Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS COOP 050208 001
Apply for CNCS COOP 050208 001
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the community development education information and statistics science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Expanding Research on Volunteerism and National Service Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.007 Program Development and Innovation Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 2, 2008 and posted on May 2, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 13, 2008 The deadline for applications is 500 p.m. Eastern Time on June 13, 2008. Applications submitted by hardcopy or fax will not be accepted. Submit your application as four attachments to an e mail message addressed to research@cns.gov . Attach the 424, 424A, narrative, and Survey on Equal Opportunity. All four attachments are required for a valid submission. Please submit an e mail stating your intent to apply to research@cns.gov by 500 p.m. Eastern Time Friday, May 16, 2008. This is not required, but helps us plan the review of the applications.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education.
- Individuals in partnership with insitutions of higher education. A technical assistance phone call to answer questions about this Notice will take place on Wednesday, May 14 at 100 p.m. Eastern Time. Please email research@cns.gov to sign up for the call and receive call in information. This competition is open to institutions of higher education or higher education research partnerships. (Partnerships are a single application filed jointly from more than one institution of higher education.) Applicants must have a demonstrated track record in research in the fields of volunteering, community service or civic engagement. All applicants must also demonstrate an institutional capacity to manage large research projects and federal or other grants. In addition, we expect the successful applicant will demonstrate relationships with policymakers and practitioners.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Expanding Research on Volunteerism and National Service Cooperative Agreement (Funding Opportunity Number CNCS COOP 050208 001) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) designed to strengthen scholarly and policy-relevant research on volunteering, civic engagement, and national service in the United States. CNCS set aside an estimated total of about $500,000 to support a small set of research awards that can help policymakers, practitioners, and the public better understand how volunteering and service operate, what impacts they have, and how they relate to broader changes in the nonprofit sector. The central aim is to expand the evidence base around the importance and potential of volunteering, national and community service, and civic engagement across America, with an emphasis on producing knowledge that is useful beyond academia and can inform practice and decision-making.
Funding is expected to be distributed across roughly one to five cooperative agreement awards, with typical award sizes ranging from about $50,000 to $300,000, and an expected number of awards listed as three. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for applicants. Because the instrument is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, applicants should anticipate a more collaborative relationship with the federal agency during the project period, often including agency involvement in refining deliverables, data use expectations, or dissemination plans. Applicants are asked to submit a three-year plan, but they should also plan realistically for staged funding: support for years two and three is contingent on the availability of federal funds and on the recipient demonstrating satisfactory progress toward agreed-upon objectives.
The competition targets three specific research areas tied to major national datasets and policy questions. First, it supports research on volunteering and civic engagement using the Current Population Survey Annual Volunteer Supplement (often called the CPS Volunteer Supplement), which is a key federal source for tracking who volunteers, how, and how those patterns change over time. Second, it encourages studies of the impact of national service on participants by using datasets from Serving Country and Community: A Longitudinal Study of Service in AmeriCorps, which is intended to support stronger causal or longitudinal insights into how service affects individuals during and after participation. Third, it invites research on trends in the nonprofit sector that either influence national service or are influenced by it, recognizing that service programs interact with nonprofit capacity, labor markets, organizational behavior, and community needs in ways that can be measured and analyzed.
Eligibility is focused on institutions of higher education and higher education research partnerships. Partnerships are expected to apply as a single joint application submitted by the collaborating institutions. CNCS emphasizes that applicants should have a demonstrated track record conducting research in volunteering, community service, or civic engagement, and they must show institutional capacity to manage large research projects and federal or comparable grant funding. Beyond technical research competence, CNCS signals a strong preference for applicants who can demonstrate relationships with policymakers and practitioners, suggesting that translation, dissemination, and real-world relevance are important evaluation considerations, not just methodological rigor.
The application process is email-based and requires electronic submission only; hardcopy and fax submissions are explicitly not accepted. Applicants must submit the application as four attachments to an email sent to research@cns.gov: the SF-424, the SF-424A, the project narrative, and a Survey on Equal Opportunity, with all four documents required for a valid submission. The deadline for full applications is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 13, 2008. CNCS also requests (but does not require) an email indicating intent to apply by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 16, 2008, which is meant to help the agency plan the review workload. In addition, CNCS scheduled a technical assistance phone call for potential applicants on May 14, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with registration handled via email to research@cns.gov to receive call-in details.
