[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33210-33214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15700]



[[Page 33210]]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation


Grants for Policy Research on Selected Poverty and Dependency 
Topics

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

ACTION: Request for applications to conduct policy research concerning 
low wage labor markets, parental responsibility and support, child 
development outcomes, and adolescent pregnancy.

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SUMMARY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 
announces the availability of funds and invites applications for short-
term policy research projects with emphasis on four priority areas.

CLOSING DATE: The closing date for submitting applications under this 
announcement is August 28, 1995.

FOR APPLICATION KITS OR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grants Officer, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 
Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Room 405F, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Washington, D.C. 20201, Phone 
(202) 690-8794.

Part I. Background and Purpose

A. Purpose of Grant Program

    The purpose of these grants is to stimulate interest in conducting 
policy relevant research on a broad range of topics related to poverty, 
welfare dependency, labor markets, child and youth development and 
parental responsibility. These grants are for short-term efforts which 
are designed to be completed within one year. Our intent is to sponsor 
research efforts and not to fund the provision of services. While 
research may be conducted in service settings, proposals of this nature 
will be carefully scrutinized to assure that these funds are not used 
for other purposes, no matter how worthwhile. Within the context of 
this announcement, the term ``parent'' and ``family'' should be 
understood to include both mothers and fathers whether living together 
or apart.

B. Eligible Applicants and Funding

    Pursuant to section 1110 of the Social Security Act, any public and 
private nonprofit organizations including universities and other 
institutions of higher education may apply. Applications may also be 
submitted by private for-profit organizations. However, no grant funds 
may be paid as profit, i.e., any amount in excess of allowable direct 
and indirect costs of the recipient (45 CFR 74.705). As a result of 
this competition between 10 and 15 awards are expected to be made from 
funds appropriated for fiscal years 1995 and another five awards with 
funds for 1996 provided funds are available. Awards will be limited to 
one year of support. The average award is expected to be approximately 
$75,000.

Part II. Topics of Priority Interest

A. Research on Low-wage Labor Markets, Employment and Training Programs

    The employment problems of families receiving welfare encompass 
fundamental questions which are at the heart of the current debate 
regarding the direction of welfare reform. Whether these problems 
primarily reflect problems on the demand or the supply sides of the 
labor market frequently drives disagreements over interpretation of 
evidence and policy prescriptions. Some commentators emphasize that the 
structural changes in the economy have left those with poor skills, 
health, and transportation with few available jobs. Others would argue 
that low-wage jobs are readily available, and that what is lacking is 
willingness to search for and accept jobs at these wages. This view 
would hold that the existence of welfare payments is a decisive 
disincentive to work.
    Recent shifts in employment away from traditional industrial 
sectors, such as manufacturing, from occupations requiring less skill 
and education, and from inner-city areas have allegedly resulted in a 
``mismatch'' between the required skills and/or geographic locations of 
employers, on the one hand, and the skills and residential locations of 
many AFDC recipients, on the other.
    For families receiving AFDC, these mismatches caused by demand 
shifts may be particularly severe, due to their greater relative 
concentrations in sectors or areas that are declining (such as jobs 
requiring less education or located in the inner-cities), their greater 
dependence on particular industries (like manufacturing) for obtaining 
better wages, or their greater difficulty in relocating to other 
sectors or areas in response to demand shifts (due to discrimination or 
higher skill requirements in the growing sectors).
    In addition, the prospective policy of time-limited benefits under 
the proposed welfare reform raises many questions about the operation 
of the labor markets for current recipients of AFDC.
    The result is a broad array of issues that can be explored in 
support of reducing poverty, assuring economic security, and 
encouraging self-reliance. Researchers are encouraged to submit their 
own ideas for potential topics. The topics listed below are given only 
for purposes of illustration:
    The low wage labor market, particularly for women, is characterized 
by intermittent periods of being out of the labor force and, if in the 
labor forced, in and out of employment.
     What are the influences of welfare and unemployment 
insurance systems on keeping low skilled women with children out of 
poverty?
     What policy changes might make these systems a better 
safety net for these woman given the operation of the labor market? 
What effect might these policy changes have on the poverty rate of 
children?
     To what extent does low wage work reduce poverty or 
welfare receipt?
     What is the link between the training that welfare 
recipients are offered and the types of jobs that are available? Are 
welfare recipients being trained for jobs that are realistically 
available to them?
     Do entrants into low wage jobs have an opportunity to 
advance? What are the determinants of workers' success once they enter 
the low wage labor market?
     What types of training are most successful in preparing 
welfare recipients for jobs and in job retention?
     What is the experience with subsidized work strategies of 
the past? What steps are critical to the creation of subsidized jobs 
for welfare recipients? How much can be done by the private sector? 
What can be done by nonprofits? When are subsidized jobs most likely to 
lead to long term unsubsidized employment?
     What are the implications for an increase in the minimum 
wage for welfare recipients?
     What are the experiences of low skilled/educated men and 
how do they compare with that of women?
     What are the relationships between unemployment, low wages 
and family formation/dissolution?
    Technical questions concerning this topic should be directed to 
Audrey Mirsky at 202-401-6640.
B. Research on Parental Responsibility and Support

