APHL and the
Newborn Screening Technical assistance and Evaluation Program (NewSTEPs) is seeking newborn screening programs to participate in a continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiative. APHL and NewSTEPs is also seeking applicants for a NEW supplemental CQI award. Through the supplemental award, newborn screening programs may request up to $20,000 to support Continuity of Operation (COOP) activities. An overview of the supplemental award including program expectations, eligibility, and application requirements are available in Appendix F of the RFP.
UPDATE: The deadline for letters of intent for the QI Projects Supplemental Award has been extended to Monday, December 21 at 11:59 pm ET.
RFP Process Overview
November 23, 2020 – RFP Issued
December 7, 2020 – Technical Assistance Webinar at 2:00 pm ET (see NewSTEPs listserv for webinar details)
December 21, 2020 – Letters of intent for the Supplemental Award are due by 11:59 pm ET .
The deadline for letters of intent for the QI Projects closed on December 11, 2020 and are no longer being accepted.
January 4, 2021 – RFP responses due by 11:59 pm ET to APHL
January 22, 2021 – Awardees notified
February 26, 2020 – Contracts ratified between APHL and awardees
PLEASE NOTE: Funding begins March 1, 2021. However, the drafting and ratification of contracts may take longer than planned depending on the NBS program. Any modification to this anticipated schedule will be communicated on APHL's procurement website (www.aphl.org/rfp) and via an email blast to the NBS Programs and the public health laboratories.
Technical Assistance Webinar Resources
Registration window for this webinar has closed. Please access the
recording.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include all US and territorial states including newborn screening programs and stakeholders who:
- Have identified a quality improvement project of interest.
- Submit a letter of intent demonstrating support from institutional leadership by December 11, 2020.
Letter of Intent
UPDATE: The deadline for letters of intent for the QI Projects Supplemental Award has been extended to Monday, December 21 at 11:59 PM ET.
APHL requires that prospective applicants submit a brief email statement by December 11, 2020 indicating a firm intent to submit a proposal by no later than the RFP Due Date (January 4, 2021). Although a letter of intent is not binding, and does not enter into the review of the RFP, the information that it contains allows APHL to estimate the potential review workload and plan the contract development and review process. Potential applicants must include the name of the organization or individual that will submit the proposal in their email as well as demonstrate support from institutional leadership. Applicants who do not submit a Letter of Intent will not be considered.
The prospective applicants should email a statement reflecting the intent to apply to
chenelle.norman@aphl.org using the subject line: LETTER OF INTENT: NEWSTEPS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. APHL must receive this information by 11:59 pm ET on December 11, 2020.
Materials
The
Official RFP Document will provide detailed information in regards to this request, please read it on its entirety. You may also download the
fillable Appendices PDF and review
past funded proposals. Feel free to contact Chenelle Norman at
Chenelle.Norman@aphl.org with any questions.
Please see updated connection information:If you have additional questions, office hours will be held on Monday, December 21 from 9-5 pm ET, Tuesday, December 22 from 9-2 pm ET, and Wednesday, December 23 from 9-5 pm ET. Connection information for office hours are as follows: MS Teams Meeting or Call in at +1 240-673-1998/conference ID: 281 339 916#
Questions and Answers
You mentioned earlier that a state program can apply for multiple projects. Can you please elaborate? Within the same fiscal year or an annual basis?
A: Yes programs can apply for multiple projects on an annual basis.
Can we apply unique Quality Improvement (QI) projects - uniquely specific to our state newborn screening (NBS) program needs?
A: Yes we encourage NBS programs to identify any QI project of interest to them.
What is the funding ceiling per QI Project?
A: There is no funding ceiling for the QI Projects application. However, there is a funding ceiling for the COOP Supplemental Award, which is $20,000.
Can states work on disorders that are not included on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP)?
Can applicants apply for more than one year of funding?
A: Yes, applicants can apply for more than one year of funding (page 5 and 8 of the RFP).
Does a program have to submit a letter of intent if they applied in the last round?
A: Yes, a letter of intent is required from ALL interested applicants even from those who applied in cohort one.
We’re interested for funding to start in September 2021, should we apply now for funding or wait? If we apply now, can we specify funding for that specific time period?
A: It is up to the program to decide whether to apply for funding now or later. However, it is encouraged that programs apply now if interested since, depending on the requests for funding received, there may or may not be another application cycle for the QI Projects or Supplemental Award. Programs who apply now will be expected to begin work on March 1, 2021 and funding will also begin on March 1, 2021.
Can two states partner to apply for the Supplemental COOP award?
Is it OK if there is overlap among project team members for the Supplemental Award for COOP and the QI Projects?
A: Programs submitting more than one proposal for the QI Project, must identify project teams that are unique and distinct for each proposal submitted. For programs applying to both the QI Projects and Supplemental Award, it is OK if there is overlap in team members. We simply ask that applicants explain that those team members assigned to work on both funding activities have the bandwidth to do so.