Department of Health and Human Services
Part 1. Overview Information
Participating Organization(s)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC and CDC/NIOSH disclaimer:

The policies, guidelines, terms, and conditions of the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) announcement might differ from those used by the HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH). If written guidance for completing this application is not available on the CDC website, then CDC will direct applicants elsewhere for that information.

Components of Participating Organizations

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Funding Opportunity Title

Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Training Project Grants (T03)

Activity Code

T03 Occupational Safety and Health Training Project Grants

Announcement Type

Reissue of RFA-OH-20-003

Related Notices

NOT-OD-22-190 - Adjustments to NIH and AHRQ Grant Application Due Dates Between September 22 and September 30, 2022

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number

RFA-OH-22-006

Companion Funding Opportunity

None

Assistance Listing Number(s)

93.262

Funding Opportunity Purpose

The Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Training Grant was established by The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281), as amended by the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-281), is intended to provide funding to municipalities, port authorities, other appropriate public entities, not-for-profit organizations, and other qualified persons to conduct commercial fishing vessel safety training for vessel operators and crewmembers. Safety training courses could include the following topics: emergency drills, survival, damage control, fire prevention and firefighting, stability, seamanship, fatigue awareness and prevention, watchkeeping, and weather forecasting. The program is also authorized to provide funding for the purchase of safety equipment and training aids for use in those safety training programs.

The goal of the training grant program is to enhance the quality and availability of safety training for United States commercial fishermen. Availability includes the frequency, geographic considerations, channels or partners of dissemination, culturally and/or educational appropriate training material, and other characteristics of a successful training program. As a result, the Coast Guard and NIOSH invite applications to support the development and implementation of training and education programs that meet some (or all) of the following:

Develop and deliver training which addresses the needs of commercial fishermen in the United States

Increase the number of qualified marine safety instructors to conduct these types of training

Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the training program on reducing injuries among commercial fishermen

Coordinate with existing training programs and partnerships with industry, fishermen, and agencies

Conform to 46 U.S.C. 4502 (i) Safety Standards for commercial fishing safety training

In order to support and administer the grant program, the Coast Guard and NIOSH signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 17, 2018. While the Coast Guard, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), provides regulatory oversight for safety and health matters within the commercial fishing industry, NIOSH is an agency operating under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the mission of generating new knowledge in occupational safety and health and transferring that knowledge into practice to prevent worker injury, illness, and death. 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.

Key Dates
Posted Date

June 29, 2022

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)

July 29, 2022

To receive notification of any changes to RFA-OH-22-006, return to the synopsis page of this announcement at www.grants.gov and click on the "Send Me Change Notification Emails" link. An email address is needed for this service.

Letter of Intent Due Date(s)

July 29, 2022. Thereafter, 30 days prior to the application due date

Application Due Date(s)

August 30, 2022; January 31, 2023; August 29, 2023; January 30, 2024; August 27, 2024; January 28, 2025; August 26, 2025; January 27, 2026; August 25, 2026; January 26, 2027

All applications are due by 5:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

On-time submission requires that electronic applications be error-free and made available to CDC for processing from the NIH eRA system on or before the deadline date. Applications must be submitted to and validated successfully by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time.

Applicants will use a system or platform to submit their applications through Grants.gov and eRA Commons to CDC. ASSIST, an institutional system to system (S2S) solution, or Grants.gov Workspace are options. ASSIST is a commonly used platform because it provides a validation of all requirements prior to submission and prevents errors.

For more information on accessing or using ASSIST, you can refer to the ASSIST Online Help Site at: https://era.nih.gov/erahelp/assist. Additional support is available from the NIH eRA Service desk via http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html.

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 301-402-7469 or (toll-free) 1-866-504-9552.
Hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

Note: HHS/CDC grant submission procedures do not provide a grace period beyond the application due date time to correct any error or warning notices of noncompliance with application instructions that are identified by Grants.gov or eRA systems (i.e., error correction window).

AIDS Application Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

Scientific Merit Review

November 2, 2022; May 17, 2023; November 1, 2023; May 15, 2024; November 6, 2024; May 14, 2025; November 5, 2025; May 13, 2026; November 4, 2026; May 5, 2027

Advisory Council Review

December 8, 2022; June 8, 2023; December 7, 2023; June 6, 2024; December 5, 2024; June 5, 2025; December 4, 2025; June 4, 2026; December 3, 2026; June 3, 2027

Earliest Start Date

September 1, 2023

Expiration Date

January 31, 2028

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise in this NOFO. Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) 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.

Page Limitations: Pages that exceed the page limits described in this NOFO will be removed and not forwarded for peer review, potentially affecting an application's score.

Note: The Training Project Strategy component of the Training Project Plan is limited to 12 pages.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Telecommunications for the Hearing Impaired: TTY 1-888-232-6348


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.


  4. 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

    1. Background and Purpose

    Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States and puts workers at high risk for severe injuries, illnesses, and death. The industry is comprised of a diverse population of vessels and associated gear used to catch seafood. Many commercial fishing operations are characterized by hazardous working conditions, strenuous labor, long work hours, and harsh weather conditions (NIOSH, Commercial Fishing Safety National Overview). During 2000-2015, an annual average of 42 deaths occurred in the industry (117 deaths per 100,000 workers), compared with an average of 5,247 deaths (4 deaths per 100,000 workers) among all U.S. workers (US Department of Labor Statistics).

    Data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Commercial Fishing Incident Database (CFID) show that from 2000-2015:

    725 commercial fishermen died while fishing in the U.S.

    Nearly half of all fatalities (354, 49%) occurred after a vessel disaster

    Another 221 (30%) fatalities were due to falls overboard

    Another 87 (12%) fatalities resulted from an injury onboard

    The remaining 63 (9%) fatalities occurred while diving or from onshore injuries

    NIOSH has looked at some of these types of events more carefully to identify risk factors. For instance, from 2000-2016, none of the victims in fatal falls overboard were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) when they drowned. In addition, 59% of the falls were unwitnessed, and alcohol and drugs contributed to over 18% of all fatalities (Case et al, 2018). This study also found that fatalities associated with unintentional falls overboard occurred most frequently on the East Coast (30%), followed by the Gulf of Mexico (29%), Alaska (25%), and the West Coast (13%). Five deaths occurred off the Hawaiian Coast.

