[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-6693]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 23, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[PN #2187]
RIN 0905-ZA10
Special Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements; Maternal and
Child Health Services; Federal Set-Aside Program
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), PHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
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SUMMARY: The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), HRSA, announces
that fiscal year (FY) 1994 funds are available for grants and
cooperative agreements for the following activities: Maternal and Child
Health (MCH) Special Projects of Regional and National Significance
(SPRANS), including special MCH improvement projects which contribute
to the health of mothers, children, and children with special health
care needs (CSHCN); MCH research and training; and genetic disease
testing, counseling and information services. Awards will be made under
the program authority of section 502(a) of the Social Security Act, the
MCH Federal Set-Aside Program.
Of the approximately $101.4 million available for SPRANS activities
in FY 1994, about $29.6 million will be available to support
approximately 146 new and competing renewal projects at an average of
$202,700 per award for one year under the MCH SPRANS Federal Set-Aside
Program. The remaining funds will be used to support continuation of
existing SPRANS activities. The actual amounts available for awards and
their allocation may vary, depending on unanticipated program
requirements and the volume and quality of applications. Awards are
made for grant periods which generally run from 1 up to 5 years in
duration. Funds for the MCH Federal Set-Aside Program are appropriated
by Public Law 103-112. The regulation implementing the Federal Set-
Aside Program was published in the March 5, 1986, issue of the Federal
Register at 51 FR 7726 (42 CFR part 51a).
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the
health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People
2000, a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. The MCH
Block Grant Federal Set-Aside Program addresses issues related to the
Healthy People 2000 objectives of improving maternal, infant, child and
adolescent health and developing service systems for children with
special health care needs. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of
Healthy People 2000 (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy
People 2000 (Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office Washington, DC
20402-9325 (telephone: 202 783-3238).
ADDRESSES: Grant applications for the MCH SPRANS Federal Set-Aside
Program must be obtained from and submitted to: Chief, Grants
Management Branch, Office of Program Support, Maternal and Child Health
Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Room 18-12,
Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, (301)
443-1440. Applicants for research projects will use Form PHS 398,
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under control
number 0925-0001. Applicants for training projects will use Form PHS
6025-1, approved by OMB under control number 0915-0060. Applicants for
all other projects will use application Form PHS 5161-1 with revised
face page DHHS Form 424, approved by OMB under control number 0937-
0189. Requests should specify the category or categories of activities
for which an application is requested so that the appropriate forms,
information and materials may be provided.
DATES: Potential applicants are invited to request application packages
for the particular program category in which they are interested, and
to submit their applications for funding consideration. Deadlines for
receipt of applications differ for the several categories of grants and
cooperative agreements. These deadlines are as follows:
MCH Federal Set-Aside Competitive Grant and Cooperative Agreements Anticipated Deadline, Award, Funding, and
Project Period Information, by Category, FY 1994
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funding source Estimated number of Estimated amounts
category Application deadline awards available Project period
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Grants in the
following areas:
1.1Research....... Cycle 1: March 1, 1994 Up to 20............ $2.5 million........ Up to 5 years.
1.2Training....... Cycle 2: August 1,
1994..
1.2.1Long term.... April 15, 1994........ Up to 28............ $13.4 million....... Up to 5 years.
1.2.2Continuing July 1, 1994.......... Up to 16*........... $750,000............ Up to 3 years.
education.
1.3Genetic Disease April 25, 1994........ Up to 18............ $3 million.......... 3 years.
Testing,
Counseling and
Information.
1.4Special MCH
Improvement
Projects (MCHIP)
of Regional and
National
Significance in
the following
areas:
1.4.1Maternal, May 19, 1994*......... Up to 12*........... $1.25 million*...... Up to 4 years.*
infant, child,
and adolescent
health.
1.4.1.1School (Date to be announced) Up to 10............ $2.5 million........ Up to 2 years.
Health Program.
1.4.2Health Care May 10, 1994.......... Up to 24*........... $3.5 million........ 4 years.
Reform for CSHCN.
1.4.3Data June 15, 1994......... 3*.................. $500,000............ Up to 3 years.
Utilization
(cooperative
agreements).
