Grant Opportunities: US Department of Justice Mentoring Funding
The U.S. Department of Education’s Prevention News Digest for 5/1/2015 stated:
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has reposted the following fiscal year 2015 funding solicitations with a new deadline of June 23, 2015:
- Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative. This solicitation supports organizations as they strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities with local subawardees and/or other mentoring organizations. Mentoring activities include direct one-on-one, group, peer, or a combination of these types of mentoring services for at-risk and undeserved youth populations. Applications are due by June 23, 2015.
- Mentoring for Youth: Underserved Populations. This solicitation will support mentoring services for underserved populations, including youth with disabilities, youth in foster care, and lesbian gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth (LGBTQ). Applications are due by June 23, 2015.
Visit OJJDP’s funding page for more information about these solicitations.
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Grant Opportunity: Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI)
By Jen Adams
Who is offering this grant? US National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
What is the purpose? The goal of NIJ’s Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI) is to improve school safety by providing communities with best practices for programs and policies based on rigorous scientific research, testing and evaluation. The initiative is carried out through partnerships between researchers, educators and other stakeholders, including law enforcement and mental health professionals. Projects funded under the CSSI are designed to produce knowledge that can be applied to schools and school districts across the nation for years to come.
What types of activities might be supported? The Initiative has three broad components, each designed to produce evidence about what works and to identify best practices: 1) Understand school safety issues, existing models and data; 2) Sponsor independent and innovative research; 3) Test the effects of interventions via pilot projects. Within the program parameters and in furtherance of the goals above, applicants have considerable discretion in determining the kinds of school safety initiatives they propose to address. There are four funding categories:
Category 1: Developing Knowledge About What Works to Make Schools Safe
Category 2: Causes and Consequences of School Violence
Category 3: Shorter Term Studies on School Safety
Category 4: Developing and Evaluating a Comprehensive School Safety Framework
Applicants are encouraged to review previously funded projects at http://nij.gov/topics/crime/school-crime/documents/comprehensive-school-safety-initiative-awards-fy-2014.pdf. A sample of funded activities include: School resource officer training. • Mental health and trauma-informed response. • Improved disciplinary policies. • Restorative justice. • Threat assessment using social media. • Positive behavioral interventions and supports. • Bullying prevention. • Wraparound services/comprehensive approaches. • Protecting students as they walk to and from school.
Who can apply? States, units of local government (including federally recognized Indian tribal governments), nonprofit and for-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and certain qualified individuals. Local education agencies (LEAs), public charter schools that are recognized as an LEA, and State education agencies (SEAs) also are eligible to apply.
When is the application due? June 12, 2015.
How much can I request? For Category 1: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $40 million will become available. NIJ anticipates awards will be made in amounts ranging from $1 million to $5 million. For Category 2: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $6 million will become available and awards will be made in amounts up to $2 million. For Category 3: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $4 million will become available. NIJ anticipates awards will be made in amounts ranging from $200,000 to $1 million. For Category 4: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $15 million will become available. NIJ anticipates that it will make two to three awards in amounts up to $7.5 million.
Do I have to offer a match of any kind? This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory.
How long is the project period? Project periods range according to category. Category 1 anticipates project periods from 24-48 months; Category 2 ranges from 12-24 months; Category 3 ranges from 12-24 months; and Category 4 ranges from 48-60 months.
Is there anything else I should know? Every award made under CSSI must include a carefully developed research strategy with clear potential for producing findings that have practical benefits for schools, students and communities at large. NIJ expects applications for CSSI to prominently feature close collaboration and partnerships involving schools, researchers, and others as necessary (e.g., law enforcement behavioral and mental health professionals, courts, criminal and juvenile justice professionals, parents, students) to implement and study the proposed issues and activities related to school and student safety.
NIJ expects that it will make any awards from funding Categories 1, 2, and 3 in the form of a grant. However, NIJ reserves the authority to make selected awards from Categories 1, 2, or 3 as cooperative agreements on a case-by-case basis, where NIJ determines that a cooperative agreement relationship is more appropriate for the implementation of the funded project. NIJ expects that it will make any award from Category 4 in the form of a cooperative agreement, which is a particular type of grant used if NIJ expects to have ongoing substantial involvement in award activities.
How can I find out more? Visit NIJ at: http://nij.gov/topics/crime/school-crime/Pages/school-safety-initiative.aspx. The RFP is available here: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl001161.pdf. An informational webinar about this grant initiative was held on April 16 from 3-4pm. The webinar and frequently asked questions will be available on the website as a resource for applicants.
Highmark Foundation Creating a Healthy School Environment Grants are Now Open! (PA and WV)
The Highmark Foundation is currently offering Creating a Healthy School Environment grants to schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Applicants may be public or private schools located within the Highmark service area, which includes 49 Pennsylvania Counties and all 55 West Virginia Counties.*
Applicants must select 1 of the 4 priority areas on which to focus their projects: (1) Bullying Prevention, (2) Child Injury Prevention, (3) Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, and (4) Physical and Environmental Health. Projects must be based on and inclusive of evidence-based programs. The RFP provides a list of suggested evidence-based programs and resources for each priority area, as well as checklists to support baseline and progress data collection and project evaluation. The specifically suggested evidenced-based programs and resources are not required for the Child Injury Prevention, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, and Physical and Environmental Health priority areas–other evidenced-based options may be proposed. Applicants applying for funds through Bullying Prevention, however, MUST select from the list of programs and resources provided.
