It is critical that applicants follow the Research (R) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
   
   
3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.



Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Statutory Authority

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency Review. Awards are made under the authorization of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 20(a) and 21(a) (29 USC 669(a) and 29 USC 670); Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, Section 501(a), 30 USC 1 (Note), and 30 USC 951(a); and Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 75. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Background

Every day, millions of U.S. workers go to work expecting to return home healthy and safe. The workplace environment can have a significant impact on a worker’s physical and psychological health. Depending on the job, a worker may be at risk for many kinds of injuries and illnesses or even death. Work-related illnesses are often significantly underestimated due to the difficulty of recognizing or associating illness or disease with past occupational exposures. In 2019, there were 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers, according to estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In addition, a report from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) by the BLS indicates that there were 5,250 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2018. Work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths continue to be very costly for the nation. In 2018, employers costs for workers compensation were $98.6 billion, a 5,0 percent increase since 2014 (National Academy of Social Insurance). Researchers are encouraged to refer to the NIOSH Data and Statistics Gateway for additional data related to workers safety and health relevant to their areas of research. Although there have been successes in reducing fatal and nonfatal occupational-related injuries and illnesses in recent years, the need for continued research and intervention activities in occupational safety and health (OSH) remains essential. NIOSH-sponsored conferences and meetings facilitate communications between researchers and other interested parties on focused OSH topics in order to move this much-needed work forward.

Purpose

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is an agency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the mission of generating new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and transferring that knowledge into practice to prevent worker injury, illness and death. To accomplish this mission, NIOSH conducts and funds scientific research, develops methods to prevent occupational hazards, develops guidance and authoritative recommendations, translates scientific knowledge into products and services, disseminates information, identifies factors underlying work-related disease and injury and responds to requests for workplace health hazard evaluations (see About NIOSH).

NIOSH organizes its research programs into sectors based on the North American Industry Classification System and cross-sector programs based on the framework provided by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA is a partnership program designed to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices.

Research objectives supported by NIOSH include, but are not limited to, the following:

• identification and investigation of the relationships between hazardous working conditions and associated occupational diseases and injuries;
• development of more sensitive means of evaluating hazards at worksites;
• development of methods for measuring early markers of adverse health effects and injuries;
• development of new protective equipment and engineering control technology to reduce work-related illnesses and injuries;
• development of work practices that reduce the risks of occupational hazards; and
• evaluation of the technical feasibility or application of a new or improved occupational safety and health procedure, method, technique, or system, including assessment of economic and other factors that influence their diffusion and successful adoption in workplaces.

Support of conferences is contingent on the fiscal and programmatic interests and priorities of NIOSH. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the references provided throughout this announcement. In addition, applicants are urged to address questions about potential conferences with the Scientific/Research Contact named in this announcement well in advance of the chosen application due date. Please note that encouragement to apply does not guarantee funding. In general, NIOSH will not issue a conference grant award unless the Federal award date can precede the conference start date.

Healthy People 2030 and other National Strategic Priorities

The United States Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving nationwide improvements in health for a society in which all people live long, healthy lives. The vision, mission, and goals are found in Healthy People 2030 at https://www.healthypeople.gov/. The objectives of Healthy People 2030 related to occupational safety and health (OSH) are primarily addressed through the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA, established by NIOSH and its partners to stimulate research and improve workplace practices, provides a framework to guide OSH research. The goal of NIOSH research programs is to support relevant, high quality, and effective projects that demonstrate impact in reducing occupational disease and injury. Detailed information about the NORA Program Portfolio can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/.

Public Health Impact

NIOSH Programs support 1) research that addresses worker safety, accident prevention, and health concerns across a wide spectrum of industries and occupations, and 2) approaches that include basic research through translation research. The latter approach takes research knowledge and works to put it to use by promoting engineering controls, new technologies, and communication products. Through this announcement, NIOSH encourages qualified applicants to submit applications that will reduce or prevent occupational injury, illness and death, whether targeted to worker populations or to workers in broad spectrums of the work environment.

Relevant Work

NIOSH has a long history of funding extramural research covering a highly diverse range of topics and approaches related to occupational safety and health. Ongoing funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) provide grant support for investigator-initiated research, small research projects, exploratory developmental research, mentored research scientist career development awards, and conferences or meetings. Through funding in these areas, NIOSH successfully supports advancements in knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and the transfer of knowledge into practice. More information can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep.

Approach

NIOSH organizes its research program under the framework of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA is a partnership program to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices. Unveiled in 1996, NORA is in its third decade (2016-2026). It has an enhanced structure consisting of 10 industry sectors based on major areas of the U.S. economy, and 7 health and safety cross-sectors organized according to the major occupational health and safety issues affecting the U.S. working population.

NIOSH has developed its FY2019-2023 strategic plan that identifies strategic and intermediate goals for its research portfolio. The strategic goals listed below represent the major health and safety issues facing the U.S. workforce. These goals are the broad focus areas for this funding opportunity.

Strategic Goals

• Reduce occupational cancer, cardiovascular disease, adverse reproductive outcomes, and other chronic diseases.
• Reduce occupational hearing loss.
• Reduce occupational immune, infectious, and dermal disease.
• Reduce occupational musculoskeletal disorders.
• Reduce occupational respiratory disease.
• Improve workplace safety to reduce traumatic injuries.
• Promote safe and healthy work design and well-being.

Intermediate Goals

NIOSH has also identified intermediate goals. These are specific actions needed to achieve, or help achieve, the strategic goals. In addition, NIOSH has identified certain areas where extramural research is specifically encouraged to fill a gap or provide a capacity that NIOSH cannot. Descriptions and updates of the strategic and intermediate goals are on the NIOSH website at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/about/strategicplan/howdeveloped.html and https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/about/strategicplan/researchgoals.html.

