Authority To Accept Unsolicited Proposals for Research Partnerships, 28333-28336 [2017-12948]

Download as PDF 28333 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 21, 2017 / Notices Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10102, Washington, DC 20503. Summer King, Statistician. [FR Doc. 2017–12859 Filed 6–20–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4162–20–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Periodically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish a summary of information collection requests under OMB review, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these documents, call the SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276–1243. Project: 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (OMB No. 0930–0110)— Revision The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is a survey of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population aged 12 years old or older. The data are used to determine the prevalence of use of tobacco products, alcohol, illicit substances, and illicit use of prescription drugs. The results are used by SAMHSA, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), federal government agencies, and other organizations and researchers to establish policy, direct program activities, and better allocate resources. While NSDUH must be updated periodically to reflect changing substance use and mental health issues and to continue producing current data, for the 2018 NSDUH only the following minor changes are planned: (1) At the request of ONDCP, re-inserted the marijuana marketplace module, previously included in the 2014 NSDUH (as well as prior years), into the respondent-administered portion of the 2018 questionnaire; (2) the addition of four new questions, asked only of respondents age 18 and older, about the perception of problems with and recovery from drug/alcohol and mental health problems; and (3) included other minor wording changes to improve the flow of the interview, increase respondent comprehension or to be consistent with text in other questions. The marijuana marketplace module consists of a series of questions that seek to gather data such as the location, quantity, cost and type of marijuana being purchased across the nation. This module is unchanged from the version last included in the 2014 NSDUH. As with all NSDUH/NHSDA surveys conducted since 1999, the sample size of the survey for 2018 will be sufficient to permit prevalence estimates for each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Prior to 2002, the NSDUH was referred to as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The total annual burden estimate is shown below. ANNUALIZED ESTIMATED BURDEN FOR 2018 NSDUH Responses per respondent Number of respondents Instrument Total number of responses Hours per response Total burden hours 133,586 67,507 4,008 10,126 1 1 1 1 133,586 67,507 4,008 10,126 0.083 1.000 0.067 0.067 11,088 67,507 269 678 Total .............................................................................. asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES Household Screening ........................................................... Interview ............................................................................... Screening Verification .......................................................... Interview Verification ............................................................ 133,586 ........................ 215,227 ........................ 79,542 Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed information collection should be sent by July 21, 2017 to the SAMHSA Desk Officer at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB). To ensure timely receipt of comments, and to avoid potential delays in OMB’s receipt and processing of mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service, commenters are encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov. Although commenters are encouraged to send their comments via email, commenters may also fax their comments to: 202–395–7285. Commenters may also mail them to: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:12 Jun 20, 2017 Jkt 241001 Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10102, Washington, DC 20503. Summer King, Statistician. [FR Doc. 2017–12909 Filed 6–20–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4162–20–P DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Authority To Accept Unsolicited Proposals for Research Partnerships Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, HUD. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This notice announces that HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) has the authority to accept unsolicited research proposals that address current research priorities. PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Proposals may be submitted at any time and will be evaluated as they are received. Available funds will be awarded as proposals are received, evaluated, and approved, until funds are exhausted. DATES: [Docket No. FR–6038–N–01] SUMMARY: In accordance with statutory requirements, the research projects must be funded at least 50 percent by philanthropic entities or Federal, state, or local government agencies. This notice announces that HUD is accepting research proposals and provides a general description of information that should be included in any research proposal. You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by email, at: ResearchPartnerships@ hud.gov, or by mail, at: Attention: Housing and Urban Development, Office of University Partnerships, 451 7th Street SW., Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410. ADDRESSES: E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM 21JNN1 28334 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 21, 2017 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kinnard Wright, Grant Specialist, Room 8226, 451 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone number 202–402–7495, or Madlyn Wohlman-Rodriguez, Grant Specialist, Room 8226, 451 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone number 202–402–5939. ATTENTION: Persons with speech or hearing impairments may call the Federal Relay Service TTY at 800–877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, (Pub. L. 115–31, enacted May 5, 2017) (FY 2017 appropriation) authorizes PD&R to enter non-competitive cooperative agreements for research projects that are aligned with PD&R’s research priorities and that will help inform HUD’s policies and programs asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES I. Program Description HUD developed the Research Partnerships vehicle to allow greater flexibility in