RFA-CE-25-032_20241121.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NATIONAL CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Formative Research of Community-led Primary Prevention Approaches to Address Elevated Risk of Intimate Partner Violence & Sexual Violence

RFA-CE-25-032

12/02/2024

Table of Contents Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Section II. Award Information

Section III. Eligibility Information

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

Section V. Application Review Information

Section VI. Award Administration Information

Section VII. Agency Contacts

Section VIII. Other Information

Overview

Participating Organization(s) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Components of Participating Organizations Components of Participating Organizations:

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Title Formative Research of Community-led Primary Prevention Approaches to Address Elevated Risk of Intimate Partner Violence & Sexual Violence Activity Code Applications in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be funded using the U01 activity code for a research cooperative agreement.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Type New Agency Notice of Funding Opportunity Number

RFA-CE-25-032

Assistance Listings Number(s) 93.136 Category of Funding Activity HL - Health NOFO Purpose The purpose of this NOFO is to build the evidence base for the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV), including teen dating violence (TDV), and/or sexual violence (SV), in populations experiencing elevated risk of IPV and/or SV. The populations experiencing elevated risk include, but are not limited to, racial/ethnic minority groups, sexual and gender minority groups, and people with disabilities.

This NOFO seeks proposals to support formative research of primary prevention policies, programs, or practices. Formative research involves the use of qualitative and quantitative methods to strengthen the components of the prevention approach, such as the design and implementation, appropriateness, and acceptability, and components of the evaluation activities, such as instrument development, implementation evaluation, recruitment and retention, and pilot studies.

This funding opportunity will support formative research that builds capacity for a future rigorous evaluation of the selected primary prevention approach. The prevention approach selected for formative research and pilot study must be community-led. Community-led means the approach was developed with leadership or substantial input from communities that face inequitable risk for IPV and/or SV and is being implemented in a community-based setting. IPV and/or SV prevention approaches at the community or societal levels are strongly encouraged, including those that address social and structural determinants of health.

This funding opportunity will also support implementation evaluation. Implementation evaluation activities may include, but are not limited to, using mixed methods to assess the reach, dosage, and fidelity of the prevention approach.

Research activities should include at least one element of both the formative evaluation and implementation evaluation. All projects are required to conduct a pilot study assessing changes in IPV and/or SV outcomes of the selected primary, community-led prevention approach to explore the potential benefits of a future rigorous effectiveness study.

There are two CDC Injury Center Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) that address intimate partner violence and sexual violence:

• “Formative Research of Community-led Primary Prevention Approaches to Address Elevated Risk of Intimate Partner Violence & Sexual Violence” (CE-25-032) and

• “Rigorously Evaluating Primary Prevention Strategies for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence” (CE-25-031).

The purpose of this NOFO CE-25-032 is to build the evidence base for the primary prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) and/or sexual violence (SV) in communities experiencing elevated risk of IPV and/or SV. NOFO CE-25-032 seeks proposals to support formative research of prevention approaches that address inequities in IPV and/or SV. Formative research is the process that occurs prior to a large-scale rigorous evaluation. Therefore, this funding opportunity intends to build capacity for the field in communities experiencing elevated risk of IPV and/or SV that will be ready for future rigorous evaluations.

The purpose of NOFO CE-25-031 is to rigorously evaluate primary prevention approaches for IPV and/SV that can demonstrate existing capacity and readiness for a full-scale rigorous outcome evaluation. Specifically, NOFO CE-25-031 funds rigorous outcome evaluations of promising primary prevention approaches that are currently being implemented by state, tribal, and/or local organizations that address IPV and/or SV. Unlike NOFO CE-25-032, the proposed full-scale rigorous evaluation of the selected approach is not required to focus on populations at elevated risk of IPV and/or SV, though it is strongly encouraged. Research on prevention approaches being implemented at the community or societal level are also strongly encouraged, including approaches that address social determinants of health.

Key Dates Publication Date:

To receive notification of any changes to RFA-CE-25-032, return to the synopsis page of this announcement at www.grants.gov and click on the "Send Me Change Notification Emails" link.

An email address is needed for this service.

Letter of Intent Due Date:

11/01/2024 Application Due Date:

12/02/2024 On-time submission requires that electronic applications be error-free and made available to CDC for processing from the NIH eRA system on or before the deadline date. Applications must be submitted to and validated successfully by Grants.gov no later than 11:59 PM U.S. Eastern Time.

Applicants will use a system or platform to submit their applications through Grants.gov and eRA Commons to CDC. ASSIST, an institutional system to system (S2S) solution, or Grants.gov Workspace are options. ASSIST is a commonly used platform because it provides a validation of all requirements prior to submission and prevents errors.

