FACT SHEET: FISCAL YEAR 2006 COMPETITIVE 

TRAINING GRANTS PROGRAM 

Overview 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Preparedness Directorate’s Office of Grants and Training 

(G&T) is pleased to announce the release of the Fiscal Year 2006 Competitive Training Grants Program 

(CTGP) Solicitation for Concept Papers. The CTGP solicitation will provide funding for national 

preparedness training initiatives that further the DHS mission of preparing the nation to prevent, protect 

against, respond to, and recover from incidents of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction or 

catastrophic events. 

DHS is inviting applicants to submit concept papers providing a proposed program overview based on 

one of seven issue areas outlined below. 

Concept papers must clearly demonstrate the applicant’s ability to develop and deliver a national 

preparedness training program. While implementation of a delivery rollout with national coverage is 

required, the rollout strategy can be executed regionally to leverage expertise, share resources, and 

enhance training capacity. The proposed training initiatives must be innovative and non-duplicative of 

current training offered by the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC), other G&T training 

partners, or other federal agencies. 

Proposals must align to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8) and the Interim National 

Preparedness Goal (the Goal). The Goal is a companion document to the National Response Plan (NRP), 

National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the Interim National Infrastructure Protection Plan 

(NIPP). As a result of HSPD-8, DHS is engaged in an innovative approach to define the Nation’s 

preparedness through the development and implementation of target capabilities. Applicants should be 

cognizant of the requirement to align proposed training programs with the Target Capabilities List, which 

identifies 37 capabilities integral to nationwide terrorism and catastrophic event preparedness. Before 

submitting a concept paper, applicants are advised to familiarize themselves with the referenced 

documents, which can be access at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/assessments/hspd8.htm. 

Eligibility 

Entities eligible to receive funding under this program include: state, local, tribal, and territorial 

governments; national associations, including those representing elected officials; institutions of higher 

education; public safety agencies; non-profits, including community and Faith-based organizations; and 

private corporations, including owners and operators of critical infrastructure and health-care entities, 

working in conjunction with the nonprofit sector. 

Concept Paper Template Elements 

G&T has developed a concept paper template to capture critical elements of a viable training strategy and 

delivery mechanism. Applicants are required to use the template to submit concept papers; the template 

can be downloaded at http://www.grants.gov and will be available on the G&T website, 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/. 

Selection Criteria 

Concept papers will be evaluated based on a set of criteria, illustrated in the Fiscal Year 2006 Competitive 

Training Grants Program Solicitation for Concept Papers. Each proposed program plan will be evaluated 

independently on its own merit and relevance to the identified problem and selected issue area. Based on 

peer reviewer recommendations, G&T will invite a select group of organizations to submit full proposals 

describing the program in greater detail including a comprehensive look at budget and staffing plans. 
Issue Areas 

Applicants must designate a single issue area from the following list under which they would like to be 

considered for grant funding: 

• Issue Area #1: Training to address regional collaboration, highlighting the need for embracing 

partnerships across multiple sectors, jurisdictions, regions, and states in building capabilities 

cooperatively. 

• Issue Area #2: Training to focus on information sharing and fusion centers by gathering, analyzing, 

disseminating, using information regarded as intelligence. 

• Issue Area #3: Training to address cyber terrorism prevention and cyber security awareness in an 

effort to protect our Nation’s secure computer networks and critical information systems. 

• Issue Area #4: Training to strengthen infrastructure protection by enhancing security and mitigating 

risk facing our Nation’s critical infrastructure and key resources. 

• Issue Area #5: Training to enhance medical surge capabilities by embracing a multi-disciplinary, 

multi-jurisdictional collaborative approach. 

• Issue Area #6: Training to improve vulnerable population response planning by developing and 

coordinating local and regional plans for those that need assistance preparing for emergencies. 

• Issue Area #7: Training to effectively communicate to the public with timely information about 

protective actions during an emergency. 

To effectively address these gaps in training and achieve a full understanding of each issue area, please 

consult the FY06 Competitive Training Grants Program Solicitation for Concept Papers. 

Amount and Length of Awards 

The number of awards will be determined by the number, quality, and requested funding levels of the 

proposals received. Awards will have a funding period not to exceed thirty-six months. 

Timeline 

G&T will open the FY 2006 Competitive Training Grants Program Solicitation for Concept Papers on 

May 18, 2006 and submissions will be due no later than 8:00 p.m. EST on May 31, 2006. Organizations 

invited to submit a full proposal are required to submit their proposal by 8:00 p.m. EST on June 30, 2005. 

There will be no exceptions for late attempts to submit concept papers or full proposals. 

Submission Process 

Applicants must submit their concept papers electronically through http://www.grants.gov (Submissions 

will no longer be accepted through the Grants Management System). Within Grants.gov, select “Apply 

for Grants,” and follow the step-by-step instructions to successfully apply and submit a concept paper 

under the Fiscal Year 2006 Competitive Training Grants Program Solicitation for Concept Papers. 

Review Process 

DHS is committed to a competitive process for awarding funding associated with the FY06 Competitive 

Training Grants Program. Concept papers will undergo an independent peer review, while full proposals 

will be subject to an independent subject matter expert evaluation culminating in a consensus panel 

review. Peer reviewers and subject matter experts will consist of representatives from academia, industry 

or Federal Government organizations, along with practitioners from Federal, State, and local criminal 

justice and public safety agencies. 
Reference Areas 

Applicants will ensure that their proposals adhere to DHS/G&T Training, Exercise and Evaluation 

protocols to include: 

• DHS/G&T Training Strategy 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/blendedlearning/pdfs/t_s.pdf

• DHS/G&T Emergency Responder Guidelines 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/EmergencyRespGuidelinesRevB.pdf

• DHS/G&T Guidelines for Homeland Security - Prevention and Deterrence 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/ODPPrev1.pdf 

• DHS/G&T Approach for Blended Learning 

http://www.hseep.dhs.gov

• Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/hseep.htm

• Target Capabilities List and Explanation 

http://www.llis.gov 

• HSPD-8 Overview 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/assessments/hspd8.htm