Regional Centers NOFO Q & A April 8 .docx

Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response Opportunity number: CDC-RFA-TU-24-0142 Questions, Answers and Points of Clarification

General Questions

Two different application submission dates are listed: 5/15 (in the NOFO itself?) and 5/21 (in grants.gov page?). Needs aligned/corrected.

· The correct deadline is May 21st. The NOFO has been updated with the correct date.

Will next Monday's Zoom meeting for NOFO CDC-RFA-TU-0142 be recorded and distributed to registrants?

· The Zoom meeting is being recorded. The recording will be included as an attachment to the NOFO announcement on Grants.gov.

The NOFO seems to indicate that only the organization that received CDC's FY23 award can now submit an application. Is that correct?

· No. This is a new competition. Please see the NOFO for eligibility requirements.

Strategies Questions

How do we respond to the NOFO if the goal is now implementing a workplan already developed by another grantee?

· This NOFO will fund recipients with the necessary capabilities including subject matter expertise; administrative infrastructure; regional, state, and local partnerships; and management capabilities. Previous experience developing Five-Year Regional Work Plans and establishing regional coordinating bodies will not be considered in the review process.

Is it possible to learn about the content of the workplan so that we can both be responsive to the workplan as well as propose modifications to address the needs of vulnerable rural communities in PA and other surrounding states such as West Virginia?

· The workplans are not complete. Each Regional Coordinating Body that is informing the development of the workplan include rural representation. The NOFO is capability based. It does not request that applicants be responsive to the workplans or that applicants propose modifications to the workplans in their applications.

If the Five-Year Regional Workplan is the roadmap for implementation activities, how best to approach the team that is developing that workplan?

· The Five-Year Regional Work Plans that are currently being developed under contract are not roadmaps for implementation activities. They will include focus areas, priorities, and objectives designed by Regional Coordinating Bodies. Some may include recommended activities.

Can we develop new components including a new workplan ignoring what already exists in Region 3?.i.e, submit an application with all components based on our capabilities without being held to or have to connect to what already exists in region 3?

· This NOFO will fund recipients with the necessary capabilities including subject matter expertise; administrative infrastructure; regional, state, and local partnerships; and management capabilities.

· CDC solicited and reviewed contract proposals to create regional work plans and is paying and overseeing selected vendors to create regional workplans in collaboration with regional coordinating bodies recruited to represent communities in each region and work collectively to identify needs and inform priorities for each awarded region. These workplans are being created to direct the work of each regional center.

· We do not expect the centers to ignore workplans developed by the Regional Coordinating Bodies as these bodies represent the communities involved in the region.

· If, at any time, your regional center wants to modify the focus areas, priorities, or objectives in the Five-Year Regional Work Plan, you must consult with and gain approval from your Steering Committee and CDC project officer.

If you have already approved center with a regional plans, how can any new applicant participate?

· We have not funded centers.

· Multiple entities competed for a contract to do two very specific things: 1) convene a regional coordinating body and 2) use that body to develop a five-year regional workplan.

· The goal of the Regional Centers for Preparedness and Response is multi-fold. The primary and funded goal is to increase implementation of evidence-based interventions based on the plan that was developed using input from the community as represented by the regional coordinating bodies. This is all they have done.

· Implementing plans, including developing and implementing evidence-based strategies, usings a different set of capabilities. In addition, establishing and maintaining a center (a main strategy) and working with a steering committee differs from the current contracted work. The NOFO is seeking entities with the capabilities to do these things.

NARRATIVE LENGTH

We are applying for Components B and C. For each, we must have a separate project narrative: 12-page limit for Component B and 7-page limit for Component C.

· Yes.

If we are applying for both Strategy 10 and Strategy 11 in Component E, do we submit a separate 7-page narrative for each? Or is the length limit of 7 pages total, for both?

· Please include a separate 7-page narrative for each strategy you are applying for under Components D and E.

If we are applying for both Strategy 10 and Strategy 11 in Component E, do we submit a separate 7-page narrative for each? Or is the length limit of 7 pages total, for both?

· Please include a separate 7-page narrative for each strategy you are applying for under Components D and E.

Component D also comprises multiple Strategies (6, 7, 8, 9); should we plan to submit a separate 7-page narrative for every Component D Strategy for which we wish to apply? Or is Component D a single 7-page narrative for all strategies in which we are interested?

