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NOTICE OF FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABILITY 

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service

Funding Opportunity Title: 2015 National Service and Civic Engagement Research 

Competition

Announcement Type: Amended Announcement

CFDA Number: 94.026

Important Dates

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





A Notice of Intent to Apply is due by June 19, 2015 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Applications are due July 16, 2015 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Successful applicants will be notified by early September.

Disclosure: Publication of this Notice of Federal Funding Availability (Notice) does not 

obligate the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to award any 

specific number of cooperative agreements or to obligate any particular amount of 

funding.

FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE 

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose of 2015 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, the Social Innovation 

Fund, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, CNCS has helped to engage millions of citizens in 

meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action.

To further achieve its mission, CNCS has a strong belief in the importance of research in order to 

identify effective strategies for national service and increase the evidence-base for its programs. 

This means engaging the broader community of academic researchers involved in studying and 

evaluating national service, volunteerism, and civic infrastructure. The goal of this competition is 

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

volunteering, national and community service, and/or civic engagement in America. 

We are 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 national 

service and civic engagement. 

For the purposes of this competition, 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. 

“Civic infrastructure” has been defined as the “invisible structures and processes through which 

the social contract is written and rewritten in communities,” “the formal and informal processes 
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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 non-political 

processes.”3

Activities to be funded through this competition, and conducted in cooperation with CNCS, 

include:

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



Research design, planning, and implementation including data collection, analysis and 

reporting.

Dissemination of results, including reports, publications, and presentations, as well as 

designing and teaching university-level courses.

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. 

Applicants should propose a three-year plan that is consistent with CNCS’ research interests 

outlined above. We also encourage applicants to describe how their proposed study may be 

related to one or more of CNCS’ strategic focus areas and the goal of organizational capacity 

building, including:

Disaster Services: Helping individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, 

and mitigate the effects of disasters and increase community resiliency.

Economic Opportunity: Supporting and/or facilitating access to services and resources that 

contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged 

individuals. 

Education: Supporting and/or providing access to services and resources that contribute to 

improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged people, especially children. 

CNCS is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service 

learning as strategies to achieve high educational outcomes. 

Environmental Stewardship: Providing services – including efforts to change citizen behavior –

that increase energy and water efficiency and renewable energy use or that improve at-risk 

ecosystems, especially in economically disadvantaged households and communities. 

 

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.
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Healthy Futures: Providing support for health needs within communities, including access to 

care, aging in place, and addressing childhood obesity. 

Veterans and Military Families: Improving the quality of life of veterans and improve military 

family strength. 

Capacity Building: Providing support for capacity building activities that enable organizations to 

provide more, better and sustained direct services to individuals or communities. 

More information can be found at the following URL: http://www.nationalservice.gov/focusareas. Applicants may consider focusing on one of CNCS’s programs or recipients of these 

programs, including: AmeriCorps State & National, AmeriCorps National Civilian Conservation 

Corps (NCCC), AmeriCorps VISTA, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, Pay for Success, and 

the Volunteer Generation Fund. However, applicants are not required to do so and it will not 

confer any advantage.

Funding Categories

CNCS anticipates funding projects in two categories: Dissertation and Scholars. Applicants may 

submit applications in one or both of the award categories. Applicants can submit more than one 

application 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 applicant may be funded. Applicants to either 

award category must comply with all of the rules and restrictions described in this Notice, and 

will be subject to the same selection criteria described below in section. Generally, applications

within one category will not be compared against those in the other category. 

Dissertation Category: This category targets research that may support doctoral dissertations. 

Applicants must select one or more institutional candidates for doctorates who will be doing the 

research, although the institution of higher learning will be responsible for meeting the 

performance objectives and other agreed upon criteria set forth in the Cooperative Agreement. 

Award amounts are expected to be lower than in the Scholars Category.

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

researchers, with a proven track record and standing in their respective fields. Again, applicants 

must select one or more established researchers, scholars, and postdoctoral researchers who will 

be actually doing the research on behalf of the applicant, although the institution of higher 

learning will be responsible for meeting the performance objectives and other agreed upon 

criteria set forth in the Cooperative Agreement. Projects are expected to be of larger scope than 

those submitted to the Dissertation Category, including a team of researchers 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. Award amounts are expected to 

be higher than in the Dissertation Category.

