Overview of the CARA NOFO

Application Attachments

Attachment 1: Eligibility NOFO - Assurance of Legal Eligibility

• Scenario 1:

– The coalition is its own 501(c) 3 and is legally eligible to apply for CARA grant on its own

– On Attachment 1, if the answer the questions, if ‘yes’ to both questions, sign the form

– Name the file “Attachment 1 – Assurance of Legal Eligibility” and upload to www.Grants.gov

Attachment 2: Eligibility NOFO - Legal Applicant Coalition MOU

• Scenario 2:

– Coalition is partnering with an outside organization to serve as the legal applicant on its behalf OR Coalition exists within another organization that is eligible to receive federal funding

• May use the sample for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the legal applicant agency and the coalition

• Must have two signatures: one from the legal applicant agency and one from coalition

• Name the file “Attachment 2 – MOU”

Tips for Legally Eligible Entity

• Develop a strong MOU • MOU must be dated

between January 1, 2020 and the due date of the application.

• Example provided is a template and can be tailored to meet the needs of the coalition and the legal applicant agency

If the answer to any one of these questions is ‘No’.

An MOU is required

If the answer for BOTH questions is ‘Yes’.

The applicant coalition must sign and date the

Statement of Legal Eligibility

Attachment 3: Disclosure of Drug-Free Communities Support Program Funding

• Use the template exactly as provided

• Complete the requested information for both the legal applicant and/or the applicant coalition

• Indicate your status by checking the appropriate bracket, complete all items in the table, add rows if needed, and sign

• Must have two hand-written signatures: one from the legal applicant and one from the applicant coalition

• Name the file “Attachment 3 – Disclosure of DFC Program Funding”

Attachment 4: Statement of Rates of Misuse of Opioids or Methamphetamines

• Coalition serves a community with documented rates of use of opioids or methamphetamines at levels that are higher than the national average over a sustained period of time

• Use local data to provide a Statement of Rates of Abuse of Opioids and Methamphetamines

• See Attachment 4 for recommended databases to find documented rates

• Name the file “Attachment 4 – Statement of Rates”

Attachment 5: One Set of Coalition Meeting Minutes

• Must be the coalition’s minutes

• Check the date – must provide month, date, and year • From a meeting that took place between January 2020 and the

deadline for submission of this application.

• Must indicate the coalition's efforts to address an emerging issue or a local crisis related to the use of opioids, methamphetamines, and/or misuse of prescriptions drugs in the community

• Just one set of minutes—applicants will not score higher for providing more than one set of meeting minutes

• Name the file “Attachment 5 – Meeting Minutes”

Attachment 6: Key Personnel, Resumes, CVs, and Position Descriptions

• Attachment 6 includes the resume and job descriptions for the key personnel.

• Please refer to the Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach and the Funding Restrictions NOFO section for additional information on key personnel.

• Resumes and position descriptions should be submitted and uploaded as “Attachment 6 – Key Personnel Resumes.”

Attachment 7: CARA Act Program Evaluation Requirements

• Coalition must comply with the same evaluation requirements and procedures as the evaluation requirements and procedures imposed on the recipients of a grant under DFC and may also include an evaluation of the effectiveness at reducing abuse of opioids or methamphetamines.

• Use the form exactly as provided

• Name the file “Attachment 7 – Program Evaluation Requirements”

Attachment 8: General Applicant Information Table

• Use the table exactly as provided

• Respond to all information requested in the table

• Do not leave anything blank • Name the file “Attachment 8 –

General Applicant Information”

• Use the template exactly as provided

• Include all of the information requested

• “Project Description” cannot be more than 35 lines and must be on one page

• Name the file “Attachment 9 – Congressional Notification”

Attachment 9: Congressional Notification

Additional Notes

• Attachments 1-9 are required

• Do not send brochures, CDs, PowerPoints, or promotional items, they will be discarded

• All required documents should be uploaded as individual PDFs

Appendix D: Attachments

Attachment Number

Attachment Name Naming Convention to Upload as a PDF to www.grants.gov

Attachment 1 Assurance of Legal Eligibility Name the file “Attachment 1 - Assurance of Legal Eligibility” Note: Upload either Attachment 1 or Attachment 2. Do not upload both.

Attachment 2 Memorandum of Understanding between Grant Award Recipient and Coalition

Name “Attachment 2 - MOU” Note: Upload either Attachment 1 or Attachment 2. Do not upload both.