addressing important policy questions and to better utilize external expertise in evaluating the local innovations and effectiveness of programs impacting residents of urban, suburban, rural and tribal areas. Through this notice, HUD can accept unsolicited research proposals that address current research priorities and allow PD&R to participate in innovative research projects that inform HUD’s policies and programs. These projects are meant to align with PD&R’s research priorities and help HUD answer key policy and programmatic questions in ways that can inform new policy and program development efforts. II. Research Priorities The documents that establish a framework for HUD’s research priorities are the HUD Strategic Plan (https:// portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/ huddoc?id=hudstrategicplan20142018.pd), which specifies the Department’s mission and strategic goals for program activities; and the HUD Research Roadmap: 2017 Update (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdf/ ResearchRoadmap-2017Update.pdf), which is the most recent integration of diverse stakeholder viewpoints into a five-year research agenda. PD&R developed and published this research agenda to focus research resources on timely, policy-relevant research questions that lie within the Department’s area of comparative advantage. This focus on comparative advantage has a corollary, which is the accompanying need for PD&R to collaborate with other research organizations to support their comparative advantage in areas that are VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:12 Jun 20, 2017 Jkt 241001 mutually important. The Roadmap Update identifies research projects that PD&R is considering for the near future under 12 focus areas: (1) Housing Affordability (Markets) (2) Housing Affordability (Programs) (3) Policy Lessons from Moving to Work Expansion (4) Energy and Resilience (5) Education (6) Health (7) Mobility (8) Place-based Strategies (9) Crosscutting—Fair Housing (10) Crosscutting—Building Technology (11) Crosscutting—Other (12) Data Infrastructure The authority that Congress provided HUD to enter noncompetitive cooperative agreements for research is a central tool for fulfilling the Roadmap’s vision for research collaboration. Potential research partners are encouraged to develop research proposals that inform important and emerging policy and program objectives of HUD that are not otherwise being addressed and that focus on HUD research priorities. A few examples of potentially useful research topics are presented in the following list for each of HUD’s current strategic goals. A. Strengthening Housing Markets: Homeownership and Housing Finance. HUD is interested in research in diverse areas of homeownership and housing finance: 1. Improving outcomes for struggling homeowners and communities in the areas of foreclosures, mortgage modification protocols, and real-estate owned properties; 2. Finding ways that are safer for both borrowers and lenders to extend mortgage credit to first-time homebuyers and homeowners with less-than-stellar credit; 3. Updating federal support structures for single-family and multifamily housing finance in a reformed housing finance system; and 4. Strengthening models of publicprivate partnership to increase availability of mortgage capital and ensure sustained homeownership and wealth accumulation by low-income and disadvantaged homebuyers. B. Affordable Quality Rental Housing. HUD is interested in research that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of HUD’s housing programs (e.g., public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, assisted multifamily programs, and FHA insurance): 1. Improving program operations and responses to changing market conditions; 2. Identifying rent subsidy approaches that could meet housing needs more PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 efficiently and support self-sufficiency, such as by leveraging opportunities for rent reform experiments when extending Moving To Work flexibilities to additional housing agencies; 3. Better understanding how HUD’s programs and tenant outcomes are affected by tenant and landlord behavior, supports, and the framing of choices; and 4. Strengthening models of publicprivate partnership to increase production and preservation of decent, safe, and affordable housing in neighborhoods of opportunity. C. Housing as a platform for improving quality of life. HUD is interested in how housing matters for human outcomes, and specifically how HUD-provided housing assistance, and HUD collaborations with public and private partners, can best improve quality of life of assisted residents and produce spillover benefits for other systems and communities: 1. Improving educational outcomes of children and adults, and early learning, child development, and parenting; 2. Improving health and wellness outcomes and integration with health systems; 3. Increasing economic security and self-sufficiency, including work participation and asset development by able-bodied residents; and 4. Improving housing stability for vulnerable populations, including the elderly, people with disabilities, homeless families and individuals, and those individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless. D. Resilient and inclusive communities. HUD is interested in collaborative, innovative, evidencebased approaches to deal with longstanding and emerging community development challenges in suburban, rural and tribal areas: 1. Leveraging cost-effective housing technology in HUD-funded housing or other housing to reduce energy costs, improve disaster resilience, and improve tenant outcomes; 2. Cost-effective approaches to address the public health burden of lead paint, lead dust in soil, and asthma triggers in housing and communities; 3. Strengthening fair housing outcomes in local markets, including through public-private partnerships; 4. Strengthening community resilience in the face of climate change, disasters, pestilence and energy shocks; and 5. Promoting reduction of regulatory barriers to affordable housing and integrated mixed-income communities. E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM 21JNN1 asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 21, 2017 / Notices III. HUD Research Assets HUD has made, and continues to make, significant investments in ‘‘Research Assets,’’ as described below, including program demonstrations and in the production of datasets. PD&R is interested in seeing these assets leveraged in ways that may, or may not, be specifically referenced in the Roadmap Update or HUD’s Strategic Plan. Such studies demonstrate a broader usefulness of HUD’s Research Assets that further increases the return