Request for Applications_FY23 Review of Produce Safety University.pdf

Information Collection: 0584-0512 Expiration date: 07/31/2025

Review of Produce Safety University, an Evidence-Based Food Safety Education Program Cooperative Agreement

Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications (RFA) Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.585

Release Date: June 22, 2023

Application Due Date: 11:59 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), August 21, 2023

Anticipated Award Date: September 2023

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.

The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The estimated average time required to complete this information collection is 20 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Form RFA 01-23

Application Checklist

This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required actions and documents that must be completed. However, FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application and comply with all requirements outlined in the solicitation.

The Application Checklist is for applicant use only and should not be submitted as part of the Application Package.

Complete the following at least four weeks prior to submission:

Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;

Register the UEI number in the System for Award Management (SAM); and, Register in grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section 4 –

Application and Submission Information. This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section 5 – Application Review Information, and all necessary attachments.

When preparing your budget, ensure the following information is included:

All key staff proposed to be paid by this grant.

The percentage of time the Project Director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents (FTEs).

Your organization’s fringe benefit rate and amount, as well as the basis for the computation.

The type of fringe benefits to be covered with Federal funds.

Itemized travel expenses (including type of travel), travel justification, and basis for lodging estimate.

Types of equipment and supplies, justifications, and estimates, ensuring that the budget is in line with the project description.

Information for all contracts and justification for any sole-source contracts Justification, description, and an itemized list of all consultant services.

Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA) or if no agreement exists and the applicant has never been approved for a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis). If an applicant is requesting the de minimis rate or indirect costs are not required, please state this in the budget narrative.

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted the following:

FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15) Resumes of key staff Letters of support/commitment from key staff and partners Additional attachments as required http://www.grants.gov/

Table of Contents

1. Program Description and Objectives

Executive Summary

Program Description

Key Objectives

2. Federal Award Information

Allowable Costs

Unallowable Costs

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Ineligible Applicants

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

Pre-Award Screening Requirements

Acknowledgement of USDA Support

4. Application and Submission Information

Content and Form of Application Submission

Special Instructions:

Cover Sheet

Table of Contents

Application Project Summary

Project Narrative

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Application Budget Narrative

Indirect Cost Rate

Required Grant Application Forms

Submission Date

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

Intergovernmental Review

Funding Restrictions

5. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

Review and Selection Process

6. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notice

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Confidentiality of an Application

Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process

Administrative Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations and Other Government Requirements

Reporting Requirements

Financial Reports

Performance Progress Reports (PPR)

7. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

8. Other Information

Debriefing Requests

Appendix

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist

FNS-906 Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR)

1. Program Description and Objectives

Executive Summary

The purpose of the Review of the Produce Safety University Cooperative Agreement is to select one organization to evaluate the Produce Safety University (PSU) course developed by USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in collaboration with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). PSU is a week-long train-the-trainer immersion course that is typically held five times each year in the late spring and summer months. The course immerses child nutrition professionals in the fresh produce supply chain. Participants learn to identify and manage food safety risks associated with fresh produce whether it’s purchased from farmers or distributors, received whole or fresh-cut, or grown in a school garden. The curriculum covers all aspects of the fresh produce supply chain from growing and harvesting to storage and preparation through a combination of lecture, laboratory, and field-trip instruction.

FNS seeks to enter into a cooperative agreement for up to $600,000.00 with a selected applicant capable of evaluating the PSU course, the effectiveness of its curriculum, and determining the impact of PSU graduates who train their peers on produce safety practices. Eligible entities include public and state controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), other than institutions of higher education; all non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). To be eligible, the entities stated above must demonstrate successful completion of rigorous research through publication of research in peer-reviewed journals.

Program Description

The FNS Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs (SNAS) Food Safety and Nutrition Division (FSND) Food Safety Branch (FSB) promotes produce safety practices in FNS programs through the Produce Safety University (PSU). PSU is a week-long train-the-trainer immersion course that is typically held five times each year in the late spring and summer months. The course immerses child nutrition professionals in the fresh produce supply chain. Participants learn to identify and manage food safety risks associated with fresh produce whether it’s purchased from farmers or distributors, received whole or fresh-cut, or grown in a school garden. The curriculum covers all aspects of the fresh produce supply chain from growing and harvesting to storage and preparation through a combination of lecture, laboratory, and field-trip instruction.