For more information on accessing or using ASSIST, you can refer to the ASSIST Online Help Site at: https://era.nih.gov/erahelp/assist. Additional support is available from the NIH eRA Service desk via http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html.

• E-mail: commons@od.nih.gov

• Phone: 301-402-7469 or (toll-free) 1-866-504-9552

• Hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays

Note: HHS/CDC grant submission procedures do not provide a grace period beyond the application due date time to correct any error or warning notices of noncompliance with application instructions that are identified by Grants.gov or eRA systems (i.e., error correction window).

Scientific Merit Review:

03/04/2025 This date is an estimate.

Secondary Review:

05/06/2025 This date is an estimate.

Estimated Start Date:

09/30/2025 Expiration Date:

02/03/2025 https://www.grants.gov/ http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html mailto:commons@od.nih.gov

Required Application Instructions It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise in this NOFO. Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Note:The Research Strategy component of the Research Plan is limited to 12 pages.

Page Limitations: Pages that exceed the page limits described in this NOFO will be removed and not forwarded for peer review, potentially affecting an application's score.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or may not be accepted for review.

Telecommunications for the Hearing Impaired: TTY 1-888-232-6348

Executive Summary The purpose of this NOFO is to build the evidence base for the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV), including teen dating violence, and/or sexual violence (SV) in populations experiencing elevated risk of IPV/SV (i.e., people with shared social and structural conditions that create elevated risk). These populations include but are not limited to racial/ethnic minority groups, sexual and gender minority groups, and people with disabilities. This NOFO seeks proposals to support formative research of innovative primary prevention approaches (i.e., policies, programs, or practices) that address inequities in IPV and/or SV. Formative research is the process that occurs prior to a large-scale rigorous evaluation, and involves the use of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research. The purpose of formative research is to strengthen the components of the prevention approach (e.g., design and implementation, appropriateness, and acceptability), formalize components of the outcome evaluation (e.g., instrument development, process evaluation, recruitment, and retention of study participants), and conduct a pilot study of the prevention approach to assess changes in IPV and/or SV outcomes to explore the potential promise and benefits of a future rigorous effectiveness study.

The prevention approach selected for this formative research proposal must be community-led, which means that the selected approach was developed with significant input from the impacted community and is already implemented in the community. Research on prevention approaches being implemented at the community- or societal-level are strongly encouraged, including approaches that address social determinants of health.

Mechanism of Support The funding mechanism for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be a Research Cooperative Agreement (U-01).

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards CDC/NCIPC intends to commit up to $750,000 in FY 2025 to fund up to two (2) applications.

Awards issued under this NOFO are contingent upon availability of funds and a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.html

Budget and Period of Performance The estimated total funding (direct and indirect) for the first budget period, 9/30/2025 – 9/29/2026, is $375,000. The estimated total funding (direct and indirect) for the entire Period of Performance, 9/30/2025 – 9/29/2028, is $1,125,000.

Application Research Strategy Length Page limits for the Research Strategy are clearly specified in Section IV. Application and Submission Information of this announcement.

Eligible Institutions/Organizations Institutions/organizations listed in Section III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants are eligible to apply.

Eligible Project Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) The CDC does not award individuals directly. Individuals possessing the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to conduct proposed research should collaborate with their institutions to submit a support application. Underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, as well as individuals with disabilities, are especially encouraged to apply.

For applications where the contact PD/PI qualifies as an NIH Early Stage Investigator (ESI), as confirmed through the NIH Investigator Status determination process, and has a commendable peer review score, prioritization may occur during the second level of review (refer to Section V.

Application Review Information 4. Review and Selection Process). Regarding the determination of Investigator Status for the contact PD/PI:

Before submitting an application, PD/PIs should confirm or update the date of their terminal research degree or the conclusion of their post-graduate clinical training in their eRA Commons Profile for accurate identification. NIH systems will automatically determine each investigator's status and reflect it in their eRA Commons personal profile. The ESI status for PD/PIs on any R01 or equivalent application will be indicated at submission. Investigators must ensure their status is accurately represented in their profile. If the status is incorrect, they should reach out to the NIH eRA Service Desk.

Number of PDs/PIs An application may name more than one PD/PI; their names must appear on the face page of the application. However:

• One (1) principal investigator must be designated as the contact PD/PI for all correspondence related to the application.

• All PD/PIs must include their eRA Commons Identification in the Credential Field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF-424 (R&R) Application Package.

• Institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs must visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF-424 (R&R) Application Guide.

https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-stage/index.htm https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help

Number of Applications Organizations eligible to apply may submit multiple applications to this NOFO, as long as each is scientifically distinct. However, institutions may only submit one application per contact PD/PI. Only one application for each contact PD/PI will receive funding under this announcement. If multiple applications from the same contact PD/PI are submitted, only the most recent one, based on the time and date stamp at www.grants.gov, will be considered for review. It is the applicant's responsibility to withdraw any duplicate applications before the review date.