Attachment 3 Disclosure of Drug-Free Communities Support Program Funding

Name the file “Attachment 3 - Disclosure of DFC Program Funding”

Attachment 4 Statement of Rates of Misuse of Opioids or Methamphetamines

Name the file “Attachment 4 - Statement of Rates”

Attachment 5 One Set of Coalition Meeting Minutes Coalition meeting minutes must be from between September 2020 and the date this application is due. Please name the file “Attachment 5 - Meeting Minutes”

Appendix D: Attachments

Attachment Number

Attachment Name Naming Convention to Upload as a PDF to www.grants.gov

Attachment 6 Key Personnel Resumes, CVs, and Position Descriptions  

Name the file "Attachment 6 - Key Personnel Resumes”

Attachment 7 CARA Act Program Evaluation Requirements  

Name the file “Attachment 7 - Program Evaluation Requirements”

Attachment 8 General Applicant Information Name the file “Attachment 8 - General Applicant Information”

Attachment 9 Congressional Notification Name the file “Attachment 9 - Congressional Notification”

Attachment Number

Attachment Name Naming Convention to Upload as a PDF to www.grants.gov

Your Application

Project Narrative

Project Narrative

Project Narrative must include the following headings:

a. Background b. Approach

• Purpose; outcomes, strategies, and activities • Collaboration and target populations

c. Evaluation and Performance Measurement d. Applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach e. Work Plan (i.e., 12-Month Action Plan)

Background

• Applicants must provide a description of relevant background information that includes the context of the problem

• The background should be brief

• no more than 2-3 sentences.

• See CDC Background section

Approach

• Opportunity to tell the story of the applicant’s current and proposed efforts to prevent use of opioids, methamphetamines, and/or misuse prescriptions drugs among youths in their community

• At a high level, applicant must provide:

• Data to indicate the extent of the problem • Purpose, outcomes, strategies, and activities the coalition

proposes • Past successes, level of youth engagement, and efforts to

address health disparities • Maximum score: 30 points

Approach Statements

Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they:

1. Describe the youth opioid, methamphetamine, and/or prescription drug use/misuse in the community.

2. Describe the purpose, outcome, and strategies and activities that the coalition will use to address opioid, methamphetamine, and/or prescription drug use/misuse, including the cultures and context of these substances in the community.

3. Describe how the coalitions will continue building on past successes and address past challenges encountered while funded by the DFC grant to support the proposed strategies and activities.

Approach Statements, Cont’d

Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they:

4. Describe how the coalition will continue to recruit, retain, and integrate a broad range of sectors to achieve its goals. Please include how the coalition will engage youth in its efforts.

5. Describe how the coalition’s efforts will address health disparities.

Work Plan (12-Month Action Plan)

• Applicants must submit a detailed workplan for the first year of the award.

• Aligned with the goals of the CARA Framework as outlined in the CARA NOFO.

• Maximum score: 25 points

SMART Objectives

• Objectives should be SMART, meaning that they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

• Work plan should include SMART objectives related to the two high-level goals of the CARA Program.

Regular Objective SMART Objective Reduce prescription drug misuse rates for children and adolescents.

By July 31, 2022, reduce the percent of 9th graders in Awesome County who have misused prescription drugs from 8% baseline to 7% as indicated in our annual youth survey.

Meet with colleges to inform them about tobacco-free grounds.

Public Health Staff will meet with key stakeholders at all colleges in our jurisdiction resulting in 3 out of 4 colleges committing to work on tobacco-free grounds policies by June 2022 as indicated in our annual college partner survey.

Examples of SMART objectives are provided below:

Work Plan Statements

Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they:

1. Develop a detailed 12-Month Action Plan based on the template provided in Table 2 and include 2 goals:

2. Outline the specific objectives, strategies, and activities the coalition will be using to address opioid, methamphetamine, and/or prescription drug use/misuse and the culture and context related to these substances in the community

Work Plan Statements, Cont’d

Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they:

3. The strategies and activities must be specific to the substances and each substance must have a separate specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) Objective

4. Utilize existing frameworks, such as the SPF and Seven Strategies for Community-Level Change outlined in the Strategies and Activities Section

Appendix B: Resources on Evidence-Base Practices

• Description and links to resources on strategies that coalitions can harness to implement their approach

• Resources include:

• Strategies to Prevent Opioid Use and Prescription Drug Misuse

• Strategies for School-based and Family-based Interventions • Strategies for Youth Engagement

• Strategies to Address Underlying Factors (Adverse Childhood Experiences and youth violence)

Evaluation and Performance Measurement

• Recipients are expected to monitor and evaluate the success of the workplan and how the coalition plans to enhance efforts to measure outcomes.

