Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)?

This NOFO is intended to contribute to reductions in chronic diseases and risk factors, reductions in disparities in health outcomes, and improvements in overall health by building public health capacity and infrastructure in Indian Country for disease surveillance, epidemiology, prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability, and program monitoring and evaluation. With this funding support, Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) will increase their capacity to deliver public health functions to and with the tribes/villages in their IHS Area (including the Urban Area).

What are the anticipated outcomes of this NOFO?

As shown in the Logic Model on pages 5-9 of the NOFO, a series of short and intermediate-term outcomes to reduce chronic disease and related risk factors are expected to be achieved as a result of awardee efforts. With the long-term outcomes of 1. Improving surveillance, data collection and monitoring of health status; 2. Delivering effective chronic disease prevention and health promotion programs; and 3. Developing sustainable public health capacity and infrastructure, awardees will work with their tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations in their IHS Area to accomplish short and intermediate-term outcomes from each strategy. Through their respective work, Component A awardees design and implement the work and increase their public health capacity, while the Component B awardee facilitates program implementation and accelerates progress toward program goals by coordinating a Community of Practice for sharing knowledge, collaborating on problem solving and engaging in quality improvement efforts with Component A awardees. Thus, both Components are working toward the same outcomes.

Is it possible to set up a call with someone to discuss eligibility and proposal ideas?

In order to ensure an open and fair competition we do not host individual phone calls to discuss NOFOs, to include eligibility and proposal ideas. These FAQs may help you with your question. If you still have a question after you have reviewed them, please email them to cdc1704questions@cdc.gov by Thursday, July 27 and we will post the question and answer to this FAQ document within 24-48 hours of receiving the question.

How many awards will be made?

We anticipate making 13 awards total, up to 12 awards to Tribal Epidemiology Centers (Component A) and one award to a Network Coordinating Center (Component B). This NOFO will fund one TEC in each Area. For the purposes of the NOFO, Phoenix and Tucson Areas are considered a single Area, also urban Indian health centers catchment will be considered equivalent to an Area. Applicants may apply for both Component A and Component B, but must submit separate applications.

What is the project period/approximate start date of the awards?

The project period is for 5 years. The approximate start date will be no later than September 30, 2017.

Is direct assistance (DA) for personnel available through this NOFO?

Applicants may request that CDC provide Direct Assistance (DA) in the form of federal personnel as a part of the grant awarded through this NOFO.  If your request for DA is approved as a part of your award, CDC will reduce the funding amount provided directly to you as a part of your award.  The amount by which your award is reduced will be used to provide DA; the funding shall be deemed part of the award and as having been paid to you, the awardee.

Is this NOFO an extension of the Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country program (DP14-1421)?

No. However, awardees will coordinate efforts with tribes and tribal organizations in their area funded through GHWIC, including evaluation support.

Is there a list of past awardees for this funding opportunity?

This is a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO); there are no previous grantees or awardees.

What is meant by building public health capacity and infrastructure in Indian Country?

Strengthening disease surveillance, epidemiology, prevention and control of disease, injury or disability and program monitoring and evaluation among tribes and tribal organizations to improve the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

For the purposes of this NOFO, how do you define infrastructure?

Infrastructure includes capacity, systems, procedures, and protocols within communities, institutions, and networks that support the goals of this NOFO, including leadership and coordination of public health efforts, promotion of healthy behaviors, chronic disease control, strengthened public health surveillance and improved epidemiologic capacity. Note that this program is not authorized to conduct construction and/or modernization projects.

Can funds be used to support research?

No.

Do we need to implement a competitive process for selecting sub-recipients?

Applicants may provide sub awards to recipients that can assist with activity implementation. Applicants must follow guidance as stated in 45 CFR Part 92 or 74.

Our TEC is located within a Health Board that implements programmatic or health promotion activities. Should we collaborate with the Board on the application and the implementation of program activities?

TECs are encouraged to work within their internal organizational structures (Health Board, departments, contract staff) in order to respond to this NOFO and implement NOFO activities.

Why are the Tribal Epidemiology Centers the only tribal-serving organizations eligible to apply?

Public Law 102-573, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, reauthorized in 2010, designates the TECs as public health authorities for tribes and Urban Indian communities with responsibility for essential public health infrastructure services such as data collection and analysis, evaluation and targeting of services, and provision of technical assistance. (25 USC 1621m) TECs are statutorily authorized to provide these services; whereas other organizations do not have this authority and may not have capacity to provide this support. The CDC has determined that the TECs provide the most effective approach to strengthen public health capacity and evaluate and assess the implementation of evidence and practice-based strategies to improve good health and wellness in Indian Country. Additional information on this can be found on page 29 in the ‘Justification for Less than Maximum Competition’ section.

