[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30912-30914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15375]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[Announcement 622]


Improving Effectiveness of Tuberculosis Prevention and Control 
Programs in Developing Countries

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1996 funds for a grant to provide 
education, and technical assistance to improve the quality, efficiency, 
and effectiveness of programs for the prevention and control of 
tuberculosis (TB) in the developing countries of Central America 
(Mexico) and Southeast Asia (Vietnam and the Philippines), whose TB 
situation is of strategic interest to the United States.
    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 Immunization and 
Infectious Diseases. (To order a copy of ``Healthy People 2000,'' see 
the section WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.)

Authority

    This program is authorized under Section 317E of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-6) as amended.

Smoke-Free Workplace

    CDC strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and to 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 Applicant

    Applications may be submitted by public and private, nonprofit and 
for-profit organizations and governments and their agencies. Thus, 
universities, and colleges; and research institutions, hospitals, other 
public and private organizations, State and local governments 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. Applicants must be 
able to:
    1. Demonstrate that their membership is comprised of a wide variety 
of members from governmental and non-governmental organizations, and 
individual members that can ensure the success of the activities 
specified under this program announcement;
    2. Document a membership of at least 1,000 persons, including 
members from each country whose TB situation is of strategic interest 
to the United States, i.e., Mexico, Vietnam and the Philippines; and
    3. Demonstrate experience in providing ongoing technical assistance 
and practical training for TB programs in a number of countries in the 
developing world.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $100,000 is available in FY 1996 to fund one award. 
The award is anticipated to begin on or about September 1, 1996, for a 
12-month budget period within a three-year project period. The funding 
estimate is 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 grant is to support and maintain collaborative 
relationships with organizations to provide TB education, technical 
assistance and other TB information to TB program managers and non-
governmental organizations in developing countries. By providing TB 
education, information and technical assistance, the management of TB 
control programs in developing countries will be improved and the 
global control effort will be enhanced as well as providing additional 
potential impact on the TB problem in the U.S.

Program Requirements

    1. Identify and assess the TB-related public health infrastructure, 
TB informational needs, and training needs of health care providers and 
TB control program personnel in developing countries contributing to 
the U.S. immigrant population, and especially in Mexico, Vietnam, and 
the Philippines.
    2. Facilitate the incorporation of epidemiologic principles in TB 
national prevention and control programs and expedite the dissemination 
of epidemiologic findings in order to improve these programs.
    3. Encourage collaboration between TB control programs in the 
Unites States that have a high prevalence of TB among the foreign born 
and developing countries in their TB control efforts.
    4. Identify and propose project activities in response to findings 
in 1 through 3 above. These activities may include training courses, 
support of regional and international meetings designed to improve 
information transfer on a regional or international basis, and 
epidemiologic studies that can be used to improve the diagnosis and 
treatment of TB and improve TB control in developing countries 
contributing to the U.S. immigrant population, and especially in 
Mexico, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Evaluation Criteria

    The application will be reviewed and evaluated according to the 
following criteria. (100 total points maximum)
    1. Extent to which the applicant understands the requirements, 
problems, objectives, complexities, and interactions required of this 
project (10 Points);
    2. Degree to which the proposed epidemiologic studies are realistic 
and relevant to the purpose of this project (10 Points);
    3. Degree to which the proposed programmatic plans are clearly 
stated, realistic, time phased, and related to the purpose of this 
project (20 Points);

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    4. Adequacy of the plans for administering the project. In 
addition, 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. Specifically the following items will 
be addressed (30 Points):
    a. The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and 
ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.
    b. The appropriateness of the proposed justification when 
representation is limited or absent.
    c. Whether the design of the study is adequate to measure 
differences when warranted.
    d. Whether the plans for recruitment and outreach for study 
participants include the process of establishing partnerships with 
community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.
    5. Extent to which the professional personnel involved proposed to 
be involved in this project are qualified, including evidence of past 
achievements appropriate to this project. (30 points)
    6. Other--Not scored.

Budget

    Consideration will be given to the extent to which the budget is 
reasonable, clearly justified, and consistent with the intended use of 
funds.

Human Subjects

    Procedures adequate for the protection of human subjects must be 
documented: (1) Protections appear adequate and no comments or concerns 
are raised, or (2) protections appear adequate, but comments are made 
regarding the protocol, or (3) protections appear inadequate and the 
Objective Review Group (ORG) 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 resulting in unacceptability of the entire application.

Executive Order 12372

    This program is not subject to the Executive Order 12372 review.

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 is 93.947, TB 
Demonstration, Research, Public and Professional Education Projects.

Other Requirements

    Confidentiality: Applicants must have in place systems to ensure 
the confidentiality of all patient records.
    Human Subjects: The applicant must comply with the Department of 
Health and Human Services Regulations, 45 CFR Part 46, regarding the 
protection of human subjects. Assurances must be provided to 
demonstrate that 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.
    In addition to other applicable committees, Indian Health Service 
(IHS) institutional review committees also must review the project if 
any component of the 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.
    Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities: It is the policy of the 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 populations are appropriately 
represented in applications 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. This policy does not apply to research studies when 
the investigator cannot control the race, ethnicity and/or sex of 
subjects. Further guidance to this policy is contained in the Federal 
Register, Vol. 60, No. 179, Friday, September 15, 1995, pages 47947-
47951 (a copy is included 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 Van Malone, 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 E-15, Atlanta, GA 30305, on or before July 
29, 1996.
    1. 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 committee. (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 mailing.)
    2. Late Applications: Applications that do not meet the criteria in 
1.(a) or 1.(b) 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

    Questions on application procedures and the application package, 
and business management technical assistance may be obtained from 
Juanita Dangerfield, 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-
15, Atlanta, GA 30305, telephone (404) 842-6577, fax: (404) 842-6513, 
or Internet address: [email protected].
    Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from: Harry 
Stern, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for STD, 
HIV, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC), 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E-10, Atlanta, GA 30333, 
telephone (404) 639-8120.
    Please refer to Announcement Number 622 when requesting information 
or 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 through the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone (202) 512-1800.
    Atlanta, Georgia will be the host of the 1996 Summer Olympics Games 
(July 19 through August 4, 1996). As a result of this event, it is 
likely that the Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) may experience 
delays in the receipt of

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both regular and overnight mail deliveries. Contacting PGO employees 
during this time frame may also be hindered due to the possible 
telephone disruptions.
    To the extent authorized, please consider the use of voice mail, e-
mail, and facsimile transmissions to the maximum extent practicable. 
Please do not fax lengthy documents, or grant applications.
    This announcement will be available on one of two Internet sites on 
the publication date: CDC's home page at http://www.cdc.gov, or at the 
Government Printing Office home page (including free access to the 
Federal Register) at http://www.access.gpo.gov.

    Dated: June 11, 1996.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-15375 Filed 6-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P