DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Population Affairs 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: Announcement of Availability of Funds for Cooperative Agreements for Family Planning Research 

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE:  Initial Competitive Cooperative Agreement 

CFDA NUMBER: 93.974.

DATES: To receive consideration, applications must be received by the Office of Grants Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209, no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 26, 2009, for hard-copy applications and no later than 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time for electronic applications submitted via Grants.gov Website Portal or the GrantSolutions System on the same deadline date.   Letters of intent should be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 30, 2009.   The application due date requirement in this announcement supercedes the instructions in the OASH-1 form.  Please refer to the Submission Dates and Times section for the full application submission requirements.

Overview: The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2009 funds for a cooperative agreement program for family planning research. The purpose of this program is to obtain data or research-based information which can be used to help improve the delivery of family planning services.

Title X of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 300, et seq., authorizes programs related to family planning. Section 1004 of the Act, as amended, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to entities for research in the biomedical, contraceptive development, behavioral, and program implementation fields related to family planning and population. Regulations pertaining to grants for research projects are set out at 42 CFR part 52.

The OPA is committed to funding research to improve service delivery improvement through various mechanisms. This includes support for the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), Cycle 7.

I.  Funding Opportunity Description

Authority: This program is authorized by Section 1004 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.

This announcement seeks applications from public and non-profit private entities to conduct data analyses and related research and evaluation on issues of interest to the family planning field. Many persons have observed that gaps exist in the array of data and analyses needed by administrators, planners and researchers in the field of family planning.  The need for such data is likely to increase.  Therefore, funds available under this announcement are for projects to increase the availability of data and research-based information which will be useful to family planning administrators and providers, researchers and officials of local, State and the Federal government, including OPA, in order to improve the delivery of family planning services to persons needing and desiring such services.

II.  Award Information

The OPA anticipates making available approximately $800,000 to support an estimated two to three research projects. Awards will range from $250,000 to $ 400,000 per year. Grants will be funded in annual increments (budget periods) and may be approved for a project period of up to five years.  Funding for all budget periods beyond the first year of the grant is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, and adequate stewardship of federal funds.

A cooperative agreement is an award instrument where "substantial involvement" is anticipated between the awarding agency and the recipient during performance of the project or activity.  For this cooperative agreement the recipient will have lead responsibilities in all aspects of the project, including any modification of study design, conduct of the project, data analysis and interpretation, and preparation of publications.  However, OPA will collaborate with the recipient as appropriate, and provide consultation, assistance, and support in planning, implementing and evaluating all aspects of the proposed plan. OPA will also provide assistance in the preparation and review of reports to be disseminated.

III.  Eligibility Information

1.  Eligible Applicants

Any public or private nonprofit entity located in a State (which includes one of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam,

Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands) is eligible to apply for a cooperative agreement under this announcement.

Faith-based organizations and American Indian/Alaska Native/Native American (AI/AN/NA) organizations are eligible to apply for this family planning research cooperative agreement.

2.  Cost-Sharing or Matching

No cost sharing or matching of non-Federal funds is required.

IV.  Application and Submission Information

1.  Address to Request Application Package

Application kits may be obtained by accessing Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov.

To obtain a hard copy of the application kit, contact the Office of Grants Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209.  Phone: 240-453-8822. http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov

2. Other Submission Requirements

Letter of Intent

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent as early as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 30, 2009,  as indicated in the DATES section of this announcement. The letter of intent should include a descriptive title of the proposed project, the name, address and telephone number of the Principal Investigator and the title of this announcement.  Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows OPA staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.  The letter of intent should be sent to Eugenia Eckard at the address listed under the AGENCY CONTACTS section below and received by the date in the DATES section of this announcement.

3.  Content and Form of Application Submissions

Applicants are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the Federal government.  The DUNS number is a nine digit identification number which uniquely identifies business entities.  Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge.  To obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call (866) 705-5711.  For more information, see the OPA Web site at http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov/duns.html

Applications must be submitted on Form OASH-1 and in the manner prescribed in the application kit.  Submissions may be either electronic or in hard copy.