    The leading causes of fatal vessel disasters vary from region to region. During 2010-2014, the West Coast had the highest percentage of fatalities due to vessel disasters (60%), and many of these incidents were due to crossing dangerous river bars. In comparison, vessel disasters accounted for 33% of fatalities in Alaska, with most victims working in small, undecked skiffs. Vessels operating in Alaska also have an increased risk of icing, which can lead to vessel instability and subsequent capsizing. In the Gulf of Mexico, fatal vessel collisions were more prevalent than in other regions. Vessel disasters and falls overboard resulted in the same number of fatalities (37%) on the East Coast, and three of the most high-risk fisheries in the country are in this region.

    Despite some recent successes in reducing fatal work-related injuries within the commercial fishing industry, the need for safety training and intervention activities remains essential. Training in emergency drills, survival, damage control, fire prevention and firefighting, stability, seamanship, fatigue awareness and prevention, watchkeeping and weather forecasting is needed to reduce occupational safety risk in the US fishing industry. Having trained crew and operators that know how to prevent and appropriately respond to at-sea emergencies can mean the difference between life and death, particularly in remote, offshore locations where assistance may be delayed.

    The Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Training Grant was established by The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281), as amended by the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-281), and is intended to provide funding to municipalities, port authorities, other appropriate public entities, not-for-profit organizations, and other qualified persons to conduct commercial fishing vessel safety training for vessel operators and crewmembers. Safety training courses could include the following topics: emergency drills, survival, damage control, fire prevention and firefighting, stability, seamanship, fatigue awareness and prevention, watchkeeping, and weather forecasting. The program is also authorized to provide funding for the purchase of safety equipment and training aids for use in those safety training programs.

    The goal of the training grant program is to enhance the quality and availability of safety training for United States commercial fishermen. Availability includes the frequency, geographic considerations, channels, or partners of dissemination, culturally and/or educational appropriate training material, and other characteristics of a successful training program. As a result, the Coast Guard and NIOSH invite applications to support the development and implementation of training and education programs that meet some (or all) of the following:

    Develop and deliver training which addresses the needs of commercial fishermen in the United States

    Increase the number of qualified marine safety instructors to conduct these types of training

    Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the training program on reducing injuries among commercial fishermen

    Coordinate with existing training programs and partnerships with industry, fishermen, and agencies

    Conform to 46 U.S.C. 4502 (i) Safety Standards for commercial fishing safety training

    In order to support and administer the grant program, the Coast Guard and NIOSH signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 17, 2018. While the Coast Guard, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), provides regulatory oversight for safety and health matters within the commercial fishing industry, NIOSH is an agency operating under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the mission of generating new knowledge in occupational safety and health and transferring that knowledge into practice to prevent worker injury, illness, and death. 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.

    Healthy People 2030 and other National Strategic Priorities

    The United States Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving a society in which all people live long, healthy lives. The vision, mission, and goals of PHS are found in Healthy People 2030, a PHS-led national activity to achieve better health in the United States by the year 2030. This funding announcement is linked to the goals of Healthy People 2030, that are intended to prevent work-related diseases, injuries, and deaths while improving worker health, safety, and well-being.

    According to the Healthy People 2030, more than 160 million people participate in the U.S. labor force, and their work has an intrinsic connection to their safety and health. Decades of public health surveillance and research have demonstrated that work-related injuries adversely affect employers, workers, and communities. Workplace settings vary widely in size, sector, design, location, processes, culture, and resources. In addition, workers themselves have different ages, genders, education levels, cultural backgrounds, health practices, and levels of access to preventive health care. This translates into great diversity and disparity in the safety and health risks for each industry sector and the need for tailored interventions.

    The Healthy People 2030 occupational safety and health objectives aim to prevent illness, injury, and disease due to working conditions. All objectives, core and developmental, align with NIOSH’s strategic plan and are addressed through the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA is a program established by NIOSH that works with partners from academia, industry, labor, and government to stimulate research and improve workplace practices.

    Public Health Impact

    NIOSH Office of Extramural Programs supports national occupational safety and health research and training programs to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses. Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, and the need for targeted safety research and training is critical. Through this funding opportunity announcement, NIOSH encourages qualified applicants to submit applications that will reduce or prevent occupational illness, injury, and death among workers in the commercial fishing industry.

    Relevant Work

    The Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Training Project Grants program was established by the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281), as amended by the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-281), to support training to improve the occupational safety of workers in the commercial fishing industry.

    Commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average. NIOSH has conducted studies of fishing safety to reduce the incidence of injuries and fatalities among the nation’s fishermen. NIOSH studies show that the greatest dangers to fishermen are vessel disasters, falls overboard, and machinery on deck.

    NIOSH has an extensive history of conducting research to understand and to reduce hazards in the commercial fishing industry. This research has largely been conducted in close collaboration with crews, industry, and the US Coast Guard. To learn more about NIOSH's work in commercial fishing safety and health, visit NIOSH's Commercial Fishing Safety webpage.

    2. Approach

    The Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Training Grant Program is intended to improve availability and quality of commercial fishing training across the United States and especially in underserved geographic regions and/or high-risk fisheries. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to address gaps in current training materials, particularly those related to the unique needs of specific regions/fleets.

    An immediate goal of safety and health training for commercial fishermen is to provide them with relevant knowledge regarding hazards encountered in the maritime environment, personal protective equipment for protection of health and safety, along with practical tools for reducing risks for injuries and illness. Primary prevention of injuries among commercial fishermen depends to a great extent on proper use and maintenance of vessels and engineering controls. Training programs should include these topics as part of an integrated approach. The training program should assist commercial fishermen in becoming active participants in determining and improving the safety conditions under which they work and in establishing collaborative employer-employee relationships for creating safe workplaces.

    Applicants should justify the choice of location in terms of need, potential impact (for example, the number of commercial fishermen trained, changes in competencies/behavior relevant to health and safety improvements, and reductions in incidents), as well as accessibility, feasibility, and cost. Ideally, training should be hands-on and occur in fishing communities on or near the water.

    Applicants should also provide information on the frequency of the training, along with characteristics of the commercial fishermen cohort, if known (target and/or vulnerable workforce). The application must clearly identify the professional and experiential credentials of those performing the training.

    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. Based on a collaborative effort from Sector Council members, the most recent NORA agenda prioritizes the knowledge and actions most urgently needed to identify occupational risk factors to prevent adverse health outcomes among workers. The agenda also provides a vehicle for stakeholders to describe the most relevant safety and health issues, research gaps, and needs. Occupational safety and health objectives for the commercial fishing industry fall within the scope of the NORA Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Sector Council.

