Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) CDC-RFA-DD-24-0055

NOFO purpose

On February 13, 2024, Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) released CDC-RFA-DD-24-0055: Implementing Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Tourette Syndrome (TS).

The purpose of Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) CDC-RFA-DD-24-0055 is to address identified needs of persons with ADHD or TS and their families, equitably reaching geographically, racially, and ethnically diverse audiences to:

1. Improve access to evidence-based information, support, and services for people with ADHD or TS and their families and communities.
2. Strengthen the capacity among healthcare professionals to appropriately diagnose and provide evidence-based treatments for persons with the conditions.
3. Strengthen the capacity among education professionals to implement evidence-based strategies that provide support and facilitate learning and academic success among children with the conditions.

Program strategies include creating, disseminating, evaluating, and continually improving tailored communication and education programs, products, and tools that promote the use of evidence-based ADHD and TS information with a focus on providing support and addressing disparities for the following audiences:

1. Persons with ADHD or TS, their families, and communities
2. Healthcare providers
3. Educators

The ultimate goal for this work is improving quality of life for all persons with ADHD or TS through better prepared and informed providers, educators, and communities, as well as individuals with these conditions and their families.

Frequently asked questions

Questions & answers will be posted here as they are received and reviewed by our NOFO Team. Please continue to check back for responses.

The deadline to submit questions is April 5, 2024.

Programmatic information

Q: I understand the overarching goal is to provide information programs to boost the knowledge and awareness of these diagnoses. But we also have a program that increases accessibility to evidence-based services. Will the services in some capacity, following education and awareness, be funded by the grant?

For reference: Section "G. Executive Summary" in the official NOFO Announcement: The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Implementing Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Component A, ADHD) or Tourette Syndrome (Component B, TS), is to address identified needs, equitably reaching geographically, racially, and ethnically diverse audiences: To improve access to evidence-based information, support, and services for people with ADHD or TS and their families and communities.

A: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not support clinical care for persons with ADHD or Tourette syndrome, but instead supports communication and education.

Further down in the executive summary on page 3, you can find more specifics about the program strategies supported by this NOFO):

• Program strategies include creating, disseminating, evaluating, and continually improving tailored communication and education programs, products, and tools that promote the use of evidence-based ADHD and TS information with a focus on providing support and addressing disparities for the following audiences: 1) persons with ADHD or TS, their families, and communities, 2) healthcare providers; and 3) educators.

On pages 9 and 10 of the NOFO you can find more specificity for the requested activities for strategy one, which is focused on people with ADHD, their families and communities:

• Create, disseminate, evaluate, and continuously improve tailored ADHD (Component A) or TS (Component B) communication and education program/products/tools/supports that fill a demonstrated need for people with ADHD or TS and their families and communities, with a focus on addressing disparities." The seven activities listed under this strategy are all related to communication and education for this population.

Q: Do you have to do all the strategies or just one? In other words, do we have to work with all three audiences: families, healthcare providers, and educators? Thinking about approach/plan for addressing strategies, should they be addressing each strategy and each activity or just select one or more?

A: Applicants are expected to provide communication and education programs, products, and tools for all three main audiences: 1) persons with ADHD or TS, their families, and communities, 2) healthcare providers; and 3) educators. The applicant is also expected to address all activities listed under each of the three strategies in the NOFO section "Strategies and Activities" on pages 9–12.

Q: Is telehealth an appropriate activity for this NOFO?

A: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is focused on communication and education and does not support clinical care for persons with ADHD or TS.

Q: Would a project aiming to train primary care health professionals about how to diagnose and treat ADHD in adults be appropriate for this RFA: "Implementing Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Tourette Syndrome (TS)"?

A: Adults are not the focus of the work of this NOFO. On page 30 of the NOFO, we state that "The populations of focus for this NOFO currently include children and adolescents with ADHD (Component A) or TS (Component B)."

In addition, Applicants are expected to provide communication and education programs, products, and tools for all three main audiences: 1) persons with ADHD or TS, their families, and communities; 2) healthcare providers; and 3) educators.

Q: I'm now writing grants for our nonprofit utilizing equines and activities with many kids with ADHD. The horses provide the space to slow down and a calming learning process that helps the child learn life skills such as empowerment, self-regulation, social skills, independence, responsibility, emotional awareness and much more using horses. A huge majority are kids with ADHD. But we also work with other diagnoses like autism, down syndrome, major depression, drug exposure, verbal abuse and more. Do you think our program for kids and the weekly year-round program, weekend overnight retreats, and summer retreats may qualify for this grant? So new trying to navigate for our program in southeast Missouri. As we are in a very poverty section of Missouri.

