[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 105 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27079-27082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13472]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Announcement 647]
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Centers for 
Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1996 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program with universities or university-affiliated medical centers for 
the establishment of Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury 
Research, Education, and Prevention. CDC is committed to achieving the 
health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 
2000, a 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 a copy of Healthy 
People 2000, see the Section WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.)

Authority

    This program is authorized under Sections 20(a) and 22(e)(7) of 
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 669 (a) 
and 671(e)(7)).

Smoke-Free Workplace

    CDC strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and to promote the nonuse 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

    Eligible applicants include State and private universities and 
university-affiliated, not-for-profit medical centers within the United 
States (U.S.). The restriction of eligible applicants is due to the FY 
1990 appropriations language which initiated this program and states 
that centers for agricultural occupational safety and health will be 
established at universities. Because of programmatic and regional 
differences throughout agriculture in the U.S., only one center will be 
established in any Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 
region. (Those Regions and their States are: Region I: Connecticut, 
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Region 
II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; Region 
III: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, 
and West Virginia; Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; Region V: 
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin; Region VI: 
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas; Region VII: Iowa, 
Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North 
Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming; Region IX: American Samoa, 
Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Trust Territory, Wake 
Islands, and North Mariana Island; and Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, 
and Washington.) Currently, there is a Center in DHHS Region VI, which 
includes the States of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and 
Texas. Therefore, the regional emphasis for this announcement includes 
all DHHS Regions, with the exception of Region VI.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $4,300,000 will be available in FY 1996 to fund up to 
seven additional Agricultural Centers. It is expected that the average 
award will be approximately $500,000. It is expected that the awards 
will begin on or about September 30, 1996, and will be made for 12-
month budget periods within project periods of 3 to 5 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.
    Grant applications should be focused on the research priorities 
described in the section ``FUNDING PRIORITIES'' that includes new 
research priorities developed in a process which resulted in defining a 
National Occupational Research Agenda. Grant proposals in these areas 
will compete for the available funds as noted in the previous 
paragraph, as well as for funds announced through Requests for 
Applications that are anticipated in FY 1996 and FY 1997.

Purpose

    This cooperative agreement program will significantly strengthen 
the occupational and public health infrastructure by building on past 
Agricultural Center accomplishments aimed at integrating resources for 
occupational safety and health research and public health prevention 
programs at the State and local levels. It is designed to address the 
research, education, and intervention activities that are unique to 
agriculture in the Region. To achieve this objective, the program will 
establish Centers for agricultural disease and injury research, 
education, and prevention. The program objectives are as follows:
    1. Develop and conduct research related to the prevention of 
occupational disease and injury of agricultural workers and their 
families.
    2. Develop and implement model educational, outreach, and 
intervention programs promoting health and safety for agricultural 
workers and their families.
    3. Develop and evaluate control technologies to prevent illness and 
injuries among agricultural workers and their families.
    4. Develop and implement model programs for the prevention of 
illness and injury among agricultural workers and their families.
    5. Evaluate agricultural injury and disease prevention and 
educational materials and programs implemented by the Center.
    6. Provide consultation and/or training to researchers, health and 
safety professionals, graduate/professional students, and agricultural 
extension agents and others in a position to improve the health and 
safety of agricultural workers.
    7. Develop linkages and communication with other governmental and 
non-governmental bodies involved in agricultural health and safety with 
special emphasis on communications with other CDC/NIOSH sponsored 
agricultural health and safety programs.

[[Page 27080]]

Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will 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. Develop and conduct research related to the prevention of 
occupational disease and injury of agricultural workers and their 
families. An emphasis should be placed on multi-disciplinary research 
efforts and on the development and evaluation of control technologies. 
Emphasis should also be given to populations not well represented in 
the current research such as hired farm laborers, migrant/seasonal 
workers, women and children.
    2. Develop a research protocol(s) for the Center for agricultural 
disease and injury research, education, and prevention. Consult with 
regional stakeholders (e.g. agricultural organizations, advisory 
groups, and workers and other interested parties) as appropriate in the 
development of a program of research. Obtain peer review of the 
protocol and revise and finalize it as required for final approval by 
CDC/NIOSH.
    3. Develop and implement model educational, outreach, and 
intervention programs promoting health and safety for agricultural 
workers and their families. These should include bilingual materials 
and multi-media presentations as appropriate to reach the target 
agricultural populations within the Regions. Emphasis should be given 
to reaching underserved agricultural populations such as hired farm 
laborers, migrant/seasonal workers, women and children.
    4. Develop and implement model programs for the prevention of 
illness and injury among agricultural workers and their families. 
Additional emphasis should be placed on the development of control 
technology interventions suited to the agricultural workplace.
    5. Provide assistance and direction to community-based groups in 
the region (e.g. Farm youth or adult associations, extension services, 
schools, local government groups, migrant worker groups, medical 
clinics or treatment centers, worker associations, etc. ) for the 
development and implementation of community projects including 
intervention research and prevention demonstration projects for 
preventing work related injuries and illness among farm workers and 
their families.
    6. Develop linkages and communication with other governmental and 
nongovernmental bodies involved in agricultural health and safety with 
special emphasis on communications with other CDC/NIOSH-sponsored 
agricultural health and safety programs, some of which will be 
identified by CDC/NIOSH. Where appropriate, collaborate with CDC/NIOSH 
scientists on complementary research areas.
    7. Assist in reporting and disseminating research results and 
relevant health and safety education and training information to 
appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, health care providers, 
the scientific community, agricultural workers and their families, 
management and union or other worker representatives, and other CDC/
NIOSH Centers for agricultural disease and injury research, education, 
and prevention, some of which will be identified by CDC/NIOSH. Emphasis 
should be placed on the rapid dissemination of significant public 
health findings and the translation of research findings into 
prevention efforts.
    8. In collaboration with other CDC/NIOSH Agricultural Centers, 
develop and utilize a uniform evaluation scheme for Agricultural Center 
research, education/training, and outreach/intervention 
activities.1
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    \1\ A Framework for Assessing the Effectiveness of Disease and 
Injury Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 27, 
1992/Vol.41/Jn. The MMWR can be accessed through CDC's DocView, 
World-Wide Web (http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/mmwr.html).
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B. CDC/NIOSH Activities