Note to Applicants

Consult the NIOSH strategic plan and identify the strategic and intermediate goals that the proposed conference or scientific meeting will address. Identify these goals in the Project Summary/Abstract of the application.

Researchers are strongly encouraged to propose conferences and scientific meetings that include innovative or novel approaches to address major health and safety issues facing the U.S. workforce and move the field forward to achieve the goals identified.

In the Project Summary/Abstract, provide a clear statement about how the intended outcomes will contribute to the strategic and intermediate goals identified.

NORA Sectors and Health and Safety Cross-sectors

In the Project Summary/Abstract, state which industry sector(s) and health and safety cross- sector(s) the proposed work will address. Provide a clear rationale for how the intended outcomes of the proposed project will contribute to the specified strategic and intermediate goals.

Note to Applicants

Review the following websites for updates about NIOSH strategic and intermediate goals, research goal priorities, and other current information as you craft and submit your research proposals:

• National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) - https://www.cdc.gov/nora/comment/agenda/default.html
• NIOSH Strategic Goals - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/about/strategicplan/default.html.
• NIOSH Programs - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs.html.
• NIOSH Office of Extramural Programs - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep.

This information is provided to help researchers submit relevant, high-quality applications.

Burden, Need and Impact (BNI)

The third decade of NORA encompasses a framework for assessing research priorities and aligning NIOSH research investments. This framework provides a structured, transparent, and evidence-based approach that considers the following:

• the burden of occupational exposures and hazards on worker morbidity, mortality, injury, and direct and indirect economic costs;
• the need for the research effort, including the comparative advantage that NIOSH embodies; and
• the potential for impact of the proposed research.

This burden-need-impact framework is known by its acronym, BNI. Research funded under this FOA will advance the strategic and intermediate goals of the NIOSH Strategic Plan based on BNI. The concepts of the BNI framework are described in the following 3 sections.

Burden

Burden is risk from any of the following: exposure to hazards; occurrence of injuries, illnesses, or deaths due to work-related factors; and impacts on economic factors and well-being. The extent of exposure can be in terms of the number of workers exposed, the magnitude of the exposure, or both. The assessment of burden is based on several main constructs: magnitude of the problem; health impact severity; exposure to workers; societal costs; new or emerging issues; and relationship to work environment. For emerging issues, the burden is anticipatory.

Need

Although burden is a foundational factor in setting priorities, need is also a critical factor. NIOSH should not only invest in important burden areas, but also focus on the most relevant and impactful issues pertaining to the burden.

Impact

The assessment of impact is based on the potential for the activity to be successful in generating knowledge or products that will be used by stakeholders external to NIOSH (intermediate outcomes).

Note to Applicants

In both the Project Summary/Abstract and in the Research Strategy (Significance), applicants must clearly describe the occupational health burden(s), need(s), and impact(s) that the proposed research will address and how the conference activities and outputs will help to alleviate these concerns.

Data Resources

NIOSH has a number of data resources are available to researchers at the NIOSH Data and Statistics Gateway. This includes Worker Health Charts that use worker health data gathered by NIOSH from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create specialized charts to assess the rates, distribution, and trends in workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths. These data can be used to help provide the context and estimate the burden of the problems being addressed, the need for the proposed work, the impact on the workforce, and the potential long-term benefits of the proposed projects and activities. Additionally, issues can be contextualized through economic metrics such as the societal cost, medical cost, productivity losses and disability costs.

Research to Practice

In addition to NORA, NIOSH has established a Research to Practice (r2p) approach to reduce or eliminate occupational illness and injury by increasing the transfer and translation of knowledge, interventions, and technologies into highly effective prevention practices and products into the workplace. Research to Practice is an approach to collaborations with partners and stakeholders on the use, adoption, and adaptation of NIOSH knowledge, interventions, and technologies that will move research into practice in order to reduce and eliminate injuries, illness, and fatalities.

The r2p approach is an interactive process in which the occupational safety and health community including researchers, communicators, decision-makers, and employer/employee groups work collaboratively to:

• Identify research needs;
• Design, plan, and conduct studies;
• Translate and disseminate existing knowledge, interventions, and technologies to relevant users for implementation in the workplace; and to
• Evaluate results to determine the impact on occupational safety and health.

Note to Applicants

In both the Project Summary/Abstract and in the Research Strategy (Significance), provide a brief statement about how the proposed conference or scientific meeting addresses r2p.

Objectives

Proposed goals and objectives should be clearly stated in the application and directly linked to the occupational health and safety burdens being addressed. Applicants are expected to justify their proposal by describing the burden of the problem, the need for the proposed research or activity, and the potential for impact or likelihood of success.

Applicants should provide data to support their selection of proposed work, such as morbidity or mortality rates, indicators of the size of the population at risk including estimates of the target population’s potential risk of exposure to the hazard, frequency of exposure, or sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Similarly, applicants may provide qualitative data that describe exposures, the magnitude of the problem, and potential benefits and impacts of addressing the issue. Qualitative data may be necessary when the nature of the exposure or population at risk make collecting large-scale, representative quantitative data difficult.

Outputs and Outcomes

Governmental agencies and organizations are faced with increasing demand to measure the effectiveness of their funded research in improving public health. Effectiveness can be measured by the products (outputs) of research activities and subsequent outcomes, i.e., benefits or changes at an individual or population level. Outputs are the immediate products or direct result of research activities. Examples include publications, reports, conference proceedings, presentations/posters, investigator career development, databases, tools, methods, guidelines, recommendations, education and training materials.

