Amendments to this announcement can be found in red.

ATTENTION:Grants.gov and the CDC are moving from PureEdge based grant application forms to forms that use Adobe Reader software. Most electronic submissions to the CDC on or after January 1, 2009 will require the use of the new Adobe-based forms. Although the overall process of finding opportunities, downloading application packages and preparing forms remains the same, if you are writing or renewing an electronic grant application it is important to understand the changes that are on the way and begin preparing now to ensure a smooth application submission process. Install the Grants.gov recommended version of Adobe Reader. Grants.gov requires that applicants use specific versions of Adobe Reader 8.1.3 or higher. You can check Grants.gov’s Download Software page for directions on how to download free Adobe Reader software. Be aware that incorrect versions of Adobe Reader will prevent successful submission of your application to Grants.gov!

IMPORTANT: If you have already downloaded the application forms for this announcement, you must download a new package that includes the new Adobe application forms.

For questions or concerns regarding this transition, please contact the CDC Procurement and Grants Office at 770-488-2700 or or Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 or .

Part I Overview Information

United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Issuing Organization

NationalCenter for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCIPC/CDC) at

Participating Organizations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)at

Components of Participating Organizations

NationalCenter for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC/CDC) at

Title:Preventing Sexual Violence Perpetration: Targeting Modifiable Risk Factors (U01)

The policies, guidelines, terms, and conditions of the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in this announcement might differ from those used by the HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH). If written guidance for completing this application is not available on the CDC website, then CDC will direct applicants elsewhere for that information.

Authority: This program is authorized under Section 301 (a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)] of the Public Health Service Act, and Section 391 (a)[42 U.S.C. 280 b(a)] of the Public Health Service Act, as amended

Announcement Type:New Type 1

Instructions for Submission of Electronic Research Applications:

If you do not have access to the Internet, or if you have difficulty accessing the forms online, you may contact the CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section (PGOTIMS) staff. For this, or further assistance, contact PGO TIMS: Telephone (770) 488-2700, Email: .

NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistancemustbe submitted electronically through Grants.gov ( using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application package instructions included with this announcement on Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter referred to as, Grants.gov/Apply.)

A registration process is necessary before submission, and applicants are strongly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.

Two steps are required for on time submission:

1) The application must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Timeon the application submission receipt date (see “Key Dates” below.)

2) Applicants must complete a verification step in the Electronic Research Administration (eRA Commons) within two business days of notification. Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically check on their application status in the eRA Commons.

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number:RFA–CE-09-003.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s): 93.136, Injury Prevention and Control Research and State and Community Based Programs

Key Dates

Release/Posted Date:
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: January 26, 2009
Application Submission Receipt Date(s): February 23, 2009
Peer Review Date(s): April - May 2009
Council Review Date(s): May – June 2009

Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): September, 2009

Additional Information to Be Available Date: Technical assistance will be available for potential applicants during one conference call to be held on January 14, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time). The conference can be accessed by calling: 866-423-1471 and entering the passcode: 2823331. Questions and answers from this call will be posted with the announcement on

Expiration Date:One day after application due date

Due Date for E.O. 12372

Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

  • Funds are available in fiscal year (FY) 2009 for a cooperative agreement to conduct a rigorous evaluation of a primary prevention strategy designed to reduce risk for perpetration of sexual violence. The primary prevention strategy should target modifiable contextual factors either alone or in combination with individual risk factors that have strong empirical support for their relevance to perpetration of sexual violence. This program addresses the “Healthy People 2010” focus area(s) of Injury and Violence Prevention.
  • Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the following performance goal(s) for the NationalCenter for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC): Conduct a targeted program of research to reduce injury-related death and disability.
  • The participating organizations intend to commit a total of $800,000 to this FOA for payment of applications responsive to this announcement statement.
  • Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
  • It is anticipated that there will be up to two awards funded at $400,000 each including direct and indirect costs per award/per year.
  • Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the activity code, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.
  • Budget Period, Project Period, and Award Amounts:The budget period is for a period of 12 months, with a total project period of up to 5 years. Budget period 1 may be funded at up to $400,000per award, including direct and indirect costs per award, with a total Project Period funding of up to $2,000,000 per award.
  • Eligible Organizations:Public nonprofit organizations; private nonprofit organizations; for profit organizations; small, minority, and women-owned businesses; universities; colleges; research institutions; hospitals; community-based organizations; faith-based organizations; federally recognized or state-recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribal governments; American Indian/Alaska Native tribally designated organizations; Alaska Native health corporations; urban Indian health organizations; tribal epidemiology centers; state and local governments or their Bona Fide Agents (this includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau); and political subdivisions of states (in consultation with states.) A Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by the state as eligible to submit an application under the state eligibility in lieu of a state application. If you are applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government, you must provide required documentation from the state or local government as documentation of your status. Attach this documentation behind the first page of your application form or for electronic applications, use a PDF file and attach as “Other Documents” and label as appropriate.
  • See Section IV.1 for application materials. The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA is located at these Web sites: Grants.gov Application Guide SF424 (R&R) - MS Word ; or Grants.gov Application Guide SF424 (R&R) - PDF
  • For general information on SF424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission, see the following Web sites: SF424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission Information ;and General Information on Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
  • HHS/CDC Telecommunications for the hearing impaired is available at the following number: TTY 770-488-2783.

