Active People, Healthy Nation Walkability Action Institute State Request for Funding Assistance (RFA)

Creating an Active America, Together: Active People, Healthy Nation
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Active People, Healthy NationSM Walkability Action Institute

State Request for Funding Assistance (RFA) Application

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APPLICATION DUE DATE: December 6, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. ET via electronic submission through the Application Link.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: The Application can be viewed in RFA Appendix A and accessed on the WAI webpage in Word format. Complete the application and submit electronically (Word or PDF format) via the Application Link.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you do not see your question and answer on the FAQ, email Karma Edwards, NACDD’s Walkability Project Lead, at kedwards_ic@chronicdisease.org. All submitted questions will be compiled and answered within two business days on the FAQ list.

A. PURPOSE

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO), Physical Activity and Health Branch, seeks applications from state health departments and/or additional entities who are currently receiving funding through CDC’s State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) program for participation in the Active People, Healthy NationSM Walkability Action Institute (WAI). Herein referred to as Interested State Entities, states will apply to receive NACDD funding and programmatic assistance in the implementation of the Active People, Healthy Nation WAI in one prospective state location for up to eight local/regional interdisciplinary teams.

The purpose of the WAI is to prepare interdisciplinary teams from Interested State Entities to pursue policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) supports for walkable and movable built environments through improved community and transportation design. The action institute will provide interdisciplinary teams with the most up-to-date academic and applied learning methods and will reinforce and support implementation of significant national public health policy statements promoting walking and walkability such as the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition; Step It Up! The Surgeon General’s Call to Action (SG CTA) to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities; and The Community Preventive Services Task Force’s Built Environment Recommendation to Increase Physical Activity. NACDD and CDC are interested in applicant states who can reinforce 100% participation of local/regional teams in all virtual/in-person WAI course dates, the achievement of all project deliverables outlined in the RFA, and the pursuance of measurable PSE outcomes after attending the action institute. 

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Regular physical activity can lead to reductions in chronic disease risk and burden. Walking is an easy, cost-efficient, and common form of physical activity that can help many people meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition and obtain health benefits. Most people can walk including many people with disabilities who are able to walk or move with assistive devices such as wheelchairs or walkers. Communities that are more walkable and movable are inherently more conducive to physical activity, movement, and active travel to and from community destinations. Improved walkability and movability can make communities safer, support social cohesion, reduce air pollution, and benefit local economies. To promote walkability and movability throughout the country, NACDD and CDC will partner with one Interested State Entity and up to eight respective locations/regions within the selected state to achieve PSE outcomes that create safe and accessible opportunities for physical activity and active travel, improve walkability and movability, and support equitable community design to promote physical activity.

NACDD seeks applications from Interested State Entities within any of the states currently receiving funding through CDC’s SPAN to participate in the WAI project. View eligible SPAN recipients.

The selected State Entity and the respective local/regional teams will commit to participate in each of the following WAI project activities (reference Section E for full list of project deliverables):

  • Identify up to eight local/regional interdisciplinary teams (selected State Entity)
  • Attend to-be-decided (TBD) pre-course webinar(s) to learn about course expectations and deliverables (selected State Entity and local/regional Team Leads required; additional team members encouraged)
  • Attend 100% of the sessions at the TBD two (2)-day in-person action institute and 5-7 follow-up virtual training sessions (selected State Entity and all team members)
  • Attend TBD post-course webinar(s) (selected State Entity and all team members)
  • Develop team action plan inclusive of evidence-based PSE strategies to improve active travel to community destinations (all teams to develop their own plan)
  • Begin implementation of action plan strategies (all teams to implement their respective plan)

Each local/regional team must include at least four, but no more than six, team members. Either the required Public Health representative or the required Planning representative for each local/regional team will assume the role of Team Lead and serve as the primary point-of- contact for NACDD throughout the project. Refer to Section C for more details on the “required” and “additional” team make-up. In addition to overseeing team participation in project-related activities, Team Leads will also: 

  • Participate in a potential TBD team orientation call with NACDD
  • Complete a Team Contact Chart
  • Assist NACDD with annual progress reporting activities

The selected State Entity will commit to identifying and inviting four to six representatives to participate in a state team. The purpose of the state team is to provide state-specific subject matter expertise and/or technical assistance to the community teams participating in the WAI. Representatives should be from various agencies or departments at the state-level (e.g., state Department of Transportation) with a role in the policies and systems that shape how communities are designed and built to create easy and accessible opportunities for all people to walk, roll, or take transit to places they need or want to get to everyday (e.g., grocery stores, medical visits, jobs, school). State team representatives may also be from other organizations that can provide technical support to local/regional teams.