Applications should be limited to 60 double-spaced pages, not including appendices, using an easily readable serif typeface, such as Times Roman, Courier, GC Times.  All pages, charts, figures and tables should be numbered.  Appendices may include curriculum vitae of key staff and other evidence of organizational experience and capabilities.  Please note that appendices are supplementary information and are not intended to be a continuation of the program narrative.  Appendices should be clearly labeled.  Applications must include a one-page abstract of the proposed project.  The abstract will be used to provide reviewers with an overview of the application and will form the basis for the application summary in grants management documents.  Additionally, the application should include: a Table of Contents with identifying sections and corresponding page numbers; a budget justification, a project narrative, position descriptions, and resumes of all professional staff.

This notice solicits applications to analyze data and/or conduct research which will be useful in identifying areas in family planning in need of attention and to assess how well the Title X family planning program is meeting its objectives. This should include developing estimates and assessments on such topics as progress in attaining national Healthy People objectives for family planning,  the need for family planning services, the population currently being served, characteristics of served and underserved populations, and scope of services provided in family planning programs. In order to be competitive, an application should (1) describe a set of information needs in the field of family planning in the United States deemed by the applicant to represent the most pressing data gaps for the efficient and effective provision of family planning services, including identifying populations in need of services, and (2)  propose a coherent five-year program of research and evaluation, data analysis estimation and/or assessment designed to fill these needs in a practical and creative manner.

The application should outline the frequency of any particular proposed analyses (i.e., continuously, annually, biennially, or once during the five- year project period of this cooperative agreement), describe the methodologies to be used, and propose a plan to make accessible the products of this project to the Office of Population Affairs as well as to the audience intended, (i.e., administrators, providers and researchers), including via the Internet, for the five-year period of the project.  The application should reflect a good understanding of the systems by which family planning services are provided, a familiarity with research, data collection systems and analyses in the area of family planning and population studies supported by other sources. The application should also include a discussion of the relationship of the studies proposed for support under this cooperative agreement to research and analyses supported by other sources. An explanation of the relevance and importance of the analytic, research, and evaluation activities proposed for this cooperative agreement, and a justification of the expected utility of the analytic products expected from this effort should also be included in this application.

Although the purpose of this announcement is to encourage applicants to develop and propose analytic strategies which they will pursue if supported under this announcement, there are a number of areas described below that are of specific interest to OPA. These include, but are not limited, to the following:

A. Estimates and Characteristics of Clients Served and Population in Need 

1. Estimates of the size and geographic distribution of the population at risk of unintended pregnancy;
2. Estimates of the size and geographic distribution of the population in need of subsidized family planning services;
3. Characteristics, in terms of age, race and income or poverty status of the two populations listed above (1 and 2);
4. Estimates of the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of populations in need of family planning services but currently not being served.

B.  Patterns and Trends in Delivery of Family Planning Services 

1. Patterns or trends in utilization of cost-saving mechanisms and their effectiveness in expanding services while ensuring quality

2.      Patterns of family planning and reproductive health care service delivery among the varied  sources of family planning services (clinics, physicians' offices, community health centers, etc.);

3.      Patterns of integration of family planning with related services including services related to sexually transmitted infections (STI), HIV prevention, intimate partner violence, substance use and cancer screening;

4. Patterns and trends in providing services to adolescents and young adults, including use of school settings, special clinics and/or special protocols;
5. Patterns and trends in the training, recruitment and retention of clinic personnel;
6. Trends and patterns of family planning services to males and the role and influence of males in contraceptive decision-making and pregnancy prevention, as well as reproductive  health;
7. Trends in the growing costs of delivering services;
8. Patterns in insurance coverage and sources of payment for family planning services and the impact of various public and private health care plans, state and national health care reform and its impact on Title X clients and service provision;
9. Utilization of outreach, follow-up and case management strategies in provision of services to hard-to-reach clients such as substance users; persons with risk for STI/HIV; adolescents and young adults; issues  related to serving immigrant populations including limited English proficient (LEP) populations;    
10. Patterns and trends in systems that measure the quality and performance of service delivery within the family planning program;
11. Racial and ethnic disparities in reproductive health and access to reproductive health care.

