Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program

Replaced Cost Share or Matching language. Decreased from 50% to 40% over the 5 year project period. -

Social Security Administration (SSA)

I. Program Description

Program purpose

This funding opportunity will establish a new cooperative agreement program to allow SSA to collaborate with States, private foundations, and other non-federal groups and organizations who have the interest and ability to identify, operate, and partially fund interventional research. The research and interventions under this program will target the increased employment and self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities (whether beneficiaries, applicants, or potential applicants of the Disability Insurance (DI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs); coordinating planning between private and public welfare agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness the DI, SSI, and related programs; assisting claimants in vulnerable populations apply for or appeal decisions on claims for DI and SSI benefits; and conducting outreach to children with disabilities who are potentially eligible to receive SSI.

SSA intends the projects to have a project period of 5 years, with the first year intended to put any necessary data agreements into place, recruit additional partners, secure additional funding, and other implementation planning activities. If the project is able to meet these milestones in the first year, funding will be continued to implement and evaluate the project for up to four years.

Priority topics of interest

Proposals must address goals under at least one of the following priority topics. Proposals should identify the priority topic(s) the proposed intervention(s) will address and explain how the intervention would address the priority topic(s).

• Promoting attachment to the labor force or increasing the employment of people receiving, applying for, or at risk of receiving DI or SSI benefits;
• Reducing or preventing dependency on DI or SSI benefits, including children and youth;
• Coordinating planning between private and public welfare agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness the DI, SSI, and related programs;
• Assisting claimants in vulnerable populations apply for or appeal decisions on claims for DI and SSI benefits; and
• Conducting outreach to children with disabilities who are potentially eligible to receive SSI.

II. Award Information

Type of award

SSA expects to award at least two awards totaling up to $6 million (combined) in cooperative agreements under this RFA. The total amount awarded will be determined based on the strength of the applications received and programmatic considerations. SSA reserves the right to make no awards or to make awards for amounts less than the amounts requested by the applicants.

Award amount and period of performance

The awards will be tiered, with funding eligibility and level of funding based upon the level of evidence that currently exists for the proposed intervention, as well as the strength of the proposed intervention.

Proposals must include evidence of the level of causal evidence for the proposed intervention. We will use the criteria from the Department of Labor's Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR), the Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), the Administration for Children and Families' Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse, and other similar clearinghouses to determine the level of each proposal's claims of, and likelihood of producing, causal evidence. If the proposed project builds on any prior research that has been previously reviewed and rated by a clearinghouse, such information should be included in the project narrative. More information can be found in reference documents for the CLEAR, WWC, and Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse review process.

The one-year base period of each cooperative agreement will allow for the development of data sharing agreements, project planning, evaluation design, and other administrative aspects of the agreement. If, at the end of the first year, or sooner if the necessary agreements and other administrative aspects are in place, the planning process results in an evaluable project, cooperative agreements may be extended for up to four additional years during which the awardee with implement and evaluate the intervention.

Cost sharing or matching

The ICAP program requires cost-sharing or other financial contributions from the applicant or any of the collaborative partners in the proposal. Proposals must provide evidence of meeting this cost-sharing requirement. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with their partners and leverage resources to meet the cost-sharing requirement. The project requires a minimum cost sharing of 40% over the 5 years of the project. SSA uses the Total Project Cost Method to calculate cost-sharing. In this method, federal funds plus cost-share = total project cost. To calculate Required Recipient Cost-share Amount:

• Federal Award Amount / Federal Share Percentage = Adjusted (Total) Project Cost

• Required Recipient Share Percentage x Adjusted Project Cost = Required Recipient Cost-share Amount

Awardees may use the first project year to secure other sources of funding in order to meet the 40 percent cost-share required for all project years of the cooperative agreement funding; if the 40% cost-share is not met, projects will not continue. However, for the first year a project may be allowed to meet only 20% of the cost-sharing requirement, provided that their budget provides a plan to make up for the additional cost sharing over the remaining 4 years of the project.

