TPP23 Tier 2 Hubs QA - 04132023.pdf

Updated April 13, 2023

HHS Office of Population Affairs Web: opa.hhs.gov | Email: opa@hhs.gov Twitter: @HHSPopAffairs | YouTube: HHSOfficeofPopulationAffairs

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Tier 2 Adolescent Sexual Health Innovation Hubs

AH-TP2-23-002

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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Contents General Programmatic Budget

General

1. When are applications due for Opportunity Number: AH-TP2-23-002?

Applications are due on June 13, 2023 by 6:00 pm Eastern Time (ET) (p.39).

Your submission time will be determined by the date and time stamp provided by Grants.gov when you complete your submission. If you fail to submit your application by the due date and time, we will not review it, and it will receive no further consideration.

You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date (p.39).

2. Can the same organization submit separate applications to this funding opportunity (AH-TP2-23-002) and the other NOFOs OPA has forecasted such as the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Tier 1 (AH-TP1-23-001) or the second Tier 2 NOFO

(AH-TP2-23-001)?

Yes, an organization can submit an application to more than one NOFO. Each NOFO is different, and organizations should check the eligibility and expectations of each individual NOFO to determine whether or not to apply. HHS/OASH/GAM will deem each application submitted by an entity eligible according to the eligibility information included in the specific NOFO.

Learn more about eligibility information on page 20.

3. Can an individual submit a grant application?

Grants are awarded to organizations rather than individuals. An application may be submitted by an individual authorized to act/sign for an organization and to assume the obligations imposed by the grant and any additional conditions of the grant. However, the award will not go directly to an individual but to the organization which the individual represents.

Learn more about eligibility information on page 20.

4. What is page limit for the application?

Your total application (i.e., the Project Narrative plus Appendices) must not exceed 100 pages (p.22). The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit:

all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables) (Section D.2.a).

5. What is page limit for the project narrative?

Your Project Narrative must not exceed 50 pages (p.22). The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF- 424A, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables) (Section D.2.a).

6. Do the appendices count toward the 50 pages allowed for the project narrative?

No, but the Appendices do count toward the page limit for your total application (p.22).

pages. The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables) (Section C.4).

7. Will OPA advise or consult with our organization about potential ideas for my proposal before submission of the application?

No. Since this is a competitive funding announcement, OPA cannot provide input regarding the content of individual grant applications and is therefore unable to answer questions specific to the content of an application. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the NOFO and should put forward the best proposal the organization can create based on application and evaluation criteria published in the announcement.

For information related to administrative and budgetary requirements, contact the HHS/OASH grants management specialist listed below (p.58):

Duane Barlow Phone: 240-453-8822 Email: Duane.Barlow@hhs.gov

For information on program requirements, please contact the program office representative listed below (p.59):

Elizabeth Laferriere Phone: 240-276-8193 Email: Elizabeth.Laferriere@hhs.gov

8. Can the Authorized Official and PD/PI contact be the same person?

Yes, the Authorized Official and Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) may be the same person. The NOFO does not indicate otherwise. You must register an authorizing official for your organization (p.40). OASH does not determine your organization’s authorizing official; your organization makes that designation. For information on registering for Grants.gov, refer to https://grants.gov or contact the Grants.gov Contact Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (excluding Federal holidays) at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

9. Are applicants expected to provide signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) in the application?

If available at the time of submission, signed MOUs or signed LOCs may be submitted for each partner such as subject matter experts (SMEs) or one signed MOU with all partners (p.36). MOUs and LOCs should include specific roles, responsibilities, resources, and contributions of partner(s) to the project. Do not submit any MOUs for mailto:Duane.Barlow@hhs.gov mailto:Elizabeth.Laferriere@hhs.gov mailto:support@grants.gov

Innovation Development Teams (IDTs). You should not have identified any IDTs in advance.

Signed LOCs must detail the specific role and resources that will be provided, or activities that will be undertaken, in support of the applicant (p.36). The organization’s expertise, experience, and access to the targeted population(s) should also be described in the LOC. Fully-executed MOUs may be required within the first 30 days following the start of the project of any award made under this announcement.

Programmatic

1. Please confirm the ages of youth eligible for TPP.

For the purposes of this NOFO, OPA is defining adolescents and youth to be individuals between the ages of 10-24.

2. Can we provide birth control as part of our grant?

You are not allowed to provide birth control with TPP grant funds.

3. Is the awardee the Innovation Hub? In other words, can we only apply now as

Innovation Hubs, or could we apply now to serve as Innovation Development Teams

(IDT)?

