Updated DEEP NOFO _ Final 07-19-21.pdf

FY 2021 DHS NOFO Template Version 21-0

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Evaluation of the Citizens Crime Commission’s Disruption and Early Engagement Program

NOTE: If you are going to apply for this funding opportunity and have not obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and/or are not currently registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), please take immediate action to obtain a DUNS Number, if applicable, and then to register immediately in SAM. It may take 4 weeks or more after you submit your SAM registration before your registration is active in SAM, then an additional 24 hours for Grants.gov to recognize your information. Information on obtaining a DUNS number and registering in SAM is available from Grants.gov at:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding DUNS and SAM is also provided in Section D of this NOFO.

A. Program Description

1. Issued By U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate, Mission and Capability Support, Public Safety and Violence Prevention

2. Assistance Listings (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number) 97.108

3. Assistance Listings Title (formerly CFDA Title) Homeland Security, Research, Testing, Evaluation, and Demonstration of Technologies

4. Funding Opportunity Title

Evaluation of Citizens Crime Commission’s (CCC) Disruption and Early Engagement Program (DEEP) Initiative

5. Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-ST- 21-108-FR06

6. Authorizing Authority for Program

6 U.S.C. 188(b)(C)

7. Appropriation Authority for Program P.L. 116-93, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Division D. – Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2020, Title IV – Research, Development, Training and Services

8. Announcement Type Initial http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

9. Program Category (Optional)

NA

10. Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to using cutting-edge technologies and providing scientific expertise in its quest to make America safer. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) mission is to enable effective, efficient, and secure operations across all homeland security missions by applying scientific, engineering, analytic, and innovative approaches to deliver timely solutions and support Department acquisitions. To fulfill this mission, the Public Safety and Violence Prevention (PSVP) program within the Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS) aims to conduct evidence-based research to better understand an evolving threat landscape in an effort to enhance and/or build tools and techniques when it comes to enhancing public safety while preventing act of violence from impacting our communities. The goal of the Public Safety and Violence Prevention program is to develop high quality data and evidence to better inform policy and practice by improving the effectiveness of public safety and violence prevention efforts implemented by federal, state, local, tribal, territorial and non-governmental stakeholders. This research will enable policy makers and operational end-users to make informed decision to divert vulnerable individuals, prevent potential offenders, mitigate vulnerabilities, and enhance community resilience in the face of various social and behavioral threats.

Due to the growing number of threats our nation is combating, the PSVP utilizes the tools available to access a broad set of expertise drawn from the fields of psychology, economics, criminology, political science, sociology, biostatistics, and other social and evaluation disciplines to assist in the development of novel and unique solutions as products are delivered for emerging component capability needs. Knowledge and findings from this research will be transferred to federal, state, local, and private organizations to enable education and awareness to reinforce a whole-of-society prevention architecture. These prevention efforts will equip and empower local efforts – including peers, teachers, community leaders, clinicians, social service providers, and law enforcement—to minimize a threat as it evolves while enhancing emergency preparedness and response.

Through this solicitation, PSVP aims to lead the development of science-based policy, programs and products in support of the DHS Strategic Plan 2020-2024:

• Goal 1: Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats

• Goal 5: Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience

This solicitation is also in support of the DHS Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence (CTTV) (2019), and the Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence Implementation Plan (2020), specifically:

• Priority Action Objective 3.3. Develop prevention frameworks with SLTT partners to enhance their ability to identify and respond to individuals at risk of mobilizing to violence

Additionally, this solicitation supports the following objectives and actions within the DHS CTTV Implementation Plan:

• Objective 3.1: Strengthen societal resistance against the drivers of violent extremism and ensure broad awareness of the threat of terrorism and targeted violence

• Priority Action 3.1.2: Increase societal awareness of violent extremism and mobilization to violence

• Priority Action 3.3.2: Enhance grant program support with SLTT, law enforcement, and emergency management partners

• Priority Action 3.3.6: Evaluate prevention programming and expand research and training on threat assessments, intervention, reintegration, and counter-recidivism

