RDRC 2023 RFA Final 3-16.pdf

OVERVIEW

Federal Agency: Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics

Title: Retirement and Disability Research Consortium

Announcement Type: New Announcement

Funding Opportunity Number: RDRC-RDRC-23-01

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: CFDA 96.007, SSA Research and Demonstration. SSA announces the solicitation of competitive applications for cooperative agreements to establish a Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC). SSA seeks applications in support of the RDRC that will continue to serve as a national resource fostering high quality research, communication, and education on matters related to retirement and disability policy. The RDRC may consist of one or more research “centers.” These centers may be universities or other organizations or associations of multiple universities and/or other organizations in the United States. The RDRC’s purpose is to benefit the public through research, evaluation, and data development; dissemination; and training and education on topics relevant to Social Security.

Deadlines:

Application Deadline: The opening date of this announcement is the date of publication. The closing date for receipt of cooperative agreement applications under this announcement is 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday, May 12, 2023.

Letter of Intent Deadline: Prospective applicants are asked to submit by Friday, April 21, 2023, a letter of intent that includes (1) the funding opportunity number and title; (2) a brief description of the proposed center or centers; (3) the name, postal and e-mail addresses, and the telephone and fax numbers of each center’s director(s); and (4) the identities of the key personnel and participating institutions. The letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review process of a subsequent application. The purpose of the letter of intent is limited to allowing SSA staff to estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflicts of interest in the review. The letter of intent should be sent to: Grants.Team@ssa.gov, Attn. Matt Messel, Office of Retirement and Disability Policy.

Frequently Asked Questions: We will be posting a running list of questions and answers on the web at https://www.ssa.gov/policy/rdrc/faq.html. Submit questions to Grants.Team@ssa.gov.

All potential applicants should monitor the website frequently to ensure that they have the latest updates and answers.

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose

As authorized under section 1110 of the Social Security Act, SSA announces the solicitation of competitive applications for cooperative agreements to establish a Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC). SSA seeks applications in support of the RDRC that will continue to serve as a national resource fostering high quality research on matters related to retirement and disability policy. The RDRC may consist of one or more research “centers” (see section C.1. Eligible Applicants). The RDRC’s program purpose is to benefit the public through the following activities:

a. Research, evaluation, and data development. SSA expects the RDRC to plan, initiate, and maintain a high-quality, multi-disciplinary research program that will cover issues related to Social Security programs in addition to broader retirement and disability policy. To facilitate the production of research, the RDRC can conduct data development activities including both the development of and expanded access to research data.

b. Dissemination. The RDRC will disseminate policy research findings using a variety of media to inform the academic community, policymakers, stakeholders in community-based organizations, and the public.

c. Training. The RDRC will train and provide funding support for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postgraduates to conduct research on retirement and disability policy related matters.

2. Scope of Work

The role of the centers is to build and strengthen SSA's capacity to undertake a broad range of research, evaluation, and policy analysis for the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI), Disability Insurance (DI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. The centers must develop research, training, and dissemination plans designed to provide Social Security, disability, and retirement policy information to assist policymakers, the public, community stakeholders, and the media in understanding Social Security, retirement, and disability policy issues. Research should help improve the administration, effectiveness, and equity of programs carried on or assisted under the Social Security Act and related programs.

All research and other activities must fall within the scope described below. This scope is in place for the duration of any cooperative awards made under this announcement. Because specific research needs may evolve over time, SSA will provide a list of focal areas of research that may change each year: focal areas are specific topics within the scope of this RFA that SSA may add or remove over the duration of the cooperative awards. In each year of the cooperative award, SSA will be making awards consistent with the goal of balancing research that provides a foundation for current and future policy analysis needs with the immediate requests for research described in a memo presenting annual focal areas.

At the broadest level, proposed RDRC center research and activities must be relevant to at least one of SSA’s program areas or populations. Some research may speak directly to one or two programs and the distributional, behavioral, or adequacy issues related to those programs. Other research— including how to advance equity efforts, examine how structural barriers affect the program populations that SSA serves, and explore opportunities to reduce barriers—is foundational and may support policy evaluation for all three programs. Proposed research activities may employ a variety of approaches to contribute to the evidence base for policy, including descriptive and causal studies, simulations, qualitative and mixed-methods research, international comparisons, and community-engaged research.

Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI)

OASI benefits are essential to the economic well-being of millions of aged Americans, providing benefits to retired workers, their spouses and dependents, and the survivors of deceased insured workers. Policymakers rely on research that increases understanding of this population, assesses the effects of recent or proposed policy changes, and analyzes long-term program trends.

Disability Insurance (DI)

Social Security pays DI benefits to eligible workers who can no longer work because they have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death. The program also covers certain family members of DI-eligible workers. Research in this area may include topics such as identifying the population(s) who may be eligible for benefits but are not applying, understanding challenges faced by the population(s), and exploring ways to overcome these challenges.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI provides monthly payments to individuals with low income and few assets who have a disability or are aged. Research on SSI helps us understand program trends and clarifies how work and other factors influence eligibility and welfare. Targeted research initiatives can evaluate the efficacy of specific program interventions or policy changes as well as discover possible unmet needs, barriers to program access, effectiveness of outreach efforts, and areas for program improvement.

Cross-Program Topics

None of the three SSA programs (OASI, DI, and SSI) operates in a vacuum. Some aspects of each program are unique and require dedicated research projects, but research initiatives may support cross-program knowledge building. There is significant value in supporting cross-program research because of its applicability to any or all the individual program areas.

Focal Areas for Year 1 of the Cooperative Agreement: Focal areas are more narrowly defined topics for research. In Year 1, SSA will specifically be looking for research that address six focal areas. The full list of focal area questions is located at: https://www.ssa.gov/policy/extramural/rdrc-focal-areas-FY2024.pdf. Focal area summaries are included below:

Focal Area 1. Disparities by race, ethnicity, and sex. SSA continues to be very interested in research on racial, ethnic, and sex equity related to Social Security. SSA is particularly interested in the structural barriers that may contribute to disparate outcomes by race, ethnicity, and sex. We expect researchers to consider such disparities when developing proposals addressing all focal areas.

Focal Area 2. Addressing Barriers to Disability Program and SSI Program Participation. For more than a decade, applications for DI and SSI benefits have been falling at a faster pace than originally projected based on actuarial models. However, the causes of this rapid decline are less well understood. SSA encourages studies that examine the possible drivers of this decline and the impact it has had on our programs and populations. We are particularly interested in studies that identify barriers that may either keep eligible individuals from applying initially or that make it difficult for them to complete the application and appeals processes.

Focal Area 3: Economic Security of Program Applicants and Beneficiaries. SSA continues to be interested in the evolving risks to economic security and how future beneficiary cohorts will fare.

Research should take a broad view, looking at all sources of economic security as well as the spectrum of resource needs to address financial risks, including long-term care. Research should also examine differences across (and within) various population subgroups (e.g., by comparing economic outcomes of women of color with those of white women).

Focal Area 4: Understanding Service Needs. In 2021, 70 million people received benefits from programs administered by SSA, of which 5.4 million were newly awarded benefits (including new entrants to the benefit rolls and persons already on the rolls who became entitled to a different benefit).1 Given the importance of Social Security to so many people, SSA is continuously looking for ways to improve how we deliver services to the public—particularly to communities facing barriers in accessing our services—to meet their changing needs. We are interested in studies that help us identify advancements in how we deliver quality, accurate, and timely service to our customers.

Focal Area 5: Understanding Communication Needs. Effective communication and outreach about Social Security is critical to enable the public to make informed decisions about their own benefits and to make them aware of benefits to which they may be entitled. Communications from SSA also affect the public’s understanding of Social Security more broadly, including the program’s long-term future and the effects of potential policy changes. We are interested in research that examines—and identifies areas of improvement—the efficacy of agency communications (including the Social Security Statement, my Social Security, and other notices2) and outreach efforts. Generally, we are interested in studies that address Question 4 in the SSA Learning Agenda, “What are the effects of changes to our communication methods on customer satisfaction, program integrity, and administrative efficiency?”

Focal Area 6: Addressing Employment Barriers for People with Disabilities. The DI program includes a set of work incentives, which are special rules, intended to help beneficiaries enter, re-enter, or continue their engagement in the workforce by protecting their eligibility for cash payments and health care coverage until their work allows them to be self-sufficient. As we look to increase the number of beneficiaries who return to work, we seek evidence on successful models for providing employment services and on barriers to employment. Studies could examine this topic both in terms of labor demand and labor supply.

3. The Role of the Centers

The role of the centers is to build and strengthen research and evaluation for the OASI, DI, and SSI programs. Each center must develop research, training, and dissemination plans designed to provide Social Security, disability, and retirement information to assist policymakers, the public, and the media in understanding Social Security, retirement, and disability policy issues.