    This training grant program specifically supports the following Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing NORA objectives:

    FI-01: Reduce the risk of fatal and non-fatal injuries in the commercial fishing sub-sector.
    FI-02: Reduce the risk of work-related illness to workers in the commercial fishing sub-sector.
    FI-03: Increase safety and health data meshing, information sharing, and collaboration among fishing safety researchers for workers in the fishing sub-sector.
    FI-04: Reduce injuries and illness in the vulnerable worker populations in the fishing sub-sector.

    Note to Applicants:
    Consider the purpose and intent of the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety and Training Program as described in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 and the NORA Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing objectives as you develop proposals. Clearly identify the objectives that the proposed training grant will support. Funding priority will be given to those applications that clearly address the purpose and intent of the training program and the NORA objectives. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative or novel training approaches that address critical commercial fishing safety issues and improve the delivery and effectiveness of the training provided.

    Objectives/Outcomes

    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 training, and the potential for impact or likelihood of success.

    Applicants should provide data to support their selection of proposed training, such as fatalities or fatality 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, such as case studies, may be necessary when the nature of the exposure or population at risk make finding large-scale, representative quantitative data difficult.

    The objectives of the proposed commercial fishing safety training grant program include:

    Addressing the training needs of commercial fishermen, with regional differences and specific fleets in mind

    Increasing the number of qualified marine safety instructors and drill conductors in the United States to conduct these types of training

    Developing, offering and implementing "train the trainer" and refresher courses

    Developing and delivering hands on safety training to commercial fishermen

    Providing qualified instructors and faculty to achieve the goals of this program

    Potential outcomes of proposed training projects should show changes in the following:

    Safety-relevant behavior

    Operational practices that reduce commercial fishermen risks and reduce incidents

    Frequency and severity of injuries

    Productivity and effectiveness of training and other indicators of performance

    Coordination with other existing marine safety training programs

    Target Population

    The beneficiaries of the proposed training projects are workers in the U.S. commercial fishing industry.

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    In June 2019, NIOSH began an initiative to take substantive action in creating greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce, the workplace and in its service to the public. This initiative led to the establishment of the NIOSH Diversity and Inclusion Office. The associated strategic plan is intended to guide actions that specifically address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of NIOSH's work, including NIOSH-supported extramural programs. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to DEI in all aspects of their proposed training project.

    Asymmetrical power relationships along social axes such as age, class, gender, nativity, and race/ethnicity not only result in social, economic, and environmental disadvantages that impact the distribution of work-related benefits and risks, but also result in exclusionary research practices.

    Developing inclusive research practices, and the institutional capacity to effectively produce data driven solutions that reduce these avoidable inequities, is essential to ensuring the well-being of the increasingly diverse workforce. Applicants should identify how research questions, data collection methods and analysis, and dissemination of results will be inclusive of the diversity in the commercial fishing workforce, especially those from historically underrepresented groups. Applicants should also demonstrate how the design, content, format, and dissemination of outreach efforts will be tailored to the needs of workers from diverse backgrounds.

    Collaboration/Partnerships

    Partnerships are integral to the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Training Project Grants Program. They facilitate advances in the safety and health of U.S. commercial fishing workers. Input from industry and stakeholder groups, which have inherent knowledge and concern about the safety of fishermen, will enhance training projects. Partners often add expertise or specialized experience to the training project team, which contributes to the success of the overall project.

    Applicants should institute collaborative partnerships. These can be with commercial fishing organizations, local and state organizations, universities, manufacturers, government agencies, other professional organizations, engineering and safety training partner organizations, community organizations, healthcare institutions, business groups, and labor organizations to carry out these proposed training activities.

    Partnerships are also critical to translate findings into effective training and work practices that are encouraged by the NIOSH Research-to-Practice Program (r2p). Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations that share expertise are essential to advancing occupational safety and promoting overall worker safety in commercial fishing environments.

    Note to Applicants:

    Include collaborations or partnerships that strengthen the proposed training in terms of OSH, or related, expertise and resources.

    Evaluation/Performance Measurement

    An evaluation plan that addresses the impact of training on the safety of commercial fishermen must be included in the application. The plan should clearly describe how training quality, effectiveness, and impact (short-term and long-term) will be evaluated.

    Evaluations provide information for management to 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 training 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

    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.

    R2p 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, works 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

    Evaluate results to determine the impact on occupational safety and health

    Note to Applicants:

    Applicants must provide a brief statement about how their proposed training project addresses r2p in both the Description (Abstract) and in the Training Project Strategy (Significance) sections of the application. Describe the anticipated strategies for translation and dissemination of research findings, including by audience segmentation and by the characteristics of the channels or modes of dissemination. A logic model that describes the inputs, activities, outputs, intermediate outcomes, and expected long-term outcomes may be included. The CDC document Applying the Knowledge to Action (K2A) Framework is a useful resource.

    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
    Revision

    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 NOFO.

    Clinical Trial?

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

    Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

    The number of awards is contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

    Estimated total funding (direct and indirect costs) in FY 2023 for a single 36-month budget period is $975,000 including a 25% cost match requirement.

    The anticipated number of awards that will be made under this NOFO is 20.

    Award Budget

    CDC/NIOSH intends to commit $975,000 Total Costs (direct and indirect costs), including a 25% cost match requirement per budget period.

    Award Ceiling: $975,000 Per Budget Period

    Award Floor: $150,000 Per Budget Period

    Note: Unlike standard awards with 12-month budget periods, there is a single 36-month budget period for these awards and is the same as the award project period or period of performance. The award ceiling and floor are based on a single 36-month budget period.

    Award Project Period

    3 years

    Throughout the Period of Performance, 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 NOFO.

    If you are successful and receive a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, you agree that the award and any activities thereunder are subject to all provisions of 45 CFR Part 75, currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

    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 NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

    o Hispanic-serving Institutions

    o Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

    o Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

    o Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

    o 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)

    Local 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)

    Federal Governments

    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 submit an application 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."

    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 https://gov.ecfr.io/cgi-bin/searchECFR.

    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 by 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.

    Responsiveness

    Applications that exceed the 36-month period of performance limit or the total cost limit of $975,000 per 36-month performance period (including consortium F&A costs) will be considered non-responsive. CDC/NIOSH will notify the applicant and request that the application be withdrawn. A withdrawn application will not be peer-reviewed.

