Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Grant Application

U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau Affordable Care Act (ACA) Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Announcement Type: New Announcement Number: HRSA-10-275 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No 93.505 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT Fiscal Year 2010 Application Due Date in Grants.gov: July 9, 2010 Release Date: June 10, 2010 Date of Issuance: June 10, 2010 Audrey M Yowell, PhD, MSSS Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau 5600 Fishers Lane 18A-39 Rockville MD 20857 homevisiting@hhs.gov Legislative Authority: Social Security Act, Title V, Section 511 (42 U.S.C 701), as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) (P.L 111148) Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 24 1.1 DOCUMENT PURPOSE AND SCOPE 1.2 DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION AND VERSION CONTROL 24 24 2 PROCESS OVERVIEW 25 2.1 NEW COMPETING APPLICATIONS (ENTIRE SUBMISSION THROUGH GRANTS.GOV; NO VERIFICATION REQUIRED WITHIN HRSA EHBS) 25 2.2 NEW COMPETING, COMPETING CONTINUATION, AND COMPETING SUPPLEMENT APPLICATIONS (SUBMITTED USING BOTH GRANTS.GOV AND HRSA EHBS; VERIFICATION REQUIRED WITHIN HRSA EHBS) 26 2.3 NONCOMPETING CONTINUATION APPLICATION 27 3 REGISTERING AND APPLYING THROUGH GRANTS.GOV 28 3.1 REGISTER – APPLICANT/GRANTEE ORGANIZATIONS MUST REGISTER WITH GRANTS.GOV (IF NOT ALREADY REGISTERED) 28 3.2 APPLY - APPLY THROUGH GRANTS.GOV 29 3.2.1 Find Funding Opportunity 30 3.2.2 Download Application Package 30 3.2.3 Complete the Grant Application Package 30 3.2.4 Submit Application 31 3.2.5 Verify Status of Application in Grants.gov 31 4 VALIDATING AND/OR COMPLETING AN APPLICATION IN THE HRSA ELECTRONIC HANDBOOKS .32 4.1 REGISTER - PROJECT DIRECTOR AND AUTHORIZING OFFICIAL MUST REGISTER WITH HRSA EHBS (IF NOT ALREADY REGISTERED) 32 4.2 VERIFY STATUS OF APPLICATION 33 4.3 VALIDATE GRANTS.GOV APPLICATION IN THE HRSA EHBS 34 4.4 MANAGE ACCESS TO THE APPLICATION 34 4.5 CHECK VALIDATION ERRORS 35 4.6 FIX ERRORS AND COMPLETE APPLICATION 35 4.7 SUBMIT APPLICATION IN HRSA EHBS 35 5 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATION SUBMISSION 36 5.1 NARRATIVE ATTACHMENT GUIDELINES 36 5.1.1 Font .36 5.1.2 Paper Size and Margins 36 5.1.3 Names 37 5.1.4 Section Headings 37 5.1.5 Page Numbering 37 5.1.6 Allowable Attachment or Document Types 37 5.2 APPLICATION CONTENT ORDER (TABLE OF CONTENTS) 5.3 PAGE LIMIT 37 38 6 CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION 38 6.1 GRANTS.GOV CUSTOMER SUPPORT 6.2 HRSA CALL CENTER 6.3 HRSA PROGRAM SUPPORT 38 38 39 7 FAQS 39 7.1 SOFTWARE 39 7.1.1 What are the software requirements for using Grants.gov? .39 7.1.2 Adobe Reader 39 7.1.3 Can I download Adobe Reader onto my computer? 42 7.1.4 Is Grants.gov Macintosh compatible? 42 7.1.5 What are the software requirements for HRSA EHBs? .42 7.1.6 What are the system requirements for using HRSA EHBs on a Macintosh computer? 42 7.2 APPLICATION RECEIPT 43 7.2.1 When do I need to submit my application? 43 7.2.2 What is the receipt date (the date the application is electronically received by Grants.gov or the date the data is received by HRSA)? 43 7.2.3 Once my application is submitted, how can I track my application and what emails can I expect from Grants.gov and HRSA? 43 7.2.4 If a resubmission is required due to technological problems encountered using the Grants.gov system and the closing date has passed, what should I do? 44 7.2.5 Can you summarize the emails received from Grants.gov and HRSA EHBs and identify who will receive the emails? 45 7.3 APPLICATION SUBMISSION 46 7.3.1 How can I make sure that my electronic application is presented in the correct order for objective review? 46 7.4 GRANTS.GOV 46 I Funding Opportunity Description 1 Purpose On March 23, 2010, the President signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Affordable Care Act or ACA) (P.L 111-148) (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3590enr.txt.pdf pages 216-225), historic and transformative legislation designed to make quality, affordable health care available to all Americans, reduce costs, improve health care quality, enhance disease prevention, and strengthen the health care workforce Through a provision authorizing the creation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, the Act responds to the diverse needs of children and families in communities at risk and provides an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration and partnership at the Federal, State, and community levels to improve health and development outcomes for at-risk children through evidence-based home visiting programs The funds are intended to assure effective coordination and delivery of critical health, development, early learning, child abuse and neglect prevention, and family support services to these children and families through home visiting programs This new program plays a crucial role in the national effort to build quality, comprehensive statewide early childhood systems for pregnant women, parents and caregivers, and children from birth to 8 years of age – and, ultimately, to improve health and development outcomes The ACA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program is designed : (1) to strengthen and improve the programs and activities carried out under Title V; (2) to improve coordination of services for at risk communities; and (3) to identify and provide comprehensive services to improve outcomes for families who reside in at risk communities At-risk communities will be identified through a statewide assessment of needs and of existing resources to meet those needs HRSA and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) intend that the home visiting program will result in a coordinated system of early childhood home visiting in every State that has the capacity and commitment to provide infrastructure and supports to assure high-quality, evidence-based practice The program enables eligible entities to utilize what is known about effective home visiting services to provide evidence-based