on these investments for the taxpayer. In considering potential research partnerships, PD&R urges organizations to consider ways to take advantage of key research assets, HUD’s data infrastructure, that the Roadmap Update identifies as part of HUD’s comparative advantage. A. HUD demonstrations. HUD values demonstrations as a method for evaluating new policy and program initiatives and significantly advancing evidence-based policy, especially when rigorous random-assignment methods are feasible. HUD also is interested in research opportunities that take advantage of completed and ongoing demonstrations. For example, regarding the Moving to Opportunity demonstration, researchers continue to answer relevant policy questions using the existing data. Examples of demonstrations that are underway include Family Options, the Rental Assistance Demonstration, Pre-Purchase Counseling Outcome Study, and Rent Reform. Electronic versions of published HUD research can be found at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/ research/home.html. B. HUD data infrastructure. HUD makes significant investments to improve and support the nation’s housing data, so submitting institutions are encouraged to consider opportunities to use HUD-sponsored survey data and administrative data. The American Housing Survey (AHS) is one of HUD’s largest research investments. The AHS provides a wealth of data on size and composition of the nation’s housing inventory that researchers could use more effectively to address questions about housing market dynamics. C. HUD administrative data linkages. PD&R has partnered with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to longitudinally link HUD’s administrative records for rental assistance participants with the National Health Interview Survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and associated NCHS linked files for Medicare, VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:12 Jun 20, 2017 Jkt 241001 Medicaid, and mortality data. These data resources are available through the NCHS research data centers (https:// www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-linkage/ hud.htm). HUD and the Census Bureau have entered an interagency agreement for the Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications (CARRA) to link data from demonstrations and administrative systems with survey data and other administrative records. PD&R encourages research partnerships that effectively use data assets through public use data or restricted access arrangements with CARRA or NCHS research data centers. Further information is available at: https:// www.huduser.gov/portal/pdrdatas_ landing.html. IV. Protection of Human Research Subjects HUD will require successful applicants to comply with requirements of the federal Common Rule (24 CFR part 60) for protecting human research subjects when applicable. Compliance may require grantees to seek review and approval of research plans by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). For research requiring an IRB review, work plans shall identify the IRB that the awardee will use and factor in the necessary cost and time involved in that review. HUD will require awardees to provide appropriate assurances and certifications of compliance before human subject’s research begins. A. Privacy. Submission of any information to databases (whether Web site, computer, paper, or other format) of personal identifiable information is subject to the protections of the Privacy Act of 1974. You should also check to ensure you meet state and local privacy regulations. B. Cost Sharing. The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, set forth in 2 CFR part 200, shall apply to this Federal award. Cost sharing or matching means the portion of project costs not paid by Federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by Federal statute.) Applicants should refer to 2 CFR 200.306 for specific requirements. C. Data Only Requests. For those who are interested in requesting only HUD data (no funds), a HUD data license agreement will be required. To obtain a copy of the data license application go to the following Web site: https:// www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/ pdf/data_license.pdf for research that is in alignment with one of the research priorities listed in this notice. PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28335 Applications may be submitted to HUD at DataLicense@hud.gov. D. Upon receipt, the application will be forwarded to the appropriate PD&R office for review and approval. A HUD data license is not required to use the HUD–NCHS linked datasets, but a HUD research partnership can support waivers of NCHS fees for the research data center if a research proposal is accepted by NCHS. V. Description of Awards A. Available Funds. HUD is making approximately $1 million available for Research Partnerships. Additional funds may become available for award because of HUD’s efforts to recapture unused funds or use carryover funds. Use of these funds will be subject to statutory constraints. B. Number of Awards. The number of awards will be based on the number of proposals HUD reviews, approves, and funds. C. Period of Performance. The period of performance will be determined by the applicant’s proposal and subject to negotiation by HUD. D. Type of Funding Instrument. Cooperative Agreement. VI. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants under this Notice include academic institutions, philanthropic entities, state and units of local government, not-for-profit and for-profit institutions located in the United States. For-profit firms are not allowed to earn a fee (i.e., make a profit from the project). B. Cost Sharing. Cost sharing is required for research projects to be eligible for funding through HUD’s noncompetitive cooperative agreement authority. Research projects must include at least a 50 percent cost share from philanthropic organizations, Federal, state, local government agencies, or a combination of these entities. For the purposes of the costsharing requirement, HUD defines a philanthropic entity as the subset of 501(c)(3) organizations that directly fund research activities. These include private foundations, educational institutions that may have a separate foundation, public charities, and operating foundations. Philanthropic entities may include foreign entities. HUD will not count waiver of overhead or similar costs as cost-sharing contributions. VII. Proposal and Submission Information A. Proposal Submission. All proposals should be submitted E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM 21JNN1 asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES 28336 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 21, 2017 / Notices electronically to Research Partnerships@hud.gov or mail to Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of University Partnerships, 451 7th Street SW., Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410, ATTENTION: Research Partnerships. B. Content and Form of Proposal Submission. Proposals should contain sufficient information for PD&R to identify whether the research would meet statutory requirements for cost sharing and alignment with the research priorities identified in Section II of this Notice. At a minimum, proposals must include: 1. Proposal Abstract. Applicants should provide a Proposal Abstract with the project title, the names and affiliations of all investigators, a summary of the objectives, study design and expected results, and the total funds requested. 