Rural Communities Opioid Response Program- Psychostimulant Support Program FAQs

On this page:

• General Application
• Eligible entities, consortium members, and proposed service areas
• Application requirements, Allowable costs and financial questions

General Application FAQs

How do I access the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – can you direct me to the full application instructions?

• Direct link to NOFO (Click on “Package → Preview → Download Instructions”)
• To apply: Go to opportunity HRSA-21-091 on Grants.gov and click apply!
• HRSA’s website also has a brief summary of the funding opportunity and a link to the NOFO.

When is the application due?

The application is due in grants.gov on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 11:59 EST.

Are applicants allowed to apply for the both the Implementation and Psychostimulant grant even if they have the same service area?

Yes, applicants may apply to both programs in the same service area. However, in the event an applicant is awarded for both grants, they will need to work with their HRSA Project Officer and Grants Management Specialist to ensure there is no duplication of effort across the awards and that no individual staff member is billing more than 1.0 full time equivalent (FTE) across federal awards.

What is the FTE requirement for the Project Director?

The NOFO specifies on pages 21-22, Project Directors are key staff members and an FTE of at least 0.25 is required for this position. Project Directors cannot bill more than 1.0 FTE across federal awards.

Does this grant have a minimum required effort for the Project Director?

Per the NOFO page 22, "The Project Director is a key staff member and an FTE of at least 0.25 is required for this position."

I was unable to attend HRSA's Technical Assistance Webinar for this funding opportunity. Is the webinar recording available?

View the full webinar recording. The webinar slides are available for download at this link: Technical Assistance Slides (PDF - 886 KB).

I am having difficulty accessing/navigating Grants.gov. How do you recommend I proceed?

Applicants should contact the Grants.gov Support Team at: 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov

I have a specific question about the NOFO that is not answered here.

Please review the TA webinar recording if you have not already.

HRSA Staff contact email: ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov or Kim Nesbitt at (301) 443-4271. Please note that HRSA staff will answer clarifying questions about the NOFO requirements, but cannot provide guidance on proposed approaches.

Eligible entities, consortium members, and proposed service areas

Are current RCORP award recipients and consortium members eligible to apply to RCORP-Psychostimulant Support Program?

Please see detailed instructions on page 8 of the NOFO. Yes, current RCORP organizations and consortium members may apply to the RCORP-Psychostimulant Support program. In the event an applicant is awarded, they will need to work with their HRSA Project Officer and Grants Management Specialist to ensure there is no duplication of effort across the awards and that no individual staff member is billing more than 1.0 FTE across federal awards.

Are institutions of higher education eligible for the RCORP-Psychostimulant Support?

Yes, institutions of higher education are eligible. Please see pages 5-7 of the NOFO, applicant organization eligibility information for complete details. Eligible applicants include all domestic public or private, non-profit or for-profit entities, including faith-based and community-based organizations, and federally-recognized tribes and tribal organizations. In addition to the 50 U.S. states, only organizations in the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated State of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau may apply. If you are located outside the 50 states, you must still meet the eligibility requirements.

Can current RCORP award recipients use the existing consortium and add activities to the work plan to specifically address psychostimulants?

It is acceptable for RCORP award recipients to use the existing consortium if they can document the needs to address psychostimulants in the service area. However, award recipients will need to report on each grants’ program activities separately. Please see pages 5-6 and 12 of NOFO for information on consortium requirements.

Is it necessary that all members of the consortium receive funding, or can they just offer services for the project?

There are no requirements around providing grant funding to consortium members. Please see pages 5-6, 12, and 20-21 of NOFO for information on consortium requirements.

What should a current RCORP award recipient specify in the application?

Please reference page 8 for more information on what current RCORP award recipients should include in their application along with page 25 for further guidance on other RCORP awards.

Do consortium members receiving funds from this award need to be registered in System for Award Management (SAM)?

Any entity including consortium member receiving award funds must be registered in SAM.

Can RCORP Planning III award recipients apply for this funding opportunity?

Planning III award recipients are eligible for this grant. However, please note that per the NOFO on page 5, "HRSA requires that applicants be part of broad, multi-sectoral consortia comprised of at least four or more separately owned entities (i.e., different EINs), including the applicant organization."

Application Requirements, Allowable Costs and Financial questions

Is it required to use one of the evidence-based school-aged education curricula mentioned in the NOFO?

It is not a requirement to use the Prevention Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) referenced in the NOFO. It is an example of EBP, and applicants may elect to use another evidence-based curriculum that is appropriate for the target population.

Does the first core Prevention requirement include providing the actual evidence-based preventive service?

Per page 10 of the NOFO, the first core Prevention requirement may include implementation of evidence-based prevention services.

Does an applicant need permission to include Contingency Management in their application?

Applicants do not need permission to include Contingency management in the application. Per the NOFO on pages 11 and 32, upon receipt of award they will need to submit a prior approval request before they can implement contingency management.

Does HRSA offer partial funding? Or, if a proposal is awarded, does that mean the proposed budget is also accepted in its entirety?

The RCORP - Psychostimulant Support Program will award the funds for this grant upfront. The budget is generally accepted in it’s entirety unless a condition/term needs to be placed on the award for submission of a revised budget, etc. As an award recipient, you must comply with all financial requirements of your federal award.

Is there a cap for indirect cost (IDC) proposed in this grant program?

Yes, there is a cap on indirect costs. Award recipient’s indirect costs are limited to the lesser of their IDC or 10% of the modified total direct costs.

Do applicants need to have a signed, current federally negotiated IDC rate at time of application?

Applicants do not need to have a signed, current federally negotiated IDC rate at the time of their application. If they do not have an established IDC Rate Agreement, they may establish one through the Department of Health and Human Services through the Division of Cost Allocation.