programs to promote: improvements in maternal and prenatal health, infant health, and child health and development; increased school readiness; reductions in the incidence of child maltreatment; improved parenting related to child development outcomes; improved family socio-economic status; greater coordination of referrals to community resources and supports; and reductions in crime and domestic violence This program requires participating States to utilize evidence-based home visiting models and provides an exciting opportunity for States and the Federal government to work together to deploy proven programs and build upon the existing evidence base The program allows for continued experimentation with new models and evaluation of both new and existing approaches so that, over time, policy makers and practitioners will have more refined information about the approaches that work best, how different approaches work for different kinds of target populations or targeted outcomes, and the relative costs and benefits of different models HHS will soon be publishing proposed evidence-related criteria for public comment through the Federal Register Those criteria will be based on an exhaustive study of research evidence HRSA-10-275 1 related to home visiting programs and will provide a user-friendly source of information for States about different models and the evidence of effectiveness associated with them The process for fulfilling requirements necessary to use FY 2010 ACA Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program funding will include three steps The first step is submission of an application for funding (which will include a plan for completing the needs assessment and a plan for developing the program in order to meet the criteria identified in the legislation); the second step is submission of the needs assessment itself; and the third and final step is submission of an updated plan for addressing the needs identified in the assessment If a State has chosen to apply for home visiting funding under this program, the third submission should include an updated description and justification for the proposed program design, including how proposed models meet the evidence-based criteria as part of its plan for addressing identified needs and how the State will implement the selected program/s effectively and with fidelity to the model/s Please note that a complete needs assessment that meets the requirements outlined in section 511(b)(1-2) of the Act is required of every State as a condition of receiving payment of FY 2011 Title V Block Grant funds, regardless of whether the State intends to apply for a grant to provide home visiting services To accomplish these steps, two other funding opportunity announcements (FOA) will be issued in addition to this initial funding announcement These are described below Estimated Timeline: Initial FOA published State application for funding opportunity due Full Needs Assessment FOA published FY 2010 funds awarded to States (with restrictions) FOA published for Updated State Plan (including evidence-based criteria) State Needs Assessment due Updated State Plan due Date of publication Within 30 days Late June 2010 Mid-July 2010 Mid-August 2010 September 1, 2010 Early FY 2011 1) Funding Opportunity Announcement for Needs Assessment (State response due July 9, 2010) This first FOA provides instructions for States to submit an application for 2010 funding It provides instructions for States in 1) assessing the availability of data presently available in the State for completing the needs assessment, 2) identifying the additional information that will need to be collected, 3) specifying how the State plans to go about conducting the needs assessment over all, and 4) meeting the requirements for ACA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting funding This FOA includes:   A summary of the data elements that must be collected as part of the full needs assessment (see Specific Requirements for Initial Application below), Instructions for providing an appraisal of sources of data available to your State for assessing communities at risk, providing information on the quality and capacity of existing home visiting services, identifying any anticipated problems or obstacles in HRSA-10-275 2  obtaining this information, and describing anticipated needs for technical assistance focused on resolving such obstacles, and Information required for a successful funding application Approval of this application will serve as the basis for obligating FY 2010 funding for your State under the ACA Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program with restrictions All but $500,000 of the State’s allocation will be restricted, and funds will not be available for expenditure until such time as the State submits an approvable needs assessment and Updated State Plan for the home visiting program The unrestricted funds may be used for planning or implementation activities associated with the establishment of early childhood home visiting programs 2) Full Needs Assessment Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA published Late June 2010, State response due September 1, 2010) Section 511(b) of Title V, as amended by ACA, requires that a statewide needs assessment be conducted that is separate from the needs assessment required under section 505(a) of Title V for the MCH Services Block Grant This needs assessment must be coordinated with and take into account the needs assessments required by (1) the Title V MCH Block Grant program, (2) the communitywide strategic planning and needs assessments conducted in accordance with section 640(g)(1)(C) of the Head Start Act, and (3) the inventory of current unmet needs and current community-based and prevention-focused programs and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect, and other family resource services operating in the State required under section 205(3) of Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) The assessment must: 1) Identify communities with concentrations of premature birth, low-birth weight infants, and infant mortality, including infant death due to neglect, or other indicators of at-risk prenatal, maternal, newborn, or child health; poverty; crime; domestic violence; high rates of high-school drop-outs; substance abuse; unemployment; or child maltreatment 2) Identify the quality and capacity of existing programs or initiatives for early childhood home visiting in the State, including the number and types of individuals and families who are receiving services under such programs or initiatives; the gaps in early childhood home visiting in the State; and the extent to which such programs or initiatives are meeting the needs of eligible families 3) Discuss the State’s capacity for providing substance abuse treatment and counseling services to individuals and families in need of such treatment or services The second FOA will provide full specifications for conducting a collaborative needs assessment in your State, including templates and instructions for reporting:    Data identifying communities at risk, The quality and capacity of existing programs for early childhood home visiting, and The State’s capacity for providing substance abuse treatment and counseling services HRSA-10-275 3 Submission of a complete needs assessment that meets the requirements as outlined in section 511(b)(1-2) of the Act to the Secretary meets the condition specified under the law for receiving payment of your State’s FY 2011 allotment under the Title V Block Grant 3) Funding Opportunity Announcement for Updated State Plan and for a State ACA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Grant, including Evidence-Based Criteria for Model Selection (FOA published Mid-August 2010, State response due early FY 2011) The third FOA will provide instructions for submitting an Updated State Plan for responding to the results of the needs assessment This FOA will specify:   Requirements for reporting on the State’s strategy for addressing service gaps identified as part of the needs assessment, and Criteria for evidence of effectiveness of home visiting models that qualify for funding under this grant program, what States must include in their applications to demonstrate that their programs meet the evidence criteria as set forth by HHS, and other information required for funding of a grant for FY 2010 When this third submission has been approved by the Secretary, the remainder of funds obligated under this program for FY 2010 will be available to be drawn down Prior to the issuance of the third FOA, HHS will provide an opportunity for public comment on proposed criteria for assessing evidence of effectiveness of home visiting program models The final criteria for assessing evidence of effectiveness of home visiting models will be stated in the third FOA, and the State’s Updated Plan for the home visiting program grant must propose implementing a model (or models) that meets these criteria 2 Background HRSA and ACF believe that home visiting should be viewed as one of several service strategies embedded in a comprehensive, high-quality early childhood system that promotes maternal, infant, and early childhood health and development and that relies on the best available research evidence to inform and guide practice Recognizing that the goal of an effective, comprehensive early childhood system is broader than the scope of any one agency, HRSA and ACF are working in close collaboration with each other and other Federal agencies and look forward to partnering with States and others to foster high-quality, well-coordinated home visiting programs for families in at-risk communities We realize that coordination of services with other agencies has been an essential characteristic of State and local programs for many years We will continue to encourage, support, and promote the continuation of these collaborative activities, as close collaboration at all levels will be essential to effective, comprehensive home visiting and early childhood systems HRSA and ACF believe, further, that this legislation provides an unprecedented opportunity for Federal, State, and local agencies, through their collaborative efforts, to effect changes that will improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations by envisioning child development within the framework of life course development and a socio-ecological framework Life course development points to broad social, economic, and environmental factors as underlying contributors to poor health and development outcomes for children, as well as to persistent HRSA-10-275 4 inequalities in the health and well-being of children and families The socio-ecological framework emphasizes that children develop within families, families exist within a community, and the community is surrounded by the larger society These systems interact with and influence each other to either decrease or increase risk factors or protective factors that affect a range of health and social outcomes The life course development and socio-ecological frameworks highlight the importance of positive interventions at sensitive developmental periods and address social and environmental determinants critical in improving outcomes and reducing disparities Ideally, such interventions begin before birth and extend throughout the life course and across multiple generations Research and evaluation of home visiting programs show that high-quality home visiting programs can play a critical role in optimizing life course development as part of a comprehensive early childhood system that considers children and families within the context of the communities and society in which they live The overall goal of this comprehensive, evidence-based service delivery system is to provide, promote, and facilitate interventions that address the diverse needs of children and families at risk including child health, mental health, welfare, and education helping to assure that all individuals can reach their full potential for health and well-being II Award Information 1 Type of Award Funding will be provided in the form of a grant 2 Summary of Funding This program will provide funding during Federal fiscal years 2010 - 2014 This FOA only