    1. Provide technical assistance through site visits and 
correspondence in the areas of program development, implementation, 
maintenance, and priority setting related to the cooperative agreement.
    2. Provide scientific collaboration where needed.
    3. Assist in the reporting and dissemination of research results 
and relevant health and safety education and training information to 
appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, health-care providers, 
the scientific community, agricultural workers and their families, 
management and union representatives, and other CDC/NIOSH Centers for 
agricultural disease and injury research, education, and prevention. 
Emphasis should be placed on the rapid dissemination of significant 
public health findings and the translation of research findings into 
prevention efforts.

Evaluation Criteria

    Applications will be reviewed and evaluated according to the 
following criteria:
    1. Responsiveness to the objectives of the cooperative agreement 
program, including the applicant's understanding of the objectives of 
the proposed cooperative agreement and the relevance of the proposal to 
the objectives. (20%)
    2. Feasibility of meeting the proposed goals of the cooperative 
agreement program including the proposed schedule for initiating and 
accomplishing each of the activities of the cooperative agreement and 
the proposed method for evaluating the accomplishments. (20%)
    3. Strength of the program design in addressing the distinct 
characteristics, specific populations, and needs in agricultural 
research and education for the region. (20%)
    The degree to which the applicant has met the CDC policy 
requirements regarding the inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial 
groups in the proposed research. This includes:
    a. The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and 
ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.
    b. The proposed justification when representation is limited or 
absent.
    c. A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate to 
measure differences when warranted.
    d. A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and outreach 
for study participants include the process of establishing partnerships 
with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits will be 
documented.
    4. Training and experience of proposed Program Director, staff, and 
organization. This includes: (a) a Program Director who is a 
distinguished scientist and technical expert and staff with training or 
experience sufficient to accomplish proposed program, and (b) a 
director, staff, and organization with proven accomplishments in the 
field of agricultural safety and health and the infrastructure 
necessary to access the agricultural populations in the regions served 
by the Agricultural Center. (20%)
    5. Strength of the proposed program for agricultural safety and 
health in the areas of prevention, research, education, and multi-
disciplinary approach. (10%)
    6. Efficiency of resources and novelty of program. This includes 
the efficient use of existing and proposed personnel with assurances of 
a major time commitment of the Project Director to the program and the 
novelty of program approach. (5%)

[[Page 27081]]

    7. The strength of program plans for development and implementation 
of a uniform evaluation scheme for Agricultural Center research, 
education/training, and outreach/intervention activities. (5%)
    8. Human Subjects (Not Scored)
    Whether or not exempt from the DHHS regulations, are procedures 
adequate for protection of human subjects. Recommendations on the 
adequacy of protections include: (1) protections appear adequate, and 
there are no comments to make or concerns to raise, (2) protections 
appear adequate, but there are comments regarding the protocol, (3) 
protections appear inadequate and the Objective Review Group has 
concerns related to human subjects, or (4) disapproval of the 
application is recommended because the research risks are sufficiently 
serious and protection against the risks are inadequate as to make the 
entire application unacceptable.
    9. Budget Justification (Not Scored)
    The budget will be evaluated to the extent that it is reasonable, 
clearly justified, and consistent with the intended use of funds.