The principal purpose of this project is not to collect original data. However, if it is relevant and it can be demonstrated that appropriate data do not exist elsewhere, some collection of original data is not precluded.  Successful applicants will also provide a plan on how information will be disseminated, including three brief fact sheets for dissemination by OPA which document innovative and unique service delivery initiatives.

The Title X program is intended to address the health needs of all men and women, including all subgroups as characterized by age, class, race and ethnicity.  Members of minority groups should be included in all proposed research unless a clear and compelling rationale or justification establishes that such inclusion is inappropriate.  Applicants should approach their research and analysis with considerations of class, race, and ethnicity in mind whenever possible.

As a cooperative agreement, OPA will have substantial involvement with the recipients in prioritizing identified research activities proposed and/or identifying additional research topics or approaches.  Other research, changing conditions, or new priorities may cause some activities proposed, particularly for the later years of this project, to be superseded in importance, and may necessitate modifications in actual work plans. This reprioritization will be negotiated between successful applicants and the OPA.

4. Submission Dates and Times

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) provides multiple mechanisms for the submission of applications, as described in the following sections.  Applicants will receive notification from the OASH Office of Grants Management confirming the receipt of applications submitted using any of these mechanisms.  Applications submitted to the OASH Office of Grants Management after the deadlines described below will not be accepted for review. Applications which do not conform to the requirements of the grant announcement will not be accepted for review and will be returned to the applicant. 

While applications are accepted in hard copy, the use of the electronic application submission capabilities provided by the Grants.gov and GrantSolutions.gov systems is encouraged.  Applications may only be submitted electronically via the electronic submission mechanisms specified below.  Any applications submitted via any other means of electronic communication, including facsimile or electronic mail, will not be accepted for review. 

In order to apply for new funding opportunities which are open to the public for competition, you may access the Grants.gov website portal.  All OASH funding opportunities and application kits are made available on Grants.gov.  If your organization has/had a grantee business relationship with a grant program serviced by the OASH Office of Grants Management, and you are applying as part of ongoing grantee related activities, please access GrantSolutions.gov.

Electronic grant application submissions must be submitted no later than 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date specified in the DATES section of the announcement using one of the electronic submission mechanisms specified below.  All required hardcopy original signatures and mail-in items must be received by the Office of Grants Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209, no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the next business day after the deadline date specified in the DATES section of the announcement. Applications will not be considered valid until all electronic application components, hardcopy original signatures, and mail-in items are received by the OASH Office of Grants Management according to the deadlines specified above. 

Paper grant application submissions must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date specified in the DATES section of the announcement. The address to be used for paper application submissions is Office of Grants Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209.

The application deadline date requirement specified in the announcement supersedes the instructions in the OASH-1.  Application submissions that do not adhere to the due date requirements will be considered late and will be deemed ineligible, and may be returned to the applicant unread.                         

Applicants are encouraged to initiate electronic applications early in the application development process, and to submit early on the due date or before.  This will aid in addressing any problems with submissions prior to the application deadline.

Electronic Submissions via the Grants.gov Website Portal

The Grants.gov Website Portal provides organizations with the ability to submit applications for OASH grant opportunities.  Organizations must successfully complete the necessary registration processes in order to submit an application.  Information about this system as well as the required registration process is available on the Grants.gov website, http://www.grants.gov.

In addition to electronically submitted materials, applicants may be required to submit hard copy signatures for certain Program related forms, or original materials as required by the announcement.  It is imperative that the applicant review both the grant announcement, as well as the application guidance provided within the Grants.gov application package, to determine such requirements.  Any required hard copy materials, or documents that require a signature, must be submitted separately via mail to the Office of Grants Management at the address specified above, and if required, must contain the original signature of an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency and the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the grant award.  When submitting the required forms, do not send the entire application.  Complete hard copy applications submitted after the electronic submission will not be considered for review.