2. Points of Contact. Applicants should clearly identify the name of the entity(s) submitting the proposal and detailed contact information for the point of contact; 3. Key Personnel. Applicants should provide information on key personnel that will be engaged with the project. HUD will assess the qualifications of key personnel to carry out the proposed study as evidenced by academic and professional background, publications, and recent (within the past 5 years) research experience. The proposed Principal Investigator must directly represent and be compensated directly by the applicant for his or her role in the proposed study. Publications and/or research experience are considered relevant if they required the acquisition and use of knowledge and skills that can be applied in the planning and execution of the technical study that is proposed. 4. Research Proposal Description. Applicants should provide a clear description of the research project, including the methodology being used, and its alignment with the PD&R research priorities identified. Specific components should include: a. Clearly and thoroughly describe your proposed study and its design, and identify the major objectives; b. The study should be presented as a logical sequence of steps or phases with individual tasks described for each phase; c. Your narrative should reflect the relevant literature, which should be thoroughly cited in your application. Your proposed study will be judged in part on the soundness of the underlying body of research upon which it is based and the clarity and soundness of your VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:12 Jun 20, 2017 Jkt 241001 summary and interpretation of this research base; d. Describe the methodological and statistical basis for your study design and demonstrate that you would have adequate statistical power to test your stated hypotheses and achieve your study objectives; e. Discuss your plans for data management, analysis, and archiving; f. You should identify any important ‘‘decision points’’ in your study plan; g. You should describe/list deliverables and associated timeframes; and h. You should demonstrate that it is clearly feasible to complete the study within the proposed period of performance and successfully achieve your objectives. 5. Budget. Applicants should provide a detailed budget with line items including the amount of the HUD share and the contributions of any partners (cost sharing component) and/or the submitting institution. HUD strongly encourages using form HUD–424CBW to detail your budget request. The form is available at: https:// www.hudexchange.info/resource/304/ hud-form-424cbw//. Proposals for research partnerships that have already been to HUD as part of a grant competition are ineligible as the subject of a non-competitive cooperative agreement. C. Review and Selection Process. 1. Proposals that meet all the threshold requirements will be eligible for review and rating. 2. Proposals will be reviewed by individuals who are knowledgeable in the field covered by the research proposal. 3. As required by the statutory authority within the appropriations bill, HUD will report each award provided through a cooperative agreement in the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Sub-award Reporting System created under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. Dated: June 15, 2017. Matthew E. Ammon, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. [FR Doc. 2017–12948 Filed 6–20–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210–67–P PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR–6024–N–01] Notice of Annual Factors for Determining Public Housing Agency Administrative Fees for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Mainstream, and Moderate Rehabilitation Programs Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, HUD. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This Notice announces the monthly per unit fee rates for use in determining the on-going administrative fees for housing agencies administering the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), 5 Year Mainstream, and Moderate Rehabilitation programs, including Single Room Occupancy, during calendar year (CY) 2017. DATES: Effective Date: January 1, 2017. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miguel Fontanez, Director, Housing Voucher Financial Management Division, Office of Public Housing and Voucher Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 4222, 451 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20410–8000, telephone number 202– 402–2934. (This is not a toll-free number). Hearing or speech impaired individuals may call TTY number 1 (800) 877–8337. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: A. Background This Notice provides the Department’s methodology used to determine the CY 2017 administrative fee rates by area, which the Office of Housing Voucher Programs (OHVP) will use to compensate public housing agencies (PHA) for administering the HCV programs. B. CY 2017 Methodology For CY 2017, in accordance with the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115–31), administrative fees will be earned on the basis of vouchers leased as of the first day of each month. This data will be extracted from the Voucher Management System (VMS) at the close of each reporting cycle and validated prior to use. Two fee rates are provided for each PHA. The first rate, Column A, applies to the first 7200 voucher unit months leased in CY 2017. The second rate, Column B, applies to all remaining voucher unit months leased in CY 2017. The fee rates established for CY 2017, using the standard procedures, in some E:\FR\FM\21JNN1.SGM 21JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28333-28336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12948]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-6038-N-01]