The target audience for PSU includes local school nutrition program operators and State agency staff involved in administration, training, and technical assistance for school nutrition programs.

All States and territories are encouraged to nominate school nutrition professionals to attend.

There are typically 150 individuals who attend PSU annually, with increasing interest every year.

Approximately 1,800 participants have graduated since the program began in 2010.

The course was not held in 2020; in 2021, FNS partnered with the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to launch a virtual edition of PSU using live instructor-led training, small group activities, and video-based produce lab and field trip experiences. All five sessions of PSU were held virtually in 2022, and there was one virtual session and four in-person sessions held in 2023; it’s anticipated that 2024 sessions will be held both virtually and in-person.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/ofs/food-safety https://www.fns.usda.gov/produce-safety-university

A key objective of PSU is to equip graduates to train others on topics learned in PSU. Graduates are surveyed six-months following the completion of the course to assess whether they have trained others, on which topics, and using what resources. Graduates report any barriers they experience which prevent them from conducting training, like time and money. This six-month evaluation data is self-reported, and the exact reach and impact of graduates is unknown.

In light of this, the FNS seeks to enter into a new, one-time cooperative agreement with an entity capable of evaluating the PSU course, the effectiveness of its curriculum, and determining the impact of PSU graduates, including how many others graduates train on PSU topics and any resulting changes to their operational food safety practices. The FNS Food Safety Branch (FSB) regularly works to improve the course, and a comprehensive assessment of the course will permit FNS FSB to enhance the content, delivery, and impact of the PSU curriculum. Additionally, understanding how graduates apply the knowledge learned in PSU, which topics they teach to their peers, and what resources they use to train others will determine how well PSU is meeting its train-the-trainer objective, and where improvements can be made.

Legislative authority for this project grant comes from P.L. 117-328, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which includes funding for Food Safety Education. FNS Food safety education funds are used to reinforce and expand FNS’ efforts to provide Child Nutrition Programs operators with continuous, effective training and technical assistance in food safety and food defense for schools, summer feeding sites, child care centers, family day care homes and adult care centers. One of the key ways FNS accomplishes this is through the PSU course. The FY2023 appropriation for Food Safety Education included an increase in funding specifically to “produce safety resource development and design”. This grant opportunity is one way in which Food Safety supports science-based food safety research, and in this case, the research directly informs and supports education, instruction, and technical assistance for program operators. In order to maintain the accuracy, applicability, and usability of PSU, it is essential that FNS review the course and understand the needs of graduates so that they are able to train others on topics learned in PSU. This initiative will lead to produce safety resource development in the form of reviewing and suggesting improvements to Produce Safety University. Part of the project will also identify resource gaps and put forth recommendations to strengthen support of program operators who train others on produce safety.”

Project proposals should clearly demonstrate a rigorous and evidence-based methodology and validated and statistically sound findings. FNS, FSB will offer five, week-long PSU training courses in 2024, that should be evaluated by the applicant. Project proposals should clearly outline activities and indicators that address the research questions and key objectives included below. If the study methodology includes any observational components, the proposal should clearly identify any necessary approvals, including IRB review and approval for adult human observational methodologies where appropriate. Sub-awards may be considered for aspects of this project.

Research Questions

FNS has established the following research questions to inform the type and scope of the proposal that applicants should propose. Please note that these research questions provide information about the type of review FNS seeks to complete through this cooperative agreement. These research questions will inform proposed activities for the key objectives outlined below, and proposals may refine and update these research questions based on expertise in program review and evaluation.

PSU content and delivery:

1. Is the content of PSU relevant, appropriate, and comprehensive for the intended audience?

2. Based on the intended audience, are there any informational gaps in PSU? Is there any information that is not relevant?

3. Does the delivery of PSU embody adult learning principles and promote participant engagement?

How graduates are training:

1. What are the main topics covered in PSU graduates’ trainings? Why do graduates choose to focus on those topics over others?

