Formative Research of Community-led Primary Prevention Approaches to Address Elevated Risk of Intimate Partner Violence & Sexual Violence | RFA CE 25 032

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CE 25 032

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is offering a cooperative agreement (RFA CE 25 032; CFDA 93.136) to strengthen the evidence base for preventing intimate partner violence (IPV), including teen dating violence (TDV), and sexual violence (SV) in communities that face elevated risk. The focus is on communities that experience inequitable burdens of IPV/SV, including (but not limited to) racial and ethnic minority groups, sexual and gender minority groups, and people with disabilities. Rather than funding large-scale outcome trials right away, this opportunity is meant to support the early, practical research work that helps refine community prevention strategies and sets them up for a later, more rigorous evaluation.

The grant is specifically centered on formative research for primary prevention approaches, meaning efforts intended to prevent IPV/SV before it occurs. The approaches can take the form of policies, programs, or practices, and the CDC strongly encourages strategies aimed at the community or societal level, especially those that address social determinants of health. A central requirement is that the prevention approach must be community-led: it should have been developed with substantial input from the communities experiencing elevated risk and must be implemented in a community-based setting. In other words, applicants are expected to bring forward approaches rooted in lived experience and local leadership, not top-down interventions designed without meaningful community direction.

Projects are expected to use both qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed methods) to improve both the prevention approach itself and the evaluation plan that will eventually test it more rigorously. On the intervention side, formative research can include strengthening the design and implementation details and assessing whether the approach is appropriate and acceptable for the community it serves. On the evaluation side, formative work can include developing and refining measurement tools, improving recruitment and retention strategies, and conducting early pilot activities that reveal what is feasible and what needs adjustment before a larger study.

The CDC also expects applicants to include at least one element of formative evaluation and at least one element of implementation evaluation. Formative evaluation can involve activities like interviews, focus groups, surveys, or other mixed-method data collection to assess feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability. Implementation evaluation focuses more on how the approach is delivered in real settings, with common measures including reach (who is engaged), dosage (how much of the intervention is delivered or received), and fidelity (whether it is delivered as intended). Together, these evaluation components are meant to answer both "Is this workable and well-suited for this community?" and "Is it being implemented in a way that matches the model and can be scaled or tested?"

A non-negotiable requirement is that every funded project must conduct a pilot study (also described as a pilot test or effectiveness evaluation). This pilot is intended to produce early evidence of preliminary efficacy or effectiveness by examining changes in IPV and/or SV outcomes. The pilot is not positioned as a definitive trial, but as a key step that demonstrates whether the community-led prevention approach shows promising movement on outcomes and is ready for a future rigorous evaluation.

In terms of logistics, the application deadline listed is December 2, 2024. The award ceiling is $375,000, and CDC anticipates making 2 awards. Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other unrestricted applicants. The cooperative agreement mechanism also implies substantial involvement from the CDC during the project period, which typically means the agency may provide technical input or collaboration expectations beyond what is common in a standard grant.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Formative Research of Community-led Primary Prevention Approaches to Address Elevated Risk of Intimate Partner Violence & Sexual Violence" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.136.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-02. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $375,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others, Unrestricted.

Apply for RFA CE 25 032

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