[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20494-20497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10197]



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[[Page 20495]]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Announcement 533]


National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; 
Cooperative Agreement for Model Program for Occupational Respiratory 
Disease Evaluation and Rehabilitation

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1995 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program for Occupational Respiratory Disease Evaluation and 
Rehabilitation through the National Institute for Occupational Safety 
and Health (NIOSH). 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 to reduce morbidity 
and mortality and improve the quality of life. This announcement is 
related to the priority area of Occupational Safety and Health. (For 
ordering Healthy People 2000 see the Section Where To Obtain Additional 
Information.)

Authority

    This program is authorized under Sections 20(a) and 21(a) of the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and Section 501(a) of the 
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 669(a) and 670(a); 30 
U.S.C. 951(a)).

Smoke-Free Workplace

    PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products, and 
Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in 
certain facilities that receive Federal funds in which education, 
library, day care, health care, and early childhood development 
services are provided to children.

Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private, non-profit and 
for-profit organizations, and governments and their agencies. Thus, 
universities, colleges, research institutions, hospitals, other public 
and private organizations, State and local health departments or their 
bona fide agents, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, 
Indian tribes or Indian tribal organizations, and small, minority- and/
or women-owned businesses are eligible to apply.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $275,000 will be available in FY 1995 to fund one to 
two awards. The award(s) is expected to begin on or about September 30, 
1995, for a 12-month budget period within a project period of three to 
five years. Funding estimates may vary and are subject to change. 
Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the basis 
of satisfactory progress and the availability of funds.

Purpose

    The purpose of this occupational respiratory disease cooperative 
agreement is to assist in the development, implementation, and 
maintenance of a model program for the diagnosis, evaluation, and 
rehabilitation of individuals with occupational respiratory disease. 
This program may build on existing expertise of an institution or 
provide assistance in initiating a new program. This program will 
report and disseminate findings, as well as relevant health and safety 
education and training information, to State health officials, health-
care providers, workers, managers, unions, and employers. This program 
will include an evaluation of current standard and innovative 
interventions for early identification of occupational respiratory 
diseases which results in recommendations for, or a plan for the 
development of, new methods and techniques to improve the early 
recognition, rehabilitation and therapy of these diseases. The 
evaluation component built into each project should include carefully 
developed, realistic and appropriate evaluation tools. The evaluation 
results will be used to modify and improve ongoing program plans.
    The objectives of the occupational respiratory disease evaluation 
and rehabilitation program are as follows:
    1. To assist an institution in the development or refinement of a 
program for evaluation and rehabilitation of occupational respiratory 
disease.
    2. To provide the opportunity for an institution to evaluate the 
effectiveness of a model program for evaluation and rehabilitation of 
occupational respiratory disease.
    3. To provide a collaborative focus for occupational health 
expertise in occupational respiratory disease.
    4. Contribute to a better understanding of occupational respiratory 
diseases.
    5. Ultimately reduce the morbidity, mortality, and social and 
economic burden of occupational respiratory diseases in the United 
States.

Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient shall be responsible for conducting activities under A. 
(Recipient Activities) below, and CDC/NIOSH will be responsible for 
conducting activities under B. (CDC/NIOSH Activities) below:

A. Recipient Activities

    1. Identify a director for the program (or each program component).
    2. Develop a targeted list of occupational respiratory diseases to 
be evaluated such as (but not limited to) silicosis, coal workers' 
pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, occupational asthma, hypersensitivity 
pneumonitis, organic dust diseases, and acute toxic respiratory 
injuries
    3. Develop and conduct a model program for the early recognition, 
evaluation, diagnosis, rehabilitation, and therapy of occupational 
respiratory diseases.
    4. Report and disseminate information on the organization, 
activities, and findings of the model program, as well as relevant 
health and safety education and training information to State and 
Federal health officials, health-care providers, workers, managers, 
unions, and employers.
    5. Work with State and Federal disability compensation programs to 
identify and enroll workers who could be offered diagnosis, evaluation 
and rehabilitation of occupational respiratory diseases.
    6. Develop a protocol(s) for the evaluation and rehabilitation of 
occupational respiratory diseases. Obtain peer review of the 
protocol(s); revise and finalize, as required, for final approval; 
evaluate the effectiveness of the protocol(s). Disseminate the results 
of these efforts to other health-care institutions evaluating, 
diagnosing, and rehabilitating workers with occupational respiratory 
diseases.
    7. Develop new methods and techniques that improve the early 
recognition and rehabilitation of workers with occupational respiratory 
diseases.