· Please include a separate 7-page narrative for each strategy you are applying for under Components D and E.

Project Narrative Format On pp 39-41 of the NOFO we are provided with “project narrative requirements,” which detail required components of all narratives and then provide specific additional guidance for each component.

Per pp 67-68 in the NOFO, we are provided with specific headings and subheadings to use in our project narratives, in this precise order.

There is additional guidance on project narratives for Component D only on pp 29-30.

Please see additional guidance for Component D on page 40: “For Components C and D, the focus is on finding organizations that can handle a variety of tasks within the specific topic area of each component.”

Should we be integrating all of these sets of guidance as list of capabilities and expertise available for future needs?

· Yes.

On page 40, you provide the following instructions: For Component D, describe available institutional and professional capabilities to support successful planning and conduct of all Strategy 5 activities, with emphasis on your ability to coordinate across centers and regions. Strategy 5 is assigned to Component C; do these instructions apply to Component C and not Component D?

· This applies to Strategy C. This is a typo.

CAWP QUESTIONS

Sample CAWPs are provided for Components A and B. If we are applying for Components C, D, or E, do we also need to include a CAWP as part of these Proposal Narratives?

· Your application must include separate cooperative agreement work plans (CAWP) for each component for which you are applying.

BUDGET QUESTIONS

Should the applicants submit the component budgets for year 1 only, or all 5 years?

· Year 1. Because this is annual funding, the applicant will be required to complete a budget during each non-competing continuation budget period.

On page 69 of the RFP we are instructed: “The budget narrative, separate for the required Components A, B, C, and E, must explain and justify the costs in your budget.”

It looks like there is just one Budget Narrative attachment in the application checklist. Should we make separate budget justification documents for each Component, and then compile them into a single document?

· A budget narrative is required for each Component. Applicants may compile budgets into a single document. An excel spreadsheet will allow applicants to provide a summary tab that includes the line-item budget for all components and individual tabs that are component specific.

Related: Do we need to complete separate SF-424A budget forms for each Component? Or should we compile all budgetary requests onto a single SF-424A budget form?

· Only one SF-424A is required. Section B of the SF-424A has 4 columns which allows applicants to enter the budget for each component.

Does this mean that there is no budget narrative requirement for Component D? Should we also take this to mean that there should be no budgetary request for Component D?

· There is no budget narrative requirement for Component D. If funds become available, narratives will be requested in applications for those funds.

Can proposed budgets include travel?

· Yes. Staff travel must be placed in the Travel category. Travel other than staff must be placed in the Other cost category.

Can proposed budgets include food for Meetings?

· No.

Is the Award Floor Total Costs (Direct & Indirect Costs?) or only Direct Costs?

· Direct & Indirect Costs

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The application checklist asks for a statement of public health mission, which is not something that most academic institutions will have.

· Please ignore this requirement. It is an error and will be removed from the NOFO.

Other questions When I click on attachments in Grants.gov I don’t see anything.

· Grants.gov includes placeholders for future documents. As we add attachments, like the recording for this session and a question-and-answer guide, you will access them through these links.

What if an awarded applicant comes up with one or more research topics in the future that would fit under Components D and E?

· Component D is capability based, not based on the research topics generated by the applicant. We will be funding based on the ability to do future work should funds become available. When funds are available a call for proposals will be sent to those centers with the related capabilities. The work will be dictated by the needs at the time and the parameters of the funding. Centers may or may not be able to propose independent research.

· Component E will be drive by workplans created by working groups in the community. Practice and research activities will stem from these workplans.

Can you clarify which is the appropriate announcement on Grants.gov? The Full Announcement is dated March 28, 2024, but there is an additional undated one.

· The Full Announcement link updated 3/28 is the correct announcement as of 4/2/2024. The 3/28/2024 version includes the correct NOFO due date of May 21, 2024. The announcement may be updated again in the future. Please always refer to the most up-to-date version.

Who holds the Regional Workplan Contract in my region?

· Please see the table below. Please note that all states in each region with a contract are represented in the Regional Coordinating Bodies and all Regional Coordinating Bodies include at least one PHEP Director and representatives from each state health department.