1

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY 

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service

Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2017 National Service and Civic Engagement 

Research Competition

Announcement Type: Amended Announcement

CFDA Number: 94.026

Disclosure: Publication of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (Notice) does not obligate the 

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to award any specific number of 

cooperative agreements or to commit any particular amount of funding.

Important Dates

 CNCS strongly encourages applicants to submit a Notification of Intent to Apply for this 

competition. Notifications of Intent to Apply should be submitted by Friday, June 9, 2017 at 

5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

 Applications are due Tuesday, July 11, 2017 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

 Successful applicants will be notified by late August 2017. 

FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose of National Service and Civic Engagement Research Competition Funding

The mission of CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement 

through service and volunteering. Through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Volunteer 

Generation Fund, CNCS has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and 

national challenges through service and volunteer action.

CNCS has a strong belief in the importance of scholarly research in order to identify effective 

strategies for national service and increase the evidence-base for its programs, as well as to 

increase the nation’s understanding and knowledge about the importance and potential of 

strengthening civic infrastructure and increasing civic engagement in America. In order to 

conduct credible and meaningful research, CNCS is engaging the broader community of

academic researchers involved in studying civic infrastructure and civic engagement and related 

concepts.

CNCS’s Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) is seeking applications that build on existing 

research in the field, address gaps in knowledge, and provide new ideas and methodological 

approaches to the study of civic infrastructure, civic engagement, volunteering, national service, 

and other related concepts such as social capital. 

For the purposes of this competition:

 “Civic infrastructure” is defined as the “invisible structures and processes through 

which the social contract is written and rewritten in communities,” “the formal and 
2

informal processes and networks through which communities make decisions and solve

problems”1, or “the network that exists among local groups such as community

development corporations (CDCs), foundations, other nonprofits, local governments,

public housing authorities, businesses, and voluntary associations”

2

. 

 “Civic engagement” is defined as a cluster of individual efforts and activities oriented 

toward making “a difference in the civic life of ... communities and developing the

combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It 

means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and nonpolitical processes”

3

and through informal or formal networks.

 “Volunteering” is unpaid, noncompulsory work, specifically, time one gives without pay to 

activities performed either through organizations such as schools, nonprofits, churches, 

civic, or political organizations (e.g., formal) or directly for others outside one’s own 

household (e.g., informal).

 “National service” is defined as a structured opportunity for individuals to serve their

communities for an extended period of time through volunteering with or without a

stipend. CNCS is the largest supporter of national service, though other avenues for 

national service exist and this competition is not exclusive to opportunities funded by

CNCS. 

 “Social capital” can be understood as the “shared norms or values that promote social 

cooperation, instantiated in actual social relationships” (Fukuyama 2002) or as the 

facilitating agent for social cohesion and civic engagement.

For examples of previous research, see the 2015 awardees of the National Service and 

Civic Engagement Research Competition

(https://www.nationalservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/national-service-agencyannounces-winners-national-service-and-civic ).

Please note that CNCS will not fund studies that are duplicative of current CNCS studies.

Activities to be funded

Activities to be funded through this competition include:

 Research including instrument development, data collection, analysis and reporting,

 Dissemination of results, including reports, publications, and presentations,

 Collaboration with practitioners and policymakers to apply and use results from research 

findings to support their work with communities, volunteers and/or national service 

participants.

 

1 Parr, J. (1993) Civic infrastructure: A new approach to improving community life. National Civic Review, 82(2), 

93–100.

2 Lang, R. E., & Hornburg, S. P. (1998) What is social capital and why is it important to public policy? Housing 

Policy Debate, 9(1), 1–16.

3 Ehrlich, T. (2000). Preface. Pp. vi-x in T. Ehrlich (Ed.), Civic Responsibility and Higher Education. Westport, CT: 

The American Council on Education and The Orynx Press.
3

Funding Categories

This competition is only open to institutions of higher education (C.1.). The institution of higher 

education (the legal applicant for this competition) will submit an application from a “Program 

Director” (i.e., Principal Investigator). CNCS anticipates funding projects in two categories: 

Dissertation and Scholars. Program Directors will designate themselves as fitting into one of 

the two categories. Legal applicants can submit more than one application from Program 

Directors to either category, though to the extent possible, CNCS seeks to fund a diverse pool of 

applicants and it is likely only one application per legal applicant will be funded. Legal 

applicants in either award category must comply with all of the rules and restrictions described 

in this Notice. Applicants for either category will be subject to the same selection criteria

described below in Section E. Generally, applications from one category (i.e., Dissertator) will

not be compared against those in the other category (i.e., Scholars).

Dissertation Category targets research that may support doctoral dissertations. The dissertator’s 

advisor will be the primary Program Director (i.e., Principal Investigator) and the Dissertator will 

be the co-Program Director (i.e., Co-Principal Investigator). Legal applicants (i.e., Institution of 

Higher Education) must select one or more Program Director(s) (i.e., Principal Investigator) who 

will actually be conducting the research on behalf of the legal applicant, although the institution 

of higher education will be responsible for meeting the performance objectives and other agreed 

upon criteria set forth in the Cooperative Agreement (see B.4.). Award amounts for Dissertators 

are expected to be lower than in the Scholars Category. 

Under the Dissertation Category, the Dissertator (i.e., co-Program Director) must have completed 

their Ph.D. coursework and passed qualifying exams and achieved All But Dissertation (ABD) 

status by October 1, 2017. As part of the application, the applicant must submit a letter of 

support from the dissertator’s academic advisor and/or Ph.D. committee for the application 

which states that:

 the Dissertator (i.e., Program Director) is ABD or is expected to be ABD by October 1, 2017 

and which includes a date by when the Dissertator is expected to have finished their 

coursework and passed qualifying exams; and

 they approve of the proposed research project and will support the Dissertator’s successful 

completion of the proposed research project.

See section D.7.b. Additional Documents, for more information. 

Scholar Category: This category targets established academics, researchers, and postdoctoral 

researchers, with a proven track record and standing in their respective fields. The legal 

applicants must select one or more established academics, researchers, and postdoctoral

researchers who will actually be doing the research on behalf of the legal applicant, although 

the institution of higher education will be responsible for meeting the performance objectives 

and other agreed upon criteria set forth in the Cooperative Agreement (see B.4.). Research 

studies are expected to be of larger scope and higher award amounts than those submitted to the

Dissertation Category. These larger studies are expected to include a team of researchers

including a graduate student(s) and substantial primary or secondary data collection. Results 

for the Scholars Category are also expected to have wider dissemination than those from the 

Dissertation Category.
4

2. Funding Priorities 

CNCS seeks to support research in three broad areas of equal priority:

 How are civic infrastructure and civic engagement defined, measured, developed, and 

hindered?