Institutions that submit applications proposing essentially the same research to two or more CDC/ATSDR NOFOs will not receive funding for more than one.

Application Type

NEW

Special Date(s) A pre-application teleconference call will be conducted on 10/25/2024 to address questions from prospective applicants regarding NOFO RFA-CE-25-025. The call will begin at 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) and end at 1:50 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST), or sooner if all questions are addressed. Questions and answers from the discussion will be included in a supplemental document on grants.gov approximately 2–3 weeks after the call.

Participant Access Information:

• Call Date: October 25, 2024

• Call Start Time: 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)

• Call End Time: 1:50pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)

• Call Leader: Tamara Crawford, Scientific Program Official

• Webinar Link:

https://cdc.zoomgov.com/j/1608252703?pwd=c3NuM2dWdmRmOTBPOW0xcnNqVFZ 1dz09

• Webinar ID: 160 825 2703

• Passcode: hzG!cH6%

• Call-In Numbers:

o +1 646 828 7666 US (New York) o +1 646 964 1167 US (US Spanish Line) o +1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose) o +1 551 285 1373 US (New Jersey) o +1 415 449 4000 US (US Spanish Line) o +1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)

• Dial-In Passcode: 04805256

Application Materials See Section IV.1 for application materials.

https://cdc.zoomgov.com/j/1608252703?pwd=c3NuM2dWdmRmOTBPOW0xcnNqVFZ1dz09 https://cdc.zoomgov.com/j/1608252703?pwd=c3NuM2dWdmRmOTBPOW0xcnNqVFZ1dz09

Hearing Impaired Telecommunications for the hearing impaired are available at: TTY: 1-888-232-6348.Section I.

Funding Opportunity Description

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Statutory Authority Section 301 (a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)] of the Public Health Service Act, Section 391 (a) [42 U.S.C.

280 b (a)] and Section 393(a)(3), 42 U.S.C. 280b-1a(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.

1. Background and Purpose Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) are preventable public health problems in the United States. IPV (including teen dating violence) is committed by a current or former intimate partner. These partners can include a spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, dating partner, or ongoing sexual partner. IPV includes physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression that may involve coercive tactics (Breiding et al., 2015). SV can be perpetrated by anyone, including but not limited to friends/acquaintances, current or former intimate partners, family members, strangers, or persons in positions of power, authority, or trust. SV is a sexual act that is committed or attempted by another person without freely given consent of the victim. SV is also a sexual act against someone who is unable to consent or refuse, including forced or alcohol/drug sexual acts. Sexual violence includes rape, making a victim rape a perpetrator or someone else, sexual coercion, unwanted sexual touching, unwanted non-contact acts of a sexual nature like verbal sexual harassment and technology-facilitated sexual violence, and sex trafficking (Basile et al., 2014).

Millions experience IPV and/or SV each year. For instance, almost 1 in 2 women (47.3% or 59 million) and 2 in 5 men (44.2% or 52.1 million) in the United States reported any contact SV (defined as rape, being made to penetrate someone else, sexual coercion, and/or unwanted sexual contact), physical violence, and/or stalking victimization by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime (Leemis et al., 2022). At some point in their lifetime, just over one-quarter of U.S. women (26.8%) and slightly less than 5% of U.S. men (3.8%) are raped; 54.3% of women (about 67.8 million) and 30.7% of men (about 36.2 million) have experienced some form of contact SV (Basile et al., 2022).

The risk for IPV and SV is not shared equally across all groups. Populations experiencing elevated risk of IPV/SV (i.e., IPV or SV rates that are higher than the national average) include, but are not limited, to racial/ethnic minority groups, sexual and gender minority groups, and people with disabilities. As an individual’s disadvantaged societal statuses multiply, their experience of systematic discrimination (like racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia), and the probability that they will experience violence also increase (West, 2021). For instance, multi-racial, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), and Black women consistently have the highest burden of these forms of violence as compared to women in other racial/ethnic subgroups (Leemis et al., 2022). Specifically, lifetime prevalence rates of contact SV, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner are 63.8%, 57%, and 53.6% and lifetime prevalence of rape are 48%, 43.7%, 29%, for multi-racial, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Black women, respectively (Basile et al., 2022).

