What can I use the funding for?
Grant funds may be used for project staff salaries, consultant fees (if applicable), data collection and analysis, meetings, supplies, project-related travel, and other direct project expenses, including a limited amount of equipment essential to the project. Grantees must include in their budget travel costs for at least two team members to attend the Kick-off training and the WIC Telehealth Innovation Research Dissemination Workshop, which will occur in the first and last quarters of the project period, respectively. The training and workshop will be held in the Washington, DC area.
For federal regulatory and administrative requirements, please refer to the THIS-WIC Administration Page
For Prioririty Area 1, can multiple solutions be implemented, such as both video conferencing and two-way text messaging? Or even three solutions, video conferencing, a lactation mobile app, and two-way text messaging?
Yes, multiple solutions can be implemented
Our proposal includes implementation of telehealth Interventions (utilizing Priority 1) that will consist of an intervention (treatment) and a control group. Is there an “acceptable” number to consider for each group as part of our pilot that is considered “manageable” ?
We encourage agencies to state a realistic and manageable number of participants on their end. If selected, THIS-WIC will work with agencies in the full proposal round to define a sample size that will ensure rigor but also meet the needs and bandwidth of applicants.
Who determines the telehealth platform to be utilized during the pilot? Do we determine the platform in collaboration with the THIS-WIC team or should we initially have an idea of the platform which may best meet our needs at the current time? We are asking for the purpose of budgeting and sustainably?
State Agencies should research and select the telehealth platform that works best for their needs. THIS-WIC will have no say in that aspect of the proposal. Applicants should articulate how the platform will build on participant assessment information to provide nutrition education and/or breastfeeding support and how the solution will be used to deliver only allowable WIC services by qualified professionals.
In the full proposal round, we will be rewarding additional points for platforms that use open-source software and technology , and/or plan to develop systems that can be easily tailored and adopted by other SAs at little or no cost.
At our State Agency, staff are often cost allocated among various grants and/or programs that they are working on. Is it allowable for an existing FT WIC staff to be detailed to work on the grant and cost allocate their time split between two funding sources? For example an existing nutrition educator would be cost allocated to work on the grant 50% of time and the regular WIC program duties 50% of time. WIC regulations allow this and the State Agency documentation policy and timekeeping infrastructure support this.
Per USDA FNS guidelines, it is important that WIC operational funds not be used to pay for grant activities, so if the staff member works 50% time on the grant and that time is funded by the grant, that should be acceptable as long as the staff member’s time in the clinic is replaced by another staff member or the clinic can justify a decrease in staffing needs.
Does the fact that we are currently receiving other grant funds conflict with this opportunity?
No. You’re still eligible to apply.
Could a degreed nutritionist, RN, LPN or appropriately trained paraprofessional meet the criteria of qualified professional as long as they stayed within their scope of practice according to our WIC policies?
The grant opportunity requires qualified professionals to support the telehealth solution. WIC qualified professionals have expertise in managing complex nutrition and breastfeeding problems within the program scope and policies. They must meet State staffing requirements.
Does this opportunity require a match or cost-share?
Since we are a federally recognized tribe, do you require a tribal resolution?
No, but, if applicable, we will need to work with your tribal research board to approve the evaluation of the opportunity.
What is the CFDA number for the opportunity?
The CFDA name is WIC Special Programs Discretionary and the number is 10.528
Can we upload additional documents with our brief proposal submission?
No additional documents are allowed to be submitted. Please only respond to the sections in the brief proposal template form.
What is the timeline of the grant?
Phase I: Brief Proposal
- May 8, 2020 (11:59 p.m. ET)
Deadline for receipt of brief proposals (required for consideration in Phase I)
Phase II: Full Proposal (invite only)
- June 2, 2020
Phase 2 full proposal submission begins for selected Phase I applicants.
- September 8, 2020 (11:59 p.m. ET)
Deadline for receipt of full proposals for selected Phase I applicants.
- October 2020
Applicant finalists notified of funding recommendations.
- November 2020
Grants initiated with selected State Agencies
What if I can’t attend the webinars?
All webinars will be recorded and archived here.
Is there a preference for a specific target population? Urban, rural, or suburban?
Rural or other populations with decreased access to WIC are priority populations
What is the difference between Priority Area 1 and Priority Area 2?
Priority Area 1: Implement an existing telehealth solution to ensure timely access to nutritional or breastfeeding support for WIC participants by qualified professionals.
The most consistent benefit documented in telehealth research is when telehealth technology is used for communication and counseling. One option to facilitate this communication is through videoconferencing (delivered either to a single participant or in a group setting). Videoconferencing has been graded as an “A” option by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report. Although videoconferencing has some evidence of feasibility within WIC, to our knowledge, no research has been conducted to assess its impact. WIC SAs may also propose solutions beyond videoconferencing (e.g., two-way text messaging, existing mobile app).
Priority Area 2: Develop and implement an online (mobile-friendly) resource or tool to provide nutritional or breastfeeding support to WIC participants that is within the scope of the nutrition education and/or breastfeeding support offered in the WIC clinic by qualified professionals
The focus of PA 2 is the development of online, mobile-friendly telehealth technologies and/or tools or novel integration of existing tools to support WIC staff in their delivery of WIC services. Projects awarded for PA 2 will help generate an emerging evidence base to better understand the integration of mobile-friendly tools within WIC to supplement usual practice care, while also addressing program barriers for State Agencies (SA) and WIC participants.
Can State Agencies submit an application for each priority area?
Yes, however, you’re only eligible to receive funding for one.
What is the State Agency’s (SA) responsibility for the procurement of services?
The WIC SA is responsible for all procurement services, but can reach out to Telehealth Resource Centers for support about how to interact with vendors.
How many awards will be provided overall?
Up to 8 grants will be funded.
How many Local WIC agencies (LWAs) are required to participate?
There is no specific requirement for LWA participation, but funded SAs or consortium of SAs need to work with THIS-WIC to select a sample size appropriate for their evaluation design.
Do State Agencies need to have EBT cards implemented to be eligible to participate?
I’m a LWA WIC Director, can I apply?
While applications must be submitted by SAs, we encourage LWAs interested in this opportunity to reach out to their SA Director. SA applicants are highly encouraged to demonstrate interest and support from LWAs for their proposal.
Would it be possible to include more than one Indian Tribal Organization in an application? Is a Consortium approach allowed?
Yes. An eligible applicant may be a WIC SA or consortium of WIC SAs, including ITOs.
Staff capacity has been an issue in the past for implementing new projects, how can THIS-WIC help address this?
The THIS-WIC grant opportunity addresses staff capacity by allowing SAs to use grant funding to either pay for current staff and/or hire new staff or contractors to implement their project. If current staff are used on the project, the costs of time studies should be used to allocate their salaries and benefits between this grant and WIC NSA grant funds. The THIS-WIC team will collaborate with SAs and lead the evaluation process, which includes evaluation design, collection and analysis of administrative data, and collection of new data (e.g., key informant interviews). THIS-WIC also provides technical assistance throughout the entire process.
What kind of partner organizations are allowed to support the SA’s projects? We have collaborated with a university on previous projects; could we partner with a university for this proposal?
Any partner organization is allowed to support the proposal; however, academic organizations can only assist SAs and cannot lead any of the evaluation and/or data collection aspects of the process. Academic institutions are not allowed to apply on behalf of a SA.