2. What resources do graduates use to develop and implement training? Have they been effective?

3. What resources are lacking that would help graduates train others?

4. Are there differences in the knowledge and skills gained through PSU between those who attended in-person and those who attend virtually? Do those differences affect the graduate’s ability to conduct effective trainings?

5. Among graduates who conduct training, when do they conduct training, how frequently, and for how long following completion of PSU?

Demographic influences:

1. What are the differences in how PSU graduates develop and implement training based on:

a. their job responsibilities (i.e., food prep, procurement, service, etc.)

b. organization type (school district, state agency, other),

c. and organization’s size?

Barriers that graduates experience:

1. Are graduates adequately prepared to train others after attending PSU?

2. What are the barriers that prevent graduates from training others (e.g., time or financial constraints, lack of support, their role doesn’t allow them to train others, etc.)?

Evaluation of impacts:

1. What are the impacts of PSU on food costs, specifications, food waste, and other aspects of school foodservice operations?

Additionally, a lens of equity and access should be clear in the proposal since PSU participants represent districts and State agencies of different sizes and capacities across the United States and its territories. We are interested in how geography and capacity (including human capacity, financial capacity, and other resource capacity) play a role in a graduate’s ability to train others on topics learned in PSU.

Public-Facing Project Outcomes

Given the broad applicability of a review of food safety training for other topics that impact the safety of food served in school, child care, and adult care environments, FNS requests that the awardee publish the major findings of the project related to the most effective modes of training

(virtual or in-person, effective resources for train-the-trainer, and other relevant outcomes) in a reputable peer-reviewed journal. Not only will this prove beneficial to FNS as additional food safety training and education is developed but can be used by the broader public and industry to promote public health.

Key Objectives

Below is a list of the Program Objectives. As noted in Section 4, within the “Activities/Indicators Tracker,” proposed activities should be clearly aligned to these objectives and their associated activities and indicators.

Application proposals must include all of the 7 objectives identified below. Note that if awarded, grantees will be required to report on progress towards activities aligned with the required objectives and must use the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report. Carefully considering proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their progress reporting requirements if awarded.

2. Federal Award Information The following information is intended to provide applicants with information to help make informed decisions about proposal submissions.

• Total amount of funding expected to award: FNS anticipates awarding up to $600,000.00, contingent on the availability and apportionment of Federal funds.

• Anticipated number of awards: 1

• Minimum award amount (award floor): $0

• Maximum award amount (award ceiling): $600,000

• Anticipated award announcement date: September 2023

• Anticipated period of performance: September 2023 to September 2025

• Application due date: August 21, 2023

Please note:

# Objectives 1 Assess the content of Produce Safety University (PSU) and identify and prioritize improvements based on the relevance and applicability of the information.

2 Assess the delivery (both in-person and virtually) of PSU and how well it facilitates participant engagement and utilizes adult learning principles and suggest improvements.

3 Evaluate how many, and how well, PSU graduates teach topics learned in PSU to others.

4 Determine what resources graduates use to train others and identify any resource needs.

5 Identify the most prevalent barriers graduates may encounter that prevent them from training others.

6 Assess if and how a graduate’s professional roles and responsibilities and place of employment (State agency, school district, or other) impact their ability and success in training others following their completion of PSU.

7 Assess any underlying equity and access variables that may impact attendance and the ability to train others following course completion. This could include geography, urbanicity, resource availability, both human and monetary, and others.

• Grant awards are subject to the availability of funding and/or appropriations of funds.

• FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants this year or the subsequent fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

Allowable Costs

Equipment and Supplies: Expenditures for both equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $5,000 or more) and supplies are allowable expenses with prior approval by FNS. While these expenditures are allowable, FNS reserves the right to approve/disapprove these expenditures based upon the needs of the Agency and the proposed project.

Travel: Expenditures associated with travel to and from Produce Safety University sessions, including airfare, per diem, and other travel-related expenses are allowable with prior approval by FNS. While these expenditures are allowable, FNS reserves the right to approve/disapprove these expenditures based upon the needs of the Agency and the proposed project. Travel expenditures must be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) contained in 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Chapter 300 through 304, and the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

Personnel and Contractors: Funding may be used for additional personnel and/or contractors if necessary for an activity based on its methodology and associated outcomes. If applicable, the use of additional personnel and/or contractors should be identified and detailed in the proposal.