Over half of all homicides of women are IPV-related (Petrosky et al., 2017). As with other IPV outcomes, racial/ethnic inequities are quite apparent. For example, Black women are 14% of the population but comprised nearly one-third of intimate partner homicides between 2003 and 2014 (United States Census Bureau, 2023). Given Black and AI/AN women have the highest rate of dying by homicide (4.4 and 4.3 per 100,000, respectively), prevention of IPV in these populations is critical to addressing violence inequities (United States Census Bureau, 2023).

Being female, a sexual minority person, and a racial minority person also elevates risk of IPV and/or SV. Compared to individuals with other sexual orientations, bisexual women experience the highest lifetime rates of contact SV, physical violence, and/or stalking from an intimate partner (Chen et al., 2020). Additionally, while contact sexual violence by any perpetrator is relatively high for all racial/ethnic groups of bisexual women, it is exceedingly high for Hispanic bisexual women (93.6%) (Chen et al., 2023). Gender identity similarly places individuals at increased risk for violence, as slightly more than 50% of transgender individuals report some form of lifetime IPV (James, 2016). A meta-analysis also indicates transgender individuals are 1.7 times, 2.2 times, and 2.5 times more likely to experience any IPV, physical IPV, and sexual IPV, respectively, than cisgender individuals (Peitzmeier et al., 2020). Further, compared to transgender individuals with lowest risk (Asian-Americans), AI/AN transgender persons have significantly higher odds of multiple forms of IPV (King et al., 2021).

Individuals exposed to compounded discriminatory experiences, may experience IPV and SV in unique ways that are not captured in studies designed to examine violence in general populations (Yerke & DeFeo, 2016). As such research that informs implementation and evaluation of prevention strategies needs to consider definitions, measures, and approaches that are most salient for populations that face elevated risk. Despite a growing evidence base, few prevention approaches have been developed for populations at elevated risk for IPV and/or SV.

Evaluation of prevention approaches have typically occurred in controlled settings, with some tested approaches having challenges to being appropriate and acceptable for broad real-world implementation (Embry et al., 2022). Implementation challenges and the lengthy gap between science and dissemination have contributed to a disproportionate number of interventions designed for population-level impact that do not address, but may exacerbate, disparities (Brussoni et al., 2006; Mathevet et al., 2021). Formative research is used to strengthen the components of the prevention approach and evaluation activities often in advance of full implementation and rigorous evaluation. Community-led approaches designed to address factors driving inequities may be more appropriate and acceptable in marginalized populations but may face challenges to formal evaluation. Formative research may help strengthen these approaches and lay the foundation for future rigorous evaluations by informing the transformation of community-led approaches into evaluable prevention approaches (Embry et al., 2022).

Another gap is many IPV and SV prevention approaches that have been evaluated only focus on individual or relationship-level factors. Research attention to community- and societal-level factors, including the social and structural determinants of health (SDOH), may result in approaches that have a broad impact. SDOH refer to the social and structural conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age can be shaped by the distribution of resources, which is influenced in part by policies. Social and structural determinants of health (e.g., concentrated poverty, structural racism, high rates of unemployment, limited access to high-quality education, and affordable, high-quality child care contribute to health inequities, including differences in health status seen across population groups (Solar & Irwin, 2010; Yearby, 2020)

References

Basile, K. C., Smith, S. G., Breiding, M., Black, M. C., & Mahendra, R. R. (2014).

Sexual violence surveillance: Uniform definitions and recommended data elements.

Version 2.0.

Basile, K. C., Smith, S. G., Kresnow, M.-j., Khatiwada, S., & Leemis, R. W. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on sexual violence.

Breiding, M., Basile, K. C., Smith, S. G., Black, M. C., & Mahendra, R. R. (2015).

Intimate partner violence surveillance: Uniform definitions and recommended data elements. Version 2.0.

Brussoni, M., Towner, E., & Hayes, M. (2006). Evidence into practice: combining the art and science of injury prevention. Injury prevention, 12(6), 373-377.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2564413/pdf/373.pdf

Chen, J., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Smith, S. G., Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Basile, K.

C., & Kresnow, M.-j. (2023). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2016/2017: Report on Victimization by Sexual Identity. Atlanta, GA

Chen, J., Walters, M. L., Gilbert, L. K., & Patel, N. (2020). Sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence by sexual orientation, United States. Psychology of violence, 10(1), 110.

Embry, V., Macy, R. J., Moracco, K. E., Scheffey, K., Moore, A., McCort, A., & Taraskiewicz, L. (2022). From “homegrown” to research-ready: Converting an existing practitioner-developed violence prevention intervention into an evaluable intervention.

Health promotion practice, 23(6), 1063-1072.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9720454/pdf/10.1177_15248399211031 540.pdf

James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey.

King, W. M., Restar, A., & Operario, D. (2021). Exploring multiple forms of intimate partner violence in a gender and racially/ethnically diverse sample of transgender adults.