Funding Opportunity Announcement Glossary: FOAGlossaryTerminology

Table of Contents

Part I Overview Information
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
2.Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Receipt and Review and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Submitting an Application to CDC
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
A. Cooperative Agreement
1. Recipient Rights and Responsibilities
2. CDC Responsibilities
3. Collaborative Responsibilities

3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)

4. General Questions Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations

Part II - Full Text of Announcement

SectionI. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Research Objectives

The NationalCenter for Injury Prevention and Control of CDC within HHSis committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010" and to measuring program performance as stipulated by the Government Performance and Review Act (GPRA). This RFA addresses “Healthy People 2010” priority area(s) of injury and violence prevention and is in alignment with NCIPC performance goal(s) toconduct a targeted program of research to reduce injury-related disability. For more information, see

Purpose

The purpose of this program of research is to conduct a rigorous evaluation of a primary prevention strategy designed to reduce risk for perpetration of sexual violence. The primary prevention strategy should target modifiable contextual factors either alone or in combination with individual risk factors that have strong empirical support for their relevance to perpetration of sexual violence. Given high rates of sexual violence perpetration, the conceptualization, implementation, and rigorous evaluation of evidence-based primary prevention approaches is fundamental to the field and to the prevention of sexual violence.

Background

Sexual violence perpetration encompasses a wide range of behaviors, including completed or attempted nonconsensual oral, genital, or anal penetration, othernonconsensual sexual contact (e.g., sexual touching), and nonconsensual non-contact sexual acts (e.g., voyeurism, sexual harassment, exhibitionism; Basile & Saltzman, 2002). Over the past two decades, the research base on risk factors for sexual violence perpetration has grown substantially, thus increasing the number of potential targets for prevention. Empirically based risk factors for the perpetration of sexual violence include individual factors (e.g., childhood exposure to violence, impulsivity, alcohol and other substance use, internalizing problems, aggression and conduct problems, antisocial or other personality traits, cognitions and values that support the use of sexual coercion, beliefs about masculinity and women, pornography use, absence of community connectedness). The context in which individuals interact with others has also been linked with increased risk for sexual violence perpetration. Empirically based contextual influences associated with sexual violence perpetration by individuals include risk factors relating to relationships (e.g., interpersonal problems, association with peer groups or organizations that tacitly or actively supportthe use of sexual coercion; lack of community connectedness),and organizations and communities (e.g., institutional policies climate, or norms and practices that tacitly or actively support the use of sexual coercion,group normativebeliefs about sexuality and gender that are consistent with the use of sexual coercion,lack of neighborhood monitoring,and gender inequalities; Adams-Curtis & Forbes, 2004; Banyard, Cross, & Modecki, 2006; Bohner, Siebler, & Schmelcher, 2006; Carr & VanDeusen, 2004; DeGue & DiLillo, 2005; Hall & Barongan, 1997; Pazzani, 2007).Sexual violence prevention approaches thus have a greater potential for success if the approach targets changes in risk factors existing in the contexts in which sexual violence perpetration occurs; this may be accomplished through addressing these contextual factors directly or in conjunction with targeting changes inindividuals’ riskfactors for the perpetration of sexual violence.

