contained in this NOFA.

B. Number of Awards.

HUD expects to make approximately 5 awards from the funds available under this NOFA.

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information Estimated Total Funding:

$ 2,000,000 Minimum Award Amount:

$ 400,000 Per Project Period Maximum Award Amount:

$ 2,000,000 Per Project Period D. Period of Performance Estimated Project Start Date:

09/01/2020 Estimated Project End Date:

09/01/2023 Length of Project Periods:

36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods Length of Periods Explanation of Other:

E. Type of Funding Instrument.

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) F. Supplementation.

For this NOFA, sub-section "F. Supplementation" is Not Applicable

III. Eligibility Information.

A. Eligible Applicants.

State governments 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 a 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 Private institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses Information on Eligible Applicants B. Ineligible Applicants.

Individuals and foreign entities are not eligible applicants.

C. Cost Sharing or Matching.

This Program does not require cost sharing or matching.

D. Threshold Eligibility Requirements.

Applicants who fail to meet any of the following threshold eligibility requirements will be deemed ineligible. Applications from ineligible applicants will not be evaluated.

1. Outstanding civil rights matters must be resolved to HUD’s satisfaction prior to grant award, provided that all applicable legal processes have been satisfied.

2. Timely Submission of Applications. Applications submitted after the deadline stated within this NOFA that do not meet the requirements of the grace period policy will be marked late. Late applications are ineligible and will not be considered for funding. See Section IV. D. Application Submission Dates and Times.

a. Applicants having any of the charges, cause determinations, lawsuits, or letters of findings referenced in subparagraphs (1) – (5) that have not been resolved to HUD’s satisfaction before or on the application deadline date are ineligible for funding. Such matters include:

(1) Charges from HUD concerning a systemic violation of the Fair Housing Act or receipt of a cause determination from a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing agency concerning a systemic violation of a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing law proscribing discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status; (2) Status as a defendant in a Fair Housing Act lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice alleging a pattern or practice of discrimination or denial of rights to a group of persons raising an issue of general public importance under 42 U.S.C. 3614(a);

(3) Status as a defendant in any other lawsuit filed or joined by the Department of Justice, or in which the Department of Justice has intervened, or filed an amicus brief or statement of interest, alleging a pattern or practice or systemic violation of Title VI of the Civil 21 of

45 Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act or a claim under the False Claims Act related to fair housing, non-discrimination, or civil rights generally including an alleged failure to affirmatively further fair housing; (4) Receipt of a letter of findings identifying systemic non-compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; or the Americans with Disabilities Act; or (5) Receipt of a cause determination from a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing agency concerning a systemic violation of provisions of a state or local law prohibiting discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or lawful source of income.

b. HUD will determine if actions to resolve the charge, cause determination, lawsuit, or letter of findings taken before the application deadline date will resolve the matter. Examples of actions that may be sufficient to resolve the matter include, but are not limited to:

Current compliance with a voluntary compliance agreement signed by all the parties;

Current compliance with a HUD-approved conciliation agreement signed by all the parties;

Current compliance with a conciliation agreement signed by all the parties and approved by the state governmental or local administrative agency with jurisdiction over the matter;

Current compliance with a consent order or consent decree;

Current compliance with a final judicial ruling or administrative ruling or decision; or Dismissal of charges.

E. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility.

Eligibility Requirements for Applicants of HUD’s Grants Programs The following requirements affect applicant eligibility. Detailed information on each requirement is posted on HUD’s Funding Opportunities Page.

Outstanding Delinquent Federal Debts Debarments and/or Suspensions Pre-selection Review of Performance Sufficiency of Financial Management System False Statements Mandatory Disclosure Requirement Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities Equal Participation of Faith-Based Organizations in HUD Programs and Activities

F. Program-Specific Requirements Affecting Eligibility.

Not Applicable.

G. Criteria for Beneficiaries.

None.

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/spm/gmomgmt/grantsinfo/fundingopps

IV. Application and Submission Information.

A. Obtaining an Application Package.

Instructions for Applicants.

You must download both the Application Instructions and the Application Package from Grants.gov. You must verify that the CFDA Number and CFDA Description on the first page of the Application Package, and the Funding Opportunity Title and the Funding Opportunity Number match the Program and NOFA to which you are applying.

The Application Package contains the portable document forms (PDFs) available on Grants.gov, such as the SF-424 Family. The Instruction Download contains official copies of the NOFA and forms necessary for a complete application. The Instruction Download may include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and additional documents.