Dissemination of Results
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Recipients must include a plan in their application for disseminating the results from their studies

to inform practitioners and other researchers. This plan may include the following components:

- Publications and presentations in academic, professional, practitioner, or other settings.

- Designing and teaching of university-level courses.

- Convening practitioners, researchers, policymakers, or other stakeholders.

- Tools for practitioners.

Applications should show sensitivity to alternative dissemination strategies that may be 

appropriate for different audiences, from the public or national service participants to

policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and academics. The research and dissemination will be 

nonpartisan.

CNCS reserves the right to publish a version of the final research report, and in such a case the 

report must be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. See http://accessboard.gov/508.htm for more details. In addition, any version of the final research report that 

CNCS publishes will adhere to the agency’s branding policies. Should CNCS decide to publish 

the final research report, this will not preclude publication in other venues. CNCS expects that 

authors publishing in other venues will provide the agency with advance notice.

Access to CNCS Data and Program Information

If necessary, CNCS will make its best efforts to provide data to recipients within reason and in 

accordance with security protocols. Recipients should not expect to have access to personallyidentifiable information or business proprietary information. CNCS will also make its best 

efforts to connect award recipients with CNCS program staff or CNCS recipients. In its review 

of the feasibility of projects described in the applications, CNCS will pay close attention to the 

likelihood that data and sources applicants propose can be obtained, and the effects of not 

obtaining such data or sources on the research outcomes.

Applicants may plan to conduct research in coordination with existing CNCS grant recipients 

and those who receive benefits from national service volunteers through CNCS programs such as 

VISTA and NCCC. A directory of such recipients can be found here: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/state-profiles

2. Funding Priorities 

CNCS seeks to support research in three broad areas of equal priority. Each funding priority has 

the potential to inform the agency’s policy and program decisions as well as provide evidence 

that CNCS is achieving its mission. Specifically, we seek to fund research in the following areas:

1) Economic benefits of national service, volunteering, and civic engagement

CNCS is interested in studies that address the economic benefits of national service, 

volunteering and civic engagement to individuals and communities. Though exploratory 

studies will receive consideration, CNCS prefers projects in this priority area that are 

confirmatory and testing hypotheses that can provide causal evidence of economic 

benefits. CNCS has sponsored several studies in this area, and encourages applicants to 
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consider building on this existing work or exploring new areas. Past and ongoing studies 

include:

o

o

o

o

Volunteering as a pathway to employment: Does volunteering increase the odds of 

finding a job for the out of work? Using nationally-representative data from the 

US Current Population Survey, this study found that individuals who volunteer 

after being out of work have a higher odds of finding work than those who do not 

volunteer. See: http://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/research-andreports/volunteering-pathway-employment-report

Competitive Advantage of National Service Participation in the Job Market. This 

ongoing study uses a discrete choice experiment to survey a nationally 

representative sample of employers. The primary objective is to quantify the 

preferences of employers for job candidates with AmeriCorps experience.

AmeriCorps Alumni Survey. This ongoing study is surveying a representative 

sample of AmeriCorps alumni to understand how national service in AmeriCorps 

may have influenced their educational and career pathways and their future civic 

engagement. 

AmeriCorps Longitudinal Study. This eight-year study compared AmeriCorps 

members with a matched comparison group who did not serve in order to assess 

the impact of service on public service careers, civic engagement, and other 

outcomes. 

For example, applicants may propose to answer the following questions:

o

o

o

To what extent does national service in a community contribute to the creation of 

job opportunities?

To what extent does serving in a national service position help individuals of 

different ages, education levels, and racial and ethnic backgrounds, find job 

opportunities?

To what extent does higher levels of civic engagement in a community lead to 

greater economic opportunity?

2) Innovative research methodologies applied to national service models

CNCS is interested in research methodologies that are innovative and have not yet been 

applied to national service models, and which have strong potential to yield useful results 

for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Applicants are encouraged to consider 

innovations in data collection, data analysis, and research design. 

