Questions and Answers Regarding Partner Promotion of Strategies to Advance Oral Health (CDC-RFA-DP24-0049)

Purpose and Overview

The purpose of this non-research NOFO is to provide TA and resources for CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 recipients to expand CWF and EBPDS activities among populations of focus (Component 1), support IPC partnerships and activities among populations of focus (Component 2), analyze secondary data to inform the future integration of medical and dental services for individuals with diabetes (Component 3), analyze EBPDS data to understand access and use among populations of focus (Component 3), and evaluate CWF, EBPDS, and IPC activities and partnerships of CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 recipients (Component 3). The NOFO is a 3-year cooperative agreement supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Applications for the NOFO will be accepted through June 03, 2024.

1. What is the project period for this NOFO?

September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2027

2. What are the focus areas under Component 1?

Component 1 focuses on increasing the ability of CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 recipients to implement activities that increase access to community water fluoridation (CWF) and evidence-based preventive dental services (EBPDS), such as dental sealants and fluoride varnish, as well as to develop and maintain supportive partnerships.

3. What is the focus area under Component 2?

Component 2 focuses on increasing adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) Standard Precautions and leveraging IPC partnerships.

4. What is the focus area under Component 3?

Component 3 focuses on increasing the ability of CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 recipients to analyze, interpret, and disseminate secondary data about 1) medical-dental integration, as it relates to the oral health of people with diabetes, their overall health, as well as their use and access to medical and dental care, and 2) data about EBPDS use and access. Component 3 also focuses on evaluating CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 programs and partnerships.

5. Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)/Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) are legally binding. Is there flexibility to submit a letter instead of an MOU/MOA?

Yes. Applicants may submit MOAs/MOUs/Letters of Commitment/Letters of Support/other equivalent documents in lieu of an MOU/MOA to comply with the NOFO.

6. Is an evaluation and performance measurement plan required for this NOFO?

Applicants must provide an evaluation and performance measurement plan that demonstrates how they will fulfill the requirements described in the “CDC Evaluation and Performance Measurement” and “Project Description” sections of this NOFO. See NOFO pages 16-20 for additional guidance on the plan’s criteria.

7. Will CDC continue strong partnerships with national organizations on evaluation activities?

Yes, CDC will work closely with national organizations by providing ongoing evaluation technical assistance on all aspects of evaluation including operationalizing the performance measures and developing national organization-level evaluation plans.

Eligibility

1. Who is eligible to apply for funding?

This announcement is unrestricted. The Eligibility Category list on page 28 is below:

99 (Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility”)

Additional Eligibility Category:

Government Organizations:

State governments or their bona fide agents (includes the District of Columbia)

Local governments or their bona fide agents

Territorial governments or their bona fide agents in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau

State controlled institutions of higher education

American Indian or Alaska Native tribal governments (federally recognized or state-recognized)

Non-government Organizations

American Indian or Alaska native tribally designated organizations

Funding and Budget

1. Does the budget/budget narrative need to cover all 3 years or just year 1?

Applicants only need to submit the Year 1 budget.

2. Is a cost sharing or match required?

Cost sharing or matching funds are not required for this NOFO.

3. For the budget information sheets in the Grants Application Package/SF424A there is no budget category for Consultants. Should “Consultants” be included under “Contractual”?

Yes, the SF424A “Contractual” line (line f) should display the total from both the “Consultants Costs” and “Contractual Costs” budget lines from the itemized Budget Narrative.

4. Can national organizations request funding that is greater than the ceiling for Components 1, 2 or 3?

Applicants are not allowed to exceed the ceiling awards specified in the NOFO.

5. Is direct assistance (DA) for on-site personnel available through this NOFO?

No, direct assistance is not available through this NOFO.

6. Should travel costs for required meetings be included in the budget?

Yes, travel costs for required meetings should be included in the budget.

7. Is the budget included as part of the total page limit for applications? Is there a page limit specific to the budget narrative?

The budget tables and narrative are not a part of the total project narrative page limit, and the budget narrative does not have a page limit.