For reference and administrative context, the opportunity falls under CFDA 94.007 (Program Development and Innovation Grants) and is categorized under several activity areas including community development, education, information and statistics, and science and technology/other research and development. Questions about accessing the full announcement can be directed to the CNCS Special Initiatives Hotline at (202) 606-7507, while the official email point of contact for submissions and coordination is research@cns.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Expanding Research on Volunteerism and National Service Cooperative Agreement.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is CNCS COOP 050208 001.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The funding is offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
What is the overall purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to strengthen scholarly and policy-relevant research on volunteering, civic engagement, and national service in the United States, and to expand the evidence base in ways that can inform policymakers, practitioners, and the public.
How much total funding is expected to be available?
CNCS set aside an estimated total of about $500,000 for this opportunity.
How many awards does CNCS expect to make?
Funding is expected to be distributed across roughly one to five cooperative agreement awards, with an expected number of awards listed as three.
What is the typical award size?
Typical award sizes range from about $50,000 to $300,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated for applicants in the provided opportunity summary.
Is this a standard grant or a cooperative agreement?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement, not a standard grant.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
Applicants should anticipate a more collaborative relationship with CNCS during the project period, which may include agency involvement in refining deliverables, data use expectations, or dissemination plans.
What is the expected project period?
Applicants are asked to submit a three-year plan.
Is funding guaranteed for all three years?
No. Support for years two and three is contingent on the availability of federal funds and on the recipient demonstrating satisfactory progress toward agreed-upon objectives.
What research areas does this competition focus on?
The competition targets three specific research areas: (1) volunteering and civic engagement using the Current Population Survey Annual Volunteer Supplement (CPS Volunteer Supplement); (2) the impact of national service on participants using datasets from Serving Country and Community: A Longitudinal Study of Service in AmeriCorps; and (3) trends in the nonprofit sector that influence national service or are influenced by it.
What is the CPS Volunteer Supplement and how is it used here?
The CPS Annual Volunteer Supplement is described as a key federal source for tracking who volunteers, how they volunteer, and how patterns change over time. This opportunity supports research using that dataset to examine volunteering and civic engagement.
What is the "Serving Country and Community" study referenced in the opportunity?
It is identified as a longitudinal study of service in AmeriCorps, with datasets intended to support stronger causal or longitudinal insights into how service affects individuals during and after participation.
What kinds of nonprofit sector topics are relevant under this opportunity?
The opportunity invites research on nonprofit sector trends that influence or are influenced by national service, recognizing connections to nonprofit capacity, labor markets, organizational behavior, and community needs that can be measured and analyzed.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is focused on institutions of higher education and higher education research partnerships.
If multiple institutions are partnering, how should they apply?
Partnerships are expected to apply as a single joint application submitted by the collaborating institutions.
What qualifications does CNCS emphasize for applicants?
CNCS emphasizes a demonstrated track record conducting research in volunteering, community service, or civic engagement, and institutional capacity to manage large research projects and federal or comparable grant funding.
Does CNCS value policy and practitioner relationships?
Yes. CNCS signals a strong preference for applicants who can demonstrate relationships with policymakers and practitioners, indicating that translation, dissemination, and real-world relevance matter alongside methodological rigor.
How must applications be submitted?
Applications must be submitted electronically by email. Hardcopy and fax submissions are explicitly not accepted.
What email address is used for submission?
Applications must be sent to research@cns.gov.
What documents are required for a valid submission?
The application must be submitted as four attachments to the submission email: the SF-424, the SF-424A, the project narrative, and a Survey on Equal Opportunity. All four documents are required for a valid submission.
What is the deadline to submit the full application?
The deadline for full applications is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 13, 2008.
Is there an intent-to-apply notice, and is it required?
CNCS requests (but does not require) an email indicating intent to apply by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 16, 2008 to help plan the review workload.
Was technical assistance offered to potential applicants?
Yes. CNCS scheduled a technical assistance phone call for potential applicants on May 14, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
How did applicants register for the technical assistance call?
Registration was handled via email to research@cns.gov to receive call-in details.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under CFDA 94.007, identified as Program Development and Innovation Grants.
What activity areas are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is categorized under several activity areas including community development, education, information and statistics, and science and technology/other research and development.
Who can be contacted for help accessing the full announcement?
Questions about accessing the full announcement can be directed to the CNCS Special Initiatives Hotline at (202) 606-7507.
What is the official email point of contact for submissions and coordination?
The official email contact for submissions and coordination is research@cns.gov.
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