PKG00262737-instructions.docx

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Office of Emergency Management and Medical Operations Division of Readiness Medical Reserve Corps Program

Funding Opportunity Announcement and Grant Application Instructions

Funding Opportunity Title:

Medical Reserve Corps Small Grant Program

(CFDA # 93.008)

Funding Opportunity Number: EP-HIT-20-001

Dates: All applications must be submitted by: September 21, 2020

Table of Contents

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

II. AWARD INFORMATION

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Executive Summary and Background

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), within the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies. ASPR collaborates with hospitals, healthcare coalitions, biotech firms, community members, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and other partners across the country to improve readiness and response capabilities. The Medical Reserve Corps program is within the Office of Emergency Management and Medical Operations in ASPR.

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of 175,000 volunteers organized into approximately 850 local community-based groups which are committed to improving local emergency response capabilities, reducing vulnerabilities, and building community preparedness and resilience. MRC units organize and utilize local volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies and to support steady-state preparedness initiatives. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units bolster their community’s preparedness and emergency response infrastructures by providing supplemental personnel when needed, thus making those local communities less likely to be reliant on state and national resources. The majority of MRC units are sponsored by local health departments; other types of sponsoring organizations include emergency management agencies, local non-profits, and universities.

The MRC program office supports the MRC network by providing technical assistance, coordination, communications, strategy and policy development, cooperative agreements, and training opportunities. The MRC program office also supports information sharing between units on best practices and provides situational awareness of local activities to agency leadership and to state, regional, and national level partners. MRC units are local assets, and the MRC program office does not have direct control over MRC units.

In 2019, the MRC program identified the following four priorities:

· Medical screening and care in emergencies

· Examples include medical support at shelters, clinics, mobile disaster hospitals, alternate care sites, evacuee resource centers, and community outreach sites; medical screening and surveillance during infectious disease outbreaks; patient movement support

· Points of dispensing, mass vaccination, and other mass dispensing efforts

· Examples include medical countermeasure points of dispensing (PODs) in response to disease outbreaks; mass vaccination clinics; commodity distribution support (e.g., N95 masks, water, food)

· Use of MRC units outside of local jurisdiction

· Examples include activation across city and/or county lines (e.g., to assist a response in a neighboring community – potentially with other local MRC units); Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) deployments across state lines

· Training community members to respond

· Examples include Stop the Bleed, You are the Help Until Help Arrives, CPR/AED training, naloxone administration for opioid overdose

In recent months, MRC units have engaged in a variety of missions in response to COVID-19, including managing and supporting community-based testing sites, conducting contract tracing, providing medical care in hospitals and long-term care facilities, and preparing for future mass vaccinations when needed. For some units, this has meant taking on new missions, conducting new training, and adapting plans to meet their communities’ evolving needs.

Statutory Authority Public Health Service Act, Sections 311(c)(1), 2811, and 2813

Purpose The purpose of this funding opportunity is to continue to build the capabilities of MRC units across the Nation to respond to and meet their communities’ public health and medical needs in emergencies. It is not sufficient to just build capabilities; those capabilities should also be called upon during times of need, so the awardees should also identify barriers to the use of MRC units and volunteers during emergencies and plan to address those barriers. This multi-year cooperative agreement is also intended to enable awardees and sub-awardees, especially the MRC units, to develop a sustainability plan to continue to maintain and even build response capabilities after the end of the period of performance.

This funding opportunity is divided into two projects. Under Project A, one award will be made to a single entity (eligibility is described below) which will provide support to MRC units across the country. Under Project B, multiple awards will be made to states/territories to support state-/territory-wide MRC programming for the MRC units within that state/territory. This state-/territory-wide programming can include incorporating the local and tribal MRC units within their jurisdiction into state-wide preparedness planning and response.

Goal 1: Build the capabilities of MRC units to meet needs during emergencies and disasters The capabilities of MRC units vary according to the mission and purpose of the individual unit, the identified needs of the community it serves, the skills and experiences of the unit’s volunteers, and other factors. The MRC program priorities listed above identify capability areas that the program office has focused on since last year. And, as these priorities have been discussed with MRC unit leaders and other stakeholders, many units have already built capability in these areas. As we have seen with the recent response to COVID-19, MRC units do take on new missions and develop new capabilities to meet evolving community needs. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to continue to develop the capabilities of MRC units to meet communities’ public health and medical needs during emergencies and disasters.