Indirect costs can be used as part of the cost-sharing requirement, if the applicant already has approval for their indirect cost rates. In-kind contributions should not exceed 15% of cost share in the first year and 20% in following years.

While the minimum cost share requirement is 40%, projects are allowed and encouraged to see additional outside funding, though the federal award amount will not increase. An applicant's ability to secure funding above the minimum required cost share will be part of the application review and ratings.

Corrected Post Date -

Social Security Administration (SSA)

I. Program Description

Program purpose

This funding opportunity will establish a new cooperative agreement program to allow SSA to collaborate with States, private foundations, and other non-federal groups and organizations who have the interest and ability to identify, operate, and partially fund interventional research. The research and interventions under this program will target the increased employment and self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities (whether beneficiaries, applicants, or potential applicants of the Disability Insurance (DI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs); coordinating planning between private and public welfare agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness the DI, SSI, and related programs; assisting claimants in vulnerable populations apply for or appeal decisions on claims for DI and SSI benefits; and conducting outreach to children with disabilities who are potentially eligible to receive SSI.

SSA intends the projects to have a project period of 5 years, with the first year intended to put any necessary data agreements into place, recruit additional partners, secure additional funding, and other implementation planning activities. If the project is able to meet these milestones in the first year, funding will be continued to implement and evaluate the project for up to four years.

Priority topics of interest

Proposals must address goals under at least one of the following priority topics. Proposals should identify the priority topic(s) the proposed intervention(s) will address and explain how the intervention would address the priority topic(s).

• Promoting attachment to the labor force or increasing the employment of people receiving, applying for, or at risk of receiving DI or SSI benefits;
• Reducing or preventing dependency on DI or SSI benefits, including children and youth;
• Coordinating planning between private and public welfare agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness the DI, SSI, and related programs;
• Assisting claimants in vulnerable populations apply for or appeal decisions on claims for DI and SSI benefits; and
• Conducting outreach to children with disabilities who are potentially eligible to receive SSI.

II. Award Information

Type of award

SSA expects to award at least two awards totaling up to $6 million (combined) in cooperative agreements under this RFA. The total amount awarded will be determined based on the strength of the applications received and programmatic considerations. SSA reserves the right to make no awards or to make awards for amounts less than the amounts requested by the applicants.

Award amount and period of performance

The awards will be tiered, with funding eligibility and level of funding based upon the level of evidence that currently exists for the proposed intervention, as well as the strength of the proposed intervention.

Proposals must include evidence of the level of causal evidence for the proposed intervention. We will use the criteria from the Department of Labor's Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR), the Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), the Administration for Children and Families' Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse, and other similar clearinghouses to determine the level of each proposal's claims of, and likelihood of producing, causal evidence. If the proposed project builds on any prior research that has been previously reviewed and rated by a clearinghouse, such information should be included in the project narrative. More information can be found in reference documents for the CLEAR, WWC, and Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse review process.

The one-year base period of each cooperative agreement will allow for the development of data sharing agreements, project planning, evaluation design, and other administrative aspects of the agreement. If, at the end of the first year, or sooner if the necessary agreements and other administrative aspects are in place, the planning process results in an evaluable project, cooperative agreements may be extended for up to four additional years during which the awardee with implement and evaluate the intervention.

Cost sharing or matching

This RFA requires matching, cost sharing, or other financial contributions from the applicant or any of the collaborative partners in the proposal. Proposals must provide evidence of meeting this matching requirement. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with their partners and leverage resources to meet the match. The first year will require a 20% match but the project's total budget requires a 50% match. Awardees may use the first year to secure other sources of funding in order to meet the 50 percent match required for all project years of the cooperative agreement funding; if a 50% match is not met, projects will not continue. Indirect costs can be used as part of the match, if the applicant already has approval for their indirect cost rates. In-kind matches should not exceed 15% in the first year and 20% in following years.