Authority To Accept Unsolicited Proposals for Research 
Partnerships

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and 
Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces that HUD's Office of Policy Development 
and Research (PD&R) has the authority to accept unsolicited research 
proposals that address current research priorities. In accordance with 
statutory requirements, the research projects must be funded at least 
50 percent by philanthropic entities or Federal, state, or local 
government agencies. This notice announces that HUD is accepting 
research proposals and provides a general description of information 
that should be included in any research proposal.

DATES: Proposals may be submitted at any time and will be evaluated as 
they are received. Available funds will be awarded as proposals are 
received, evaluated, and approved, until funds are exhausted.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by email, at: ResearchPartnerships@hud.gov, or by mail, at: 
Attention: Housing and Urban Development, Office of University 
Partnerships, 451 7th Street SW., Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410.

[[Page 28334]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kinnard Wright, Grant Specialist, Room 
8226, 451 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone number 
202-402-7495, or Madlyn Wohlman-Rodriguez, Grant Specialist, Room 8226, 
451 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone number 202-402-
5939. ATTENTION: Persons with speech or hearing impairments may call 
the Federal Relay Service TTY at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, 
(Pub. L. 115-31, enacted May 5, 2017) (FY 2017 appropriation) 
authorizes PD&R to enter non-competitive cooperative agreements for 
research projects that are aligned with PD&R's research priorities and 
that will help inform HUD's policies and programs

I. Program Description

    HUD developed the Research Partnerships vehicle to allow greater 
flexibility in addressing important policy questions and to better 
utilize external expertise in evaluating the local innovations and 
effectiveness of programs impacting residents of urban, suburban, rural 
and tribal areas. Through this notice, HUD can accept unsolicited 
research proposals that address current research priorities and allow 
PD&R to participate in innovative research projects that inform HUD's 
policies and programs. These projects are meant to align with PD&R's 
research priorities and help HUD answer key policy and programmatic 
questions in ways that can inform new policy and program development 
efforts.