• Participate in the CARA Local Drug Crises Program Evaluation on

the following core measures for opioid, methamphetamine, and/or prescription drug use/misuse for three grade levels.

• Describe a Data Management Plan (DMP) outlined in the Data

Management Plan section.

• Maximum score: 25 points

Evaluation and Performance Management Statements

Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they:

1. Describe how the coalition will participate in the CARA Local Drug Crises Program Evaluation and collect data on youth opioid, methamphetamine, and/or prescription drug use/misuse for the following measures:

a. Past 30-day use b. Perception of risk/harm of use c. Perception of parental disapproval of the use d. Perception of peer disapproval of the use

2. Describe how the coalition will monitor and evaluate the success of the goals and objectives of the workplan and how the coalition plans to enhance efforts to measure outcomes.

Evaluation and Performance Management Statements Cont.

Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they: 3. Describe how the coalition will ensure that all segments of the

community receive the information, including:

• A description of the data that will be produced using these NOFO funds

• Access to data

• Data standards ensuring released data have documentation describing methods of collection, what the data represent, and data limitations

• Archival and long-term data preservation plans

Applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach

• Business Official (i.e. Authorized Organization Representative): person authorized for overseeing the financial aspects of the grant. This is the individual who will receive the Notice of Award if funded.

• Program Director (i.e. Program Director/Principal Investigator): person designated to direct the project or program supported by the grant and accountable to officials of the recipient organization.

• Project Coordinator: person who coordinates the work of the coalition and program activities, including training, coalition communication, data collection, and information dissemination.

Applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach

Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they:

1. Provides an overview of the make-up of the coalition, including how the multiple sectors have been involved in achieving the coalition’s goals.

2. Describes the coalition’s successes and challenges in preventing and reducing youth drug use/misuse. This can include opioid, methamphetamine, prescription drugs, or other drugs. Please include how these efforts helped to change the culture and context around these target substances.

Applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach Applicants will be evaluated upon the extent to which they: 3. Demonstrate the coalition’s adequate capacity and data

infrastructure to implement the project and achieve the project outcomes

4. Provide evidence of appropriate staff member experiences and resumes (e.g. key coalition sector representatives are encouraged to submit their resumes)

5. Describe clearly defined roles for the staff member

Preparing the Project Narrative

• Write your application to read like a story of life in your community

• Applicant’s Project Narrative must be succinct, self-explanatory, and in order as outlined in this section

• Watch your page count and allocate pages wisely based on scored questions within the four sections of project narrative

• Do not include unnecessary material that may distract from the review, such as too many charts/graphs

• Do not leave large areas of blank space

Preparing the Project Narrative

• Maximum of 10 pages

• Font must be 12-point font in Times New Roman

• It is acceptable for applicants to use 10-point font in tables and charts.

• Single-spaced

• 1-inch margins on all pages

• Number all pages

Required Documentation

Additional Documentation

In addition to the Project Narrative and Attachments 1 -9, submit the following:

• Table of Contents • Project Abstract • Budget Narrative and, if applicable,

indirect cost rate • CDC Assurances and Certifications • CDC’s Risk Questionnaire • Supporting Documentation for

CDC's Risk Questionnaire

• Report on Programmatic Budgetary and Commitment Overlap

• Disclosure of lobbying activities • Proof of 501c3 status • SF-424 • SF-424A

Table of Contents

• Provide a detailed table of contents for the entire submission package that includes all of the documents in the application and headings in the "Project Narrative" section.

• Does not count toward maximum 10-page limit • Name the file "Table of Contents" and upload it as a PDF file

under "Other Attachment Forms" at www.grants.gov.

