Selected Recipients for this Program

Not Applicable.

Uses and Use Restrictions

Under all authorizations, all applications must meet standards of excellence in research or evaluation design.

Funds may not be used for construction or renovation of buildings.

Funds authorized by Section 1115 of the Social Security Act are limited to State agencies administering the Medicaid program. The research issues and/or hypotheses identified by a project should be clearly stated and realistic and should reflect the issues of interest to CMS and, where appropriate, HHS, Federal Government, and the broader health services research community.

The research design should clearly identify the measures that will be collected and analyzed to address the issues and/or hypotheses.

These proposed measures should reflect concepts and variables that are consistent with the stated issues and hypotheses.

The research design should also address the reliability of measures ? i.e., a measurement should not change when the concept being measured remains constant in value.

A common reliability concern is the level of inter-rater reliability of an instrument, determined by the extent to which two or more persons measuring the same characteristic would assign the same score.

The research design should address the validity of proposed measures ? i.e., the extent to which differences in scores on variable or the measuring instrument represent true differences in the characteristic we are trying to measure, rather than constant or random errors or the influence of other factors.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Grants or cooperative agreements may be made to private, or public agencies or organizations, including State agencies that administer the Medicaid program.

Private profit organizations may apply.

Beneficiary Eligibility

All Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries are eligible.

Credentials/Documentation

Applicants should present written evidence of other agencies' willingness to cooperate when the project involves collaborative efforts or the utilization of non-CMS facilities or services. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-102 for State and local governments. The standard forms, as furnished by DHHS and required by OMB Circular No. A-102, must be used. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

CMS research and demonstration projects are solicited by publication in grants.gov as well.

Environmental impact information is not required for this program.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.

12372.

Application Procedures

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Application forms are submitted to the Acquisition and Grants Group, CMS, 2-21-15 Central Building, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. A letter of intent to file an application is necessary 30 days prior to the closing date of each solicitation cycle.

Award Procedures

Official notice of approved applications is made through issuance of a Notice of Cooperative Agreement or Grant Award.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Authorization

Social Security Act, Title XI, Sections 1110 and 1115; 42 U.S.C. 1310 and 1315(a); Title XVIII, Section 1875; 42 U.S.C. 1395 and 42 U.S.C. 1881 (f); Section 402, Public Law 90-248, as amended; Section 222, Public Law 92-603.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Range from 150 to 180 days.

Appeals

No formal appeals procedures. If an application is disapproved, the reasons for disapproval will be fully stated. Applicants are free to resubmit applications with attention to the changes suggested by the reasons for disapproval. In the case of solicited proposals, extensions may be allowed to prepare revisions which clarify various aspects of projects.

Renewals

Extensions and continuations of projects are available if formally applied for and approved. If a grant/cooperative agreement application is recommended for approval for 2 or more years, the awardee must annually submit a formal request for continuation accompanied by a progress report which will be evaluated prior to a recommendation of continuation.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula. This program has no matching requirements. Awardees are required to share in the cost of projects. Normally, the minimum cost-sharing requirement is 5 percent of total project costs. This program has no statutory formula, except in Section 1115 projects, where the statutory formula is the same as that established for the Medicaid Program, both administrative and operational. . This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grants/cooperative agreements are generally funded on a 12-month basis, with support beyond the first year contingent upon acceptable evidence of satisfactory progress, continuing program relevance, and availability of funds. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Reports of progress and expenditures are required on all projects.

Comprehensive final reports are due no later than 90 days after termination of projects.

Cash reports are not applicable.

Reports of progress are required on all projects.

Reports on expenditures are required on all projects.

Reports on performance is required on all projects.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. All fiscal transactions identifiable to Federal financial assistance are subject to audit by DHHS audit agency.

Records

Proper accounting records, identifiable by project number and including all receipts and expenditures, must be maintained for 3 years. Subsequent to audit, they must be maintained until all questions are resolved.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-0511-0-1-550.

Obigations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 16 $650,000; FY 17 est $650,000; and FY 18 est $500,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Not determined at this time.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

Grants Administration policies (45 CFR 74 and 92) and application kits may be obtained from the Office of Acquisition and Grants Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Room C2-21-15, Central Building, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Contact the appropriate CMS Regional Administrator. (See Appendix IV for Regional Offices.).

Headquarters Office

Office of Research, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244 Email: research@cms.hhs.gov Phone: (1-800) 633-4277.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The review process for grants/cooperative agreements consists of initially screening applications for completeness and relevancy to CMS priority areas. If the application is not relevant to CMS priority areas, it will be returned to the applicant. If accepted as submitted it will be reviewed and evaluated. The review will be conducted by a panel of not less than three experts. CMS Project Officer will coordinate the panel's review, but will not vote. This individual will also prepare the panel's recommendation to the Director, Office of Research, Development, and Information (ORDI). The panel's recommendations will contain numerical ratings, rankings of applications, and a written assessment of each application. The recommendations will be based on published criteria as stated in the Federal Register. The review process for applications is also stated in the Federal Register Announcement.