 How does an individual’s civic engagement change over the course of a lifetime?

 What are the impacts associated with civic engagement, volunteering, or national service?

1) How are civic infrastructure and civic engagement defined, measured, developed and 

hindered? 

Research shows that civic engagement promotes the quality of life in a community.4

Communities with strong citizen participation enjoy positive economic, social and health 

outcomes.

5 Communities with strong civic infrastructure can come together to resolve 

challenges and become more sustainable and vibrant places to live.6

For 15 years, CNCS has sponsored nationally representative data collection on volunteering and 

civic engagement through supplements to the Current Population Survey. In re-evaluating its data 

collection efforts, CNCS commissioned a study from the National Research Council to review 

the questions and the most recent literature on the topic. The report, “Civic Engagement and 

Social Cohesion: Measuring Dimensions of Social Capital to Inform Policy”

7

, was released in 

2014, and made several recommendations regarding how civic engagement and social capital can 

be measured.

One of these recommendations was to supplement and complement existing survey data 

collection conducted by the federal statistical system with “new, innovative, experimental 

alternatives”, such as specific-purpose surveys, administrative records8, or data coming from 

digital communications and networking data. Another recommendation was to sponsor studies at 

the subnational-level and in-depth and longitudinal pilot data collections and use more nonexperimental, in-depth and longitudinal studies that could tap into more of the complex 

relationships among civic engagement, social cohesion and social capital. 

 

4For example: Ehrlich (2000); Sampson, Robert. J (2001) “Crime and Public Safety: Insights from CommunityLevel Perspectives on Social Capital,” in Social Capital and Poor Communities, edited by Susan Saegert, J. Phillip 

Thompson, and Mark R. Warrren, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, pp. 89-114.

5 For example: benefits of social capital see Putnam, Robert D. (2000) Bowling Alone. New York: Simon and 

Shuster and Putnam, Robert D. (2002) Democracies in Flux: The Evolution of Social Capital in Contemporary 

Society.

Oxford: Oxford University Press; for political engagement and democratic governance see Tavits, Margit (2006) 

Making Democracy Work More? Exploring the Linkage between Social Capital and Government Performance,” 

Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 2, pp. 211-225.; for bridge to employment see Granovetter, Mark (1983)

“The Strength of Weak Ties Revisited.” Sociological Theory 1, pp. 201-233.; for public safety see Sampson (2001);

and for health of a community see Ziersch, A. M., Baum, F. E., MacDougall, C., & Putland, C. (2005). 

Neighborhood life and social capital: the implications for health. Social science & medicine, 60(1), 71-86.

6 Berger, B. (2009). Political theory, political science and the end of civic engagement. Perspectives on Politics, 

7(02), 335-350.

7 https://www.nap.edu/catalog/18831/civic-engagement-and-social-cohesion-measuring-dimensions-of-social-capital

8 CNCS is conducting data matching of large data sets (e.g. poverty rates, health status, educational achievement) to 

understand outcomes of civic engagement on different socio economic measures.
5

ORE is developing research programs to weave in these recommendations, specifically, 

conducting new, innovative, and experimental alternatives to measuring civic engagement and 

conducting non-experimental studies at the local level: 

 In 2015, ORE launched the National Service and Civic Engagement Research Competition to 

institutions of higher education and one of the priority areas was to develop innovative 

measures on civic engagement, volunteering and social capital. ORE awarded several grants 

to conduct studies in this area.

9

 In 2016, ORE launched a new pilot project, Community Conversations, in four diverse 

communities to learn how local communities (e.g., neighborhoods), define informal and 

formal civic engagement and volunteering, the barriers and facilitators to civic engagement, 

and how communities work together to tackle community issues. This project is currently 

experimenting with the use of participatory research (e.g., community based participatory 

research, participatory action research, etc.). This approach offers benefits such as active 

participation and inclusion of residents and other stakeholders through the research and 

action process, skill-building, production of local knowledge, and enhanced cultural 

competency. This method itself can cause a series of “ripple effects”

10, one of which might be 

increased community engagement.

For this priority area, CNCS is soliciting innovative qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods 

research studies that can explore how civic infrastructure and civic engagement, and related 

concepts, such as social cohesion and social capital, are defined, measured, developed or 

hindered at the community and neighborhood level. ORE is interested in studies that use

participatory research with community residents and stakeholders in local communities (see 

section D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents). These studies can be conceptual as well as 

empirical. For example, applicants may propose to address:

 How are “communities” defined and how do these “communities” define civic infrastructure 

and civic engagement? 

 What roles do different community partners and networks play in strengthening community 

infrastructure and what combinations of community partners have been most beneficial for 

increasing civic engagement and tackling community issues? 

 What contributes to or hinders civic engagement for individuals or communities? For 

example, what motivates individuals to volunteer informally or through formal channels? 

What community characteristics act to inhibit or promote active civic involvement, 

community engagement, social cohesion and problem solving behaviors? 

 Do different types of events trigger higher levels of civic activity? How can higher levels of 

civic activity be sustained? Does this make a difference for the long-term well-being of a 

community?

 How can civic infrastructure benefit from new technologies and innovative methods to 

promote greater civic engagement, especially among disadvantaged communities? 

 

9 https://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/evidence-exchange/research-competition

10Jagosh, J., Bush, P. L., Salsberg, J., Macaulay, A. C., Greenhalgh, T., Wong, G., ... & Pluye, P. (2015). A realist 

evaluation of community-based participatory research: partnership synergy, trust building and related ripple effects. 

BMC Public Health, 15(1), 725.
6

2) How does an individual’s civic engagement change over the course of a lifetime?

Individuals perceive civic engagement and volunteering as both informal and formal. Informal 

volunteering may mean helping one’s neighbors or ‘giving back’ to one’s community, while 

formal volunteering is perceived as structured opportunities to participate through institutions 

such as organizations, schools, churches, or national service programs. Motivations to volunteer 

or be civically involved and the perceived benefits from these activities can vary by different 

groups of individuals. Through its programs, CNCS engages individuals of different age groups 

and populations (e.g., disconnected youth, young adults, adults, adults with disabilities, tribal 

groups, veterans, seniors) and studies demonstrate different types of outcomes for these groups. 

Here are some examples:

 Disconnected youth: Participating in national service programs such as AmeriCorps State and 

National, NCCC or VISTA can be a critical catalyst for young adults becoming successful 

citizens. This can be especially important for opportunity youth, or disconnected youth, 

between the ages of 14 and 24 who are low income and either homeless, in foster care, 

involved in the juvenile justice system, unemployed, or not enrolled in or at risk of dropping 

out of an educational institution. Preliminary results from a current CNCS Opportunity 

Youth study is demonstrating positive outcomes for these youth related to education, 

employment, and community engagement.