    Child support is a critical component for ensuring economic 
stability for millions of single-parent families. While many single 
parents can and do raise their children on their own, the financial 
burden of serving as the family's sole provider puts children at risk 
of living in poverty. The present child support system too often 
functions [[Page 33211]] poorly and fails to ensure that support for 
children comes from both parents. But parental responsibility is not 
limited to the payment of support. Non-custodial parents can also make 
other important contributions to their children's well-being.
    There are a large number of issues that impinge upon the ability 
and willingness of non-custodial parents to assume responsibility for 
their children's well-being. Researchers are encouraged to submit their 
own ideas for potential topics. The topics listed below are given only 
for purposes of illustration.
    In-Hospital Paternity--All states are now required to have 
paternity programs in every hospital that provides birthing services. 
Reports indicate that the rates of paternity establishment vary widely 
among hospitals within and across states. Many parents remain unwilling 
to take advantage of the opportunity to establish paternity 
voluntarily. What are the concerns of mothers and fathers at the 
hospital? What strategies and outreach activities promote positive 
paternity establishment outcomes?
    Medical Support Awards--What is the potential for medical support 
awards, especially for welfare dependent and other low-income children? 
Do low-income non-custodial fathers have access to family coverage? Do 
medical support awards result in custodial families having less cash 
support? Are there better alternatives for assuring health care 
coverage, especially in interstate cases (for example Medicaid buy-ins, 
making the custodial parent the primary insurer)?
    Informal Child Support--Relatively little is known about informal 
child support payments. What kinds of support are contributed? How much 
is contributed? How reliable are these contributions? How do these 
contributions compare to formal child support obligations? Do payments 
and other contributions typically end if the relationship sours or 
ends? Are payments more reliable when the contributor is sure the money 
is going to the family, rather than to reimburse the government? What 
factors influence the provisions of informal support and the decision 
not to pursue formal support payments?
    Nurturing/Parenting in Separated Households--The issues of 
nurturing and parenting when the parents do not live together are very 
complex. Much of what is known comes from our assessment of co-
parenting failures: non-custodial fathers (and mothers) who just 
disappear; parents who feel they are being denied access to their 
children; parents who have to be taught what it means to be a 
responsible parent. Interventions to fix these problems are being tried 
and some are being evaluated. We know very little about successful co-
parenting in families where parents live apart. Who are the successful 
co-parents? How do they differ from unsuccessful co-parents? What 
factors contribute to this success? Is there a positive impact on their 
children's well-being? Can we learn anything from these successes that 
can help develop interventions when co-parenting doesn't work?
    Fathers in Prison--Some studies are beginning to show that a 
significant proportion of the fathers of AFDC children are in prison or 
have criminal records. What are the implications of this for child 
support payments and for father involvement? How does the current child 
support enforcement system handle such cases? Are there innovative 
programs that we can learn from?
    Domestic Violence and Child Support--The number of AFDC cases 
applying for and receiving good cause exemption for refusing to 
cooperate in establishing paternity and securing support has always 
been very small (less than 1% of the caseload). This rate is 
considerably lower than the estimated prevalence of domestic violence 
among low-income women. It may be that the child's father is not the 
perpetrator of the violence experienced by many of these women. 
Alternatively, this low rate may be a function of the ease with which 
AFDC applicants and recipients can avoid meeting the cooperation 
requirements. With stricter cooperation requirements, one of the likely 
outcomes of welfare reform, it is important to have a much better 
understanding of the dynamics between enforcement of support and the 
threat of physical retaliation by the child's biological father. What 
is the incidence of domestic violence among AFDC recipients? How much 
of the violence is attributable to the children's father? Can we expect 
requests for good cause exemptions to increase? Are there successful 
strategies for pursuing support and not placing families at risk?
    Technical questions concerning this topic should be directed to 
Linda Mellgren at 202-690-6806.

