Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I submit an application for BOLD Public Health Centers of Excellence if I already submitted one for the National Healthy Brain Initiative?

Answer: Submitting an application to CDC-RFA-DP20-2003 National Healthy Brain Initiative DOES NOT preclude an applicant from submitting to CDC-RFA-DP20-2005-BOLD Public Health Centers of Excellence to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.

 

2. Is this NOFO open to research institutes from developing countries?

 Answer: Foreign Grantees are not eligible for this Funding Opportunity.

1. Are there limitations on indirect costs in this funding application? Is there a cap rate on indirect costs?

Answer: There is not a cap on the indirect cost. The specific rate is dependent upon your organization and the final negotiated rate. If your organization has a negotiated rate agreement with a Federal Cognizant Agency, please use the rate that has been established.

 

2. It appears that the budget narrative is NOT part of the 20 page limit for the Project narrative. Is that correct?

Answer: The Budget Narrative is NOT part of the Project Narrative

 

3. Can you confirm the budget total? Is the total between $1.5M and $4M and the annual amount between $300,000 – $800,000 for 5 years?

Answer: The annual expected award is between $300,000 and $800,000. Over the 5-year period of performance, the total would be between $1.5M and $4M. However, funds are subject to availability and are not guaranteed for each year.

 

4. Are construction and remodeling costs allowed in the project budget?

Answer: This is a Non-Construction Program cooperative agreement; therefore, construction costs are not allowable.

 

5.  Are mobile unit purchases allowable cost under this NOFO?

Answer: Mobile units are not an allowable cost under this NOFO.

 

6. What is the project period for this grant? The NOFO says there is an estimated award date of 09/01/2020. Is that the start of the grant?

Answer: The period of performance (project period) for this NOFO is 5 years (60 months). It is anticipated that the award date is September 1, 2020.

 

7. Would any of these expenses be allowed with this grant?

• Uniforms (Shirts) with Grant Program LOGO for training facilitators to wear while providing workshops
• Graphic Arts Fee’s
• Refreshments for attendants to the workshops
• Travel cost and registration fees to attend forums on Dementia or Dementia Education Conferences for Professional Development

Answer: Applicants should review the HHS Grants Policy StatementCdc-pdf[1,355 KB]External on the HHS website. It provides specific details on allowable costs on pages II-30 through II-43. Specific to this NOFO, meals/food and incentives will not be allowed. Funds can be spent on travel cost and registration fees that have been justified as within the scope of the proposal.

 

8. The proposal indicates that a detailed work plan is required for year 1 but only a high-level work plan is required at this time for the subsequent years. Given this, is a detailed specific budget required for years 2 – 5?

Answer:  A detailed budget is only required for budget period 1. An applicant will need to provide an estimated funding amount for year 2-5.  For guidance on completing a detailed budget, see Budget Preparation Guidelines at: https://www.cdc.gov/grants/applying/application-resources.html. This website also gives you other useful information for applying for a NOFO.

1. Are there currently any Public Health Centers of Excellence in existence? Are there other Public Health Centers of Excellence within CDC in other fields?

Answer: This is a new NOFO and there are currently no Public Health Centers of Excellence for this topic. There are no previous awardees. The more general term “Centers of Excellence” is used across many fields and does not pertain to just this NOFO.

 

2. The action items that the applicant selects from the Road Map for the first year, will these change throughout the duration of the award?

Answer: The actions listed are the minimum required strategies to be used throughout the period of performance. Additional optional action items may be used but they must be justified. The minimum required actions are intentionally broad and are expected to be worked on throughout the project period.

 

3. Can you describe what advantage or disadvantage there might be associated with choosing additional Road Map options?

Answer: The minimum required Road Map actions must be addressed first. Applicants may choose additional optional Road Map actions but applicants should justify those additional selections. Whether this is advantageous or disadvantageous will depend upon each applicant’s individual application. Be sure to address the minimum requirements.

 

4. For Public Health Centers of Excellence content, outlined in page 2 of the NOFO, is there an existing website or online platform for housing the materials through CDC is required for use? Or do applicants need to plan and budget for housing the materials for use by states, local, and tribal public health agencies and other partners for implementing Road Map actions?