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 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. A 
current list of SPOCs is included in the application kit.
    If SPOCs have any State process recommendations on applications 
submitted to CDC, they should be sent to Ron Van Duyne, 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 Number

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

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

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

Human Subjects

    If the proposed project involves research on human subjects, the 
applicant must comply with the DHHS Regulations, 45 CFR Part 46, 
regarding the protection of human subjects. Assurance must be provided 
to demonstrate the project will be subject to initial and continuing 
review by an appropriate institutional review committee. The applicant 
will be responsible for providing assurance in accordance with the 
appropriate guidelines and form provided in the application kit.

Women and Minority Inclusion Policy

    It is the policy of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) to ensure that women and racial and ethnic groups will be 
included in CDC supported research projects involving human subjects, 
whenever feasible and appropriate. Racial and ethnic groups are those 
defined in OMB Directive No. 15 and include American Indian, Alaskan 
Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black and Hispanic. Applicants shall 
ensure that women, racial and ethnic minority population are 
appropriately represented for research involving human subjects. Where 
clear and compelling rationale exist that inclusion is inappropriate or 
not feasible, this situation must be explained as part of the 
application. In conducting the review of applications for scientific 
merit, review groups will evaluate proposed plans for inclusion of 
minorities and both sexes as part of the scientific assessment and 
assigned score. This policy does not apply to research studies when the 
investigator cannot control the race, ethnicity and/or sex of subjects. 
Further guidance on this policy is contained in the Federal Register, 
Vol. 60, No. 179, Friday, September 15, 1995, pages 47947-47951.

Funding Priorities

    The NIOSH program priorities, listed below, are applicable to all 
of the above types of grants listed under the section ``MECHANISMS OF 
SUPPORT''. These priority areas were developed by NIOSH and its 
partners in the public and private sectors to provide a framework to 
guide occupational safety and health research in the next decade--not 
only for NIOSH but also for the entire occupational safety and health 
community. Approximately 500 organizations and individuals outside 
NIOSH provided input into the development of the National Occupational 
Research Agenda (NORA). This attempt to guide and coordinate research 
nationally is responsive to a broadly perceived need to address 
systematically those topics that are most pressing and most likely to 
yield gains to the worker and the nation. Fiscal constraints on 
occupational safety and health research are increasing, making even 
more compelling the need for a coordinated and focused research agenda. 
NIOSH intends to support projects that facilitate progress in 
understanding and preventing adverse effects among workers. The 
conditions or examples listed under each category are selected 
examples, not comprehensive definitions of the category. Investigators 
may also apply in other areas related to occupational safety and 
health, but the rationale for the significance of the research to the 
field of occupational safety and health must be presented in the grant 
application.
    The Agenda identifies 21 research priorities. These priorities 
reflect a remarkable degree of concurrence among a large number of 
stakeholders. The NORA priority research areas are grouped into three 
categories: Disease and Injury, Work Environment and Workforce, and 
Research Tools and Approaches. The NORA document is available through 
the NIOSH Home Page; http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora.html.

NORA Priority Research Areas

Disease and Injury
Allergic and Irritant Dermatitis
Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Fertility and Pregnancy Abnormalities
Hearing Loss
Infectious Diseases
Low Back Disorders
Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremities

[[Page 27082]]

Traumatic Injuries
Work Environment and Workforce
Emerging Technologies
Indoor Environment
Mixed Exposures
Organization of Work
Special Populations at Risk
Research Tools and Approaches
Cancer Research Methods
Control Technology and Personal Protective Equipment
Exposure Assessment Methods
Health Services Research
Intervention Effectiveness Research
Risk Assessment Methods
Social and Economic Consequences of Workplace Illness and Injury
Surveillance Research Methods

Application Submission and Deadline

    The original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 
(Revised 7/92, OMB Number 0937-0189) must be submitted to Ron Van 
Duyne, Grants Management Officer, Grants Management Branch, Procurement 
and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
Mailstop E-13, 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300, Atlanta, GA 
30305, on or before July 10, 1996.
    1. Deadline: Applications will 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. (The applicants must request 
a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated 
receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private 
metered postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
    2. Late Applications: Applications that 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 applicants.

Where To Obtain Additional Information

    To receive additional written information call (404) 332-4561. You 
will be asked to leave your name, address, and telephone number and 
will need to refer to Announcement 647. You will receive a complete 
program description and 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 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, Internet: 
[email protected], fax (404) 842-6513.
    Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from Greg 
Kullman, Ph.D., Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 
26505-2888, telephone (304) 285-5711, Internet: 
[email protected], fax (304) 285-5796.
    There may be delays in mail delivery as well as difficulty in 
reaching the CDC Atlanta offices during the 1996 Summer Olympics (July 
19-August 4). Therefore, CDC suggests the following to get more timely 
responses to any questions: use Internet/email; follow all instructions 
in this announcement; and leave messages on the contact person's voice 
mail.
    Please refer to Announcement 647 when requesting information and 
submitting an application.
    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'' 
Section through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing 
Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone (202) 512-1800.

    Dated: May 22, 1996.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-13472 Filed 5-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P