 Young Adults: Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 report positive experiences from 

having served in one of the national service programs (VISTA, NCCC, AmeriCorps State and 

National). The CNCS Member Exit Survey has captured the experience of over 150,000 

exiting members, of which 69 percent are young adults. More than 80 percent of exiting 

members report that they agree or strongly agree that national service has been beneficial to 

them educationally, personally and professionally. In addition, data from the 2016 

AmeriCorps Alumni illustrates that over 90 percent of alumni feel they have made a 

contribution to the community and feel they have made a difference in the life of at least one 

person. 

 Veterans: Volunteering and national service can be beneficial for a veteran’s transition from 

military service to civilian life both for the individual as well as their families. AmeriCorps 

programs that include military veterans are reporting positive increases in the perception of 

the veterans’ employability and work experience.

 Seniors: Research indicates that there are positive health benefits associated with 

volunteering among older adults, including increased generativity and prolonged life 

expectancy. Studies (CNCS 2014; 2015) with seniors participating in Senior Corps programs

report the primary motivating factors to volunteer among a substantial majority of senior 

volunteers are a desire to help others, to learn something new, and to have a sense of 

accomplishment. These studies also reported improved health outcomes for these seniors.

For this priority, CNCS is seeking qualitative, quantitative or multimethod research that can 

explore motivations for becoming engaged, types of civic engagement either informal, formal or 

both, and outcomes of civic engagement over the life course. For example, applicants may

propose to answer the following questions:

 What does civic engagement, either formal or informal, or both “look like” (e.g., type of 

engagement, quality/quantity of engagement, length of engagement) through the life course 

for different groups of individuals (e.g., gender, race, class, ethnicity, occupation) or for 
7

individuals living in different geographic areas (e.g., urban vs. rural)?

 What are the different developmental or life course issues that promote or inhibit civic 

behavior across the life span? What are the benefits?

 What are common cultural and social factors that promote civic behavior across different age 

groups? 

 How does civic engagement offer a counter-narrative to the perception of inactive and 

passive citizens, especially among youth and millennials? 

 What types of national service models are most appropriate for individuals at different times 

of life or circumstances? What are the pathways to National Service and can these be 

broadened to provide opportunity to a diverse body of individuals?

3) What are the impacts associated with civic engagement, volunteering, or national 

service?

Research shows that there are economic, social and health benefits to volunteering and civic 

engagement for individuals, as well as for families and communities. CNCS is interested in 

studies that address outcomes associated with civic engagement, volunteering, and national 

service for individuals, families and communities. CNCS has sponsored several studies that 

have examined the impacts associated from volunteering and civic engagement, and encourages

applicants to consider building on this existing work or exploring new areas (see CNCS Evidence 

Exchange for some of the studies). These are a few examples:

 A study by a 2015 CNCS research grantee, has shown that national service programs have 

important, beneficial consequences for the communities in which they are embedded. The 

researchers have found that increases in AmeriCorps programs within a county serve to

buffer communities so that citizens report fewer negative aspects to subjective well-being. 

The researchers found that the longer a county has AmeriCorps programs operating, the less 

disengagement and negative relationships are expressed by the citizens of that county. 

Counties that went from no AmeriCorps program to at least one program had significant 

reductions in negative subjective well-being compared to counties that continued without 

AmeriCorps programs.

 Another 2015 CNCS research grantee is conducting a resume-based experiment to test 

whether a record of national service (AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA) on an applicant’s 

resume has a significantly positive impact on the prospect of getting a job. The study defined 

a “positive impact” as getting an offer for a job interview. Preliminary results show the effect 

is significant for applicants with college degrees: 24 percent of college graduates who are 

national service alum received an interview offer, compared to 17 percent of college 

graduates without service record. 

 A CNCS study “Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment: Does Volunteering Increase 

Odds of Finding a Job for the Out of Work?” used data from the 2002-2012 Current 

Population Survey (CPS) September Volunteer Supplement and found that after controlling 

for demographic variables, that volunteering was associated with a 27 percent higher odds of 

employment, statistically significant at the 99.9 percent confidence level. 

Though exploratory studies will receive consideration, CNCS prefers projects in this priority area

that are confirmatory and testing hypotheses that can provide causal evidence. We are also 

interested in Return on Investment or Cost-Benefit studies. Some examples of questions that 

could be addressed in this priority area include:
8

 What are the effects of civic activity on tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion? How are shared 

values formed (or not) through civic engagement and volunteering? 

 What are the benefits/cost savings of volunteers or national service to families and 

communities hit by disaster? What are some innovative ways to measure impact of national 

service and/or volunteering in communities affected by disasters? What is the benefit or 

return on investment /cost ratio of national service in disaster response for communities or 

states? 

 What are interesting, promising or efficient approaches for measuring return on investment 

around the impact of national service or volunteering? 

 Under what conditions is civic engagement/volunteering transformative and beneficial for 

individuals (e.g., ex-offenders, disconnected youth) as well as communities?

CNCS’s Strategic Focus Areas

While applicants are encouraged to either (1) link their proposed study to one or more of

CNCS’sstrategic focus areas, or (2) consider focusing on one of CNCS’ programs or 

recipients of these programs (see below), doing so will not confer any advantage to the 

applicant. More information about CNCS focus areas is available at: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/focus-areas. CNCS’s programs or recipients of these 

programs, include: AmeriCorps State & National, AmeriCorps National Civilian 

Conservation Corps (NCCC), AmeriCorps VISTA, Senior Corps, and the Volunteer

Generation Fund. 

3. National Performance Measures 

National Performance Measures are not applicable for this Notice. 

4. Other Programmatic Requirements

a. Relationship with Evaluations Required for CNCS Programs

Some CNCS programs require recipients to conduct program evaluations, including 

AmeriCorps State & National, and Senior Corps. Applicants for the 2017 National Service 

and Civic Engagement Research Competition cannot duplicate the type of evaluation that is 

already required of any CNCS program. While recipients in CNCS programs may 

participate in a proposed research study by applicants under this Notice, no part of an 

awarded project under this competition may be used to replace or fulfill CNCS evaluation 

requirements of CNCS programs.

b. Approval from Institutional Review Board. Awardees must submit protocols and receive 

approval from their institution’s Institutional Review Board.

5. Program Authority

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, (42 U.S.C. § 12501 et seq.).

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 4950 et seq.).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Estimated Available Funds
9

CNCS anticipates approximately $800,000 for National Service and Civic Engagement Research 

Competition 2017 awards. The actual level of funding is subject to the availability of annual 

appropriations.