The objective of this effort is to conduct an outcome and impact evaluation of the Citizens Crime Commission (CCC) of New York City, Disruption and Early Engagement Program (DEEP) Initiative. CCC has been piloting an intervention program that ensures individuals considered at-risk for engaging in targeted violence have been demobilized by seeking help from psychologists, community based specialists, and threat assessment experts to identify indicators that could determine a subject’s actual propensity for violence, and planning to resolve threats or vulnerabilities through avenues that don’t necessarily include criminal charges, like mentorship and rehabilitation. The DEEP early engagement initiative aims to intervene with individuals on a pathway to extremist or targeted violence, stopping the violence before it starts. Specifically, the initiative aims to identify and respond to individuals at risk of mobilizing to violence both in the pre-arrest space, and to those convicted of crimes related to terrorism or targeted violence in the re-entry space.

The unique model propagated by CCC DEEP offers itself up to be a prime candidate to undergo an independent evaluation to measure the initiatives overall impact and effectiveness in preventing violent extremism and targeted violence. The impact evaluation shall assess the causal impact of the program while estimating and comparing outcomes with experimental (i.e., randomized controlled trials) and quasi-experimental designs. (OMB M-20-12, p.10, available online https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-12.pdf). Findings from this research activity aim to provide scientific evidence to inform research, design, and assistance to state and local stakeholders who develop and maintain community-led programs and models in preventing violent extremism and targeted violence. Doing so will allow S&T to better understand what has worked, what didn’t, and why in the development and maintenance of locally based terrorism prevention programs and/or models. By filling this gap in knowledge, S&T will be able to provide recommendations on how to better define effective programs, create useful tools, and understand the impacts stemming from terrorism prevention programs.

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0702_plcy_dhs-strategic-plan-fy20-24.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-12.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-12.pdf

The recipient(s) will assist with a range of activities, including designing data collection strategies, collecting data from primary and secondary sources, and analyzing data to measure the impact and overall effectiveness of the CCC DEEP initiative. Findings from this evaluation will be made publicly available to ensure that state and local stakeholders can continually improve and integrate new approaches by determining what works, what doesn’t, and what’s promising in various FSLTT programs to strengthen preparedness and community resilience.

Technical Topic Areas: (10.1.1 – 10.1.2)

10.1.1 TTA #1, Evaluation of New York City Citizens Crime Commission’s (CCC)

DEEP Initiative

Objective 1: The goal of this solicitation is to conduct an evidence-based impact and outcome evaluation of the CCC’s DEEP initiative. The recipient shall meet with key stakeholders including, but not limited to, members from the non-profit organization, state and city partners, social service providers, and other community-based organizations to measure the impact and overall effectiveness of the CCC DEEP initiative. This is to be accomplished through an investigation of the landscape and history of the CCC DEEP, collecting data on the protocols and/or models utilized by CCC DEEP in responding to individuals at risk, consultation and input from subject matter experts and relevant practitioners engaged in similar targeted violence prevention programs, researchers and other relevant stakeholders to include State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) partners, and the incorporation of peer-reviewed and other scientific outputs. Relevant stakeholders may include professionals and experts from academia, NGOs, other government agencies from Federal, State, or local jurisdictions who possess knowledge, experience, and abilities relevant to similar programs that aim to prevent violent extremism and targeted violence.

Objective 2: The goal of the research and analysis conducted as part of Objective 1 is to develop documentation detailing the impact CCC DEEP has had on individuals at-risk and the community, understanding the role CCC DEEP has played in preventing violent extremism and targeted violence, assessing the initiatives contributions (both intended and unintended), and measuring the effectiveness of the CCC DEEP model.