Goal 2: Identify and address barriers to the use of MRC units and volunteers during emergencies and disasters According to activities reported by MRC units to the MRC program office, roughly a fifth to a quarter of all MRC units respond to at least one emergency in any given year. Some communities face recurring, annual threats like hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding, and the MRC units in those communities may be more likely to respond. In other communities, MRC units may be poised to support less frequent emergencies such as a disease outbreak requiring mass vaccination and support through points of dispensing. (In recent months, over 300 units (or over 35%) have reported responding to COVID-19.) The purpose of this funding opportunity is to identify and address barriers that keep MRC units and volunteers from being used during emergencies and disasters. For example, key partners may not be familiar with the capabilities of their local MRC unit and therefore not comfortable working with those volunteers during an emergency; this could be addressed with pre-disaster planning and activities such as joint training and/or exercises. For applicants under Project B, the pre-disaster planning and activities could also lead to better integration of local/tribal MRC units into state-wide response planning and capabilities.

Goal 3: Develop a sustainability plan to continue to maintain and develop response capabilities This current funding opportunity is planned for three years and, at the available funding level, it will not be able to support every unit and every state. After three years, the awardees and sub-awardees should have established a plan that will allow MRC units to sustain their response capabilities without further federal funding. While the MRC program has not planned what funding opportunities may be available in future years, the program would like to be able to support as many MRC units as possible.

Implementation

An implementation plan which describes linkages to existing community resources, the desired response role of the Medical Reserve Corps, and the timeframe for planning and implementation should be included. Applicants must address all activities and strategies listed below in their application.

Evaluation and Performance Measurement

Applicants will be evaluated on the relevance of the proposed project to the level of funding requested, clear description of the intent of the project, and the overall impact of the funding to improve MRC response capability. Applicants must describe a plan for evaluation and performance measurement that will address the goals outlined above.

Evaluation and performance measurement must monitor ongoing activities and the progress towards the goals and objectives of the project. Applicants should include descriptions of the inputs (e.g., organizational profile, collaborative partners, key staff, budget, and other resources), key activities, and expected outcomes of the funded activities. The plan must explain how the inputs, activities, and outcomes will be measured on a quarterly basis; how the resulting information will be used to inform ongoing improvements of funded activities; and any processes that support the overall data quality and timeliness of the performance outcomes.

Applicants must describe any potential obstacles for developing and implementing evaluation and performance metrics and how those obstacles will be addressed. Applicants must describe the frequency of data collection and use for each of the specific measures being used. Quantitative measures are often best suited to feedback that facilitates ongoing improvements. Possible areas of measurements may include the following:

· Tracking unit (and/or volunteer) training levels that indicate the capability of MRC units to support emergency responses,

· Number and type of mission set capabilities MRC units can support,

· Number and type of volunteers trained for a specific mission set response,

· Training plans and exercises that support MRC emergency response capabilities, including number of plans/exercises and/or number of volunteers who participate,

· Training plans and exercise development that address barriers to volunteer utilization,

· Increased awareness, for example through the number of social media hits or website hits, of MRC capabilities with local, state, territorial, tribal and/or national stakeholders,

· The number of new or expanded collaborations with response stakeholders to identify new or evolving response missions, further develop response capabilities, or sustain response capabilities,

· Identification and implementation of training opportunities to support unit mission capabilities, such as workshops or exercises and count of those who complete each one,

· The number of recruitment and training opportunities for volunteers in specific response roles identified for specific unit missions, and,

· Strengthened awareness and integration of MRC capabilities with stakeholders.

Project Sustainability Plan

Applicants must propose a plan for project sustainability after the period of federal funding ends. Grantees are expected to sustain key elements of their grant projects, e.g., strategies or services and interventions, which have been effective in improving MRC response capabilities. Describe the approach to project sustainability that will be most effective and feasible. Provide a description of key individuals and/or organizations whose support will be required. Address the types of alternative support that is necessary to sustain progress. Sustainability planning may also be for the MRC units that are supported by the applicant’s programming including potential sub-awards.

Eligibility and Funding Strategy

Project A Public and private community health programs.