C. Research on Linkages Between Child Development and Changes in Family 
Economic Self-Sufficiency

    Anti-poverty policies have as their major aim the improvement of 
poor children's life circumstances and future prospects. These policies 
have generated programs designed to assist poor children and their 
families in three primary ways: (1) programs which focus on enhancing 
child development and strengthening the parent-child relationship, (2) 
programs which primarily provide economic support and emphasize job 
development for parents, and (3) comprehensive child and family 
programs which are two generational in their service intervention focus 
and address families' needs in all areas including child development 
and economic self-sufficiency. Comprehensive program approaches are 
becoming more prominent now and are built on the belief that changes 
must be supported for both children and their families and that longer 
term improvements for children will not occur unless their families 
also change and achieve greater economic self-sufficiency.
    Research has yielded some evidence as to the effectiveness of each 
of these program approaches, but the knowledge base is limited in a 
number of ways. Studies of employment and training programs have 
focused on outcomes for adults and have not usually examined impacts on 
children's development. Studies of child development programs, such as 
Head Start, have focused on child outcomes and rarely have examined 
economic of other outcomes for parents. Developmental theory suggests, 
however, that changes for children and changes for parents will be 
interrelated. Interventions which effectively promote children's well-
being and the parent-child relationship may benefit parents' 
development in ways that are related to the economic well-being of 
their families. Conversely changes in family economic well-being, 
resulting from interventions or naturally occurring events, may affect 
the course of children's development.
    There are research findings which suggest that it would be fruitful 
to develop these lines of inquiry further. Recent findings from 
experimental research by Olds and his colleagues (1994) indicate that 
low-income mothers who have participated in home visiting child 
development programs spend less time on welfare and earn more income 
two years after the intervention than low-income mothers who have not 
received such services. Findings from nonexperimental research on 
changes in income, poverty status and welfare status suggest that such 
changes have a number of consequences for children's development 
(Conger & Elder, 1994; Moore, Morrison, Zaslow, Glei, 1994). Research 
the Department is now funding on the impacts of mothers' participation 
in the Jobs Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Training 
[[Page 33212]] Program will provide new experimental evidence on the 
impacts of employment interventions on both parents and children.
    The goal of this grant area is to develop new knowledge about the 
possible linkages between intervening to support children's development 
(in childhood or adolescence) and intervening to promote families' 
economic self-sufficiency and about the conditions under which linkages 
occur or can be created. We seek knowledge which can inform policy 
formulation at national, state, and local levels and can guide the 
design of service interventions.
    Topics of interest include:
     Changes in parents' poverty or welfare dependency as a 
function of the provision of child development services (such as child 
care, after school care, and more intensive child and youth development 
programs);
     Changes in children's development as a function of changes 
in family poverty or welfare dependency;
     Variations in home environments or in child and youth 
development as a function of low-income parents' transitions from 
welfare to employment and participation in work or training programs;
     Variations in children's time use and parents' supervision 
and monitoring of children's activities as a function of AFDC parents' 
participation in work or training;
     Relationships between developing employability skills and 
developing parenting skills;
     Characteristics of low-wage jobs or employment and 
training programs which affect parents' continued participation in work 
or training because of their influence on the home environment and 
parents' ability to manage their child-rearing responsibilities; and
     Effects of participation of low-income youth in employment 
and training on family relationships and economic self-sufficiency.
    Technical questions concerning this topic should be directed to 
Martha Moorehouse at 202-690-6939.