Early onset of sexual violence perpetration is a strong predictor of subsequent sexual violence perpetration (Becker, Cunningham-Rathner, & Kaplan, 1986; Koss & Dinero, 1988; White & Smith, 2004), indicating the need for primary prevention of sexual violence (i.e., before sexual violence occurs). Although longitudinal studies have found that the most salient risk factors for sexual perpetration can vary over the life course (Malamuth, 2003; Teten, Hall, & Capaldi, in press; White Hall Smith, 2004), many of the developmental pathways for the perpetration of sexual violence have their roots in early childhood exposure to violence and early socialization experiences (Nagayama Hall & Barongan, 1997), suggesting thateffective primary prevention of sexual violence must also occur early in development. By adolescence, individuals are already developing beliefs and value systems that have been empirically related to higher rates of sexual violence perpetration, including perceptions of male entitlement to sexual activity and the acceptability of coercing or otherwise forcing someone into sexual activity (American Medical Association, 1997; Anderson, Simpson-Taylor, & Herrmann, 2004).Adolescents’ self-reported rates of coercing someone into unwanted sexual activity vary widely in the literature, but rates as high as 60% have been reported (Anderson et al., 2004).

In contrast to the growing evidence base on risk factors for sexual violence perpetration, evidence of programs with demonstrated efficacy and effectiveness for preventing sexual violence perpetration is limited. Although the high incidence of sexual violence perpetration has prompted sexual assault prevention efforts, most evaluations are limited by methodological problems, and few prevention approaches have been systematically and rigorously evaluated over time. Programs often target or assess changes in knowledge and attitudes and assume that changes in these variables will result in decreases in sexually violent or coercive behaviors (Brecklin & Forde, 2001). However, without direct assessment of these behavioral outcomes, it is not possible to measurethe intended effect of the prevention approach on reducing sexual violence. Further, many evaluated prevention programs consist of one-time educational presentations with few or no follow-up strategies (Schewe, 2007). Consequently, these efforts have a limited potential to affect sustained behavior change (Lee et al., 2007).

Research Objective

The specific research objective of this announcement is to support a rigorous evaluation(s) of a primary prevention strategy designed to reduce risk for perpetration of sexual violence by modifying empirically supported contextual factors alone or in combination with individual risk factors.

Strategies proposed in response to this announcement should be designed to target contextual factors that contribute to sexual violence perpetration before sexual violence occurs (i.e., primary prevention). Contextual factors may be targeted either alone (e.g., changes in peer group or bystander norms and behaviors; changes in institutional practices, norms, policy, or climate) or in combination with individual risk factors (e.g., targeting individual or bystander behaviors in conjunction with targeting institutional policy or climate). Strategies focused only on preventing sexual violence victimization will be considered nonresponsive. Prevention strategies can be designed to reach entire populations of individuals (i.e., universal) or specific subgroups with known risk factors (i.e., selected). However, evaluations of strategies directed solely at reducing sexual violence recidivism among adjudicated sexual offenders (i.e., secondary prevention, including offender treatment) will be considered nonresponsive. The proposed strategy should be relevant to and able to be implemented in real-world settings. To be considered responsive to this FOA, the applicant must address the research objective described above.

Scientific Standard

Research funded under this announcement is expected to adhere to high scientific standards and should incorporate the following elements:

  • A theoretically and empirically justified rationale for why the sexual violence prevention strategy under investigation is expected to impact sexual violence perpetration behaviors(i.e., a conceptual model or theory of change, with proposed mediators or moderators, indicating how the prevention strategy is expected to produce the intended reductions in sexual violence by addressing identified risk factors for sexual violence);
  • Sampling and assessment protocols that are clear, appropriate, and reasonable, and that will provide adequate statistical power to detect hypothesized effects;
  • Power calculations that take into accountbase rates of different types of sexually violent behavior in the population of interest;
  • Stringent and rigorous evaluation designs, namely experimental, quasi-experimental, time series, or similar designs, that are appropriate for evaluating the impact of the prevention strategy over time (e.g., baseline through follow-up). Experimental designs are strongly encouraged;
  • Outcomes and impacts thatcapture a full range of sexually violent behaviors with the potential to occur in the population of interest (i.e., from sexual harassment to sexually coercive behaviors to aggressive sexual assault).Where possible, multiple sources of data should be used. Potential sources of sexual violence outcomes include, but are not limited to: hospital or emergency department data; police, school, or other organizational data related to sexual violence; and self reports;
  • Plans for developmentally and culturally appropriate and valid measures of the relevant risk factors or variables proposed to mediate or moderate sexual violence outcomes as well as measures of implementation processes, such as fidelity of implementation and exposure to the intervention;
  • Data analysis plans that are appropriate to the prevention strategy, the research design and hypotheses, data collection measures, and project period, and that anticipate and evaluate the effects of threats to the internal and external validity of the specified research design.

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.