Project B Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity are states that prepare and submit a sufficient application compliant with the statutory and administrative requirements described in this document. For the purposes of this announcement, the term “state” may include a state, territory, freely associated state, and the District of Columbia.

Applications will be reviewed by a review panel.

Total availability of funds: $3,200,000 Approximate number of awards given:

Project A: One (1) award Project B: 20 awards

Approximate award:

Project A: $1,600,000 in year 1; $1,500,000 in years 2 and 3 Project B: Up to $80,000 per award in year 1; up to $50,000 per award in years 2 and 3. $1,600,000 estimated told in year 1; $1,000,000 estimated total in years 2 and 3

ASPR Activities

Awardees may propose a range of activities to meet the purpose of the funding opportunity including training and exercises; development and dissemination of guidance, procedures, templates, etc; communications and forums for sharing and gathering best practices and lessons learned; other technical assistance; sub-awards to MRC units; and personnel and other administrative costs for managing the activities.

Collaborations

Applicants may propose partnerships and collaborations, but these are not required or expected. The awardees will remain a single entity as described in the eligible entities section.

Other Important Notes about this Funding Opportunity Announcement (if applicable)

Awards under this funding opportunity are subject to the availability of funds.

Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Award Ceiling Disqualification Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

FOA Title: Medical Reserve Corps Small Grant Program

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2020

Approximate Total Funding: USD $3,200,000 total for Project A and Project B in year 1. USD $2,500,000 for Project A and Project B in years 2 and 3.

This amount is subject to availability of funds. Includes direct and indirect costs.

Approximate Number of Awards: Project A: One (1) award; Project B: 20 awards

Approximate Average Award (per budget period): Project A: USD $1,600,000 in year 1 and $1,500,000 in years 2 and 3; Project B: USD $80,000 in year 1 and $50,000 in years 2 and 3

Floor of Individual Award Range (per budget period): Project A: USD $750,000; Project B: USD $20,000

Ceiling of Individual Award Range (per budget period): Project A: USD $3,200,000; Project B: USD $50,000

Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2020

Budget Period Length: September 30, 2020 through September 29, 2021

Project Period Length: September 30, 2020 through September 29, 2023

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

The following recipients may submit an application:

Project A Public and private community health programs Project B Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity are states that prepare and submit a sufficient application compliant with the statutory and administrative requirements described in this document. For the purposes of this announcement, the term “state” may include a state, territory, freely associated state, and the District of Columbia.

Cost Sharing/Match and/or Maintenance of Effort/Funding

There is no cost sharing or match requirement for this project.

Maintenance of effort/funding is not required for this program.

Special Requirements

None

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Address to Request Application Package

Application materials can be obtained from http://www.grants.gov.

Contact person regarding this FOA is:

Moji Obiako Regional Liaison, Medical Reserve Corps Program Telephone: 206-615-2025 Email: moji.obiako@hhs.gov

Applicants must download the application package associated with this funding opportunity from grants.gov. If the applicant encounters technical difficulties with grants.gov, the applicant should contact grants.gov customer service. The grants.gov contact center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the exception of all federal holidays. The contact center provides customer service to the applicant community. The extended hours will provide applicants support around the clock, ensuring the best possible customer service is received any time it is needed. You can reach the grants.gov support center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email at support@grants.gov. Submissions sent by email, fax, CDs, or thumb drives of applications will not be accepted.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application prior to the due date.

Required Registrations

Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and Grants.gov (see below for all registration requirements).

1. GET REGISTERED

You are required to complete three (3) registration processes:

1. Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (to obtain a DUNS number);

2. System for Award Management (SAM);and

3. Grants.gov If this is your first time submitting an application, you must complete all three registration processes. If you have already completed registrations for DUNS and SAM, you need to ensure that your accounts are still active, and then register in Grants.gov. If your organization is not registered by the deadline, the application will not be accepted.

The organization must maintain an active and up-to-date SAM and DUNS registrations in order for ASPR to make an award.

1.1 Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Registration Applicants are required to obtain a valid DUNS Number, also known as the Unique Entity Identifier, and provide that number in the application. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge.

To obtain a DUNS number, access the Dun and Bradstreet website at: http://www.dnb.com or call 1-866-705-5711. To expedite the process, let Dun and Bradstreet know that you are a public/private nonprofit organization getting ready to submit a federal grant application. The DUNS number you use on your application must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM).