Documentation is to be made publicly available and targeted toward subject matter experts, practitioners engaged in community-based targeted violence prevention programs, researchers, and other relevant stakeholders and S/L/T/T partners. Recipient are encouraged to disseminate their research in forums such as academic and industry-specific peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

10.1.2 TTA #2 Recommendations to Discover, Integrate, Deliver, and Disseminate

Evidence-based evaluation research

Objective 1:

The CCC DEEP model is unique in the sense that it incorporates help from psychologists, community-based specialists and threat assessment experts in engaging with individuals on a pathway to extremist or targeted violence. Recipient shall share findings with primary intended users – including, but not limited to, managers of the CCC DEEP initiative, DHS S&T Program Manager, and other stakeholders who possess knowledge, experience, and abilities relevant to similar programs that aim to prevent violent extremism and targeted violence. Recipient shall generate data specific to the protocols and processes utilized by CCC DEEP to assess the impact and overall effectiveness of the model. Aims of this objective include gathering of protocols and identification of best practices, defining what constitutes a successful early engagement program, identifying areas of future research, developing recommendations and tools to fill gaps in either practice or research, and translating research findings into actionable and operational documents for dissemination to NGOs, relevant practitioners engaged in similar targeted violence prevention programs and other government agencies. Dissemination of these findings may include, but is not limited to, outputs such as conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal articles, reports, or pamphlets.

11. Performance Measures

Performance measures used to evaluate the success of this/these project(s) should be included in the proposal. Final performance measures will be discussed and approved by the S&T Program Manager (PM) and included in the project(s) Project Management Plan (PMP). Performance measures should address all the following:

I. Assessment of the performance of the CCC DEEP initiative to include an impact and outcome evaluation.

II. The scientific evidence used to support the analysis and implementation of CCC DEEP in promoting successful early engagement programs aimed at preventing violent extremism and targeted violence to at-risk individuals.

III. Evidence indicating whether CCC DEEP made an impact on the overall community by providing support to individuals at risk of mobilizing to violence in the pre-arrest space and re-entry space for those individuals showing signs of carrying out acts of extremism or targeted violence.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO: $150,000

DHS anticipates the overall period of performance for awards issued under this NOFO will be up to 12 months. If a continuation is necessary, additional funding will be provided if funding becomes available and if, in DHS’s sole discretion, DHS determines that it will award funding for additional budget periods. Should funding become available for additional program years, applicants will be required to submit an application and proposed budget for approval by DHS before any additional funds are awarded.

2. Projected number of Awards: 1-2

3. Maximum Award Amount $150,000

4. Period of Performance: 12 months

5. Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 09/01/2021

6. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 08/31/2022

7. Funding Instrument Type: Grant

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

a. Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education

b. Nonprofit with 501C3 IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)

c. Nonprofit without 501C3 IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)

d. Private Institution of Higher Education

e. For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)

f. Small Business

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this program, must meet the below requirements:

1. Applicants must not be a Government organization. At the time of application, applicants that propose to become the PM must have at least three years of experience performing program evaluations.

2. National laboratory employees may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the activities directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization.

3. The standards organization may provide funds through its assistance agreement with DHS to an FFRDC for project-specific, non-federal research personnel, supplies, equipment, facilities, data, and other expenses directly related to activities under this cooperative agreement.

4. Federal agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on a grant or cooperative agreement and may not receive salaries or in other ways augment their agency's appropriations through awards made by this program.

3. Other Eligibility Criteria (If applicable)

DHS will not consider applications that do not adhere to one or more of the following requirements:

i. Application relevance. Applications that do not address the purpose of this announcement will not be considered.

ii. Compliance and completeness. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements in this announcement or they will not be considered.

iii. Funding limits. Applications exceeding the funding limits will not be considered.

iv. Proof of non-profit status. The applicant and any proposed sub-awardee must provide documentation of non-profit and/or public status. Any of the following constitutes acceptable proof of non-profit status:

• A reference to the applicant organization’s listing in the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.

• A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.

• A statement from a State taxing body, State attorney general, or other appropriate

State official certifying that the applicant organization has a non-profit status and that none of the next earnings accrue to any private stakeholders or individuals.

• A certified copy of the organization’s certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status.

• Any of the items in subparagraphs immediately above for a State or national parent organization and a statement signed by the parent organization that the applicant or organization is a local non-profit affiliate.

• A signed statement on official letterhead by an official authorized to apply for grant funds on behalf of the public entity shall suffice.