Can organizations apply for both Component A and Component B Funding?

Yes. If applying for each component, applicants must submit separate applications.  The applications must stand entirely on their own.  Applications submitted for Component A and Component B from the same organization will be reviewed and scored separately.  Applicants for Component B who also apply for Component A do not jeopardize their chances of a Component A award by applying for a Component B award. Applicants may not state preference for which award they would prefer to receive, as they will be reviewed and scored separately.

What is the total population of American Indians and Alaska Natives the applicant needs to serve in order to be eligible to apply for the NOFO?

60,000. See page 13 of the NOFO.

What does limited competition mean?

Limited competition means the competition is not open to everyone. This distinction is made in the eligibility criteria.

Is a letter of intent required?

No, a letter of intent is not required.

How much funding is available for the NOFO?

• Approximate Total Fiscal Year Funding: $8.5 million
• Approximate Total Project Period Funding: $42.5 million
• Approximate Number of Awards: Up to 13
• Ceiling of Individual Award Range: Component A: $658,000; Component B: $600,000 (all amounts are subject to the availability of funds).

What will be the average one year award amount?

Approximate Average Award: Component A: $658,000; Component B: $500,000

Floor of Individual Award Range: Component A: $230,000; Component B: $400,000 (all amounts are subject to the availability of funds).

What are the award amounts based upon?

Component A award amounts are based in part on the number of federally recognized Indian tribes or villages (or urban Indian health centers) in the area the applicant serves. In the first year of this NOFO, a base amount of about $230,000 (depending upon quality and scope of work, and government resources) will be provided to all Component A awardees, with an incremental increase for the number of tribes/villages (or centers, in the case of urban Indians) in the area and served by the program, and for the extent and reach of the proposed program.

Specifically, applicants serving one tribe may apply for up to $330,000; applicants serving at least two and up to 19 tribes may apply for up to $610,000; applicants serving at least 20 and up to 49 tribes may apply for up to $750,000; applicants serving 50 or more tribes may apply for up to $850,000. Up to one Component A award will be made in each IHS Area. The Component B applicant may apply for up to $600,000.

When will funds be made available to award recipients?

Funds will be made available no later than 9/30/2017.

How long will funding be available for this NOFO, and will funding be available on an annual basis?

The funds for this NOFO are available annually for a five-year project period pending the availability of funds.

Can I apply for more than the ceiling listed in the NOFO?

Applicants should not request more than the ceiling listed in the NOFO.

Are PPHF funds used to support this NOFO?

Yes.

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

Yes.

Are matching funds required?

No. However, although there is not a match requirement for this NOFO, obtaining other resources and aligning ongoing efforts to promote sustainability is strongly encouraged.

Should a detailed budget with budget narrative be submitted for the total project period of five years, or just for the first 12 months?

You only need to submit a detailed budget with budget narrative for the first 12 months.

Are there any mandatory meetings/trainings that staff will be required to attend? If so, how many staff should we budget in travel to attend?

Awardees may be expected to participate in periodic meetings requiring travel. Specific budget or personnel plans have not been projected at this time. Including a line item for travel to an annual awardee meeting, to include key program members, may be helpful for your budget planning.

Is leveraging other CDC resources allowable?

Yes. However, award funding may not be used to accomplish the same work that is currently funded under another funding opportunity, as this would be duplicate funding for identical purposes. Funding under this NOFO may be used to expand on similar previous work that aligns with the new proposed goals and objectives identified through the community assessment.

Can NOFO activities benefit non-native community members?

The NOFO is intended to address health disparities in American Indian/Alaska Native populations, although non-native community members may also benefit from program interventions.

On page 41 of the NOFO under Funding Restrictions it says, “Awardees may not use funds for clinical care.” Can you define clinical care?

Funds cannot be used to pay for clinical care (i.e., health care services delivered by a health care provider such as counseling, screening, treatment) or other direct services (e.g., other health education).

Can funds be used for stipends?

No, stipends are only allowable when permitted by authorizing statute usually for trainees and fellowship awards. Therefore, it is not allowable for this NOFO.

Does contracting out for limited program services hurt the applicant, as opposed to providing similar services, directly?

No, contracting out does not hurt the applicant as subawards or subcontracts are allowable to carry out a portion of the programmatic effort. However, the direct and primary recipient in a cooperative agreement program must perform a substantial role in carrying out project outcomes and not merely serve as a conduit for an award to another party or provider who is ineligible to apply directly.

Is there a requirement as to how much funding I sub award?

No, there is not a requirement. However, a grantee must maintain sufficient funding to provide oversight and monitoring of the award.

Can funds be used for construction?

