Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC-RFA-TO23-0001: Strengthening Public Health

Systems and Services in Indian Country

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Informational 

Conference Call

April 11 & 13, 2023 - [POST CALLS UPDATE]
Agenda

 General Information

 Eligibility and Responsiveness Requirements

 Program Overview

 Application Requirements

 Submission Process

 Review and Selection Process

 Key Dates and Resources

 Question and Answer Session

2
General Information

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
Key Terms and Acronyms

 CIO: CDC’s Centers, Institute, and Offices

 NOA: Notice of award

 NOFO: Notice of funding opportunity

 Period of Performance: Time during which a recipient may expend

funding to complete approved work under the federal award

 Budget Period or Budget Year: Duration of each individual funding

period within the period of performance

 Public Health Infrastructure: Systems, competencies, relationships,

and resources that enable public health agencies to perform their

core functions and essential services in every community

4
Letter of Intent (LOI)

 Preliminary, non-binding indication of an entity’s intent to submit

an application

 CDC uses LOIs to plan for the submission and review of 

applications

 For this NOFO, an LOI

– Is requested but not required,

– Should be written on official letterhead, and

– Include the following information:

1. Entity Type (List only one)

2. HHS Region (List all that apply)

3. IHS Area (List all that apply)

5
Letter of Intent (LOI), continued 

4. Up to two of the Strategies listed on the logic model (see

Section A.2a: Approach)

5. At least one of the bold Outcomes listed on the logic

model

 LOI should be submitted via email attachment by Friday, May 5th

,

11:59 pm ET

– To: Alleen Weathers

– Email address: CSTLTSTribalCoAg@cdc.gov

6
Eligibility and Responsiveness 

Requirements

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
Eligibility

 Competition is limited to the following:

– Federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native

(AI/AN) Tribes

• Native American tribal governments (federally

recognized)

• AI/AN tribal governments (federally recognized)

– Regional AI/AN tribally designated organizations

8
Responsiveness

 Additional eligibility requirements

– Federally recognized AI/AN Tribes must provide letter from

currently elected tribal leader or a tribal resolution to

demonstrate support from tribal leadership

– Regional AI/AN tribally designated organizations must provide

tribal resolutions or letters of support from currently elected

tribal leaders from at least half of tribes within organization’s

service area

 Applications that do not meet “additional eligibility requirements”

will be considered non-responsive.

9
Program Overview

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
Purpose

 To strengthen the quality, performance, and infrastructure of

tribal public health systems

Address tribal 

public health 

system needs

Optimize the 

quality and 

performance of 

tribal public 

health systems

Improve tribal 

public health 

infrastructure 

capacity 

Improve public 

health outcomes in 

Indian Country

11
Design

Broad public health infrastructure 

programmatic approach

Two-part funding strategy

Collaborative evaluation 

12
Approach: Logic Model

13
Approach: Strategies and Activities

 Applicants must select no more than two of the following

strategies to address within their application:

1. Foundational Public Health Capabilities

2. Data Modernization

3. Public Health Programs and Services

4. Workforce

 CDC has provided examples of activities for each strategy; these

activities are not required

14
Approach: Outcomes

 Applicants must select at least one of the following outcomes to

address within their application:

 Recipients are expected to achieve selected program outcome(s)

and report on additional outcomes accomplished

15
Two-Part Funding Strategy

Funding Strategy 1 – Base Funding

 Year 1: Responsive applications

are objectively reviewed; initial

funding awarded

 Years 2-5: Continuation

applications for projects awarded

in previous budget year(s)

 12-month budget period

Funding Strategy 2 – CIO Project Plans

 Years 1-4: CDC publishes

supplemental NOFOs

 Years 1-4: Supplement applications

are limited to recipients of Funding

Strategy 1 awards

 Up to 12-month budget period

(dependent on when notices of

award are issued)

Period of Performance: 5 years (August 31, 2023–August 30, 2028)