1 See https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/fast_facts/2022/fast_facts22.pdf 2 See https://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi/text-notices-ussi.htm

Each center has the primary and lead responsibility to define research objectives and approaches;

organize a network of researchers, not confined to the institutions that constitute the center; plan research, conduct studies, and analyze data; and publish results, interpretations, and conclusions of their work. In general, SSA seeks centers with a capacity for providing quality policy research and training and for working with a broad range of stakeholders (including community-based organizations) in the development and dissemination of research.

a. Research, Evaluation, and Data Development

Each center must plan, initiate, and maintain a research program that meets the highest standards of rigor and objectivity. Centers’ research plans must be specific about long-term research themes and projects. They must include detailed descriptions of individual research projects that they expect to complete in the center's first year of operation. Research plans must include complete discussions of the expected significance of proposed analysis, data, methods, investigator qualifications, and complementarity or overlap with existing or ongoing research. An application that contains an ad hoc, unstructured set of research projects, rather than a set of projects that strike coherent themes, will be scored unfavorably.

While planning and execution of research activities shall always consider the program implications of research findings, SSA also considers it appropriate to engage in activities to make advances in research techniques, where these are related to the primary objectives of the Consortium.

SSA recognizes the value of high-quality comprehensive data for conducting policy research. To facilitate the production of research, the RDRC can conduct data development activities including both the development of and expanded access to research data. Examples of data improvement efforts include enhancing the quality of existing data sources and their documentation; developing sophisticated statistical techniques to mask micro-data; and developing new sources of data for policy analysis. Such efforts must adhere to relevant privacy protection requirements that are consistent with applicable law, which protect the micro-data from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. Where available, access may be granted through a secure data site, like those administered by the U.S. Census Bureau or the National Center for Health Statistics, subject to the rules and restrictions of those sites.

Joint research between Consortium centers and SSA researchers is encouraged, as is collaboration with other organizations interested in retirement and disability policy. Federal employees cannot receive any funding support for collaborations. To ensure the policy relevance, utility, and scope of the centers' research, evaluation, and data development goals, a group of nationally recognized scholars and practitioners (See Section A.4, The Role of the Agency) will periodically review RDRC activities and provide recommendations to SSA and the centers for the purpose of enhancing RDRC activities.

Quick Turnaround Projects: Occasionally, SSA will propose Quick Turnaround Project (QTP) topics to address SSA’s research needs that develop throughout the year. These topics may involve commenting on SSA research plans, providing critical commentary on research products, composing policy briefs, performing statistical policy analyses, and other activities designed to inform SSA's research, evaluation, and policy analysis function. While centers have discretion in whether they will submit a proposal for a given QTP topic, funding for QTPs must be included in the budget narrative at a level of $100,000. The agency can raise the ceiling above $100,000 for quick turnaround projects if both need and funds exist.

Focal Area Meeting: At SSA’s discretion, there will be a meeting to discuss research needs for the upcoming budget period. SSA will be responsible for coordinating the meeting time, location (including virtual), and agenda. Each center is responsible for participating with their director(s) and up to three key researchers or staff.

b. Dissemination Plan

Another important feature of each center’s responsibilities is making knowledge and information available to the academic and policy communities, the public, and community stakeholders. The RDRC will translate research findings into practical knowledge. The centers will be expected to maintain a dissemination system of quarterly newsletters, research papers, policy briefs, or other research products. These products must be accessible to the public via the Internet on a center-maintained website. The Consortium will hold an annual conference presenting findings from research completed during the year.

SSA encourages applicants to propose creative methods of disseminating data and information.

Applications should show sensitivity to alternative dissemination strategies that may be appropriate for different audiences, such as policymakers, practitioners, the public, stakeholders in community-engaged research, advocates, and academics. The research and dissemination will be nonpartisan and of value to all levels of policymaking. SSA reserves the right to review and approve or disapprove all research products, including publications, created using SSA funding through the Consortium, based on the review terms below.

Audience: Centers are responsible for providing a plan to disseminate research and findings to Social Security stakeholders, including policymakers at SSA and other government entities in the executive and legislative branches, researchers in academia and at think tanks, advocates in the retirement and disability communities, the media, the public, and community stakeholders.