In addition, DHS will not consider multiple applications from a single organization serving as the lead. If more than one application is submitted by a single organization as the lead, the later in time will be considered, unless the later application clearly indicates a role for that organization, other than as lead for this activity.

4. Maintenance of Effort (MOE)

N/A

5. Cost Share or Match

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

a. Application Start Date: 07/01/2021

b. Application Submission Deadline: 08/15/2021

c. Anticipated Funding Selection Date: 08/25/2021

d. Anticipated Award Date: 09/01/2021

e. Other Key Dates:

2. Agreeing to Terms and Conditions of the Award By submitting an application, applicants agree to comply with the requirements of this NOFO and the terms and conditions of the award, should they receive an award.

3. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov.

For a hardcopy of the full NOFO, please write or fax a request to:

Janet Bailey Office of Procurement Operations (MGMT I OPO) 245 Murray Lane SW Mail Stop 0115 Washington, D.C. 20528-0115 Phone: 202-447-0362 Email: janet.bailey@HQ.DHS.GOV

Applications will be processed through the Grants.gov portal.

4. Steps Required to Submit an Application, Unique Entity Identifier, and System for Award Management (SAM)

To apply for an award under this program, all applicants must:

a. Apply for, update, or verify their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)

Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) and Employer ID Number (EIN)

b. In the application, provide a valid Data Universal Numbering System DUNS number, which is currently the unique entity identifier;

c. Have an account with login.gov;

Event Suggested Deadline for Completion Obtaining DUNS Number Four weeks before actual submission deadline

<optionally insert date>

Obtaining a valid EIN Four weeks before actual submission deadline <optionally insert date>

Updating SAM registration Four weeks before actual submission deadline <optionally insert date>

Starting application in Grants.gov

One week before actual submission deadline <optionally insert date>

If applicable additional or different critical dates https://www.login.gov/

d. Register for, update, or verify their SAM account and ensure the account is active before submitting the application;

e. Create a Grants.gov account;

f. Add a profile to a Grants.gov account;

g. Establish an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) in Grants.gov;

h. Submit an initial application in Grants.gov;

i. Submit the final application in Grantsolution; and

j. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information, including information on a recipient’s immediate and highest level owner and subsidiaries, as well on all predecessors that have been awarded a Federal contract or grant within the last 3 years, if applicable, at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency.

Applicants are advised that DHS may not make a federal award until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. Therefore, an applicant’s SAM registration must be active not only at the time of application, but also during the application review period and when DHS is ready to make a federal award. Further, as noted above, an applicant’s or recipient’s SAM registration must remain active for the duration of an active federal award. If an applicant’s SAM registration is expired at the time of application, expires during application review, or expires any other time before award, DHS may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

5. Electronic Delivery

DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. DHS encourages or requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov, depending on the funding opportunity. For this funding opportunity, the <DHS FAO> requires applicants to submit applications through Grants.gov.

6. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

a. Instructions: Registering in Grants.gov is a multi-step process. Read the instructions below about registering to apply for DHS funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and Grants.gov account to apply for grants. If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this grant funding opportunity, then you may begin with step 3, Create a Grants.gov account, listed below.

Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but DUNS and SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Complete organization instructions can be found on Grants.gov here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

1) Obtain a DUNS Number: All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Applicants must enter the DUNS number in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the SF-424 form.

For more detailed instructions for obtaining a DUNS number, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

2) Register with SAM: All organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

3) Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step is to register an account with Grants.gov. Follow the on-screen instructions or refer to the detailed instructions here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

4) Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the DUNS Number for the organization in the DUNS field while adding a profile.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html

5) EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been assigned the AOR role.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html

6) Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

7) Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role; this step is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

7. How to Submit an Application to DHS via Grants.gov

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each NOFO, you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities using Workspace, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

a. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

b. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

c. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

d. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

e. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number.

To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first.

Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

f. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24- 48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

g. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to:

https://www.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. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist DHS with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

8. Submitting the Final Application in [another grant system] (if applicable) If the DHS FAO requires applicants to finish their application in another system, this section must include instructions for that process.

9. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

a. Online Submission. All applications must be received by 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the due date established for each program. 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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov

Grants.gov. The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. This applicant with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When DHS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application. 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 funding by DHS.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can 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 attempting to submit the application. 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.

10. Content and Form of Application Submission

11. Other Submission Requirements

12. Intergovernmental Review (Include if applicable)

An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372.

(See https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html;

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SPOC-February-2019.pdf).

13. Funding Restrictions

14. Allowable Costs

a. Pre-Award Costs (if applicable)

b. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs (if applicable) https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SPOC-February-2019.pdf

Discretionary M&A costs are allowable in the event the Recipient does not have an indirect cost rate agreement. The Recipient is allowed a maximum of up to ten (10) percent for M&A costs in these instances.

M&A are not operational costs but are necessary costs incurred in direct support of the grant or as a consequence of it, such as travel, meeting-related expenses, and salaries of full/part-time staff in direct support of the program. As such these can be itemized in financial reports.

An application must provide in the project narrative a detailed description of these expenses.

c. Indirect Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs

Indirect costs are allowable. Provide a copy of the latest rate agreement negotiated with a cognizant Federal agency. If the applicant organization is in the process of initially developing or renegotiating a rate, upon notification that an award will be made, it should immediately develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year, in accordance with the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates, and submit it to the cognizant agency.

Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. When an indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the award. Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate that is less than what is allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the applicant’s organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

E. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation Criteria

a. Programmatic Criteria Evaluators will evaluate all applications for the NOFO and are selected based on having technical backgrounds that sufficiently cover the areas required to fairly evaluate the applications. A list of expected skill sets of the program evaluators is outlined below:

1. Statement of applicant's capabilities/competencies (relevant projects, experience, capacities): The applicant should provide any qualifications and experience of proposed project staff (that is, the principal investigator, any and all co-principal investigators, and all other individuals and organizations identified in the application (regardless of "investigator" status), who will be significantly involved in substantive aspects of the proposal. 0-10, weighted 20%.

2. Quality & Feasibility of Technical Approach: The applicant should demonstrate soundness of methods and analytic and technical approach to addressing the stated aim(s) of the proposed project, feasibility of proposed project, awareness of potential pitfalls of proposed project design and feasibility of proposed actions to minimize and/or mitigate them. For all Technical Topic Areas (section 10 of the NOFO) should be sufficiently addressed. 0-10, weighted 50%.

3. Program Management Approach: Proposals should demonstrate the ability of the applicant organization to manage the effort and should include proposed timeline and project milestones which are feasible based on the proposed work. 0-10, weighted 20%.

4. Cost Effectiveness, relative to anticipated results/products: Proposals should include the total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit (cost effectiveness), discuss the appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort, the use of existing resources to conserve costs, proposed budget alignment with proposed project activities, and that any proposed participant support costs such as stipends, incentives, and/or reimbursements that are reasonable and well-justified. 0- 10, weighted 10%.

Three evaluators will independently evaluate and score each application. Evaluators will then participate in the discussion of these applications when the group convenes for the consensus evaluation. All members of the evaluation are permitted to contribute to the group discussions at the consensus evaluation. Discussions may occur virtually.

b. Financial Integrity Criteria

Prior to making a federal award, the <DHS FAO> is required by 31 U.S.C. § 3321 note, 41 U.S.C. § 2313, and 2 C.F.R.§ 200.205 to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information. Therefore, application evaluation criteria may include the following risk-based considerations of the applicant:

1) Financial stability.

2) Quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards.

3) History of performance in managing federal award.

4) Reports and findings from audits.

5) Ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.

c. Supplemental Financial Integrity Criteria and Review

Prior to making a federal award where the anticipated total federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, currently $250,000 (see Section 805 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-91, OMB Memorandum M-18-18 at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/M-18-18.pdf):

1) The Grants Officer is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM, which is currently the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) and is accessible through the beta.sam website.

2) An applicant, at its option, may review information in FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously entered.