1.2 System for Award Management (SAM) Registration

You must also register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and continue to maintain active SAM registration with current information during the period of time your organization has an active federal award or an application under consideration by an agency. To create a SAM user account, Register/Update your account, and/or Search Records, go to https://www.sam.gov.

It is also highly recommended that you renew your account prior to the expiration date. SAM information must be active and up-to-date, and should be updated at least every 12 months to remain active (for both recipients and sub-recipients). Once you update your record in SAM, it will take 48 to 72 hours to complete the validation processes. Grants.gov rejects electronic submissions from applicants with expired registrations.

1.3 Grants.gov Registration

Grants.gov is an online portal for submitting federal grant applications. It requires a one-time registration in order to submit applications. While Grants.gov registration is a one-time only registration process, it consists of multiple sub-registration processes (i.e., DUNS number and SAM registrations) before you can submit your application.

You can register to obtain a Grants.gov username and password at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

If this is your first time submitting an application through Grants.gov, registration information can be found at the Grants.gov “Applicants” tab.

The person submitting your application must be properly registered with Grants.gov as the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) for the specific DUNS number cited on the SF-424 (first page). See the Organization Registration User Guide for details at the following Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

All entities must register and/or renew registration with grants.gov prior to submitting an application. Grantees previously registered must assure that the registration is still valid and up-to-date. Registration and re-registration take up to 10 working days to process. Failure to submit the application on time due to late registration will result in ASPR not accepting the application.

Application Screening Criteria

Applications must be submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov by September 21, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST.

Content and Form of Application Submission

The following required documents and sections must be included in the application package in order to be considered for funding. Please note, applicants must submit a discrete project abstract and project narrative for each project for which they are applying. Please also ensure that the budget request associated with various activities is clearly delineated.

Cover Letter (optional) Cover letters should be addressed to the following:

Virginia Simmons Chief Grants Management Officer Acquisition Management Contracts and Grants Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Ave. S.W.

Washington, DC 20201 Telephone: (202) 260-0400 E-mail: asprgrants@hhs.gov

Project Abstract A project abstract must be completed in the grants.gov application forms. The project abstract must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable for dissemination to the public. It should be a self-contained description of the project and should contain a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and insofar as possible understandable to a technically literate lay reader. This abstract must not include any proprietary or confidential information.

Project Narrative A project narrative must be submitted with the application forms. The project narrative must be uploaded in a PDF file format when submitting via grants.gov. The narrative should address activities to be conducted over the entire project period, with a more detailed work plan for the first year. Each of these project narratives should be succinct, self-explanatory, and in the order outlined in this section.

The narrative must be submitted in the following format:

The project narrative must be double-spaced, on 8 ½” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a font size of not less than 11. You may use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. Forms do not need to be double spaced.

The components of the project narrative counted as part of the 40 page limit include:

· Background

· Current capacity

· Approach and work plan

· Budget narrative and justification

· Performance measurement and evaluation strategy

Any other relevant additional information that does not count toward the 40 page limit including:

· Curricula vitae for key project personnel

· Letters of commitment

· Copy of the applicant’s most recent indirect cost agreement, if requesting indirect costs

· Other documents, as needed

The project narrative is the most important part of the application, since it is the primary basis on which ASPR determines whether or not a project meets the minimum requirements for grants under Public Health Service Act, Section 311(c)(1). The project narrative should provide a clear and concise description of the project. The following is a brief description of each required component:

Background Applicants must describe the core background information relative to the specific application type (Project A or Project B). The core background information must help reviewers understand how the applicant's response to the FOA will improve MRC response readiness and capacity.

Current Capacity Address the current capacity of the applicant to successfully implement the proposed project and associated activities, including describing staff and other infrastructure already in place in which to build upon, to meet project period outcomes.

Approach and Work Plan Applicants must clearly identify the outcomes they expect to achieve by the end of the project period and provide a clear and concise description of the strategies and activities they used to achieve the project’s outcomes. Briefly introduce the activity(ies) being proposed and describe what the expected outputs (e.g., milestones) will be over the first 12 months of the project and a higher-level description for each subsequent year.