Causes of work-related injuries and illnesses are complex and determining the impact that specific research activities have on them can take years. Thus, outcomes can be measured over time as either intermediate or end outcomes.

Intermediate outcomes are specific changes that occur as a result of research activities. Examples of intermediate outcomes include public or private policy changes, conduct of training or workshops based on project outputs, citations in the literature, inventions and patents, and adoption of technologies or methods developed by the researcher.

End outcomes are the ultimate goal of the research and the result of what individuals or institutions do with the knowledge or products generated by the research. Examples of end outcomes include reduction in workplace illnesses, injuries, fatalities, and/or hazardous exposures.

Note to Applicants

Provide a brief statement about expected outputs and outcomes of the proposed research in the Project Summary/Abstract and in the Research Strategy (Significance).

Target Population

The ultimate beneficiaries are workers in the United States. As an example, a project might target United States vulnerable worker populations to address the additional increased safety and health risks associated with occupational health disparities, changing worker demographics, and changing nature of work. The population(s) of workers to be addressed by the proposed research should be identified, whether specifically or more broadly.

Collaboration/Partnerships

Interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaborations that share expertise are essential to advancing occupational safety and health (OSH).

Note to Applicants

Address a wide range of occupational safety and health concerns, as determined by the burdens posed by these concerns, and describe how your efforts will alleviate or eliminate these burdens. Include collaborations or partnerships that strengthen the proposed research in terms of OSH, or related expertise and resources.

Evaluation/Performance Measurement

Evaluations provide information for management and improve program effectiveness. The CDC document A Framework for Program Evaluation can be helpful.

Effective program evaluation is a systematic way to improve and account for public health actions by involving procedures that are useful, feasible, ethical, and accurate. Understanding and applying the elements of this framework for research projects may enhance planning effective public health strategies, improving existing programs including evidence-based activities, and demonstrating beneficial results and impact of federal funding.

Translation Plan

Describe briefly how the results of the conference will be shared with stakeholders who may be interested in the meeting topic. Examples could include publication or distribution of meeting conference proceedings, post-meeting evaluations, news articles, etc.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information
Funding Instrument

Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed

New
Renewal
Resubmission

The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this FOA.

NIOSH does not accept multiple applications for a single scientific meeting. Applicants and/or organizers of the meeting are responsible for coordinating the submission of a single cohesive application.

Clinical Trial?

Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose clinical trials

Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

NIOSH intends to commit up to $500,000 for this five-year announcement. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds, fiscal and programmatic interests and priorities of NIOSH, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Award Budget

For an individual conference/meeting, the total amount awarded is expected to be up to $20,000 total costs. Facilities and administrative (F&A) costs (also called indirect costs) are not authorized. Project periods can range from one to three consecutive years. The actual project period will depend upon the type of application received and approval for funding. For a multi-year proposal, a conference/meeting is expected each year (12-month interval). Therefore, the total amount requested would be the sum of all years of support.

Award Project Period

An applicant may request up to a 3-year project period. The earliest anticipated award would be for June-July 2022. 

For each 12-month budget period, the convening of a scientific meeting or conference is expected along with post-meeting dissemination activities and evaluation. Throughout the project period, CDC's commitment to continuation of awards will depend on the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports), and CDC’s determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.

HHS/CDC grants policies as described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for CDC/NIOSH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations
• Bona Fide Agents: A Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by the state as eligible to apply under the state eligibility in lieu of a state application. If applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government, a legal, binding agreement from the state or local government as documentation of the status is required. Attach with "Other Attachment Forms" when submitting via Grants.gov.
• Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): FFRDCs are operated, managed, and/or administered by a university or consortium of universities, other not-for-profit or nonprofit organization, or an industrial firm, as an autonomous organization or as an identifiable separate operating unit of a parent organization. A FFRDC meets some special long-term research or development need which cannot be met as effectively by an agency's existing in-house or contractor resources. FFRDC's enable agencies to use private sector resources to accomplish tasks that are integral to the mission and operation of the sponsoring agency. For more information on FFRDCs, go to ACQpedia website.

Only domestic conferences may be supported. An individual is not eligible to receive a grant in support of a conference.

Foreign Institutions

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement are not allowed.

For this announcement, applicants may not include collaborators or consultants from foreign institutions. All applicable federal laws and policies apply.

Required Registrations

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
• NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number to register in eRA Commons. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration, but all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for CDC/NIOSH support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIOSH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the "Contact" PI, who will be responsible for all communications between the PDs/PIs and the NIOSH, for assembling the application materials outlined below, and for coordinating progress reports. The Contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other PDs/PIs.

NOTE: The CDC does not make awards to individuals directly.

2. Cost Sharing

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement

3. Additional Information on Eligibility
 
Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The CDC/NIOSH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time.  This means that the CDC/NIOSH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101).

Special Eligibility Requirements

Conference grant applications are peer reviewed three times per year (Feb/June/Oct). NIOSH will only accept applications with at least a 12-month span of time between a standard application submission date (April/Aug/Dec) and the date of the scientific meeting. Interested applicants should refer to the respective Standard Submission Dates.

Responsiveness

A letter of intent is required; the information that it contains allows NIOSH staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

Total costs for all subaward/consortium budgets must be included in the Total Direct Costs for the application.

Applicants should refer to the HHS Grants Policy Statement to identify costs that are unallowable for conference grants, such as Indirect Cost, Equipment Purchases, A&R Costs, and food.

If an applicant requests a funding amount greater than the ceiling of the award, CDC/NIOSH will consider the application non-responsive and it will not enter the peer review process.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by NIH/CSR and CDC/NIOSH. NIOSH will review all applications for responsiveness based on the information defined in this announcement. Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed and must be withdrawn.