1.4.4Healthy May 2................. Up to 10............ $500,000............ 5 years.
Tomorrows
Partnership for
Children.
1.4.5Field- April 1 , 1994, August Up to 10............ Up to $500,000...... Up to 5 years.
Initiated 15, 1994.
Projects.
(2) Cooperative
Agreements (MCHIPs)
in the following
areas:
2.1CSHCN Child and May 10, 1994.......... 1................... $1.5 million........ Up to 5 years.
Adolescent
Service System
Program (CASSP).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* This is a change from information in an Advance Notice of Application Dates published in the Federal Register
on February 2 at 59 FR 4925.
Applications will be considered to have met the deadline if they
are either: (1) Received on or before the deadline date, or (2)
postmarked on or before the deadline date and received in time for
orderly processing. Applicants should request a legibly dated receipt
from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service, or obtain a
legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. Private metered postmarks
will not be accepted as proof of timely mailing. Late applications or
those sent to an address other than specified in the ADDRESSES section
will be returned to the applicant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for technical or programmatic
information should be directed to: Audrey H. Nora, M.D., M.P.H.,
Director, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA, Room 18-05, Parklawn
Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Requests for
category-specific technical information should be directed to the
contact persons identified below for each category covered by this
notice. Requests for information concerning business management issues
should be directed to: John Gallicchio, Grants Management Officer
(GMO), Maternal and Child Health Bureau, at the address specified in
the ADDRESSES section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To facilitate the use of this announcement,
information in this section has been organized, as outlined in the
Table of Contents below, into a discussion of: Program Background,
Special Concerns, Overall Review Criteria, SPRANS Program, and Eligible
Applicants. In addition, discussion of the SPRANS program is divided
into specific funding categories and sub-categories and for each
category and sub-category, information is presented under the following
headings:
Application Deadline
Purpose
Priorities/Special Concerns
Grants/Amounts
Contact
Table of Contents
1. Program Background and Objectives
2. Special Concerns
3. Project Review and Funding
3.1. Criteria for Review
3.2. Funding of Approved Applications
4. Special Projects of Regional and National Significance
4.1. Grants
4.1.1. Research
4.1.2. Training
4.1.2.1. Long Term Training
4.1.2.2. Continuing Education
4.1.3. Genetic Disease Testing, Counseling and Information
4.1.4. Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects
4.1.4.1. Maternal, Infant, Child, and Adolescent Health
4.1.4.1.1 School Health Program
4.1.4.2. Health Care Reform for Children with Special Health Care
Needs
4.1.4.3. Data Utilization and Enhancement
4.1.4.4. Healthy Tomorrows Partnerships for Children
4.1.4.5. Field-Initiated Projects
4.2. Cooperative Agreements
4.2.1 Children with Special Health Care Needs Child and Adolescent
Service System Program (CASSP)
5. Eligible Applicants
6. Public Health System Reporting Requirements
7. Executive Order 12372
1. Program Background and Objectives
Under Section 502 of the Social Security Act, as amended by the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1989, 12.75 percent of
amounts appropriated for the Maternal and Child Health Services Block
Grant in excess of $600 million are set aside by the Secretary of
Health and Human Services (HHS) for special Community Integrated
Service Systems projects under Section 501(a)(3) of the Act. Of the
remainder of the total appropriation, 15 percent of the funds are to be
retained by the Secretary to support (through grants, contracts, or
otherwise) special projects of regional and national significance,
research, and training with respect to maternal and child health and
children with special health care needs (including early intervention
training and services development); for genetic disease testing,
counseling, and information development and dissemination programs; for
grants (including funding for comprehensive hemophilia diagnostic
treatment centers) relating to hemophilia without regard to age; and
for the screening of newborns for sickle cell anemia, and other genetic
disorders and follow-up services. The MCH SPRANS set-aside was
established in 1981. Support for projects covered by this announcement
will come from the SPRANS set-aside.