addresses funds available to States and territories in Federal Fiscal Year 2010 Approximately $90,000,000 is expected to be available in fiscal year 2010 to fund 56 grants Funds made available to a State in FY 2010 shall be available for a 27-month budget and project period for expenditure by that State through the end of Federal FY 2012 A separate FOA for funding available to Indian Tribes, consortia of Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations and Urban Indian Organizations will be announced at another time The FY 2010 funds will be distributed to States using a formula determined by: 1) an equal base allocation of $500,000 for each State; 2) an amount equal to the funds, if any, currently provided to a State or entity within that State under the Supporting Evidence Based Home Visiting (EBHV) Program administered by the Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families; and, 3) an amount based on the number of children in families at or below 100% of the Federal poverty level in the State as compared to the number of such children nationally A Table of the Estimated Amount of Award for each State is included as Appendix B Applicants may not apply for more than the designated amount of funding for their State or territory Upon receipt of an approvable application under this announcement, a notice of grant award for the State’s allocation under the above formula will be processed All but $500,000 of the State’s allocation will be restricted, and funds will not be available for expenditure until such time as the HRSA-10-275 5 State submits an approvable needs assessment and Updated State Plan for the home visiting program The unrestricted funds may be used for planning or implementation activities associated with the establishment of early childhood home visiting programs HRSA and ACF are committed to continuing to fund all eligible States and territories via a formula grant throughout the five-year program period in order to build capacity for high-quality evidence-based home visiting programs in every State All FY 2010 program funds will be distributed by formula as described above To encourage exemplary programs, HHS plans to allocate the increase in funds based upon States’ capacity and commitment to improve child outcomes specified in the statute through the implementation of home visiting programs with fidelity to high-quality evidence-based models Funding beyond the first year is dependent on the availability of appropriated funds for “Home Visiting Program” in subsequent fiscal years, grantee satisfactory performance, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government As required in section 511(h)(2)(B) of Title V as amended by the ACA, if a State has not submitted an approvable application by the beginning of FY 2012, funding may be available for non-profit organizations to compete to implement a statewide evidence-based home visiting program in that State III Eligibility Information 1 Eligible Applicants Eligibility for funding is limited to a single application from each State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa The Governor has the responsibility and authority to designate which entity or group of entities will apply for and administer home visiting program funds on behalf of the State The initial application must demonstrate that the designated entity or entities have strong organizational capacity to implement the activities involved in carrying out an evidence-based home visiting program For example, the entity or entities selected to administer the program funds would ideally have experience administering early childhood home visiting programs and working across systems and in partnership with diverse stakeholders to plan, implement, and sustain programs for children and families Entities should also have the capacity to review the evidence criteria that will be established by HHS and to determine how the evidence-based requirements of the program will be met Regardless of the entity or entities designated by the Governor, this application must contain the concurrence (through letters of support) of the: • • • Director of the State’s Title V agency; Director of the State’s agency for Title II of CAPTA; Director of the State’s Single State Agency for Substance Abuse Services; HRSA-10-275 6 • Director of the State’s Head Start State Collaboration Office To ensure that home visiting is part of a continuum of early childhood services within the State, this application should be coordinated to the extent possible with the strategic plan developed by the State Advisory Council established under section 642 B(b)(1)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act, 42 USC 9837B(B)(1)(A)(i), as well as with: the State’s child care agency, the State’s education agency; the State’s child welfare agency, if this agency is not also administering the Title II of CAPTA program 2 Cost Sharing/Matching There is no cost sharing or match for this program 3 Other Any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV.3 will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement Maintenance of Effort Funds provided to an eligible entity receiving a grant shall supplement, and not supplant, funds from other sources for early childhood home visitation programs or initiatives The grantee must agree to maintain non-Federal funding (State General Funds) for grant activities at a level which is not less than expenditures for such activities as of the date of enactment of this legislation, March 23, 2010 IV Application and Submission Information 1 Address to Request Application Package Application Materials and Required Electronic Submission Information HRSA requires applicants for this funding opportunity to apply electronically through Grants.gov All applicants must submit in this manner unless the applicant is granted a written exemption from this requirement in advance by the Director of HRSA’s Division of Grants Policy or designee Applicants must request an exemption in writing from DGPWaivers@hrsa.gov, and provide details as to why they are technologically unable to submit electronically though the Grants.gov