    Applications will be considered non-responsive if they do not clearly indicate how the required 25% non-Federal cost match will be met. A letter of commitment should be included in the application to indicate the amount and the source of the cost match. If this information is not provided, CDC/NIOSH will notify the applicant and request that the application be withdrawn. A withdrawn application will not be peer-reviewed.

    Applicants must provide a statement about which 46 U.S.C. 4502 (j) Safety Standards and the NORA Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing objectives are being addressed. Provide a rationale for how the proposed training will contribute to the specified priority area(s). Explain how the proposed training will contribute to the NIOSH Research to Practice (r2p) initiative and state the expected Outcomes and Outputs (see Section I - Approach). Place this information in both the Project Abstract and in the Training Project Strategy (Significance) sections of the application. If this information is not provided, CDC/NIOSH will notify the applicant and request that the application be withdrawn. A withdrawn application will not be peer-reviewed.

    Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by CDC/NIOSH. CDC/NIOSH will screen all applications for responsiveness. Incomplete or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed. Applicants will be requested to withdraw non-responsive applications.

    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.

    NOTE: Applicants must have a unique entity identifier (UEI) at the time of application submission. The UEI is generated as part of SAM.gov registration. Current SAM.gov registrants have already been assigned their UEI and can view it in SAM.gov and grants.gov. Additional information is available on the GSA website, SAM.gov, and Grants.gov-Finding the UEI.

    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.

    o 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.

    o Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)- A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.

    eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; 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 SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

    All applicant organizations must register with Grants.gov. Please visit www.Grants.gov at least 30 days prior to submitting your application to familiarize yourself with the registration and submission processes. The one-time registration process will take three to five days to complete. However, it is best to start the registration process at least two weeks prior to application submission.

    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 training project grant as the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) 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 HHS/CDC 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.

    2. Cost Matching

    This NOFO does require cost matching as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement, (http://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/grants/grants/policies-regulations/hhsgps107.pdf).

    3. Additional Information on Eligibility
    Number of Applications

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

    As defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement, (http://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/grants/grants/policies-regulations/hhsgps107.pdf), applications received in response to the same Notice of Funding Opportunity generally are scored individually and then ranked with other applications under peer review in their order of relative programmatic, technical, or scientific merit. HHS/CDC will not accept any application in response to this NOFO that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application.

    The CDC/NIOSH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time per 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. 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 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

    Commercial Fishing

    Entities involved in fishing or maritime matters, and those with expertise in commercial fishing safety are eligible to apply.

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

    Applicants will use a system or platform to submit their applications through Grants.gov and eRA Commons to CDC. ASSIST, an institutional system to system (S2S) solution, or Grants.gov Workspace are options. ASSIST is a commonly used platform because, unlike other platforms, it provides a validation of all requirements prior to submission and prevents errors.

    To use ASSIST, applicants must visit https://public.era.nih.gov where you can login using your eRA Commons credentials and enter the Notice of Funding Opportunity Number to initiate the application, and begin the application preparation process.

    If you experience problems accessing or using ASSIST, you can refer to the ASSIST Online Help Site at: https://era.nih.gov/erahelp/assist. Additional support is available from the NIH eRA Service desk via: http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html.

    Email: [email protected].

    Phone: 301-402-7469 or (toll-free) 1-866-504-9552.
    Hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays.

    2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Applicants must use FORMS-G application packages. Application guides for FORMS-G application package are posted to the How-to-Apply-Application Guide page.

    It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF-424 (R&R) Application Guide How-to-Apply-Application Guide except where instructed in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) 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 package associated with this NOFO includes all applicable mandatory and optional forms. Please note that some forms marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this NOFO. Follow the instructions in the SF-424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

    When using ASSIST, all mandatory forms will appear as separate tabs at the top of the Application Information screen; applicants may add optional forms available for the NOFO by selecting the Add Optional Form button in the left navigation panel.

    NOTE: Please use the form and instructions for SF424 (R&R) Form G.

    Letter of Intent

    Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information it contains allows CDC staff to plan the review. By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

    Name of Applicant

    Descriptive title of proposed training project

    Name, address, and telephone number of the PD(s)/PI(s)

    Names of other key personnel

    Participating institutions

    Number and title of this funding opportunity

    The letter should be sent to:
    Michael Goldcamp, PhD
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

    Telephone: 304-285-5951
    Email: [email protected]

    Page Limitations

    All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

    In addition, all page limitations described in this individual NOFO must be followed. For this specific NOFO, the Training Project Strategy component of the Training Project Plan narrative is limited to 12 pages. Supporting materials for the Training Project Plan narrative included as appendices may not exceed 10 PDF files with a maximum of 100 pages for all appendices. Pages that exceed page limits described in this NOFO will be removed and not forwarded for peer review, potentially affecting an application's score.

    Required and Optional Components

    A complete application has many components, both required and optional. The forms package associated with this NOFO in Grants.gov includes all applicable components for this NOFO, required and optional. In ASSIST, all required and optional forms will appear as separate tabs at the top of the Application Information screen.

    Instructions for Application Submission

    The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide includes instructions for applicants to complete a PHS 398 Training Project Plan that consists of components. Not all components of the Training Project Plan apply to all Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs). Specifically, some of the following components are for Resubmissions or Revisions only. See the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide at Guide How-to-Apply-Application Guide for additional information. Please attach applicable sections of the following Training Project Plan components as directed in Part 2 (Approach) of Section 1 (Funding Opportunity Description) of this NOFO.

    Follow the page limits stated in the SF 424 unless otherwise specified in the NOFO. As applicable to and specified in the NOFO, 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 Resubmission and Revision ONLY) - provide a clear description about the purpose of the proposed training project and how it addresses the specific requirements of the NOFO.

    Specific Aims state the problem the proposed training project addresses and how it will result in public health impact and improvements in population health.

    Training Project Grant Proposal the training project grant proposal should be organized under 3 headings: Significance, Innovation and Approach. Describe the proposed training project plan, including staffing and timeline.

    Progress Report Publication List (for Continuation ONLY)

    Other Training Plan Sections:

    Vertebrate Animals

    Select Agent Research

    Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan.

    Consortium/Contractual Arrangements

    Letters of Support

    Resource Sharing Plan(s)

    Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources

    Appendix

    NOTE: Applicants must use FORMS-G application packages for application submissions. 2022.

    Application guides for FORMS-G application packages are posted to the How-to-Apply-Application Guide page.

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

    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.

    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.

    Training Project Budget

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

    Training Project 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 Training Project Plan

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

    Note: clinical research will not be funded under this NOFO.