2. Special Concerns
In its administration of the MCH Services Block Grant, the MCHB
places special emphasis on improving service delivery to women and
children from culturally identifiable populations who have been
disproportionately affected by barriers to accessible care. This means
that SPRANS projects are expected to serve and appropriately involve in
project activities members of ethnoculturally distinct groups, unless
there are compelling programmatic or other justifications for not doing
so. The MCHBs intent is to ensure that project outcomes are of benefit
to culturally distinct populations and to ensure that the broadest
possible representation of culturally distinct and historically
underserved groups is supported through programs and projects sponsored
by the MCHB.
Projects supported under SPRANS are expected to be part of
community-wide, comprehensive initiatives, to reflect appropriate
coordination of primary care and public health activities, and to
target HRSA resources effectively to fill gaps in the Nation's health
system for at-risk mothers and children. This applies especially to
projects in the 15 communities in the Nation which have received grants
from HRSA under the Healthy Start initiative. Grantees in these
communities providing services related to activities of a Healthy Start
program are expected to coordinate their projects with the Healthy
Start program efforts. Healthy Start communities include: Aberdeen Area
Indian Nations, NE/ND/SD; Baltimore, MD; Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA;
Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Lake County, IN; New Orleans,
LA; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; PeeDee
Region, SC; Washington, DC.
3. Project Review and Funding
The Secretary will review applications for funds under the specific
project categories in section 4 below as competing applications and
will fund those which, in the Secretary's judgement, are consistent
with the statutory mandate, with special emphasis on improving service
delivery to women and children from culturally distinct populations;
and which best address achievement of the Healthy People 2000
objectives related to maternal, infant, child and adolescent health and
service systems for children at risk of chronic and disabling
conditions, and otherwise best promote improvements in maternal and
child health.
3.1 Criteria for Review
The following criteria are used, as pertinent, to review and
evaluate applications for awards under all SPRANS grants and
cooperative agreement project categories announced in this notice.
Further guidance in this regard is supplied in application guidance
materials, which may specify variations in these criteria.
--The quality of the project plan or methodology.
--The need for the services, research, training or technical
assistance.
--The cost-effectiveness of the proposed project relative to the number
of persons proposed to be benefitted, served or trained, considering,
where relevant, any special circumstances associated with providing
care or training in various areas.
--The extent to which the project will contribute to the advancement of
MCH and/or CSHCN services.
--The extent to which rapid and effective use of grant funds will be
made by the project.
--The effectiveness of procedures to collect the cost of care and
service from third-party payment sources (including government
agencies) which are authorized or under legal obligation to make such
payment for any service (including diagnostic, preventive and treatment
services).
--The extent to which the project will be integrated with the
administration of the Maternal and Child Health Services block grants,
State primary care plans, public health, and prevention programs, and
other related programs in the respective State(s).
--The soundness of the project's management, considering the
qualifications of the staff of the proposed project and the applicant's
facilities and resources.
--The extent to which the project gives special emphasis to improving
service delivery to women and children from culturally identifiable
populations who have been disproportionately affected by barriers to
accessible care and ensures that members of culturally distinct groups
are appropriately represented in the activities of approved grants and
cooperative agreements.
--In communities with Healthy Start projects, a commitment by
applicants whose projects are related to activities of a Healthy Start
program to coordinate their projects with Healthy Start program
efforts.
--The strength of the project's plans for evaluation.
--The extent to which the application is responsive to special concerns
and program priorities specified in this notice.
3.2 Funding of Approved Applications
Final funding decisions for SPRANS grants are the responsibility of
the Director, MCHB. In considering scores for the ranking of approved
applications for funding, preferences may be exercised for groups of
applications, e.g., competing continuations may be funded ahead of new
projects. Within any category of approved projects, the score of an
individual project may be favorably adjusted if the project addresses
specific priorities identified in this notice. In addition, special
consideration in assigning scores may be given by reviewers to
individual applications that address areas identified in this notice as
special concerns.
4. Special Projects of Regional and National Significance
Project categories for SPRANS awards are grouped in this notice
under two sections: Grants and Cooperative Agreements.
4.1. Grants
Four major categories of SPRANS grants\1\ are discussed below:
Research; Training; Genetic Disease Testing, Counseling and
Information; and Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects (in 5
sub-categories):
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\1\This year, hemophilia treatment centers will all be funded as
noncompeting continuation grants, subject to evaluation for proper
performance.
