Funding Opportunity Announcement Glossary: FOA Glossary Terminology

Table of Contents

Part I Overview Information

Part II Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
    1. Research Objectives

Section II. Award Information
    1. Mechanism of Support
    2. Funds Available

Section III. Eligibility Information
    1. Eligible Applicants
        A. Eligible Institutions         
    2.Cost Sharing or Matching
    3.Other - Special Eligibility Criteria

Section IV. Application and Submission Information
    1. Request Application Information
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission
    3. Submission Dates and Times
        A. Receipt and Review and Anticipated Start Dates
            1. Letter of Intent
        B. Submitting an Application to CDC
        C. Application Processing
    4. Intergovernmental Review
    5. Funding Restrictions
    6. Other Submission Requirements

Section V. Application Review Information
    1. Criteria
    2. Review and Selection Process
        A. Additional Review Criteria
        B. Additional Review Considerations
        C. Sharing Research Data
        D. Sharing Research Resources

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Section VI. Award Administration Information
    1. Award Notices
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements  
        A. Cooperative Agreement

            1. Recipient Rights and Responsibilities
            2. HHS/CDC Responsibilities
            3. Collaborative Responsibilities

    3. Reporting

Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
    1. Scientific/Research Contact
    2. Peer Review Contact
    3. Financial/Grants Management Contact

    4. General Questions Contact

Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations

Section IX. Application Evaluation Criteria
    1. Category 1

         A. Center Review Criteria – Key Elements

         B. Core Research Project Review Criteria

    2. Category 2

         A. Center Review Criteria – Key Elements

         B. Core Research Project Review Criteria

Part II - Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Research Objectives

The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) of CDC within HHS is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010" and to measuring program performance as stipulated by the Government Performance and Review Act (GPRA).  This FOA supports the “Healthy People 2010” overarching goals of increasing quality and years of healthy life and eliminating health disparities in the focus areas of arthritis, osteoporosis, and chronic back conditions; cancer; diabetes; disabilities and secondary conditions; educational and community-based programs; environmental health; family planning; health communication; heart disease and stroke; nutrition and overweight; physical activity and fitness; sexually transmitted disease; tobacco use; and vision and hearing.  This FOA is also in alignment with NCCDPHP’s performance goal to support prevention research to develop sustainable and transferable community-based behavioral interventions.  For more information see, www.healthypeople.gov and http://intra-apps.cdc.gov/fmo/.

Nature of the Research Opportunity

This FOA will support a network of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers (PRCs) that:  1) focuses on the major causes of disease and disability, with an emphasis on underserved and minority populations; 2) improves public health practice through a community-based participatory research process; and 3) designs, tests, disseminates, or translates effective public health programs at the state and community levels.  Funded centers will involve researchers, representatives from state and local health departments, community members, and public health professionals as collaborating partners to utilize available resources and expand each other’s capacity for conducting applied research in disease prevention and control.  They will also function as a part of a networked environment to support and advance health promotion and disease prevention research and serve as a national resource for developing and applying effective public health programs at the state or community level. 

Background

In addition to conducting core research, the PRCs work with partners on Special Interest Projects (SIPs), as well as projects funded through other sources, as a way to increase the center’s research activities.  The partnerships and expertise each PRC builds strengthens its competitiveness for additional funding by federal agencies and private foundations.  The SIP mechanism, created in 1993, allow the PRCs to compete for research projects sponsored by CDC organizational units and other HHS agencies that want to utilize their resources to fund research that promotes better public health practice in specific areas.  As a result, the PRCs’ research portfolio can include approximately 400 projects at any given time.

Prevention research includes all applied and public health research that develops and evaluates health promotion and disease prevention and control strategies that are community- and population-based.  It can involve testing interventions for efficacy, effectiveness, or translational power; may focus on primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention; or may improve health and prevent disease through approaches that involve changes to individual behavior, policy or environmental structure, health systems, or socio-economic factors.  Prevention research may provide initial evidence of the efficacy or effectiveness of a health promotion or prevention strategy, raise current evidence to a higher level, or provide evidence of the effectiveness of a practice-based strategy.  It may also include etiological research if there is a clear gap in the knowledge about main determinants of the disease or conditions. 