No. This program is not authorized to conduct construction and/or modernization projects. Construction projects are applicable only to “construction” funding opportunity announcements under the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), Section 307(b)(10) [Section 307(b)(10)]. This authority does not apply to “program” specific NOFO’s. Therefore, recipients may not use PPHF funding for construction (including, but not limited to, labor or materials). PPHF funds may be used, for example, to assess support for a community initiative and educate community members, educate intervention population members, identify requirements for facilities, and conduct planning in preparation for construction. Any funds used for construction purposes would need to be provided by another source.

Is the purchase of food an allowable cost?

No. According to HHS Grant Policy Statement rules, CDC funds may not generally be used for the purchase of food.

Why is the application period so short?

The application period is short because of the late appropriation of these funds, the required NOFO administrative review processes, and the requirement to award these funds in fiscal year 2017

Does the work plan include both the template and a narrative description or is the work plan template all that is needed for the Work Plan?

The Component A and Component B applicants are required to provide a work plan consisting of a narrative for the five-year program award and a detailed description of the first year of the award. A sample work plan template is provided on pages 20-22 for one strategy for Component A. Applicants are required to include all of the elements listed within the sample work plan and should populate the work plan “activity description” column with the relevant activities to accomplish the program of work and the other columns with the associated elements

Could you please clarify the required order for the Project Narrative?

1. Background
2. Approach
   1. Purpose
   2. Outcomes
   3. Strategies and Activities
      1. Collaborations
      2. Target populations and Health Disparities
3. Applicant Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan
4. Organizational Capacity of Applicants to Implement the Approach

Is there a page limit for the project narrative?

Yes, the narrative can be no more than 20 pages, single space, 12 point font, 1-inch margins. This includes the work plan, which is limited to a maximum of 10 pages.

Should the narrative and work plan be paginated sequentially as one document, i.e. 1-20; or each as a free standing document since they are to be submitted as separate documents?

Since the Work Plan is included in the Project Narrative’s 20-page limit (NOFO p. 36), pagination should be sequential and noted in the Table of Contents.

Can references for the project narrative be a separate attachment or are they included in the 20 page limit?

Yes, references can be uploaded as a separate attachment and they are not a part of the 20 page limit.

Are resumes included in the narrative page limit?

No. Additional attachments that contain resumes, CVs, or organizational charts are not a part of the narrative page limit.

Does the 12 point font size requirement apply to tables and charts too?

Yes.

When are applications due, and when will awards be announced?

Applications must be uploaded to grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. (eastern time) August 07, 2017 and awards will be announced by September 30, 2017.

How can people ask questions about the NOFO?

All inquiries should be directed to cdc1704questions@cdc.gov by Thursday, July 27 and we will post the question and answer to this FAQ document within 24-48 hours of receiving the question.

Is the budget included as part of the total page limit for applications?

No, the budget is not part of the 20 narrative page limit.

Is an itemized budget required?

Applicants must submit an itemized budget narrative. When developing the budget narrative, applicants must consider whether the proposed budget is reasonable and consistent with the purpose, outcomes, and program strategy outlined in the project narrative. The budget must include:

• Salaries and wages
• Fringe benefits
• Consultant costs
• Equipment
• Supplies
• Travel
• Other categories
• Total Direct Costs
• Total Indirect Costs
• Contractual Cost

For guidance on completing a detailed budget, see Budget Preparation Guidelines at: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/NOFOmain.shtm.

Applicants must name this file “Budget Narrative” and upload it as a PDF file at www.grants.gov.

If requesting indirect costs in the budget, a copy of the indirect cost-rate agreement is required.  If the indirect cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement must have been made less than 12 months earlier.  Applicants must name this file “Indirect Cost Rate” and upload it at www.grants.gov.

Are applicants required to submit detailed budgets for sub-awardees as a part of the application?

No, detailed budgets for sub awards are not required as part of the application.

Should the Work Plan be included in the narrative or as an attachment?  

The work plan should be included as part of the 20-page project narrative.  The work plan should not exceed 10 pages of the Project Narrative.  An applicant should use the sample work plan template on pages 20 to 22 for Component A and 23 to 24 for component B.

Do attachments count towards the 20 page limit for the narrative?

No.

Will the conference call meeting notes be available to those unable to make the call?

Yes, the scripts from the conference calls will be made available online at www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/foa/tribal/index.htm. Audio recordings are not available.

What type of activities will Component A and B awardees implement?

Component A awardees will increase capacity for and delivery of core public health functions to increase public health capacity and infrastructure for chronic disease prevention, health promotion, and prevention and control of priority public health problems.  These core public health functions include: collection and monitoring of data on health status objectives; evaluating delivery and data systems that impact Indian health, assisting tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations to determine health status objectives and services needed to meet those objectives; providing technical assistance to tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations to develop local health priorities and disease incidence and prevalence rates; and providing disease surveillance and promoting public health; among others.