Unallowable Costs

Entertainment: Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any associated costs are unallowable (such as mascot costumes, promotional items, etc.) unless there is a programmatic purpose and prior approval is granted by FNS.

All costs proposed in the budget and detailed in the budget narrative must be allowable, reasonable, necessary, and allocable. Refer to 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles for a detailed description of all allowable and unallowable costs.

Terms and Conditions of the Award Cooperative agreements are assistance mechanisms and subject to the same administrative requirements as grants; however, they are different from a grant or a contract. Cooperative agreements allow more involvement and collaboration by FNS in the project compared to a grant, and they provide greater flexibility in direction of project activities than a contract. The roles and responsibilities of both the awarded entity and FNS will be clearly stated in the cooperative agreement.

This cooperative agreement will be awarded and administered in accordance with 7 U.S.C.

3318(b) and applicable documents can be found in Terms and Conditions of Award. The electronic Code of Federal Regulations can be found at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse.

Substantial Involvement FNS and the recipient will work to accomplish the following:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-41/subtitle-F https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-41/subtitle-F https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse

1. The recipient will work with FNS to develop the scope of the work until agreed upon by both parties. Any revisions made to the scope of work will be communicated in a timely manner to FNS by the recipient.

2. Continuous communication between FNS and the recipient will occur for the duration of the cooperative agreement. After awarded, FNS will initiate a first meeting and project staff introductions. FNS and the recipient will collectively identify a monthly time for regularly scheduled calls. The recipient shall be responsible for keeping FNS updated on project timelines and objectives, and FNS or recipient may request any needed ad hoc meetings to address specific questions or concerns about the research project while in development and review.

3. Research instruments and methodology will be reviewed by FNS and agreed upon by both parties at appropriate intervals.

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Eligible entities include public and state controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), other than institutions of higher education; all non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

To be eligible, the entities stated above must demonstrate successful completion of rigorous research through publication of research in peer-reviewed journals.

Ineligible Applicants

• Any entity not listed above as an eligible applicant is ineligible.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

• There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this award.

Pre-Award Screening Requirements

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, prior to making a Federal award, Federal awarding agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.205, are required to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualifications or financial integrity information. Additionally, Federal awarding agencies are required to have a framework in place for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The FNS review of risk posed by applicants will be based on the following:

• SAM.gov, the System for Award Management, the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, EPLS, and the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) data.

• FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire o Applicants must complete the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial

Capability Questionnaire that allows FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports, and findings from audits. The questionnaire contains a number of questions that may be an indicator of potential risk.

The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated systems and the risk assessment questionnaire may result in FNS imposing special conditions or additional oversight requirements that correspond to the degree of risk assessed.

Acknowledgement of USDA Support

As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any publications written or published with grant support and, if feasible, on any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity.

Recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any audiovisual which is produced with grant support, and which has a direct production cost of over $5,000.

• When acknowledging USDA support, use the following language: "This material is based upon work that is supported by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.” Grantees should follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo.

• Grant recipients may be asked to host USDA officials for a site visit during the course of their grant award. All costs associated with the site visit will be paid for by USDA and are not expected to be included in grant budgets.

4. Application and Submission Information

Content and Form of Application Submission

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be presented on 8 ½” x 11” white paper with at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced in 12-point font. The project description with relevant information should be captured on no more than 12 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, letter(s) of commitment, endorsement letter(s), budget narrative), appendices, and required forms. All pages, excluding form pages must be numbered.

Special Instructions:

• Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

• Letters of support must be submitted with the application through grants.gov. Letters submitted via email will not be considered.

• Applications submitted without the required supporting documents and forms will not be considered.

• Applications missing a written proposal or budget narrative will not be considered and will be deemed nonresponsive.

• FNS reserves the right to request clarification on any application submitted in response to this solicitation.

• Applications not submitted via Grants.gov will not be considered.