Format:

The WAI will provide applied learning and skill-building instruction to support achievement of related PSE strategies for increasing walkability and movability, including design and infrastructure improvements, as supported by the CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative and other well-known public health policy guidance documents referenced in Section A. The institute will be facilitated by a nationally renowned cadre of Faculty within a structured, team- based, and practical learning atmosphere. The action institute will occur on TBD dates, jointly decided by NACDD and the selected State Entity.

This opportunity will use the WAI hybrid model. The hybrid model includes a multi-day approach that leverages traditional learning methods with experiential learning and skill- building. The hybrid course model consists of two full in-person days, followed by completion of a team photovoice homework assignment and a series of virtual training sessions (approximately 5-7 virtual sessions). The virtual training sessions can be customized according to need and preference over week(s) or month(s). In addition, there will be at least one pre- course webinar, applicable team homework assignments, and the required development and submission of a post-course team action plan from each participating team.

The RFA provides for a shared budget agreement between NACDD and the selected State Entity, whereby NACDD commits to funding most WAI project costs including, but not limited to, Faculty payment and travel reimbursement, WAI course supplies, NACDD staff travel reimbursement, and related project management costs. The selected State Entity is expected to support costs associated with travel reimbursement of the attending local/regional teams and meeting space/audio-visual equipment rental costs. In addition, the selected State Entity is encouraged, although not required, to provide mini grants to attending local/regional teams following course participation to support implementation of their respective action plans. There is no registration cost for institute attendance. 

C. ELIGIBILITY and TEAM MAKE-UP

Any state that is currently receiving funding through CDC’s SPAN is eligible to apply for the state-based Active People, Healthy Nation WAI project opportunity.

While any eligible Interested State Entities may apply, priority in scoring and selection will be given to applicants who have not participated in a CDC/DNPAO-supported state-based WAI in the last three years.

Selection of the State Entity will be based on the successful combination of the following criteria:

  • Demonstration of past, current, and/or future PSE efforts focusing on improved walkability, movability, and active travel through community, land use, and transportation design across the state:
    • Demonstrated capacity and level of readiness to stimulate macro-level PSE changes
    • Ability to focus on underserved population groups and places (with emphasis on racial, ethnic, and disability equity)
    • Capacity to assist respective locations/regions with interdisciplinary team formation
  • Demonstration of past, current, and/or future interdisciplinary state- and local-level collaborations for improving walkability, movability, and active travel through community, land use and transportation design:
    • Ability to form an interdisciplinary state-level team to participate in the multi- day WAI, comprised of Public Health, Planning, Transportation, and additional related partners
    • Ability to build state-level capacity for assisting locations/regions with short-, intermediate, and long-term PSE implementation
    • Demonstration of geographic and population diversity within the state, as well as descriptions of high-need focus locations

Once a State Entity is selected, NACDD will work directly with the selected State Entity for formation of up to eight local/regional interdisciplinary participant teams. In the application process, Interested State Entities must acknowledge and agree to the following local/regional team make-up criteria:

  • Preferred teams will include four-to-six individuals each, with four of the prospective team members representing the following required team positions:
    • Public Health representative
    • Planning representative
    • Transportation representative (preferably in engineering*)
    • Elected official with voting, programmatic, and/or policy decision-making capabilities pertaining to walkability, movability, active living, community development or redevelopment, healthy community design, and/or transportation design
  • Teams may have one-to-two additional team members each, representing any of the following partner disciplines:
    • Business/Industry
    • Community/Economic Development
    • Education/Academia
    • Parks, Recreation, and Trails
    • Public Housing
    • Public Transit
    • Law enforcement
    • Volunteer/nonprofit walkability-related advocacy organizations or foundations
    • Others (Note that NACDD will work directly with selected State Entity for approving additional team member affiliations and disciplines)

*It is strongly recommended that the transportation professional, or one of the additional team members (for example, the “required” elected official or an “additional” team member) have an engineering background and/or infrastructure-focused responsibility, such as a Director of Public Works or related position. In the past, teams that have included engineering and/or public works expertise and perspective on the team have benefitted greatly. See Appendix B for descriptions of the required and additional team members.