Plain Language: While research papers may be aimed at a scientifically literate audience, they must be supplemented by plain language materials targeted to a broader audience. These materials must be written in a way that allows community stakeholders in the research to use the information and to make informed decisions at a collective or individual level. Proposals and paper abstracts must communicate, in a clear and jargon-free way, why the research is relevant to Social Security, how the research was or will be done, and the main findings of a completed project.

Review: SSA reserves the right to review and approve or disapprove all research products, including but not limited to newsletters, publications, policy briefs, and research papers, created using SSA funding through the Consortium, prior to dissemination beyond the center conducting the research. Specifically, SSA reviews for any inaccurate descriptions of agency policy or procedure, inaccurate data content, privacy and disclosure concerns, and any instances of policy advocacy/lobbying. SSA’s review is not intended to be a technical peer review; investigators’ interpretations and conclusions are their own.

Accessibility: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a law that requires federal agencies to make sure the technology we use is accessible to a person who has a disability. The law applies to:

all electronic content we post to the web (including web pages, documents, videos, surveys, etc.)

all software and mainframe applications that have screens all hardware (including computers, servers, printers, copiers, fax machines, etc.)

all stand alone devices (for example: field office kiosks) all telecommunications systems (including desktop phones, cell phones, internet-based phone systems, etc.)

technology services associated with installing, configuring, supporting, maintaining, and providing training and electronic documentation for information technology.

As recipients of federal assistance, center websites are required to be accessible. Although Section 508 only applies to federal agencies, other laws impose similar requirements on recipients of federal assistance (e.g., RDRC centers). For example, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, center websites are required to be accessible. SSA requires all RDRC center websites/dissemination products to be accessible and websites consistent with the standards set forth in Section 508. Please see Section508.gov for accessibility standards.

Any form of documentation provided by the selected centers (e.g., training manuals, user guides, embedded documents), including any documentation deliverables required in the request for applications, shall be provided in a fully accessible format. The documents shall be provided in one of the following formats: Text, RTF, Microsoft Word or HTML format, or properly “tagged” PDF.

Properly tagged PDFs can be verified by using Adobe Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker.

Documentation delivered in a manner that is interactive (e.g., table of contents, index, search) shall be keyboard navigable, move focus to selected items (or have a keyboard alternative), and be comparable in keyboard access to mouse usage. All images (especially screenshots and technical diagrams that are the sole means for conveying instructions) must include alternative text explaining the image so that a person who is blind would understand the screenshot, chart, figure, etc. Documentation shall include information on the accessibility features of the product. If keyboard shortcuts are provided to allow access to program functionality, a list of the keyboard shortcuts shall be provided. Documentation that is delivered in a video or multimedia publication shall comply with the Section 508 requirements detailed in 36 C.F.R. Part 1194, Appendix D (section D1194.24) and the functional performance criteria detailed in 36 C.F.R. Part 1194, Appendix C. In addition, SSA requires conformance to SSA’s Accessibility Requirements for all video and multimedia deliverables. SSA does not accept text equivalents used to replace speech and requires captions to be synchronized with speech. See https://access-board.gov/ict/ for additional information on accessibility and the Section 508 requirements.

Executive Order 13166 directs each agency providing federal financial assistance to issue guidance to recipients of such assistance on their legal obligations to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency (LEP) under the national origin nondiscrimination provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and implementing regulations (see http://www.lep.gov/13166/AG_021711_EO_13166_Memo_to_Agencies_with_Supplement.pdf).

Applicants should reference the LEP policy guidance for HHS recipients at https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/guidance-federal-financial-assistance-recipients-title-vi/index.html. While designed to be a flexible and fact-dependent standard, the starting point is an individualized assessment that balances the following four factors: (1) The number or proportion of people with LEP eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the program or awardee; (2) the frequency with which people with LEP come in contact with the program; (3) the nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided to people’s lives; and (4) the resources available to the awardee/recipient and costs. A recipient may conclude that different language assistance measures are sufficient for the different types of programs or activities in which it engages, or that, in certain circumstances, recipient-provided language services are not necessary. Applications should include plans for accommodating people with LEP considering these four factors.

1. Center Websites

Each research center must host a website that is publicly accessible without requiring registration, containing at a minimum the following:

a. A landing page for each approved project, completed or in progress, containing the abstract (see above) and links to all completed documents for that project (with alternative accessible format, if needed). Abstracts for newly funded projects are to be posted within 30 days of award. Research products are to be posted within 30 days of final SSA review approval, along with updated abstracts.

b. All completed research products that have passed SSA review.

c. Easy navigation and search of research products by authors and keywords.

d. A privacy policy describing the center’s information collection practices through the website.

e. Information about the Research Consortium and its objectives in addition to links to the

SSA Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics RDRC site and the other RDRC centers.