Electronic applications submitted via the Grants.gov Website Portal must contain all completed online forms required by the application kit, the Program Narrative, Budget Narrative and any appendices or exhibits.  Any files uploaded or attached to the Grants.gov application must be of the following file formats - Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, ASCII Text, Adobe PDF, or image formats (JPG, GIF, TIFF, or BMP only).   Even though Grants.gov allows applicants to attach any file format as part of their application, OASH restricts this practice and only accepts the file formats identified above.  Any file submitted as part of the Grants.gov application that is not in a file format identified above will not be accepted for processing and will be excluded from the application during the review process. 

All required mail-in items must be received by the due date requirements specified above.  Mail-In items may only include publications, resumes, or organizational documentation.  When submitting the required forms, do not send the entire application.  Complete hard copy applications submitted after the electronic submission will not be considered for review.

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission via the Grants.gov Website Portal, the applicant will be provided with a confirmation page from Grants.gov indicating the date and time (Eastern Time) of the electronic application submission, as well as the Grants.gov Receipt Number. It is critical that the applicant print and retain this confirmation for their records, as well as a copy of the entire application package.

All applications submitted via the Grants.gov Website Portal will be validated by Grants.gov.  Any applications deemed "Invalid" by the Grants.gov Website Portal will not be transferred to the GrantSolutions system, and OASH has no responsibility for any application that is not validated and transferred to OASH from the Grants.gov Website Portal.   Grants.gov will notify the applicant regarding the application validation status.  Once the application is successfully validated by the Grants.gov Website Portal, applicants should immediately mail all required hard copy materials to the OASH Office of Grants Management, c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209, to be received by the deadlines specified above. It is critical that the applicant clearly identify the Organization name and Grants.gov Application Receipt Number on all hard copy materials.

Once the application is validated by Grants.gov, it will be electronically transferred to the GrantSolutions system for processing.  Upon receipt of both the electronic application from the Grants.gov Website Portal, and the required hardcopy mail-in items, applicants will receive notification via mail from the OASH Office of Grants Management confirming the receipt of the application submitted using the Grants.gov Website Portal.

Applicants should contact Grants.gov regarding any questions or concerns regarding the electronic application process conducted through the Grants.gov Website Portal.

Electronic Submissions via the GrantSolutions System

OASH is a managing partner of the GrantSolutions.gov system.  GrantSolutions is a full life-cycle grants management system managed by the Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as one of the three Government-wide grants management systems under the Grants Management Line of Business initiative (GMLoB).  OASH uses GrantSolutions for the electronic processing of all grant applications, as well as the electronic management of its entire Grant portfolio.

When submitting applications via the GrantSolutions system, applicants are still required to submit a hard copy of the application face page (Standard Form 424) with the original signature of an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency and assume the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the grant award. If required, applicants will also need to submit a hard copy of the Standard Form LLL and/or certain Program related forms (e.g., Program Certifications) with the original signature of an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency.  When submitting the required hardcopy forms, do not send the entire application.  Complete hard copy applications submitted after the electronic submission will not be considered for review.  Hard copy materials should be submitted to the OASH Office of Grants Management at the address specified above.

Electronic applications submitted via the GrantSolutions system must contain all completed online forms required by the application kit, the Program Narrative, Budget Narrative and any appendices or exhibits.  The applicant may identify specific mail-in items to be sent to the Office of Grants Management (see mailing address above) separate from the electronic submission; however these mail-in items must be entered on the GrantSolutions Application Checklist at the time of electronic submission, and must be received by the due date requirements specified above.  Mail-In items may only include publications, resumes, or organizational documentation. 

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission, the GrantSolutions system will provide the applicant with a confirmation page indicating the date and time (Eastern Time) of the electronic application submission. This confirmation page will also provide a listing of all items that constitute the final application submission including all electronic application components, required hardcopy original signatures, and mail-in items.   

As items are received by the OASH Office of Grants Management, the electronic application status will be updated to reflect the receipt of mail-in items.  It is recommended that the applicant monitor the status of their application in the GrantSolutions system to ensure that all signatures and mail-in items are received.  

Mailed or Hand-Delivered Hard Copy Applications

Applicants who submit applications in hard copy (via mail or hand-delivered) are required to submit an original and two copies of the application. The original application must be signed by an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency or organization and to assume for the organization the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the grant award.