2. Estimated Award Amount

Award amounts will vary, as determined by the scope of the projects. CNCS expects to make 

awards in the range of $20,000 to $150,000.

3. Project Period

CNCS will award studies that last from 1 year and up to 2 years to complete. The cooperative

agreement award (see B.4.) covers up to a 2-year project period. CNCS generally makes an 

initial award for the first year of operation. Continuation award for a subsequent year will be

dependent upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory performance, and is not 

guaranteed. CNCS reserves the right to adjust the amount of an award or elect not to continue 

funding.

4. Type of Award 

The funding mechanism for the 2017 National Service and Civic Engagement Research

Competition is a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is an agreement between the 

legal applicant and CNCS. Under a cooperative agreement, CNCS is substantially involved with 

the recipient organizations as the approved cooperative agreement activities are implemented. 

CNCS will assign a program officer, who will confer with the award recipient regularly and 

frequently to develop and/or review service delivery and project status, including work plans, 

budgets, periodic reports, evaluations, etc. CNCS anticipates having substantial involvement in:

 Reviewing and providing feedback to research plans, reports, and progress,

 Convening recipients to discuss projects and share feedback with one another, CNCS 

staff, and external experts,

 Facilitating access to data and program staff, and

 Disseminating research results.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

This competition is only open to institutions of higher education. 

For CNCS an institution of higher education is defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965 as 

an educational institution in any State that: 

(1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school 

providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate; 

(2) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary 

education;

(3) provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor’s degree or 

provides no less than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full-credit toward such a 

degree; 

(4) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and

(5) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association, or if not so 
10

accredited, is an institution that has been granted pre-accreditation status by such an agency 

or association that has been recognized by the Secretary for the granting of pre-accreditation 

status, and the Secretary has determined that there is a satisfactory assurance that the 

institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a 

reasonable time.

Henceforth, in this Notice and other application material for the National Service and Civic 

Engagement Research Competition, the institution of higher education is the “legal applicant”. 

Each legal applicant will designate a “Program Director” (i.e., Principal Investigator). A 

Program Director is either a scholar(s) or a doctoral candidate(s) and their Dissertation Advisor,

who will carry out a research study on behalf of the legal applicant. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

There is no cost share or matching requirement.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

Applications that propose to engage in activities that are prohibited under CNCS’s statutes, 

regulations, or the terms and conditions of its awards are not eligible to receive CNCS funding.

Note that under Section 745 of Title VII, Division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2016 if CNCS is aware that any corporation11 has any unpaid federal tax liability—

 that has been assessed

 for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed 

 that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority 

responsible for collecting the tax liability—

that corporation is not eligible for an award under this Notice. However, this exclusion will not 

apply to a corporation which a federal agency has considered for suspension or debarment and 

has made a determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of 

the federal government.

Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in Section 501 (c)(4) 

of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(4) that engages in lobbying activities is 

not eligible to apply.

 

11A corporation includes an institution of higher education or applicant for this grant competition.
11

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

This Notice should be read together with the National Service and Civic Engagement Research 

Competition Application Instructions. These documents are available online at 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/fy17-civic-engagement-research-competition.

1. Address to Request an Application Package

Applicants should refer to CNCS Funding Opportunities for more information and instructions 

on how to fully respond to this Notice. Applicants can also send an email to 

NationalServiceResearch@cns.gov or call (202) 606-3778 for a printed copy of application 

materials. The TTY (Text Telephone) number is (800) 833-3722.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission 

a. Application Content 

Complete applications must include the following elements: 

 Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Face Sheet: This is automatically generated when 

applicants complete the data elements in the eGrants system. 

 Narrative Sections: 

o Executive Summary: This includes the title of the study and a brief description 

of the proposed research study. Executive summaries for all compliant 

applications are published on the CNCS website following cooperative 

agreements awards.

o Program Design (i.e., Research Study Design) 

o Organizational Capability

o Cost-Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy

 Standard Form 424A Budget

 Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications

b. Page Limits

Applications may not exceed 16 double-space pages as the pages print out from eGrants. The 

application sections that count towards the page limit are the:

 SF-424 Face Sheet 

 Executive Summary 

 Program Design (i.e., Research Study Design), Organizational Capability, and CostEffectiveness and Budget Adequacy narratives.

The application page limit does not include the Budget, or any required or the optional additional 

documents (see section D.7.b. Submission of Additional Requirements).

Please note that the length of the application as a word processing document may differ from the 

length of the document printed out from eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to 

print out the application from the “Review and Submit” tab in eGrants prior to submission 

in order to confirm that the application does not exceed the page limit.
12

CNCS will not consider the results of any alternative printing methods when determining if an 

application complies with the page limit. Reviewers will also not consider material that is over 

the page limit, even if eGrants allows applicants to enter and submit additional text.

3. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award 

Management (SAM) 

Applications must include a DUNS number and an Employer Identification Number. The DUNS 

number does not replace an Employer Identification Number. Applicants can obtain a DUNS 

number at no cost by calling the DUNS number request line at (866) 705-5711 or by applying 

online at the DUNS Request Service. CNCS recommends registering at least 30 days before the 

application due date. 

After obtaining a DUNS number, all applicants must register with the SAM and maintain an 

active SAM registration until the application process is complete. If an applicant is awarded a 

cooperative agreement, it must maintain an active SAM registration throughout the life of the 

award. 

SAM registration must be renewed annually. CNCS suggests that applicants finalize a new 

registration or renew an existing one at least two weeks before the application deadline, to allow 

time to resolve any issues that may arise. Applicants must use their SAM-registered legal 

name and address on all grant applications to CNCS.

Applicants that do not comply with these requirements may become ineligible to receive an 

award. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees.

4. Submission Dates and Times

a. Notification of Intent to Apply

CNCS strongly encourages applicants to submit a Notification of Intent to Apply by Friday, 

June 9, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Please submit your intent by using this link: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nationalserviceresearch2017 .

The Notification of Intent to Apply must include the name of the applicant organization (i.e., 

Legal Applicant) and address; name of each Program Director (i.e. Principal Investigator) and

their contact information including email and telephone, and the main university department of 

the Program Director(s). All Notifications of Intent to Apply will receive an email response 

acknowledging receipt.

b. Application Submission Deadline

Applications are due Tuesday, July 11, 2017 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

CNCS will not consider applications submitted after the deadline, except as noted in section 

D.4.d. Late Applications. CNCS reserves the right to extend the submission deadline. CNCS 

will post notification in the event of an extended deadline on CNCS’s website. 

c. Additional Documents Deadline
13

Additional documents are due by the application submission deadline. See Sections D.4.b. 