2. Newsletters

Each research center must distribute a free opt-in e-mail newsletter informing subscribers of the availability of completed research products.

a. At a minimum, the newsletter should be quarterly and include the plain-language abstracts of completed research projects. The organization is not required to be chronological: the project abstracts may be distributed over the year to even out the number of projects per issue. Thematic grouping is encouraged.

b. Newsletters must include an unsubscribe link.

c. Centers must protect any personal information about individuals that it collects as part of its newsletter subscriptions from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure.

d. Centers may additionally propose to produce regular newsletters and/or blogs with articles synthesizing multiple research projects from all the centers. Issues or articles could focus on completed and upcoming research about one theme. Newsletter proposals should indicate which areas they will focus on (e.g., retirement, disability, all Social Security policy) and which audience they will target (general public, community stakeholders, policymakers, etc.).

3. Annual Meeting

The Consortium centers will take part in an annual conference on issues related to Social Security policy. The conference will be held in Washington, D.C., virtually as needed, or in a hybrid format.

The primary responsibility for setting the agenda for the annual meeting will rotate across centers.

SSA will designate the rotation order. However, a cross-center and SSA panel must approve the final agenda.

One center will be selected by SSA to arrange the logistics of the annual meeting. Logistics include:

arranging the most cost-effective venue; providing lunch for attendees; hosting a registration web page; and preparing and distributing a bound volume of summaries of conference papers and related materials to conference participants.

When selecting the venue for the RDRC annual meetings, the following conditions must be met:

a. 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.318 (General Procurement Standards) and 200.432 (Conferences)

b. Competitive sourcing: Prior to signing a contract for a venue, documentation of the procedure for competitive selection of the venue must be submitted to SSA for approval by SSA grants and program officials.

c. Location: Washington, D.C., virtual, or hybrid. If in Washington, D.C., the meeting site should be located near Capitol Hill and easily accessible from public transportation, preferably near a Metro rail station. Total travel time should not exceed 30 minutes between the Hill and the venue. Hotel facilities should also be nearby for presenters traveling to the meeting; transportation time and expense should be accounted for when considering hotel-venue distance.

d. Dates: The annual meeting will occur on two consecutive weekdays during the first half of August. The first Thursday-Friday of August is preferred. The second Thursday- Friday of August is SSA’s second choice. SSA reserves the right to alter these dates, based on participant feedback.

e. Size: Unless instructed otherwise by SSA Program Officials prior to the start of the competitive selection process, the venue should be able to accommodate a minimum of 350 attendees at table seating.

f. Press accessible: The venue should have facilities available for the press to use and be able to accommodate television and audio recording equipment.

g. Materials distribution space: Tables for distribution of meeting materials and other displays shall also be available outside, but in the proximity of, the main meeting space (minimum 48 linear feet, e.g., 6 8’ tables).

h. Webinar capability: Any proposal should include the options for and costs of live streaming the annual meetings as a webinar, audio, and video recording by the venue.

i. Presentation technology: We require the following equipment for effective presentation to a large audience:

a. microphones at lectern and for persons at head table/speakers/audio system;

b. projector with laptop and screen for displaying PowerPoint/PDF presentations;

c. additional monitors to display visual presentation;

d. additional lighting for presenter/head table.

j. Food and refreshments: The venue should provide estimated costs associated with 350 persons on each day of the annual meeting, including boxed lunch with beverages, coffee/tea, and whole fruit each morning.

After all bids are received, the awardee will present their selection with a summary of their selection criteria for prior approval. If the lowest cost bidder is not selected, please provide justification relating to the specifications enumerated in this subsection. Any scoring mechanisms used to evaluate proposals shall also be provided for all bids received.

4. Additional Dissemination Activities

Additional dissemination activities may be proposed by the centers to SSA. In reviewing, SSA will consider factors such as the effectiveness of the approach in reaching a more diverse audience in the context of the overall dissemination plan. Prior center dissemination activities have included posting on blogs or social media, operating a display booth at professional/academic conferences, and conducting research seminars or similar events.

c. Training

The RDRC is expected to train new scholars to conduct research on issues relating to retirement and disability. SSA expects each center to develop and expand a diverse corps of scholars/researchers who focus their analytical skills on research and policy issues central to the consortium's mission.