Many CNCS programs require recipients to conduct program evaluations in order to 

develop their evidence base. However, CNCS programs, and national service programs 

broadly, have a wide range of intervention strategies that may not be amenable to 

traditional program evaluation methods, such as randomized control trials or comparison 

group designs. For example, AmeriCorps recipients may be engaged in stream 

rehabilitation, an AmeriCorps NCCC team may respond to natural disasters, and 

AmeriCorps VISTA members may train organizations to recruit board members. Such 

activities cannot necessarily be measured through conventional methods. Applicants are 

encouraged to consider research in one of the CNCS focus areas where less evidence of 
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program effectiveness exists, namely: Disaster Services, Environmental Stewardship, 

Healthy Futures, and Organizational Capacity Building.

For example, applicants may propose to:

o

o

o

o

o

Apply an innovative method to an existing national service model

Compare results of an innovative method to a traditional method in the national 

service context

Apply a method from another discipline that is not commonly used in national 

service

Introduce and implement novel and rigorous methods and approaches to assess 

hard to measure areas such as isolating and capturing the value-add of national 

service members towards community impact, contribution of national service 

volunteers towards strengthening of capacity of organizations where they are 

deployed, or return on investment in national service;

Introduce and apply promising and rigorous methods and approaches that address 

issues of internal and external validity in evaluation of programs that do not lend 

themselves to traditional impact evaluation designs such as quasi-experimental 

studies or randomized controlled trials.

3) Measuring and exploring relationships among civic engagement, national service, 

and volunteering

For more than 20 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 sponsored a 2014 study from 

the National Research Council, entitled “Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion: 

Measuring Dimensions of Social Capital to Inform Policy,” which made several 

recommendations regarding how civic engagement and social capital can be measured.4

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 records, 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.

In this priority area, CNCS is interested in research studies that can explore measuring 

civic engagement and related concepts, including social cohesion and social capital. 

Additionally, CNCS is interested in studies that explore the relationships among national 

service, volunteering, and civic engagement. While applicants should be deeply familiar 

with theoretical or conceptual work, CNCS is seeking studies that apply theoretical 

concepts in the analysis of empirical data, either quantitative or qualitative. For example, 

applicants may propose to address:

o The psychometric validity and reliability of new measurement models for 

concepts related to civic infrastructure or civic engagement, including their cost 

effectiveness and feasibility for widespread data collection.

 

4

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

o

o

New non-survey methods for measuring civic engagement, such as social media 

or administrative records.

How national or community service projects influence the level of civic 

engagement in a community or among individuals.

How certain approaches to national service (such as members working in teams vs 

individually) may produce different results in different contexts (e.g. urban, rural) 

and with different populations (e.g. ethnicity, education, age).

Applicants must propose a research study in at least one area described above. We will consider 

applications that address more than one of the areas described, but there will be no preference 

given to an application because it addresses more than one of the research areas. 

4. 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

According to the FY 2015 Appropriations, $800,000 is available for cooperative agreements 

under the 2015 National Service Research Competition. 

2. Estimated Award Amount

Annual award amounts will vary as determined by the scope of the projects. CNCS will make the 

initial awards in the range of $30,000 to $300,000.

3. Project Period

The cooperative agreement award covers up to a 3-year project period. CNCS will make an 

initial award for the first year of operation. Continuation funding for subsequent years is not 

guaranteed and will be dependent upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory 

performance. 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 2015 National Service and Civic Engagement Research 

Competition is a cooperative agreement, which provides for substantial involvement by CNCS 

with the recipient organizations as the approved cooperative agreement activities are 

implemented. The assigned CNCS program officer will confer with the award recipient on a 

regular and frequent basis to develop and/or review service delivery and project status, including 

work plans, budgets, periodic reports, evaluations, etc. CNCS anticipates having substantial 

involvement in: 

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Reviewing research plans 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
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 Disseminating results of projects

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 

1. Eligible Applicants

This competition is only open to institutions of higher education. All applicants must 

demonstrate an institutional capacity to manage large research projects and Federal or other 

grants. We will select one or more institutional candidates for doctorates, or one or more 

established researchers, scholars, and postdoctoral researchers who will be actually doing the 

research on behalf of the applicant, depending on the category of funding selected by the 

applicant. 

