State
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - Division of Public Health
10/22/18 5:00 PM CT Receipt or Postmarked
Grants to Nebraska nonprofit organizations and public health clinics for vaccination programs. Funding is intended to increase vaccination service access, to develop and implement system- or provider-based interventions, and to increase demand for vaccinations from within communities.
The purpose of this Request for Application (RFA) is to identify those eligible entities most qualified to successfully meet both the federal and state objective to reduce and ultimately eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases by increasing and sustaining high immunization coverage. Emphasis is placed on populations at highest risk for under-immunization and disease and those eligible for receipt of publicly purchased vaccine especially children at easily accessible walk-in locations.
The intent of this RFA is to reinforce the importance of a medical home while also recognizing that public clinics still provide a role to ensure access to vaccination services, especially local health departments and public clinics involved in outbreak response.
DHHS seeks competition through this RFA and degrees of preference will be commensurate with the degree to which proposed activities has been demonstrated to be effective, and the degree to which progress in meeting required objectives and performance measures has been demonstrated.
DHHS will consider geographic access in making final funding decisions.
Priority Objectives and Activities:
While many immunization activities will be allowed under this CDC funding source, there are certain priority activities of both the Nebraska Immunization Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Applicants that are able to address one or more of these priority activities will be given preference.
Improve and Sustain Immunization Coverage Levels
- Review available data sources, and develop a plan designed to improve immunization coverage levels that focuses on low or lagging vaccination coverage among children, adolescents, adults, special populations relevant to the applicant’s jurisdiction, or any combination thereof. A focus should be on identifying communities or geographic clusters with lower vaccination coverage levels or higher incidences of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) or both, especially within the pediatric population. A particular focus should be placed on improving vaccination coverage levels for HPV in targeted populations. A focus should also be placed on areas where Nebraska overall is lagging compared to the US and the HHS Region VII.
- Prioritize the application of achievable activities that the best available evidence indicates will improve and sustain vaccination coverage levels in these areas of greater need. Include the rationale for choosing the priority, achievable, and affordable activities over other possible activities that may improve vaccination coverage levels.
- Conduct, implement, and monitor the outcome of one or more of the prioritized activities.
Enhancing Access to Vaccination Services
- Enhancing access to vaccination services to children 0 through 18 years of age in accordance with the current ACIP immunization schedule. Ensuring ease of access for example providing walk-in and nurse only visits to serve the public. Continuing to provide access in conjunction with Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program settings or at minimum having a strong referral relationship with the WIC setting.
- Continuing to provide access to adults when able or developing a strong specific referral to an accessible location for adult vaccination services.
Increasing Community Demand for Vaccinations
- Strong bundled recommendations for on-time vaccination according to ACIP
- Reminder and Recall Systems
- Work with new and existing partners to increase demand for seasonal influenza vaccine to improve preparedness for an influenza pandemic.
Provider- or System-Based Interventions
- Having standing orders that are updated, accessible, and utilized.
- Assessing the Nebraska Immunization Information System (NESIIS) as required by the VFC program and meet the requirement to report to NESIIS immunizations of patients served manually or by data exchange as noted in Attachment A. Additional priority activities with NESIIS include: Use NESIIS to look up prior records; use NESIIS to enter in missing historical records; use NESIIS for provider assessment of immunization coverage.
Utilizing Existing Educational Resources – Supporting Staff Education (Learning, Using, and Teaching)
- Accessing CDC on-line educational resources
- Accessing Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) on-line educational resources
- Accessing American Cancer Society (ACS) HPV Vaccination Roundtable online educational resources
- Attendance at the 16th Annual Immunize Nebraska Conference.
GrantWatch ID#: 148106
$600,000
The federal VFC program identifies American Indian or Alaskan Native as a target eligible population; therefore, DHHS is setting aside $25,000 for each of the four federally recognized tribes headquartered in Nebraska, for a total of $100,000. The set aside amount does not restrict the four federally recognized tribes headquartered in Nebraska from applying for additional funds.
The total funding available for other eligible applicants is projected to be $500,000.
Project Period: January 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019
Applicants eligible to submit applications in accordance with this RFA must meet all of the below criteria as of the time of the RFA release date:
- Nonprofit agency located in Nebraska. The application assures that it is a public or nonprofit (as described in Internal Revenue Code 501(c) (3)) entity, and will provide proof of its nonprofit status upon request of DHHS.
