Anti-Doping Activities | ANTI DOPING 2021

Opportunity Information: Apply for ANTI DOPING 2021

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Anti-Doping Activities competitive grant is a discretionary funding opportunity designed to support the United States national anti-doping infrastructure for Olympic-related amateur sport. The grant is rooted in the United States Anti-Doping Agency Reauthorization Act (21 U.S.C. 2001 et seq.), which lays out the core responsibilities of the designated anti-doping organization for the United States. In practical terms, the funding is meant to strengthen efforts that keep Olympic, Pan American, and Paralympic sport clean by preventing and deterring the use of performance-enhancing drugs and prohibited methods, while also protecting athlete health and the integrity of competition in sports recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

The scope of work is broad but clearly centered on the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the systems needed to enforce it. The grantee is expected to provide continued, nationwide support for anti-doping activities that include athlete drug testing programs (including international testing of specimens), research initiatives, and education programs that explain both the health risks of doping and the rules athletes must follow under the Code. The opportunity also explicitly covers legal and adjudicative functions, meaning the organization must be able to support compliance enforcement and handle the adjudication process, including athlete appeals connected to anti-doping rule violations. The overall intent is not just to catch violations, but to sustain an integrated prevention-and-enforcement model that combines testing, education, research, and fair adjudication.

Financially, ONDCP anticipated making a single award, with an expected start around April 2021. The estimated award amount is $14,000,000 for a 12-month project period. The award instrument is a grant (not a cooperative agreement), and ONDCP notes that substantial federal involvement is not anticipated, which generally signals the recipient will have primary responsibility for day-to-day program execution within the approved plan and budget. There is no statutory formula, no cost-sharing or match requirement, and no maintenance of effort requirement. Renewals or supplements of existing projects are allowed to compete alongside brand-new applications, so prior recipients are not guaranteed continuation but can reapply.

Eligibility is intentionally narrow and tailored to a specific kind of organization. Applicants must be a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status (not an institution of higher education) and, more importantly, must be recognized by the USOC as the official anti-doping agency for the United States. The applicant must be able to serve as the US representative coordinating with other anti-doping organizations worldwide and must demonstrate that it functions as an independent anti-doping organization for USOC-recognized amateur athletics. Beyond status and recognition, the applicant must show it can actually carry out the full anti-doping mission: preventing doping, running education and research programs, conducting testing, and operating adjudication processes consistent with the Code.

The application itself has several required components, with a few labeled as critical and therefore decisive for responsiveness. Applicants must submit proof of eligibility, a program narrative, and a detailed budget worksheet with an accompanying budget narrative; these are explicitly identified as critical elements, and missing them can prevent an application from moving forward to peer review. The program narrative must respond to the opportunity requirements and be formatted as a double-spaced document in 12-point font with one-inch margins, not exceeding 20 pages, with pages numbered in the style "1 of 20," "2 of 20," and so on. The budget must be itemized and clearly justified, covering standard federal cost categories such as personnel, fringe benefits, overtime, travel, facilities, services, equipment, supplies, consultants/contracts, and other costs. For this grant, "other costs" specifically include international testing of specimens, state registration fees, and international anti-doping logistical support, and these must be itemized rather than bundled. The budget narrative is expected to explain how each cost was calculated, why it is necessary, and how it supports the project plan, while also being mathematically consistent with the worksheet.

Reporting and accountability requirements include quarterly progress reports tied to required performance areas. Applicants are also expected to describe, up front, how they will collect and analyze performance measure data, including evidence of progress in preventing prohibited substance use, conducting testing, educating athletes, coordinating with other anti-doping organizations, and meeting timelines and deliverables. ONDCP also references the broader federal compliance framework under 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), meaning standard federal rules on allowability of costs, procurement, internal controls, audits, and financial management apply.

Submission logistics are straightforward but strict. Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov and be validated successfully by the deadline of April 22, 2021. Applicants must complete standard federal pre-award registrations and identifiers, including an active SAM registration, a valid DUNS number (as required at the time of the announcement), and current FAPIIS information when applicable. ONDCP will not make an award until these pre-award requirements are fully satisfied, and failure to comply can lead ONDCP to deem an applicant not qualified and select another applicant.

The review process begins with threshold eligibility and an initial evaluation screen that weeds out applications that do not demonstrate expert knowledge and extensive experience in anti-doping requirements, techniques, and compliance programs, or that are not recognized or acceptable to the USOC. Applications that pass this stage are scored under specific selection criteria totaling 100 points. The largest share of points (50) is for program design and implementation, where the applicant must present clear goals, objectives, strategies for delivering education, research, testing, and adjudication functions, and a timeline with responsible entities or persons identified. Capabilities and competencies make up 30 points and focus on demonstrated expertise and past performance in executing anti-doping strategies and supporting clean sport outcomes, including partnership roles with the USOC or other amateur sport bodies. Budget quality accounts for 10 points and looks for reasonableness, allowability, cost-effectiveness, and necessity, with ONDCP reserving the right to negotiate if the budget does not reflect price reasonableness or realism. The final 10 points are tied to performance measurement and the applicant's plan to research, collect, and analyze data to show results and adherence to schedules. ONDCP also conducts a risk review using integrity and performance information available through the federal systems connected to SAM prior to making an award, and ultimately intends to fund the responsive applicant that provides the best value to ONDCP and aligns with the President's National Drug Control Program.

A notable administrative constraint involves limits on charging high levels of employee compensation to the award. For awards above $250,000, federal funds generally may not be used to pay an employee total cash compensation above 110 percent of the maximum annual salary of a Senior Executive Service official at an agency with a certified SES performance appraisal system (with certain exceptions for nonprofits listed in Appendix VIII to 2 CFR Part 200). If an applicant believes a higher rate is necessary, they can request a waiver from the ONDCP Director, but the request must be justified in detail in the budget narrative, including why the individual is uniquely qualified and why the pay rate is consistent with customary market rates. Any amount above the cap must be paid with non-federal funds unless a waiver is granted.

In short, this opportunity is a single, high-dollar annual grant intended to fund the national-level organization responsible for US anti-doping in USOC-recognized amateur sport, with deliverables spanning testing, education, research, and adjudication under the World Anti-Doping Code. The competition emphasizes proven independence, official USOC recognition, technical credibility, operational capacity, and a defensible, well-structured budget supported by measurable performance reporting.

• The Office of National Drug Control Policy in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Anti-Doping Activities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 95.004.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-04-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $14,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for ANTI DOPING 2021

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