Rigorously Evaluating Primary Prevention Strategies for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence

This NOFO seeks proposals aimed at building the evidence base for the primary prevention of intimate partner violence, including teen dating violence, and/or sexual violence. This funding opportunity will support rigorous outcome evaluations of promising practice-based prevention approaches that are currently being implemented by state and/or local organizations that address intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence. This includes, but is not limited to, organizations that receive funding under CDC’s Rape Prevention and Education Program and CDC’s DELTA AHEAD program. By promising practice-based approaches we mean programs, policies, or practices that can demonstrate the following: (a) Evidence of implementation in the field for a minimum of two years; and (b) Collection of prior positive implementation-related outcomes (e.g., data demonstrating reach, fidelity, availability, and/or acceptability of the approach) and/or collection of outcome monitoring data before and after implementing the approach that demonstrate positive changes in relevant outcomes. Research on promising practice-based prevention approaches will evaluate the effectiveness of prevention approaches that already have traction within the field but have not been rigorously evaluated. As a result, this research can build the evidence for approaches that are feasible to implement by practitioners and acceptable to communities. Research aimed at building evidence at the community- or societal-levels is of particular interest under this announcement. In addition, research aimed at building evidence for populations and communities that experience inequitable risk for intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence is of particular interest, including approaches that address social determinants of health. This NOFO covers a four (4) year period of performance to complete a full-scale rigorous evaluation. This research can address critical research gaps and expand the evidence base for effective programs, policies, and practices that prevent intimate partner violence and sexual violence. The availability of a broader range of evidence-based strategies will help address risk and protective factors across all levels of the social ecology. Implementing comprehensive prevention strategies can help move the field towards reductions in intimate partner violence and sexual violence at the population level (DeGue et al., 2012).