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4.1.1. Category: Research
Application Deadline: March 1 and August 1, 1994.
Purpose: To encourage research in maternal and child
health which has the potential for ready transfer of findings to health
care delivery programs.
Priorities/Special Concerns: Special consideration will be
given to projects which address the factors and processes that lead to
disparities in health status and use of services among minority and
other disadvantaged groups.
Research grants may be made only to public or nonprofit
institutions of higher learning and public or nonprofit private
agencies and organizations engaged in research or in maternal and child
health or programs for CSHCN.
Grants/Amounts: Approximately $2.5 million will be
available to support up to 20 new or competing renewal research
projects at an average of $125,000 per award for one year. Project
periods are up to 5 years.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact: Gontran Lamberty, Dr. P.H., telephone: 301 443-2190.
4.1.2. Training
Training projects are announced in two sub-categories: Long Term
Training and Continuing Education.
4.1.2.1. Long Term Training
Application Deadline: April 15, 1994.
Purpose: Awards to institutions of higher learning to
support and strengthen MCH programs through long term training of
health professionals at the graduate and postgraduate levels, with a
special focus on family-centered, community-based care. The programs
are designed to develop leadership personnel to provide for
comprehensive health, including health promotion and disease
prevention, and related services to mothers and children and to address
special issues, such as HIV; injury; minority health concerns; and
substance abuse. Training is provided to a wide range of health
professionals who serve mothers and children.
Priorities/Special Concerns: The following categories have
been identified for competition under the MCH long term training
program in FY 1994:
--MCH Training in Schools of Public Health.
--University Affiliated Programs.
Training grants may be made only to public or nonprofit private
institutions of higher learning.
Grants/Amounts: About $13.4 million will be available to
support up to 28 new or competing renewal long term training projects
in the listed priority areas. Grant awards in different priority areas
vary between $178,000 and $895,000 for one year. Project periods are up
to 5 years.
Contact: For programmatic and technical information,
contact Elizabeth Brannon, M.S., R.D., telephone: 301 443-2190.
4.1.2.2. Continuing Education
Application Deadline: July 1, 1994.
Purpose: To support and strengthen MCH programs through
short term, non-degree related training of health professionals and
others providing health and related services for mothers and children;
workshops; seminars; institutes; and other related activities intended
to develop or improve standards, practices or delivery of health care
for the MCH population.
Priorities/Special Concerns: Funding preference in this
category will be given to directed continuing education projects (i.e.,
those in solicited formats) in the following areas:
--MCH Leadership Skills Training Institute.
--Maternal Nutrition.
--Pediatric Emergency Care Systems.
--Genetics.
Funding priority, in the form of a favorable priority score
adjustment of 0.5 points in a 4 point range, will be given to
nondirected projects (i.e., those whose formats are unspecified) in one
or more of the following areas, although projects on other topics are
acceptable:
--Adolescent Development.
--Curriculum Development.
In addition, a funding priority will also be placed on projects
from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). An approved
proposal from an HBCU will receive a 0.5 point favorable adjustment of
the priority score in a 4 point range before funding decisions are
made.
Training grants may be made only to public or nonprofit private
institutions of higher learning.
Grants/Amounts: Approximately $750,000 will be available
to support up to 16 new or competing renewal continuing education
training projects. This is a change from information in an Advance
Notice of Application Deadline Dates published in the Federal Register
on February 2 at 59 FR 4925. Of this amount, $275,000 will fund one MCH
Leadership Skills Training Institute, $75,000 will fund one Maternal
Nutrition project, $50,000 will fund up to 2 Pediatric Emergency Care
Systems projects and $75,000 will fund up to 4 genetics projects.
Approximately $275,000 will be available to support up to 10 new or
competing renewal nondirected continuing education training projects,
at about $25,000 per award for one year. Project periods are up to 3
years.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact Elizabeth Brannon, M.S., R.D., telephone: 301 443-2190.
4.1.3. Genetic Disease Testing, Counseling and Information.
Application Deadline: April 25, 1994
Purpose: To increase access to effective genetic
information, education, testing and counseling services.
Priorities/Special Concerns: Applicants in the genetic
services program are invited to submit proposals in the areas of:
--Genetics in primary care.