SSA expects the centers to financially support the training and research of scholars new to the field of retirement and disability research. The RDRC should allocate funding in a variety of ways.

Examples include dissertation fellowships to support Ph.D. candidates writing dissertations, internships for undergraduate and graduate students conducting research, pre- and post-doctoral research fellowships, and small research grants to support postdoctoral researchers and junior scholars, and training workshops for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postgraduates. Applications solicited widely and nationally are encouraged. SSA is interested in promoting diversity among training program recipients, where diversity is defined broadly in terms of research disciplines, institutional composition, and demographic composition. In particular, centers should make an effort to include underrepresented scholars (e.g., racial and ethnic minority individuals, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and individuals with disabilities) in training programs. Graduate students working with RDRC researchers on funded projects as research assistants will be included in the research budget, not in the training budget.

d. Post Award Reporting Requirements

a. Program Reporting:

(1) Quarterly Performance Reports – These reports must be uploaded to SSA’s online grants management system as a grant note. Upon award, a successful applicant will be given further instructions and access to that online system.

Every three months during the award period, the awardee will produce a progress report. The awardee’s quarterly progress reports should provide a concise summary of the progress the awardee makes toward completion of activities in the annual work plan. The awardee should pay particular attention to reporting on achieving any milestones set forth in the work plan, delays in achieving milestones, and the effect of delays on the final product. SSA will provide details regarding the format and due dates of quarterly progress reports in the Terms and Conditions at the time of award.

(2) Outcome Report

Principal Investigators (PI) conducting research often continue or refine their research after they produce project findings for the cooperative agreement.

Prior research supported by SSA under the RDRC often resulted in conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal publications or book chapters, sometimes years after a project is considered completed for the cooperative award. Centers are required to provide to SSA a report of outcomes for all research conducted under the RDRC including: the project identifier, names of PI(s), type of product (journal article, conference presentation, etc.), publication or conference name and date of publication or conference. SSA will provide a template for reporting this information in the Terms and Conditions of the notice of grant award.

(3) Subaward Funding Report

Following the issuance of the notice of cooperative agreement award, centers will provide a summary worksheet of subawardees. The worksheet will list a description of the activity, the funding amount, the recipient institution, the city and state of the recipient institution, and whether the recipient institution is academic, not-for-profit, or for-profit. SSA will provide a template in the Terms and Conditions of the notice of grant award.

(4) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Outreach Report (Attachment B)

The centers are required to submit an annual report listing goals and measurable objectives for encouraging participation by HBCUs and MSIs, programs implemented to encourage participation, total funding to HBCUs and MSIs, and highlights of noteworthy accomplishments. Executive Orders that we reference for the MSI Report and Plan:

EO 14041: White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities

EO 14049: White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities

EO 14050: White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans

EO 14031: Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

EO 14045: White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics

b. Financial Reports

(1) Federal Financial Report

SSA requires awardees to file the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) quarterly via its online grants management system. SSA will withhold future awards and fund drawdowns if financial reports are delinquent.

(2) Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006

Unless otherwise exempt, award recipients must report each action that obligates $30,000 or more in federal funds for a subaward to an entity. See 2 C.F.R. Part 170 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-170) for more information on reporting subaward and executive compensation information.

4. The Role of the Agency

SSA will be involved with the Consortium centers in jointly establishing research priorities and deliverable dates to accomplish the objectives of this announcement. SSA, or its representatives, will provide the following types of support to the centers:

1. Consultation and technical assistance in planning, operating, and evaluating the centers’ activities. Once SSA selects successful RDRC applicants, SSA will review the centers’ research agendas and make funding decisions to achieve research goals. This may include the addition, modification, or removal of proposed research projects. After review, each center will submit to SSA a revised research plan and budget. A center’s research plan may be periodically reviewed and revised as necessary during the award period.

2. Information about SSA programs, policies, and research priorities.

3. Assistance in identifying relevant SSA program data and guidance on necessary steps to request and, when approved, obtain SSA program data for support center research activities.

4. SSA will review center activities and provide feedback to ensure that objectives and award conditions are being met. SSA will use quarterly reports and final papers to evaluate center performance. SSA may suspend or terminate any cooperative agreement completely or in part at any time before the date of expiration if the awardee materially fails to comply with the Terms and Conditions of the cooperative agreement or does not meet the technical performance requirements, or if the agency determines that it no longer wishes the project to continue. SSA will promptly notify the awardee in writing of the determination and the reasons for suspension or termination together with the effective date. SSA reserves the right to suspend funding for individual projects in process or in previously approved research areas or tasks after making awards.

