Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Practice and Implementation Centers - High-Impact Projects for Practice and Systems Change | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this CDC supplemental funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Practice and Implementation Centers - High-Impact Projects for Practice and Systems Change."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is CDC RFA DD14-14020301SUPP16.

Which CDC office offered this opportunity?

This opportunity was offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within HHS, specifically through the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD).

What type of funding mechanism was used?

The opportunity was structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 93.283.

When was the notice posted, and what was the application deadline?

The notice was posted on March 23, 2016. The application deadline was May 31, 2016.

How much funding could be awarded per supplemental award?

The supplemental award amount could be up to $151,200 per award.

How many awards did CDC anticipate making?

CDC anticipated up to six awards.

Was this opportunity open to new organizations that were not already funded by CDC?

No. This supplemental opportunity was not open to brand-new organizations. It was specifically designed for existing recipients of the earlier award DD14-1402 that funded FASD Practice and Implementation Centers.

Who was eligible to compete for these supplemental funds?

Only current awardees from the original DD14-1402 program (FASD Practice and Implementation Centers) were positioned to compete for this supplemental funding.

What was the purpose of the supplemental funding?

The purpose was to allow CDC-funded FASD centers to take on higher-impact, more intensive work that could not reasonably be completed, fully implemented, or evaluated under the original budgets and timelines of their DD14-1402 awards.

What was the main focus area for projects funded under this supplement?

The core focus was practice and systems change related to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), with an emphasis on projects that move beyond education alone and into real-world adoption and operationalization of effective approaches.

What kinds of activities did CDC describe as eligible under the supplement?

CDC described eligible supplemental activities as enhanced work such as strengthening clinical practice, translating evidence-based or effective interventions into routine use, and conducting focused evaluations of promising practices.

Could applicants connect the supplemental work to activities already underway under DD14-1402?

Yes. Applicants were allowed to connect proposed supplemental activities to work already underway through their core DD14-1402 funding.

Did CDC expect the supplemental proposal to be more than just an extension of the original work?

Yes. CDC made it clear the supplement should support meaningful add-on activities that require additional resources to execute well, particularly for implementation and evaluation.

What does CDC mean by "practice and systems change" in this opportunity?

Based on the description, it refers to implementing changes that make effective FASD-related approaches part of routine operations (for example, standard workflows, consistent practices across roles, and sustained adoption), rather than focusing only on educational or awareness activities.

Was a partnership required as part of the project?

Yes. A key expectation was that each applicant would identify and partner with a "system" to drive change.

What counts as a "system" partner under this opportunity?

The system could be a healthcare delivery network, clinic system, professional organization, training pipeline, or another structured environment where practices can be standardized and sustained.

Why did CDC require a system partner?

The partnership requirement was intended to support projects with a realistic pathway to adoption, standardization, sustainability, and potential scale or replication within real-world settings.

Did the project need to influence specific professional groups?

Yes. Through the system partnership, projects needed to influence at least two of the six targeted professional disciplines emphasized by the original program.

Which professional disciplines were specifically targeted?

The six targeted disciplines were: nurses, social workers, medical assistants, obstetrician-gynecologists, family medicine practitioners, and pediatricians.

How many of the targeted disciplines had to be influenced by a proposed project?

At least two of the six targeted disciplines needed to be influenced.

Why would CDC require influence across multiple disciplines?

The requirement reflects an intent to promote changes that cut across roles and workflows, increasing the likelihood of consistent screening, counseling, referral, prevention, and care practices related to alcohol use in pregnancy and FASD-related services.

Were applicants required to choose a project category?

Yes. Applicants were required to place their proposal into one of three project categories, each aimed at a different lever of change.

What are the three project categories?

The three categories were: (1) enhancing practice guidelines, (2) healthcare system-level improvements, and (3) policy-level change.

What did the "enhancing practice guidelines" category generally involve?

This category typically involved updating, clarifying, disseminating, and embedding evidence-informed guidance so clinicians and staff can follow consistent, effective approaches.

What did the "healthcare system-level improvements" category generally involve?

This category focused on organizational process and infrastructure changes, such as clinical workflows, electronic health record prompts, referral pathways, staff roles, quality improvement processes, or training systems that make desired practices easier to deliver reliably.

What did the "policy-level change" category generally involve?

This category aimed for broader and more durable impact by shifting policies within organizations, payers, jurisdictions, or professional bodies in ways that support routine adoption of effective FASD prevention or intervention practices.

Was the supplement focused on implementation and evaluation?

Yes. The description emphasizes implementation (moving effective approaches into routine use) and evaluation (conducting focused evaluations of promising practices), and notes that the add-on work should require additional resources to execute well in these areas.

What was the overall goal of the supplemental opportunity?

The overall goal was to accelerate high-impact implementation work among already-established CDC-funded FASD centers and push efforts from promising practices toward measurable, sustained change in healthcare and related systems.

What kinds of outcomes was CDC implicitly prioritizing with this design?

Based on the stated expectations (system partner, multi-discipline influence, and category options spanning guidelines, systems, and policy), CDC was prioritizing projects with measurable, sustained practice change and durable adoption within real-world systems.

Did this opportunity emphasize scale, replication, or sustainability?

Yes. By requiring a defined system partner and multi-discipline influence, CDC positioned the supplement to support projects with a realistic pathway to scale, replication, and lasting improvement.