The Component B awardee, the National Coordinating Center (NCC) will collaboratively support and coordinate Component A work. They will provide project organization, logistics, communication, and performance evaluation support for Component A awardees to achieve health outcomes in their areas. The NCC will facilitate the formation of a Steering Committee consisting of Principal Investigators from each Component A award.

Can awardees implement activities to address health and disease areas that are not chronic diseases or their risk factors (e.g. suicide prevention)?

Awardees may implement programs, projects and interventions, as well as develop public health capacity and infrastructure, that benefit multiple outcomes, including outcomes not specifically addressed in this NOFO, as long as they can be linked to chronic disease prevention and health promotion. For example, efforts to improve wellbeing or strengthen surveillance capacity, benefit multiple diseases, conditions, adverse events, and risk factors, in addition to chronic diseases.

Will Project ECHO support be available to the NCC to facilitate communication amongst steering committee members?

This will be up to the discretion of the NCC.

What is the evaluation approach for this NOFO? 

CDC will use a three-pronged evaluation approach. Component A and Component B awardees will be required to: 1) report on outcome performance measures; 2) develop awardee-specific and Area-specific evaluation plans (that is, conduct evaluation on selected strategies and activities implemented with tribes and villages in the area, as applicable) and conduct the evaluation; and 3) participate as requested in national evaluation activities.

CDC will work with the Component B awardee as the Network Coordinating Center to conduct the national evaluation, including select performance measures, operationalize the performance measures, and assist with identification of available and feasible data sources for these measures. Both Components will be responsible for gathering and analyzing the data for the performance measures and their awardee- and Area-specific evaluations.

Should the applicant submit an evaluation plan? If so, are there guidelines as to what it should cover?

Applicants must provide an overall evaluation and performance measurement plan.  The plan should provide additional detail on the following:

Performance measures and targets

• The frequency that performance data are to be collected.
• How performance data will be reported.
• How quality of performance data will be assured.
• How performance measurement will demonstrate progress towards achieving NOFO goals (e.g., reaching target populations or achieving expected outcomes).
• Dissemination channels and audiences.
• Other information requested as determined by the CDC program.

Evaluation

• The types of evaluations to be conducted (e.g. process or outcome evaluations).
• The frequency that data will be collected or evaluations will be conducted.
• How evaluation reports will be published on a publically available website.
• How evaluation findings will be used to ensure continuous quality and program improvement.
• How evaluation will yield findings to demonstrate the value of the NOFO (e.g., effect on improving public health outcomes, effectiveness of NOFO, cost-effectiveness or cost-benefit).
• Dissemination channels and audiences.

Where can I find the performance measures for the NOFO?

Performance measures will be finalized in the first year of the program.

What type of review process will occur for this competition?

All applications will be reviewed initially for completeness by CDC Office of Grant Services (OGS) staff and will be reviewed jointly for eligibility by the CDC/NCCDPHP and OGS. Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not advance to Phase II review. Applicants will be notified that their applications did not meet eligibility or published submission requirements. A review panel will evaluate complete, eligible applications in accordance with the description of Phase II review on page 41.

Where are the application review criteria in the NOFO?

The review criteria are found on pages 41 to 44.

Are voting panelist given the abstract, narrative, work plan and other allowable attachments?

The review process has two parts: 1. Reviewers- Reviewers have access to all documents and use those documents as a strong burden of proof for their review summary. 2. Voting panelist- Voting panels have access to all documents, however their associated scores weigh largely from the reviewers summary of strengths and weaknesses, and associated scores based on each section.

How will applicants be funded?

Applications will be funded in order of ranked score, with score determined by the review panel, recognizing that up to one applicant will be funded in each of the 12 IHS administrative Areas, including an urban Indian health center “Area” (https://tribalepicenters.org/) for Component A and up to one applicant will be funded for Component B. An applicant may or may not be funded for both Component A and Component B. Applicants applying for both Component A and Component B must submit separate applications. For purposes of this application, Phoenix and Tucson Areas are considered a single Area.

What are the lobbying restrictions concerning this grant?

Federal funds cannot be used for lobbying. Successful applicants must comply with the requirements set out in Section 503, Division F, Title V, FY12 Consolidated Appropriations Act and Additional Requirement (AR) 12, which is CDC policy as well as a term and condition of the NOFO with respect to lobbying restrictions placed on award recipients.  In addition, please note that grantee activities are not restricted under Section 503 if the grantee is using funding sources other than Federal appropriations to engage in those activities. At the same time, grantee activities may be limited by state law or other applicable restrictions, such as provisions in the Internal Revenue Code. Grantees may wish to consult their tax and/or accounting advisors for assistance.