Journal of interpersonal violence, 36(19-20), NP10477-NP10498.

Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Kresnow, M.-j., Smith, S. G., Caslin, S., & Basile, K. C. (2022). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2564413/pdf/373.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9720454/pdf/10.1177_15248399211031540.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9720454/pdf/10.1177_15248399211031540.pdf

Mathevet, I., Ost, K., Traverson, L., Zinszer, K., & Ridde, V. (2021). Accounting for health inequities in the design of contact tracing interventions: a rapid review.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 106, 65-70.

Peitzmeier, S. M., Malik, M., Kattari, S. K., Marrow, E., Stephenson, R., Agénor, M., & Reisner, S. L. (2020). Intimate partner violence in transgender populations: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence and correlates. American journal of public health, 110(9), e1-e14.

Petrosky, E., Blair, J. M., Betz, C. J., Foweler, K. A., Jack, S. P. D., & Lyons, B. H.

(2017). Racial and ethnic differences in homicides of adult women and the role of intimate partner violence—United States, 2003–2014. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 66(28), 741-746.

Solar, O., & Irwin, A. (2010). A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health.

United States Census Bureau. (2023). National Population by Characteristics: 2020- 2023. National Population by Characteristics: 2020-2023

West, C. M. (2021). Widening the lens: Expanding the research on intimate partner violence in Black communities. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 30(6), 749-760.

Yearby, R. (2020). Structural racism and health disparities: reconfiguring the social determinants of health framework to include the root cause. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 48(3), 518-526.

Yerke, A. F., & DeFeo, J. (2016). Redefining Intimate Partner Violence Beyond the Binary to Include Transgender People. Journal of Family Violence, 31(8), 975-979.

Healthy People 2030 and other National Strategic Priorities This research addresses the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of “Healthy People 2030”, including the focus area of injury and violence prevention. For more information, see https://health.gov/healthypeople.

The objectives of this funding announcement also align with goals of the first-ever “U.S.

National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence: Strategies for Action” released by the White House. For additional information on the "U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence:

Strategies for Action" see https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/National- Plan-to-End-GBV.pdf.

Public Health Impact IPV and SV are significant public health problems that are associated with serious and chronic physical and mental health conditions. By preventing IPV and SV, the overall health of individuals can be improved. The proposed research focus on community-led approaches have the potential to strengthen the prioritization and implementation of evidence-based approaches that can be feasibly conducted in many diverse communities. Such strategies have the potential to significantly reduce morbidity and mortality associated with IPV and SV, especially in populations that experience elevated risk for IPV and/or SV.

Relevant Work https://health.gov/healthypeople http://www.phe.gov/s3/dualuse https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/National-Plan-to-End-GBV.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/National-Plan-to-End-GBV.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/rpe/index.html

This work aligns with the following CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), or Injury Center, research priorities, which are available at:

https://www.cdc.gov/injury-violence-prevention/programs/research-priorities.html

• Evaluate the effectiveness and economic efficiency of approaches to prevent SV that target high-risk populations and shared risk factors with other health outcomes.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of SV prevention approaches that have substantial uptake in practice and are evidence-informed but lack evaluation research evidence.

• Evaluate innovative or promising prevention strategies to examine their short- and long-term effects on TDV and adult IPV.

For additional information about the CDC Injury Research Agenda, see:

• https://www.cdc.gov/injury/index.html

Previously funded research awards are available on CDC’s Injury Center website:

• https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/fundinghub/fundedprograms/research-awards.html

CDC provides funding for implementation of primary prevention efforts that address sexual violence at the state and local level through the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program.

A list of current RPE recipients and state sexual assault coalitions are available at:

• https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/programs/index.html

CDC also provides funding for IPV prevention at state domestic violence coalitions through the Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA):

Achieving Health Equity through Addressing Disparities (AHEAD) program. The purpose of DELTA AHEAD is to decrease risk factors and increase protective factors related to intimate partner violence. Additional information on the DELTA AHEAD program and a list of current recipients are available at:

• https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/programs/index.html

2. Approach Formative research and evaluations funded under this announcement are expected to build the evidence base for the primary prevention of IPV and SV in populations experiencing elevated risk. The populations experiencing elevated risk include, but are not limited to, racial/ethnic minority groups, sexual and gender minority groups, and people with disabilities. The elevated risk is associated with shared social and structural determinants of health (SDOH). Examples of SDOH that are associated with health inequities and risk for violence include concentrated poverty, structural racism, high rates of unemployment, limited access to high-quality education, and affordable, high-quality child care. Applicants should identify the population with elevated risk that is the focus of the research. Applicants may demonstrate the burden through a combination of available research and data on the selected population. Examples of research and data may include, but not limited to:

• meta-analysis

• research studies

• administrative data https://www.cdc.gov/injury-violence-prevention/programs/research-priorities.html https://www.cdc.gov/injury/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/fundinghub/fundedprograms/research-awards.html https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/fundinghub/fundedprograms/research-awards.html https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/programs/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/programs/index.html

• syndromic surveillance data

• Vital statistics

• self-report survey

• other reliable and valid data sources

The primary prevention policy, program, or practice examined by the proposed research must address inequities in IPV and/or SV and be community-led. Community-led means the approach is developed with leadership or substantial input from communities that face inequitable risk for IPV and/or SV and is being implemented in a community-based setting.