For applicants to the Dissertation Category, the project director working on the dissertation must 

have completed Ph.D. coursework and passed qualifying exams and achieved All But 

Dissertation (ABD) status by the time the award begins. The proposed research study must be 

approved by the student’s academic advisor and/or their Ph.D. committee. The academic advisor 

and/or PhD committee shall write a letter to include in this application that states their approval 

of the proposed research project and continued support for the applicant’s successful completion 

of the proposed research project. The award will be made based on the research study proposed 

in the 2015 application. However, should there be any changes to the research design after the 

award is granted, the awardee and academic advisor will propose the changes and an explanation 

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

Previously receiving funds from CNCS or another federal agency is not a prerequisite to apply to 

this Notice. 

Organizations that have been convicted of a federal crime may not receive assistance described 

in this Notice. 

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.

2. Match

There is no cost share or matching requirement, but providing a match makes the application 

more competitive. If you opt to provide a match, include a brief description of the amount, 

classification (cash or in-kind), source(s) (State/Local, Federal, Private) for all resources secured 

to manage, monitor, and support the match.

3. Other Requirements

Institutional Review Board

Applicants proposing to conduct research on human subjects must document in their applications 
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whether they have obtained approval from their Institutional Review Board (IRB) or plans for 

doing so. The final research report submitted to CNCS must state whether IRB approval was 

necessary, and if so, obtained.

Meetings

Award recipients will be expected to participate in three annual meetings, hosted by CNCS. 

Dates for the meetings will be determined in conjunction with award recipients; 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 from each recipient 

must participate in each meeting, and each recipient will be required to deliver a presentation on 

the current status of their respective projects. Applicants should budget for travel and associated 

expenses for all meetings.

The first meeting will be a day-long, in-person meeting held at CNCS headquarters in 

Washington, D.C., held during the fall of 2015. This 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 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. 

A second, day-long meeting will be held during the fall of 2016. It is expected that this meeting 

will be conducted virtually. Meeting participants will include recipients and CNCS staff, and 

recipients will be expected to report on progress to date, challenges, adaptations to the initial 

study design, and lessons learned. The meeting will be an opportunity for recipients to provide 

feedback to one another and receive feedback and technical assistance from CNCS staff.

A third day-long meeting will be held at CNCS headquarters during the spring of 2018 before the 

award period ends. Meeting participants will include recipients, CNCS staff, and subject matter 

experts. Recipients will be expected to present on their studies, including initial and final design 

plans, data collection, analytical methodologies, results, limitations on the results, policy 

implications for the results, and directions for future research. It is expected that white papers or 

draft reports will be submitted to CNCS for distribution to meeting participants prior to the 

meeting. 

Deliverables, Publications and Presentations

In addition to reporting requirements outlined in section F5 Reporting, awardees must submit a 

final research report prior to the end of the project period. The report must detail the research 

objectives, data sources and potential sampling methods, analytical methodology, results, and 

limitations and challenges. The final 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 report in a timely manner. 

Generally, any revisions based on comments from CNCS will be optional unless they are related 
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to misrepresentation of CNCS 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 F4 Use of Material).

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 dissertation requirement. In all cases, results cannot be disseminated 

without first providing CNCS opportunity for comment. 

Relationship with Program Evaluations Required by CNCS of Grantees

Some CNCS programs require recipients to conduct program evaluations, including AmeriCorps 

State & National, and the Social Innovation Fund. While recipients in these programs may 

participate in a proposed research study under the 2015 National Service Research Competition, 

no part of an awarded project under this competition may be used to replace or fulfill evaluation 

requirements of these programs.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

This Notice should be read together with the Application Instructions. These documents are 

available online at http://go.usa.gov/39vzG. 

1. Address to Request Application Package

Applicants should refer to the CNCS website to obtain the necessary information to apply. 

Applicants can also send an email to NationalServiceResearch@cns.gov or call (202) 606-3778 

for a printed copy of the application package. The TTY (Text Telephone) number is (800) 833-

3722.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission 

a. Application Content 

Complete applications must have the following components: 

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

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

complete the data elements in the eGrants system. Many of the fields will be filled 

automatically with information entered during the registration process.

Narrative 

o

o

o

Executive Summary: This is a brief description of the proposed program. 

Executive Summaries of all compliant applications are published on the CNCS 

website following the signing of the cooperative agreement.