    *** Resource Sharing Plans are not applicable for this NOFO ***

    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. A maximum of 10 PDF documents are allowed in the appendix. Additionally, up to 3 publications may be included that are not publicly available. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

    Format for Attachments:

    Designed to maximize system-conducted validations, multiple separate attachments are required for a complete application. When the application is received by the agency, all submitted forms and all separate attachments are combined into a single document that is used by peer reviewers and agency staff. Applicants should ensure that all attachments are uploaded to the system.

    CDC requires all text attachments to the Adobe application forms be submitted as PDFs and that all text attachments conform to the agency-specific formatting requirements noted in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide at How-to-Apply-Application Guide.

    PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

    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.

    Foreign Institutions

    For this NOFO, applications from foreign institutions are not allowed.

    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. Applicants are strongly encouraged to allocate additional time and submit in advance of the deadline to ensure they have time to make any corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. This includes the time necessary to complete the application resubmission process that may be necessary if errors are identified during validation by Grants.gov and the NIH eRA systems. The application package is not complete until it has passed the Grants.gov and NIH eRA Commons submission and validation processes. Applicants will use a platform or system to submit applications. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

    ASSIST is a commonly used platform because it provides a validation of all requirements prior to submission. If ASSIST detects errors, then the applicant must correct errors before their application can be submitted. Applicants should view their applications in ASSIST after submission to ensure accurate and successful submission through Grants.gov. If the submission is not successful and post-submission errors are found, then those errors must be corrected and the application must be resubmitted in ASSIST.

    Applicants are able to access, view, and track the status of their applications in the eRA Commons.

    Information on the submission process is provided in the SF-424 (R&R) Application Guidance and ASSIST User Guide at https://era.nih.gov/files/ASSIST_user_guide.pdf.

    Note: HHS/CDC grant submission procedures do not provide a grace period beyond the grant application due date time to correct any error or warning notices of noncompliance with application instructions that are identified by Grants.gov or eRA systems (i.e., error correction window).

    Applicants who encounter problems when submitting their applications must attempt to resolve them by contacting the NIH eRA Service desk at:
    Toll-free: 1-866-504-9552; Phone: 301-402-7469
    http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html
    Hours: Mon-Fri, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time (closed on Federal holidays)

    Problems with Grants.gov can be resolved by contacting the Grants.gov Contact Center at:
    Toll-free: 1-800-518-4726
    https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html
    [email protected]
    Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed on Federal holidays

    It is important that applicants complete the application submission process well in advance of the due date time.

    After submission of your application package, applicants will receive a "submission receipt" email generated by Grants.gov. Grants.gov will then generate a second e-mail message to applicants which will either validate or reject their submitted application package. A third and final e-mail message is generated once the applicant's application package has passed validation and the grantor agency has confirmed receipt of the application.

    Unsuccessful Submissions: If an application submission was unsuccessful, the applicant must:

    1. Track submission and verify the submission status (tracking should be done initially regardless of rejection or success).

    a. If the status states "rejected," be sure to save time stamped, documented rejection notices, and do #2a or #2b


    2. Check emails from both Grants.gov and NIH eRA Commons for rejection notices.

    a. If the deadline has passed, he/she should email the Grants Management contact listed in the Agency Contacts section of this announcement explaining why the submission failed.

    b. If there is time before the deadline, correct the problem(s) and resubmit as soon as possible.

    Due Date for Applications 08/30/2022

    Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.

    5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

    This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

    6. Funding Restrictions
    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 and speak to your GMS.

    All HHS/CDC awards are subject to the federal regulations, in 45 CFR Part 75, terms and conditions, and other requirements described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement. Pre-award costs may be allowable as an expanded authority, but only if authorized by CDC.

    Human Subjects:

    Funds relating to the conduct of training projects involving human subjects will be restricted until the appropriate assurances and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals are in place. Copies of all current local IRB approval letters and local IRB approved protocols (and CDC IRB approval letters, if applicable) will be required to lift restrictions.

    If the proposed training project involves more than one institution and will be conducted in the United States, awardees are expected to use a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) to conduct the ethical review required by HHS regulations for the Protections of Human Subjects Research, and include a single IRB plan in the application, unless review by a sIRB would be prohibited by a federal, tribal, or state law, regulation, or policy or a compelling justification based on ethical or human subjects protection issues or other well-justified reasons is provided. Exceptions will be reviewed and approved by CDC in accordance with Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Regulations ( 45 CFR Part 46), or a restriction may be placed on the award. For more information, please contact the scientific/research contact included on this NOFO.

    Note: The sIRB requirement applies to participating sites in the United States. Foreign sites participating in CDC-funded, cooperative research studies are not expected to follow the requirement for sIRB.

    7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

    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, located at https://www.cdc.gov/grants/documents/PPMR-G-CDC-Risk-Questionnaire.pdf, 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 (https://www.fapiis.gov/), 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 Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement. If your organization has completed CDC’s Risk Questionnaire within the past 12 months of the closing date of this NOFO, 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 UEI.

    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."

    Cost Match Requirement

    A 25% cost match is required for this NOFO. Clearly indicate how the non-federal 25% cost match requirement will be met. A letter of commitment should be included in the application to indicate the amount and the source of the cost match.

    Matching is generally calculated on the basis of the federal award amount and is comprised of recipient contributions proposed to support anticipated costs of the project during a specific budget period (confirmation of the existence of funding is supplied by the recipient via their Federal Financial Report). The recipient must be able to account separately for stewardship of the federal funding and for any required matching; it is subject to monitoring, oversight, and audit. The recipient may not use matching expenditures to count toward any Maintaining State Funding requirement.

    Matching Sources: The following sources can be used for the 25% cost match: program income, subrecipient costs, in-kind support, and indirect costs.

    The use of other federal funds for matching is not allowed. The matching percentage is non-negotiable and is calculated as a percentage of the total proposed cost.

    Application Submission

    Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

    Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III.1 "Required Registrations" contains information about registration.

    For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically (How to Apply - Application Guide | grants.nih.gov).

    Important reminders:
    All Senior/Key Personnel (including any Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF 424(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 CDC.

    It is also important to note that for multi-project applications, this requirement also applies to the individual components of the application and not to just the Overall component.

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

    NOTE: Applicants must have a unique entity identifier (UEI) at the time of application submission. The UEI is generated as part of SAM.gov registration. Current SAM.gov registrants have already been assigned their UEI and can view it in SAM.gov and grants.gov. Additional information is available on the GSA website, SAM.gov,

    and Grants.gov-Finding the UEI.

