Frequently Asked Questions for CDC-RFA-DP21-2110 (CCR-ETA)
What is the purpose of this funding?
The purpose of this NOFO, DP21-2110, is to support evaluation, training, and TA to strengthen capacity of recipients of DP21-2109* and their partners to address disparities in access to COVID-19 related services. (See page 4 of the NOFO).
This NOFO has two components: Component 1, conduct a national evaluation of the CCR, and Component 2, deliver training and TA to CCR recipients. Applicants may only apply for 1 component.
*DP21-2109 – Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities program (CCR). See: Frequently Asked Questions for CDC-RFA-DP21-2109
What are the intended outcomes?
Short term outcomes for Component 1 include increased collection of high-quality monitoring and evaluation data for CCR (DP21-2109). Intermediate outcomes include increased use and dissemination of data to inform improvement of COVID-19 public health response efforts among priority populations within communities. For Component 2, short term outcomes include increased capacity of CCR recipients to support, train, and deploy CHWs for COVID-19 public health response efforts among priority populations within their communities. Intermediate outcomes include increased reach of CHW-influenced COVID-19 mitigation efforts among priority populations within their communities. For both Components 1 and 2, the long-term outcomes include (1) decreased impact of COVID-19 on those at highest risk and settings and (2) increased community resilience to respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. (See the program logic model on pages 5-6 of the NOFO).
What are the strategies for this effort?
Component 1 includes 5 primary strategies (see pages 7-9 of the NOFO):
- Collaborate with other DP21-2110 Component 1 recipients
- Plan and conduct a national evaluation of DP21-2109 (CCR)
- Use monitoring data for program improvement
- Disseminate evaluation results
- Plan and conduct special studies with a subset of at least 5 CCR recipients to assess program effectiveness
Component 2 includes 7 primary strategies (see pages 9-10 of the NOFO):
- Conduct rapid assessment of CCR recipients to identify training/technical assistance (TA) needs
- Collaborate with other DP21-2110 recipients to develop a national CCR training/TA/peer learning plan for CCR recipients
- Develop a national CCR training/TA plan that includes peer learning
- Develop and/or identify training curricula and tools and instruments for evaluating delivery of training/TA/peer learning
- Establish communities of practice to facilitate information sharing and peer learning across CCR recipients
- Promote and deliver/facilitate training, TA, and peer learning to CCR recipients
- Evaluate training and TA delivered and Peer Learning/Community of Practice activities
How can I make sure I will be notified if changes are made to the NOFO?
Per the grants.gov help desk, in grants.gov, click on the “Login to Subscribe” link on the Synopsis page and log in. That will sign you up for email notifications regarding the NOFO. This does not affect the application process in any way, but if changes are made to the NOFO you will receive a notification.
Where are applications submitted?
Applications must be submitted by May 24, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time at www.grants.gov. (See page 2 of the NOFO).
Is there a deadline for submitting questions for this NOFO? Also, where and when will all questions and answers be posted?
Questions regarding this NOFO must be submitted by May 7, 2021 via the email address nccdphp_chw@cdc.gov. Questions and answers will be posted on the DP21-2110 website.
Where do I let CDC know which component(s) I am applying for?
Applicants must clearly state whether they are applying for Component 1 or Component 2 in their project abstract. You may only apply for 1 of the two components.
What is the page limit for the project narrative of the application?
Component 1 applicants can submit a project narrative that is up to 20 pages long. The applicant’s work plan and budget narrative should be included in these 20 pages. The same applies for Component 2. Text should be single spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, and all pages should be numbered. (See page 27 of the NOFO).
Would you prefer we focus on geographic versus topical areas or nationally?
Applications should address the requirements of the NOFO.
I am having difficulty creating a workspace for CDC-RFA-DP21-2110 on grants.gov. How do I receive help on technical difficulties when using grants.gov?
If technical difficulties are encountered at www.grants.gov, applicants should contact Customer Service at grants.gov. The www.grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. The Contact Center is available by phone at 1-800-518-4726 or by e-mail at support@grants.gov.
Should applicants submit a logic model within their proposal or will logic models for the National Evaluation Plan and for the Evaluation and Monitoring Plans be developed post award?
On page 12, the NOFO specifies that a logic model should be submitted as part of the detailed Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan due from recipients within six months of award.
Is there a page limit for each CV or resume?
No.
How are applications reviewed and selected?
Phase I Review: The Office of Grants Services will initially review all applications for eligibility and completeness. Non-responsive applications will not be advanced.
