U.S. Administration on Aging, National Resource Centers on Older Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian Programs

The U.S. Administration on Aging, housed within the Administration for Community Living under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is offering a funding opportunity to establish and operate National Resource Centers focused on American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian populations. This initiative is rooted in the Older Americans Act and is designed to strengthen the national infrastructure that supports aging services for Native elders. The funding opportunity emphasizes the importance of culturally relevant, community-informed service delivery and aims to enhance knowledge, coordination, and technical assistance across tribal and Native-serving organizations. The primary purpose of this program is to improve the delivery of services to Native elders by supporting Resource Centers that provide technical assistance, training, and dissemination of best practices. These centers are expected to serve as national leaders in addressing issues such as health disparities, long-term care needs, elder abuse, and other challenges affecting Native aging populations. The program requires each funded center to focus on one of three populations: American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian communities. The centers will collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data to better understand service needs and outcomes, and they must translate findings into actionable improvements across the field. Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement mechanism, indicating substantial involvement from the federal agency throughout the project period. The total expected program funding is just over one million dollars distributed across three awards, with each award supporting a three-year period of performance. Annual funding per award is fixed, and recipients must adhere to specific budgetary rules, including restrictions on construction, basic research, and certain policy-related activities. A mandatory cost-sharing requirement of twenty five percent applies, requiring applicants to contribute non federal funds or in kind support toward the total project cost. Eligible applicants include a broad range of domestic nonprofit and public entities, including tribal governments, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education. Individuals and foreign entities are explicitly excluded. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to operate at a national level, provide technical expertise, and collaborate with other Resource Centers. They must also propose measurable goals and outcomes, and outline strategies for data collection, evaluation, and dissemination. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes a detailed project narrative, budget narrative, and multiple supporting documents. The evaluation process involves both an initial screening for compliance and a merit based review conducted by a panel. Applications are scored across several criteria including project relevance, approach, impact, organizational capability, and budget justification. Additional considerations include past performance, geographic distribution, and alignment with agency priorities such as promoting independence, dignity, and community living for older adults. The agency may fund applications in full or in part, or choose not to fund any proposals depending on available appropriations and strategic priorities. Key dates include an application deadline of July twenty seventh, two thousand twenty six, with awards expected by the end of September of the same year. The project period begins immediately upon award and extends for three years. Applicants must ensure that all registrations, including SAM.gov and Grants.gov, are active prior to submission. Contacts for programmatic and financial questions are provided, including a program email and phone number. This funding opportunity does not indicate recurrence and appears to be a discrete funding cycle based on available appropriations.

Ensure strong measurable outcomes and alignment with ACL priorities; clearly define goals and data strategy; demonstrate national impact and collaboration capacity