Applicants consistent with the intent of this NOFO are required to:

1. Actively engage community partners in research and evaluation activities

2. Conduct formative research; and

3. Conduct a pilot study to assess the preliminary efficacy or effectiveness of the primary prevention approach by examining changes in IPV and/or SV outcomes with at least pre-test/post-test data collection. More complex and/or mixed-methods designs are encouraged.

Strategy Scope The intent of this NOFO is to focus on formative research and evaluation activities designed to build capacity for a future rigorous evaluation of the IPV and/or SV primary prevention approach for populations experiencing the inequitable risk for IPV and/or SV. There are different levels to prevention:

• Primary prevention approaches are those that aim to prevent violence before it occurs.

• Secondary prevention approaches focus on the more immediate responses to recent violence, such as victim treatment or arrest strategies.

• Tertiary prevention approaches focus on long-term care after violence has occurred, such as rehabilitation/reintegration, attempts to lessen trauma or reduce the long-term disability associated with violence.

The Specific Aims section of the application must clearly describe a proposed primary prevention policy, program, or practice. Recognizing that previous violence experiences are common within populations that experience elevated risk for violence, applications that integrate trauma-informed principle into the primary prevention approaches are welcomed.

Approaches that address social, economic, and environmental characteristics of neighborhood, workplace, and other organizational settings and have implications for multiple generations are also welcomed. For example, applicants may propose a housing-focused program aimed at increasing homeownership and decreasing concentrated segregation.

Prevention Approaches that are NOT eligible for evaluation.

For the purposes of this NOFO, the following prevention approaches, and adaptations, have been identified as having existing evidence of effectiveness for preventing IPV and SV in a rigorous evaluation and are NOT eligible for evaluation under this NOFO :

• Safe Dates

• Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships

• Families for Safe Dates

• Shifting Boundaries – Building Level Intervention

• GreenDot

• RealConsent

• Coaching Boys into Men

• Bringing in the Bystander

• Second Step

• Expect Respect Support Groups

• The Fourth R: Strategies for Healthy Teen Relationships

• Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program

• ePREP

Additionally, several programs, policies, or practices aimed at preventing intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence are currently being evaluated under existing CDC-funded initiatives and are NOT eligible for this NOFO. A list of CDC-funded research awards focused on intimate partner violence, including teen dating violence, and/or sexual violence prevention can be generated at https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/fundinghub/fundedprograms/research-awards.html

The Specific Aims section of the application must demonstrate that the proposed prevention approach has not previously been evaluated with demonstrated effectiveness in a rigorous outcome evaluation for IPV and/or SV or is not currently being rigorously evaluated with CDC funding.

Most existing evidence-based programs are designed for group-based delivery in K-12 school-, college-, or university-based settings. The intent of this NOFO is to broaden the evidence beyond school-based prevention approaches. The Specific Aims section of the application must demonstrate that the proposed program, policy, or practice selected for formative research activities is not a school-based prevention approach and will not be implemented in a K-12 school, college, or university-based setting.

For the purposes of this NOFO, formative research activities may not include engagement in advocacy efforts to enact laws, regulations, administrative actions, or incentives in compliance with anti-lobbying restrictions for CDC recipients. Proposed research may focus on formative, implementation, and pilot evaluations of existing or modified policies or other characteristics of the community.

Research Plan The first page of the Research Plan should address the following questions in a table or bullet format. The questions to address are in the sample table below.

Research Plan Questions Example Answers Is the approach primary prevention of IPV, SV, or both? SV What population at elevated risk was the approach designed for? AI/AN youth Does the approach address the unique needs of the population at elevated risk? Yes

What setting is the approach currently being implemented in? Health center https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/fundinghub/fundedprograms/research-awards.html

Is a letter of support from the implementing organization in the application? Yes

Name one element of the proposed formative evaluation Evaluability assessment

Name one element of the proposed implementation evaluation Fidelity What is the design of the pilot study? Pre/post What are the outcomes of the IPV or SV study? Rape Perpetration

The research plan should describe the overall concept for the proposed formative research and pilot study. Mixed methods for data collection (i.e., quantitative and qualitative methods) are encouraged. For the purposes of this NOFO, the required formative research and pilot study activities include:

• Completing at least one element of a formative evaluation.

o Examples may include, but are not limited to, conducting an evaluability assessment, collecting data using mixed methods on feasibility, appropriateness, and/or acceptability of prevention approach.

• Completing at least one element of an implementation evaluation, also referred to as a process evaluation.

o Examples may include, but are not limited to, collecting data using mixed methods on reach, dosage, and/or fidelity of the prevention approach.

• Conducting a pilot study with at least pre-test/post-test data collection, which includes collecting or securing baseline and follow up data on the primary outcomes (IPV and/or

SV).

o Quantitative methods are required for the pilot-study.

For the purposes of this NOFO, additional formative research and pilot study activities may include:

• Refining evaluation tools

• Cognitive testing of outcome measures

• Identifying strategies for recruitment and retention

• Identifying sites where the prevention approach can be implemented

• Developing and refining implementation materials based on formative research results

• Collecting or securing baseline and follow up data on secondary outcomes, such as other violence outcomes and risk and protective factors.

Applicants must clearly describe the proposed policy, program, or practice, how it addresses inequities in IPV and/or SV, and how it is designed for or accepted by the community.

Successful applications are expected to demonstrate how completing activities will provide actionable information and recommendations to advance the field and reduce inequities in experiencing IPV and/or SV. The application should include a sufficiently detailed timeline that describes the project plan for completing proposed activities within a 3-year period of performance.

Primary Prevention Approach: Significance and Innovation.

The Research Plan section should address the following topics in narrative format:

• Description of the proposed policy, program, or practice and how it focuses on the primary prevention of IPV and/or SV

• Description of available research and data on the selected population which indicates that the selected population experiences elevated risk for IPV and/or SV

• Description of the community in which the prevention approach is being implemented

• Description of how the prevention approach is designed to meet the unique needs of the community and how it addresses the inequities in IPV and/or SV in the selected community

• Description of plans for equitable collaboration with community partners and populations that experience elevated risk for IPV and/or SV; for example, how activities are informed by Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles and involvement of community partners in all aspect of the research (e.g., data collection, interpretation and dissemination of findings).

• Description of the proposed formative research activities, including the proposed research designs, methods, recruitment and retention strategies, and data analysis plans

• Description of the proposed formative evaluation, implementation, and pilot study activities, including any data collected showing preliminary evidence of the approach

• Description of how the formative research and pilot study activities will expand, and not replicate or adapt, the evidence base for IPV and/or SV prevention among populations that are at an elevated risk

Theory of Change The Research Plan should include a narrative Theory of Change (TOC). The TOC describes the causal processes through which the policy, program, or practice is expected to change IPV and/or SV outcomes. In their description of the TOC, applicants should describe how it meets the following criteria:

• The prevention approach (is based on sufficient theoretical and/or empirical support to suggest that it may effectively reduce IPV and/or SV outcomes

• The proposed formative research activities will enhance the policy, program, or practice implementation and pilot study of the prevention approach

• The relationship between the mediators or moderators and the primary behavioral outcomes (i.e., IPV perpetration and/or victimization and/or SV perpetration and/or victimization) for the pilot study of the prevention approach are outlined

• Potential unintended or adverse consequences of the policy, program, or practice are identified

Research Design Formative research involves using qualitative and quantitative methods to strengthen the components of the prevention approach, such as the design and implementation, appropriateness, and acceptability. Formative research also involve the use of qualitative and quantitative methods to strengthen components of the evaluation activities, such as instrument development, implementation evaluation, recruitment, and retention. Research activities should include elements of both formative evaluation and implementation evaluation. The pilot evaluation study design must include at least pre-test/post-test data collection. More complex designs are encouraged.

Data Collection, Acquisition, and Analysis Applicants must demonstrate an ability to collect the relevant data and secure community partners’ engagement over an adequate time to conduct formative research and a pilot evaluation.

Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to conduct formative, implementation, and pilot evaluations that are appropriate for the practice, policy, or program. The application is expected to delineate the components that are essential for a formative evaluation and implementation evaluation. These components may include, but are not limited to, feasibility, appropriateness, acceptability, and contextual factors that promote or hinder the adoption. Applicants are expected to clearly describe the elements of their proposed formative research, including, but not limited to:

• How the components of the IPV and/or SV community-led prevention approach will be strengthened

• How the components of the pilot evaluation activities will be strengthened The pilot evaluation design must include at least pre-test/post-test data collection. More complex and/or mixed-methods designs are encouraged. Applicants must include valid and reliable measures for the primary and secondary outcomes. Primary outcomes are either IPV and/or SV victimization and perpetration. Secondary outcomes could include other forms of violence and risk and protective factors. The application should clearly describe and justify the proposed sampling and data collection methods. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to obtain and/or access the proposed data for a pilot study of the prevention approach to assess the preliminary efficacy or effectiveness. A data analytic plan must appropriately consider the intervention level, data, and study design.