3) Grants and Financial Assistance Division (GFAD) will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.206.

2. Review and Selection Process

Evaluators will evaluate all applications for the NOFO and are selected based on having technical backgrounds that sufficiently cover the areas required to fairly evaluate the applications. A list of expected skill sets of the program evaluators is outlined below:

• Technical understanding of community-led early engagement policies and programs for individuals at-risk of engaging in violent extremism and/or targeted violent activities that include input from psychologists, community based specialists and threat assessment experts.

• Awareness of community developments, including latest prominent F/S/L/T efforts to advance public outreach, early engagement programming efforts and the field of terrorism prevention research in general.

• The ability to apply active management, experience, or demonstrated knowledge of performance, policy, strategy, tactics, techniques, procedures, and operational impacts to the DHS mission through the application of fundamental research in behavioral, social, economic, human factors, and investigative science research and development programs effectively.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Notice of Award Before accepting the award, the AOR and recipient should carefully read the award package. The award package includes instructions on administering the grant award and the terms and conditions associated with responsibilities under federal awards.

Recipients must accept all conditions in this NOFO as well as any special terms and conditions in the Notice of Award to receive an award under this program.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/M-18-18.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/M-18-18.pdf https://www.fapiis.gov/fapiis/index.action https://www.fapiis.gov/fapiis/index.action https://beta.sam.gov/

2. Pass-Through Requirements:

N/A.

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All successful applicants for DHS grant and cooperative agreements are required to comply with DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, which are available online at: DHS Standard Terms and Conditions.

The applicable DHS Standard Terms and Conditions will be those in effect at the time the award was made, unless the application is for a continuation award. In that event, the terms and conditions in effect at the time the original award was made will generally apply. What terms and conditions will apply for the award will be clearly stated in the award package at the time of award.

4. Reporting

Details on the reporting requirements will be coordinated between the performer and the Project Manager.

a. Federal Financial Reporting Requirements The Federal Financial Report (FFR) form is available online at: SF-425 OMB #4040-

b. Programmatic Performance Reporting Requirements

Monthly progress reports to DHS.

The DHS S&T Program Manager (PM) requires grantees to manage and monitor each program, project, sub-award, function, or activity supported by the award through the use of monthly Quad charts and monthly progress reports (templates to be provided by the government). The submission of monthly Quad charts and monthly performance reports will facilitate the government’s ability to make recommendations and suggestions to ensure that needs and operational requirements of the targeted communities of this award are being met. All technical plans and reports will be reviewed to ensure the highest scientific standards by the DHS S&T Technical Director for this project.

Monthly Quad Charts and Monthly Progress Reports These progress reports shall include a summary of the accomplishments and activities, progress toward meeting milestones and deliverables including percentage complete, planned activities for the next reporting period, and identified risks or issues encountered. Monthly Quad Charts and Monthly Reports (e.g. Financial and Technical) shall be delivered to DHS according to the appropriate timeline per the kickoff meeting and should be electronically submitted to DHS PM Ajmal Aziz (Ajmal.Aziz@hq.dhs.gov).

Monthly Quad Cart Progress Report - will detail the activities of the reporting period, including the following at a minimum:

http://www.dhs.gov/publication/fy15-dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions http://www.dhs.gov/publication/fy15-dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html#sortby=1 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html#sortby=1

1. List of Work Plan Task’s schedule, milestones and deliverables;

2. Summary of technical progress including significant technical information mapped to the task schedule;

3. Past two (4) week accomplishments, projected accomplishments subsequent four (4) weeks and a 30-60 day anticipated activities;

4. Unanticipated technical or management risks or issues;

5. Steps taken to resolve risks or issues;

6. Recommendations for resolution of risks or issues; and

7. Real or estimated impact to schedule, budget and milestone deliverables.

Monthly Financial Status Report - will detail the activities of the reporting period, including the following at a minimum:

1. A breakdown of costs incurred during the period, mapped to the categories of funding in the executed contract, including all direct and indirect labor, other direct, subcontract, other indirect, and travel costs;

2. A cumulative accounting of total costs by cost element versus budget cost to date;

3. Projection of the estimated cost and budget for the project to completion;

4. Estimated percentage of physical completion of the contract; and

5. Equipment inventory (if applicable)

Monthly Technical Status Reports - will detail the activities of the reporting period, including the following at a minimum:

1. List of Work Plan task schedule, milestones and deliverables;

2. Summary of technical progress including significant technical information mapped to the task schedule;

3. Summary of important meetings, briefings, or conferences that occurred during the reporting period or are anticipated for the future;

4. Unanticipated technical or management risks or issues;

5. Steps taken to resolve risks or issues;

6. Recommendations for resolution of risks or issues; and

7. Real or estimated impact to schedule, budget and milestone deliverables.

Project Meeting Minutes – The Recipient will also provide the DHS PM, if requested, with Meeting Minutes of all project meeting and teleconferences conducted within five (5) business days of the date of the meeting.

Additional Meetings and Reports – In addition to the Quad Chart, Financial and Technical Reports, the Recipient shall also provide the following documents which are due to the DHS PM as indicated below and in the Appendix:

1. Kick-off Meeting – award plus 7 days;

2. Project Work Plan (draft) – award plus 10 days

3. Project Work Plan (final) – award plus 15 days;

4. Monthly Quad Charts – begins award plus 30 days; and

5. Subcontracting Plan – as part of the final Project Work Plan.

6. One-page project Summary / Information Sheet per DHS S&T format – award plus 30 days.

i. Presentations on Findings – as needed

c. Additional Performance Reporting Requirements:

d. Closeout Reporting Requirements Within 120 days after the end of the period of performance, or after an amendment has been issued to close out a grant, recipients must submit the following:

1) The final request for payment, if applicable;

2) The final FFR (SF-425);

3) The final progress report detailing all accomplishments;

4) A qualitative narrative summary of the impact of those accomplishments throughout the period of performance; and

5) Other documents required by this NOFO, terms and conditions of the award, or other GFAD guidance.

If applicable, an inventory of all construction projects that used funds from this program must be reported with the final progress report.

After these reports have been reviewed and approved by GFAD, a closeout notice will be completed to close out the grant. The notice will indicate the period of performance as closed, list any remaining funds that will be deobligated, and address the requirement of maintaining the grant records for three years from the date of the final FFR, unless a longer period applies, such as due to an audit or litigation, for equipment or real property used beyond the period of performance, or due to other circumstances outlined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.334.

In addition, any recipient that issues subawards to any subrecipient is responsible for closing out those subawards as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.344. Recipients acting as pass-through entities must ensure that they complete the closeout of their subawards in time to submit all necessary documentation and information to <DHS FAO> during the closeout of their prime grant award.

The recipient is responsible for returning any funds that have been drawn down but remain as unliquidated on recipient financial records.

e. Disclosing Information per 2 C.F.R. § 180.335

This reporting requirement pertains to disclosing information related to government-wide suspension and debarment requirements. Before a recipient enters into a grant award with GFAD, the recipient must notify GFAD if it knows if it or any of the recipient’s principals under the award fall under one or more of the four criteria listed at 2 C.F.R. § 180.335:

1) Are presently excluded or disqualified;

2) Have been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in 2 C.F.R. § 180.800(a) or had a civil judgment rendered against it or any of the recipient’s principals for one of those offenses within that time period;

3) Are presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (federal, state or local) with commission of any of the offenses listed in 2 C.F.R. § 180.800(a); or

4) Have had one or more public transactions (federal, state, or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause or default.

At any time after accepting the award, if the recipient learns that it or any of its principals falls under one or more of the criteria listed at 2 C.F.R. § 180.335, the recipient must provide immediate written notice to GFAD in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 180.350.

f. Reporting of Matters Related to Recipient Integrity and Performance:

Per 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix I § F.3, the additional post-award reporting requirements in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix XII may apply to applicants who, if upon becoming recipients, have a total value of currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all federal awarding agencies that exceeds $10,000,000 for any…