portal Your email must include the HRSA Announcement Number for which you are seeking relief, the name, address, and telephone number of the Organization and the name and telephone number of the Project Director Make sure you include specific information, including any tracking number or anecdotal information received from Grants.gov and/or the HRSA Call Center, in your justification request As noted, HRSA and its Grants Application Center (GAC) will only accept paper applications from applicants that received prior written approval Refer to Appendix A for detailed application and submission instructions Pay particular attention to Sections 2 and 5 that provide detailed information on the application and submission process HRSA-10-275 7 Project Directors must also delegate the ‘Administer Grant Users’ privilege to the AO so that future administration can be managed by the AO The individual who validated the application must use the ‘Peer Access’ feature to share this application with other individuals from the organization This is required if you wish to allow multiple individuals to work on the application in HRSA EHBS Once you have access to your grant handbook, use the appropriate link under the deliverables section to access your grant application 4.5 Check Validation Errors HRSA EHBs will validate the application received through Grants.gov All validation errors are recorded and displayed to the applicant To view the validation errors use the ‘Grants.gov Data Validation Comments’ link on the application status page in HRSA EHBs 4.6 Fix Errors and Complete Application Applicants must review the errors in HRSA EHBs and make necessary corrections If so noted in the funding opportunity announcement, applicants must also complete the detailed budget and other required forms in HRSA EHBs and assign an AO who must be a registered user in the HRSA EHBs HRSA EHBs will show the status of each form in the application package and the status of all forms must be “Complete” in the summary page before the HRSA EHBs will allow the application to be submitted 4.7 Submit Application in HRSA EHBs 4.7.1 Noncompeting Continuations - When completing and submitting a Noncompeting continuation, you must have the ‘Submit Noncompeting Continuation’ privilege The Project Director must give this privilege to the AO or a designee Once all forms are complete, the application must be submitted to HRSA  NOTE: You will have two weeks from the date the application was due in Grants.gov for submission of the remaining information in HRSA EHBs The new due date will be listed in HRSA EHBs Performance Measures for Noncompeting Continuation Applications – For applications that require submittal of performance measures electronically through the completion of program specific data forms, instructions will be provided both in the program guidance and through an email notifying grantees of their responsibility to provide this information; and providing instruction on how to do so 4.7.2 New Competing, Competing Continuation, and Competing Supplement Applications Submitted Using Both Grants.gov and HRSA EHBs - After the Grants.gov application is pulled into EHBs and validated, the AO verifies the pending application in HRSA EHBs, fixes any validation errors, and makes necessary corrections Supplemental forms are completed The HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 35 Version 1.4 – August 2009 application must then be submitted by the AO assigned to the application within HRSA EHBs (The designee of the AO can also submit the application.) The completed application must be submitted to HRSA by the due dates listed within the program guidance  NOTE: You must submit the application by the due date listed within the program guidance There are two deadlines within the guidance – one for submission within Grants.gov and the second for submission within HRSA EHBs EHBs Performance Measures for All Competitive Applications - Many HRSA guidances include specific data forms and require performance measure reporting If the completion of performance measure information is indicated in this guidance, successful applicants receiving grant funds will be required, within 30 days of the Notice of Grant Award (NGA), to register in HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) and electronically complete the program specific data forms that appear in this guidance This requires the provision of budget breakdowns in the financial forms based on the grant award amount, the project abstract and other grant summary data, and objectives for the performance measures 5 General Instructions for Application Submission The following guidelines are applicable to all submissions unless otherwise noted Failure to follow the instructions may make your application non-compliant Non-compliant applications will not be given any consideration and the particular applicants will be notified It is mandatory to follow the instructions provided in this section to ensure that your application can be printed efficiently and consistently for review 5.1 Narrative Attachment Guidelines 5.1.1 Font Please use an easily readable typeface, such as Times Roman, Arial, Courier, or CG Times The text and table portions of the application must be submitted in not less than 12- point and 1.0 line spacing Applications not adhering to 12-point font requirements may be returned For charts, graphs, footnotes, and budget tables, applicants may use a different pitch or size font, not less than 10 pitch or size font However, it is vital that when scanned and/or reproduced, the charts are still clear and readable Please do not submit organizational brochures or other promotional materials, slides, films, clips, etc 5.1.2 Paper Size and Margins For duplication and scanning purposes, please ensure that the application can be printed on 8 ½” x 11” white paper Margins must be at least one (1) inch at the top, bottom, left and right of the paper Please left-align text HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 36 Version 1.4 – August 2009 5.1.3 Names Please include the name of the applicant and 10-digit grant number (if competing continuation, competing supplement, or noncompeting continuation) on each page 5.1.4 Section Headings Please put all section headings flush left in bold type 5.1.5 Page Numbering Do not number the standard OMB approved forms Please number each attachment page sequentially Reset the numbering for each attachment (Treat each attachment/document as a separate section.) 