Program Design

 Research Objectives, Background, and Conceptual Framework

 Research Design and Work Plan

 Dissemination Plan

Organizational Capability
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o Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy





Standard Form 424A Budget

Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications

b. Page Limits

Applications may not exceed 15 double-space pages for the Narrative, including the SF-424 Face 

Sheet and Executive Summary as the pages print out from eGrants. The page limit does not 

include the Budget section. It also does not include the curricula vitae and publication list of the 

principal investigator(s)/project director(s) or research team, which must be submitted as an 

additional document to NationalServiceResearch@cns.gov by the application deadline.

Reviewers will not consider material past the page limit in the printed report, even if eGrants 

allows applicants to enter and submit text over the limit. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to 

print out the application from the “Review and Submit” page prior to its submission in order to 

check that it does not exceed the page limit. 

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

Management (SAM) 

Applications must include a DUNS number and an Employer Identification. 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 

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. CNCS recommends registering at least 30 days before the 

application due date. 

After obtaining a DUNS number, all applicants must register with the System for Award 

Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the 

application process is complete and, if a cooperative agreement is awarded, throughout the life of 

the award. SAM registration must be renewed annually. CNCS suggests finalizing a new 

registration or renewing an existing one at least two weeks before the application deadline to 

allow time to resolve any issues that may arise. 

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

award. See the SAM Quick Guide for Recipients at: 

https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_Quick_Guide_Grants_Registrations-v1.6.pdf.

4. Submission Dates and Times

a. Notice of Intent to Apply

CNCS strongly encourages applicants to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply by June 19, 2015.

Please submit the intent to NationalServiceResearch@cns.gov with the email subject line: 2015 

National Service and Civic Engagement Research Competition Notice of Intent to Apply. The 

Notice of Intent to Apply must include the name of the applicant organization, name of the 

principal investigator(s), address, contact person, email address, and phone number. All Notices 

of Intent to Apply will receive an email response acknowledging receipt.

b. Application Submission Deadline
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Applications are due July 16, 2015 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. CNCS will not consider 

applications received after the deadline, except as noted below. CNCS reserves the right to 

extend the submission deadline and any notice of such extended deadline will be posted on the 

CNCS website. 

c. Late Applications

CNCS may consider an application after the deadline, but only if the applicant submits a letter to

LateApplications@cns.gov explaining the extenuating technical circumstances that caused the 

delay. CNCS must receive the letter within a business day after the deadline. If technical issues 

prevent an applicant from submitting an application on time, the letter should include the eGrants 

ticket number provided by the National Service Hotline. Communication with CNCS staff, 

including an applicant’s program officer, is not a substitute for sending the letter. CNCS will 

determine whether or not to accept a late application on a case-by-case basis. Please be advised 

that CNCS will not consider an advance request to submit a late application.

5. Funding Restrictions 

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

regulations that outline the funding restrictions. 

Indirect Cost

CNCS allows applicants to include administrative (indirect) costs in CNCS cooperative 

agreements budgets. Applicants have the option of using an indirect cost rate that is approved by 

their cognizant state or federal agency, claiming selected costs directly or using an indirect cost 

rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). The option utilized must be applied 

consistently across all federal awards.

6. Other Submission Requirements

a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants

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

(https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp). 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 document into the 

appropriate eGrants field no later than 10 days before the deadline.

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

Contact the National Service Hotline at (800) 942-2677 or via 

(https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask_eg) if a problem arises when creating an account 

or preparing or submitting the application. National Service Hotline hours are Monday through 

Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Be prepared to provide the application ID, 
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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 extenuating 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 

ATT: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/ 2015 National Service and Civic 

Engagement Research Competition Application 

1201 New York Avenue, NW 

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 

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.

 Applicants within the Dissertation Category should submit a signed letter from their 

dissertation advisor certifying that he or she will provide oversight and that the student 

leading the research is in “dissertation status.”

 Curricula vitae and list of relevant publications of the project director(s)/principal 

investigator(s) and key project staff.

All required additional documents must be emailed to NationalServiceResearch@cns.gov with 

the following subject line: 2015 National Service and Civic Engagement Research Competition 

Additional Documents - Application ID number. Within the email, please include the following 

information:











the legal applicant name and its point of contact information

the application ID number

a list of documents that should be attached to the email

individually saved files that are clearly labeled 

files that include the legal applicant name and application ID number within the body of 

each document.