16
Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy

 CDC expectations

– Provide technical assistance to understand and implement the

cooperative agreement requirements and meet program outcomes

– Use information collected in recipient progress reports (frequency to be

determined) and annual performance reports to document project status

 Recipient expectations

– Track the implementation of strategies and activities

– Determine the progress made in achieving outcomes

– Submit a detailed Evaluation and Performance Measurement plan, if

applicable

– State a commitment to provide a Data Management Plan (DMP) post

award if specific data generation and collection activities are planned

17
Evaluation and Performance Measurement

 The NOFO provides example performance measures to monitor

progress towards reaching outcomes

– Process measures track the implementation of strategies and

activities

– Outcome measures determine progress in achieving outcomes

 Measures should clearly align with the strategy(ies) and

outcome(s), as defined in the NOFO and represented in the logic

model

18
Application Requirements

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
Documentation Requirements

 Submit the following information:

– Table of Contents for Entire Submission

– Project Abstract

– Project Narrative

• Background

• Approach

• Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan

• Organizational Capacity of Applicant to Implement the Approach

– Work Plan

– Budget Narrative

20
Documentation Requirements, continued

 Submit the following information:

– Tribal Support documentation – see “Section 2c.2: Additional

Information on Eligibility” in the NOFO

– Organizational chart(s)

– Resumes/CVs

– Position descriptions

– Letters of support

– Indirect cost rate, if applicable

– Bona Fide Agent status documentation, if applicable

– Report on programmatic, budgetary, and commitment overlap

21
Project Abstract

 Brief summary of proposed project including the purpose and

outcomes

 Summary must not include any proprietary or confidential

information

 Applicants must enter the summary in the “Project Abstract

Summary” text box of the application

22
Project Narrative

 Background

 Approach

– See “Section A.2a: Approach” of the NOFO

– Applicants must identify the following information:

• Up to two of the Strategies found on the Logic Model

• At least one of the bold Outcomes found on the Logic Model

 Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan

– See “Section A.2b: Evaluation and Performance Measurement” of the

NOFO

– Applicants must provide a statement of commitment to provide a

DMP post award when specific data generation and collection

activities are defined 23
Organizational Capacity of Applicant to Implement the 

Approach

 Included within the Project Narrative

 Demonstrates ability to execute the program strategies, implement

activities, and achieve expected outcomes by describing the

following:

– General capacity

– Current and recent programs

– Procurement activities

– Staffing and partnerships

– Relationship with intended population (i.e., target population)

24
Organizational Capacity of Applicant to Implement the 

Approach, continued

 See “Section A.2c: Organizational Capacity of Recipients to

Implement the Approach”

 Applicants must identify the following:

– Entity Type (List only one)

• Federally recognized AI/AN Tribe

• Regionally tribally designated organization

– HHS Region (List all that apply)

– IHS Area (List all that apply)

25
Work Plan

 High-level plan for the 5-year period of performance and a

detailed plan for the first budget year

 Plan based on the “Average One Year Award Amount” (i.e.,

$200,000)

 Five-year Overview (Narrative) addresses progress throughout

period of performance and identifies the following:

– Up to two Strategies found on the Logic Model

– At least one of the bold Outcomes found on the Logic

Model

26
Work Plan, continued

 One-Year Detailed Work

Plan (table)

– Descriptive, detailed plan

with specific, measurable,

achievable, realistic, and

timely (S.M.A.R.T) objectives

to support achievement of

the chosen outcome(s)

– Applicants are required to

address all bold elements

listed in the sample work

plan

Strategies and Activities Process Measure

[from Evaluation and 

Performance 

Measurement section]

Responsible 

Position/Party

Completion Date

1) Example: Foundational Public 

Health Capabilities - 

Accountability/Performance 

Management: Build and foster an 

organization-wide culture of quality

improvement using nationally 

recognized frameworks and quality 

improvement tools and methods.