B. CDC/NIOSH Activities

    1. Provide technical assistance through site visits and 
correspondence for the development and implementation of the model 
program.
    2. Provide scientific collaboration for the model program.
    3. Provide limited professional assistance during the conduct of 
the program including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses, 
epidemiologists, statisticians, industrial hygienists and laboratory 
scientists. [[Page 20496]] 
    4. Participate in peer review of the project protocol(s).
    5. Provide technical assistance in all phases of development, 
implementation, and maintenance of the cooperative agreement and 
collaborative project activities.
    6. Assist in reporting and disseminating findings as well as 
relevant health and safety education and training information to state 
health officials, health-care providers, workers, managers, unions, and 
employers.

Evaluation Criteria

    Applications will be reviewed and evaluated according to the 
following criteria:

1. The applicant's understanding of the objectives of the proposed 
initiative. (5%)
2. Proposed schedule for initiating and accomplishing the activities of 
the cooperative agreement. (10%)
3. Responsiveness of the proposal to the scope and objectives described 
in the Announcement. (25%)
4. Technical merit and originality of the program proposal. (30%)
5. Training and experience of the proposed Program Director(s) and 
staff. The Program Director(s) must be a recognized scientist and 
technical expert, and must assume and provide assurances of major time 
commitment to the program. (10%)
6. Suitability of the facilities to conduct the program. (15%)
7. Evidence of plans for creative collaboration and coordination with 
local resources which could facilitate identification, evaluation or 
rehabilitation of workers with occupational respiratory diseases, 
including establishment of working relationships with State and Federal 
disability programs. (5%)
8. Extent to which the budget is reasonable, clearly justified, and 
consistent with the use of funds. (Not Scored)

Executive Order 12372 Review

    Applications are subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs as governed by Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. E.O. 12372 sets 
up a system for State and local government review of proposed Federal 
assistance applications. Applicants (other than federally recognized 
Indian tribal governments) should contact their State Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert them to the prospective 
applications and receive any necessary instructions on the State 
process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, the 
applicant is advised to contact the SPOC for each affected State. 
Indian tribes are strongly encouraged to request tribal government 
review of the proposed application. A current list of SPOCs is included 
in the application kit.
    If SPOCs or tribal governments have any State process 
recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they should send them 
to Henry S. Cassell, III, Grants Management Officer, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Atlanta, GA 30305, no 
later than 60 days after the application deadline date. The Program 
Announcement number and Program Title should be referenced on the 
document. The granting agency does not guarantee to ``accommodate or 
explain'' State process recommendations it receives after that date.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

    This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program 
is 93.262.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Projects that involve the collection of information from 10 or more 
individuals and funded by this cooperative agreement will be subject to 
approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act.

Human Subjects

    This program involves research on human subjects; therefore, all 
applicants must comply with the Department of Health and Human Services 
Regulations, 45 CFR part 46, regarding the protection of human 
subjects. Assurance must be provided which demonstrates the project or 
activity will be subject to initial and continuing review by an 
appropriate institutional review committee.
    In addition to other applicable committees, Indian Health Service 
(IHS) institutional review committees also must review the project if 
any component of IHS will be involved or will support the research. If 
any American Indian community is involved, its tribal government must 
also approve that portion of the project applicable to it.
    The applicant will be responsible for providing assurances in 
accordance with the appropriate guidelines and forms provided in the 
application kit.

Application Submission and Deadline

    The original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB 
Number 0937- 0189) must be submitted to Henry S. Cassell III, Grants 
Management Officer, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East 
Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300, Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, on or 
before June 22, 1995.
    Deadline: Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline 
if they are either:

    (a) Received on or before the deadline date, or
    (b) Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
submission to the objective review group. (Applicants must request a 
legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated 
receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private 
metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely 
mailings.)

    2. Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria 
in 1.(a) or 1.(b) above are considered late applications. Late 
applications will not be considered in the current competition and will 
be returned to the applicant.

Where To Obtain Additional Information

    To receive additional written information call (404) 332-4561. You 
will be asked to leave your name, address, telephone number and will 
need to refer to Announcement 533.
    You will receive a complete program description, information on 
application procedures, and application forms.
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from Oppie M. Byrd, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300, Mailstop E-
13, Atlanta, GA 30305, telephone (404) 842-6546. Programmatic technical 
assistance may be obtained from John E. Parker, M.D., National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 
26505-2888, telephone (304) 285-5724.
    Please refer to Announcement Number 533 when requesting information 
and submitting an application. [[Page 20497]] 
    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) referenced in the Introduction 
through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, 
Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone (202) 512-1800.

    Dated: April 20, 1995.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 95-10197 Filed 4-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P