    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.

    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 the Center, Institute or Office of the CDC. 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 mission (http:// www.cdc.gov/ about/ organization/ mission.htm), all applications submitted to the CDC in support of public health are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the CDC 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 occupational safety and health field 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 work 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?

    Significance is evaluated by considering the impact the proposed training program has in meeting an identified regional or national need for occupational safety and health training. Does the training program have the potential to successfully meet stated goals and objectives and impact the health and safety of the workforce through its training program? Does the creation or continuation of the training program advance the field of occupational safety and health in the commercial fishing industry? Does the training program’s past performance reflect a successful track record of OSH training for commercial fishing vessel safety? Is there evidence that this program integrates with and complements other NIOSH supported training programs?

    Investigator(s)

    Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other investigators 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?

    Does the Program Director for the proposed training program have experience in managing a high-quality commercial fishing vessel safety and health training program? Do the key personnel identified have strong histories of providing this type of training to their target audience? Are the key personnel accomplished practitioners or trainers, as evidenced by their biosketches and experiences?

    Innovation

    Does the application challenge and seek to shift current 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 area or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

    Does the proposed training program involve innovative approaches to achieving and maintaining highly effective commercial fishing vessel safety training? Are there innovative approaches in recruiting underserved or underrepresented individuals?

    Approach

    Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? 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?

    Is there an evaluation plan to determine the effectiveness of the training program? Is there evidence of active participation by an Advisory Committee either internally or externally? Is the training curriculum consistent with a high-quality US Coast Guard accepted training program in commercial fishing vessel safety? If applicable, what is the accreditation status of the training program? Does the training program have a successful history of reaching its intended target audience? Are there plans to obtain and incorporate feedback from stakeholders, including current and former trainees to changes to improve performance?

    Environment

    Will the training 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 training environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

    Will the training environment contribute to the probability of improving commercial fishing vessel safety? Is there evidence of organizational or institutional commitment to support the goals of the training program? Are the facilities and equipment adequate and appropriate to support the proposed training?

    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.

    Protections for Human Subjects

    For training projects 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 training projects 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 (https://www.cdc.gov/grants/additional-requirements/ar-1.html).

    If your training project proposal involves the use of human data and/or biological specimens, you must provide a justification for your claim that no human subjects are involved in the Protection of Human Subjects section of the Training Project Plan.

    Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan

    When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. 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 (https://www.cdc.gov/maso/Policy/Policy_women.pdf and the policy on the Inclusion of Persons Under 21 in Research (https://www.cdc.gov/maso/Policy/policy496.pdf).

    Vertebrate Animals

    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

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

    Dual Research of Concern

    Reviewers will identify whether the project involves one of the agents or toxins described in the US Government Policy for the Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern, and, if so, whether the applicant has identified an IRE to assess the project for DURC potential and develop mitigation strategies if needed.

    For more information about this Policy and other policies regarding dual use research of concern, visit the U.S. Government Science, Safety, Security (S3) website at: http://www.phe.gov/s3/dualuse. Tools and guidance for assessing DURC potential may be found at: http://www.phe.gov/s3/dualuse/Pages/companion-guide.aspx.

    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. Is there sufficient information provided describing how the research has achieved the goals of the previous funding period? Is there sufficient information on how the goals for future years build on the previous successes? Does the applicant describe and provide evidence of outcomes and impacts achieved?

    Revisions

    For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.

    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 if the applicant has demonstrated how their proposal addresses the research to practice (r2p) approach (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/r2p/).

    Outcomes and Outputs

    Reviewers will assess if the applicant provided the information about the expected outcomes and outputs of the proposal and how this training project will impact occupational health and safety in commercial fishing.

    Applications from Foreign Organizations

    N/A

    Select Agent Research

    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).

    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 training project.

    The budget can include both direct costs and indirect costs as allowed.

    Indirect costs could include the cost of collecting, managing, sharing, and preserving data.

    Indirect costs on grants awarded to foreign organizations and foreign public entities and performed fully outside of the territorial limits of the U.S. may be paid to support the costs of compliance with federal requirements at a fixed rate of eight percent of modified total direct costs exclusive of tuition and related fees, direct expenditures for equipment, and subawards in excess of $25,000. Negotiated indirect costs may be paid to the American University, Beirut, and the World Health Organization.

    Indirect costs on training grants are limited to a fixed rate of eight percent of MTDC exclusive of tuition and related fees, direct expenditures for equipment, and sub-awards in excess of $25,000.

    If requesting indirect costs in the budget based on a federally negotiated rate, a copy of the indirect cost rate agreement is required. Include a copy of the current negotiated federal indirect cost rate agreement or cost allocation plan approval letter.

    2. Review and Selection Process

    Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group, in accordance with CDC peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria.

    As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

    May 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.

    Applications will be assigned to the appropriate HHS/CDC Center, Institute, or Office. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this NOFO. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review. The following will be considered in making funding recommendations:

    Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.

    Relevance of the proposed training project to program priorities.

    Relevance of the proposed training project to program priorities as outlined by 46 USC 4502, which is supported by NIOSH/USCG.

    Contribution toward development of guidelines or best practices for improved commercial fishing vessel safety.

    Contribution to advance occupational safety and health aspects of commercial fishing vessel operations.

    Commitment to the applicant institution to collaborative efforts.

    Administrative/managerial capability of the applicant organization.

    Adequacy of the training program evaluation plan.

    Availability of funds.

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

    Review of Risk Posed by Applicants

    Prior to making a Federal award, CDC is required by 31 U.S.C. 3321 and 41 U.S.C. 2313 to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information as appropriate. See also suspension and debarment requirements at 2 CFR parts 180 and 376.

    In accordance with 41 U.S.C. 2313, CDC is required to review the non-public segment of the OMB-designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently the Federal Recipient Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)) prior to making a Federal award where the Federal share is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, defined in 41 U.S.C. 134, over the period of performance. At a minimum, the information in the system for a prior Federal award recipient must demonstrate a satisfactory record of executing programs or activities under Federal grants, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards, and integrity and business ethics. CDC may make a Federal award to a recipient who does not fully meet these standards if it is determined that the information is not relevant to the current Federal award under consideration or there are specific conditions that can appropriately mitigate the effects of the non-Federal entity's risk in accordance with 45 CFR 75.207.