An applicant demonstrating good cause may request a waiver from the requirement for electronic submission. For example, a lack of available Internet access in the geographic area in which your business offices are located. Lack of SAM registration or valid DUNS is not good cause. If you cannot submit your application electronically, you must ask in writing for a waiver of the electronic grant submission requirements. HUD will not grant a waiver if HUD does not receive your written request at least 15 days before the application deadline and if you do not demonstrate good cause. An email request for a waiver received by HUD 15 days before the application is due will also be considered. If HUD waives the requirement, HUD must receive your paper application before the deadline of this NOFA. To request a waiver you must contact:

Name:

Ophelia Wilson Email:

Ophelia.Wilson@hud.gov HUD Organization:

PD&R

Street:

451 7th Street S.W.

City:

Washington State:

DC DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Zip:

20410 Phone: 202-402-4390

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.

You must verify that boxes 11, 12, and 13 on the SF-424 match the NOFA for which you are applying. If they do not match, you have downloaded the wrong Application Instruction and Application Package.

Submission of an application that is otherwise sufficient, under the wrong CFDA and Funding Opportunity Number is a curable deficiency.

1. Content.

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement Notes/Description

Application for Federal Assistance

(SF424)

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SFLLL), if applicable

HUD will provide instructions to grantees on how the form is to be submitted.

If any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the applicant shall complete and submit the SF-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions. Applicants must furnish an executed copy of the Certification Regarding Lobbying prior to award.

HUD Applicant Recipient Disclosure Report (HUD) 2880 Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report

HUD will provide instructions to grantees on how the form is to be submitted.

HUD instructions to grantees are provided by webcast, To view the webcast, click here.

Additionally, your complete application must include the following narratives and non-form attachments.

2. Format and Form.

Narratives and other attachments to your application must follow the following format guidelines.

a. Narrative addressing rating factors should not exceed 25 pages. The narrative page limits do not include required forms, assurances and certifications, the appendix of participating firms and http://media.gss.hud.gov:8080/WC/2011/02/11/HUDForm2880.wmv contractors, the appendix of resumes, the appendix of reference letters, the budget narrative, the abstract, and the one-page summary. The narrative must be formatted to fit an 8 1/2 by 11-inch page, double-spaced (information requirements), with one-inch margins, using standard Times New Roman 12-point font. Resumes are subject to a separate 20-page limit as follows:

1. the application shall include resumes for no more than 5 key personnel; and

2. no individual resume shall exceed 4 pages. Submitting pages in excess of page limits will not disqualify an applicant; however, HUD will not consider the information on any excess pages. This exclusion may result in a lower score.

b. One-Page Application Summary needs to include:

1. A brief description of the proposed research and/or evaluation project; and

2. Provide funding request in whole dollar amount. The amount requested should be based on the scope of the project, personnel costs, other direct costs, as well as administrative costs, etc.

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number.

1. SAM Registration Requirement.

Applicants must be registered with https://www.sam.gov/SAM before submitting their application. In addition, Applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information while they have an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by HUD.

2. DUNS Number Requirement.

Applicants must provide a valid DUNS number, registered and active at https://www.sam.gov/SAM, in the application. DUNS numbers may be obtained for free from Dun & Bradstreet.

3. Requirement to Register with Grants.gov.

Anyone planning to submit applications on behalf of an organization must register at grants.gov and be approved by the EBiz POC in SAM to submit applications for the organization.

Registration for SAM and grants.gov is a multi-step process and can take four (4) weeks or longer to complete if data issues arise. Applicants without a valid registration cannot apply through grants.gov. Complete registration instructions and guidance are provided on grants.gov.

D. Application Submission Dates and Times.

Application Due Date Explanation The application deadline is 11:59:59 pm Eastern Standard time on

07/01/2020 Applications must be received no later than the deadline.

Submit your application to Grants.gov unless a waiver has been issued allowing you to submit your application in paper form. Instructions for submitting your paper application will be contained in the waiver of electronic submission.

"Received by Grants.gov" means the applicant received a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking number from Grants.gov. Grants.gov then assigns an application tracking number and date-and timestamps each application upon successful receipt by the Grants.gov system. A submission attempt not resulting in confirmation of receipt and an application tracking number is not considered received by Grants.gov.

Applications received by Grants.gov must be validated by Grants.gov to be received by HUD.

"Validated by Grants.gov" means the application has been accepted and was not rejected with errors. You can track the status of your application by logging into Grants.gov, selecting "Applicants" from the top navigation, and selecting “Track my application” from the dropdown list. If the application status is "rejected with errors,” you must correct the error(s) and resubmit the application before the 24-hour grace period ends. Applications in “rejected with errors” status after the 24-hour grace period expires will not be received by HUD. Visit Grants.gov for a complete description of processing steps after applying.