Project Abstract

• Required, though not scored • Does not count toward maximum 10-page limit • No more than 1-page in length • Provides an opportunity to educate reviewers about the

community • Paints a picture of the community • Provides a historical perspective if there have been

significant shifts or events • Name the file “Project Abstract” and upload as a PDF

Budget Narrative

• Required, though not scored • Must be itemized • Proposed budget is reasonable and consistent with the purpose,

objectives, and program strategy outlined in the project narrative • A copy of the indirect cost-rate agreement is required only for

those requesting indirect costs in the budget • CDC does not provide a budget template. CDC’s budget

preparation guidelines can be found at: www.cdc.gov/grants/documents/Budget-Preparation- Guidance.pdf

• Name the file “Budget Narrative” and upload it as a PDF

CDC Assurances and Certifications

• Applicants are required to sign submit all “Assurances and Certifications” documents indicated at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/grantassurances/(S(50i1elez1kxqu2rpesm043ja))/Homepage.aspx

• Assurances and certifications submitted directly to CDC will be kept on file for one year and will apply to all applications submitted to CDC by the applicant within one year of the submission date

• Name the file “Assurances and Certifications” and upload it as a PDF

CDC Risk Questionnaire

• The CDC Risk Questionnaire is required for all applications and should be completed by the fiscal agent

• The CDC Risk Questionnaire can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/grants/documents/PPMR-G-CDC-Risk-Questionnaire.pdf

• Applicants must include all supporting documentation for the Risk Questionnaire in the application package

• This supporting documentation may be submitted as a single PDF labeled: “Risk Questionnaire Supporting Documents”

Report on Programmatic Budgetary and Commitment Overlap

• The “Report on Programmatic Budgetary and Commitment Overlap” is not a pre-existing CDC document but one that you develop on your own and must upload in www.Grants.gov under “Other Attachment Forms”

• For more information on what to include in this report please review the Duplication of Efforts section in the NOFOs

• The document should be labeled: “Report on Programmatic, Budgetary, and Commitment Overlap” and uploaded as a PDF

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

• You are still required to complete this form even if you do not have a lobbyist

• If you do not have a lobbyist, complete Sections 4, 6, 10a, 10b, and 11 of the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form

• The applicant may enter “N/A” for the required fields in Sections 10a and 10b in order to complete the form and be able to submit it with your application package

• The document should be labeled: “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” and uploaded as a PDF

Proof of 501c3 Status

• You are only required to submit IRS Form indicating 501c3 status if applying as that organization type

• Upload the attachment as a PDF and label it “Proof of 501c3

Status”

SF 424 and SF 424A

• Applicants must download the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, package associated with this notice of funding opportunity at www.grants.gov

• Grants.gov has instructions on how to complete these forms:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

Appendix A: Pre-Submission Verification Checklist

• Go-to checklist to ensure all components of the application are submitted!

• Section 1: Has your coalition provided proof it meets all Statutory Eligibility Requirements?

• Section 2: Do your Project and Budget Narratives satisfy all requirements?

• Section 3: Have you submitted all required documents?

Helpful Information for Preparing a CARA Grant Application

Avoid Common Mistakes…

• Make sure you use the correct Notice of Funding Opportunity

• For FY 2021, the Funding Opportunity Number on the cover page is CDC-RFA-CE21-2103

• Only answer questions required in the NOFO

• Do not mix NOFO questions (e.g., some from one year and some from another)

• Follow the NOFO for the correct year as it is written using all provided templates where required

Electronic Submissions

• Start the online application submission early

• DO NOT wait until the day the application is due - recommended you submit at least 24 hours prior to the deadline

• Three Registration Processes (Required Registrations Section in the NOFO):

• Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)

• System for Award Management (SAM)

• Grants.gov

Electronic Submissions Cont.

• All documentation about applications will go to the person listed as the “Business Official”

• – Ensure that this is a person who has regular contact with the coalition

• No additional information may be added to an application after the application deadline

Tips for Electronic Submissions

• Read and review Required Registrations within the NOFO, which describe all three required registration processes

• SAVE confirmations

• If you do not receive a confirmation, follow-up immediately with system-specific contacts

Tips for Electronic Submissions Cont.

• CDC will not accept paper (back-up) copies of an application

• Application cannot be faxed, hand-delivered, or emailed

• If you qualify for and have been authorized to submit a paper copy due to technical difficulties encountered at Grants.gov, follow the instructions provided by CDC’s Office of Grants Services

FY 2021 CARA Grant Application

• The due date for the CARA NOFO (CDC-RFA-CE21-2103) applications is 3/26/2021 by 11:59 pm EST

• Estimated Award Date is July 01, 2021 • The project period is 07/01/2021 – 06/30/2022

• The budget period length is 12 months • The Action Plan is for 12 months

• Can request up to the full award amount of $50,000

NOFO Support Questions?

For questions specific to the CARA Notice of Funding Opportunity, email the CDC DFC Branch: CARA_NOFO@cdc.gov

CDC DFC web page: www.cdc.gov/injury/fundedprograms/drug-free- communities/index.html