D. Research on Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting

    Teen pregnancy and teen parenthood have raised great concerns among 
policy makers and the general public. Teen parenthood is associated 
with many negative outcomes such as welfare dependency and school 
dropout for young mothers and low birth weight and other problems for 
their children. Given the potential consequences of teen pregnancy, the 
issue has been at the center of many recent policy debates.
    While our knowledge about the factors related to teen pregnancy and 
parenthood are limited, we do have some information on trends in sexual 
activity and childbearing and have identified some possible 
antecedents. Earlier physical maturation, increasing teen sexual 
activity, and the incidence of non-consensual sexual intercourse have 
increased the risk of exposure to pregnancy among adolescents. It is 
important to recognize that teens report 84% of all pregnancies in 1990 
were unintended. The primary factors that are associated with teenage 
sexual activity and parenthood are socioeconomic disadvantage, school 
failure, behavior problems and risk-taking.
    The most recent synthesis of the literature, Beginning Too Soon: 
Adolescent Sexual Behavior Pregnancy and Parenthood by K. Moore and her 
associates (in press) identifies the different roles people, 
institutions and policies play in influencing the decisions of teen 
mothers. We are only beginning to learn the relative roles of peers, 
partners, siblings, parents, media, neighborhood influences, biological 
development and public policy and programs on the timing of first 
sexual intercourse and other decisions related to sexual activity, 
pregnancy and parenthood. More research in each of these areas is 
necessary.
    The topics listed below could fill some of the knowledge gaps we 
face, but are given only for purposes of illustration. Authors are 
encouraged to submit their own ideas for potential topics.
     What is the impact of involuntary sex on teens? Is it an 
antecedent of adolescent parenthood? What is the role of non-sexual 
child abuse?
     Do we know if vulnerable teen populations (e.g., youth 
living away from their parents, incarcerated youth, and runaway or 
homeless youth) have an increased chance of becoming teen parents?
     What impact do the media have on teens' decisions related 
to sexual activity and/or childbearing? What is the impact of the 
popular media? What is the impact of the use of media to support 
healthy decision making and activity?
     What is the role of religious institutions? What is the 
impact of religiosity in general? Does it vary across religions?
     What is known about the relationship between youths' 
participation in youth development activities and pregnancy or 
parenthood?
     What do we know about the male partners of sexually active 
teenagers? What types of interventions should target teen males? What 
interventions (if any) have targeted or could target older males? What 
is the impact of child support policies on their intention to become 
fathers?
     What is known about the impact of the presence/absence of 
significant adults on teens' decisions that lead to adolescent 
pregnancy and parenthood? What are particular elements of this factor? 
What are the roles of parents? Peers? Other caring adults?
     What impact does a teen's perception of future opportunity 
have on decisions regarding sexual activity, pregnancy and parenthood?
     What are the roles of schools as social and community 
settings for adolescent development? What do school reform intervention 
efforts tell us about the relationship between school functioning, 
students' academic success and teen pregnancy and parenthood?
     What is the role of labor market opportunities in 
decisions related to adolescent fertility?
     What do we know about how adolescents decide whether to 
place their children for adoption? Why don't more adolescents select 
adoption as the outcome of their pregnancy?
     What do we know about interventions specifically to reduce 
the number of second pregnancies or births to teens?
    Technical questions concerning this topic should be directed to 
Elisa Koff at 202-690-5932.