Applicants must propose a plan for project sustainability after the period of federal funding ends. Grantees are expected to sustain key elements of their grant projects, e.g., strategies or services and interventions, which have been effective in improving MRC response capabilities. Describe the approach to project sustainability that will be most effective and feasible. Provide a description of key individuals and/or organizations whose support will be required. Address the types of alternative support that is necessary to sustain progress. Sustainability planning may also be for the MRC units that are supported by the applicant’s programming including potential sub-awards.

Budget Narrative and Justification A detailed budget with supporting justification must be provided and be related to recipient activities that are stated in awardees’ work plans. Awardees must note the following budget-related issues:

· If indirect costs are requested, it will be necessary to include a copy of the organization’s current negotiated Federal Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or a Cost Allocation Plan for those awardees under such a plan.

· Travel for program implementation should be justified and related to implementation activities.

· Budgets that include costs for equipment (e.g., equipment for medical response) must be detailed in the budget narrative and justification. (Note, recipients may not use funds for vehicles. See full list of funding restrictions below.)

The budget narrative or justification should be provided using the instructions included in Attachment A (Instructions for Completing Required Forms) of this FOA. Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to Attachment B (Budget Narrative/Justification Sample Format), which provides an example of the level of detail sought.

Performance Measurement and Evaluation Strategy Applicants will be evaluated on the relevance of the proposed project to the level of funding requested, clear description of the intent of the project, and the overall impact of the funding to improve MRC response capability. Applicants must describe a plan for evaluation and performance measurement that will address the goals outlined above.

Evaluation and performance measurement must monitor ongoing activities and the progress towards the goals and objectives of the project. Applicants should include descriptions of the inputs (e.g., organizational profile, collaborative partners, key staff, budget, and other resources), key activities, and expected outcomes of the funded activities. The plan must explain how the inputs, activities, and outcomes will be measured; how the resulting information will be used to inform improvement of funded activities; and any processes that support the overall data quality of the performance outcomes.

Applicants must describe any potential obstacles for developing and implementing evaluation and performance metrics and how those obstacles will be addressed. Applicants must describe the frequency of data collection and use for each of the specific measures being used. Quantitative measures are often best suited to feedback that facilitates ongoing improvements. Possible areas of measurements may include the following:

· Tracking unit (and/or volunteer) training levels that indicate the capability of MRC units to support emergency responses,

· Number and type of mission set capabilities MRC units can support,

· Number and type of volunteers trained for a specific mission set response,

· Training plans and exercises that support MRC emergency response capabilities, including number of plans/exercises and/or number of volunteers who participate,

· Training plans and exercise development that address barriers to volunteer utilization,

· Increased awareness, for example through the number of social media hits or website hits, of MRC capabilities with local, state, territorial, tribal and/or national stakeholders,

· The number of new or expanded collaborations with response stakeholders to identify new or evolving response missions, further develop response capabilities, or sustain response capabilities,

· Identification and implementation of training opportunities to support unit mission capabilities, such as workshops or exercises and count of those who complete each one,

· The number of recruitment and training opportunities for volunteers in specific response roles identified for specific unit missions, and,

· Strengthened awareness and integration of MRC capabilities with stakeholders.

Additional Information Additional information may be included in the application appendices. The appendices must be uploaded to the "Other Attachments Form" of application package in grants.gov. Note: appendices will not be counted toward the narrative page limit.

Submission Deadline Dates and Times

The deadline for the submission of applications under this FOA is September 21, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on September 21, 2020. Applications that are submitted after the deadlines will not be processed.

Intergovernmental Review

This FOA is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

Funding Restrictions

Restrictions, which must be taken into account while writing the budget, are as follows:

· Recipients may not use funds for research.

· Recipients may not use funds for clinical care.

· Recipients may only expend funds for reasonable program purposes, including personnel, travel, supplies, and services, such as contractual.

· The direct and primary recipient in a cooperative agreement program must perform a substantial role in carrying out project objectives and not merely serve as a conduit for an award to another party or provider who is ineligible.

· Recipients may not use funds to carry out any program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for hypodermic injections of any illegal drug.

· Recipients may not use funds to advocate or promote gun control.