8. Can funds be used toward staff salaries?

Yes, funds can be used to support positions as appropriate in meeting the outcomes of the NOFO. Maximum allocation for staffing is 50% of budget.

9. If a consultant spends 70% time on program implementation and only 30% on admin, how is that reflected in the budget and in the calculation of % time spent on both?

Applicants should follow the steps for completing the budget narrative starting on page 35 of the announcement.

Application Process

1. What is the application submission process for the NOFO?

The application process and relevant information can be found in the NOFO – “Section D. Application and Submission Information” on page 29.

2. I am having technical problems registering and inputting information into Grants.gov. Can you help?

For assistance with technical difficulties with the Grants.gov system, please contact:
GRANTS.GOV Applicant Support
1-800-518-4726
support@grants.gov

3. Are applicants required to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)?

No, an LOI is not required but encouraged.

The LOI should include the following:

Descriptive title of proposed project.

Name, address, telephone number, and an email address of the Principal Investigator, Project Director, or both.

Name, address, telephone number, and an email address of the primary contact for writing and submitting this application.

Number and title of this NOFO.

4. Do attachments such as CVs and organization charts count towards the project narrative page limit?

No, attachments do not count toward the project narrative page limit.

5. Are there page limits for attachments or the number of letters of support?

There are no limits on the number of pages for attachments. For collaborations with other CDC projects and CDC-funded organizations, the minimum number of MOUs/MOAs/LOS/LOC/other equivalent documents is three. The minimum number for collaborations with organizations not funded by the CDC is three. Please see page 13 for more information.

6. Is the Background section required as part of the Project Narrative?

Yes, the background section is required as part of the Project Narrative.

7. Do we include “Organizational Capacity of Recipients to Implement the Approach” in the project narrative or in separate attachments of CVs and organizational charts?

“Organizational Capacity of Recipients to Implement the Approach” should be described in the project narrative. Supporting documentation, specifically CVs/resumes and organizational charts should be attachments.

8. Are the Assurances and Certifications documents required?

Yes. All applicants are required to sign and submit CDC Assurances and Certifications that can be found on the CDC Web site at the following Internet address: Grant Assurances Homepage.

9. What are the required additional attachments? Under NOFO 0049, please read the document carefully to see what additional attachments you must submit. See pages 56 and 57 for what is required vs. optional.

10. Are we still able to submit Qs online? Email questions to PartnerOHE0049@cdc.gov. If a similar question and response has not been posted, then new questions and responses will be posted to this page.

11. Is it accurate that ASTDD cannot provide letters of support to states?

 No. CDC does not prohibit any organization from providing a letter of support to any entity seeking CDC funds.

12. In one section of the NOFO it says partners will not be expected to use long-term objectives, whereas in other sections it notes including activities that influence long-term objectives. Nowhere does it specifically say to address the short-term objectives in the workplan. Please clarify.

 Addressing short term outcomes will help recipients achieve the intermediate term outcomes. These intermediate term outcomes inform the performance measures that recipients will be required to report on. The complete list of performance measures is on pages 18-20.

13. Letters of Support (pg. 13 of NOFO) – Do we only need to provide a minimum of 3 letters of support for organizations funded by CDC, or do we need to provide a minimum of 3 letters of support for organizations funded by CDC AND a minimum of 3 letters of support for organizations not funded by CDC?

 Applicants must provide a minimum of three MOUs/MOAs/letters/other equivalent documents describing collaborations with CDC projects and CDC-funded organizations AND a minimum of three MOUs/MOAs/letters/other equivalent documents describing collaborations with organizations not funded by CDC. Therefore, a minimum of six documents are required for this section.

14. Can you tell me where I may find the “CDC background”, as mentioned on page 34 of the attached Grant instructions? “Applicants must provide a description of relevant background information that includes the context of the problem (See CDC Background).”

Applicants only needs to describe the background in the narrative once. See CDC background on pages 3-4 as an example.

15. Am I correct in assuming that the LOI does not need to include detailed budget and logistical information that would be part of the official application due June 3?