    CDC’s framework for evaluating the risks posed by an applicant may incorporate results of the evaluation of the applicant's eligibility or the quality of its application. If it is determined that a federal award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the Federal award. The evaluation criteria is described in this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

    In evaluating risks posed by applicants, CDC will use a risk-based approach and may consider any items such as the following:

    Financial stability

    Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in this part

    History of performance. The applicant's record in managing Federal awards, if it is a prior recipient of Federal awards, including timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements, conformance to the terms and conditions of previous Federal awards, and if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards

    Reports and findings from audits performed under 45 CFR Part 75, subpart F, or the reports and findings of any other available audits

    The applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities

    CDC must comply with the guidelines on government-wide suspension and debarment in 2 CFR part 180 and require non-Federal entities to comply with these provisions. These provisions restrict Federal awards, subawards and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal programs or activities.

    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.

    Section VI. Award Administration Information
    1. Award Notices

    Any applications awarded in response to this NOFO will be subject to the UEI, 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 (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/grants/grants/policies-regulations/hhsgps107.pdf).

    NOTE: Applicants must have a unique entity identifier (UEI) at the time of application submission. The UEI is generated as part of SAM.gov registration. Current SAM.gov registrants have already been assigned their UEI and can view it in SAM.gov and grants.gov. Additional information is available on the GSA website, SAM.gov, and Grants.gov-Finding the UEI .

    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 recipient’s business official.

    Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. 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.

    2. CDC Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    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: https://www.archives.gov/.

    Specific requirements that apply to this NOFO are the following:

    AR-1: Human Subjects Requirements

    AR-2: Requirements for 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 2030

    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: Data Management and Access

    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: Appropriations Act, General Provisions

    AR-33: United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern

    AR-36: Certificates of Confidentiality

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

    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

    The full text of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for HHS Awards, 45 CFR part 75, can be found at: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=pt45.1.75.

    Additional Policy Requirements

    The following are additional policy requirements relevant to this NOFO:

    Should you successfully compete for an award, recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy).This includes taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to persons with limited English proficiency and providing programs that are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. See https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html.

    Recipients of FFA must ensure that their programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. For guidance on meeting your legal obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to your programs or activities by limited English proficient individuals, see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/fact-sheet-guidance/index.html and https://www.lep.gov.

    For information on your specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities, including providing program access, reasonable modifications, and taking appropriate steps to provide effective communication, see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html.

    HHS funded health and education programs must be administered in an environment free of sexual harassment, see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/sex-discrimination/index.html.

    For guidance on administering your project in compliance with applicable federal religious nondiscrimination laws and applicable federal conscience protection and associated anti-discrimination laws, see https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/conscience-protections/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/religious-freedom/index.html.

    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 at: https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/efficient-spending/index.html.

    Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006

    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, www.usaspending.gov. For the full text of the requirements, please review the following website: https://www.fsrs.gov/.

    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: http://www.plainlanguage.gov/plLaw/index.cfm.

    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 grantees 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 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 Policy for the Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern was released. Grantees (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 http://www.phe.gov/s3/dualuse.

    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 existing regulations and policies governing USG-funded research, and may subject the institution to other potential penalties under applicable laws and regulations.

    Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

    Not Applicable

    3. Reporting

    Recipients will be required to complete Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) in eRA Commons at least annually (see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/rppr/index.htm; https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/report_on_grant.htm) and financial statements as required in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

    A final progress report, invention statement, equipment inventory list 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 (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/grants/grants/policies-regulations/hhsgps107.pdf).

    A. Submission of Reports

    The Recipient Organization must provide HHS/CDC with 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 form (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.

    Annual Federal Financial Report (FFR) SF 425 (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/report_on_grant/federal_financial_report_ffr.htm) 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.

    A final progress report, invention statement, equipment/inventory report, and the final FFR are required 90 days after the end of the period of performance.

    B. Content of Reports

    Yearly Non-Competing Grant Progress Report: The grantee's continuation application/progress should include:

    Description of Progress during Annual Budget Period: Current Budget Period Progress reported on the RPPR form in eRA Commons (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/rppr/index.htm). Detailed narrative report for the current budget period that directly addresses progress towards the Measures of Effectiveness included in the current budget period proposal

    Training Project Aims: list each project aim

    a) Project Aims: purpose, status (met, ongoing, and unmet), challenges, successes, and lessons learned

    b) Leadership/Partnership: list project collaborations and describe the role of external partners

    Translation of Project Findings (1 page maximum). When relevant to the goals of the project, the PI should describe how the significant findings may be used to promote, enhance, or advance translation of the project findings into practice or may be used to inform public health policy. This section should be understandable to a variety of audiences, including policy makers, practitioners, public health programs, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, community groups, researchers, and other potential users. The PI should identify the project findings that were translated into public health policy or practice and how the findings have been or may be adopted in public health settings. Or, if they cannot be applied yet, this section should address which project findings may be translated, how these findings can guide future research or related activities, and recommendations for translation. If relevant, describe how the results of this project could be generalized to populations and communities outside of the study. Questions to consider in preparing this section include:

    How will the findings be translated into public health practice or inform public health policy?

    How will the project improve or effect the translation of project findings into public health practice or inform policy?

    How will the project findings help promote or accelerate the dissemination, implementation, or diffusion of improvements in public health programs or practices?

    How will the findings advance or guide future training efforts or related activities?

    Public Health Relevance and Impact (1 page maximum). This section should address improvements in public health as measured by documented or anticipated outcomes from the project. The PI should consider how the findings of the project relate beyond the immediate study to improved practices, prevention, or intervention techniques, inform policy, or use of technology in public health. Questions to consider in preparing this section include:

    How will this project lead to improvements in public health?

    How will the findings, results, or recommendations been used to influence practices, procedures, methodologies, etc.?

    How will the findings, results, or recommendations contribute to documented or projected reductions in morbidity, mortality, injury, disability, or disease?

    Current Budget Period Financial Progress: Status of obligation of current budget period funds and an estimate of unobligated funds projected provided on an estimated FFR.

    New Budget Period Proposal:

    Detailed operational plan for continuing activities in the upcoming budget period, including updated Measures of Effectiveness for evaluating progress during the upcoming budget period. Report listed by Project Aims.

    Project Timeline: Include planned milestones for the upcoming year (be specific and provide deadlines).

    New Budget Period Budget: Detailed line-item budget and budget justification for the new budget period. Use the CDC budget guideline format.

