Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System

Before the specimens are discarded, this project will re-test them for an expanded panel of drugs. The awardee will work with ONDCP to determine specific metabolites to include in the expanded test panel beyond the NIDA-5 drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids and opioids. The awardee will also establish working relationships with emergency departments that can provide the specimens to be re-tested in this project. Analysis of the expanded drug test results will provide essential information on what old and new illicit drugs are detected or missed by conventional testing protocols, and how the drug patterns might vary by subpopulation and geography. Bypassing the expense of collecting the original specimens and re-using those that have already been tested with known results yields a relatively inexpensive and timely picture of emerging drugs in a given subpopulation and locality.

Authorizing Statutes and Governing Regulations Applicable to this Funding Opportunity: The authority for this opportunity is the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, (Pub. L. No. 115-271), 21 U.S.C. §§ 1701 et seq. and applicable appropriations statutes providing funding to ONDCP for this purpose. The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards are applicable to the government and applicants, grant applications, and grant awards to non-Federal entities. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200 et seq., as adopted in full by ONDCP via 2 C.F.R. Part 3603, et seq.

 

B. Federal Award Information

 

ONDCP expects to award one Federal cooperative agreement under the Emergency Department Substance Use Surveillance System, for a one-year period, beginning in September 2021. 

All applications and awards are subject to such additional requirements expressed in governing law. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200 et seq.

ONDCP expects that it will make an award of financial assistance from this announcement in the form of a cooperative agreement. Substantial involvement of ONDCP is anticipated from staff in the Office of Performance and Budget, in the form of regular project consultation – at minimum on a monthly basis; review of draft reports, and coordination of activities that involve other government agencies.

Estimated Amount and Length of Award

Cooperative Agreement Amount:     Up to $300,000

Project Period:                                  12 months (September 2021 through September 2022)

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

If selected for funding, the non-Federal entity (NFE) must:

(a)  Establish and maintain effective internal controls over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with the guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government,” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

(b) Comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards.

(c)  Evaluate and monitor the non-Federal entity’s compliance with statute, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards.

(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified, including noncompliance identified in audit findings.

(e)  Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identified information and other information the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity designates as sensitive or the non-Federal entity considers sensitive consistent with applicable Federal, state, and local laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality.

 

C. Eligibility Information

ONDCP encourages applications from public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals). Applicants must have expert knowledge and extensive experience in conducting research and analysis. 

D. Application and Submission Information

This application contains everything needed to apply for financial assistance from ONDCP.

Content and Form of Application Submission

Application Content

1.    Eligibility:

The applicant must demonstrate that it is an eligible public nonprofit institution/organization which may include institutions of higher education and hospitals.    

2.     Technical Expertise and Experience:

This project requires expertise in data analysis and reporting, particularly in the area of expanding drug testing panels to include new and emerging drugs. This project also requires prior experience in collecting and analyzing urine specimens, and expertise to help ONDCP in determining specific metabolites to include in the expanded test panel beyond the NIDA-5 drugs, including synthetic cannabinoid variants. Experience in recruiting organizations in specific localities to participate in the study and in establishing working relationships with such organizations to provide the specimens to be re-tested in this project is highly desirable.

3.    Program Narrative: 

The narrative must respond to the announcement and the specified criteria in Section E. The program narrative should be double-spaced, using standard 12-point font, with 1-inch margins and should not exceed 20 pages. Please number pages in the following manner: “1 of 20,” “2 of 20,” etc.

The following sections should be included:

·      Project design and implementation, including outlining the methodology and tasks involved in the study;

·      Organizational capabilities and competencies of key personnel; and

·      The project timeline of each deliverable with the expected completion date for draft and final deliverables.

4.    Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative:

Applicant must provide an itemized budget for the cooperative agreement period. Applicant must submit budget worksheets and budget narrative in one file. At a minimum, the following categories need to be addressed: Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Overtime, Travel, Facilities, Services, Equipment, Supplies, Other Costs, and Indirect Costs. The budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense listed in the worksheet. 

Proposed budgets are expected to include all direct and indirect costs necessary for project activities related to the Federal award. The budget should be reasonable, in nature and amount, not exceeding that which would be incurred by a prudent person. It must be allowable, reflecting costs which are necessary for the performance of the Federal award, consistent with policies and procedures that apply uniformly to both federally-financed and other activities of the non-Federal entity and determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in a cost-effective manner. The narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond with the information and figures provided in the budget detail worksheet. The narrative should explain how costs were calculated and how they are relevant to the completion of the proposed project. (Also, see Section B for further information.)

5.    Performance Measures:

The awardee will be required to provide to ONDCP quarterly progress reports on all required performance areas.  Additionally, awardee will provide monthly progress reports that will serve as the focus of monthly conference calls or in-person meetings between the grantee and ONDCP to review progress; and the timely delivery of draft and final deliverables.

6.    What an Application Must Include:

Applicants should anticipate that applications that are determined to be nonresponsive to the announcement, or that do not include the application elements that ONDCP considers to be critical, will neither proceed in the review process nor receive further consideration. The following are considered to be critical: Eligibility, Program Narrative, and Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative.

ONDCP strongly recommends that applicants use appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., “Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet,” “Budget Narrative,” “Timelines,” “resumes,” etc.).

 

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and related information. This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review. (In completing the SF-424, applicants are to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19, indicating that the “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)

Each applicant is required to (i) be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by ONDCP. ONDCP will not make an award until an applicant has fully complied with all applicable SAM and DUNS requirements; and if the applicant has not so fully complied by the time ONDCP is ready to make award, ONDCP may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive the award and use that determination as a basis for making award to another applicant.

See Section G for additional information.  

7.    Submission Dates and Times:

Applicants must register with and submit applications electronically through Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Aug. 27, 2021

Applicants who experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must submit all required application materials to jsivilli@ondcp.eop.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 27, 2021, via email (including a brief explanation of the technical issues that prevented application through Grants.gov) and request approval for acceptance of the separate application.

8.    Funding Restrictions:

Cost Sharing and Match Requirements -

This announcement does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and ONDCP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit.

Pre-Agreement Cost Approvals -

ONDCP does not typically approve pre-agreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the prior written approval of ONDCP for all such costs. If approved, pre-agreement costs could be paid from cooperative agreement funds consistent with a grantee’s approved budget, and under applicable cost standards. However, all such costs prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of an applicant. Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting Federal funding of these costs. Should there be extenuating circumstances that appear to be appropriate for ONDCP’s consideration as pre-agreement costs, the applicant should contact the point of contact listed in the title page of this announcement for details on the requirements for submitting a written request for approval.

9.    Other Submission Requirements:

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via email to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays.

Applicants who experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that prevent them from submitting their application, by the deadline, must email all required application data to jsivilli@ondcp.eop.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline, including a brief explanation of issues experienced, and request approval for acceptance of the separate application.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, applicants may contact June Sivilli, Office of National Drug Control Policy, by telephone at 202-395-5526 or by email at jsivilli@ondcp.eop.gov.

Also see Section G, How to Apply.