• If multiple application packages are submitted through Grants.gov by the same applicant in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf

• Include each of the following as separate appendices: curriculum vitae for key personnel, including a listing of related peer-reviewed research publications in the last 5 years (not to exceed 3 pages total per person); letters of support from cooperating departments; copies of agreements or memoranda of understanding with other organizations.

Cover Sheet The cover page should include, at a minimum:

• Applicant’s name and mailing address

• Primary contact’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address

• Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable)

Table of Contents The Table of Contents should include relevant sections, subsections and associated page numbers.

Application Project Summary The application should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal were to be funded.

Project Narrative The project narrative should clearly identify what the applicant is proposing and how it will address a solution, the expected results and/or benefits once the solution is achieved, and how it will meet the RFA program scope and objectives. The proposed project methodology should describe the project design, address program specific methodology needs, procedures, timetables, monitoring/oversight, and the organization’s project staffing.

Activities/Indicators Tracker Proposed Activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to Program Objectives (as described in Section 1 – Program Description) in the below format (note that additional Activities/Indicators can be added as needed).

Note: Indicators are defined as any metric you anticipate will be able to be tracked during the period of performance of the grant. Common examples include Number of People Attended, Number of People Impacted, Number of Conferences Delivered, Number of Materials Created, Number of Trainings, Number of People Trained.

Example

Objective # 1. Assess the content of Produce Safety University (PSU) and identify and prioritize improvements based on the relevance and applicability of the information.

Activity Attend PSU sessions and assess what content is taught.

Indicator(s) Staff attendance at PSU session(s), list of session topics, and brief descriptions of the content included in each session.

Activity Determination of relevance and applicability of each topic/session.

Indicator(s) Qualitative and quantitative feedback from 75% of PSU students about each topic/session including but not limited to:

• No. of students who found topic directly applicable to their job responsibilities.

• Personal testimonies about how the topic will be used in their job responsibilities.

Activity Prioritization of suggested improvements to PSU content.

Indicator(s) A matrix of suggested improvements that includes their feasibility, rationale, and anticipated outcomes that will improve the relevance and applicability of the course content.

Objective # Activity Indicator(s)

Objective # Activity Indicator(s)

Application Budget Narrative The budget narrative, formatted as a table, should correspond with the proposed project narrative and application budget. The narrative must justify and support the bona fide needs of the budget’s direct cost. The budget and budget narrative must be in line with the proposed project description. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement. Budget categories in this table must match those listed on the SF-424A form. If the budget table is created in a spreadsheet, it must be formatted to fit on an 8.5 x 11-inch page, with a font no smaller than 11-point Times New Roman. All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

Indirect Cost Rate A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a cognizant Federal agency, should be used to charge indirect costs. Indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated rate. If a NICRA is used, the percentage and base should be indicated. If the applicant does not have, and has never been approved for, a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis. In this instance, the applicant must indicate they are requesting the de minimis rate. An applicant may elect not to charge indirect costs and instead use all grant funds for direct costs. If indirect costs are not charged, the phrase “none requested” should be stated in the budget narrative. For questions related to the indirect cost rate, please work with the Grant Officer as noted in Section 7 of this RFA.

Note: Each organization is assigned to a single federal agency (by the Office of Management and Budget) that acts on behalf of all federal agencies in indirect cost rate negotiations and is referred to as the “cognizant agency.”

Required Grant Application Forms The required grants.gov forms may be previewed at grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html. These forms are part of the grants.gov Workspace application.

• Non-Construction Grant Projects Forms: SF-424 Family https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html o Application and Instruction for Federal Assistance (SF-424) o Budget Information and Instructions (SF-424A) o Assurance-Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)

• SF LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) o Indicate on your form whether your organization intends to conduct lobbying activities. If you organization does not intend to lobby, write “Not Applicable” in boxes required to be completed.

• Additional Required Forms and Information o Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. Please see below for further information o SAM registration. Please see below for further information.

Submission Date

Complete grant applications must be uploaded to grants.gov by 11:59 PM EDT on the due date listed on the cover page.

• Applications must be submitted via grants.gov. Mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted. For further instructions, see the “Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov” below.

• Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

• FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

• If multiple application packages are submitted through grants.gov by the same applicant in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration process at least four weeks before the due date and to submit applications to grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to allow time to troubleshoot any issues should they arise. Please note that upon submission, grants.gov may send multiple confirmation notices. Applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted.

FNS will not accept applications outside of grants.gov. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications through grants.gov should contact applicant support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. This service is available 24/7.

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

Applicants must register with grants.gov and SAM.gov in order to submit an application to FNS via grants.gov as required.

In order to submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a UEI number

What is a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)?

A UEI is a unique number assigned to all entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) who register to do business with the federal government. For more information, visit the U.S. General Services Administration website.

Where do I go to learn more about the UEI?

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/technology-transformation-services/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update?gsaredirect=entityid

The U.S. General Services Administration Unique Entity Identifier Update page contains the most up-to-date information about the UEI.

Note: After April 4, 2022, entities can register in SAM.gov and will be assigned their “SAM UEI.” They will no longer obtain or use a “DUNS UEI” for entity registration or reporting.

For additional information on the UEI process, please visit SAM.gov.

2. Register in the System for Award Management (SAM)

• On April 4, 2022, the UEI used across the federal government changed from the DUNS number to the UEI (generated by SAM.gov).

• SAM combines federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one system. Visit SAM.gov for additional information.

• To register, you must have your organization’s UEI, the organization’s Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on the last tax return). It may take up to 5 to 7 business days or more to register and/or complete the migration of permissions and/or the renewal of an entity record.

• All applicants must have current SAM status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a Federal Award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25.

• FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin this process at least 3 weeks before the due date of the grant solicitation.

3. Create a Grants.gov Account

The next step in the registration process is to create an account with grants.gov.

Applicants must know their organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to complete this process. For more detailed instruction about creating a profile on grants.gov, visit grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

Applicants must apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement or RFA, you can create individual instances of a workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, visit grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800- 518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to contact grants.gov support and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Center with tracking your issue.

For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, please contact the Grant Officer noted in Section 7 – Federal Awarding Agency Contacts of this RFA.

NOTICE: Special Characters and Naming Conventions https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/technology-transformation-services/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update?gsaredirect=entityid https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/home http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov

All applicants must follow grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided by grants.gov (per the grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ).

Are there restrictions on file names for any attachment I include with my application package?

File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters (e.g., ! @ # $ % ^ & * - ‘). This includes periods (.) and spacing followed by a dash in the file. To separate words in naming a file, use underscore (_). For example, Attached_File.pdf.

If these guidelines for file names are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from the grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

Additional information can be found at grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#attachments.

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 11:59 PM EDT on the due date listed on the cover page, as detailed in Section 4 – Submission Date. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by grants.gov. The applicant Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (e.g., GRANTXXXXXXXX) from grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and a grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When FNS successfully retrieves the application from grants.gov and acknowledges the download of submissions, grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgement of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that grants.gov receives your application.

Applications received by grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for FNS funding.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission could take some time before grants.gov receives your application. Again, grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role. The grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity is subject to the requirements of EO 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” This Executive Order was issues with the desire to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed federal financial assistance and direct federal development. The Order allows each State to designate an entity to perform this function.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#attachments http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#attachments

If you are located within a State that does not have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC), you may send application materials directly to a federal awarding agency.

For a list of State agency contacts, please visit whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf.

Funding Restrictions

• Pre-award costs will not be permitted for this cooperative agreement.

5. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

FNS will pre-screen all applications to ensure the applicants are eligible entities and are in compliance with all Program regulations. FNS will not approve any waivers from Program regulations for any projects submitted in response to this solicitation.

If the top two applications score within 5 points of each other, HBCUs and other equity driven organizations will receive priority when technical capability is not a deciding factor.

Study Approach and Design (50 points) Background/rationale (10 of 50 points):

• Demonstrates an understanding of PSU, the purpose of evaluating the program and its impact, and the value of the study to FNS.

• States feasible, focused, and narrow project aims and objectives that are clearly appropriate.

• Describes expertise of the research team needed to implement the proposed research objectives and methods and why this research team is best suited to complete the proposed project.

• Provides a brief review of known and/or applicable research in which to build upon in the current proposed study.

Proposed Approach/Methodology (25 of 50 points):

• Outlines a comprehensive approach that would allow for the objectives to be fully addressed.

• Proposes an appropriate and rigorous study design with sufficient detail, validation, and reliability.

• Describes data generation or collection approaches that are appropriate for the research methods and align with the objectives.

• Describes analytical and statistical methodologies used to determine significance of collected data and support the interpretations of results and conclusions of the proposed project.

• Identifies times when FNS input will be integrated into the proposed project.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf

• Specifically identifies components of the study methodology where human subjects (PSU graduates) will be involved and outlines an approach including any necessary approvals and protocols.

Anticipated Outcomes/Impact (15 of 50 points):

• Describes methods to validate and test reliability of study design and tools to ensure proper interpretation of results.

• Clearly incorporates equity, access, and inclusion into the study’s design and anticipated findings.

• Clearly connects the proposed study objectives and methodology with quantitative and qualitative findings.

• Describe anticipated challenges and or limitations that you may face and how you can overcome them.

Management Plan (20 points)

• Develops a functional plan for the overall management, operation, and evaluation of the project.

• Proposes a clear timeline with milestones and demonstrates a plan for immediate implementation of the project upon finalization of funding.

• Describes how the applicant’s organization facilitates effective and rigorous research, including how the administrative organization would support the proposed project.

• Provides oversight necessary to ensure high quality research by including key personnel and appropriate plans for managing outside personnel if applicable.

Experience and Past Performance (10 points)

• Demonstrates the necessary education, skills, and experience of key personnel involved in the project. This includes showing that key personnel have experience in conducting research and have published research in peer-reviewed journals in the past five years.

Supporting documentation (i.e., resume/vita, and position descriptions for vacant positions) is included for all key personnel.

• Demonstrates success in past performance on research by documenting extension of findings through publications, presentations, and programs.

• Supporting documentation (i.e., letters of support from supervisors or letters of commitment from key researchers) is included for all key personnel.

Budget Plan (10 points)

• Includes appropriate budget narrative, including descriptions of how costs within the budget categories were derived and provides links between expenditures and specific activities/tasks.

• Provides detailed calculations and explanations for both Federal and non-Federal resources.

Capacity, Facilities, and Equipment (10 points)

• Demonstrates that the applicant has the facilities, equipment, and communication capabilities to accomplish the goals of the project.

Total Points Available: 100

Review and Selection Process

Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a panel group to review and determine the technical merits of each application. The panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components and array the applications from highest to lowest score. The panel members will recommend applications for consideration for a grant award based on the evaluation scoring. FNS may request information from the applicant not clearly addressed in their proposal. The Selecting Official reserves the right to accept the panel’s recommendation or to select an application for funding out of order to meet agency priorities, program balance, geographical representation, or project diversity. If the top two applications are within 5 points of each other, HBCUs and other equity driven organizations will receive priority when technical capability is not a deciding factor. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next fiscal year should additional funds be made available.

6. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notice

The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this RFA. Unless an applicant receives a signed award document with terms and conditions, any contact from a FNS Grants or Program Officer should not be considered as a notice of a grant award. No pre-award or pre-agreement costs incurred prior to the effective start date are allowed unless approved and stated on FNS’ signed award document (FNS-529). Only the recognized FNS authorized signature can bind the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service to the expenditure of funds related to an award’s approved budget.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Confidentiality of an Application When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of FNS transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the application. Any application that does not result in an award will be not released to the public. An application may be withdrawn at any time prior to the final action thereon.

Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual (OMB Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource).

Applicants submitting applications in response to this RFA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. All federal and non-federal employees (e.g., contractors, affiliates, or partners) working for or on behalf of FNS are required to acknowledge understanding of their responsibilities and accountability for using and protecting PII in accordance with applicable law, regulation, and policy [e.g., the Privacy Act of 1974; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum, M- 17-12, Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information; OMB Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource (this is a non-exhaustive list of requirements in this area)].

By submitting an application in response to this RFA, applicants are assuring that all data exchanges conducted throughout the application submission and pre-award process (and during the performance of the grant, if awarded) will be conducted in a manner…