North Texas Cares - COVID-19 Response

NEW! Health and Scientific Research Grant Opportunity

The Opportunity:

Organizations are invited to submit Letters of Inquiry (LOI) for grant funding to support health equity and scientific research in North Texas between now and April 1. Details below!

Available Funding: Up to $20 million. Note: The budget cap per proposal is $1.5 million.

Health Equity and Scientific Research RFP Details

Applications will be accepted through April 1, 2021 at 5:00pm. Applicants that wish to be considered for grant funding between April and June, however, must have their applications submitted by February 26 at 5:00pm.

The application is available to download so you can review and plan your submission, but final answers must be submitted using CFTgrants.org.

Download Word Doc Application

Missed the overview webinar about this grant opportunity? Click here to watch the recording!

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Focus Areas

Prevention Research

The goal of this funding stream is to build healthier, more equitable communities through the identification, research and/or piloting of evidence-based social interventions that prevent or control a known community health issue.

Projects focused on the social determinants of health (SDOH) include (but are not limited to) the study of environmental interventions to influence mental health, housing security and pregnancy outcomes, the built environment and chronic disease, school-based sex education and teen pregnancy rates, social connections and depression, healthcare systems’ pay-for-success programs, school-based meals and childhood obesity.

If invited to submit a full proposal, prevention proposal applicants at the next stage will be required to include cost analysis in their data analysis.

Human Capital

The goal of this funding stream is to support and expand intentional opportunities for underrepresented individuals to successfully pursue financially secure professional positions and career- building opportunities in the health fields of clinical medicine (e.g., nurse, nurse practitioner, primary care physician, psychologist, optometry, dentistry), biotechnology, health informatics, health data analytics and biomedical research.

Preference will be given to proposals that:

create or expand comprehensive institutional programs and medical and scientific research fellowships to address access and opportunity hurdles from recruitment through job securement;
address financially competitive means to encourage underrepresented clinicians to return to practice in low-income communities where people can see themselves in their providers;
and encourage researchers to pursue investigation of topics of interest to them related to the communities from which they come.

Cancer and Brain Research

This funding stream supports cancer biology and/or brain science research.

Projects may include research focused on prevention, aiding subclinical and clinical diagnosis, treatment, and protective factors.

In the area of cancer research, specific funding is available for proposals supporting Phase I or Phase II clinical trials or translational research in gene and molecular therapies.

Particular attention will be paid to proposals that intentionally consider the diversity of study participants and projects with diverse leadership.

COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Uptake

With several COVID-19 vaccines now becoming available, community trust and orchestrated, thoughtful distribution networks are imperative for dissemination of knowledge and vaccine uptake.

An October 2020 CNN poll reported that only 50% of people reported willingness to receive a vaccine, and rates were even lower in people of color [1].

The goal of this funding stream is to address vaccine hesitancy and build equitable access and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in North Texas.

Successful applicants will develop comprehensive plans that seek to understand community knowledge, concerns, and general feelings regarding vaccines and build a culturally responsive strategy to promote access and uptake with considerations for equity and health risk.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, your organization must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Have a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation from the Internal Revenue Service that has been active for at least two years as of January 1, 2021.
The proposed proposal idea must be of relevance to North Texas.

Selection Criteria

Utilizing the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria used by the National Science Foundation, the following elements will be considered in the review of each submission regarding the potential for the proposed activity to:

Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit)
Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)

Strong applications will include two or more of the following:

Scientifically valid and evidence-based
Utilize community input and human-centered design to inform design and/or program offerings
Ensure benefits from investments are realized by North Texas residents, particularly low-income neighborhoods and communities of color
Include multi-sector collaborations
Promote racial equity
Demonstrate a pathway or potential for sustainable funding beyond the grant period
Call upon multiple funding sources

Note: Faculty and salaried positions will not be eligible for research funding. Reasonable indirect costs will be considered on an individual basis.

The latest from North Texas Cares

The second phase North Texas Cares application opened on August 11, 2020 and closed on October 2. Applications are currently under review.

Between April and mid-July 2020, 1,400 grants totaling over $40 million were awarded to 630 area nonprofits through the North Texas Cares application process from the 30+ participating funders.

As applications were submitted, they were made available to each funder on a regular basis for their review. Each funder uses their own timeline and process to evaluate and award grant applications. Organizations who applied received an official confirmation email in early October that their application had been received. If an application has been selected for a grant, organizations will hear from a participating funder directly. A decline notice will be sent out in late February 2021 to applicants who did not receive funding.

Grant amounts vary by funder. Applicants should share their total project budget on the application and specify the amount requested from North Texas Cares partners. Approved requests may be funded from one or more participating funders. Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis.

Who is eligible to apply?

The second phase deadline for North Texas Cares applications closed on October 2, 2020. In order to be eligible for funding, agencies must meet the following criteria:

✔ Must be a 501c3 organization

✔ Must currently provide services in the North Texas area

✔ Must provide services that align with focus areas detailed below

Note: Between April and mid-July 2020, the 30+ participating funders awarded 1,400 grants totaling over $40 million to 630 area nonprofits through the first phase of the North Texas Cares application process. Regardless of whether an organization received funding in phase one, all nonprofits that met the above criteria were eligible to apply or re-apply for funding in phase two.

Priority Funding Areas

HEALTH

Organizations and programs focused on providing access to health services of all kinds, including those focused on addressing disparities; mental health services for children and youth; and supporting COVID testing and access to testing/tracing

ECONOMIC SECURITY

Organizations and programs focused on preparing people for living wage jobs in the COVID-19 environment (e.g., via rapid re-employment, upskilling or reskilling through partnerships with community colleges/schools and/or moving to online adult learning)
Organizations that provide supportive services for workers, such as childcare, food, or transportation
Providing safe, stable housing for families or individuals
Organizations that provide services to re-entry populations to assist them as they are returning to the community during this very challenging time

SAFETY & WELLBEING

Programs focused on personal safety from violence in the home
Programs focused on public safety in the community and eliminating violence directed at people of color, disenfranchised and marginalized populations

EDUCATION

Programs working to reduce learning loss and close the racial achievement gap
Programs focused on supporting teachers/students given current online learning challenges
Programs addressing the digital divide
In- and out-of-school engagement programs for children and youth
Programs that focused on education to cultivate anti-racism
Parent engagement programs to support learning at home

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Programs that focus on education to cultivate anti-racism
Community organizing and movement building
Creative community engagement to promote equity, access, participation and rights, including through the arts or public green space
Programs that foster and build leadership for people of color within nonprofit organizations

See below for frequently asked questions, participating funders, and more.

North Texas Cares Phase 2 Collaborative Funders

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the North Texas Cares Funders Collaborative For COVID-19 Response?

North Texas Cares is a funder collaborative with a common application form. Submitted applications are reviewed by participating funders, which consists of 30 North Texas foundations and United Ways that are coming together to provide support for nonprofits providing critical services in our community.

What activities and services will be funded through the second phase of this grant opportunity?