Applicants must plan to hold at least one conference or meeting for each 12-month budget period requested. Up to 3 years (3 budget periods) may be requested for this announcement.

Note to Applicants

Provide a statement about which NORA sector(s) and cross-sector(s) and which NIOSH strategic and intermediate goals are being addressed. Provide a rationale for how the proposed research will contribute to the specified priority area(s). State the expected Outcomes and Outputs (see Approach). Place this information in both the Project Summary/Abstract and in the Research Strategy (Significance) sections of the application.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the Research (R) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

In conjunction with the SF424 (R&R) components, CDC grants applicants should also complete and submit additional components titled PHS398. Note the PHS398 should include assurances and certifications, additional data required by the agency for a complete application. While these are not identical to the PHS398 application form pages, the PHS398 reference is used to distinguish these additional data requirements from the data collected in the SF424 (R&R) components. A complete application to CDC will include SF424 (R&R) and PHS398 components. These forms can be downloaded from https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.

Letter of Intent

A letter of intent is required 30 days prior to the future submission due dates.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed activity
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
• Names of other key personnel
• Participating institution(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Sharon Chiou, PhD
Scientific Program Official
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Telephone:304-285-6029
Email: [email protected]

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed. For this specific FOA, the Research Strategy component of the Research Plan narrative is limited to 6 pages. These page limits are the totals for all text, tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts in this component. Supporting materials for the Research Plan narrative included as appendices may not exceed 10 PDF files with a maximum of 100 pages for all appendices.

Instructions for Application Submission

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed. The performance site(s) is the location of the institution(s) seeking NIOSH funding.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Budget

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed. For this FOA, CDC/NIOSH requires a detailed budget for the initial budget year and a budget for each consecutive year of support. The budget data must identify detailed costs for conference planner (including hourly rate), meeting space or venue, registration website, audio visuals, and speaker fees, when applicable.

Using concise statements an applicant should identify:

• the total cost of the conference (and breakdown by conference if support is requested for multiple conferences);
• those costs for which CDC/NIOSH support is requested (if block travel support is being requested, proposed per diem/subsistence rates and transportation costs should be provided); and,
• other federal or non-federal entities that have been or are being requested to provide support.

NOTE: Registration fees are prohibited in the budget because they are not costs that will be incurred by the recipient. CDC/NIOSH may defray costs that will not be offset by the use of program income that would otherwise have been available by increasing federal funding for otherwise allowable direct costs if a registration fee is charged and, will be waived, e.g., for students or trainees.

R&R Subaward Budget

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Research Plan

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide includes instructions for applicants to complete a PHS 398 Research Plan. Not all components of the Research Plan apply to all Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). Specifically, some of the following components are for Resubmissions or Renewals only. See SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide for additional information. Please attach applicable sections of the following Research Plan components as directed.

Follow the page limits stated in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide unless otherwise specified in the FOA. As applicable to, and specified in the FOA, the application should include the bolded headers in this section and should address activities to be conducted over the course of the entire project, including but not limited to:

• Introduction to Application (for Resubmissions ONLY) - provide a clear description about the purpose of the proposed research and how it addresses the specific requirements of the FOA.
• Specific Aims state the problem the proposed research addresses and how it will result in public health impact and improvements in population health.
• Research Strategy the research strategy should be organized under 3 headings: Significance, Innovation and Approach. Describe the proposed research plan, including staffing and timeline. Note: This section will be called "Conference Plan" in the system-generated Table of Contents.

Describe the proposed research/conference plan, planning and agenda development process, pre-meeting marketing and post-meeting dissemination objectives, and timeline. Describe the composition and role of the organizing committee and provide the names and credentials of key participants in the conference/meeting, including the basis for their selection and documentation of their agreement to participate.

Using concise statements, applicants should identify:

• Date(s) and venue, city, state or country of the planned meeting/conference;
• Target audience including number of federal and non-federal attendees;
• Co-sponsor organization(s) including their role, activities, outputs, and accountability;
• Proposal alignment with NIOSH sector and/or cross sector programs;
• Proposal alignment with NORA and/or Healthy People 2030 OSH goals;
• Expected outputs/products for each meeting/conference;
• Anticipated short and intermediate term outcomes e.g., actions taken by stakeholders;
• Conference format, e.g., assembly in a defined location or virtual assembly, and planned agenda, including a list of the principal areas or topics to be addressed and possible speakers;
• Physical facilities, if any, required for the conduct of the meeting, such as simultaneous translation facilities;
• Whether registration fees will be charged; and,
• If the conference will be a virtual conference, the applicant must address relevant details, such as the medium to be used, how invitations will be issued, and whether participation will be controlled in any manner.
• Progress Report Publication List (for Renewals ONLY)

Other Research Plan Section

• Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan
• Consortium/Contractual Arrangements
• Letters of Support
• Resource Sharing Plan(s)
• Vertebrate Animals (generally considered not applicable for this FOA)
• Select Agent Research (generally considered not applicable for this FOA)

Appendix

Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits.

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and this announcement. All applications, regardless of the amount of total costs requested for any one year, should address a Data Sharing Plan.

For the NIOSH R13 conference grant announcement, resource sharing may include relevant information that such as publications, reports, conference proceedings, presentations/posters, investigator career development, databases, tools, methods, guidelines, recommendations, or education and training materials.

Data Management Plan (DMP): CDC requires awardees for projects and programs that involve data collection or generation of data with federal funds to develop and submit a Data Management Plan (DMP) for each collection of public health data.

If applicable, include a DMP in the Resource Sharing Plan section of the PHS 398 Research Plan Component of the application for each proposed collection of public health data. If the public health data to be collected or created are not appropriate for release, provided a concise rationale or justification in the DMP.