Answer: Applicants are expected to identify, translate, and disseminate promising research findings and promote best practices publicly, including among states, local, tribal, and other public health programs. The approach should be national in perspective and not be limited to the applicant’s community or state. This is a new NOFO, with no prior awarded Public Health Centers of Excellence, and there is not an existing platform for housing materials. Applicants should describe their proposed strategies for disseminating findings and best practices in their application.

 

5. Target Populations and Health Disparities: Applicants must describe the specific target population(s) in their jurisdiction and explain how such a target will achieve the goals of the award and/or alleviate health disparities. What is meant by “in their jurisdiction”?

Answer: For the purposes of this NOFO, this refers to the population(s) the applicant expects to target for their selected topic-specific center type.

 

 

1. Will it be up to the applicant to determine how to measure the progress toward selected goals or is there preferred approach for the application submitted?

Answer: Please refer to the language in the NOFO about the evaluation and performance measurement plan. Anything that is listed is required, and anything that is not listed is not required.

 

2. Would it strengthen an application to have an external evaluator? Is one or the other (internal vs external evaluation team) preferred or viewed as stronger? A third option is to use an internal evaluation team but with external consultants to ensure robust evaluation.

Answer: Applicants should consider the parameters of their proposed project, including the budget and minimum requirements for this NOFO, when deciding how to conduct their program evaluation. All review criteria are listed under Phase II review in the NOFO.

1. Is there a preferred template for the Resumes/CVs (e.g., NIH Biosketch template)?

Answer: There is no preferred template for resumes or CVs.

 

2. Is there a combined page limit of the Project Narrative and Work Plan.

Answer: The Projective Narrative section should be no longer than 20 pages. The Project Narrative page limit includes the Work Plan (total of 20 pages).

 

3. Is there a limit on the number of Co-PIs allowed?

Answer: There is no limit to the number of Co-PIs allowed.

 

4. Is there an opportunity for those submitting a grant application to have a preview conducted by the CDC? By preview I mean review of our DRAFT application and provide feedback and/or suggestions. If this is an option, when would the preview DRAFT application need to be submitted?

Answer: CDC will not review a draft of an application prior to official submission.

 

5. Do you allow those applying for this funding to schedule a phone call to get clarification on questions?

Answer: All questions must be submitted through the NOFO email. If you have additional questions after receiving a response, please submit a follow-up email for clarification. All questions and answers are posted on the cdc.gov/aging FAQ page.

 

6. Is there a preferred style for citations/references?  and are footnotes allowable?  If footnotes are not allowable, does the reference list count toward the 20pg narrative page limit?

Answer: There is no preferred style for citations/references but if you are using references, please use a consistent standard style throughout (e.g. AMA, APA, etc.). Footnotes may be used. The reference list will not count toward the 20 page limit for the project narrative.

 

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

Answer: For assistance with technical difficulties with the Grants.gov system, please contact:

GRANTS.GOV Applicant Support
1-800-518-4726
support@grants.gov

 

8. Is there a preferred template for the Report on Programmatic, Budgetary, and Commitment Overlap?

Answer: No, there is no preferred template. However, please see CDC Budget Preparation Guidelines [PDF 415 KB] for additional information

 

9. Is the application budget cap of $800,000 inclusive of the indirect costs (i.e. institutional overhead), or does it just include direct costs?

Answer: The application budget ceiling of $800,000 is a total of both direct and indirect costs. An applicant applying with a budget ceiling above $800,000 will be deemed non-responsive.

 

10. The NOFO mentions that a detailed evaluation and performance management plan is due 6 months after the award, but it appears that there should still be an evaluation and performance management plan as part of the 20-page project narrative that goes in with the application. This is a less important question, but for the evaluation plan due AFTER the award is given out it says at one point that this is 20 pages and other it’s 35 pages. Wondering which one.

Answer: An evaluation and performance measurement plan should be included as part of the 20-page project narrative. The more detailed evaluation plan–that would be submitted within 6 months after an award is made–would be no more than 20 pages.

