CDC-RFA-CE-25-0039: E-Learning Collaborative for Integrated Violence Prevention

Important dates

Application deadline: October 11, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. (EST)

Letter of intent deadline: September 9, 2024

Informational webinar date: August 22, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. (EST)

• To register and access the webinar, visit: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/j/1610676240?pwd=ijuzmsuDuOd5nCQX7YBpI54GAdaYL1.1.
• Meeting ID: 161 067 6240
• Passcode: L#hr3ZAR
• For audio, call 1-669-254-5252 and use the following passcode: 14131394.

Estimated award date: January 8, 2025

Background

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) will support an E-Learning community and peer learning platform. The NOFO recipient will manage multiple communication channels, including interactive web conferences, podcasts, online education resources, translation products, a web platform, and social media initiatives to facilitate knowledge exchange. The E-Learning community and peer learning platform will provide training and technical assistance to the Division of Violence Prevention's funded recipients, sub-recipients, and prevention practitioners. This will help them use the best available evidence to address multiple types of violence while integrating health equity into prevention efforts.

Requirements

The goal of this NOFO is to increase the knowledge and skills of prevention practitioners to implement strategies to prevent violence in communities at greatest risk. Most of the E-Learning Collaborative’s activities will take an integrated violence prevention approach and will be specifically tailored to meet the needs of CDC program recipients across the Violence Prevention Practice and Translation Branch. The broader national violence prevention field will also benefit from the efforts, including prevention practitioners in other federal agencies.

Recipients will be required to implement these strategies and activities:

• Develop and facilitate web conferences.
• Develop online education resources.
• Support data-to-action efforts through development and dissemination of translation products.
• Build online community, facilitate dialogue, and strategically use social media.
• Engage in and foster collaboration.

For more information about eligibility and required strategies and activities, as well as short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes, visit https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/355022.

Funding

Funding instrument type: Cooperative Agreement

Expected number of awards: 1

Approximate total period of performance funding: $1,725,000

Average one-year award amount: $345,000

Total period of performance length: 5 year(s)

Resources

Letter of intent

A letter of intent is requested for this NOFO. The purpose of a letter of intent is to allow CDC program staff to estimate the number of and plan for the review of submitted applications.

Email letters of intent to Courtney Gaines (xqh1@CDC.gov).

Related information and guidance

• Understanding Eligibility
• Understanding Strategies

Notifications Info: Applicants must go to the synopsis page of this NOFO and click "Subscribe" to receive notifications about changes to CDC-RFA-CE-25-0039. If not already registered, applicants will be prompted to create a grants.gov account.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of the project would roughly involve the production of e-learning modules compared to webinars, social media, and podcasts?
CDC expects the recipient to work with CDC staff and other TA partners to manage a balanced approach across various platforms including webinars, social media, podcasts, and e-learning modules.

Does the e-learning recipient need to handle the podcasting, social media, and webinars entirely, or will our e-learning production services (design, storytelling skills, etc.) be sufficient to support the project?
The recipient will be responsible for overseeing the entire project, which includes multiple communication channels, including podcasts, social media, webinars, and online education resources. The recipient is expected to have the capacity to handle all these components, although collaboration with other organizations may be possible if specific expertise is required. All contractors or consultants must be approved by CDC.

Is it possible for more than one organization to collaborate on this project to ensure high-quality solutions for each component individually?
It may be possible to collaborate across organizations to achieve the project goals. However, the recipient will be responsible for ensuring the success of all aspects of the project and must have a substantive role in the implementation of all NOFO activities.

Will the recipient be responsible for managing or creating the Learning Management System for the e-learning modules?
Yes, the recipient will be responsible for supporting and facilitating online learning, which includes managing and coordinating the learning management system for e-learning modules.

How can we apply exclusively for the e-learning portion of the project?
This is not a multi-component NOFO and the NOFO does not allow for an application exclusively focused on e-learning. Applicants are expected to apply to implement all required NOFO activities, which includes managing webinars, social media, and podcasts, alongside the e-learning modules.