The DMP may be outlined in a narrative format or as a checklist but, at a minimum, should include:

• A description of the data to be collected or generated in the proposed project;
• Standards to be used for the collected or generated data;
• Mechanisms for, or limitations to, providing access to and sharing of the data (include a description of provisions for the protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights - this section should address access to identifiable and de-identified data);
• Statement of the use of data standards that ensure all released data have appropriate documentation that describes the method of collection, what the data represent, and potential limitations for use; and
• Plans for archiving and long-term preservation of the data or explaining why long-term preservation and access are not justified (this section should address archiving and preservation of identifiable and deidentified data). Examples of DMPs may be found here: USGS, https://www.usgs.gov/products/data-and-tools/data-management/data-management-plans
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: This FOA does not allow clinical trials.

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Delayed Onset Study

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected, and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All CDC/NIOSH awards are subject to the federal regulations, 45 CFR 75, terms and conditions, and other requirements described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Awards may be initially issued with restrictions until all information requested can be provided.

Expanded Authority: For more information on expanded authority and pre-award costs, go to https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/grants/grants/policies-regulations/hhsgps107.pdf. You may also contact the Financial/Grants Management person identified at the end of this FOA.

In accordance with the United States Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy, all non-governmental organization (NGO) applicants acknowledge that foreign NGOs that receive funds provided through this award, either as a prime recipient or subrecipient, are strictly prohibited, regardless of the source of funds, from performing abortions as a method of family planning or engaging in any activity that promotes abortion as a method of family planning, or to provide financial support to any other foreign non-governmental organization that conducts such activities. See Additional Requirement (AR) 35 for applicability (https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additionalrequirements/ar-35.html).

CDC requires that mechanisms for, and cost of, public health data sharing be included in grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts. The cost of sharing or archiving public health data may also be included as part of the total budget requested for first-time or continuation awards.

Fulfilling the data-sharing requirement must be documented in a Data Management Plan (DMP) that is developed during the project planning phase prior to the initiation of generating or collecting public health data and must be included in the Resource Sharing Plan(s) section of the PHS398 Research Plan Component of the application. Applicants who contend that the public health data they collect or create are not appropriate for release must justify that contention in the DMP submitted with their application for CDC funds (for example, privacy and confidentiality considerations, and embargo issues).

Recipients who fail to release public health data in a timely fashion will be subject to procedures normally used to address lack of compliance (for example, reduction in funding, restriction of funds, or award termination) consistent with 45 CFR 74.62 or other authorities as appropriate.

For further information, please see: https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additionalrequirements/ar-25.html for revised AR-25.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.  Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Risk Assessment Questionnaire Requirement
CDC is required to conduct pre-award risk assessments to determine the risk an applicant poses to meeting federal programmatic and administrative requirements by taking into account issues such as financial instability, insufficient management systems, non-compliance with award conditions, the charging of unallowable costs, and inexperience. The risk assessment will include an evaluation of the applicant’s CDC Risk Questionnaire, as well as a review of the applicant’s history in all available systems; including OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility and financial integrity systems (see 45 CFR 75.205(a)), and other sources of historical information. These systems include, but are not limited to: FAPIIS , including past performance on federal contracts as per Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of 2009; Do Not Pay list; and System for Award Management (SAM) exclusions.

CDC requires all applicants to complete the Risk Questionnaire, OMB Control Number 0920-1132 annually. This questionnaire, which is located at https://www.cdc.gov/grants/documents/PPMR-G-CDC-Risk-Questionnaire.pdf, along with supporting documentation must be submitted with your application by the closing date of the Funding Opportunity Announcement. If your organization has completed CDC’s Risk Questionnaire within the past 12 months of the closing date of this FOA, then you must submit a copy of that questionnaire, or submit a letter signed by the authorized organization representative to include the original submission date, organization’s EIN and DUNS.

When uploading supporting documentation for the Risk Questionnaire into this application package, clearly label the documents for easy identification of the type of documentation. For example, a copy of Procurement policy submitted in response to the questionnaire may be labeled using the following format: Risk Questionnaire Supporting Documents _ Procurement Policy.

Duplication of Efforts

Applicants are responsible for reporting if this application will result in programmatic, budgetary, or commitment overlap with another application or award (i.e. grant, cooperative agreement, or contract) submitted to another funding source in the same fiscal year. Programmatic overlap occurs when (1) substantially the same project is proposed in more than one application or is submitted to two or more funding sources for review and funding consideration or (2) a specific objective and the project design for accomplishing the objective are the same or closely related in two or more applications or awards, regardless of the funding source. Budgetary overlap occurs when duplicate or equivalent budgetary items (e.g., equipment, salaries) are requested in an application but already are provided by another source. Commitment overlap occurs when an individual’s time commitment exceeds 100 percent, whether or not salary support is requested in the application. Overlap, whether programmatic, budgetary, or commitment of an individual’s effort greater than 100 percent, is not permitted. Any overlap will be resolved by the CDC with the applicant and the PD/PI prior to award.
Report Submission: The applicant must upload the report under Other Attachment Forms. The document should be labeled: "Report on Programmatic, Budgetary, and Commitment Overlap.

Important reminders: If the applicant has an FWA number, enter the 8-digit number. Do not enter the letters FWA before the number. If a Project/Performance Site is engaged in research involving human subjects, the applicant organization is responsible for ensuring that the Project/Performance Site operates under and appropriate Federal Wide Assurance for the protection of human subjects and complies with 45 CFR Part 46 and other CDC human subject related policies described in Part II of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Note: If issues resulting from the coronavirus pandemic may have limited the progress of existing projects and they are not resolved prior to the award date, these will need to be specified by the applicant to be taken into consideration.