This NOFO will award cooperative agreements for Innovation Hubs only. Applicants apply as either an Incubator, Accelerator, or Hybrid (p.14, p.25-27).

Awarded recipients, also known as Innovation Hubs, will later recruit multiple cohorts of Innovation Development Teams (IDTs) to generate innovations (through Incubators) or test, refine, and package them (through Accelerators), or all of the above (through Hybrids) (p.15- 16). Applicants who are applying as Innovation Hubs should not pre-select any IDTs to participate in their project. Instead, recipients may begin recruiting and selecting IDTs after they are approved to advance out of the Planning Period (p.11)

4. What does the Hybrid approach look like?

OPA leaves open the possibility that some applicants might have the vision, capacity, and a compelling argument for why they should maintain a Hybrid Innovation Hub. We rely on those candidates to define the Hybrid approach as outlined in Application Content, Section 3.a. 4 – Manage Project. Per the NOFO, “If you are proposing a Hybrid, describe in detail how you are positioned to facilitate such a complex approach, why it makes more sense for you to combine the incubator and accelerator models, how you will ensure you will successfully encourage movement of teams between phases, and how you will balance resources accordingly (p.28).” In general, the Hybrid model will support multiple cohorts of IDTs as a combined version of the Incubator and Accelerator models and phases. The Hybrid should still be open to accepting new IDTs to join at the Accelerator phases (i.e., should allow external IDTs to enter their process) (p.14).

OPA anticipates funding approximately one recipient as a Hybrid Innovation Hub (p.2).

5. How does OPA define Innovation?

Please refer to our glossary in Section I.10 (p.78-79). Innovation refers to “the ability to generate and execute new ideas—incremental, evolutionary, or revolutionary—and it starts with creativity. Creativity is the ability to look past the obvious—to transcend traditional ways of seeing the world to create something new" (IDEO, 2022). For the TPP Program, innovation reflects a broad spectrum of new or adapted products, programming, strategies, approaches, interventions, policies, and practices that aim to prevent unintended teen pregnancy, prevent STIs among adolescents, and promote positive youth development. On the TPP Continuum (see Section I.5), OPA further differentiates innovations by their pathway to future scaled delivery. Both types are equally valuable, and OPA is hoping to cultivate a diverse array of innovation projects:

(1) Innovations Intended for the Evidence Base: Many innovators cultivate innovations with the goal of eventually conducting impact evaluations to demonstrate effectiveness in reducing unintended teen pregnancy, STIs, or associated risk factors. These innovations are positioned to eventually become “evidence-based TPP programs”, defined as “those programs that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors (Tier 1 NOFO).” For more information about OPA’s approach to evidence-based programs, refer to: (1) TPP Tier 1 NOFO, (2) TPP Tier 2 Rigorous Impact Evaluation NOFO, and (3) the TPP Evidence Review website for current rigorous study quality standards.

(2) Innovative Practices: Other innovators cultivate innovative practices that youth-serving organizations (e.g., TPP Tier 1 recipients) may employ and scale as part of their holistic approach to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes, promote positive youth development, and advance health equity for adolescents, their families, and communities.

6. This NOFO expects a deep understanding of other OPA-funded reproductive health projects, including prior TPP innovators. Where on the OPA website are the prior innovation projects?

Review Section I.9 for a short historical overview of innovation development projects (p.73- 74). However, the OPA website also provides a thorough overview of past and current TPP grant cohorts. To start, here is a list of links to the major Tier 2 projects (chronological order):

• Innovation and Impact Networks (TPP20 Tier 2) o Under “TPP Grantee Type”, select “TPP Innovation and Impact Networks”

• Phase 2 Rigorous Evaluation of Promising TPP Interventions (TPP20 Tier 2 Phase 2) https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/funding/current-funding-opportunities https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/funding/current-funding-opportunities https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/funding/current-funding-opportunities https://tppevidencereview.youth.gov/ https://tppevidencereview.youth.gov/ https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/teen-pregnancy-prevention-program/tpp-grantees/current-tpp-grantees https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/teen-pregnancy-prevention-program-tpp/tpp-grantees/current-tpp-grantees o Under “TPP Grantee Type”, select “Phase II Rigorous Evaluation of Promising TPP Interventions”

• Phase I Testing New and Innovative TPP Strategies (TPP18 Tier 2)

• Supporting Early Innovation to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (TPP15 2a)

• Rigorously Evaluating New TPP Approaches (TPP15 Tier 2b) o Note: read here for seven innovative new EBPs that emerged from this cohort