In 1995, CDC asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to review the PRC Program to examine the extent to which the program is providing the public health community with workable strategies to address major public health problems in disease prevention and health promotion.  Their report, Linking Research and Public Health Practice: A Review of the CDC’s Program of Centers for Research and Demonstration of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (1997), identified areas of strengths and areas needing improvement.  Two major recommendations from the IOM review were that the PRC Program adopt a community-based approach to their research and dissemination efforts and develop strategies to improve community input into the PRCs.  While PRCs collaborated with their communities before the 1997 IOM report, the PRC Program formally integrated Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) into its expectations for each PRC’s prevention research activities. 

The PRC Program defines CBPR as “a joint effort that involves researchers and community representatives in all phases of the research process. The joint effort engages community members, employs local knowledge in the understanding of health problems and the design of interventions, and invests community members in the processes and products of research. In addition, the collaborative is invested in the dissemination and use of research findings to improve community health and reduce health disparities.”  CBPR alters the traditional relationship between researchers, the community, and research participants such that there is shared decision-making as well as mutual ownership of the research process and products. The importance of CBPR is based on the assumption that if the community is involved in setting research questions, gathering and analyzing data, and interpreting results, they are more likely to apply the results. 

CDC seeks to improve health and to do so in economically responsible ways.  The PRC Program, with its access to a wide array of public and professional audiences, is uniquely positioned to promote cost effective prevention strategies that are relevant to the U.S. population.  In the 1999 report, An Ounce of Prevention….What are the Returns?, CDC outlined 19 strategies that demonstrated the economic benefits of population-based, prevention strategies.  Smoking, for example, is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.  Smokers incur between $9,000 - $10,000 more in medical care costs over their lifetime than nonsmokers.  Brief advice and counseling by a physician about quitting smoking costs $705 to $2,058 per life-year gained depending on the person’s gender and age.  Other strategies, such as increasing physical activity, may promote healthy lifestyles.  Coronary heart disease, for example, is the leading cause of death in the United States accounting for over 500,000 deaths annually.  Total direct care and lost productivity due to coronary heart disease cost the United States $90.9 billion in 1997 while increasing physical activity cost only $3,433 per life-year gained. 

Since its inception, the CDC PRC Program has made substantial progress in improving the quality of people’s lives by preventing disease, injury and disability.  The network of PRCs has served as a national resource for developing and applying effective prevention strategies at the community level and has been in the forefront of developing and practicing CBPR.  Through scientific rigor, collaborative partnerships, practical application, and community participation the PRC Program will continue to strive to find new ways to improve the health of all Americans.  

Scientific Knowledge to be Achieved through Research Supported by this Program

As the US population ages and health care costs increase, prevention becomes even more critical to the national health care agenda.  Many chronic diseases, injuries, and some infectious diseases are caused by behavioral and environmental factors that can be changed.  Prevention research is critical to helping people change risk factors in their lives and their communities.  The gaps between findings in prevention research and their translation into public health programs, practice, and policy must be eliminated so that new knowledge is effectively applied in states and communities throughout the country.

This FOA will support academic health centers to build on the strong achievements of the PRC Program to date and to further advance the program’s mission and research activities.  It is anticipated that the network of PRCs supported by this FOA will continue to conduct innovative and important studies in prevention research that are relevant for communities and that will result in improved health for people across the United States. 

The PRC model involves researchers, community members, representatives from state and local health departments, and public health professionals as equal collaborating partners to utilize available resources and expand each other’s capacity to address health issues.  The partners design, test, and disseminate strategies—often as new policies or recommended public health practices.  Centers share a common goal of addressing behaviors and environmental factors that contribute to chronic diseases that affect the health of individuals, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, and that impact communities.  Several PRCs also address injury, infectious disease, mental health, oral health, and global health.  In efforts to eliminate health disparities and create healthy communities, the PRCs will remain at the forefront in advancing CBPR and sharing knowledge and expertise in applied research aimed at improving public health programs.