II. Research Priorities

    The documents that establish a framework for HUD's research 
priorities are the HUD Strategic Plan (https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=hudstrategicplan2014-2018.pd), which 
specifies the Department's mission and strategic goals for program 
activities; and the HUD Research Roadmap: 2017 Update (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdf/ResearchRoadmap-2017Update.pdf), which is 
the most recent integration of diverse stakeholder viewpoints into a 
five-year research agenda. PD&R developed and published this research 
agenda to focus research resources on timely, policy-relevant research 
questions that lie within the Department's area of comparative 
advantage. This focus on comparative advantage has a corollary, which 
is the accompanying need for PD&R to collaborate with other research 
organizations to support their comparative advantage in areas that are 
mutually important. The Roadmap Update identifies research projects 
that PD&R is considering for the near future under 12 focus areas:

(1) Housing Affordability (Markets)
(2) Housing Affordability (Programs)
(3) Policy Lessons from Moving to Work Expansion
(4) Energy and Resilience
(5) Education
(6) Health
(7) Mobility
(8) Place-based Strategies
(9) Crosscutting--Fair Housing
(10) Crosscutting--Building Technology
(11) Crosscutting--Other
(12) Data Infrastructure

    The authority that Congress provided HUD to enter noncompetitive 
cooperative agreements for research is a central tool for fulfilling 
the Roadmap's vision for research collaboration. Potential research 
partners are encouraged to develop research proposals that inform 
important and emerging policy and program objectives of HUD that are 
not otherwise being addressed and that focus on HUD research 
priorities. A few examples of potentially useful research topics are 
presented in the following list for each of HUD's current strategic 
goals.
    A. Strengthening Housing Markets: Homeownership and Housing 
Finance. HUD is interested in research in diverse areas of 
homeownership and housing finance:
    1. Improving outcomes for struggling homeowners and communities in 
the areas of foreclosures, mortgage modification protocols, and real-
estate owned properties;
    2. Finding ways that are safer for both borrowers and lenders to 
extend mortgage credit to first-time homebuyers and homeowners with 
less-than-stellar credit;
    3. Updating federal support structures for single-family and 
multifamily housing finance in a reformed housing finance system; and
    4. Strengthening models of public-private partnership to increase 
availability of mortgage capital and ensure sustained homeownership and 
wealth accumulation by low-income and disadvantaged homebuyers.
    B. Affordable Quality Rental Housing. HUD is interested in research 
that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of HUD's housing 
programs (e.g., public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, assisted 
multifamily programs, and FHA insurance):
    1. Improving program operations and responses to changing market 
conditions;
    2. Identifying rent subsidy approaches that could meet housing 
needs more efficiently and support self-sufficiency, such as by 
leveraging opportunities for rent reform experiments when extending 
Moving To Work flexibilities to additional housing agencies;
    3. Better understanding how HUD's programs and tenant outcomes are 
affected by tenant and landlord behavior, supports, and the framing of 
choices; and
    4. Strengthening models of public-private partnership to increase 
production and preservation of decent, safe, and affordable housing in 
neighborhoods of opportunity.
    C. Housing as a platform for improving quality of life. HUD is 
interested in how housing matters for human outcomes, and specifically 
how HUD-provided housing assistance, and HUD collaborations with public 
and private partners, can best improve quality of life of assisted 
residents and produce spillover benefits for other systems and 
communities:
    1. Improving educational outcomes of children and adults, and early 
learning, child development, and parenting;
    2. Improving health and wellness outcomes and integration with 
health systems;
    3. Increasing economic security and self-sufficiency, including 
work participation and asset development by able-bodied residents; and
    4. Improving housing stability for vulnerable populations, 
including the elderly, people with disabilities, homeless families and 
individuals, and those individuals and families at risk of becoming 
homeless.
    D. Resilient and inclusive communities. HUD is interested in 
collaborative, innovative, evidence-based approaches to deal with long-
standing and emerging community development challenges in suburban, 
rural and tribal areas:
    1. Leveraging cost-effective housing technology in HUD-funded 
housing or other housing to reduce energy costs, improve disaster 
resilience, and improve tenant outcomes;
    2. Cost-effective approaches to address the public health burden of 
lead paint, lead dust in soil, and asthma triggers in housing and 
communities;
    3. Strengthening fair housing outcomes in local markets, including 
through public-private partnerships;
    4. Strengthening community resilience in the face of climate 
change, disasters, pestilence and energy shocks; and
    5. Promoting reduction of regulatory barriers to affordable housing 
and integrated mixed-income communities.