Do not submit supplementary material such as videos, brochures, or any items not requested 

in this Notice. CNCS will not review or return them.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Applications should include a well-designed plan with clear and compelling justifications for 
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receiving the requested funds. Reviewers will assess the applications against the selection criteria 

and rate them accordingly considering the weights assigned to each criterion:

1. Program Design (60%)

a. Relevance of Research Objectives (30%)

CNCS will consider the overall relevance of the applicant’s research objectives to the 

broad areas defined in section A1 and the potential usefulness of the research results 

to the advancement of research and policy knowledge and development in those 

areas.

b. Research Design (30%)

CNCS will consider the quality and feasibility of the proposed design based on the 

soundness, relevance and creativity of the applicant’s research plan. A research design 

should include:















Relevant background research

Conceptual or theoretical framework

Hypotheses to be tested or relationships and concepts to be explored

Data sources (including primary or secondary) and data collection 

methods

Analytical methodologies (quantitative and qualitative)

Project plan, providing a tentative schedule of major steps in the study

Dissemination plan for results

2. Organizational Capability (20%)

CNCS will consider the capacity of applicants to deliver the proposed activities based on: 









The standing, experience and body of work, including existing publications, of the 

principal investigators and other staff associated with the project;

Capacity of principal investigators and the staff associated with the project to 

produce and manage high quality research projects;

Ability to manage a Federal grant and/or apply sound fiscal management principles 

to grants, as evidenced by previous grants experience;

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

including experience promoting research findings to engage policymakers, 

practitioners and other influential non-researchers. 

3. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (20%)

CNCS will consider the budget based on:









Cost-effectiveness of the proposed research; 

The clarity and completeness of the budget and budget narrative;

Adequacy of the budget based on proposed research design; and

The proposed level of non-federal share funding (match). There is no requirement 

to match, but providing match makes the application more competitive.
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2. Review and Selection Process

The assessment of applications involves a wide range of considerations. CNCS will engage Staff 

Reviewers with relevant knowledge and expertise to assess and provide input on the eligible 

applications. In the end, the review and selection process will produce a diversified set of highquality programs that represent the priorities described in this Notice.

a. Stages in the Review Process

Compliance and Eligibility Review 

CNCS staff will review all applications to determine compliance with eligibility, deadline, and 

completeness. Applications determined non-compliant will not be considered. An application is 

compliant if the applicant: 







is an eligible organization 

submitted an application and all required documentation by the submission deadline 

submitted an application that is complete; in that it contains all required elements and 

additional documents, and follows the instructions provided in this Notice 

CNCS will screen applications in accordance with the requirements in this Notice to determine if 

the applicant has met all eligibility and submission requirements. The screening may occur at 

various stages of the grant-making process. Applicants determined to be ineligible will not 

receive an award. 

Staff Review

CNCS Staff Reviewers will assess all eligible applications in their entirety based on the selection 

criteria outlined in this Notice. Staff Reviewers will also consider the comprehensiveness and 

feasibility of the application, as well as the priorities considerations detailed in this Notice. 

CNCS will recruit and select Staff Reviewers on the basis of demonstrated expertise in research 

and evaluation methodology, as well as experience assessing applications. All Staff Reviewers 

will be screened for conflicts of interest. 

Clarification Process 

CNCS may ask some applicants to provide clarifying information. This information is used by 

CNCS staff 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 clarification. 

Failure to respond to a request for clarification in a timely fashion will result in removal of the 

application from consideration. CNCS staff may conduct a site visit inspection, as appropriate. 

Risk Assessment Evaluation

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, and results from this evaluation will inform funding decisions. If 

CNCS determines that an award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of 

risk assessed may be applied to the award. 

In evaluating risks, CNCS may consider the following: 

 financial stability
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















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 validity of performance measure 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 Recipient Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)

o DUNS and SAM

o “Do Not Pay”

reports and findings from single audits performed under Subpart F – Audit Requirements, 

2 CFR Part 200 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.

Selection for Funding 

The review and selection process is designed to: 





identify applications that demonstrate high alignment with the selection criteria and 

funding priorities

yield a diversified portfolio of recipients.

The Chief Executive Officer will select the final awardees based on the staff recommendations 

and priorities.

CNCS reserves the right to change the review and selection process in case of extenuating 

circumstances.

3. Feedback to Applicants 

Following awards, compliant applicants will receive summary comments from the Staff Review. 

This feedback will be based on the review of the original application and will not reflect 

information that may have been provided in response to clarification. 