Experimental Approach and Research Objectives

The intent of this FOA is to support a network of PRCs in academic health centers across the country that will conduct health promotion and disease prevention research that focuses on the major causes of death and disability, improves public health practice within communities, and cultivates effective state and local public health programs.  The funding provided through this FOA will support the center’s infrastructure and at least one a CBPR project.

As national leaders in health promotion, disease prevention, and CBPR, the academic health centers that comprise the PRC network must demonstrate: 1) elements of an infrastructure and environment to lead and advance public health research, and 2) the ability to conduct CBPR research aimed at eliminating health disparities and creating healthy communities.  This FOA solicits applications from academic health centers to fund PRCs in two categories:  

Category 1:  Academic health centers with a comprehensive organizational infrastructure, strong community relationships, and plans in place with their community partners to conduct a core research project using CBPR.  

Category 2:  Academic health centers that need to develop infrastructure or community relationships in order to develop and implement a core pilot study using CBPR.  

Key Elements of Prevention Research Centers

Each PRC is expected to have appropriate and effective administrative and organizational capabilities to conduct a core research project using CBPR and to plan, manage, and evaluate center activities.  Key elements of a PRC include infrastructure and administration, community engagement and partnerships, communication and dissemination, training, and evaluation.  Proposed approaches, methodologies, and tools within these key elements should support a comprehensive, effective, and efficient PRC. 

Academic health centers should provide a supportive institutional environment that engages a wide spectrum of disciplines to support the activities of the PRC and their core research project.  The environment should foster research excellence, support methodological innovation, facilitate multidisciplinary collaborations and coordination of efforts, and encourage relationships with outside agencies and entities as appropriate to facilitate planned research.

Category 1 applicants are expected to have a comprehensive organizational infrastructure and leadership model with experience supporting multidisciplinary prevention research and have a defined partner community.  In addition, they must have a solid history of experience in CBPR activities that include communication and dissemination, training, and evaluation.  Category 1 institutions should be able to implement innovative, high-quality prevention research that is consistent with the PRC Program. 

Category 2 applicants must demonstrate an environment and the availability of resources to support the development of a comprehensive center capable of leading CBPR and related endeavors.  The center should have the capability to support long-range planning and implementation of PRC key element activities in community engagement and partnerships, communication and dissemination, training, and evaluation.  Evidence of the institutional commitment to the PRC Program, its mission, and goals should be clear and convincing.             

Each year, PRCs funded under this FOA will be eligible to compete for SIP supplemental funding to design, test, and disseminate effective prevention research strategies in specific areas sponsored by CDC and other HHS agencies.  The SIP mechanism is designed to maximize the expertise and resources offered by each center and the PRC network as a whole.  Funded PRCs are encouraged to apply for SIPs that will expand and strengthen the center’s mission and increase their research activities.  

Many of the activities of the PRCs complement National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded institutions conducting activities under RFA RM08-002 Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA).  PRCs in academic health centers with CTSAs are strongly encouraged to work collaboratively on shared goals and priorities and to foster an innovative, synergistic approach to advancing health promotion, disease prevention, and CBPR.

PRC Core Research Projects

Each PRC will conduct a core research project in health promotion and disease prevention research that bears an essential relationship to the PRC’s mission and the community and that efficiently uses and contributes to the center’s resources. 