Application Submission Deadline and D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents for more 

information.

d. Late Applications

All applications received after the submission deadline published in the Notice are presumed to 

be non-compliant. In order to overcome this presumption, the applicant must:

 provide a written explanation or justification of the extenuating circumstance(s) that 

caused the delay, including: 

 the timing and specific cause(s) of the delay

 the ticket number if a request for assistance was submitted to the National Service 

Hotline

 any information provided to the applicant by the National Service Hotline

 any other documentation or evidence that supports the justification.

 ensure that CNCS receives the justification and any other evidence that substantiates the 

claimed extenuating circumstance(s) via email to LateApplications@cns.gov no later 

than one business day after the published application deadline, or as stated in the Notice.

Communication with CNCS staff, including an applicant’s program officer, is not a substitute for 

the letter. Applicants are required to continue working in eGrants, CNCS’s web-based system

and with the National Service Hotline to submit the application. CNCS will determine whether 

or not to accept a late application on a case-by-case basis. 

Applicants that do not submit a justification or any other evidence to overcome the presumption 

of non-compliance within the published timeframe will not be reviewed or selected for award.

Please note: CNCS will not consider an advance request to submit a late application. Please 

carefully review and follow the guidance in this section, and submit your application as soon as 

possible.

5. Intergovernmental Review

This notice is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.” 

6. Funding Restrictions 

Section F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements of this Notice contains the 

regulations that outline the funding restrictions.

a. Award Funding Requirements 

Awards under this Notice are not subject to cost share or matching requirements. 

b. Indirect Costs

Application budgets may include indirect costs (see section D.7.b. Submission of Additional 

Documents). Based on qualifying factors, applicants may either use a federally-approved 

indirect cost rate, a 10 percent de minimis rate of modified total direct costs, or may claim certain 

costs directly, as outlined in 2 CFR § 200.413. All methods must be applied consistently across 
14

all federal awards. Applicants that hold a federal negotiated indirect cost rate or that will be using 

the 10 percent de minimis rate must enter that information in the Organization section in eGrants.

c. Pre-Award Costs

Federal funds awarded pursuant to this Notice will not allow reimbursement for pre-federal 

award costs (See 2 CFR 200.209 and 200.458). 

7. Other Submission Requirements

a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants 

Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, CNCS’s web-based system. 

CNCS recommends that applicants create an eGrants account and begin the application at least 

three weeks before the deadline. Applicants should draft the application as a Word document, 

then copy and paste the text into the appropriate eGrants field no later than 10 days before the 

deadline. 

The applicant’s authorized representative must be the person who submits the application. The 

authorized representative must be using eGrants under his or her own account in order to sign 

and submit the application. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for this official 

representative to sign must be on file in the applicant’s office.

Applicants should contact the National Service Hotline at (800) 942-2677 or eGrants Questions

if they have a problem when they create an account or prepare or submit the application. 

National Service Hotline hours are as follows: 

 Monday - Thursday, 9 am – 7 pm ET (Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec) 

 Monday - Friday, 9 am – 7 pm ET (Jan, May, June, July, Aug, Sept) 

Be prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the Notice to which the 

organization is applying. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, applicants must 

continue working with the National Service Hotline to submit via eGrants. 

If circumstances make it impossible for an applicant to submit in eGrants, applicants may send a 

paper copy of the application via overnight carrier to the following address:

Corporation for National and Community Service 

ATTN: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/2017 National Service and Civic 

Engagement Research Competition Application 

250 E Street, SW, Suite 300 

Washington, DC 20525

Please use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier to avoid security-related delays. All deadlines and 

requirements in this Notice also apply to paper applications. Paper applications must include 

a cover letter detailing the circumstances that make it impossible to submit via eGrants. CNCS 

does not accept applications submitted via fax or email.

b. Submission of Additional Documents 
15

Applicants are required to submit the following additional documents by the application 

submission deadline:

 Current indirect rate cost agreement, if used to claim indirect/administrative costs (see 

section D.6.b. Indirect Costs)

 References; include only citations used in the narrative. Each reference must include the 

names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the 

article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of 

publication. If the document is available electronically, the website address also should 

be identified.

 Biographical Sketches (not to exceed 2 pages) for each Program Director (i.e., Principal 

Investigator) and key personnel staff; Please use National Science Foundation (NSF) 2-

page Biographical Sketch Guidelines (see Appendix I). The biographical sketch should 

include your academic background, previous appointments, past research experience, a 

list of publications, and/or other pertinent information (e.g., awards, skills and abilities) 

you consider relevant to determining your overall suitability for receiving this grant.

 If a dissertator, include a letter from the academic advisor and/or Ph.D. Committee (see 

section C.1. Eligible Applicants)

 If the proposed research study includes working with a community partner(s), include a 

letter of support or Memorandum of Understanding from the community partner(s) (see 

section A.1. Funding Priorities, Priority 1)

In addition, applicants has the option to submit by the application submission deadline:

 An appendix up to 2 pages that can include Figure(s), Table(s), or Graph(s) that supports 

the Narrative. Figures, Tables or Graphs must be labeled and referenced in the 

applicant’s narrative. 

Failure to submit the required additional documents by the deadline will have a negative effect 

on the assessment of your application.

Additional documents must be emailed to AdditionalDocuments@cns.gov with the following 

subject line: “Legal Applicant Name” – “Application ID Number.” Emails should include:

 the legal applicant name (i.e., institution of higher education) and its point of contact 

information 

 the application ID number

 the name(s) of Project Director (i.e., Principal Investigator), contact information, and 

their academic department(s)

 a list of documents that are attached to the email

 Individually saved files that are clearly labeled, and that include the legal applicant name 

and application ID number within the body of each document.

Do not submit any items that are not requested in this Notice and Application Instructions.

CNCS will not review or return them.
16

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review Criteria 

Applications should include a well-designed plan with clear and compelling justifications for 

receiving the requested funds. Reviewers will assess the quality of applications by using the 

selection criteria and will rate them accordingly. They will also consider the weights assigned to 

each criterion.