See more resources to avoid common errors and submitting, tracking, and viewing applications:

• http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/avoiding_errors.htm
• http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/submit_app.htm
• https://era.nih.gov/files/ASSIST_user_guide.pdf
• http://era.nih.gov/erahelp/ASSIST/

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the CDC Office of Grants Services (OGS) and responsiveness by OGS and CDC/NIOSH. Applications that are incomplete and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy. Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy.

Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the CDC/NIOSH mission, applications submitted to the CDC in support of occupational safety and health research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the CDC/NIOSH peer review system.

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Significance

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project rigorous? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Does this conference address an important OSH problem? If the aims of the proposed conference are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or OSH best practices for prevention or intervention be advanced? What will be the impact of the outcomes of the proposed meeting on OSH?

Has the applicant included information in the application about the NIOSH Strategic Goals and Intermediate Goals that are relevant to the proposed conference or meeting? Has the applicant identified the NORA Sector(s) and Health and Safety Cross-Sector(s) to be addressed at the conference or meeting? Are the occupational burden(s), need(s) and impact(s) identified, and do they support the significance and importance of the planned meeting or conference?

Investigator(s)

Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or those in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

The PD(s)/PI(s) are individual(s) who organize and fulfill the goals of this conference. Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers experienced in planning and organizing conferences? Have they assembled an appropriate team to accomplish the proposed work successfully?

Are the PD(s)/PI(s) well suited for organizing and fulfilling the goals of this conference? Are the qualifications and past performance of the PD(s)/PI(s) appropriate, and are they well suited for their described roles in the conference? Are the key personnel and selected speakers appropriate and well suited for their described roles in the conference?

Innovation

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Is the proposed conference/scientific meeting innovative and promising in potential impact, and relevance for NIOSH goals? Does the proposal have the potential to increase efficiency or take cost considerations into account? Does the conference/meeting draw together appropriate experts who may otherwise not have an opportunity to meet?

Approach

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Have the investigators included plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects? 

Will the conference or scientific meeting help move the field forward for the identified occupational safety and health problems proposed to be addressed by the conference participants?

Are the format and agenda for the conference appropriate for achieving the specified goals? Is the conference timely for the subject matter? For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, is the Leadership Plan approach, including the designated roles and responsibilities, governance and organizational structure consistent with and justified by the topics of the conference and the expertise of each of the PDs/PIs?

Environment

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

Is the conference site appropriate? Does the applicant organization have the ability to contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed meetings, exhibits, interactions, etc., take advantage of unique features of the environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is institutional support evident?

Has the applicant addressed whether the meeting could be held virtually if it is not possible to hold in-person meetings due to circumstances (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) beyond the control of the applicant?

Additional Review Criteria

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Appropriate Representation

How well do the plans demonstrate appropriate representation of women, individuals from nationally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities in the planning, organization, and execution of the proposed conference? For more information, see NOT-OD-15-152, Civil Rights Protections in NIH-Supported Research, Programs, Conferences and Other Activities, and the Guidelines for Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in NIH-Supported Conference Grants policy.

Protections for Human Subjects

This FOA does not allow Clinical Trials. It is anticipated that most conference/meeting proposals will not be research proposals involving human subjects.

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the HHS/CDC Requirements under AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

If the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the policy on the Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Research and the policy on the Inclusion of Persons Under 21 in Research.

Vertebrate Animals

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

If applicable, the committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Reviewers will assess the use of chimpanzees as they would any other application proposing the use of vertebrate animals. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

If applicable, reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmissions

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

Renewals

For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.

Revisions

Not Applicable.

Additional Review Considerations

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

Research to Practice

Reviewers will assess whether the applicant has demonstrated how their proposal addresses the research-to-practice r2p (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/r2p/) initiative, particularly for training and education development and delivery to targeted groups.

Outcomes and Outputs

Reviewers will assess whether the applicant has provided sufficient information about the expected outcomes and outputs of the proposal and how this research and training will impact the field of occupational health and safety.

NORA Sectors and Health and Safety Cross-sectors

Does the applicant provide a statement about which NORA sector(s) and cross-sector(s) are being addressed and a rationale for how the proposal will contribute to the specified priority area?

Provision of Family Care

Attendance for some individuals will be dependent on the availability of resources for family care. The application should describe plans to identify resources for childcare and other types of family care at or in close proximity to the conference site to allow individuals with family care responsibilities to attend. The information should allow attendees to make arrangements for family care as needed.

Applications from Foreign Organizations

Not Applicable.

Select Agent Research

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

If applicable, reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Resource Sharing Plans

Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: (1) Data Sharing Plan; (2) Sharing Model Organisms; and (3) Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS). CDC requires recipient for projects and programs that involve data collection or generation of data with federal funds to develop and submit a Data Management Plan (DMP) for each collection of public health data.

Budget and Period of Support

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by CDC/NIOSH, in accordance with NIOSH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

• Will undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
• Will receive a written critique.

Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this FOA.

Applications will be assigned to NIOSH. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.
• Relevance to NIOSH Priority Goals for Extramural Research.
• Identify the strategic and intermediate goals the proposed work will address or support.
• Relevance to NIOSH strategic and intermediate goals.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices

Any applications awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, SAM Registration, and Transparency Act requirements. If the application is under consideration for funding, HHS/CDC will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the Grants Management Officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee’s business official.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be allowable as an expanded authority, but only if authorized by CDC/NIOSH.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All CDC/NIOSH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the HHS Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA.