--Ethnocultural barriers.
--Regional genetic services networks.
--Cooley's Anemia/Thalassemia.
--Comprehensive care for children with Sickle Cell Disease.
--Transition from pediatric to adult care.
Grants/Amounts: About $3 million will be available to
support up to 6 competing renewal projects and up to 12 new projects.
An average of about $166,500 per award for one year is anticipated.
Project periods are up to 3 years.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact: Jane S. Lin-Fu, M.D., telephone: 301 443-1080.
4.1.4. Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects
Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects (MCHIP) are divided
into 5 sub-categories: Maternal, Infant, Child, and Adolescent Health;
Health Care Reform for Children with Special Health Care Needs; Data
Utilization and Enhancement; Healthy Tomorrows Partnerships for
Children; and Field-Initiated Projects.
4.1.4.1. Maternal, Infant, Child, and Adolescent Health
Application Deadline: May 19, 1994 (Revised deadline).
Purpose: To improve the health of all mothers, infants,
children, and adolescents. Demonstration projects in this category will
focus on developing preventive intervention strategies to improve
reproductive health, promote infant health, and reduce infant mortality
and morbidity in rural areas and smaller urban communities.
Priorities/Special Concerns: A funding priority will be
placed on projects from historically Black colleges and universities
(HBCUs). An approved proposal from an HBCU will receive a 0.5 point
favorable adjustment of the priority score in a 4 point range before
funding decisions are made.
Grants/Amounts: About $1.25 million will be available to
support up to a total of 12 new projects, at an average of about
$100,000 per award for one year. Project periods are up to 4 years
except where otherwise noted. This is a change from information in an
Advance Notice of Application Deadline Dates published in the Federal
Register on February 2 at 59 FR 4925.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact David Heppel, M.D., telephone: 301 443-2250. 4.1.4.1.1 School
Health Program
Application Deadline: Date to be announced
Purpose: To address critical health problems and health-
damaging behaviors of the school age population, including children
with special health care needs. This initiative, a demonstration of
concepts currently under consideration as a health care reform measure,
is designed to improve accessibility and increase utilization of
comprehensive health and health-related services geared to
developmental needs; and to assist States to develop full
service schools which meet communities need for provision of
comprehensive, culturally competent and integrated health,
psychosocial, and education services to all children and adolescents.
Coordination and collaboration among State MCH programs, local health
departments, community and migrant health centers, State and local
education agencies, and community-based organizations will be
emphasized. Projects will be supported in staff development, service
demonstrations, and consumer health education and promotion
demonstrations.
This activity is a joint program initiative with the Bureau of
Primary Health Care (BPHC), HRSA, and will shortly be announced in
greater detail in a separate Federal Register notice, with a separate
due date.
Priorities/Special Concerns: Priorities and special
concerns have yet to be determined.
Grants/Amounts: About $1.5 million will be available to
support up to 10 school health staff development projects, at an
average of $150,000. An additional $1.0 million, together with funds to
be made available by BPHC, will be available for combined projects to
address service demonstrations and consumer health education and
promotion demonstrations. Additional details will be announced.
Contact: Contact(s) to be announced.
4.1.4.2. Health Care Reform for Children With Special Health Care Needs
Application Deadline: May 10, 1994.
Purpose: To address issues in the current environment of
cost containment, managed care, and the anticipated movement toward
universal, basic health insurance coverage that relate to children with
special health care needs, their families and providers, and the public
health system's role in their care. The focus is on elimination of
barriers to adequate, appropriate and high quality care that may not be
overcome through assurance of universal coverage.
Priorities/Special Concerns: Applicants in this MCHIP
category are invited to submit proposals in the following program
areas:
--Personnel preparation and assistance.
--Quality assurance.
--Cost and utilization.
--Promotion of public/consumer education.
A funding priority will be placed on projects from historically
Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). An approved proposal from an
HBCU will receive a 0.5 point favorable adjustment of the priority
score in a 4 point range before funding decisions are made.