[[Page 28335]]

III. HUD Research Assets

    HUD has made, and continues to make, significant investments in 
``Research Assets,'' as described below, including program 
demonstrations and in the production of datasets. PD&R is interested in 
seeing these assets leveraged in ways that may, or may not, be 
specifically referenced in the Roadmap Update or HUD's Strategic Plan. 
Such studies demonstrate a broader usefulness of HUD's Research Assets 
that further increases the return on these investments for the 
taxpayer. In considering potential research partnerships, PD&R urges 
organizations to consider ways to take advantage of key research 
assets, HUD's data infrastructure, that the Roadmap Update identifies 
as part of HUD's comparative advantage.
    A. HUD demonstrations. HUD values demonstrations as a method for 
evaluating new policy and program initiatives and significantly 
advancing evidence-based policy, especially when rigorous random-
assignment methods are feasible. HUD also is interested in research 
opportunities that take advantage of completed and ongoing 
demonstrations. For example, regarding the Moving to Opportunity 
demonstration, researchers continue to answer relevant policy questions 
using the existing data. Examples of demonstrations that are underway 
include Family Options, the Rental Assistance Demonstration, Pre-
Purchase Counseling Outcome Study, and Rent Reform. Electronic versions 
of published HUD research can be found at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/research/home.html.
    B. HUD data infrastructure. HUD makes significant investments to 
improve and support the nation's housing data, so submitting 
institutions are encouraged to consider opportunities to use HUD-
sponsored survey data and administrative data. The American Housing 
Survey (AHS) is one of HUD's largest research investments. The AHS 
provides a wealth of data on size and composition of the nation's 
housing inventory that researchers could use more effectively to 
address questions about housing market dynamics.
    C. HUD administrative data linkages. PD&R has partnered with the 
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to longitudinally link 
HUD's administrative records for rental assistance participants with 
the National Health Interview Survey, the National Health and Nutrition 
Examination Survey, and associated NCHS linked files for Medicare, 
Medicaid, and mortality data. These data resources are available 
through the NCHS research data centers (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-linkage/hud.htm).
    HUD and the Census Bureau have entered an interagency agreement for 
the Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications (CARRA) 
to link data from demonstrations and administrative systems with survey 
data and other administrative records. PD&R encourages research 
partnerships that effectively use data assets through public use data 
or restricted access arrangements with CARRA or NCHS research data 
centers. Further information is available at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdrdatas_landing.html.

IV. Protection of Human Research Subjects

    HUD will require successful applicants to comply with requirements 
of the federal Common Rule (24 CFR part 60) for protecting human 
research subjects when applicable. Compliance may require grantees to 
seek review and approval of research plans by an Institutional Review 
Board (IRB). For research requiring an IRB review, work plans shall 
identify the IRB that the awardee will use and factor in the necessary 
cost and time involved in that review. HUD will require awardees to 
provide appropriate assurances and certifications of compliance before 
human subject's research begins.
    A. Privacy. Submission of any information to databases (whether Web 
site, computer, paper, or other format) of personal identifiable 
information is subject to the protections of the Privacy Act of 1974. 
You should also check to ensure you meet state and local privacy 
regulations.
    B. Cost Sharing. The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, set forth in 2 
CFR part 200, shall apply to this Federal award. Cost sharing or 
matching means the portion of project costs not paid by Federal funds 
(unless otherwise authorized by Federal statute.) Applicants should 
refer to 2 CFR 200.306 for specific requirements.
    C. Data Only Requests. For those who are interested in requesting 
only HUD data (no funds), a HUD data license agreement will be 
required. To obtain a copy of the data license application go to the 
following Web site: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/pdf/data_license.pdf for research that is in alignment with one of the 
research priorities listed in this notice. Applications may be 
submitted to HUD at DataLicense@hud.gov.
    D. Upon receipt, the application will be forwarded to the 
appropriate PD&R office for review and approval. A HUD data license is 
not required to use the HUD-NCHS linked datasets, but a HUD research 
partnership can support waivers of NCHS fees for the research data 
center if a research proposal is accepted by NCHS.

V. Description of Awards

    A. Available Funds. HUD is making approximately $1 million 
available for Research Partnerships. Additional funds may become 
available for award because of HUD's efforts to recapture unused funds 
or use carryover funds. Use of these funds will be subject to statutory 
constraints.
    B. Number of Awards. The number of awards will be based on the 
number of proposals HUD reviews, approves, and funds.
    C. Period of Performance. The period of performance will be 
determined by the applicant's proposal and subject to negotiation by 
HUD.
    D. Type of Funding Instrument. Cooperative Agreement.