 

11. What is the link to submit a Letter of Intent? What information is required in the Letter of Intent?

Answer: Letters of Intent are optional but encouraged. The Letter of Intent should include your organization name and which of the three types of Public Health Center of Excellence you plan to apply. Please submit to the NOFO Mailbox: boldcentersnofo@cdc.gov

 

12. If there are two institutes interested in submitting an application together for the same type of Public Health Center of Excellence, is that possible to do so and how does it work?

Answer: Each application can only be submitted by one institute. The interested parties would have to decide which institution will be the primary applicant and any potential subcontracts.

 

13. If you are applying to be a Public Health Center of Excellence and another organization in your state is going to apply for the Public Health Programs (CDC-RFA-DP20-2004), is it advantageous to apply with several overlapping items that we would do together, or is it better to be completely separate because one may be funded and one may not?

Answer: Each NOFO has unique strategies and activities and the applications are reviewed individually and evaluated on its own merit. If an applicant plans to work with another organization, please refer to the collaborations section of the NOFO.

 

14. Do we need a new DUNS number to apply to this NOFO?

Answer: Applicants may use a previously registered DUNS number.

 

15. The NOFO makes clear a single entity may apply for only one Public Health Center of Excellence. Can an entity apply as a primary for one and be a subcontractor on one or more other applications?

Answer: An entity may only apply as a primary applicant for one Public Health Center of Excellence. An entity may, however, be subcontracted on more than one application.

 

16. How many applications do you expect to receive?

Answer: As this is a new NOFO, CDC does not have an estimated number of expected applications. Applicants do have an opportunity to submit an optional Letter of Intent; however, those Letters of Intent or the organizations submitting them will not be shared publicly.

 

17. You mentioned you are going to make 3 awards. Is that one award for each area of focus?

Answer: The intention is to fund up to three awards, with no more than one award in each topic focus area.

 

18. Should we use FORMS-F similar to an NIH grant? Are there specific forms that we are to use to submit? If not, where do we include the information that is captured on that form (facilities and resources, equipment, human subjects, and a multiple PI plan)?

Answer: FORMS-F is not used for this NOFO. The specific information you are referencing, if needed, would be information to include in the narrative or workplan sections. Please refer to page 20 of the NOFO

 

19. Is there a page limit for biosketches?

Answer: There is no page limit for biosketches or CVs/Resumes.

 

20. According to the grants.gov webpage, applicants must create a log in and submit an abstract. Do applicants need to submit the abstract before submitting the letter of intent?

Answer: The registrations on grants.gov are not required prior to submitting an optional Letter of Intent. However, required registrations must be completed prior to submission of the application. All information on submission is included at grants.gov

 

21. Is the Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan part of the project narrative or its own section with its own page limit? There is language on page 43 of the NOFO about there being 35 additional pages allowed for evaluation. Can you please clarify?

Answer: The Work Plan and Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan sections should be included within the project narrative, which is limited to 20 pages. The additional 35 pages for the Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan refers to the more detailed plan to be developed within the first 6 months of the award.

 

22. As a group of healthcare professionals, we have been pretty heads-down these past few months and only recently learned about the grant. We are extremely excited to apply, though of course concerned about the looming deadline. Will there be an extension due to Covid-19?

Answer: This NOFO was announced on grants.gov  on March 25, 2020. The NOFO states that the Due Date for Applications is 05/26/2020, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time. There will be no extensions to this due date.

 

23. I know that only one application can be filed per institution. Are you able to share whether you have already received either LOIs or completed applications from other groups at our University?

Answer: We are not able to release information on LOIs received. Please contact your university Grants Office for that type of information.

 

24. Can we include a performance review from a current partner as an appendix in place of a letter of support or will that disqualify our application?

Answer: Only attachments listed in the other information section should be uploaded as attachments.

 

25. Can the Staffing Plan be included as a separate attachment, or does it need to be included in the page-limited Project Narrative?

Answer: The Staffing Plan should be included in the Project Narrative.

 

26. Can the Organizational Chart be included as a separate attachment, or does it need to be included in the page-limited Project Narrative?

Answer: The Organizational Chart should be included in the Project Narrative.