Grants/Amounts: About $3.5 million will be available for
this MCHIP category, to support up to 24 new projects. This is a change
from information in an Advance Notice of Application Deadline Dates
published in the Federal Register on February 2 at 59 FR 4925. The
project period is up to 4 years.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact Merle McPherson, M.D., Director, Division of Services for
Children With Special Health Care Needs; telephone: 301 443-2350.
4.1.4.3. Data Utilization and Enhancement
Application Deadline: June 15, 1994.
Purpose: To enable Federal, State, and local MCH/CSHCN
agencies, in collaboration with State primary care planning, to develop
data and data systems required under Title V that facilitate needs
assessment, planning, monitoring or evaluation of maternal and child
agencies and comprehensive health services.
Priorities/Special Concerns: Applicants in this MCHIP
category are invited to submit proposals in the following program
areas:
--Enhancement of data collection and analysis capabilities of State and
local health agencies.
--Compilation of new data and development and application of analytic
techniques regarding the health status of and delivery of comprehensive
health care to mothers and children.
--Networking, coordination, and integration of existing and proposed
resources and data and analysis systems developed in other States or
organizations.
--Increasing State and local entities capacity to respond to and
implement changes in the organization of health care resources.
Special consideration will be given to applications which
demonstrate capabilities in a range of data and analysis areas relevant
to MCH training and information model development.
Grants/Amounts: An estimated $500,000 will be available to
support three cooperative agreements. This is a change from information
in an Advance Notice of Application Deadline Dates published in the
Federal Register on February 2 at 59 FR 4925. Project periods are up to
3 years.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact Russ Scarato, telephone: 301 443-2340.
4.1.4.4. Healthy Tomorrows Partnerships for Children
Application Deadline: May 2, 1994.
Purpose: To support projects for children that improve
access to health services and utilize preventive strategies. The
initiative encourages additional support from the private sector and
from foundations to form community-based partnerships to coordinate
health resources for pregnant women, infants and children.
Priorities/Special Concerns: Special consideration will be
given by the reviewers to proposals in this MCHIP category which
address particularly well both of the areas identified below:
--Local initiatives that are community-based, family-centered,
comprehensive and culturally relevant and improve access to health
services for infants, children, adolescents, or CSHCN.
--Evidence of a capability to meet cost participation targets by
securing funds required for the second and sequential years in an
amount not less than 66.7 percent of the total budget.
In the interest of equitable geographic distribution, funding
priority, in the form of a 1.0 point favorable adjustment in the
priority score in a 4 point range, will be given to projects from
States without a currently funded project in this category. These
States are listed in the application guidance.
Grants/Amounts: About $500,000 will be available to
support up to 10 new Healthy Tomorrows projects, at an average of
$50,000 per award for one year. The project period is 5 years.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact Latricia Robertson, M.S.N., M.P.H., telephone: 301 443-3163.
4.1.4.5. Field-Initiated Projects
Application Deadlines: April 1 and August 15, 1994.
Purpose: To support projects of high priority that are so
time sensitive that they cannot be delayed for submission against
normal MCHB category deadlines. Applications must be preceded by
contact with an appropriate program official to justify why the
proposed project is so time sensitive that the application cannot be
submitted against normal MCHB category deadlines. Wherever possible,
prospective applicants are urged to submit their proposals in other
announced categories. Applications submitted in this category may not
be under consideration under any other category during FY 1994.
Research applications are not supportable under this sub-category. The
Director of MCHB will be the final arbiter of the acceptability of
special project applications for review. Prospective applicants are
urged to make contact with a program official listed below well in
advance of submitting a formal application, so that the work of
proposal development can be avoided if the proposed project is judged
as inappropriate for submission under this category.
Grants/Amounts: About $500,000 will be available to
support up to 10 new or competing renewal field-initiated projects.
Project periods are up to 5 years.
Contact: Potential applicants for field-initiated grants
should contact: Chief, Grants Management Branch, or the MCHB Division
Director responsible for the area of project interest: Director,
Division of Maternal, Infant, Child and Adolescent Health, telephone:
301 443-2251; Director, Division of Services for CSHCN, telephone: 301
443-2350; or Director, Division of Systems, Education, and Science,
telephone: 301 443-2340. The address for each of them is: Maternal and
Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration,
Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.