Institutions funded under Category 1 are expected to conduct at least one a high quality core prevention research project using CBPR.  Utilizing appropriate research design and methods, each PRC funded under Category 1 is expected to implement a determinant, intervention, or dissemination research project.  Research activities may include: 1) hypothesis testing research on causality of diseases and conditions, 2) efficacy or effectiveness of interventions, or 3) translation, implementation, or evaluative studies.  Intervention or dissemination research projects are encouraged, when appropriate, to identify or modify an existing evidence-based or practice-based intervention for implementation within or dissemination to a different setting (e.g., community-based rather than clinic based) or population.  Practice-based interventions must have undergone sufficient implementation to be proven acceptable by the community, sustainable due to evidence of appropriate partnerships and available resources, and likely effective.  Category 1 applicants may propose a core research project that develops a new intervention; however, a rationale for doing so must be provided that demonstrates that no applicable intervention exists, there is a gap in the literature, and that a need for it exists in the community.  Applicants that propose a core research project that is dissemination research need to demonstrate that there is evidence behind the intervention and that the results will include information and guidance for implementation of the intervention by other agencies, organizations, or communities.

Institutions funded under Category 2 are expected to develop and implement a pilot study using CBPR that will form the basis for a determinant, intervention, or dissemination research project.  Category 2 PRCs should utilize available resources and expertise in the development of their core research project.  In their proposal, Category 2 applicants must describe how they will collaborate with their community and engage partners during the development, implementation, and evaluation of the pilot project.

The PRCs funded under this FOA will function as a network and will serve as local, regional, and national resources for developing and applying effective prevention programs and strategies at the community level.  The PRC Program will be guided by seven committees (Steering, Program, Research, Policy, Communications and Dissemination, National Community, and Evaluation) that will provide recommendations to the PRCs on program standards and policies and on research and other activities throughout the project period.  Membership of the standing committees will be comprised of representatives from a consortium of partners, including the PRCs, their communities, and CDC’s PRC Program office.  The Steering Committee will serve as the executive committee to the CDC PRC Program office.

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information

1. Mechanism of Support

This funding opportunity will use the U48 activity code.  The HHS/CDC U48 is a cooperative agreement assistance instrument. Under the cooperative agreement assistance instrument, the Recipient Organization retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project with HHS/CDC staff substantially involved as a partner with the Recipient Organization, as described in Section VI.2.A., "Cooperative Agreement”.

2. Funds Available

The participating Center, Institute, and Office (CIO) NCCDPHP intends to commit approximately $25,000,000 in total dollars (direct and indirect costs) in FY 2009 to fund up to 33 awards.  An applicant may request a project period of up to five years.  The approximate funded amount is $125,000,000 in total costs for the entire five-year project period.  The FY 2009 award range for the 12-month budget period for the two categories is as follows:

Category 1:  $700,000 - $1,000,000 in total costs (direct and indirect)

Category 2:  $300,000 - $500,000 in total costs (direct and indirect)

Up to three PRCs may be funded under his category.                                                      

Since the scale and range of project activities will depend on the category under which an institution is funded, award amounts will vary in size based on the category and within each category. 

If an applicant requests a funding amount greater than the ceiling of the award range for the specific category, HHS/CDC will consider the application non-responsive and it will not enter into the review process. HHS/CDC will notify the applicant that the application did not meet the submission requirements.  All estimated funding amounts are subject to availability of funds.  The anticipated start date for new awards is September 30, 2009.

Although the financial plans of the CIO provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

1.A. Eligible Institutions

You may submit an application if your organization has any of the following characteristics:

In accordance with Section 1706 of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), 42, U.S.C. 300u-5 the following research institutions are eligible to apply for funding under this FOA: 

1. Accredited schools of public health.  Eligible schools of public health must be accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH).  Accreditation is defined by Section 799B(1)(E) of the PHS Act.
2. Accredited schools of osteopathy and accredited schools of medicine that offer an accredited Preventive Medicine Residency program, or are in the process of obtaining accreditation for a preventive medicine residency program.  Eligible schools of osteopathy and medicine must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  Applicants in the process of obtaining accreditation from ACGME for a preventive medicine residency must include a copy of Section A.  Accreditation Information and Section B. Participating Sites of the Preventive Medicine New Application Program Information Form in their application.

In addition to the above criteria, eligible academic health centers must meet the following requirements:

1.      Have a multidisciplinary faculty with expertise in public health and which has working relationships with relevant groups in such fields as medicine, psychology, nursing, social work, education and business;