A: Applicants are expected to provide communication and education programs, products, and tools for three main audiences: 1) persons with ADHD or TS, their families, and communities, 2) healthcare providers; and 3) educators. The applicant is also expected to address all activities listed under each of the three strategies in the NOFO section "Strategies and Activities" on pages 9–12.

Application information

Q: On page 15, the NOFO says, "Since this NOFO does not involve the generation or collection of public health data, a Data Management Plan is not required." On page 20, the NOFO says, "Recipients will be required to submit a more detailed Evaluation and Performance Measurement plan, including a DMP, if applicable, within the first 6 months of award." Finally, on page 36, the NOFO says, "Applications involving data collection or generation must include a Data Management Plan (DMP) as part of their evaluation and performance measurement plan unless CDC has stated that CDC will take on the responsibility of creating the DMP." To clarify, under what conditions would a DMP be required at submission on April 15?

A: A data management plan is not required for applications for this NOFO.

Q: On page 49, the NOFO lists "Documentation of a Professional Advisory Board comprised of health providers, educators, and/or individuals or family members" as a required piece of the full application, but does not provide guidance on what to include within this documentation and/or what will be considered appropriate documentation of the advisory board. What should this documentation look like?

A: On page 39 of the application, the NOFO states that the application will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicant, “Describes a professional advisory board including health providers, educators, and individuals or family members across the United States who are knowledgeable of ADHD or TS and have the capacity to ensure that programs/products/tools are technically accurate and based on current best evidence and most easily incorporated into current practices.” There is no specified type of documentation that is required to describe the applicant’s professional advisory board members.

Q: On page 30, the NOFO says that a Project Abstract Summary is required. Is there a word/character limit for this document?

A: Use 4,000 characters or less for the abstract summary.

Budget

Q: On page 40, the NOFO says, "If the indirect cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement should be less than 12 months of age." We are currently using our FY 2023 indirect cost rate to charge indirect costs, as our FY 2024 rate has not yet been approved. We do have an expired rate memo (attached) signed by our Secretary of Treasury authorizing the use of the FY 2023 rate until the FY 2024 rate is agreed upon. For the purpose of this application, would we be able to request indirect costs using our FY 2023 rate if the FY 2023 indirect rate agreement is submitted along with the attached expired rate memo?

A: Yes, and please include the memo signed by the Secretary of Treasury authorizing the use of the FY 2023 indirect cost rate.

Q: We are reaching out to inquire about CDC grant 24-0055 for evidence-based health promotion programs for ADHD. Is the award floor of $850,000 and ceiling of $1,100,000 meant to be for each of two awards or in total for 2 expected number of awards? The American professional for ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), is in the process of submitting a proposal for the grant to help with guideline-based education regarding the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and related conditions. This would include education and dissemination of APSARD's upcoming new adult ADHD guidelines (the first to be developed in the U.S. for adults with ADHD) with the intent to improve access to evidence-based advocacy and education for the communities of those affected by ADHD.

A: On page 25 of the NOFO, the award floor is listed as $850,000 per budget period; this amount is per component (meaning $850,000 floor for component A [ADHD component], and $850,000 floor for component B [Tourette syndrome component]). The award ceiling per budget period is listed by component in the NOFO, also on page 25. The Component A (ADHD component) ceiling is $850,000 per budget period, and the ceiling for Component B (Tourette syndrome component) is $1,100,000 per budget period. All amounts are subject to the availability of funds. As stated on page 24 of the NOFO, applicants must indicate which component they are applying for on their application (applicants cannot apply for both components).

Adults are not the focus of the work of this NOFO. Page 13 of the NOFO states, "The populations of focus for this NOFO currently include children and adolescents with ADHD (Component A) or TS (Component B)."

Eligibility

Q: On page 49, the NOFO lists a SF-424 and SF-424A as only required for "international NOFOs." To clarify, as a First American tribe in Oklahoma and a domestic applicant, we will not be required to submit a SF-424 and SF-424A?

A: The SF-424 and SF-424A are required for this application. Please see page 28, 3. Application Package "Applicants must download the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, package associated with this notice of funding opportunity at www.grants.gov."

Page 49, under section H (Other Information) is not the location in the NOFO where the required documents for this application are listed.