Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Research and Evaluation Grants

Statute requires the Secretary to carry out a continuous program of research and evaluation activities in order to increase knowledge about the implementation and effectiveness of home visiting programs. Further the statute specifies these research a

Applicants should review each of the individual funding opportunity announcements issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications, which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Consistent with statutory authority, funding for the research and evaluation under the MIECHV Program will be used to carry out a continuous program of research and evaluation activities in order to increase knowledge about the implementation and effectiveness of home visiting programs.

Grants (cooperative agreements) are generally awarded with a project period of up to five years. The initial award will be for the first 12-month budget period. Budget requests for the second through fifth year of funding within the project period should be identified in the current application (on SF-424A), but such requests will be considered in subsequent years on a noncompetitive basis, subject to the applicant's eligibility status, the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Federal Government.

Applications will be evaluated based upon the criteria published in each funding opportunity announcement.

Each application will be screened to determine whether it was received by the closing date and time and whether the requested amount exceeds the award ceiling. Applications that are designated as late or those with requests that exceed the award ceiling will be returned to the applicant with a notation that they were deemed non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Applications competing for financial assistance will be reviewed and evaluated by objective review panels using the criteria described in the funding opportunity announcement. Each panel is made up of experts with knowledge and experience in the area under review. Generally, review panels are composed of three reviewers and one chairperson. Results of the competitive objective review are taken into consideration by ACF in the selection of projects for funding; however, objective review scores and rankings are not binding and are one element of the decision-making process. ACF may elect to not fund applicants with management or financial problems that would indicate an inability to successfully complete the proposed project. Applications may be funded in whole or in part. Successful applicants may be funded at an amount lower than that requested. ACF reserves the right to consider a preference to fund organizations serving emerging, unserved, or under-served populations, including those located in pockets of poverty, and to consider the geographic distribution of Federal funds in its funding decisions. ACF may refuse funding for projects with what it regards as unreasonably high start-up costs for facilities or equipment, or for projects with unreasonably high operating costs. In addition, federal staff will conduct an administrative review of the applications and the results of the competitive review and will make recommendations for funding to the Director, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) With the results of the competitive review and information from federal staff, the Director of OPRE, in consultation with Deputy Assistant Secretary and Inter-Departmental Liaison for Early Childhood Development, will make the final funding decisions.