VI. Eligibility Information

    A. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants under this Notice 
include academic institutions, philanthropic entities, state and units 
of local government, not-for-profit and for-profit institutions located 
in the United States. For-profit firms are not allowed to earn a fee 
(i.e., make a profit from the project).
    B. Cost Sharing. Cost sharing is required for research projects to 
be eligible for funding through HUD's non-competitive cooperative 
agreement authority. Research projects must include at least a 50 
percent cost share from philanthropic organizations, Federal, state, 
local government agencies, or a combination of these entities. For the 
purposes of the cost-sharing requirement, HUD defines a philanthropic 
entity as the subset of 501(c)(3) organizations that directly fund 
research activities. These include private foundations, educational 
institutions that may have a separate foundation, public charities, and 
operating foundations. Philanthropic entities may include foreign 
entities. HUD will not count waiver of overhead or similar costs as 
cost-sharing contributions.

VII. Proposal and Submission Information

    A. Proposal Submission. All proposals should be submitted

[[Page 28336]]

electronically to Research Partnerships@hud.gov or mail to Department 
of Housing and Urban Development, Office of University Partnerships, 
451 7th Street SW., Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410, ATTENTION: 
Research Partnerships.
    B. Content and Form of Proposal Submission. Proposals should 
contain sufficient information for PD&R to identify whether the 
research would meet statutory requirements for cost sharing and 
alignment with the research priorities identified in Section II of this 
Notice. At a minimum, proposals must include:
    1. Proposal Abstract. Applicants should provide a Proposal Abstract 
with the project title, the names and affiliations of all 
investigators, a summary of the objectives, study design and expected 
results, and the total funds requested.
    2. Points of Contact. Applicants should clearly identify the name 
of the entity(s) submitting the proposal and detailed contact 
information for the point of contact;
    3. Key Personnel. Applicants should provide information on key 
personnel that will be engaged with the project. HUD will assess the 
qualifications of key personnel to carry out the proposed study as 
evidenced by academic and professional background, publications, and 
recent (within the past 5 years) research experience. The proposed 
Principal Investigator must directly represent and be compensated 
directly by the applicant for his or her role in the proposed study. 
Publications and/or research experience are considered relevant if they 
required the acquisition and use of knowledge and skills that can be 
applied in the planning and execution of the technical study that is 
proposed.
    4. Research Proposal Description. Applicants should provide a clear 
description of the research project, including the methodology being 
used, and its alignment with the PD&R research priorities identified. 
Specific components should include:
    a. Clearly and thoroughly describe your proposed study and its 
design, and identify the major objectives;
    b. The study should be presented as a logical sequence of steps or 
phases with individual tasks described for each phase;
    c. Your narrative should reflect the relevant literature, which 
should be thoroughly cited in your application. Your proposed study 
will be judged in part on the soundness of the underlying body of 
research upon which it is based and the clarity and soundness of your 
summary and interpretation of this research base;
    d. Describe the methodological and statistical basis for your study 
design and demonstrate that you would have adequate statistical power 
to test your stated hypotheses and achieve your study objectives;
    e. Discuss your plans for data management, analysis, and archiving;
    f. You should identify any important ``decision points'' in your 
study plan;
    g. You should describe/list deliverables and associated timeframes; 
and
    h. You should demonstrate that it is clearly feasible to complete 
the study within the proposed period of performance and successfully 
achieve your objectives.
    5. Budget. Applicants should provide a detailed budget with line 
items including the amount of the HUD share and the contributions of 
any partners (cost sharing component) and/or the submitting 
institution. HUD strongly encourages using form HUD-424CBW to detail 
your budget request. The form is available at: https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/304/hud-form-424cbw//. Proposals for 
research partnerships that have already been to HUD as part of a grant 
competition are ineligible as the subject of a non-competitive 
cooperative agreement.
    C. Review and Selection Process.
    1. Proposals that meet all the threshold requirements will be 
eligible for review and rating.
    2. Proposals will be reviewed by individuals who are knowledgeable 
in the field covered by the research proposal.
    3. As required by the statutory authority within the appropriations 
bill, HUD will report each award provided through a cooperative 
agreement in the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act 
Sub-award Reporting System created under the Federal Funding 
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.

    Dated: June 15, 2017.
Matthew E. Ammon,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 2017-12948 Filed 6-20-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
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