Eligible applicants and allowable award sizes for 2015 are described in the RFP as follows:
PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLS
1. PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS (Individual school buildings are not eligible to apply.)
a. Grants up to $10,000 will be awarded to 15 school districts implementing programs that improve access to quality school-based health and wellness programs. We are interested in public schools applying as districts for implementing programs.
b. If awarded, school districts should identify and select schools within their district to receive funding.
2. PRIVATE, CHARTER, VOCATIONAL AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS (Grades K-12)
c. Mini-grants up to $5,000 will be awarded to 20 non-public school buildings.
d. Private, parochial and charter schools may only apply for the $5,000 mini-grants.
WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOLS 1. PUBLIC, PRIVATE, CHARTER VOCATIONAL AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS (Grades K-12)
a. $5,000 mini-grants will be awarded to 15 schools.
b. West Virginia schools may only apply for the $5,000 mini-grants.
Potential applicants should note the funder indicates, “Grants will not be awarded exclusively for equipment such as treadmills, bikes, etc. Equipment will only be considered if necessary for the implementation of an evidence-based physical activity program such as SPARK.”
All applicants must apply online by the May 8, 2015.
*Highmark service area:
Western Pennsylvania Counties served: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Erie, Elk, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Westmoreland and Washington
Central Pennsylvania Counties served: Adams, Berks, Centre, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mifflin, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union and York
West Virginia: All counties in West Virginia are eligible to apply.
Good Luck! :o)
Federal Mental Health Grants to Support Youth
States, communities, and schools should be aware of a couple of good opportunities for funding to support youth mental health which are open now through the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These applications are significant in size and rather challenging, so interested potential applicants should be doing their work as soon as possible.
Cooperative Agreements for Expansion and Sustainability of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances: “The purpose of this program is to improve mental health outcomes for children and youth (birth to 21 years of age) with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and their families. This program will support the wide scale operation, expansion and integration of the system of care (SOC) approach by creating sustainable infrastructure and services that are required as part of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (also known as the Children’s Mental Health Initiative or CMHI). This cooperative agreement will support the provision of mental health and related recovery support services to children and youth with serious emotional disturbances. and those with early signs and symptoms of serious mental illness including first episode psychosis, and their families. The SOC Expansion and Sustainability Cooperative Agreements will build upon progress made in developing comprehensive systems of care across the country by focusing on sustainable financing, cross-agency collaboration, the creation of policy and infrastructure, and the development and implementation of evidence-based and evidence-informed services and supports. Other activities supported will include the implementation of systemic changes, training, and workforce development.”
Award Amount: Proposed budgets cannot exceed $3,000,000 for state applicants and $1,000,000 for political subdivisions of states, tribes, tribal organizations, and territories total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Awards can be for up to 4 years.
Matching: Yes: Awardees must offer cash and/or inkind matches of $1 for every $3 in federal funds awarded per year in Years 1-3. Awardees must offer cash and/or inkind matches of $1 for every $1 in federal funds awarded in Year 4.
Number of Awards Anticipated: 15-45
Who is Eligible to Apply: State and Territory governments; Washington, DC government; Indian or tribal organizations; Governmental units within political subdivisions of a state, such as a county, city or town. Local Educational Agencies (included public school districts) may apply if they can show in their application through a letter from the state’s attorney that they are considered political subdivisions of their respective states.
DEADLINE: Friday, April 10, 2015 11:59pm Eastern Time
For more information and the full RFP: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-15-009
“Now is the Time” Project AWARE Community Grants: “The purpose of this program is to support the training of teachers and a broad array of actors who interact with youth through their programs at the community level, including parents, law enforcement, faith-based leaders, and other adults, in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) or Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA). Implementation of the NITT-AWARE-C program is expected to increase the mental health literacy among youth-serving adults, policy-makers, and administrators of programs serving youth.”
Award Amount: up to $125,000 per year for 3 years (There is cost estimate information on MHFA in the RFP, which will be important as you develop your budget.)
Matching: NO match required
Number of Awards Anticipated: up to 70
Who is Eligible to Apply: Eligible applicants are domestic public and private nonprofit entities. For example: state and local governments; federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes and tribal organizations; Urban Indian organizations; public or private universities and colleges; and non-profit community- and faith-based organizations
DEADLINE: Friday, May 1, 2015 11:59pm Eastern Time
Important Notes: “Local education agencies who have received grant funding under either Project AWARE-LEA or Project AWARE-SEA are not eligible to apply for NITT-AWARE-C funding. State educational agencies who have received funding under Project AWARE-SEA are also not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. These entities are already receiving funding for these activities and are therefore not eligible to apply.”
For more information and the full RFP: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-15-012