5.1.6 Allowable Attachment or Document Types The following attachment types are supported in HRSA EHBs Even though grants.gov may allow you to upload various types of attachments, it is important to note that HRSA only accepts the following types of attachments Files with unrecognizable extensions may not be accepted or may be corrupted, and will not be considered as part of the application: DOC - Microsoft Word RTF - Rich Text Format TXT - Text WPD - Word Perfect Document PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format XLS - Microsoft Excel File Attachment Names o Limit File Attachment Name to Under 50 Characters o Do not use any Special Characters (e.g., -, %, /, #, ) or Spacing in the File Name or for Word Separation The Exception is Underscore ( _ ) Note- your application will be ‘rejected’ by Grants.gov if you use special characters or attachment names greater than 50 characters 5.2 Application Content Order (Table of Contents) HRSA uses an automatic numbering approach that will ensure that all applications will look the same when printed for objective review HRSA uses two standard packages from Grants.gov • SF 424 (otherwise known as 5161) – For service delivery programs • SF 424 R&R – For research and training programs HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 37 Version 1.4 – August 2009 For each package, HRSA has defined a standard order of forms and that order is available within the program guidance The program guidance also provides applicants with explicit instructions on where to upload specific documents 5.3 Page Limit When your application is printed, the narrative documents may not exceed 80 pages in length unless otherwise stated in the funding opportunity announcement These narrative documents include the abstract, project and budget narratives, and any other attachments such as letters of support required as a part of the guidance This 80 page limit does not include the OMB approved forms Note that some program guidances may require submission of OMB approved program specific forms as attachments These attachments will not be included in the 80 page limit Applicants must follow the instructions provided in this section and ensure that they print out all attachments on paper and count the number of pages before submission  NOTE: Applications that exceed the specified limits will be deemed non-compliant Non-compliant competing applications will not be given any consideration and the particular applicants will be notified Non-compliant noncompeting applications will have to be resubmitted in order to comply with the page limits 6 Customer Support Information 6.1 Grants.gov Customer Support Please direct ALL questions regarding Grants.gov to Grants.gov Call Center at: 1-800-518-4726 Call Center hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, excluding Federal holidays Please visit the following URL for additional support on the Grants.gov Web site: http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp 6.2 HRSA Call Center For assistance with or using HRSA EHBs, call 1-877-464-4772 between 9:00 am to 5:30 p.m ET or email callcenter@hrsa.gov Please visit HRSA EHBs for online help Go to: https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/home.asp and click on ‘Help’ HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 38 Version 1.4 – August 2009 6.3 HRSA Program Support For assistance with program guidance related questions, please contact the program contact listed on the program guidance Do not call the program contact for technical questions related to either Grants.gov or HRSA EHBs 7 FAQs 7.1 Software 7.1.1 What are the software requirements for using Grants.gov? Applicants will need to download Adobe Reader For information on Adobe Reader, go to http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp#adobe811 7.1.2 Adobe Reader The Adobe Reader screen is shown in Figure 1 below Adobe Reader toolbar Mandatory Documents Figure 1: Adobe Reader Screen 1 2 3 4 Figure 2: The Adobe Reader Toolbar HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 39 Version 1.4 – August 2009 1 Submit – Click to submit the application package to Grants.gov (not available until all mandatory documents have been completed and the application has been saved) Save – Click to save the application package to your local computer Print – Click to print the application package Check Package for Errors – Click prior to submitting the application package to ensure there are no errors 2 3 4 Documents that you must include in your application package are listed under Mandatory Documents Refer to Figure 3 below 1 2 3 Figure 3: Working with Mandatory Documents (Adobe Reader) 1 Under Mandatory Documents, select the document you want to work on 2 Click on the ‘Move Form to Complete’ button 3 Select the document under Mandatory Documents for Submission and click on the ‘Open Form’ button (Note: depending on your version of Adobe Reader, the forms may open automatically when you click on the document name.) When you open a document for viewing or editing, Adobe Reader opens the document at the bottom of the main application page Refer to Figure 4 below Adobe Reader opens documents at the bottom of the application Close Form button Required fields Figure 4: An Open Form in Adobe Reader HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 40 Version 1.4 – August 2009 Note that the buttons are attached to the top of the page and move with the page Click on the ‘Close Form’ button to save and close the form Special Note: Working with Earlier Versions of Adobe Reader It is highly recommended that you remove all earlier versions of Adobe Reader prior to installing the latest version of Adobe Reader Do this by using ‘Add or Remove Programs’ from Control Panel in Windows If it is necessary that you keep older versions of Adobe Reader on your computer, you should be aware that the program will unsuccessfully attempt to open application packages with the earlier, incompatible version Use the following workaround to avoid this problem Right-click the download link Select Save Target As… Figure 5: Downloading from Grants.gov 1 2 From the Grants.gov download page, right-click on the Download Application Package link and select ‘Save Target As…’ from the menu Save the target on your computer (preferably to the Desktop) as an Adobe Acrobat Document HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 41 Version 1.4 – August 2009 Right-click the icon and select Open With > Adobe Reader 8.1 Figure 6: Selecting Open with Adobe Reader 3 4 Right-click the icon Select ‘Open With’ > ‘Adobe Reader 8.1’ from the menu 7.1.3 Can I download Adobe Reader onto my computer? There are software applications that allow you to successfully navigate the Grants.gov pages and complete your application These applications can be found at: http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp#811#adobe811 However, depending on your organization’s computer network and security protocols you may not have the necessary permissions to download software onto your workstation Contact your IT department or system administrator to download the software for you or give you access to this function 7.1.4 Is Grants.gov Macintosh compatible? Yes For details, please visit http://www.grants.gov/help/general_faqs.jsp 7.1.5 What are the software requirements for HRSA EHBs? HRSA EHBs can be accessed over the Internet using Internet Explorer (IE) v5.0 and above and Netscape 4.72 and above IE 6.0 and above is the recommended browser HRSA EHBs are 508 compliant HRSA EHBs use pop-up screens to allow users to view or work on multiple screens Ensure that your browser settings allow for pop-ups In addition, to view attachments such as Word and PDF, you will need the appropriate viewers 7.1.6 What are the system requirements for using HRSA EHBs on a Macintosh computer? Mac users are requested to download the latest version of Netscape for their OS version It is recommended that Safari v1.2.4 and above or Netscape v7.2 and above be used Note that Internet Explorer (IE) for Mac has known issues with SSL and Microsoft is no longer supporting IE for Mac HRSA EHBs do not work on IE for Mac HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 42 Version 1.4 – August 2009 7.2 Application Receipt 7.2.1 When do I need to submit my application? Competing Submissions: Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 8:00 p.m ET on the due date An application for HRSA funding must be both received and validated by Grants.gov by the application deadline For applications that require verification in HRSA EHBs (refer to program guidance), Verification must be completed and applications submitted in HRSA EHBs by 5:00 p.m ET on the due date mentioned in the guidance This supplemental due date is different from the Grants.gov due date Noncompeting Submissions: Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by 8:00 p.m ET on the due date An application for HRSA funding must be both received and validated by Grants.gov by the application deadline 7.2.2 What is the receipt date (the date the application is electronically received by Grants.gov or the date the data is received by HRSA)? Competing Submissions: The submission/receipt date is the date the application is electronically received by Grants.gov An application for HRSA funding must be both received and validated by Grants.gov by the application deadline For applications that require verification in HRSA EHBs (refer to program guidance), the submission/receipt date will be the date the application is submitted in HRSA EHBs Noncompeting Submissions: The submission/receipt date will be the date the application is submitted in HRSA EHBs Applications must be verified and submitted in HRSA EHBs by 5:00 p.m ET on the due date (Two (2) weeks after the due date in Grants.gov.) Refer to the program guidance for specific dates 7.2.3 Once my application is submitted, how can I track my application and what emails can I expect from Grants.gov and HRSA? You can check the status of your application(s) anytime after submission by logging into Grants.gov and clicking on the 'Track My Application’ link on the left side of the page This link will also be included in the confirmation email that you receive from Grants.gov When you submit your competing application in Grants.gov, it is first received and then validated by Grants.gov Typically, this takes a few hours but it may take up to 48 hours during peak volumes You should receive four emails from Grants.gov HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 43 Version 1.4 – August 2009 The first will confirm receipt of your application by the Grants.gov system (“Received”), and the second will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated (“Validated”) by the system prior to transmission to the grantor agency or has been rejected due to errors (“Rejected with Errors”) An application for HRSA funding must be both received and validated by Grants.gov by the application deadline Subsequently, the application will be downloaded by HRSA This happens within minutes of when your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov and made available for HRSA to download On successful download at HRSA, the status of the application will change to “Received by Agency” and you will receive a third email from Grants.gov After this, HRSA processes the application to ensure that it has been submitted for the correct funding announcement, with the correct grant number (if applicable) and grantee/applicant organization This may take up to 3 business days Upon this processing HRSA will assign a unique tracking number to your application This tracking number will be posted to Grants.gov and the status of your application will be changed to “Agency Tracking Number Assigned;” you will receive a fourth email from Grants.gov For applications that require verification in HRSA EHBs, you will also receive an email from HRSA confirming the successful receipt of your application and asking the PD and AO to review and resubmit the application in HRSA EHBs If is suggested that you check the respective systems if you do not receive any emails within the specified timeframes  NOTE: Refer to FAQ 7.2.5 below for a summary of emails 7.2.4 If a resubmission is required due to technological problems encountered using the Grants.gov system and the closing date has passed, what should I do? You must contact the Director of the Division of Grants Policy, within five (5) business days from the closing date, via email at DGPWaivers@hrsa.gov and thoroughly explain the situation Your email must include the HRSA Announcement Number, the Name, Address, and telephone number of the Organization, and the Name and telephone number of the Project Director, as well as the Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) assigned to your submission, along with a copy of the “Rejected with Errors” notification you received from Grants.gov Extensions for competitive funding opportunities are only granted in the rare event of a natural disaster or validated technical system problem on the side of either Grants.gov or the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBS) that prevented a timely application submission An application for HRSA funding must be both received and validated by the application deadline HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 44 Version 1.4 – August 2009 7.2.5 Can you summarize the emails received from Grants.gov and HRSA EHBs and identify who will receive the emails? Submission Type Noncompeting Continuation Competing Application (without verification in HRSA EHBs) Subject “Submission Receipt” Timeframe Within 48 hours Within 48 hours “Submission Validation Receipt” OR “Rejected with Errors” “Grantor Agency Retrieval Within hours of second Receipt” email “Agency Tracking Within 3 Number business days Assignment” “Application Ready for Within 3 Verification” business days “Submission Receipt” Within 48 hours “Submission Validation Within 48 Receipt” hours OR “Rejected with Errors” “Grantor Agency Within hours Retrieval Receipt” of second email “Agency Tracking Within 3 Number business days Assignment” HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 45 Sent By Grants.gov Recipient AOR Grants.gov AOR Grants.gov AOR Grants.gov AOR HRSA Grants.gov AO, BO, SPOC, PD AOR Grants.gov AOR Grants.gov AOR Grants.gov AOR Version 1.4 – August 2009 Submission Type Competing Application (with verification in HRSA EHBs) Subject “Submission Receipt” “Submission Validation Receipt” OR “Rejected with Errors” “Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt” “Agency Tracking Number Assignment” “Application Ready for Verification” 7.3 Timeframe Within 48 hours Within 48 hours Sent By Grants.gov Recipient AOR Grants.gov AOR Within hours of second email Within 3 business days Within 3 business days Grants.gov AOR Grants.gov AOR HRSA AO, BO, SPOC, PD Application Submission 7.3.1 How can I make sure that my electronic application is presented in the correct order for objective review? Follow the instructions provided in Section 5 to ensure that your application is presented in the correct order and is compliant with all the requirements 7.4 Grants.gov For a list of frequently asked questions and answers maintained by Grants.gov, please visit the following URL: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp Grants.gov offers several tools and numerous user guides to assist applicants that are interested in applying for grant funds To view the many applicant resources available through grants.gov please visit the following URL: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 46 Version 1.4 – August 2009 HRSA Electronic Submission Guide 47 Version 1.4 – August 2009 APPENDIX C: MCH Pyramid CORE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES DELIVERED BY MCH AGENCIES HRSA-10-275 48 Appendix D: MCHB Administrative Forms and Performance Measures On October 31, 2009, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved revisions to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) Performance Measures for Discretionary Grants (OMB number 0915-0298; expiration date 10/31/2012) A review of the Administrative Forms and Performance Measures for this discretionary grant program will be conducted and new Administrative Forms and Performance Measures will be assigned The revised Administrative Forms and Performance Measures will be added to this guidance following the discretionary grant form review If the review of the Administrative Forms and Performance Measures has not been conducted prior to the release of the guidance, the MCHB project officer will forward the new Administrative Forms and Performance Measures once the review is complete The following Administrative Forms and Performance Measures are assigned to this MCHB program • Form 1, MCHB Project Budget Details • Form 2, Project Funding Profile • Form 3, Budget Details by Types of Individuals Served • Form 4, Project Budget and Expenditures by Types of Services • Form 5, Number of Individuals Served (Unduplicated) by Type of Individual and Source of Primary Insurance Coverage • Form 6, Maternal & Child Health Discretionary Grant Project Abstract • Form 7, Discretionary Grant Project Summary Data • Performance Measures: To be inserted following review of the Administrative Forms and Performance Measures • Data Elements: To be inserted following review of the Administrative Forms and Performance Measures HRSA-10-275 49 ... age – and, ultimately, to improve health and development outcomes The ACA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program is designed : (1) to strengthen and improve the programs and. .. capacity and commitment of the entity designated by the Governor to administer an evidence-based home visiting program under the ACA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. .. under the Title V Block Grant 3) Funding Opportunity Announcement for Updated State Plan and for a State ACA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Grant, including Evidence-Based