- Public clinic. For the purposes of the Nebraska DHHS Immunization Program and this RFA, a public clinic is a clinic operated by a public or nonprofit agency, such as a county or district health department, tribal health facility, or community action agency that meets the needs of the community that are not already met by other providers, so in a large way serves as a “safety net” for those populations.
- Current enrolled VFC provider.
Applicants must be familiar and able to meet VFC programmatic requirements as a condition of eligibility to submit an application and as a condition of receipt of subaward funds. Applicants must be a current enrolled VFC provider and those requirements including, but not limited to: ordering, accountability, and storage and handling of publicly purchased vaccine are outlined in the annual signed executed Provider Agreement, Provider Profile, and Nebraska Immunization Program Provider Manual. The manual is given to each enrolled provider, last revised in April 2018, and is to be reviewed annually by enrolled providers.
Subawards under this RFA shall not replace a service or activity that is supported by other means. Under no circumstances will applications be considered that would replace existing support from non-federal sources.
The Subrecipient acknowledges that it may not use subaward funds for:
1. Any costs for activities or personnel that are not directly related to the Immunization and Vaccines for Children Cooperative Agreement.
2. Violation of the cost limitations as stated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and Furthering Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017
a. None of the funds shall be used to pay the salary of an individual at a rate in excess of Executive Level II (Div. H, Title II, General Provisions, Sec. 202)
b. None of the funds shall be used to advocate or promote gun control (Div. H, Title II, Sec. 210)
c. None of the funds shall be used for lobbying (Div. H, Title V, Sec. 503)
d. None of the funds shall be used to carry out a program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of an illegal drug (Div. H, Title V, Sec. 520)
e. None of the funds shall be used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography (Div. H, Title V, Sec. 521)
3. Travel costs not justified and directly benefiting the immunization activities.
4. Rent costs that are supported by an explanation of why these costs are not included in the indirect cost rate agreement or cost allocation plan.
5. Any non-allowable expenses with federal immunization funds noted below to the extent prohibited by applicable law:
- Honoraria
- Advertising costs (e.g., conventions, displays, exhibits, meetings, memorabilia, gifts, souvenirs)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Building purchases, construction, capital improvements
- Land purchases
- Legislative/lobbying activities
- Bonding
- Depreciation on use charges
- Research
- Fundraising
- Interest on loans for the acquisition and/or modernization of an existing building
- Clinical care (non-immunization services)
- Entertainment
- Payment of bad debt
- Dry cleaning
- Vehicle Purchase / Vehicle Lease
- Promotional and/or Incentive Materials (e.g., plaques, clothing and commemorative items such as pens, mugs/cups, folders/folios, lanyards, conference bags)
- Purchase of food (unless part of required travel per diem costs)
RFA Schedule:
- RFA Issued: September 12, 2018
- Written Questions Due (emailed or faxed): September 26, 2018 by 5:00 PM CT
- Final Post of Responses to Written Questions: September 28, 2018 by 5:00 PM CT
- Application Due: Received or postmarked by Monday, October 22, 2018 by 5:00 PM CT
- Post Notice of Intent to Award: November 16, 2018 by 5:00 PM CT
- Implementation of Subaward: January 1, 2019
No local match of funds is required for this subaward; however, these funds must not be the sole funding source for immunization activities within a clinic. Funds are intended to supplement existing clinical immunization practices.
General Best Practice Guidelines for Immunization - CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/general-recs/index.html
Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates/changes/addendums/conferences/LOIs.
Submit questions to Bonnie Schwaninger in writing with email preferred or fax and ensure clearly marked “RFA Question”. Additionally, applications may be emailed or faxed to:
Bonnie Schwaninger
Email: Bonnie.Schwaninger@nebraska.gov
Fax: (402) 471-6426
Applications may be hand-delivered to:
Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
Immunization Program
301 Centennial Mall South, PO Box 95026
Lincoln, NE 68509-95026
Applications may also be mailed to:
Bonnie Schwaninger, Federal Aid Administrator II
Attn: Nebraska Immunization Program
DHHS - Lifespan Health Services
PO Box 95026
Lincoln NE 68509-5026
Phone: 402-471-6423
USA: Nebraska
One moment please...
Phone: