Funder template: HHS services agencies (SAMHSA / HRSA / CDC / ACF) · Opportunity: RFA-CE-18-000 · closes 2030-09-30

How reviewers read this: Objective review panels score against the NOFO’s published criteria — typically need, approach/work plan, organizational capacity, evaluation, and budget. Points are allocated per section; write to the points.

Verify: HHS services NOFOs prescribe the narrative outline and scoring rubric explicitly, section by section with point values. Reproduce the NOFO’s exact section headings and answer to the rubric.

---

Project Narrative

Page limit: per the NOFO (often 25-30 pages, double-spaced) — verify against the NOFO.

Statement of Need

Frame the public health problem this Type 6 application will address, using local or jurisdiction-specific data where possible. Show why county health departments need better syndromic surveillance dashboard use during outbreak response, and connect the need to CDC’s priorities in the notice.

• What outbreak-response challenge is the project solving, and for which counties or jurisdictions?
• What local or regional evidence shows current gaps in dashboard use, timeliness, decision-making, or response coordination?
• How does this need differ across county health departments by size, staffing, or technical capacity?
• What is the consequence of not improving dashboard use during outbreak response?

Proposed Approach and Work Plan

State clear goals, measurable objectives, and a feasible work plan for evaluating how county health departments use syndromic surveillance dashboards during outbreak response. Include activities, milestones, and timing in the format the NOFO expects, often with a table.

• What are the project’s specific goals and measurable objectives for this Type 6 application?
• What evaluation methods will be used to assess dashboard use during outbreak response?
• What are the major work plan phases, key deliverables, and timeline?
• How will the project align activities with CDC expectations and any required program outputs?

[DRAFT] Conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of county health department use of syndromic surveillance dashboards during outbreak response, combining dashboard analytics, document review, and staff interviews.
[DRAFT] Compare dashboard use across counties with different outbreak types, response structures, and staffing levels to identify practical barriers and high-value use cases.
[DRAFT] Produce actionable recommendations and a short implementation guide for improving dashboard interpretation, adoption, and response integration.

Organizational Capacity

Demonstrate the team’s experience with public health evaluation, syndromic surveillance, informatics, or outbreak response, and describe staffing, partners, and commitments that support successful completion.

• What relevant expertise does the applicant organization have in surveillance evaluation, informatics, or outbreak response?
• Who are the key personnel, and what roles will they play?
• What partner county health departments, state agencies, or academic collaborators will participate, and what commitments can they provide?
• What resources, infrastructure, and prior experience show the project can be completed on time?

[DRAFT] Lead the project through a public health evaluation team with experience in surveillance systems, outbreak response, and applied data analysis.
[DRAFT] Engage county health departments as implementation partners to provide dashboard access, workflow context, and feedback on evaluation findings.
[DRAFT] Include staffing for qualitative interviewing, data management, and synthesis of recommendations for public health practice.

Performance Evaluation and Data

Describe how progress and success will be measured, what data will be collected, how data quality will be protected, and how findings will be reported against any program-required indicators.

• What performance measures will show whether county dashboard use is improving or being better understood?
• What data sources will be used: dashboard logs, response records, interviews, surveys, or meeting notes?
• How will data be collected consistently across counties and protected appropriately?
• What will be reported to CDC, and on what schedule, if specified in the NOFO?

[DRAFT] Track measures such as dashboard frequency of use, time from signal detection to action, and reported usefulness during outbreak response.
[DRAFT] Use structured interviews and short surveys to assess how public health staff interpret dashboard information and incorporate it into response decisions.
[DRAFT] Summarize findings in periodic reports with clear documentation of data sources, analytic methods, and limitations.

Budget and Budget Justification

Page limit: no page limit — verify against the NOFO.

Budget Justification

Provide a line-item narrative that matches the SF-424A and demonstrates that costs are necessary, allocable, and reasonable. HHS typically scrutinizes salary, fringe, travel, consultant, and subaward costs closely.

• What personnel time is needed for evaluation design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination?
• What travel, participant support, software, or other direct costs are essential to the project?
• Are any subawards or consultants needed for county partner engagement or technical analysis?
• How does each cost support the proposed Type 6 application activities?

[DRAFT] Budget for personnel time to conduct mixed-methods evaluation, including survey/interview design, data analysis, and report writing.
[DRAFT] Include modest travel or virtual engagement costs for meetings with county health department partners and project advisory participants.
[DRAFT] Allocate software and data management resources needed to securely analyze dashboard use patterns and qualitative data.

Required Attachments

Page limit: per the NOFO — verify against the NOFO.

Attachments Checklist

Identify every attachment required by the NOFO’s Section IV and ensure each is completed, named correctly, and included in the application package. HHS NOFOs often require letters, MOUs, staffing charts, indirect cost documentation, or other support materials.

• What attachments does the NOFO explicitly require for this Type 6 application?
• Which partner letters, MOUs, or commitment documents are needed from county health departments or other collaborators?
• Are biosketches, current and pending support, indirect rate agreements, or staffing charts required?
• What internal checklist will ensure nothing required by the NOFO is omitted?