Percent of staff training 

in quality improvement 

methodology and tools.

Health Director 3/1/2026

2)

3)

Period of Performance Outcome:

[from Outcomes section and/or logic model]

Example 1: Improved capacity to implement public health 

programs and services to address prioritized public health 

activities in AI/AN communities. 

Outcome Measure: 

[from Evaluation and Performance 

Measurement section]

Example 1: Increase in the number of quality 

improvement efforts undertaken by trained 

staff.

27
Budget Narrative

– Salaries and wages

– Fringe benefits

– Consultant costs

– Equipment

– Supplies

– Travel

– Contractual costs

– Other direct costs

– Total direct costs

– Total Indirect costs*

*If applicable, submit an active

indirect cost rate agreement

 Submit an itemized budget that is reasonable and consistent with

the Project Narrative, including the following:

28
Submission Process

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
Prior to Application Submission

 An entity must be registered at the three following locations before

submitting an application for funding at www.grants.gov:

1. System for Award Management (SAM)

• Contact: www.SAM.gov

• Can require up to 14 business days to process

• Must be renewed annually

2. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) formerly the Data Universal

Numbering System (DUNS)

• Generated as part of the SAM.gov registration

30
Prior to Application Submission, continued

3. Grants.gov

• Contact: www.grants.gov

• Requires UEI, SAM account, and Employer Identification

Number (EIN)

• Takes up to eight weeks to be fully registered and approved

in system

31
Other Requirements

 Submit all acceptable attachments in a PDF file format

 Submit no more than one application

– If more than one application is submitted, the latest

application submitted will be reviewed.

– All applications after that will be deemed non-responsive.

 Submit application to www.grants.gov by Tuesday, June 6th,

11:59 pm ET

32
Review and Selection Process

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
Review and Selection Process

 Applicants will be reviewed in three phases:

– Phase I – Eligibility and responsiveness

– Phase II – Objective review of responsive applications

– Phase III – CDC funding priority and preferences

 Phase I Review

– See Section 2C: Eligibility Information of the NOFO

34
Phase II Review Scoring Criteria

 A review panel will evaluate complete, eligible applications using

the criteria below:

– Approach (40 points): Develops a completed and

comprehensive plan for the budget period that describes:

• How the applicant will adequately achieved the selected

Strategies and Outcomes

• How the plan will focus on strengthening public health

systems and services needs of the intended population (i.e.,

target population)

– Evaluation and Performance Measurement (30 points)

35
Phase II Review Scoring Criteria, continued

– Applicant’s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach

(30 points)

– Budget (reviewed, but not scored): Extent to which proposed

budget is allowable, reasonable, and consistent with the stated

objectives and activities

36
Phase III Review: CDC Funding Preferences

 CDC may fund out-of-rank order

 Preference will be given to applications that achieve

geographic diversity

37
Key Dates and Resources

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
Key Dates

 Letter of Intent (LOI): May 5th, 11:59 pm ET via CSTLTSTribalCoAg@cdc.gov

 Application Deadline: June 6th, 11:59 pm ET via www.grants.gov

 Anticipated Award Announcements

– Funding Strategy 1: August 30, 2023

– Funding Strategy 2: September/October 2023

NOFO 

Published

Apr 5th

LOI Due

May 5th

Application

Due

Jun 6th

Award Date

(Anticipated)

Aug 30th

Year 1 

Budget Starts

Aug 31st

2023

39
Resources

 NOFO webpage: https://www.cdc.gov/tribal/cooperativeagreements/indian-country-services/nofo.html

 NOFO mailbox: CSTLTSTribalCoAg@cdc.gov

 HHS Regions:

https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/regional-offices/index.html

 Grants.gov support:

– Check for frequently asked questions at

https://gditshared.servicenowservices.com/hhs_grants

– Call 1-800-518-4726

– Email support@grants.gov

40
Question and Answer Session

CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001 NOFO
(8 CDC24/7 

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