D. ANTICIPATED TIMELINE and DESCRIPTION

The anticipated WAI application and project timeline and description is detailed in Appendix C.

  • CDC will announce the state-based Active People, Healthy Nation WAI RFA opportunity on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. NACDD and CDC will co-host an Informational Webinar on November 14, 2024 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET. REGISTER for the Informational Webinar
  • Interested State Entity applications will be due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, December 6, 2024 via electronic submission through the Application Link. The Application can be viewed in RFA Appendix A and accessed on the WAI webpage in Word format. Complete the application and submit electronically (Word or PDF format) via the Application Link.
  • The selection of State Entity will be announced by December 18, 2024 (anticipated), for a project period beginning on January 1, 2025 (anticipated) and ending no later than July 31, 2025. Upon selection and once WAI project planning commences in early 2025, NACDD and the selected State Entity will collaborate in the co-planning and development of the full WAI course.

NACDD has established a National WAI Alumni Network Community of Practice (CoP) to foster ongoing sharing, learning, networking, and mentoring. The selected State Entity and its respective local/regional teams will be invited to join the virtual group following successful WAI course completion.

NACDD will also establish a progress reporting mechanism for local/regional Team Leads to report on team action plan outcomes to NACDD beyond the current project year.

E. PROJECT DELIVERABLES

The required deliverables for the Active People, Healthy Nation WAI are bulleted below: Deliverables to be achieved during application process:

  • Commitment to work collaboratively with NACDD and CDC for the period of January 1 – July 31, 2025 to plan and implement the state-based WAI course
  • Commitment to fund the travel reimbursement of local/regional participant teams
  • Commitment to fund the meeting space rental and audio-visual equipment rental for the WAI course
  • Commitment to recruit at least six, but no more than eight, local/regional interdisciplinary participant teams for the WAI course and satisfy the required team positions of public health, planning, transportation, and elected official representatives
  • Commitment to recruit at least four representatives to participate on the state team for the WAI course
  • Commitment to provide technical assistance and support to participant teams in the development and submission of unified team action plans

Deliverables to be achieved upon selection of State Entity:

  • Establish routine bimonthly meeting correspondence with NACDD Project Lead for the duration of the project period
  • Provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to at least four, but no more than eight, local communities/regions in the formation of an interdisciplinary participant team
  • Attend TBD pre-course webinar(s) to learn about course expectations and deliverables (selected State Entity and local/regional Team Leads required; additional team members encouraged)
  • Attend 100% of the sessions at the TBD two-day action institute and related follow-up virtual training sessions (approximately 5-7 virtual sessions) (selected State Entity and all team members)
  • Attend TBD post-course webinar(s) (selected State Entity and all team members)
  • Provide technical assistance and support to local/regional teams in the initial and ongoing implementation of action plan strategies, as needed
  • Voluntarily participate in NACDD’s National WAI Alumni Network CoP following successful completion of the WAI course to foster ongoing peer engagement, sharing, mentoring, and learning
  • Assist NACDD with local/regional teams’ participation in the annual reporting of related walkability and movability outcomes

F. APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS

Interested State Entities can view the Application in RFA Appendix A and access it on the WAI webpage in Word format. Complete the Application and submit it electronically (Word of PDF format) via the Application Link by or before 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, December 6, 2024. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be reviewed.

  • The formatting of the Application Form should remain unchanged.
  • The Application should not exceed seven (7) pages.

The Application Form allows for Interested State Entities to demonstrate readiness and ability to host a state-based WAI course model, demonstrate financial need for this opportunity, describe how WAI participation will augment statewide physical activity goals, and physical activity goals, and overall, satisfy the project deliverables within the project timeline (January 1- July 31, 2025).

G. SELECTION PROCESS

All applications will be scored and reviewed by representatives of NACDD, CDC, and members of the WAI Faculty team. The selection committee reserves the right to select a State Entity who demonstrates increased readiness for statewide hosting and implementation. Priority in scoring and selection will be given to Interested State Entity applicants who have not participate in a CDC/DNPAO-supported WAI in the last three years.

H. NACDD COMMITMENT

NACDD commits to providing regular and consistent communication, consultation, project assistance, and support to the selected State Entity via email, one-on-one conference/Zoom calls, group webinars, in-person at the action institute, and linkages to national expertise in accordance with the deliverables described in Section E and per the request of local/regional participant teams.

I. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RFA

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