Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) TS19-1901 PEHSU

Could you please clarify if recipients are to establish a new regional PEHSU or if the RFP is for recipient to house the national office from which the regional PEHSUs will be run?

ATSDR Response: (NOFO Part II. Full Text, A. Funding Opportunity Description, 1. Background, a. Overview): This notice of funding opportunity intends to build upon established PEHSU capabilities and to reaffirm and strengthen collaboration between ATSDR, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the PEHSU National Program Office (NPO) recipient that will lead and manage day-to-day operations of the national PEHSU network. The recipient will work collaboratively with each regional PEHSU to strengthen effectiveness of the PEHSU network, meet program goals, and achieve targeted health outcomes.

On page 30 of the NOFO it describes the page limits with the following language:

“Multi-component NOFOs may have a maximum of 15 pages for the “base” (subsections of the Project Description that the components share with each other, which may include target population, inclusion, collaboration, etc.); and up to 4 additional pages per component for Project Narrative subsections that are specific to each component.”
What are considered the “subsections” of the project narrative?

ATSDR Response: The statement in question 2 above  is located under “NOFO Part I. Overview of Information, D. Required Registrations, Section 10. Project Narrative. The NOFO is not a “multi-component NOFO” so this language does not apply. There is no other page limitation stated within this non-multi-component NOFO. Therefore, applicants do not have limits on the number of pages for their proposals.

On page 7 of the PDF announcement, 4 short-term and 3 intermediate-term outcomes are listed as “targeted for this 2019 NOFO”.

One of the short-term outcomes is: “Incorporation of environmental health content within clinical undergraduate curriculum and coarse work”.

However, in the Evaluation and Performance Measures section beginning on page 13, there are no performance measures related to undergraduate curriculum.

Do applicants develop their own PMs for this required short-term outcome?

ATSDR Response: There are outcome measures on pages 15 and 16 of the NOFO. Those are Performance Measure Two – 2.2: “Demonstrated Knowledge Competency,” 2.3: “Application of Education in Clinical Practice” and 3.3: “Application of Consultative Guidance”. Other outcome performance measures that demonstrate application/adoption or inclusion that can be used to document outcome noted in the logic model are invited as part of the evaluation plan. The guidance on this is found in:

NOFO Part II. Full Text, A. Funding Opportunity Description, 2. CDC Project Description, b. Evaluation and Performance Measurement, ii. Applicant Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan, (bullet 3 on page 17); At a minimum, the plan must describe: “Available data sources, feasibility of collecting appropriate evaluation and performance data, and other relevant data information (e.g., performance measures proposed by the applicant)”

Note: Development of curriculum would be considered under the output performance measure number 1 – Resources and Tools Development: Increase availability and use of authoritative pediatric and reproductive environmental health promotion resources for lay and health

Is the work plan to address action on activities, strategies, and outcomes within the logic model?

ATSDR Response:

1. The strategies and activities outlined in the logic model are interrelated in accomplishing the outcomes. Therefore it is necessary to apply all the strategies and activities accomplishing this work.
2. Yes, the applicant is expected to address all bolded short and intermediate outcomes over the length of the project period.

Page 53 lists the only “acceptable” attachments that can be uploaded as part of our application. This list does not include the “National Reach” document that is stated as required elsewhere in the NOFO. Page 53 states that if applicants attach documents that are not included in the “acceptable” list, their application will not be reviewed. Please advise if this is correct, and if so, how are we to abide by the instructions to upload a “National Reach” document?

ATSDR Response: NOFO Part II. Full Text, H. Other Information, (page 53): Does limit document types/headings. Any document that is required per the NOFO not on the approved document list should be uploaded to miscellaneous and titled accordingly when the application is submitted. Documents uploaded in miscellaneous will not prevent review of an application.

Can we upload Letters of Support, and if so, is there a limit to how many?

ATSDR Response: Yes; Letter of support may be uploaded in miscellaneous documents with no limitation.