Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CE 21 006
The grant opportunity titled "Rigorously Evaluating Programs and Policies to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)" (RFA-CE-21-006) is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) funding announcement that supports investigator-initiated research focused on the primary prevention of child sexual abuse. The central aim is to build a stronger evidence base by funding studies that can credibly determine whether specific programs, policies, or practices actually reduce child sexual abuse perpetration by youth or adults. In practical terms, the CDC is looking for projects that move beyond descriptive work or needs assessments and instead test real-world prevention approaches using designs capable of supporting causal conclusions about impact.
A key feature of this opportunity is the emphasis on rigorous evaluation methodology. Applicants are expected to propose either experimental designs, such as randomized controlled trials, or strong quasi-experimental designs that approximate experimental rigor when randomization is not feasible. Examples explicitly named include comparative interrupted time series, difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, regression point displacement, stepped wedge designs, propensity score matching, and other approaches that use well-justified comparison groups. The underlying message is that the CDC wants evaluations that can distinguish true program or policy effects from background trends, selection effects, or other confounding factors, especially given the difficulty of measuring and preventing CSA and the high stakes of implementing interventions at scale.
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect a more collaborative relationship with the CDC than under a typical grant, often involving technical input, coordination, or other substantial programmatic involvement consistent with cooperative agreement structures. The activity category is health, and the CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 93.136. The announcement was created on March 8, 2021, with an original application closing date of May 10, 2021.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that could realistically conduct or support rigorous evaluations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as clarified in the notice. This wide eligibility pool signals that CDC is open to strong evaluation proposals from academic teams, public agencies, community-based or service organizations, and private-sector evaluators, provided the project can meet the scientific expectations.
In terms of scale, the award ceiling is $400,000, and the CDC anticipated making about three awards under this announcement. Because the number of awards is limited, proposals likely need to be sharply focused, methodologically strong, and feasible within the available budget, while still being meaningful for CSA primary prevention. The funded work is intended to help the field answer the "what works" question by generating solid evidence about prevention strategies aimed at stopping CSA perpetration before it occurs, whether perpetrated by adolescents or adults.
Although a letter of intent was not required, the CDC requested that prospective applicants submit one to help plan review logistics. The letter of intent was to include basic identifying and planning information such as the applicant organization name, a description and title of the proposed research, contact information for the project director/principal investigator, names of key personnel, participating institutions, and the funding opportunity number and title. The letter was to be sent electronically to the Scientific Review Official listed in the announcement, Mikel Walters, PhD, at mwalters@cdc.gov. This step was presented as optional and non-binding, and it did not affect peer review scoring, but it served as an administrative planning tool for the CDC.
Overall, this funding opportunity is best understood as a targeted push to improve the quality and credibility of evidence on primary prevention approaches for child sexual abuse, with a strong preference for evaluation designs that can support causal inferences. The CDC is signaling that the field needs more than promising ideas; it needs rigorous tests of real interventions, policies, and practices that can be translated into effective prevention strategies in communities and systems.Apply for RFA CE 21 006
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rigorously Evaluating Programs and Policies to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.136.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 08, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 10, 2021 Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows NCIPC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. By the date listed above and in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information Name of the applicant (organization) Description of the research topic Descriptive title of the proposed research Name, address, and telephone number of the contact PD/PI Name of other key personnel Participating institutions Number and title of this notice of funding opportunity announcement (NOFO) The letter of intent should be sent electronically to Mikel Walters, PhD Scientific Review Official Extramural Research Program Operations National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Email mwalters@cdc.gov. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification), Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding announcement number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Rigorously Evaluating Programs and Policies to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)" and the funding announcement number is RFA-CE-21-006.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
This funding announcement is offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC).
What is the main purpose of the funding announcement?
The central purpose is to support investigator-initiated research that rigorously evaluates programs, policies, or practices intended to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) before it occurs. The emphasis is on building a stronger evidence base by determining whether specific prevention approaches actually reduce CSA perpetration by youth or adults.
What does "primary prevention of child sexual abuse" mean in this announcement?
In this announcement, primary prevention refers to strategies aimed at stopping CSA perpetration before it occurs, rather than responding after abuse has happened.
What type of work is CDC prioritizing for this opportunity?
CDC is prioritizing rigorous impact evaluations of real-world programs, policies, or practices. The announcement indicates a preference for studies that can credibly support causal conclusions about whether an intervention reduces CSA perpetration, rather than descriptive studies or needs assessments.
What types of studies are not the focus of this funding opportunity?
Based on the announcement description, the focus is not on purely descriptive research or needs assessments. The emphasis is on testing prevention approaches using designs capable of determining whether the approach caused changes in outcomes.
What kinds of research designs does CDC expect applicants to use?
Applicants are expected to propose either experimental designs (such as randomized controlled trials) or strong quasi-experimental designs that approximate experimental rigor when randomization is not feasible.
Which quasi-experimental methods are explicitly mentioned as examples?
The announcement explicitly references comparative interrupted time series, difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, regression point displacement, stepped wedge designs, propensity score matching, and other approaches that use well-justified comparison groups.
Why is there such a strong emphasis on rigorous evaluation methods?
The announcement emphasizes methods that can distinguish true program or policy effects from background trends, selection effects, or other confounding factors. This reflects the high stakes of implementing CSA prevention interventions at scale and the challenge of measuring and preventing CSA.
What outcomes is the CDC trying to impact through funded projects?
The primary outcome focus described is reducing child sexual abuse perpetration by youth (adolescents) or adults through effective primary prevention programs, policies, or practices.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically involves a more collaborative relationship with CDC than a standard grant, including technical input, coordination, or other substantial programmatic involvement consistent with cooperative agreement structures.
What is the activity category and CFDA number for this opportunity?
The activity category is health, and the CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 93.136.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $400,000.
How many awards did CDC anticipate making?
CDC anticipated making about three awards under this announcement.
When was the funding announcement created?
The announcement was created on March 8, 2021.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was May 10, 2021.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state, county, city, and township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as clarified in the notice.
Are universities and colleges eligible applicants?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. Nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status are listed as eligible applicants, with the note that those nonprofit categories exclude institutions of higher education.
Are for-profit entities eligible to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are both listed as eligible applicants.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
Are housing authorities eligible applicants?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included among the eligible applicant types.
Was a letter of intent required?
No. A letter of intent was not required, but CDC requested one to help plan review logistics.
Does submitting a letter of intent affect peer review scoring?
No. The letter of intent was described as optional and non-binding, and it did not affect peer review scoring.
What information was CDC asking applicants to include in a letter of intent?
The requested letter of intent content included the applicant organization name; a description and title of the proposed research; contact information for the project director/principal investigator; names of key personnel; participating institutions; and the funding opportunity number and title.
Where was the letter of intent supposed to be sent?
The letter of intent was to be sent electronically to the Scientific Review Official listed in the announcement: Mikel Walters, PhD, at mwalters@cdc.gov.
What is CDC ultimately trying to achieve with this funding announcement?
CDC is aiming to strengthen the credibility and quality of evidence on what works to prevent CSA by funding rigorous tests of interventions, policies, and practices that can be translated into effective prevention strategies in communities and systems.
What is the key message applicants should take from this opportunity?
The key message is that CDC is looking for rigorous evaluations that can answer the "what works" question by producing evidence capable of supporting causal inferences about impact, not just promising ideas or descriptive findings.
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