Categories/Subcategories Percentage

Executive Summary 0

Program Design (i.e., Research Study Design) 60

o Applicant’s Funding Categories and Affiliation 0

o Relevance of Research Objectives, Alignment and Creativity of Study 20

o Research Questions, Literature Review, and/or Conceptual Framework 10

o Data Collection Methods, Data Sources,

Approaches

Sample and Analytical 20

o Work Plan and Justification of the Timeline, and Dissemination Plans 10

Organizational Capability 25

o Legal Applicant’s ability to Manage Federal Funds 10

o Program Director’s ability to Deliver Proposed Activities 15

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 15

Executive Summary (0 percent)

Please provide the following information for your executive summary:

 Title of the study

 Brief description of the proposed research study including research question, research 

method, sample, analytic approach, main audiences for dissemination plan

Program Design (i.e., Research Study Design) (60 percent): 

Applicant’s Funding Categories and Affiliation (0 percent)

Please list the following information: 

 Funding Priority Area

 Funding Category (i.e., Dissertator; Scholar)

 Total years of funding to complete the study (i.e., 1 or 2 years)

 Primary department(s) of affiliation for the Project Director(s) (i.e., Principal Investigator(s)) 

o If a dissertator, please include the dissertator’s and their dissertation advisor’s affiliation

Relevance of Research Objectives, Alignment and Creativity of Study (20 percent):

The reviewers will consider the relevance, usefulness and creativity of the study, and the 

alignment of the proposed study:

 Overall relevance of the applicant’s research objectives to the broad areas defined in section 

A.1.

 Potential usefulness of the research results to the advancement of the field and policy 

knowledge and development in those areas.
17

 Creativity of the research study

 Alignment of the research study from funding priorities and research questions to design and 

analysis 

Research Questions, Literature Review, and/or Conceptual Framework (10 percent)

The reviewers will consider the quality, relevance and clarity of the:

 Research Questions and/or Hypotheses to be tested or relationships and concepts to be 

explored

 Literature review with citations and relevant background research that provides adequate 

context for the research objectives; References are included as an additional document (See 

section D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents)

 Conceptual or theoretical framework that guides the research and the research questions, 

and/or any hypotheses to be tested or relationships and concepts to be explored; 

 The applicant has included an optional appendix with Figures, Tables, and/or Graphs that 

clearly supports the narrative (See section D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents)

Data Collection Methods, Data Sources, Sample and Analytical Approaches (20 percent): 

The reviewers will consider the quality, feasibility, relevance and clarity of the proposed research 

design of the:

 Data collection method(s)

 Data source(s) and sample 

 Analytical approach(es)

 The applicant has included an optional appendix with Figures, Tables, and Graphs that

supports the narrative (See section D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents). Figures, 

Tables or Graphs are labeled and referenced in the applicant’s narrative.

Work Plan and Justification of the Timeline, and Dissemination Plans (10 percent):

The reviewers will consider the quality, feasibility, relevance, and clarity of the: 

 Research study’s work plan, providing a tentative schedule of major steps in the study, 

including the timeline for obtaining approval from their Institutional Review Board (IRB), 

and a justification for the desired length of time, from 1 year and up to 2 years, that it will 

take to complete the project

 Dissemination plan for results that include, potential venues for publications and 

presentations for diverse audiences, both academic and non-academic.

Organizational Capability (25 percent):

Legal Applicant’s Ability to Manage Federal Funds (10 percent):

Reviewers will consider the capacity of the legal applicant to deliver their proposed activities

based on:

 A description of the legal applicant’s ability to manage a Federal grant and/or apply sound 

fiscal management principles to grants, as evidenced by previous grants experience

 Ability to develop the necessary systems to maintain a grant program compliant with federal 

requirements
18

Program Director’s Ability to Deliver Proposed Activities (15 percent)

Reviewers will consider the capacity of the Program Director to deliver their proposed activities 

based on:

 A description of the Program Director(s) (i.e., Principal Investigator) research experience and 

body of work, including existing publications; a 2-page Biographical Sketch of the Program 

Director is included (See section D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents and Appendix 

I)

o If the applicant is a Dissertator, a letter from the academic advisor confirming student’s 

status and support for the proposed research study is included (D.7.b.)

 Capacity of principal investigators and the key staff associated with the project to produce 

and manage high quality research studies; 2-page Biographical Sketch of key staff is included 

as additional documents (See section D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents and 

Appendix I)

 Ability to undertake broad-based dissemination activities of research findings, including 

experience promoting research findings to engage policymakers, practitioners and other 

influential non-researchers.

 If applicable, readiness to work with community partner; If the research study includes 

working with a community partner(s), a letter of support or Memorandum of Understanding 

from the community partner(s) is included (See section D.7.b. Submission of Additional 

Documents)

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (15 percent):

CNCS will consider the budget of the proposed research study based on:

 Budget is submitted with adequate information to assess how each line item is calculated.

 Proposed costs are reasonable, allowable, and adequate for the proposed research design.

 If applying to the Scholars Category, there are budgeted funds for graduate students to work 

on the study (see section A.1. Funding Categories)

 Budgeted travel and associated expenses for at least a Program Director to attend one 

meeting (1-day kick-off and up to a 2-day Research Summit) in Washington D.C. (see section 

F.4 Reporting)

2. Review and Selection Process

CNCS will engage Staff Reviewers with relevant knowledge and expertise to assess and provide 

input on the eligible applications. The review and selection process is intended to produce a 

diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities and strategic considerations

described in this Notice. The stages of the review and selection process follows:

a. Compliance and Eligibility Review

CNCS will conduct a Compliance Review to determine if an application meets the compliance 

requirements published in this Notice and advances to the next stage of the review process. 

An application is compliant if the applicant:

 is an eligible organization

 submitted an application by the submission deadline.

Reviewing for eligibility is intended to ensure that only those applications that are eligible for 
19

award are further reviewed. However, determinations of eligibility can take place at any point 

during the application review and selection process. Applicants that are determined to be noncompliant and/or ineligible will not receive an award.

b. Application Review 

Internal Review

CNCS Staff Reviewers will assess the applications based on the Program Design (i.e., Research 

Study Design), Organizational Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 

Selection Criteria. Staff Reviewers will also consider the priorities and strategic considerations 

detailed in this Notice. CNCS will recruit and select Staff Reviewers on the basis of 

demonstrated expertise in research in the Priority Areas of this Notice, as well as experience 

assessing applications. All Staff Reviewers will be screened for conflicts of interest.

Applicant Clarification

CNCS may ask an applicant for clarifying information. CNCS staff will use this information to

make funding recommendations. A request for clarification does not guarantee an award.

Applicants may be recommended for funding even if they are not asked for clarifying 

information. An applicant’s failure to respond to a request for clarification adequately and in a 

timely fashion may result in its application being removed from consideration. CNCS staff may

conduct a site visit inspection as part of the clarification process, as appropriate.

Risk Assessment

CNCS staff will evaluate the risks to the program posed by each applicant, including conducting 

due diligence to ensure an applicant’s ability to manage federal funds. This evaluation is in 

addition to the assessment of the applicant’s eligibility and the quality of its application on the 

basis of the Selection Criteria; results from this evaluation will inform funding decisions. If 

CNCS determines that an award will be made to an applicant with assessed risks, special 

conditions that correspond to the degree of assessed risk may be applied to the award. 