Panel of Outside Scholars and Practitioners: SSA will select a panel of nationally recognized scholars and practitioners who are unaffiliated with any center for recommendations on research activities for the RDRC. While centers are encouraged to suggest scholars/practitioners, SSA will invite scholars/practitioners to participate. When choosing these scholars/practitioners, SSA will attempt to have diverse representation from academia, other federal agencies, and the practitioner/advocacy community. Funded under this agreement, the scholars/practitioners must meet once a year at an SSA-led meeting at the RDRC Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. or virtually within the weeks after the Annual Conference. Further, the centers may contact the scholars/practitioners throughout the year for suggestions regarding center activities. The SSA Program Official or representative will participate in all meetings. Parties may participate via telephone or video as needed with approval from the SSA Program Official or representative.

5. Access to SSA Data

If an awardee proposes research that requires or may benefit from access to SSA data that is not currently publicly available, the awardee must make a written request to SSA for the information using the Data Exchange Request Form (SSA-157) – see https://www.ssa.gov/dataexchange/. The awardee should specify on the Form that they are a current RDRC awardee and seeking data for an RDRC project. Awardees should only request from SSA the minimum amount of data needed to perform the applicable research project. The awardee must provide any follow-up information about the data access request, upon SSA’s request.

SSA will review the data access request, and any follow-up information provided by the awardee, and provide a written determination as to whether the requested data can be provided, in whole or in part, for the research described in the request, and whether and under what conditions SSA can provide the data through the awardee’s preferred method of access. SSA will only approve requests if disclosure is legally authorized under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a), the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1306), SSA’s privacy regulations (20 C.F.R. Part 401), and other applicable federal law. SSA will not disclose data SSA determines to be sensitive or proprietary in nature. For approved data access requests, SSA will only release the minimum amount of SSA data that is relevant and necessary for the research. When feasible, SSA will disclose de-identified records in lieu of identifiable records.

If SSA approves a data access request that involves access to SSA data that constitutes Personally Identifiable Information (PII), the awardee may only obtain access to the SSA data if (1) the awardee agrees to comply with all the federal requirements for data access, including applicable federal law, policy, and procedures identified by SSA and (2) SSA has agreed to fund the research for which the data access was approved under the award. The federal requirements for data access will include but are not limited to the need for a suitability review and clearance and compliance with limitations on use, treatment, and safeguarding of data under the Privacy Act of 1974; SSA’s privacy regulations; Office of Management and Budget guidelines related to privacy and security of federal information; the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. § 3541 et seq.), as amended by the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113- 283); and related National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines. The awardee must submit all statistical outputs (e.g., tables, regressions, etc.) produced from data that constitute PII to SSA’s Program Data Disclosure Review Board (PDDRB) for formal clearance authorizing release within the research team specific to the RDRC project (a.k.a., intermediate disclosure to grantees) or release outside of the research team (a.k.a., final release for public or other limited audience consumption). These requirements will also detail the procedures an awardee must follow in the instance of a PII breach. Specific requirements will vary depending on the method of access and will be detailed in an Onsite or Offsite Data Use Agreement between SSA and the awardee.

If SSA approves a data access request that involves access to aggregated or tabulated SSA data that does not constitute PII, SSA may provide the data if (1) SSA has issued a written approval of the awardee’s data access request; (2) SSA has agreed to fund the research for which the data access was approved under the award; and (3) SSA has received PDDRB intermediate or final clearance to release the aggregated or tabulated data to the awardee. No separate Data Use Agreement is necessary. In these instances, unless SSA has provided written notification to an awardee that the SSA data has been made publicly available, the awardee must

1. Use and access the SSA data only for the research described in SSA’s data access request approval.

2. Re-disclose the SSA data only as approved in writing by SSA.

3. Protect the SSA data from unauthorized use, access, and disclosure.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Type of Award

All awards made under this program will be made in the form of a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement, as distinct from a grant, anticipates SSA’s substantial involvement during the performance of the project. A comprehensive annual review process will allow SSA to evaluate, recommend changes to, and approve each center's activities. SSA’s involvement may include collaboration or participation in the activities of the centers as determined at the time of award.

The terms of award are in addition to, not in lieu of, otherwise applicable guidelines and procedures and will be issued along with the notice of award.