Applicants should include plans to provide staffing, training, and support to conduct all research and evaluation facets and monitor implementation rigor to ensure fidelity to the policy, program, or practice and research design.

Objectives/Outcomes All proposals are expected to demonstrate how there will be active engagement from community partners across research and evaluation activities. Applicants are encouraged to measure factors, such as:

• community readiness

• community capacity

• partnership engagement

Formative Outcomes. The formative research outcomes will be defined by the activities suited for a formative evaluation, implementation evaluation, and pilot study of the prevention approach.

The outcomes for the formative evaluation may include, but are not limited to:

• evaluability assessment

• needs assessment

• measures of feasibility, appropriateness, acceptability of the program, policy, or practice

Implementation Outcomes. The outcomes for the implementation evaluation, or process evaluation, may include, but are not limited to:

• reach

• dosage

• fidelity

• contextual factors that promote or hinder adoption of the approach

Applicants must describe the primary IPV and/or SV outcome for the pilot study and assess changes at the appropriate level to measure preliminary effects of the selected approach. The indicator(s) of IPV and/or SV used for outcome measurement purposes may vary depending on the population of interest (e.g., age, context) and data sources available (e.g., survey, administrative, surveillance). Outcome data may include rates of perpetration, victimization, or both. However, collecting data on perpetration outcomes is strongly encouraged when possible.

The use of multiple sources of data for IPV and/or SV outcomes is encouraged to improve validity and reliability of each of the measured violence outcomes.

Additional considerations for measurement of IPV and SV outcomes are noted below:

• Intimate Partner Violence: Applications are encouraged to include measures that assess all forms of intimate partner violence, including teen dating violence, that are feasible based on the proposed data sources and relevant to the proposed evaluation design. These forms include psychological, physical, sexual violence, and stalking behaviors.

• Sexual Violence: An assessment of sexual violence perpetration and/or victimization is to include actual behavior, including subtypes of sexual violence whenever possible.

Examples include rape, being made to penetrate, sexual coercion, unwanted sexual contact, non-contact unwanted sexual experiences, and sex trafficking. Measurement of sexual violence is expected to include any perpetration and/or victimization during the assessed period. This should include sexual violence perpetrated by/against strangers, intimate/dating partners, peers, acquaintances, family members, or others. Measurement of sexual violence is strongly encouraged to include multiple types of types of victim-perpetrator relationships (e.g., sexual violence against an intimate partner) as relevant to the project.

• Technology-Facilitated Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence: Applicants are strongly encouraged to include measurement of technology-facilitated IPV and/or SV.

Examples of measures include, but are not limited to, use of online or digital technologies to coerce or control an intimate partner, sexual harassment via social media, gaming, or text-communications, use of sexual images to cause harm.

Population of Focus IPV and SV affects millions of people annually, yet some populations experience inequitable risk. To make significant progress in eliminating disparities in rates of IPV and SV perpetration and victimization, it is important to implement and evaluate prevention approaches that address conditions that contribute to the creation of inequities. Populations experiencing inequitable risk include, but are not limited, to racial/ethnic minority persons, sexual and gender minority persons, people with disabilities, undocumented immigrants, asylum seeking and refugee populations, tribal populations, rural populations and other geographically underserved areas, people experiencing poverty and/or housing instability, and people who exchange sex, where disparities in elevated risk for IPV and/or SV are evident (i.e., prevalence rates greater than the general population).

This NOFO, including funding and eligibility, is not limited based on, and does not discriminate based on, race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy) or other constitutionally protected statuses.

Collaboration/Partnerships This funding announcement seeks proposals that leverage the combined knowledge, expertise, and experiences of researchers, practitioners, and communities to generate evidence for the field of intimate partner violence and sexual violence prevention.46,47 Applicants are expected to demonstrate significant and meaningful community partnerships, as appropriate, to ensure successful implementation and evaluation of the program or policy in the jurisdiction where the proposed IPV and/or SV prevention approach is implemented. Applications should demonstrate that the project team, including research staff and relevant community partners, has the necessary skills and experience to ensure quality and timeliness of proposed activities.

Applications are encouraged to describe how the collaboration follows the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (refer to Brush and colleagues’ paper “Success in Long-Standing Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Partnerships: A Scoping Literature Review”: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1090198119882989

Examples include…