· Salaries may not exceed the rate of $189,600USD per year: the Further Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) limits the salary amount that you may be awarded and charge to HHS/ASPR grants and cooperative agreements. Award funds should not be budgeted to pay the salary of an individual at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. Currently, the Executive Level II salary of the Federal Executive Pay scale is $197,300. This amount reflects an individual’s base salary exclusive of fringe and any income that an individual may be permitted to earn outside of the duties to the applicant organization. This salary limitation also applies to subawards/subcontracts under an HHS/ASPR grant or cooperative agreement.

· Recipients may not use funds for lobbying activities: Pursuant to the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L.116-94), (a) you shall not use any funds from an award made under this announcement for other than normal and recognized executive legislative relationships. You shall not use funds for publicity or propaganda purposes, for the preparation, distribution, or use of any kit, pamphlet, booklet, publication, electronic communication, radio, television, or video presentation designed to support or defeat the enactment of legislation before the Congress or any State or local legislature or legislative body, except in presentation to the Congress or any State or local legislature itself, or designed to support or defeat any proposed or pending regulation, administrative action, or order issued by the executive branch of any State or local government, except in presentation to the executive branch of any State or local government itself. (b) You shall not use any funds from an award made under this announcement to pay the salary or expenses of any employee or subrecipient, or agent acting for you, related to any activity designed to influence the enactment of legislation, appropriations, regulations, administrative action, or Executive order proposed or pending before the Congress or any State government, State legislature or local legislative body, other than for normal and recognized executive-legislative relationships or participation by an agency or officer of a State, local or tribal government in policymaking and administrative processes within the executive branch of that government. (c) The above prohibitions include any activity to advocate or promote any proposed, pending, or future Federal, State or local tax increase, or any proposed, pending, or future requirement or restriction on any legal consumer product, including its sale or marketing, including but not limited to the advocacy or promotion of gun control.

· Recipients may not use funds for fund raising.

· Recipients may not use funds for the cost of money even if part of the negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.

· Recipients may not use funds for vehicles.

· Recipients may not use funds for salaries for back filling of personnel.

· Recipients may not use funds for antibiotics for treatment of secondary infections.

· Funding under these awards may only be used for minor alteration and renovation (A&R) activities. Construction and major A&R activities are not permitted. A&R of real property generally is defined as work required to change the interior arrangements or installed equipment in an existing facility so that it may be more effectively utilized for its currently designated purpose or be adapted for an alternative use to meet a programmatic requirement. The work may be categorized as improvement, conversion, rearrangement, rehabilitation, remodeling, or modernization, but it does not include expansion, new construction, development, or repair of parking lots, or activities that would change the “footprint” of an existing facility (e.g., relocation of existing exterior walls, roofs, or floors; attachment of fire escapes). Minor A&R may include activities and associated costs that will result in:

· Changes to physical characteristics (interior dimensions, surfaces, and finishes); internal environments (temperature, humidity, ventilation, and acoustics); or utility services (plumbing, electricity, gas, vacuum, and other laboratory fittings);

· Installation of fixed equipment (including casework, fume hoods, large autoclaves, biological safety cabinets);

· Replacement, removal, or reconfiguration of interior non-load bearing walls, doors, framed, or windows in order to place equipment in a permanent location;

· Making unfinished shell space suitable for purposes other than human occupancy, such as storage of pharmaceuticals; or,

· Alterations to meet requirements for accessibility by physically disabled individuals.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

As discussed above, the first goal of this funding opportunity is to support the ongoing capability building of MRC units across the nation to respond to and meet their communities’ public health and medical needs in emergencies. This multi-year cooperative agreement is also intended to identify and address barriers to the use of MRC units and volunteers in emergencies and disasters and to enable awardees and sub-awardees, especially the MRC units, to develop a sustainability plan to continue to maintain and even build capabilities after the end of the period of performance. The funding opportunity is divided into two projects. Under Project A, one award will be made to a single entity which will provide support to MRC units across the country. Under Project B, multiple awards will be made to states to support state -wide MRC programming within that state.

Please note: With the exception of the funding opportunity announcement and relevant statutes and regulations, reviewers will not access or review any materials that are not part of the application documents. This includes information accessible on websites via hyperlinks that are referenced or embedded in the application. Nor will the information websites be taken into consideration in scoring of evaluation criteria presented in this section. Reviewers will evaluate and score an application based on documents that are presented in the application and will not refer to or access external links during the objective review.