Phase II Review: A review panel will evaluate complete, eligible applications in accordance with the criteria detailed in the NOFO. Criteria include the approach, evaluation and performance measurement, and applicant’s organizational capacity to implement the approach. (See page 34 of the NOFO).
How quickly do applicants need to demonstrate they can implement the required and optional strategies outlined in this NOFO?
Applicants must demonstrate that they are able to implement the required and proposed strategies outlined in the NOFO within approximately 1 month of award.
Will a recording of the informational call be posted?
We plan to post a link to the full informational call recording on the DP21-2110 website after the call has concluded.
I was unable to attend the informational conference call on Monday April 5 related to the “Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities Evaluation and Technical Assistance” solicitation. Would it be possible to receive any materials shared from the call (i.e., presentation slides, recording of the call)?
We plan to include a link to the full informational call recording on the DP21-2110 website very soon.
Will training awardees be required to help 2109 “capacity building” awardees develop CHW CORE SKILLS training capacity as well as COVID-specific training? To clarify, the 2109 Component B recipients are expected to have existing capacity to conduct training on CHW core skills (i.e., skills that any practicing CHW will need). For them, the 2110 training awardees (Component 2) will be focusing on COVID-specific training topics. The 2109 Component A (‘capacity building’) recipients may not have such a basic training infrastructure. They can’t be expected to succeed without such capacity. So, will the 2110 training (Component 2) recipients be required to help them with this capacity [of basic skill-building] as well as COVID-specific training?
Recipients will provide training to DP21-2109 Component A and Component B recipients. Please review the strategies and activities in DP21-2110, pages 7-10. Specifically, please review pages 9-10 of the NOFO for details on Component 2 (training/technical assistance) strategies and activities. Assessment of DP21-2109 recipients is one of the seven strategies and, as stated in the NOFO, will inform the training/technical assistance provided.
To clarify, an entity can apply to both components, but if it does so should stay within the $3 million maximum budget?
An entity may only apply for Component 1 or Component 2 of DP21-2110, but NOT both. The award ceiling is $3 million. Please see Award Information on pages 20-21.
How does CDC envision multiple awardees coordinating to be able to extend services across the country and not duplicate efforts?
This is a cooperative agreement and CDC will have substantial involvement. CDC will convene all recipients following award and facilitate coordination/collaboration. (See page 20 of the NOFO for examples of how CDC will provide technical assistance to recipients).
Is there an expectation that there will be a state agency that will playing a TA role with other states? I am wondering about the state regulations that would limit their activity for state-centered activities (vs. other states)? Would a state provide TA to itself? States can receive funding from both 2109 and 2110?
An applicant may apply for both DP21-2109 and DP21-2110 NOFOs. Therefore, an applicant could receive funding for both funding announcements. Please see pages 9-10 of the NOFO for details on Component 2 (training/technical assistance) strategies and activities. Component 2 recipients will collaborate to provide training/technical assistance to all DP21-2109 recipients across the country. An applicant applying for Component 2 should have strong capacity in providing training and technical assistance. To avoid any perceptions of conflict of interest, CDC will determine portfolios of projects that each applicant would oversee.
Could you speak more to Component 1, and how you would like us to frame our evaluation approach if you’re intending that there will be two other evaluators, as well?
Please see pages 7-8 of the NOFO for the specific strategies and activities required of Component 1 recipients. Your evaluation approach should address these strategies and activities.
There is a $3 million ceiling per applicant, but did I hear that the anticipated average budget be $1.5 million?
To clarify, the award ceiling is $3 million. Please see Award Information on pages 20-21. The average award for Component 1 recipients is $2 million; the average award for Component 2 recipients is $1.5 million. Information on the average award is on page 3 of the NOFO.
Since CDC is reserving the right to make separate awards to Tribal entities for each Component, should the proposal budget reflect working with tribal 2109 recipients or not?
Under DP21-2110, CDC does not reserve the right to make separate awards to tribal entities. However, tribes are eligible to apply for DP21-2110. See eligibility information in Section C. on page 22.
Would implementation costs, such as compensation for community participants, in special studies, fall under DP21-2110 or DP21-2109 budgets?
Implementation costs for DP21-2110 activities (e.g., conducting special studies) would fall under DP21-2110 budgets.
How many awards and how much funding will be awarded for each component?
This NOFO has two components: Component 1, conduct a national evaluation of the CCR, and Component 2, deliver training and TA to CCR recipients. Applicants may only apply for 1 component.