HUD strongly recommends applications be submitted at least 48 hours before the deadline and during regular business hours to allow enough time to correct errors or overcome other problems.

You can verify the contents of your submitted application to confirm Grants.gov received everything you intended to submit. To verify the contents of your submitted application:

Log in to Grants.gov.

Click the Check Application Status link, which appears under the Grant Applications heading in the Applicant Center page. This will take you to the Check Application Status page.

Enter search criteria and a date range to narrow your search results.

Click the Search button. To review your search results in Microsoft Excel, click the

Export Data button.

Review the Status column, to view more detailed submission information, click the

Details link in the Actions column.

To download the submitted application, click the Download link in the Actions column.

Please make note of the Grants.gov tracking number as it will be needed by the Grants.gov Help Desk if you seek their assistance.

HUD may extend the application deadline for any program if Grants.gov is offline or not available to applicants for at least 24 hours immediately prior to the deadline date, or the system is down for 24 hours or longer and impacts the ability of applicants to cure a submission deficiency within the grace period.

HUD may also extend the application deadline upon request if there is a presidentially declared disaster in the applicant’s area.

If these events occur, HUD will post a notice on its website establishing the new, extended deadline for the affected applicants. HUD will also include the fact of the extension in the program’s Notice of Funding Awards required to be published in the Federal Register.

In determining whether to grant a request for an extension based on a presidentially-declared disaster, HUD will consider the totality of the circumstances including the date of an applicant’s extension request (how closely it followed the basis for the extension), whether other applicants in the geographic area are similarly affected by the disaster, and how quickly power or services are restored to enable the applicant to submit its application.

PLEASE NOTE: Busy servers, slow processing, large file sizes, improper registration or password issues are not valid circumstances to extend the deadline dates or the grace period.

1. Amending or Resubmitting an Application.

Before the submission deadline, you may amend a validated application through Grants.gov by resubmitting a revised application containing the new or changed material. The resubmitted application must be received and validated by Grants.gov by the applicable deadline.

If HUD receives an original and a revised application for a single proposal, HUD will evaluate only the last submission received by Grants.gov before the deadline.

2. Grace Period for Grants.gov Submissions.

If your application is received by Grants.gov before the deadline, but is rejected with errors, you have a grace period of 24 hours after the application deadline to submit a corrected, received, and validated application through Grants.gov. The date and time stamp on the

Grants.gov system determines the application receipt time. Any application submitted during the grace period not received and validated by Grants.gov will not be considered for funding. There is no grace period for paper applications.

3. Late Applications.

An application received after the NOFA deadline date that does not meet the Grace Period requirements will be marked late and will not be received by HUD for funding consideration.

Improper or expired registration and password issues are not causes that allow HUD to accept applications after the deadline.

4. Corrections to Deficient Applications.

HUD will not consider information from applicants after the application deadline. Before the deadline, HUD may contact the applicant to clarify information submitted.

HUD will uniformly notify applicants of each curable deficiency. A curable deficiency is an error or oversight that, if corrected, would not alter, in a positive or negative fashion, the review and rating of the application. See curable deficiency in the definitions section (Section I.A.3.).

Examples of curable (correctable) deficiencies include inconsistencies in the funding request and failure to submit required certifications. These examples are non-exhaustive.

When HUD identifies a curable deficiency, HUD will notify the authorized representative by email. This email is the official notification of a curable deficiency. Each applicant must provide accurate email addresses for receipt of these notifications and must monitor their email accounts to determine whether a deficiency notification has been received. The applicant must carefully review the request to cure a deficiency and must provide the response in accordance with the instructions contained in the deficiency notification.

Applicants must email corrections of curable deficiencies to applicationsupport@hud.gov within the time limits specified in the notification. The time allowed to correct deficiencies will be no less than 48 hours and no more than 14 calendar days from the date of the email notification. The start of the cure period will be the date stamp on the email sent from HUD. If the deficiency cure deadline date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, Federal holiday, or on a day when HUD’s Headquarters are closed, then the applicant’s correction must be received on the next business day HUD Headquarters offices in Washington, DC are open.

The subject line of the email sent to applicationsupport@hud.gov must state: Technical Cure and include the Grants.gov application tracking number or the GrantSolutions application number (e.g., Subject: Technical Cure - GRANT123456 or Technical Cure - XXXXXXXXXXX). If this information is not included, HUD cannot match the response with the application under review and the application may be rejected due to the deficiency.

Corrections to a paper application must be sent in accordance with and to the address indicated in the notification of deficiency. HUD will treat a paper application submitted in accordance with a waiver of electronic application containing the wrong DUNS number as having a curable deficiency. Failure to correct the deficiency and meet the requirement to have a DUNS number and active registration in SAM will render the application ineligible for funding.