The awardee must apply annually to continue the cooperative agreement in order to receive funds in subsequent years of the 5-year agreement (noncompeting renewal). For the noncompeting renewal, the awardee will produce a continuation application, subject to review and approval by SSA. The continuation applications will require similar content to this initial competitive application: the applications should clearly describe a set of research, training, and dissemination activities for the upcoming year that best address the priorities of SSA. Successful applicants will be provided additional instructions on the requirements for continuation applications in the Terms and Conditions of the notice of grant award. SSA will engage in a dialogue with awardees throughout the award period regarding research topics. Based on that dialogue, SSA will provide the awardee with guidance (in writing) on the agency’s research priorities for the subsequent continuation cycle.

2. Availability and Duration of Funding

a. We anticipate that approximately $11,990,000 will be available to fund the initial 12-month budget period of one or more five-year cooperative agreement(s) pursuant to the announcement.

b. Applicants must include detailed budget estimates for the first year, assuming a funding level of up to $4.75 million.

c. The amount of funds available for the cooperative agreement in future years has not been established. Legislative support for continued funding of the RDRC cannot be guaranteed and funding is subject to future appropriations and budgetary approval.

d. This announcement allows for the unequal division of funds among multiple chosen centers.

e. Additional funds may become available from SSA or other federal agencies in support of RDRC projects.

f. SSA will make initial awards pursuant to this announcement on or about September 30, 2023. The performance period will run from September 30, 2023 through September 29, 2028.

Although we anticipate one or more awards, nothing in this announcement restricts our ability to make more or fewer awards, to make an award of a lesser amount, or to add additional centers to the RDRC in the future. Further, we are not required to fund all (or any) proposed RDRC activities in any year. In addition, SSA reserves the right to implement a salary cap in the future, which would limit the amount of salary that awardees and subawardees may charge to SSA grants and cooperative agreements. If implemented, guidance will be included in the continuation application kit. We will review all proposed activities annually.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Universities and other organizations, or associations of universities and/or other organizations, in the United States are eligible to apply; a limited number of individual researchers/investigators associated with international institutions may be included as key personnel.

All awardees and subawardees (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

SSA will not provide a center’s entire funding. Recipients of an SSA cooperative agreement are required to contribute a non-federal match of at least 5 percent toward the total approved cost of each center. The total approved cost of the project is the sum of the federal share (i.e., the portion of the total project costs paid by federal funds; maximum 95 percent), and the non-federal share (i.e., the portion of the total project costs paid by the applicant using non-federal funds; minimum of 5 percent). The non-federal share may be cash or in-kind (property or services) contributions.

3. Other

Each center director must have a demonstrated capability to organize, administer, and direct the center. The director (or co-directors) will be responsible for the organization and operation of the center and for communication with SSA on scientific and operational matters. The (co-)director(s) must also have a minimum total time commitment of 25 percent to RDRC administrative activities;

these responsibilities may be allocated across a maximum of three (3) co-directors. Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as directors. Submission of a list of previous grants and cooperative agreements held by the (co- )director(s) is required, including the names and contact information of each grant's and cooperative agreement's administrator. In addition to the (co-)director(s), skilled personnel and institutional resources capable of providing a strong research, development and testing base in the specified priority areas must be available. The institution must show a strong commitment to the RDRC's support. Such commitment may be provided as dedicated space, salary support for investigators or key personnel, dedicated equipment, or other financial support for the proposed center.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

Grants.gov: All application forms are available on Grants.gov. We require that applicants submit an electronic application for Funding Opportunity Number RDRC-RDRC-23-01. The Grants.gov ‘‘Get Registered’’ webpage is available to help explain the registration and application submission process. New federal cooperative agreement applicants may find resources on the Grants.gov Applicant Training page to be helpful (https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-training.html).

If you experience problems with the steps related to registering to do business with the federal government or application submission, your first point of contact is the Grants.gov support staff at support@grants.gov, 1–800–518–4726. If your Grants.gov difficulties are not resolved, you may also contact the SSA Grants Management Team for assistance: Anita O’Brien (anita.obrien@ssa.gov), Dionne Mitchell (dionne.mitchell@ssa.gov), or Tonya Saunders (tonya.saunders@ssa.gov). Should extenuating circumstances prevent you from submitting an application through www.grants.gov, please contact Anita O’Brien for further instruction.

As questions come up regarding the programmatic content of this RFA, we will be posting a running list of Frequently Asked Questions and answers on the web at https://www.ssa.gov/policy/rdrc/faq.html.