E. Other Topics Related to Poverty and Dependency

    In making decisions about which proposals to fund, priority 
attention will be given to projects which address concerns within the 
topical areas listed above. However, we do invite researchers to 
propose projects which are not included above, but which directly 
address the overall themes of poverty and dependence.
    ASPE also encourages applicants to propose projects that analyze 
the various service delivery approaches or intervention strategies in 
use in a field. Appropriate fields include early childhood development, 
family economic development, child welfare services, youth services, or 
other social service areas of interest to HHS.
    Such projects would describe and categorize service delivery 
approaches and intervention strategies now being used in a field and 
would explain their relationship to one another and to interventions in 
other service fields. This would create a framework for 
[[Page 33213]] policy makers to assess how newly proposed service 
interventions relate to exiting interventions and to other efforts in a 
field.
    Research evidence of impacts on children or families is one basis 
policy makers use to assess what an intervention has to offer. Yet, 
other issues are also important. What underlying theories of human 
development, behavior and change are implicit in the strategy? How does 
the intervention relate to the unmet needs of the potential clientele? 
What resources are required for the intervention? What is the fit 
between the intervention and existing programs and service systems? How 
are the duration and intensity of the intervention related to the 
observed effects? What are the advantages or disadvantages over 
alternative approaches?
    For example, in the field of infant and toddler services, we do not 
fully understand when and where different models of service are best 
applied. A range of new approaches is being tried, including Parents as 
Teachers, the Infant Health and Development Demonstration, Home 
Visiting Demonstrations, and Hawaii's Healthy Start program. The new 
Early Head Start initiative also will introduce services for infants 
and toddlers and their families. What factors are important for policy 
makers to consider in deciding when and where these or other models can 
best be used?
    We invite researchers to propose to create a ``map'' of a field of 
child or family services that will serve as a framework for answering 
such questions.
    Technical questions concerning this topic should be directed to 
Richard Silva at 202-401-6660.