• TPP Tier 2 Research and Demonstration (TPP10 Tier 2)

• Personal Responsibility Education Program Innovative Strategies (PREIS) funding

(2010, 2015, 2009)

7. What is the Innovation Capacity Assessment Tool mentioned in the NOFO (p. 16 and 19)?

The Innovation Capacity Assessment Tool is a tool that Hubs are expected to adopt, adapt or create in order to measure progress in cultivating IDT innovation capacity and inform course corrections (p.11, 16). The purpose of the tool is to meet one of the short-term outcomes for this program - to increase the innovation capacity among youth-serving professionals and young people through involvement in these projects (see logic model for Adolescent Sexual Health Innovation Hubs in Section I.5, p.68).

The NOFO does not prescribe any single one tool for use and leaves it open for Innovation Hubs to identify or create their own tool for measuring innovation capacity changes over time (p.16). Applicants will not need to submit their tool as part of their application, as recipients will finalize this during the Planning Period (p.11).

8. Is there a minimum number of projects that need to be in the incubator that constitutes the “multiple cohorts”?

There is no stated minimum in the NOFO. However, the NOFO recommends Innovation Hubs host at least four cohorts with multiple teams (recommended between 5-10 IDTs) within each cohort and 3-5 persons per IDT (p.13-14). Hubs shall define their team approach in their application and planning period but be flexible and make any necessary shifts throughout the project period based on findings from their monitoring and improvement process (p.13).

As covered under Application Content, applicants should cover their IDT approach, IDT recruitment and retention practices, and timelines as part of their Innovation Strategy (p.26).

Applicants should also clearly address how they will embed equity practices into all stages of the Hub pipeline and processes, such as in their IDT approach (p.25).

Federal staff and an independent review panel will assess all eligible applications on the extent to which the applicant:

• Proposes multiple concrete strategies likely to advance and embed equity in the project at all stages through staffing, pipeline development, team recruitment, team participation, capacity-building, testing, and so forth (p.44);

https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/teen-pregnancy-prevention-program-tpp/tpp-grantees/past-tpp-grantees-2015-2020#collapseTwo https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/teen-pregnancy-prevention-program-tpp/tpp-grantees/past-tpp-grantees-2015-2020#collapseTwo https://opa.hhs.gov/TPPTier2BEvaluation https://opa.hhs.gov/TPPTier2BEvaluation https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/summary-researchdemonstration.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/grant-funding/personal-responsibility-education-innovative-strategies-preis-grantee-profiles https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/grant-funding/personal-responsibility-education-innovative-strategies-preis-grantee-profiles

• Details effective, equitable, and innovative processes for recruiting and retaining diverse IDTs that are likely to deeply understand and be committed to exploring solutions for their chosen communities – with those communities (p.45); and

• Provides a clear and promising plan for how to assist IDTs in generating appropriate measures for their innovation, as well as collecting, analyzing, and packaging data relevant to the stage of their project (p.45).

Please be sure to review Section E.1 - Criteria. There you will find the criteria that will be used by federal staff and an independent review panel to assess all eligible applications (p.43-46).

Budget

1. Is Budget and Budget Narrative required for each year or just Year 1?

Applicants should submit a budget justification which includes explanatory text and line-item detail, for the entire first year of the proposed project. The budget narrative should describe how the categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocation of the proposed costs. For subsequent budget years in an anticipated multi-year project, provide a summary narrative and line-item budget for each year beyond the first. For categories or items that differ significantly from the first budget year, provide a detailed justification explaining these changes (p.29).

Funding for all approved budget periods beyond the first is generally level with the initial award amount and is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, adequate stewardship of Federal funds, and the best interests of the Government (p.18).

2. Does the 100-page limit include budget and budget narrative?

pages. The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables) (Section D.2.a) (p.22)

3. To engage young people, would it be appropriate to compensate them for their time in providing feedback on and input? Will compensation and/or incentives be approved budget items?

Yes, youth can be provided incentives for project participation. The project participation cost and or activities must be in support of the goals and objectives of the NOFO. Please see 45 CFR §75.456 - Participant support costs: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle- A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08/section-75.456

If including incentives as part of your budget request, you must include a plan for oversight of federal award funds (p.35, 61). The plan must describe for any program incentives https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08/section-75.456 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08/section-75.456 proposed, the specific internal controls that will be used to ensure only qualified participants will receive them and how they will be tracked (p.35).

4. Do you require cost sharing?

You are not required to provide cost sharing or matching in your proposed budget (p.20).