 

27. Can you clarify the difference between the organizational chart and the project management structure? On page 14 of the NOFO it states: “Provide a staffing plan, including an organizational chart and project management structure that will be sufficient to meet the goals of the proposed project and which clearly defines staff roles and reporting structure.”

Answer: The organizational chart represents the applicant organization. The project management structure relates to the structure of the specific proposed program.

 

Alzheimer’s Disease: An irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD): A collection of related dementias which include Alzheimer’s disease as well as frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), and mixed etiology dementias (MED).

Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program (ADHAP): The Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) houses the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI). HBI provides data, information, and education to promote brain health, including information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Alzheimer’s disease is currently the fifth leading cause of death for persons over the age of 65.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS): The nation’s premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collects state-level data about non-institutionalized U.S. adults regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.

Brain Health: A concept that involves making the most of the brain’s capacity and helping to reduce some risks that occur with aging. Brain health refers to the ability to draw on the strengths of the brain to remember, learn, play, concentrate, and maintain a clear, active mind.

Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (P.L. 115-406): The law creates an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions focused on public health issues such as increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk, and preventing avoidable hospitalizations. The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act will accomplish this by establishing Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Public Health Centers of Excellence, providing funding to state, local, and tribal public health departments, and increasing data analysis and timely reporting.

Caregivers: Spouses, partners, adult children, other relatives, and friends providing unpaid help to persons living with dementia who have at least one limitation in their activities of daily living and reside in the community. Caregivers often assist with diverse activities of daily living such as personal care, household management, medication and healthcare management, and coordination of financial matters.

Cognition: The mental functions involved in attention, thinking, understanding, learning, remembering, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is a fundamental aspect of an individual’s ability to engage in activities, accomplish goals, and successfully negotiate the world. It can be viewed along a continuum—from optimal functioning to mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s and severe dementia.

Cognitive Impairment: Trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect everyday life.

Dementia: The loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. These functions include memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-management, and the ability to focus and pay attention. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Other types include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia.

Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI): The Healthy Brain Initiative envisions a nation in which public health embraces brain health and caregiving as vital components of health that are included in public health efforts. To advance public health activities in brain health, cognitive impairment, and caregiving, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018—2023 Road Map was released in 2018 and the Road Map for Indian Country was released in 2019.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD): Disorders that are usually present at birth and that negatively affect the trajectory of the individual’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development. Many of these conditions affect multiple body parts or systems. Intellectual disability starts any time before a child turns 18 and is characterized by problems with both: (1) Intellectual functioning or intelligence, which include the ability to learn, reason, problem solve, and other skills; and (2) Adaptive behavior, which includes everyday social and life skills. The term “developmental disabilities” is a broader category of often lifelong disability that can be intellectual, physical, or both.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): A slight but measurable decline in cognitive abilities that includes memory and thinking. A person with mild cognitive impairment is at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA): This act creates an important opportunity to build upon and leverage Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs and other federal efforts to help change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). The law calls for a National Plan for ADRD with input from a public-private Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services. The Advisory Council makes recommendations to HHS for priority actions to expand, coordinate, and condense programs in order to improve the health outcomes of people with ADRD and reduce the financial burden of these conditions on those with the diseases, their families, and society.

Risk Reduction: A comprehensive approach to brain and cognitive wellness through prevention and treatment of diseases and/or conditions that may elevate your risk for dementia.

Road Map: The term “Road Map” refers to the Healthy Brain Initiative’s (HBI) State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia, The 2018-2023 Road Map which charts a course for state and local public health agencies, tribal leaders and their partners. The Road Map, and its series of supporting documents, prepares all communities to act quickly and strategically by stimulating changes in policies, systems, and environments. Alignment of HBI Road Map actions with Essential Services of Public Health ensures that initiatives to address Alzheimer’s can be incorporated easily and efficiently into existing public health and tribal health initiatives.

Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD): The self-reported experience of worsening or more frequent confusion or memory loss. It is a form of cognitive impairment related to cognitive performance and one of the earliest noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

1. Question: When is the informational call for the BOLD Public Health Centers of Excellence Notice of Funding Opportunity?

Answer: The 60-minute informational call takes place on: April 7, 2020, 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST

Dial: 800-369-2183, Passcode: 6654300