 Correct. Additionally, while the deadline for the LOI was 5/1/24, applicants may still submit a letter using the process outlined in the NOFO.

16. We operate mobile dental clinics (identifiable information deleted from the submitted question). In reviewing the NOFO, I can’t tell exactly if our work is aligned with what CDC is looking for with this request or not. Would it be possible to have a conversation with you regarding our work and if we are indeed competitive for this grant and/or if there are other upcoming opportunities for which we might be better suited. We are interested in becoming more data/research oriented in our work and would appreciate knowing what might be available in the future.

 CDC is unable to discuss open funding announcements with potential applicants. Applicants must review the funding announcement to determine if a project is fundable.

Review Process

 

The review process and relevant information can be found in the NOFO – “Section E. Review and Selection Process” on pages 40-47.

1. What are the review criteria for these applications?

Three sections of the application will be scored: (1) Approach (40 points), (2) Evaluation and Performance Measurement (25 points), and (3) Applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach (35 points). The budget section is reviewed, but not scored.

2. What is the review process for these applications?

Applications will be reviewed in three phases:

1. Phase I Review

All applications will be initially reviewed for eligibility and completeness by CDC Office of Grants Services. Complete applications will be reviewed for responsiveness by the Grants Management Officials and Program Officials. Non-responsive applications will not advance to Phase II review.

2. Phase II Review

A review panel will evaluate complete, eligible applications in accordance with the criteria below.

1. Approach
2. Evaluation and Performance Measurement
3. Applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach

3. Phase III Review

Reviewed applications will be funded in order by score and rank determined by the review panel. In the event of a tie, program will award the entity that scored highest in the applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach section.

3. This concerns the Organizational Capacity of Recipients to Implement the Approach. I think we are supposed to address this as part of the narrative, but it also states on pg 22 that we must name the files “Organizational Chart”, “Resumes”, “Position Descriptions” and “Staffing Plan” and upload them as pdfs to Grants.gov. On another CDC NOFO we included the org chart, staff roles and expertise and the resumes in one file. Can we do that again or does it have to be separate files? It seems what it asks for the Staffing Plan on pg 22 is what should be in the project narrative and the other files, not as another separate file. Please clarify.

 Documents should be uploaded and labeled separately. Applicants should review what information is required in the narrative for Organizational Capacity and include a staffing plan as an attachment.

Recipient Activities (General)

1. When might the state dental director/Program manager meetings occur?

A Grantee Kick-off Meeting for all awardees will take place October 29-31, 2024.

2. How many awards are projected?

One award will be made under Component 1.

One award will be made under Component 2.

One award will be made under Component 3.

3. May we apply for Component 2 funds only?

Yes, applicants can apply for Component 2 funds only.

4. May we apply for Component 3 funds only?

Yes, applicants can apply for Component 3 funds only.

5. Can we apply for more than 1 component?

Yes. Applicants applying for more than one component must apply for each component separately.

6. Does CDC have a list of CDC-supported projects or orgs they can post that we are supposed to consider for collaboration? Applicants may review recently awarded or soon-to-be-awarded CDC funding announcements to prioritize collaborations. Individual CDC programs publicly post their funding recipients.

 7. Could you provide any additional insights into the Evaluation portion of Component 3? Are you planning on a multi-pronged (Process, Implementation, Outcomes, Impact) Evaluation or something more limited? What portion of that work will states already provide data for as part of the state grant? Should staff be segmented between the TA and evaluation work to ensure no perceived conflict of interest? The Component 3 evaluation activities are outlined on pages 11 and 12 of the announcement. Applications should describe approaches to produce the deliverables described on pages 11 and 12. 0048 recipients will provide data for all three of the activities listed on pages 11 and 12 of the announcement. 0049 applicants should propose a staff structure that works for their organization in their application. After funds are awarded, CDC will collaborate with the Component 3 recipient on the development of the deliverables listed on pages 11 and 12.

