Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program – Innovation Awards | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the MIECHV Innovation Awards opportunity (HRSA-16-025)?

The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Innovation Awards (HRSA-16-025) is a FY 2016 federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is administered by HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems, and supports the development, implementation, and rigorous evaluation of new innovations intended to improve MIECHV-funded home visiting services for eligible families in at-risk communities.

2) What type of funding mechanism is this?

This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement.

3) Is this a limited competition or an open competition?

This is structured as a limited competition intended for existing MIECHV awardees/recipients (organizations already receiving MIECHV formula funding), rather than new entrants to the MIECHV program.

4) Who is eligible to apply?

Based on the narrative description provided, the competition is intended for MIECHV awardees/recipients (current recipients of MIECHV formula funding). The posting summary lists eligibility as "Others (see text field...)," but the narrative clarifies it is not aimed at new applicants that are not already MIECHV formula recipients.

5) What is the application due date listed in the announcement?

The closing date listed for applications is May 17, 2016.

6) How much total funding is expected to be available under this opportunity?

Funding is expected to total about $18 million.

7) About how many awards does HRSA expect to make?

The announcement indicates roughly 10 awards are expected to be supported.

8) What is the maximum amount a single eligible applicant can request?

A single eligible applicant can request up to $2 million to develop, implement, and evaluate an innovation.

9) Can applicants apply as a collaboration, and does that change the funding ceiling?

Yes. If the proposal is a true collaboration involving two or more eligible applicants, with one eligible applicant contracting with other eligible applicant(s) to jointly carry out the work, the funding ceiling increases to up to $4 million.

10) What is the purpose of these Innovation Awards?

The purpose is to enable existing MIECHV awardees to design, put into practice, and rigorously evaluate new innovations that make MIECHV-funded home visiting services work better for eligible families in at-risk communities, and to generate knowledge that can be disseminated to the broader MIECHV field.

11) How does this announcement define an "innovation"?

In this announcement, an "innovation" is defined as a process, product, strategy, or practice that improves (or is reasonably expected to improve) outcomes compared to the current status quo and that has the potential to be used widely and effectively beyond a single site. It is not described as just a new idea in general.

12) Do innovations have to be scalable beyond a single location?

Yes. The definition of innovation in the opportunity includes having the potential to be used widely and effectively beyond a single site.

13) Can an innovation change the core components of a home visiting model?

No. A major requirement is that innovations cannot undermine the fidelity of the evidence-based or promising-approach home visiting models implemented under MIECHV, including not changing core components tied to outcomes.

14) What does "fidelity" mean in this context?

"Fidelity" means following the model developer's requirements for high-quality implementation, including any required affiliation, certification, or accreditation.

15) Is approval from the national home visiting model developer required?

Yes. Applicants must secure written prior approval from the national home visiting model developer(s) confirming the proposed innovation does not change the model's core components.

16) Where does the model developer's written approval need to appear in the application?

The written prior approval from the national home visiting model developer(s) must be included with the application and is identified as Attachment 7.

17) Is model developer approval alone sufficient to implement the innovation?

No. Beyond the developer sign-off, both the model developer and HRSA must determine the enhancement does not alter core components tied to outcomes, and HRSA must also confirm the innovation aligns with overall MIECHV program requirements before it can be implemented.

18) What broader MIECHV program goals does this opportunity connect to?

The opportunity is grounded in the broader goals of the MIECHV program under Title V of the Social Security Act, including strengthening and improving Title V activities, improving service coordination in at-risk communities, and identifying and delivering comprehensive services that improve outcomes for eligible families.

19) Who counts as an "eligible family" for purposes of this opportunity?

"Eligible families" are defined broadly to include pregnant women (and fathers when available) and parents or primary caregivers of children from birth to kindergarten entry. This includes grandparents, other relatives, foster parents, and certain noncustodial parents who maintain an ongoing relationship and provide some physical care.

20) What are the core objectives of the Innovation Awards?

The objectives focus on creating and testing innovations that are supported by either "evidence of promise" or a "strong theory," and that are intended to improve MIECHV-funded home visiting services and outcomes for eligible families in at-risk communities.

21) What does HRSA mean by "evidence of promise"?

"Evidence of promise" means there is empirical support linking at least one key component of the innovation to at least one relevant outcome in the applicant's logic model.

22) What does HRSA mean by "strong theory"?

"Strong theory" means the applicant presents a clear rationale supported by a logic model and a well-articulated theory of change describing how and why the innovation should produce the desired changes, for which populations, and under what conditions.

23) What program priority areas are innovations expected to improve?

Innovations are expected to improve performance in one or more of the following program priority areas:

• Recruiting, engaging, and retaining eligible families in home visiting
• Developing and retaining a trained, highly skilled home visiting workforce
• Coordinating home visiting with community resources and broader early childhood systems (including child health, behavioral health, and human services systems)
• Strengthening continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes within MIECHV-funded programs

24) Is evaluation required as part of the award?

Yes. The announcement emphasizes rigorous evaluation. Awardees are expected to conduct evaluation work that can credibly assess the innovation's development, implementation, and results.

25) What is HRSA expecting awardees to do with what they learn?

Awardees are expected to disseminate what is learned to all MIECHV formula recipients so promising strategies can be understood, replicated, and potentially scaled.

26) Is this opportunity focused only on trying new approaches, or also on building field-wide knowledge?

It is explicitly focused on both. The announcement emphasizes not only trying new approaches, but also building knowledge for the broader field through credible evaluation and dissemination to MIECHV formula recipients.

27) Which federal agencies and offices are named as sponsors of this opportunity?

The opportunity is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), specifically HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems.