Rigorously Evaluating Approaches to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Problematic Sexual Behavior among Youth

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) is soliciting investigator-initiated gold standard research proposals to rigorously evaluate programs and policies for their impact on primary prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA) or problematic sexual behavior (PSB) among youth. For the purposes of this NOFO: • CSA is defined as sexual victimization during childhood (younger than 18 years of age) perpetrated by an adult. • PSB is defined as sexual behaviors among children (younger than 18 years of age) that are not developmentally appropriate and have the potential to cause harm to the child or children involved (including behaviors that are unintentionally harmful or inappropriate as well as behaviors intended to cause harm). Research funded under this announcement will strengthen the evidence base for primary prevention of CSA and PSB. Applicants must propose to rigorously evaluate a program or policy for primary prevention of CSA or PSB that addresses one of the following three research priorities: • Programs or policies focused on primary prevention of CSA or PSB in digital spaces (e.g., downloading or possession of illegal images of children, nonconsensual image sharing, use of artificial intelligence to create fake explicit images of children); • Programs or policies addressing the use of digital spaces for commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) or sex trafficking (e.g., online recruitment of minors for sexual content creation, online advertisements soliciting minors for commercial sex acts, using technology to facilitate in-person meetings with minors for the purpose of sex); • Organizational policy approaches focused on primary prevention of CSA or PSB in youth-serving organizations (e.g., community centers, youth development organizations, juvenile residential care facilities, faith-based organizations, group foster care).

Additional information to be provided in the NOFO.

Non-Research: a. Phase 1 Review All applications will be initially reviewed for eligibility and completeness by CDC Office of Grants Services. Complete applications will be reviewed for responsiveness by the Grants Management Officials and Program Officials. Non-responsive applications will not advance to Phase II review. Applicants will be notified that their applications did not meet eligibility and/or published submission requirements. b. Phase II Review A review panel will evaluate complete, eligible applications in accordance with the criteria below. i. Approach ii. Evaluation and Performance Measurement iii. Applicant�s Organizational Capacity to Implement the Approach Not more than thirty days after the Phase II review is completed, applicants will be notified electronically if their application does not meet eligibility or published submission requirements. Research: Applications are reviewed on the basis of scientific/technical merit, with attention being given to such matters as: (1) The degree to which the applicant satisfies the essential requirements and possesses other desired characteristics, such as richness, breadth, and scientific merit of the overall application relative to the types of research, demonstrations, and special projects proposed; (2) clarity of purpose and overall qualifications, adequacy and appropriateness of personnel to accomplish proposed activities; (3) feasibility and likelihood of producing meaningful results based on the...

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Not Applicable.