Part III. Application Preparation and Evaluation Criteria

    This part contains information on the preparation of an application 
for submission under this announcement, the forms necessary for 
submission and the evaluation criteria under which the applications 
will be reviewed. Potential applicants should read this part carefully 
in conjunction with the information provided in Part II.
    Application Forms. See section entitled ``Components of a Complete 
Application.'' All of these documents must accompany the application 
package.
    Length of Application. Applications should be as brief and concise 
as possible, but assure communication of the applicant's proposal to 
the reviewers. In no case shall the project narrative exceed 30 double 
spaced pages exclusive of appropriate attachments. Only relevant 
attachments should be included, for example, resumes of key personnel. 
Videotapes, brochures, and other promotional materials will be 
discarded and not reviewed. Project narratives should be formatted with 
1 inch margins, double spaced lines, 12 point type, with consecutively 
numbered pages.
    Applications should be assembled as follows:
    1. Abstract: Provide a one-page summary of the proposed project. 
The abstract should clearly identify which priority topic listed in 
Part II above the application intends to address.
    2. Goals. Objectives, and Usefulness of Project: Include an 
overview which describes the need for the proposed project; indicates 
the background and policy significance of the issue area(s) to be 
researched; outlines the specific quantitative and qualitative 
questions to be investigated; and describes how the proposed project 
will advance scientific knowledge and policy development.
    3. Methodology and Design: Provide a description and justification 
of how the proposed research project will be implemented, including 
methodologies, approach to be taken, data sources to be used, and 
proposed research and analytic plans. Identify any theoretical or 
empirical basis for the methodology and approach proposed. In addition, 
provide evidence of access to data set(s) proposed to be studied.
    4. Experience of Personnel/Organizational Capacity: Briefly 
describe the applicant's organizational capabilities and experience in 
conducting pertinent research projects. Identify the key staff who are 
expected to carry out the research project and provide a curriculum 
vitae for each person. Provide a discussion of how key staff will 
contribute to the success of the project.
    5. Work Plan: A work plan should be included which describes the 
start and end dates of the project, the responsibilities of each of the 
key staff, and a time line which shows the sequence of tasks necessary 
for the completion of the project. Identify the other time commitments 
of key staff members, for example, their teaching or managerial 
responsibilities as well as other projects that they are involved in. 
The Work plan should include a discussion of any plans for 
dissemination of the results of the study, e.g., articles in journals 
and presentations at conferences.
    6. Budget: Submit a request for Federal funds using Standard Form 
424A and provide a proposed budget using the categories listed on this 
form. A narrative explanation of the budget should be included which 
explains in more detail what the funds will be used for. If other 
sources of funds are being received to support aspects of this 
research, the source, amount, and other relevant details must be 
included.
    Review Process and Funding information. Applications will be 
initially screened for compliance with the timeliness and completeness 
requirements. Three (3) copies of each application are required. 
Applicants are encouraged to send an additional three (3) copies of 
their application to ease processing, but applicants will not be 
penalized if these extra copies are not included. If judged in 
compliance, the application then will be reviewed by government 
personnel, augmented by outside experts where appropriate.
    The panel will review the applications using the evaluation 
criteria listed below to score each application. These review results 
will be the primary element used by the ASPE in making funding 
decisions.
    HHS reserves the option to discuss applications with other Federal 
agencies, Central or Regional Office staff, specialists, experts, 
States and the general public. Comments from these sources, along with 
those of the reviewers, may be considered in making an award decision.
    As a result of this competition, between 10 and 15 awards are 
expected to be made from funds appropriated for fiscal years 1995, and 
an additional five awards may be made with funds for fiscal year 1996 
within the limits of the available funding. Awards will be limited to 
one year of support. The average award is expected to be approximately 
$75,000.
    Deadline for Submission of Applications. The closing date for 
submission of applications under this announcement is August 28, 1995. 
An application will be considered as meeting the deadline if it is 
either: (1) received at, or hand-delivered to, the mailing address on 
or before August 28, 1995, or (2) postmarked before midnight five days 
prior to August 28, 1995 and received in time to be considered during 
the competitive review process (within two weeks of the deadline date). 
Applications will not be accepted which are transmitted by fax.
    When mailing application packages, applicants are strongly advised 
to obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier (such as 
UPS, Federal Express, etc.), or from the U.S. Postal Service as proof 
of mailing by the deadline date. If there is a question as to when an 
application was mailed, [[Page 33214]] applicants will be asked to 
provide proof of mailing by the deadline date. When proof is not 
provided, an application will not be considered for funding. Private 
metered postmarks are not acceptable as proof of timely mailing.
    Hand-delivered applications will be accepted Monday through Friday 
prior to and on August 28, 1995 during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m. in the lobby of the Hubert H. Humphrey building located at 200 
Independence Avenue, SW., in Washington, D.C. when hand delivering an 
application, call 690-8794 from the lobby for pickup. A staff person 
will be available to receive applications. Applications which do not 
meet the August 28, 1995 deadline will not be considered or reviewed. 
HHS will send a letter to this effect to each late applicant.
    HHS reserves the right to extend the deadline for all applications 
if there is widespread disruption of the mail because of extreme 
weather conditions or natural disasters or if HHS determines an 
extension to be in the best interest of the Government. However, HHS 
will not waive or extend the deadline for any applicant unless the 
deadline is waived or extended for all applicants.

Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

    Selection of the successful applicants will be based on the 
technical criteria laid out in this announcement. Reviewers will 
determine the strengths and weaknesses of each application in terms of 
the evaluation criteria listed below, provide comments and assign 
numerical scores. The review panel will prepare a summary of all 
applicant scores, strengths, weaknesses and recommendations.
    The point value following each criterion heading indicates the 
maximum numerical weight that each section will be given in the review 
process. An unacceptable rating on any individual criterion may render 
the application unacceptable. Consequently, applicants should take care 
to ensure that all criteria are fully addressed in the applications. 
Applications will be reviewed as follows:

Evaluation Criteria

    1. Goals, Objectives, and Potential Usefulness of the Analyses. (25 
points). The potential usefulness of the objectives and how the 
anticipated results of the proposed project will advance scientific 
knowledge and policy development.
    2. Methodology and Design. (35 points). The appropriateness, 
soundness, and cost-effectiveness of the methodology, including the 
research design, statistical techniques, analytical strategies, the 
selection of existing data sets, and other procedures.
    3. Qualifications of Personnel and Organizational Capability. (25 
points). The qualifications of the project personnel for conducting the 
proposed research as evidenced by professional training and experience, 
and the capacity of the organization to provide the infrastructure and 
support necessary for the project.
    4. Work Plan and Budget. (15 points). Is the plan reasonable? Are 
the activities sufficiently detailed to ensure successful, timely 
implementation? Do they demonstrate an adequate level of understanding 
by the applicant of the practical problems of conducting such a 
project? Is the proposed budget reasonable and sufficient to ensure 
completion of the study?

Disposition of Applications

    1. Approval, disapproval, or deferral. On the basis of the review 
of an application, the ASPE will either (a) approve the application in 
whole, as revised, or in part for an amount of funds and subject to 
such conditions as are deemed necessary or desirable for the research 
project; or (b) disapprove the application; or defer action on the 
application for such reasons as a lack of funds or a need for further 
review.
    2. Notification of disposition. The ASPE will notify the applicants 
of the disposition of their application. A signed notification of the 
award will be issued to notify the applicant of the approved 
application.
    3. The Assistant Secretary's Discretion. Nothing in this 
announcement should be construed as to obligate the Assistant Secretary 
for Planning and Evaluation to make any awards whatsoever. Awards and 
the distribution of awards among the priority areas are contingent on 
the needs of the Department at any point in time and the quality of the 
applications which are received.
    Components of a Complete Application. A complete application 
consists of the following items in this order:
    1. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424, Revised 
4-88);
    2. Budget Information--Non-construction Programs (Standard Form 
424A, Revised 4-88);
    3. Assurances--Non-construction Programs (Standard Form 424B, 
Revised 4-88);
    4. A table of Contents;
    5. Budget Justification for Section B--Budget Categories;
    6. Proof of nonprofit status, if appropriate;
    7. A copy of the applicant's approved indirect cost rate agreement 
if necessary;
    8. Project Narrative Statement, organized in five sections 
addressing the following topics:
    (a) Abstract,
    (b) Goals, Objectives and Usefulness of the Project,
    (c) Methodology and design,
    (d) Background of the Personnel and Organizational Capabilities and
    (e) Work plan (timetable);
    9. Any appendices/attachments;
    10. Certification Regarding Drug-Free Work place;
    11. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other 
Responsibility Matters;
    12. Certification and, if necessary, Disclosure Regarding Lobbying;
    Reports. The grantee must submit quarterly progress reports and a 
final report. The specific format and content for these reports will be 
provided by the project officer.
    State Single Point of Contact (E.O. No. 12372). The Department of 
Health and Human Services has determined that this program is not 
subject to Executive Order No. 12372, Intergovernmental Review of 
Federal Programs, because it is a program that is national in scope and 
does not directly affect State and local governments. Applicants are 
not required to seek intergovernmental review of their applications 
within the constraints of E.O. No. 12372.

    Dated: June 21, 1995.
David T. Ellwood,
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 95-15700 Filed 6-26-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4151-04-M