Overview of Terms and Conditions of Award and Requirements for Specific Types of Grants

Administrative and National Policy Requirements, Additional Requirements (ARs) outline the

administrative requirements found in 45 CFR Part 75 and the HHS Grants Policy Statement and

other requirements as mandated by statute or CDC policy. Recipients must comply with

administrative and national policy requirements as appropriate. For more information on the

Code of Federal Regulations, visit the National Archives and Records Administration.

Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights law. This means that recipients of HHS funds must ensure equal access to their programs without regard to a person’s race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, sex and religion. This includes ensuring your programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research.

Specific requirements that apply to this FOA are the following:

AR-1: Human Subjects Requirements

AR-2: Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Research

AR-3: Animal Subjects Requirements

AR-9: Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements

AR-10: Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements

AR-11: Healthy People 2020

AR-12: Lobbying Restrictions

AR-13: Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control Activities

AR-14: Accounting System Requirements

AR-16: Security Clearance Requirement

AR-21: Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business

AR-22: Research Integrity

AR-24: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Requirements

AR-25: Release and Sharing of Data

AR-26: National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

AR-28: Inclusion of Persons Under the Age of 21 in Research

AR-29: Compliance with EO13513, Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging while Driving, October 1, 2009

AR-30: Information Letter 10-006, Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

AR-31: Research Definition

AR-32: FY 2012 Enacted General Provisions

AR-33: United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern AR-34: Language Access for Persons with Limited English Proficiency AR-36: Certificates of Confidentiality

AR-37: Prohibition on certain telecommunications and video surveillance services or equipment for all awards issued on or after August 13, 2020

ARs applicable to Conference Awards:

AR-20: Conference Support

AR-27: Conference Disclaimer and Use of Logos

Organization Specific ARs:

AR-8: Public Health System Reporting Requirements

AR-15: Proof of Non-profit Status

AR 23: Compliance with 45 C.F.R. Part 87

To view brief descriptions of relevant CDC requirements visit: HHS/CDC Requirements.

Additional Policy Requirements

The following are additional policy requirements relevant to this FOA:

HHS Policy on Promoting Efficient Spending: Use of Appropriated Funds for Conferences and Meetings, Food, Promotional Items and Printing Publications. This policy supports the Executive Order on Promoting Efficient Spending (EO 13589), the Executive Order on Delivering and Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government (EO 13576) and the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum on Eliminating Excess Conference Spending and Promoting Efficiency in Government (M-35-11). This policy applies to all new obligations and all funds appropriated by Congress. For more information, visit the HHS website.

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), P.L. 109 282, as amended by section 6202 of P.L. 110 252, requires full disclosure of all entities and organizations receiving Federal funds including grants, contracts, loans and other assistance and payments through a single, publicly accessible website, USAspending.gov. For the full text of the requirements, please review the following website: Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System.

Plain Writing Act. The Plain Writing Act of 2010, Public Law 111-274 was signed into law on October 13, 2010. The law requires that federal agencies use "clear Government communication that the public can understand and use" and requires the federal government to write all new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a "clear, concise, well-organized" manner. For more information on this law, go to: Law and Requirements.

Pilot Program for Enhancement of Employee Whistleblower Protections. All applicants will be subject to a term and condition that applies the terms of 48 CFR section 3.908 to the award and requires that recipient inform their employees in writing (in the predominant native language of the workforce) of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712.

Copyright Interests Provision. This provision is intended to ensure that the public has access to the results and accomplishments of public health activities funded by CDC. Pursuant to applicable grant regulations and CDC’s Public Access Policy, Recipient agrees to submit into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system an electronic version of the final, peer-reviewed manuscript of any such work developed under this award upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication. Also at the time of submission, Recipient and/or the Recipient’s submitting author must specify the date the final manuscript will be publicly accessible through PubMed Central (PMC). Recipient and/or Recipient s submitting author must also post the manuscript through PMC within twelve (12) months of the publisher's official date of final publication; however, the author is strongly encouraged to make the subject manuscript available as soon as possible. The recipient must obtain prior approval from the CDC for any exception to this provision.

The author's final, peer-reviewed manuscript is defined as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from the publishing peer review process, and all graphics and supplemental material associated with the article. Recipient and its submitting authors working under this award are responsible for ensuring that any publishing or copyright agreements concerning submitted articles reserve adequate right to fully comply with this provision and the license reserved by CDC. The manuscript will be hosted in both PMC and the CDC Stacks institutional repository system. In progress reports for this award, recipient must identify publications subject to the CDC Public Access Policy by using the applicable NIHMS identification number for up to three (3) months after the publication date and the PubMed Central identification number (PMCID) thereafter.

Language Access for Persons with Limited English Proficiency. Recipients of federal financial assistance from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights law. This means that recipients of HHS funds must ensure equal access to their programs without regard to a person’s race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, sex and religion. This includes ensuring your programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. Recipients of federal financial assistance must take the reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited English proficiency.

Dual Use Research of Concern. On September 24, 2014, the US Government (USG) Policy for the Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern was released. Recipients (foreign and domestic) receiving CDC funding on or after September 24, 2015 are subject to this policy. Research funded by CDC involving the agents or toxins named in the policy, must be reviewed to determine if it involves one or more of the listed experimental effects and if so, whether it meets the definition of DURC. This review must be completed by an Institutional Review Entity (IRE) identified by the funded institution.

Recipients also must establish an Institutional Contact for Dual Use Research (ICDUR). The award recipient must maintain records of institutional DURC reviews and completed risk mitigation plans for the term of the research grant, cooperative agreement or contract plus three years after its completion, but no less than eight years, unless a shorter period is required by law or regulation.