4. Transparency in Grant-making

CNCS is committed to transparency in grant-making. The following information for new and recompeting applications will be published on the CNCS website 

(http://nationalservice.gov/about/open-government-initiative/transparency/results-grantscompetition) within 90 business days after all cooperative agreements are awarded:
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





a list of all compliant applications submitted

Executive Summaries of all compliant applications submitted by the applicants

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 early September 2015. Applicants will 

be notified via email as to funding decisions. This notification 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. Unsuccessful applicants will also 

receive a notification that their application was not approved for funding.

A recipient may not expend federal funds until the start of the Project Period identified on the 

Notice of Grant Award.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

The Notice of Grant Award incorporates the approved application as part of the binding 

commitments under the cooperative agreement, as well as the requirements of applicable 

sections of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and other applicable statutes. 

Awards will also be subject to the specific terms and conditions established for a cooperative 

agreement or defined in the Terms and Conditions or Special Conditions attached to the award. If 

necessary, applicants will have an opportunity to negotiate conditions before they accept an 

award

Cooperative agreements under this program are 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). This final guidance supersedes and streamlines 

requirements from OMB Circulars A–21, A–87, and A–122 (the former Cost Principles), A-110 

and A-102 (the former Administrative Requirements), A–133 and A-50 (the former Audits and 

Audit Follow up), and A-89 (the former Federal Domestic Assistance Program Information). 

3. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements

The National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) is a screening procedure established by 

law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. The law requires recipients to conduct and 

document NSCHCs on any person (including award-funded staff, national service participant, or 

volunteer) receiving a salary, living allowance, stipend or education award through a program 

receiving CNCS funds. An individual is ineligible to serve in a position that receives such 

CNCS funding if the individual is registered, or required to be registered, as a sex offender or has 

been convicted of murder. The cost of conducting NSCHCs is an allowable expense under the 

award.

Unless CNCS has provided a recipient with a written exemption or written approval of an 

alternative search procedure, recipients must perform the following checks–
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All award-funded staff, national service participants, and volunteers must undergo NSCHCs 

that include:

1. A nationwide name-based search of the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW); 

and

2. Either

 A name- or fingerprint-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in the 

person’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve/work or

 A fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check.

Special Rule for Persons Serving Vulnerable Populations. Award-funded staff, national 

service participants, and volunteers with recurring access to vulnerable populations (i.e., 

children age 17 or younger, individuals age 60 or older, or individuals with disabilities) must 

undergo NSCHCs that include:

1. A nationwide name-based check of the NSOPW; and

2. Both

 A name- or fingerprint-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in the 

person’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve/work; and

 A fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check.

See 45 C.F.R. § 2540.200–§ 2540.207 and http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/criminalhistory-check for complete information and FAQs.

4. 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).

5. 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 annual progress reports and semi-annual financial through 

eGrants, CNCS’s web-based grants management system. Additionally, all recipients must 

provide quarterly financial 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 final financial and progress 

reports that are cumulative over the entire award period and consistent with the close-out 

requirements of CNCS’s Office of Grants Management. The final financial and progress reports 

are due 90 days after the end of the agreement. 

Award recipients will be required to report at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards over 
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$25,000, and may be required to report on executive compensation for the recipient organization 

and its subrecipients. Recipients must have the necessary systems in place to collect and report 

this information. See 2 CFR Part 170 for more information and to determine how these 

requirements apply. 

Once the grant awardees are selected, they will be expected to complete and report to CNCS on 

the proposed performance measures. Awardees must identify critical outcomes of their work, 

indicators of success, and how progress will be measured. Awardees will be expected to work 

with CNCS to finalize the performance measures that will be used in the Cooperative 

Agreement.

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: 

https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/npm/home#.U9qVL_ldW3o

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 Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 

p.m. Eastern Time. Potential applicants can also use this link: 

https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask for questions. Be prepared to provide the 

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

applying.

H. OTHER INFORMATION 

1. Technical Assistance

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

and eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages all applicants to participate in these sessions. The call 

will be held on June 11 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Call-in information for the technical 

assistance calls can be found on CNCS’s website: http://go.usa.gov/39vzG

2. Re-Focusing of Funding

CNCS reserves the right to re-focus program dollars in the event of disaster or other compelling 

needs.