Eligible applicants will be evaluated against the following review criteria:

Background - Maximum Points: 10

1. Describe the organization or agency’s experience/history of public health/medical and/or emergency management agency partnerships and how the applicant will successfully develop a realistic plan and implement the grant.

2. The application demonstrates the organizational capacity necessary to undertake a statewide or a single entity nationally focused project by providing training and technical support, assisting local/state/tribal/territorial response agencies with response activities such as departments of public health and emergency management agencies during public health emergencies and disasters.

3. The application demonstrates a clear commitment to expanding MRC units response capabilities, addressing response barriers, and development of a sustainability plan. For applicants under Project B, the application should demonstrate such a commitment towards all units within its jurisdiction.

Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy - Maximum Points: 15

The application describes a plan for evaluation and performance measurement that will address the goals outlined above. The evaluation and performance measurement strategy will monitor ongoing activities and the progress towards the goals and objectives of the project. The application should include descriptions of the inputs (e.g., organizational profile, collaborative partners, key staff, budget, and other resources), key activities, and expected outcomes of the funded activities. The plan must explain how the inputs, activities, and outcomes will be measured; how the resulting information will be used to inform improvement of funded activities; and any processes that support the overall data quality of the performance outcomes.

Applicants must describe any potential obstacles for developing and implementing evaluation and performance metrics and how those obstacles will be addressed. Applicants must describe the frequency of data collection and the specific measures being evaluated. Possible areas of measurements may include those listed in the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Strategy section of this announcement.

Other Required Components - Maximum Points: 60

1. Describe your project and provide pertinent details around your implementation plan while including information on how it will be orchestrated. Include information on what will be accomplished and the desired outcome.

2. Describe and articulate the statement of need in a concise and coherent statement, supported by evidence, on why the project needs to be undertaken.

3. Describe the project objectives in clear, appropriate and measurable terms that address expanding MRC units response capabilities, identifying response barriers, and development of a sustainability plan. Applicants under Project B should describe how the capabilities of MRC units within their state are or could be incorporated into state-wide preparedness planning and response and how expanding those capabilities will impact state-wide preparedness planning and response. Applicants under Project B should also focus on identifying and addressing barriers to the use of MRC units and volunteers that are relevant to their state or jurisdiction.

4. The applicant shall submit a staffing plan with subject matter experience that demonstrates the relationship between staff position descriptions and curricula vitae responsible for direct oversight, management, or implementation of the proposed project.

5. The application describes what types of support and technical assistance could be developed but not limited to virtual trainings, toolkits, workgroups or advisory boards.

6. The application proposes project activities that address the program goals, requirements and allowable activities over the first 12-months of the project and a higher-level description for each subsequent year in a work plan.

7. The application relates project tasks and activities to the objectives; provides a feasible and realistic timetable for the accomplishment of significant project activities and products; while meeting identified needs.

8. The application describes a strong plan for how the applicant will undertake new collaborations and manage relationships with MRC units.

9. The application describes how the applicant will engage MRC units including those that are geographically isolated, have smaller footprints with reduced response capabilities in comparison to other units that are not geographically challenged with multiple response capabilities.

10. Application includes detailed line item budget of project costs is included and demonstrates how cost estimates were derived. Detailed calculations must include estimation of methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. The proposed budget and budget justification are feasible for the proposed approach, logical, reasonable, and appropriate.

11. The proposed budget and budget justification are free of errors (mathematical, project activities not reflected in budget, etc.) and delineates fair compensation for all project partners.

12. The application demonstrates how the funds requested are necessary and essential to accomplish the program goals.

13. The proposed budget assumes reasonable cost estimates to provide training and technical assistance and to provide support costs for community participation in training and technical assistance activities.

14. The application includes a plan for project sustainability after the period of federal funding ends. Describe the approach to project sustainability that will be most effective and feasible. Provide a description of key individuals and/or organizations whose support will be required. Address the types of alternative support that is necessary to sustain progress. Sustainability planning may also be for the MRC units that are supported by the applicant’s programming including potential sub-awards.

Desired Components - Maximum Points: 15

1. Nearly every state has an entity that currently supports statewide MRC programming. This entity would seem to be best positioned for applications under Project B.