5. Authoritative Versions of HUD NOFAs. The version of these NOFAs as posted on Grants.gov are the official documents HUD uses to solicit applications.

6. Exemptions. Parties that believe the requirements of the NOFA would impose a substantial burden on the exercise of their religion should seek an exemption under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

E. Intergovernmental Review.

This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

F. Funding Restrictions.

An organization may not conduct research or an evaluation of itself. HUD will determine whether the salary rates are reasonable, or customary for the skill set provided and that the tasks to be conducted are in accordance with federal legal requirements.

Indirect Cost Rate.

Normal indirect cost rules under 2 CFR part 200, subpart E apply. If you intend to charge indirect costs to your award, your application must clearly state the rate and distribution base you intend to use. If you have a Federally negotiated indirect cost rate, your application must also include a letter or other documentation from the cognizant agency showing the approved rate.

Successful applicants whose rate changes after the application deadline must submit new rate and documentation.

Applicants other than state, county and local governments. If you have a Federally negotiated indirect cost rate, your application must clearly state the approved rate and distribution base and must include a letter or other documentation from the cognizant agency showing the approved mailto:applicationsupport@hud.gov mailto:applicationsupport@hud.gov rate. If you have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate and elect to use the de minimis rate, your application must clearly state you intend to use the de minimis rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). As described in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. Once elected, the de minimis rate must be applied consistently for all Federal awards until you choose to negotiate for a rate, which you may apply to do at any time. Documentation of the decision to use the de minimis rate must be retained on file for audit.

State, county and local governments. If your department or agency unit has a Federally negotiated indirect cost rate, your application must include that rate, the applicable distribution base, and a letter or other documentation from the cognizant agency showing the negotiated rate.

If your department or agency unit receives more than $35 million in direct federal funding per year, you may not claim indirect costs until you receive a negotiated rate from your cognizant agency for indirect costs as provided in Appendix VII to 2 CFR Part 200.

If your department or agency unit receives no more than $35 million in direct federal funding per year and your department or agency unit has developed and maintains an indirect cost rate proposal and supporting documentation for audit in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix VII, you may use the rate and distribution base specified in that indirect cost rate proposal.

Alternatively, if your department or agency unit receives no more than $35 million in direct Federal funding per year and has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to use the de minimis rate of 10% of MTDC. As described in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. Once elected, the de minimis rate must be applied consistently for all Federal awards until you choose to negotiate for a rate, which you may apply to do at any time. Documentation of the decision to use the de minimis rate must be retained on file for audit.

G. Other Submission Requirements.

1. Application, Assurances and Certifications.

Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Application for Federal Assistance Programs is the government-wide form required to apply for Application for Federal Assistance Programs, discretionary Federal grants and other forms of financial assistance programs. Applicants for this Federal assistance program must submit all required forms in the SF-424 Family of forms, including SF- 424B (Assurances of Non construction Programs) or SF424D (Assurances for Construction Programs).Applications receiving funds for both non construction programs and construction programs must submit both the SF-424B and SF-424D.

By signing the forms in the SF-424 either through electronic submission or in paper copy submission (for those granted a waiver), the applicant and the signing authorized representative affirm that they have reviewed the certifications and assurances associated with the application for federal assistance and (1) are aware the submission of the SF424 is an assertion that the relevant certifications and assurances are established and (2) acknowledge that the truthfulness of the certifications and assurances are material representations upon which HUD will rely when making an award to the applicant. If it is later determined the signing authorized representative to the application made a false certification or assurance, caused the submission of a false certification or assurance, or did not have the authority to make a legally binding commitment for the applicant, the applicant and the individual who signed the application may be subject to administrative, civil, or criminal action. Additionally, HUD may terminate the award to the applicant organization or pursue other available remedies. Each applicant is responsible for including the correct certifications and assurances with its application submission, including those applicable to all applicants, those applicable only to federally recognized Indian tribes, and those applicable to applicants other than federally recognized Indian tribes. All program specific certifications and assurances are included in the program Instructions Download on Grants.gov.

Assurances. By submitting your application, you provide assurances that, if selected to receive an award, you will comply with U.S. statutory and public policy requirements, including, but not limited to civil rights requirements.

2. Lead Based Paint Requirements.

Not Applicable

V. Application Review Information.

A. Review Criteria.

1. Rating Factors.

The maximum number of points that can be awarded to any application is 102. The minimum score for an application to be considered for funding is 75 with individual minimum scores of 5 points required for Factor 1, 25 points required for Factor 2, and 45 points for Factor 3.

Applicants will be selected based on highest score.

Rating Factor 1: Need for the Research Maximum Points: 10…