    Publications/Presentations: Include publications/presentations resulting from this CDC grant only during this budget period. If no publication or presentations have been made at this stage in the project, simply indicate "Not applicable: No publications or presentations have been made."

    IRB Approval Certification: Include all current IRB approvals to avoid a funding restriction on your award. If the project does not involve human subjects, then please state so. Please provide a copy of the most recent local IRB and CDC IRB, if applicable. If any approval is still pending at time of APR due date, indicate the status in your narrative.

    Additional Reporting Requirements:

    Successes: A description of progress on completing activities outlined in the work plan and any additional successes achieved in the past year (identified through evaluation results or lessons learned, for instance).

    Challenges: A description of any challenges that might affect the ability to achieve annual and project-period outcomes, conduct performance measures, or complete the activities in the work plan, plus additional challenges encountered in the past year (identified through evaluation results or lessons learned, for instance).

    Outputs, Outcomes, and Research to Practice (r2p): Provide in the purpose section of each progress report a brief statement about expected outputs, outcomes, and/or r2p of the project.

    Outputs are the immediate products or direct result of project activities, including publications, reports, conference proceedings, presentations/posters, investigator career development activities, databases, tools, methods, guidelines, recommendations, and education and training materials. List the products, tools, guidance, or policy documents developed and whether they are available for use by others; specify when and how they are being shared; and report on methods generated, their implementation, and their success.

    Outcomes can be measured over time as either intermediate or end. Intermediate outcomes are specific changes that occur as a result of project activities, such as public or private policy changes, training or workshops based on project outputs, citations in the literature, inventions and patents, and adoption of technologies or methods developed.

    NIOSH Research-to-Practice Program (r2p) is an approach for the transfer and translation of knowledge, interventions, and technologies into highly effective prevention practices and products that are adopted in the workplace.

    Annual Federal Financial Reporting

    The Annual Federal Financial Report (FFR) SF 425 is required and must be submitted through the Payment Management System (PMS) 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.

    The due date for final FFRs is 90 days after the Period of Performance end date.

    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 on the Payment Management System (PMS) can be found at https://pms.psc.gov.

    Organizations may verify their current registration status by running the List of Commons Registered Organizations query found at: https://era.nih.gov/registration_accounts.cfm. Organizations not yet registered can go to https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/ for instructions. It generally takes several days to complete this registration process. This registration is independent of Grants.gov and may be done at any time.

    The individual designated as the PI on the application must also be registered in the Commons. The PI must hold a PI account and be affiliated with the applicant organization. This registration must be done by an organizational official or their delegate who is already registered in the Commons. To register PIs in the Commons, refer to the eRA Commons User Guide found at: https://era.nih.gov/docs/Commons_UserGuide.pdf.

    Final Reports

    Final reports should provide sufficient detail for CDC 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. The grantee's final report should include:

    Research Aim/Project Overview: The PI should describe the purpose and approach to the project, including the outcomes, methodology and related analyses. Include a discussion of the challenges, successes and lessons learned. Describe the collaborations/partnerships and the role of each external partner.

    Translation of Research Findings: The PI should describe how the findings will be translated and how they will be used to inform policy or promote, enhance or advance the impact on public health practice. This section should be understandable to a variety of audiences, including policy makers, practitioners, public health programs, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, community groups, researchers and other potential end users. The PI should also provide a discussion of any research findings that informed policy or practice during the course of the Period of Performance. If applicable, describe how the findings could be generalized and scaled to populations and communities outside of the funded project.

    Public Health Relevance and Impact: This section should address improvements in public health as measured by documented or anticipated outcomes from the project. The PI should consider how the findings of the project related beyond the immediate study to improved practices, prevention or intervention techniques, or informed policy, technology or systems improvements in public health.

    Publications; Presentations; Media Coverage: Include information regarding all publications, presentations or media coverage resulting from this CDC-funded activity. Please include any additional dissemination efforts that did or will result from the project.

    Final Data Management Plan: Applicants must include an updated final Data Management Plan that describes the data collected, the location of where the data is stored (example: a repository), accessibility restrictions (if applicable), and the plans for long term preservation of the data.

    Termination

    CDC may impose other enforcement actions in accordance with 45 CFR 75.371- Remedies for Noncompliance, as appropriate.

    The Federal award may be terminated in whole or in part as follows:

    (1) By the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity, if the non-Federal entity fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the award

    (2) By the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity for cause

    (3) By the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity with the consent of the non-Federal entity, in which case the two parties must agree upon the termination conditions, including the effective date and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated

    (4) By the non-Federal entity upon sending to the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity written notification setting forth the reasons for such termination, the effective date, and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated. However, if the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity determines in the case of partial termination that the reduced or modified portion of the Federal award or subaward will not accomplish the purposes for which the Federal award was made, the HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity may terminate the Federal award in its entirety

    Section VII. Agency Contacts

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

    Application Submission Contacts

    Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading or navigating forms)
    Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
    Email: [email protected]
    Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed on Federal holidays

    Finding Help Online: https://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html (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

    Bridgette Garrett, PhD

    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
    Telephone: 770-488-5715
    Email: [email protected]

    Peer Review Contact

    Michael Goldcamp, PhD

    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
    Telephone: 304-285-5951
    Email: [email protected]

    Financial/Grants Management Contact

    Mary Pat Shanahan
    Office of Grants Services (OGS)
    Telephone: 412-386-4453
    Email:
    [email protected]

    Section VIII. Other Information

    Other CDC Notices of Funding Opportunities can be found at www.grants.gov.

    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 the Public Health Service Act as amended and under the Code of 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.

    Funding is authorized under The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281) as amended by the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (P.L. 113- 281). These Acts stipulate that grants are to be awarded on a competitive basis and can cover up to 75 percent of allowable costs for training or research activities. This requires that recipients have an approved 25% cost match to receive a notice of grant award. Specific information on cost sharing/matching can be found in 45 CFR 75.306.

    Cost Matching Requirement

    Funding is authorized under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281), as amended by the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-281), and requires a 25% non-Federal cost match for a grant application to be funded.

    Applicants must consider the following information in determining how to best meet the cost matching requirement of this announcement:

    Program income, subrecipient costs, in-kind support, and indirect costs are allowable sources for matching funds.

    Use of other federal funds for matching is not allowed.

    The matching percentage is non-negotiable and is calculated as a percentage of the total proposed cost.

    For additional information on cost matching, please refer to the HHS Grants Policy Statement, 45 CFR 75.306, or contact one of the agency staff listed in this announcement.

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