DP21-2110 is a four-year opportunity. Approximately 3 awards will be made for Component 1 (National evaluation) and Approximately 2 awards will be made for Component 2 (Training/technical assistance). Component 1 will be funded for four years and Component 2 will be funded for three years. The average award for Component 1 is $2 million per year; the average award for Component 2 is $1.5 million per year. The annual award ceiling is $3 million. (See page 2-3 of the NOFO).
When will the awards start?
The estimated start date is August 31, 2021.
What type of award is this?
If funded, a cooperative agreement, as defined by the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-224, 31 USC 6301 et seq.), will be used as the funding mechanism to award funds. CDC will have substantial programmatic involvement after the award is made. (See page 20 of the NOFO)
Are letters of support required with applications?
Yes. A letter of support is a required attachment (See page 47 of the NOFO).
To demonstrate organization capacity to establish partnerships, applicants must provide a signed Letter of Support from at least one organization. The letter of support should describe the unique expertise of the organization and how they will support the recipient to carry out the required activities and achieve the goals and outcomes of the NOFO. The letter of support should be dated within 45 days of the application due date. (See page 11 of the NOFO).
Who is eligible to apply to DP21-2110?
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Please see page 22-23 of the NOFO for a list of which entities are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.
What is a bona fide agent?
A bona fide agent is an agency/organization identified as eligible to submit an application in lieu of a state application. If applying as a bona fide agent, a legal, binding agreement from the state, tribal, territorial, or local government as documentation of the status is required. Attach with “Other Attachment Forms” when submitting via grants.gov.
Can a unit of local government apply for this funding?
A unit of local government needs to submit a letter from appropriate county-level government confirming the county’s agreement with the applicant submitting an application. (See page 22-23 of the NOFO).
Does the local government agency who will be part of our team have to be the lead agency? We are collaborating with UIC and would like UIC to be the lead while the Chicago Department of Public Health serves as a collaborating partner.
The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria detailed in DP21-2110 on page 22. If an entity is NOT eligible per the criteria, they may still collaborate on a proposal submitted by an eligible entity.
The forecast posted for this announcement had a much broader eligibility including universities, non-profits, etc. Did this change? If so, why?
The NOFO is the final, legal document. Eligibility information is in Section C. on page 22.
Are you able to explain the shift in eligibility from nonprofit to government agencies – given the strategic significance?
Eligibility for this NOFO, as well as for DP21-2109, was established by the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), PL 116-136. The NOFO is the legal document and includes eligibility information in Section C. on page 22.
I work at the University of Minnesota, a land-grant institution of the state of Minnesota. Are we qualified to submit to component 1 (evaluation) as a ‘state’ entity, or are we not qualified? Want to be sure, given the narrow nature of eligibility on this.
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Unless otherwise specified, state institutions of higher education and state hospitals are not considered state governments for purposes of the HHS grants administration regulations. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please review the list of eligible applicants listed on page 22 of the NOFO to determine which entities may apply for this funding opportunity. Please consider collaborating with these entities if your organization is not eligible to apply.
Would you mind confirming that applicants are restricted to the categories listed in the NOFO? This definition would exclude research organizations such as the American Institute for Research.
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please review the list of eligible entities on page 22 of the NOFO to determine which entities may apply for this funding opportunity. Please consider collaborating with these entities if your organization is not eligible to apply.
I wanted to confirm that eligible technical assistance providers for CDC-RFA-DP21-2110 were limited to government entities – is that correct? Or can universities and other organizations apply?
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Unless otherwise specified, state institutions of higher education and state hospitals are not considered state governments for purposes of the HHS grants administration regulations. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please review the list of eligible applicants listed on page 22 of the NOFO to determine which entities may apply for this funding opportunity. Please consider collaborating with these entities if your organization is not eligible to apply.
The forecasted opportunity, CDC-RFA-DP21-2110 (CCR-ETA), had unrestricted eligibility for applicants, but the final eligibility criteria listed includes only county and state governments, Native American tribal governments and organizations, and Indian Health Service Providers. Would you please confirm that non-governmental agencies are not eligible to apply for this opportunity?
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please review the eligible list of applicants listed on page 22 of the NOFO to determine which entities may apply for this funding opportunity. Please consider collaborating with these entities if your organization is not eligible to apply.
Are Public State-Controlled Universities eligible to apply to DP21-2110?
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Unless otherwise specified, state institutions of higher education and state hospitals are not considered state governments for purposes of the HHS grants administration regulations. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please review the list of eligible applicants listed on page 22 of the NOFO to determine which entities may apply for this funding opportunity. Please remember that collaboration is encouraged.
Is there standard language available for a ‘bona fide agent’ agreement?