Additionally, if CNCS concludes that the reasons for applicants having poor risk assessment are 

not likely to be mitigated, those applications may not be selected for funding. 

In evaluating risks, CNCS may consider: 

 financial stability

 quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed 

in applicable OMB Guidance

 applicant’s record in managing previous CNCS awards, cooperative agreements, or 

procurement awards, including: 

o timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements

o accuracy of data reported

o conformance to the terms and conditions of previous federal awards 

o if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be 

expended prior to future awards

 information available through OMB-designated repositories of government-wide 

eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as:

o Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)
20

o DUNS and SAM

o “Do Not Pay”

 reports and findings from single audits performed under 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F –

Audit Requirements and findings and reports of any other available audits

 IRS Tax Form 990

 applicant organization’s annual report

 publicly available information, including information from the applicant organization's 

website

 applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements 

imposed on award recipients

e. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information

Prior to making any award under this Notice that exceeds $150,000, CNCS is required to review 

and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through SAM and FAPIIS (see 41 U.S.C. 2313). Additionally, 

CNCS may expand upon these requirements and use its discretion to review and consider 

information about any applicant receiving an award, including those under $150,000.

Any applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance 

systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a federal 

awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance 

system accessible through FAPIIS.

CNCS will consider comments by any applicant, in addition to the other information in the 

designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's 

integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing its 

review of risk posed by the applicant under the Risk Assessment Evaluation section of this

Notice. 

f. Selection for Funding

The review and selection process is designed to: 

 identify how well eligible applications are aligned with the application review criteria

 build a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations: 

o CNCS Funding Priorities (See section A.2. Funding Priorities)

o meaningful representation of:

 public and private institutions of higher education

Based on the evaluation of these strategic considerations, applications may be selected for 

funding over applications with a greater degree of alignment with the review criteria. In 

selecting applicants to receive awards under this Notice, the Chief Executive Officer will 

endeavor to include a diverse portfolio of applications based on staff recommendations and 

strategic considerations.

CNCS reserves the right to prioritize funding existing awards over making new awards. 
21

CNCS reserves the right to adjust or make changes to the review process, in the event that 

unforeseen challenges or urgent circumstances make it impossible, impracticable, or inefficient 

to conduct the review process as planned. Any such adjustments or changes will not affect the 

selection criteria that will be used to assess applications.

3. Feedback to Applicants

Following awards, applicants will receive summary comments from the Staff Review of their 

compliant applications. This feedback will be based on the review of the original application and

will not reflect information provided during clarification.

4. Transparency in Grant-making

CNCS is committed to transparency in grant-making. The following information for new 

applications will be published on CNCS Results of Grant Competitions within 90 business days 

after all cooperative agreements are awarded:

 a list of all compliant applications submitted

 executive summaries of all compliant applications

 data extracted from the SF-424 Face Sheet and the submitted program narratives for 

successful applications

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

CNCS will make awards following the cooperative agreement selection announcement. CNCS 

anticipates announcing the results of this competition by late August 2017 contingent on the 

availability of congressional appropriations. All applicants, successful or not, will be notified of 

funding decisions via email.

Notification of an award is not an authorization to begin cooperative agreement activities. The 

Notice of Grant Award signed by the grant officer is the authorizing document for cooperative 

agreement activities. An awardee may not expend federal funds until the start of the Project 

Period identified on the Notice of Grant Award.

Changes in the Research Design or Project Work Plan

The award will be made based on the research study proposed in the 2017 application. However, 

should there be any changes to the research design after the award is granted, the awardee, and 

academic advisor if applicable, will propose the changes and an explanation for the changes to 

CNCS and in consultation with CNCS, the changes may be approved.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Uniform Guidance

All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, 

Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), now 

consolidated in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205.
22

b. Requests for Improper Payment Information

CNCS may, from time to time, request documentation from recipients in order to monitor the 

award or to comply with other legal requirements, such as the Improper Payments Information 

Act of 2002, as amended. Failure to make timely responses to these requests may result in award 

funds being placed on temporary manual hold, reimbursement only, or other remedies as 

appropriate. 

c. CNCS Terms and Conditions 

All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the 2017 CNCS General Terms and 

Conditions, and the 2017 Specific Terms and Conditions for the particular program (when 

applicable). These Terms and Conditions contain detailed, mandatory compliance and reporting 

requirements. Current versions of the CNCS General and Specific Terms and Conditions for 

each of its programs is available at https://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/terms-andconditions-cncs-grants. 

d. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements

The awardees receiving funding from the National Service and Civic Engagement Research 

Competition are exempt from this requirement. 

3. Use of Material

To ensure that materials generated with CNCS funding are available to the public and readily 

accessible to recipients and non-recipients, CNCS reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and 

irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, publish, or disseminate publications and 

materials produced under the award, including data, and to authorize others to do so (2 CFR 

§200.315).

4. Reporting

Recipients are required to submit a variety of reports which are due at specific times during the 

life cycle of an award. All reports must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time.

Recipients are required to provide a draft report (that will be labeled as a first semi-annual 

report in eGrants) and semi-annual financial reports through eGrants, CNCS’s web-based 

grants management system. All recipients must provide quarterly expense reports through the 

Payment Management System (PMS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition, at the end of the award period, recipients must submit a final cumulative research 

study report that will be labeled as a second semi-annual report in eGrants. Also, at the end of 

the award period, financial report that is cumulative over the entire award period and consistent 

with the close-out requirements of CNCS’s Office of Grants Management must be submitted. 

The final reports are due 90 days after the end of the agreement. 

Once the cooperative agreement is awarded, recipients will be expected to have data collection 

and data management policies, processes, and practices that provide reasonable assurance that 

they are giving CNCS high quality performance measure data. At a minimum, recipients should 

have policies, processes, and practices that address the following five aspects of data quality:

 the data measures what it intends to measure
23

 the data reported is complete

 the recipient collects data in a consistent manner

 the recipient takes steps to correct data errors

 the recipient actively reviews data for accuracy prior to submission.

Failure to submit accurate, complete, and timely required reports may affect the recipient’s 

ability to secure future CNCS funding.

For further guidance and training resources see: Resources: Data Collection and Instruments

5. Meetings

In-person meetings

New award recipients will be expected to participate in an in-person meeting hosted by CNCS in 

Year 1. This meeting will be held at CNCS’s headquarters in Washington DC. CNCS will do its 

best to find a mutually available time for all recipients; however, there is no guarantee that all 

schedule conflicts will be accommodated. At least one Program Director (i.e., Principal 

Investigator) from each recipient must participate in the meeting, and each recipient will be 

required to deliver a presentation on the current status of their respective projects.

