Department of Health and Human Services: Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services

Deadline: 1 August 2017

The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living is seeking applications for Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services to increase the evidenced based knowledge base of nutrition providers, drive improved health outcomes for program recipients by promoting higher service quality, and increase program efficiency through innovative nutrition service delivery models.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support innovative and promising practices that move the aging network towards evidenced based practices that enhance the quality, effectiveness of nutrition services programs or outcomes within the aging services network.

Program Priorities

Modernize the infrastructure and delivery mechanisms in use by the national aging network to insure that States are able to maximize the return on their investment in nutrition programs, both in terms of number of meals and seniors that they are able to serve and in terms of the impact that these programs have;
Instill, increase, and then maintain consistent quality in meals and nutrition services through collaborative efforts among State Units on Aging, Area Agencies on Aging, and local nutrition service providers;
Develop pioneering approaches that bridge the gap between clinical and community services to demonstrate value;
Leverage Medicare benefits (such as Medical Nutrition Therapy) to generate revenue;
Improve quality, service and effectiveness of providing meals and other nutrition services to meet the special nutrition needs of ethnically and culturally appropriate diets as well as religious needs of a diverse communities;
Utilize new food and food service technology and equipment as well as foodservice personnel (such as chefs) to reduce costs, improve service and delivery, and add value;
Enhance communication through effective use of health IT and other techniques to improve business practices and establish quality feedback procedures to report outcomes to the entities at risk for meal recipients’ health care costs; and
Develop innovative ways to use existing nutrition sites for other health promotion activities that could receive sustainable funding outside the OAA and, likewise, develop innovative uses of existing nutrition sites as multi-purpose community sites and cafes for the broader populations and needs in the community;
Test the effectiveness of pilots that address the incidences of malnutrition and/or health care utilization and the programs ability to show interventions have positive outcomes and plan to publish in a peer review journal;
Promote innovative, evidence based practices for senior nutrition aimed at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the nutrition programs’ services.

Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding: $775,000
Award Ceiling: $250,000
Award Floor: $150,000

Eligibility Criteria

Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
City or township governments
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
County governments
Private institutions of higher education
Special district governments
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)
Small businesses
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
State governments