2. The application includes letters of support or MOUs demonstrating the organizational knowledge and professional relationships with the network of local, state, territorial, and tribal domestic public health and response programs. For applicants under Project B, these letters of support would be from relevant partners within their jurisdiction. The letters alone, or in combination, must include stakeholders that are working in public health and response.

3. Application includes most recent indirect cost agreement, if requesting indirect costs.

4. Application includes staff qualifications, certifications, and skills such as a curricula vitae for key personnel.

5. Application may include other documents as needed.

6. For applicants who are proposing sub-awards to MRC units, consideration will be given to proposals that will fund the same units over multiple years; being able to depend on funding for multiple years can enable more robust long-term planning and programming and capability development.

Post-Award Requirements

Please note, after the awardee is chosen, they may be required to submit a detailed work plan that explains exactly how they will achieve their commitments. In order to expedite the funding process, the award itself will be based on largely the applicant’s commitment to attaining the goals of the FOA.

Review and Selection Process

An objective review panel will evaluate applications that pass the screening criteria. The review panel will be comprised of reviewers who are experts on the Medical Reserve Corps and drawn from federal government agencies. Based on the application review criteria, the reviewers will comment on and score the applications, focusing their comments and scoring decisions on the identified criteria.

Final award decisions will be made by ASPR. In making these decisions, ASPR will take into consideration recommendations of the review panel; reviews for programmatic and grants management compliance; the reasonableness of the estimated cost to the government considering the available funding and anticipated results; and the likelihood that the proposed project will result in the benefits expected.

VI: AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Award Notices

The Notice of Award is the authorizing document from the ASPR authorizing official, the Division of Contracting and Grants, and the Division of Finance. The Notice of Award will be sent electronically upon successful review of the application. The Notice of Award sets forth the amount of funds granted, the terms and conditions of the award, the effective date of the award, the budget period for which initial support will be given, the non-federal share to be provided (if applicable), and the total project period for which support is contemplated.

Each applicant will receive written notification of the outcome of the objective review process, including a summary of the expert committee’s assessment of the application’s strengths and weaknesses, and whether the application was selected for funding. Applicants who are selected for funding may be required to respond in a satisfactory manner to conditions placed on their application before funding can proceed. Letters of notification do not provide authorization to begin performance.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

The award is subject to HHS Administrative Requirements, which can be found in 45 CFR 75 and the Standard Terms and Conditions implemented through the HHS Grants Policy Statement located at https://www.hhs.gov/grants/grants/grants-policies-regulations/index.html. References in the HHS Grants Policy Statement to 45 CFR part 74 or 45 CFR part 92 have been superseded by 45 CFR 75.

Reporting

Applicants funded under this announcement will be required to electronically submit a semi-annual program progress report and Federal Financial Report (FFR) SF-425. In addition, applicants must submit an annual end-of-year program progress report and annual end-of-year Federal Financial Report, both due 90 days after each 12-month budget period ends. As part of the progress report financial information will be reported both per major category of expense and by objective. Recipients will receive instructions for both reports with their Notice of Award. Final performance and financial reports are due 90 days after the end of the project period. For more information see HHS/ASPR Standard Terms and Conditions.

Subaward/Subcontract and Executive Compensation Reporting: Applicants must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the subaward or subcontract and executive total compensation reporting requirements established under OMB guidance at 2 CFR Part 170, unless they qualify for an exception from the requirements, should they be selected for funding.

Quarterly Cash Transaction Reporting Recipients must report quarterly cash transaction data using the Federal Financial Report (FFR), SF-425. Recipients will utilize the SF-425 lines 10.a through 10.c to report cash transaction data to the Division of Payment Management. The FFR SF-425 (lines 10.a through 10.c) is due to the Payment Management System 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. The FFR SF-425 electronic submission and dates for the new quarters will be announced through the Payment Management/SmartLink Payment System’s bulletin board. Funds will be frozen if the report is not filed on or before the due date.

Federal Disbursement Reporting: The SF-425 will also be used for reporting of expenditure data to meet ASPR’s semi-annual and annual financial reporting requirement. All other lines except 10.a through 10.c should be completed.

Tangible Property Report: Recipients will be required to submit an annual Tangible Property Report (SF 428) at the time the annual SF 425 is submitted to ASPR. Final SF 428 reports are due 90 days after the end of the project period.

Other Reporting Requirements: Throughout the…