The meeting will bring together recipients, relevant CNCS staff, and other subject matter experts. 

The meeting will provide an opportunity for recipients to participate in a joint discussion of their 

proposed study designs and research questions, and receive technical assistance from CNCS’s

staff and invited experts. This will allow for knowledge sharing across the various projects, as 

well as encourage peer-to-peer contacts among each of the recipients if multiple grants are 

awarded. The meeting will most likely be held the day before ORE’s annual Research Summit 

that is expected to be held in mid-December. The conference may be up to two days. Other 

research team members, such as co-Program Directors (i.e., Co-Principal Investigators) as well 

as other key staff such as graduate students working on this project, may also be included in the 

meetings.

Virtual Meetings

Other meetings will be held throughout the year but will be conducted virtually. Meeting 

participants will include recipients and CNCS staff, and recipients may be expected to report on 

progress to date, challenges, adaptations to the initial study design, findings, and lessons learned. 

The meetings will be an opportunity for recipients to provide feedback to one another and 

receive feedback and technical assistance from CNCS staff. CNCS will do its best to find 

mutually available times for all recipients, however, there is no guarantee that all schedule 

conflicts will be accommodated. At least one principal investigator or key staff from each 

recipient must participate in each meeting. A first meeting will be a virtual kick-off meeting 

within 30 days of the award notification.

6. Deliverables, Publications and Presentations

In addition to reporting requirements outlined in section F.4. Reporting, awardees must submit a 

draft and final research report prior to the end of the project period. (In eGrants and in the Terms 

and Conditions these reports are referred to as first and second semiannual reports.) The research 
24

report must describe the literature review, conceptual framework, research questions, and 

sample, methods, analysis, results, limitations and status of IRB. The research report must also 

document implications for policymakers, practitioners, and future research. Copies of all data 

collection instruments should be included as appendices. CNCS will provide comments on the 

draft report within a one month period. Generally, any revisions based on comments from CNCS 

will be optional unless they are related to misrepresentation of CNCS’s programs, policies, or 

related legislation and regulations. After comments have been incorporated into the final 

research report, the report itself and any derivative products can be distributed as desired by the 

recipient. In addition, CNCS may choose to publish the report (see section F.3. Use of Material) 

and may make the data available to the public through its open data platform or through other 

means. 

Generally, results cannot be disseminated prior to the closing of the grant period without 

approval from CNCS. Exceptions may be made for projects in the Dissertation Category in 

order to permit completion of a dissertation requirement. In all cases, results cannot be 

disseminated without first providing CNCS opportunity of at least 2 weeks for comment.

7. Continuation Funding Information and Requirements 

Organizations that have current National Service and Civic Engagement Research Competition

awards that continue beyond FY 2017 must submit an application in order to be eligible to 

receive funding for the following year. Please see the Application Instructions. Requests by 

existing continuation applicants for increases in the level of funding will be assessed using the 

review criteria published in this Notice.

The review will also be based on the progress reports, the federal financial report, evaluation 

plans, and CNCS staff’s knowledge of the grant program. To be approved for continued funding, 

recipients must demonstrate satisfactory performance with respect to key program goals and 

requirements, as well as compliance with the terms and conditions of the grant. 

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For more information or a printed copy of related material(s), call (202) 606-3778 or email:

NationalServiceResearch@cns.gov. The TTY number is (800) 833-3722.

For technical questions and problems with the eGrants system, call the National Service Hotline 

at (800) 942-2677. National Service Hotline hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 

7:00 p.m. May to September. Potential applicants can also use this link: eGrants Questions. Be 

prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the name of the Notice to which 

the organization is applying.
25

H. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Technical Assistance

CNCS will conduct one technical assistance call to answer questions about the funding 

opportunity and eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages all applicants to participate in these 

sessions. Call-in information for the technical assistance calls is on CNCS’s website:

https://www.nationalservice.gov/fy17-civic-engagement-research-competition.

2. Re-Focusing of Funding

CNCS reserves the right to re-focus program dollars estimated for this competition in the event 

of disaster or other compelling needs. 
26

APPENDIX I

Biographical Sketch Guidelines

See National Science Foundation (NSF) Guidelines:

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf14001/gpg_2.jsp

(i) Senior Personnel

A biographical sketch (limited to two pages) is required for each individual identified as senior 

project personnel (Program Directors). The following information must be provided in the order 

and format specified below. Inclusion of additional information beyond that specified below may 

result in the proposal being returned without review.

Do not submit personal information such as home address; home telephone, fax, or cell phone 

numbers; home e-mail address; date of birth; citizenship; drivers’ license numbers; marital 

status; personal hobbies; and the like. Such personal information is irrelevant to the merits of the 

proposal. If such information is included, NSF will make every effort to prevent unauthorized 

access to such material, but the Foundation is not responsible or in any way liable for the release 

of such material. 

(a) Professional Preparation

A list of the individual's undergraduate and graduate education and postdoctoral training as 

indicated below:

Undergraduate Institution(s) Major Degree & Year

Graduate Institution(s) Major Degree & Year

Postdoctoral Institution(s) Area Inclusive Dates (years)

(b) Appointments

A list, in reverse chronological order, of all the individual's academic/professional appointments 

beginning with the current appointment.

(c) Products

A list of: (i) up to five products most closely related to the proposed project; and (ii) up to five 

other significant products, whether or not related to the proposed project. Acceptable products 

must be citable and accessible including but not limited to publications, data sets, software, 

patents, and copyrights. Unacceptable products are unpublished documents not yet submitted for 

publication, invited lectures, and additional lists of products. Only the list of 10 will be used in 

the review of the proposal.

Each product must include full citation information including (where applicable and practicable) 

names of all authors, date of publication or release, title, title of enclosing work such as journal 

or book, volume, issue, pages, website and Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or other Persistent 

Identifier.

If only publications are included, the heading "Publications" may be used for this section of the 

Biographical Sketch.
27

(d) Synergistic Activities

A list of up to five examples that demonstrate the broader impact of the individual’s professional 

and scholarly activities that focuses on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its 

creation. Examples could include, among others: innovations in teaching and training (e.g., 

development of curricular materials and pedagogical methods); contributions to the science of 

learning; development and/or refinement of research tools; computation methodologies, and 

algorithms for problem-solving; development of databases to support research and education; 

broadening the participation of groups underrepresented in science, mathematics, engineering 

and technology; and service to the scientific and engineering community outside of the 

individual’s immediate organization.

(e) Collaborators & Other Affiliations

This section is not necessary for the CNCS application.