A bona fide agent is an agency/organization identified as eligible to submit an application under the state eligibility in lieu of a state application. If applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government, a letter from the state or local government as documentation of the status is required. CDC does not have specific requirements as to the text of the letter provided from the state or local government.
I’d like to seek clarification on application eligibility. We are a public university and an ‘integral part’ of the state of Minnesota for federal tax purposes. Can you please clarify whether organizations like ours are eligible to apply?
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Unless otherwise specified, state institutions of higher education and state hospitals are not considered state governments for purposes of the HHS grants administration regulations. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please review the list of eligible applicants listed on page 22 of the NOFO to determine which entities may apply for this funding opportunity. Please remember that collaboration is encouraged.
Is there a resource we can contact to assess eligibility? We did check with our folks in legal and admin and they were not sure how you were categorizing what being a ‘state governmental’ entity entails.
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Unless otherwise specified, state institutions of higher education and state hospitals are not considered state governments for purposes of the HHS grants administration regulations. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please review the list of eligible applicants listed on page 22 of the NOFO to determine which entities may apply for this funding opportunity. Please remember that collaboration is encouraged.
Can a state enter into an agreement with an entity of its choosing to serve as its bona fide agent for this application?
Yes, the state can enter into an agreement with any entity of it choosing, the entity will need to provide the letter from the state that the entity is authorized to submit on the state’s behalf.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is interested in applying for both CDC-RFA-DP21-2109 and CDC-RFA-DP21-2110. Are we eligible to apply for both funding opportunities?
DP21-2109 and DP21-2110 are two separate NOFOs. Applicants may choose to apply to one or both dependent on the eligibility criteria.
Ohio University is interested in the CDC-RFA Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (CCR)- Evaluation and Technical Assistance (ETA); CCR-ETA. Can you tell me if a state sponsored institution of higher education is eligible to apply? Is a County Health Department an eligible applicant?
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Unless otherwise specified, state institutions of higher education and state hospitals are not considered state governments for purposes of the HHS grants administration regulations. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please see pages 22-23 of the NOFO for a list of which entities are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.
We are an LLC “for profit” clinic; could you let us know if we are eligible for this grant?
The CARES Act funds states, localities, territories, tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, or health service providers to tribes. Applicants may consult with their legal counsel if eligibility is unclear. Please see pages 22-23 of the NOFO for a list of which entities are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.
Will proposals be reviewed for the degree or engagement with state and local CHW networks/association and applicant’s capability to do this?
Please see Section E.1. for the review process and related criteria (and points assigned to each) on pages 34-38.
I am writing to ask whether applicants for CDC NOFO 2110 Component 1 may also be involved in evaluation of 2109 Component C (Engage) recipients. The NOFO for 2110 states that the goal of Component 1 is to conduct “a national evaluation plan of DP21-2109 CCR Component A (Capacity Building) and Component B (Implementation Ready).” Component C of 2109 is not mentioned, thus our question.
Recipients of DP21-2110 Component 1 will provide technical assistance to all DP21-2109 recipients as noted in the Strategies and Activities section of DP21-2110 (see p.8, 2.f.).
Can collaborators be subcontractors in applications of more than one entity?
Yes.
Is there a restriction on collaborators only being allowed to serve as subcontractors on one of the components? It was said that applicants can only apply for either Component 1 or Component 2. As a consultant, one might work with separate applicants, one applying for Component 1 and one applying for Component 2.
A consultant included on more than one application could work on different components for the different applications.
Is there another program that CDC could point to as a model where states are funded to provide TA to other states?
CDC is not able to provide a model of this type of program.
Please clarify whether five special studies should be proposed? Are DP21-2110 applicants expected to propose the evaluation types, key questions, and measures as well as methods for data collection for each of these special studies in advance of the DP21-2109 awards? Or are the special studies to be determined in collaboration with CDC and DP21-2109 grantees?
No, you do not need to propose the special studies in your applications. The special studies will be determined in collaboration with CDC and DP21-2109 recipients.
Component 1.a. on page 7 of the NOFO states that “a recipient of Component 1 who is also a DP21-2109 CCR recipient should not collect data from their own program for the national evaluation.” Are there any restrictions if a collaborator that is not the prime recipient were also to be a collaborator for a 2109 award?
You have proposed a scenario where one applicant is funded through DP21-2109 (org A) and another applicant is funded through DP21-2110 (org B). Both orgs A and B have the same collaborator (sub-org C). Depending on the roles and responsibilities of sub-org C with org A and org B, there could potentially be a conflict of interest in regard to collecting and reporting data. If this case were to occur, CDC would work with the organizations involved to address the potential conflicts of interest.