Description of Funding Expectations
Capacity Building Assistance
Innovators will receive CBA through four supportive functions: tools, training, technical assistance, and continuous quality assurance. Common methods of CBA delivery will include face-to-face workshop style meetings, webinars, conference calls, online modules, and learning collaboratives. This CBA will assist innovators to: 1) develop and leverage their organizational structure and teen pregnancy-specific resources, and 2) accomplish the activities necessary to advance through the stages of program development. Two types of CBA will be delivered by iTP3 staff and subject matter experts. Systems-based approach CBA will focus on the innovator’s organizational infrastructure and support, program documentation and monitoring, partnerships, dissemination, and sustainability.  Innovation-specific CBA will be related to TPP, stakeholder support, and innovative instructional design strategies for the proposed TPP program.
Please note that the iTP3 project team intends to host an in person two to three day workshop designed to ensure innovative strategies and systems approaches are a key focus of the development process. Funded innovators will be expected to send one to two members of their project team to participate in this training. This training is currently planned for May 2017, prior to the official project start date. While more information will be provided in the future, applicants do not need to budget for travel expenses related to this training.
Program Content
All materials associated with an innovative TPP program, including any supplemental materials (e.g. facilitator and participant manuals, curricula, videos, podcasts, posters, scripts, participant booklets, pamphlets, and handouts), must be medically accurate, complete, and age appropriate. Materials should also be trauma- informed, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and inclusive of LGBTQ youth. All program materials are subject to review by the iTP3 team as well as by OAH before implementing programs. Program materials must be revised based on feedback from review prior to program implementation. Please refer to the list of definitions provided by OAH below regarding the specified content requirements.
- Medical Accuracy – Information that is verified or supported by research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific methods; and published in peer-reviewed journals, where applicable, or comprising information that leading professional organizations and agencies with relevant expertise in the field recognize as accurate, objective, and complete.
- Complete – All information regarding a particular topic is provided to ensure an individual has the information necessary to make an informed decision.
- Age Appropriate – Topics, messages, and teaching methods suitable to particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group.
- Trauma Informed Approach – The way in which a program, agency, organization, or community thinks about and responds to those who have experienced or may be at risk for experiencing trauma.
- Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate – Respectful of and responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of the population being served as defined by previous research.
- Sensitive and Inclusive of LGBTQ Youth – Supporting youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.
This project is funded through the Office of Adolescent Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Although OAH does not have plans to use projects funded through the TPP Tier2A grant program (Supporting and Enabling Early Innovation to Advance Adolescent Health and Prevent Teen Pregnancy) for commercial purposes, OAH reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work first developed by a recipient (or subrecipient) under the TPP Tier2A grant award for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so.
Evaluation
Innovators will participate in a joint evaluation process throughout the funding cycle. As such, they will submit performance measures on a monthly basis and participate in evaluation activities related to their innovative program, as well as the overall grant program. Additional information regarding evaluation activities and requirements will be provided after funding is awarded. Performance measures may include, but are not limited to, program reach (overall and by demographic characteristics), dosage of programs, observed fidelity, observed quality, healthcare linkages, and costs. Applicants may propose collection of specific performance measures, including those previously described or applicable proxy measures; however, all performance measures will require approval prior to implementation. Additional performance measures pertaining to the overall grant will include, partnerships developed, trainings conducted, and dissemination activities.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Applications will go through a review process with Texas A&M University Office of Research Compliance to determine if IRB approval is required and identify projects that do not fit within the scope of human research regulatory requirements.