8. Who from the national partner has access to state recipient applications or evaluation reports so states aren’t asked to provide info more than once and so the national recipient knows how to support them and their populations of focus? After an award is made, CDC will work with the 0049 recipient to ensure they have the necessary information regarding all CDC-RFA-DP24-0048 funded recipients.

9. Why is IPC evaluation included in Component 3 and not Component 2? Component 2 focuses on IPC related technical assistance and partnership support. Component 2 recipients will be responsible for reporting on performance measures related to the bolded outcome in the Component 2 logic model (see page 19 for details). Evaluation activities were grouped in Component 3 to support a comprehensive evaluation approach. Component 2 recipients will provide information to Component 3 recipients to support evaluation activities (see pages 11 and 12).

10. For Component 2 – How can we develop strategies/activities without knowing who is receiving funding from CDC-RFA-DP-20-0048? At this time, applicants for Component 2 should consider the logic model outcomes and required Component 2 – IPC strategies and activities of this NOFO and IPC required activities of CDC-RFA-DP24-0048 when developing strategies and activities.

11. For Component 2 – Does the exact type of technical assistance need to be detailed in the application? Or can it be stated that the organization will work with recipients of CDC-RFA-DP-20-0048 once awarded to determine what is needed for their specific organization? For Component 2 – applications should detail how technical assistance will be prioritized and provided to meet logic model outcomes and support performance measure reporting for this NOFO and CDC-RFA-DP24-0048 recipients.

 12. For Component 2 – How can we provide a minimum of three letters of support, letters of collaboration, MOUs, MOAs, or if we don’t know who receives funding from CDC-RFA-DP-20-0048? The collaborations section of this NOFO should be with organizations that can maximize resources, reach, impact, and sustainability of CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 recipient NOFO outcomes regardless of the selected CDC-RFA-DP24-0048 recipients.

 13. Does the staffing plan count towards the 20-page max, single spaced? Or is it an additional attachment? The staffing plan is an attachment that does not count toward the 20-page maximum.

14. Why aren’t performance measures included in the workplan? Should they just be addressed in the Eval and Performance measurement portion of the app? To be consistent, CDC asks applicants to follow the instructions outlined in CDC-RFA-DP24-0049.

15. Just to clarify language, the evaluation portion of Component 3 is to do the evaluation of activities and not to provide TA to states so that they can do their own evaluations? Component 3 recipients will provide TA to 0048 recipients that is related to analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating secondary/existing data. Component 3 recipients will also conduct evaluative activities outlined on pages 11 and 12 of the announcement. The Component 3 recipients will not provide evaluation TA to 0048 recipients.

16. From my understanding awards will be made this summer, but the kick-off meeting won’t be until the end of October – so should all activities wat to be started until after the October meeting? The start date for CDC-RFA-DP24-0049 is September 1, 2024. CDC will begin engaging recipients shortly after awards are made.

17. Does the requirement to fund 2 staff for the CDC mtg in Atlanta during the fall of 2024 and the 2 1/2day kick-off mtg on Oct 29-31, 2024 mean there are 2 mtgs in the fall or just one?

 CDC’s Division of Oral Health will host only one meeting in the fall on October 29-31, 2024.

 18. Please give examples of “recipients may not use funds for clinical care except as allowed by law”.

NOFO funds cannot be used for payment of direct clinical services. For example, NOFO funds cannot pay for services provided by a dentist, dental hygienist, or dental assistant.

19. Do the diabetes requirements relate to only children or people with diabetes through the lifespan?

The diabetes requirement is for adults with Type 2 diabetes.

20. In the logic model on page 6, the only Intermediate Outcome for Component 2 that is bolded is “Increased multi-sector partnerships that support IPC activities”. On page 18, only “Increased multi-sector partnerships that support IPC activities” is listed in the Performance Measures table. However, on page 10, under Component 2, “Support collaborative partnerships for IPC activities” is bolded. Should “Support collaborative partnerships for IPC activities” be bolded on page 6 in the logic model and included in the Performance Measures table on page 18?

 The statements in bold font on page 10 are topical headings and are the strategies in the logic model, not the outcomes. The bold font on page 10 does not indicate a performance measure. The complete list of performance measures is on pages 18-20.

Other Questions

1. What is a Data Management Plan?

A Data Management Plan (DMP) is a plan to preserve data collected (such as surveillance or evaluation data) and make it available for public use. Recipients will receive guidance on creating a DMP for all data collection activities so that they can submit a DMP 6 months after award.

2. What is the difference between the Data Management Plan (DMP) and the Evaluation Plan?

The Data Management Plan (DMP) is a federal requirement to plan to preserve and share with the public all data collected, including surveillance and evaluation data. The Evaluation Plan refers only to program and performance measurement and includes what data will be collected, how it will be collected, who will collect it, and on what schedule. It does not apply to surveillance data. The DMP and Evaluation Plan are separate documents, and both will be required six months after the start of the award.

3. How can we determine a baseline for the measures in our application without knowing which states are funded? Will those measures instead be determined in the detailed evaluation plan that is submitted within the first 6 months?

Pages 20–22 provide guidance on what applicants need to include in their evaluation and performance measurement plans.

The following related to the first 6 months of an award is on page 50: “With support from CDC, recipients must elaborate on their initial applicant evaluation and performance measurement plan. This plan must be no more than 20 pages; recipients must submit the plan 6 months into the award. HHS/CDC will review and approve the recipient’s monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure that it is appropriate for the activities to be undertaken as part of the agreement, for compliance with the monitoring and evaluation guidance established by HHS/CDC, or other guidance otherwise applicable to this Agreement.”

4. Will the call or transcript be published?

The transcript for the call will not be available. Answers to all questions asked during the informational call or emailed to PartnerOHE0049@cdc.gov will be posted here on this page a rolling basis. Everything shared during the call is from CDC-RFA-DP24-0049.

5. Will this presentation be available through a link?

This presentation was not recorded.

6. What is covered in the Oct [recipient kick-off] mtg? Recipients might want to do some intro webinars, etc. before then and don’t want to duplicate.

Content of the October 2024 meeting will be discussed with recipients.

7. You mentioned something about #s of activities per strategy. Would you repeat that please?

The announcement has no limit on the number of activities per strategy. However, CDC encourages applicants to be specific about the activities related to the strategy.

8. Will the national partner be able to use CDC $ to provide TA/training to CDC awardees to conduct BSS? If so, any level, e.g., 3rd grade, older adult?

The focus of Component 3 is to provide technical assistance to support secondary data analysis. Any requests for funds to support primary data collection must be reviewed and approved by CDC.

9. Can there be different focus groups for the various strategies and activities?

 Recipients of this award must follow the strategies outlined in the logic model. The focus of activities can differ but must lead to the required outcomes and performance measures.

10. Which strategies/activities relate only to CDC funded awardees vs all state/territorial programs? It is not clear in the NOFO. For example, the Communities of Practice started out as CDC funded states only and then morphed to be open to any state because of complaints from the non-funded states. That significantly enriched the discussions and sharing.

 All strategies in this funding announcement refer to providing support to only CDC-RFA-DP24-0048 recipients.

11. Since the national partner applicant won’t know which populations of focus the CDC state awardees have chosen, how can we focus on those in our applications, especially when you want the letters of support to be so specific?

 Page 15 of the NOFO has a list, by component, of the populations of focus that are required of CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 and CDC-RFA-DP-24-0049 recipients.

12. On pg 7 the intermediate outcome includes availability and use of IPC program and partnership evaluation data. Shouldn’t that be part of Component 2?

 No. The Component 3 recipient will conduct the evaluative activities on pages 11 and 12 to increase the availability and use of IPC program and partnership evaluation data. These efforts will summarize information across all 0048 recipients. The Component 2 recipient will work with the Component 3 recipient (if different) to complete the activities on pages 11 and 12, as necessary. The Component 2 recipient is expected to complete evaluations of their choice (i.e., process, outcome, or both) that are directly related to activities on page 10 (providing technical assistance and supporting partnerships).