Will the Informational Call presentation be posted on the website as well?
We do not have the ability to post the presentation or recording on the website. If you would like a copy of the presentation or recording, please reach out to Anthony Cousins at uak8@cdc.gov.

Can you share who is the current NOFO recipient?
Because this is considered a new funding opportunity with a new scope, and we do not consider this a continuation of an existing project, we are unable to share the current NOFO recipient.

Can you give us more information about the approval process for materials (slides, handouts) - specifically how long you anticipate the process to take?
More details about approval processes will be shared with the NOFO recipient upon award.

When you mention "population of focus" in the NOFO, do you intend for us to focus on a specific audience for the cooperative agreement activities (web conferences, etc.), or that the content of these activities should be focused on specific populations (marginalized communities, etc.)?
The NOFO encourages a focus on the needs of communities at greatest risk of violence. The populations of focus will be determined by the programmatic recipient populations and the Violence Prevention Technical Assistance Center’s (VPTAC) strategic priorities. These populations may vary depending on the specific activity or product.

Can you provide a list of VPTAC's strategic priorities?
The VPTAC strategic priorities for FY 24 include providing technical assistance to support: integrating health equity into all aspects of prevention, using science and data to inform action, implementing community-level strategies, improving prevention communication and messaging, and building sustained capacity of the prevention workforce. The applicant should use the existing strategic priorities when writing their application, however, when the award period for this new NOFO begins in February 2025, there will be new strategic priorities that the awardee will need to integrate into their implementation plans. VPTAC is in the process of identifying those now.

Is there any flexibility on the NOFO activity to develop online education resources? Is it firm that a podcast/blog approach is the one wanted? Or would you all be open to something like asynchronous courses?
The NOFO emphasizes development of a variety of resources, including podcasts and blogs. However, there may be some flexibility in how online education resources are developed if they meet the intended goals of the NOFO. The recipient will be expected to work with VPPTB staff to determine this after award. Asynchronous courses may be permitted after consultation with the program office.

Is the learner audience already determined or is that something that needs to be cultivated?
The intended audience includes the Violence Prevention Practice and Translation Branch’s (VPPTB) programmatic recipients and other violence prevention practitioners. While the broader audience is defined, cultivating specific subsets of learners within these groups in collaboration with VPPTB staff will be necessary after award.

What is the relationship between the work that American Institutes for Research (AIR) provides with Training and Technical Assistance to all VPPTB recipients and the work the vendor of this NOFO will perform?
AIR, through the Violence Prevention Technical Assistance Center (VPTAC), provides individual and group training and technical assistance to VPPTB-funded violence prevention programmatic recipients, such as cross-program webinars and individual technical assistance, helping them build capacity and implement strategies. The recipient selected through this NOFO will complement AIR's work by creating an online learning community through the creation and management of online educational content, including e-learning modules, webinars, podcasts, and social media, to further support these recipients. While AIR’s efforts are focused entirely on providing support to VPPTB’s recipients, the recipient of this NOFO will engage both VPPTB’s recipients and the violence prevention field more broadly. The funded recipient will be expected to collaborate closely with all VPPTB Technical Assistance partners, including AIR, as well as VPPTB staff to ensure alignment and coordination across TTA efforts.

For the NOFO Activity Build Online Community, the NOFO states that the recipient "will establish an online platform or community forum, serving as a hub for VPPTB recipients to connect, share resources, and collaborate." Is this asking the recipient to create some type of list-serv or forum (like a Facebook group, for example) in addition to maintaining an active presence across social media platforms?
The NOFO requires the establishment of an online platform or community forum. The intention is to create a space such as an online forum, social media group, or similar platform where participants can exchange ideas, share resources, and engage in meaningful discussions. While a listserv can distribute information, it does not facilitate the interactive engagement required by the NOFO. In addition to creating this online community forum, the recipient is also expected to maintain an active presence across social media platforms. The community forum serves as a dedicated hub for more in-depth engagement and collaboration, while social media platforms can be used to share updates, resources, and connect more broadly with participants.