4.2. Cooperative Agreements
A cooperative agreement will be awarded in one category: Children
with Special Health Care Needs Child and Adolescent Service System
Program (CASSP). It is anticipated that substantive Federal
programmatic involvement will be required in this cooperative
agreement. Federal involvement may include planning, guidance,
coordination and participation in programmatic activities. Periodic
meetings, conferences, and/or communications with the award recipient
are held to review mutually agreed upon goals and objectives and to
assess progress. Additional details on the degree of Federal
programmatic involvement will be included in the application guidance
for this cooperative agreement.
4.2.1. Children With Special Health Care Needs Child and Adolescent
Service System Program (CASSP)
Application Deadline: May 10, 1994.
Purpose: To support the development of a network of
community-based, family-focused, and culturally competent systems of
care for children with special health care needs. This network will:
(1) Link the public and private sectors within the context of current
efforts to reform the Nation's health and mental health care delivery
systems and related reform efforts in education, child welfare, and
juvenile justice; (2) within the broader context, establish a Child and
Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) Technical Assistance Center
to focus on the needs of children and adolescents with serious
emotional disturbances and their families and to address the
psychosocial needs of all children with special health care needs and
their families; and (3) work with critical State and local agencies
serving children and Native American reservations to ensure support for
integrated service delivery systems for children at all levels.
This cooperative agreement will be jointly funded by the MCHB and
the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), SAMHSA. Preference for
funding will be given to public or private non-profit organizations
with prior experience in the areas described above, especially those
which can show: (1) The extent to which technical assistance efforts
have focused on the needs of children and adolescents with serious
emotional disorders; and (2) the degree to which prior networking
efforts have been designed to link together health, mental health,
education and other human services to address the psychosocial needs of
all children with special health care needs and their families.
Amount: Up to $1.5 million per year will be available to
support one project. The award will be made for a project period of up
to 5 years.
Contact: For programmatic or technical information,
contact John Shwab, telephone: 301 443-2370.
The categories, priorities, special considerations and preferences
described above are not being proposed for public comment this year. In
July 1993, following publication of the Department's Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking to revise the MCH special project grant regulations at 42
CFR 51a, the public was invited for a 60-day period to submit comments
regarding all aspects of the SPRANS application and review process.
Public comments regarding SPRANS priorities received during the comment
period were considered in developing this announcement. In responding
to these comments, the Department noted the practical limits on
Secretarial discretion in establishing SPRANS categories and priorities
owing to the extensive prescription in both the statute and annual
Congressional directives. Comments on this SPRANS notice which members
of the public wish to make are welcome at any time and may be submitted
to: Director, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, at the address listed
in the ADDRESS section. Suggestions will be considered when priorities
are developed for the next solicitation.
5. Eligible Applicants
Any public or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal
organization (as defined at 25 U.S.C. 450b), is eligible to apply for
grants or cooperative agreements for MCHIP demonstration project
categories. Training grants may be made only to public or nonprofit
private institutions of higher learning. Research grants may be made
only to public or nonprofit private institutions of higher learning and
public or nonprofit private agencies and organizations engaged in
research in maternal and child health or programs for CSHCN.
6. Public Health System Reporting Requirements
This program is subject to the Public Health System Reporting
Requirements (approved under OMB No. 0937-0195). Under these
requirements, the community-based nongovernmental applicant must
prepare and submit a Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS). The
PHSIS is intended to provide information to State and local health
officials to keep them apprised of proposed health services grant
applications submitted by community-based nongovernmental organizations
within their jurisdictions.
Community-based nongovernmental applicants are required to submit
the following information to the head of the appropriate State and
local health agencies in the area(s) to be impacted no later than the
Federal application receipt due date:
(a) A copy of the face page of the application (SF 424).
(b) A summary of the project (PHSIS), not to exceed one page, which
provides:
(1) A description of the population to be served.
(2) A summary of the services to be provided.
(3) A description of the coordination planned with the appropriate
State and local health agencies.
7. Executive Order 12372
The MCH Federal set-aside program has been determined to be a
program which is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372
concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs.
The OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.110.
Dated: February 7, 1994.
William A. Robinson,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-6693 Filed 3-22-94; 8:45 am]
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