Mailed or hand-delivered applications will be considered as meeting the deadline if they are received by the Office of Grants Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209, on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date specified in the DATES section of the announcement.

5. Intergovernmental Review

Applicants under this announcement are exempt from the review requirements of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," as implemented by 45 CFR Part 100.

6. Funding Restrictions

The allowability, allocability, reasonableness and necessity or direct and indirect costs that may be charged to OASH grants are outlined in the following documents: OMB Circular A-21 (Institutions of Higher Education); OMB Circular A-87 (State and Local Governments); OMB Circular A-122 (Nonprofit Organizations); and 45 CFR part 74, Appendix E (Hospitals).  Copies

of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars are available on the Internet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_circulars.html.

V.  Application Review Information

1.   Criteria

 The award decision will take into account the extent to which the organization's proposal represents a comprehensive plan for developing data analyses, estimates and assessments useful to planners and providers of family planning services, local, State and Federal administrators and researchers in the areas of family planning and population studies, according to the following criteria:

1. The scientific merit and significance of the project, the extent to which the proposal presents a coherent and well-justified plan for data analysis and research for the 5 year term of the cooperative agreement, and the likelihood of it producing meaningful results(15 points);
2. The extent to which the application reflects a good understanding of the systems for provision of family planning services in the United States and familiarity with data systems and relevant research (10 points);
3. The extent to which the applicant organization demonstrates in the application its ability to analyze data and make these analyses accessible to providers, planners, administrators and researchers in the area of family planning (10 points);
4. The extent to which the application creatively and efficiently proposes to use existing data and analyses, and to fill knowledge gaps by proposing analyses, research, estimations and assessment  tasks to fill the knowledge gaps (15 points);
5. The proposed project period and the extent to which the application provides for periodic reporting (15 points);
6. Competency of proposed staff in relation to the research proposed (15 points);
7. Adequacy and feasibility of proposed methodology for carrying out planned activities (10 points);
8. Reasonableness of proposed budget in relation to the proposed project, the amount of grant funds necessary for completion of the project and adequacy of resources already available for the project (10 points).

2.  Review and Selection Process

Applications in response to this solicitation will be reviewed on a nationwide basis and in competition with other submitted applications. Eligible applications will be reviewed by an Objective Review Committee which will apply the above review criteria in order to derive priority scores. The review process will also take into account the applicant's familiarity with and access to relevant data sets in the areas of family planning and population studies, and demonstrated ability to analyze data and present it in a manner useful to researchers, administrators and family planning providers.

Final award decisions will be made by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs (DASPA).  In making the award decision, the DASPA will take into consideration the priority score, program relevance, and the availability of funds.

VI.  Award Administration Information

1.  Award Notice

The OPA does not release information about individual applications during the review process.  When a final funding decision has been made, each applicant will be notified by letter of the outcome.  The official document notifying an applicant that a project application has been approved for funding is the Notice of Grant Award, which specifies the amount of money awarded, the purposes of the cooperative agreement, the length of the project period, and the terms and conditions of the award.

2.  Administrative and National Policy Requirements

In accepting this award, the recipient stipulates that the award and any activities thereunder are subject to all provisions of 45 CFR parts 74 and 92, currently in effect or implemented during the period of the cooperative agreement.

When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all grantees shall clearly state the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money and the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.

3.  Reporting Requirements

Semi-annual briefings and an annual progress and financial status report must be submitted according to a schedule to be established by OPA.  Applicants must submit all required reports in a timely manner, in recommended format (to be provided) and submit a final report (in the format specified in Section IV.2 of this announcement) on the project at the completion of the project period.  Submissions of all required reports may be either electronic or in hard copy.

VII.  Agency Contact(s)

For information on specific research or program requirements, contact Eugenia Eckard, Office of Population Affairs, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 700, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-2800 or via E-mail at Eugenia.Eckard@hhs.gov

For assistance on administrative and budgetary requirements, contact Karen Campbell, Director, OASH Grants Management Office, 1101 Wootton Parkway, suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8822, or via e-mail at karen.campbell@hhs.gov                     

mailto:karen.campbell@hhs.gov

DATED:

Evelyn M. Kappeler
Acting Director
Office of Population Affairs