If a project is determined to be DURC, a risk/benefit analysis must be completed. CDC will work collaboratively with the award recipient to develop a risk mitigation plan that the CDC must approve. The USG policy can be found at Dual Use Research of Concern.

Non-compliance with this Policy may result in suspension, limitation, restriction or termination of USG funding, or loss of future USG funding opportunities for the non-compliant USG-funded research project and of USG funds for other life sciences research at the institution, consistent with research project and of USG funds for other life sciences research at the institution, consistent with existing regulations and policies governing USG funded research, and may subject the institution to other potential penalties under applicable laws and regulations.

Data Management Plan(s)

CDC requires that all new collections of public health data include a Data Management Plan (DMP). For purposes of this announcement, public health data means digitally recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as a basis for public health findings, conclusions, and implementation.

This new requirement ensures that CDC is in compliance with the following; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum titled Open Data Policy Managing Information as an Asset (OMB M-13-13); Executive Order 13642 titled Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information ; and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) memorandum titled Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research (OSTP Memo).

The AR-25 outlines the components of a DMP and provides additional information for investigators regarding the requirements for data accessibility, storage, and preservation.

Certificates of Confidentiality: Institutions and investigators are responsible for determining whether research they conduct is subject to Section 301(d) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act. Section 301(d), as amended by Section 2012 of the 21st Century Cures Act, P.L. 114-255 (42 U.S.C. 241(d)), states that the Secretary shall issue Certificates of Confidentiality (Certificates) to persons engaged in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, or other research activities in which identifiable, sensitive information is collected. In furtherance of this provision, CDC supported research commenced or ongoing after December 13, 2016 in which identifiable, sensitive information is collected, as defined by Section 301(d), is deemed issued a Certificate and therefore required to protect the privacy of individuals who are subjects of such research. Certificates issued in this manner will not be issued as a separate document, but are issued by application of this term and condition to this award. See Additional Requirement 36 to ensure compliance with this term and condition. The link to the full text is at: https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additionalrequirements/ar-36.html

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Appliable

3. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Although the financial plans of the HHS/CDC CIO(s) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity depend upon the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports) and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later.

Compliance with this law is primarily the responsibility of the Federal agency. However, two elements of the law require information to be collected and reported by recipients:

1) Information on executive compensation when not already reported through the SAM Registration; and

2) Similar information on all sub-awards/ subcontracts/ consortiums over $25,000. It is a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later.

All recipients of applicable CDC grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

NIOSH may provide specific guidance to grant recipients for annual and final progress reports in addition to the CDC requirements defined in this announcement. Examples of additional information requested by NIOSH may include requirements that the recipient describe the impacts, outputs and outcomes, and sector or cross-sector specific goals accomplished during the project period of the grant. 

Submission of Reports

The Recipient Organization must provide CDC/NIOSH the following reports:

Yearly Non-Competing Grant Progress Report is due 90 to 120 days before the end of the current budget period. The RPPR (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/rppr/index.htm;

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/rppr/rppr_instruction_guide.pdf) is to be completed on the eRA Commons website. The progress report will serve as the non-competing continuation application. Although the financial plans of the HHS/CDC CIO(s) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports) and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.

Awardees should be aware that the due dates for progress reports submitted to CDC for NIOSH grants may differ from those identified by eRA Commons. In general, non-competing grant progress reports are due to CDC earlier than what may be indicated by eRA. Awardees are responsible for meeting deadlines identified by the CDC Office of Grants Services.

Annual Federal Financial Report (FFR) SF 425 is required and must be submitted through eRA Commons within 90 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the budget period ends. The FFR should only include those funds authorized and disbursed during the timeframe covered by the report. The final FFR must indicate the exact balance of unobligated funds and may not reflect any unliquidated obligations. There must be no discrepancies between the final FFR expenditure data and the Payment Management System's (PMS) cash transaction data.

Failure to submit the required information in a timely manner may adversely affect the future funding of this project. If the information cannot be provided by the due date, you are required to submit a letter explaining the reason and date by which the Grants Officer will receive the information.

Recipients must submit closeout reports in a timely manner. Unless the Grants Management Officer (GMO) of the awarding Institute or Center approves an extension, recipients must submit a final FFR, final progress report, and Final Invention Statement and Certification within 90 days of the end of grant period. Failure to submit timely and accurate final reports may affect future funding to the organization or awards under the direction of the same Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI).

FFR (SF 425) instructions for CDC recipients are now available at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/report_on_grant/federal_financial_report_ffr.htm. For further information, contact [email protected]. Additional resources concerning the eFSR/FFR system, including a User Guide and an on-line demonstration, can be found on the eRA Commons Support Page: https://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html.

Final Report should provide sufficient detail for CDC/NIOSH to determine if the stated outcomes for the funded research have been achieved and if the research findings resulted in public health impact based on the investment. Specific guidance for the final report and annual outcome update is available on the NIOSH OEP website https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/grants.html under Grant Closeout.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

Application Submission Contacts

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)

Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/ (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Sharon Chiou, PhD
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Telephone: 304-285-6029
Email: [email protected]

Peer Review Contact(s)

Michael Goldcamp, PhD
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Telephone: 304-285-5951
Email: [email protected]

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Mary Pat Shanahan
Grants Management Officer
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Office of Financial Resources (OFR)
Office of Grants Services (OGS)
Telephone: 412-386-4453
Email: [email protected]

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Authority and Regulations

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections of the Public Health Service Act as amended and under the Code Federal Regulations.

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency Review. Awards are made under the authorization of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 20(a) and 21(a) (29 USC 669(a) and 29 USC 670); Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, Section 501(a), 30 USC 1 (Note), and 30 USC 951(a); and Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52. All awards are subject to 45 CFR Part 75, the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.