[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31133-31137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15568]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[Announcement 633]


Violence Prevention Programs; Notice of Availability of Funds for 
Fiscal Year 1996

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1996 funds for cooperative agreements 
for Violence Prevention Programs. These projects will develop, 
implement, and evaluate multifaceted violence prevention programs to 
reduce the incidence of injuries, disabilities, and deaths due to 
interpersonal violence among youth. The cooperative agreements which 
supported the development of scientific understanding of interventions 
and programs that are effective in preventing violence-related 
injuries, disabilities, and deaths among adolescents and young adults 
will extend and build upon the work begun in the group of cooperative 
agreements funded under CDC's Program Announcement No. 329, which began 
in FY 1993.
    CDC is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease 
prevention objectives described in ``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 Violent and 
Abusive Behavior--(For ordering a copy of ``Healthy People 2000,'' see 
the Section ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'').

Authority

    This program announcement is authorized under Sections 301, 317, 
and 391-394 (42 U.S.C. 241, 247b, and 280b-280b-3) of the Public Health 
Service Act as amended.

Smoke-Free Workplace

    CDC 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 will be accepted from public and private, non-profit 
and for-profit organizations and governments and their agencies. Thus, 
community-based organizations, other public and private organizations, 
State, territorial, and local governments or their bona fide agents, 
federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Indian tribes, or 
Indian tribal organizations, hospitals, churches, and small, minority- 
and/or women-owned businesses, universities, colleges, and other 
research institutions, are eligible to apply.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $1,600,000 is available in FY 1996 to fund up to four 
projects to develop, implement, and evaluate intervention programs 
designed to prevent violent injury in one, or some combination, of the 
two priority areas, Creating Pro-social Environments for Child 
Development and Creating Opportunity for Youth-at-risk. Awards are 
expected to range from $350,000 to $420,000 with an average award of 
$400,000 for each 12-month budget period.
    It is expected that the new awards will begin on or about September 
30, 1996. Awards will be made for a 12-month budget period within a 3-
year project period. Funding estimates may vary and are subject to 
change.
    Continuation awards within the project periods will be made on the 
basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports and the 
availability of funds. At the request of the applicant, Federal 
personnel may be assigned to a project area in lieu of a portion of the 
financial assistance.

Purpose

    The purpose of this cooperative agreement program is to support the 
implementation and evaluation of multifaceted interventions which are 
designed to prevent violence-related injuries and demonstrate strong 
potential for broad-scale implementation in the Nation's communities. 
Applicants may propose to develop, implement, and evaluate 
interventions to prevent injuries due to interpersonal youth violence 
in one, of two main areas:
    A. Creating Pro-Social Environments for Child Development--refers 
to efforts to encourage development of pro-social behavior and 
attitudes among children between 3 and 10 years of age by modifying 
institutional environments in communities exhibiting high rates of 
violent behavior (e.g., homicide rates). Numerous interventions have 
already been evaluated in schools, and, while school settings are 
appropriate, we strongly encourage applications whose proposed 
interventions occur in other settings, such as; homes, churches, 
daycare, after school programs, and other community settings, or in 
some combination of school and other settings.
    Interventions proposed in this priority area must include 
significant components in non-school settings, and must be directed 
toward strengthening parent-child relationships and pro-social family 
environments. Efforts to strengthen parent-child relationships are one 
of the most challenging, and one of the most promising areas for 
preventing the development of violent behavior among youth. In 
particular, strategies that attempt to improve training in parenting 
skills and provide support services to empower parents to monitor and 
supervise their children more effectively are of interest.
    B. Creating Opportunity for Youth-at-Risk--refers to efforts to 
create economic opportunities for youth.

[[Page 31134]]

Efforts to identify, recruit, and retain youth from high-risk 
environments and situations into programs designed to improve their 
life-choices and opportunities and reduce their risk of being victims 
or perpetrators of violence should also be incorporated. Youth in high-
risk environments include youth who are found: (1) in settings with 
limited opportunities to develop the skills needed to participate 
adequately in societal institutions, and/or (2) in environments that 
are associated with elevated risk for becoming victims or perpetrators 
of violent behavior.
    In an effort to develop economic opportunity for youth in high risk 
environments, applicants who propose interventions in this priority 
area must develop collaborative relationships with business, corporate, 
or business alliance partners that will, at a minimum, provide 
assistance in development of job training and placement components.
    Whenever possible, applicants are encouraged to utilize existing 
delivery systems rather than create new ones in order to maximize 
acceptance of the program by potential participants, increase the 
likelihood that the intervention will be continued after research has 
been completed, and expedite the evaluation.

Program Requirements

    Successful completion of the project will require a close working 
relationship between the recipient and CDC. Recipient and CDC 
activities are listed below:

A. Recipient Activities

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will:
    1. Collect, compile, and analyze information relevant to the 
proposed project.
    2. Develop a final written scientific protocol for a comprehensive 
evaluation of the specific intervention(s) through consultation with 
CDC staff. This protocol will contain the following elements:
    a. Statement of the questions to be answered (hypotheses to be 
tested);
    b. Description of the intervention to be evaluated;
    c. Data collected and analyzed to assess intervention 
implementation (monitoring), outcome (impact), and cost, including data 
used to monitor and manage the intervention;
    d. Description of data collection methods (both scientific and 
operational) for monitoring, impact assessment, and cost data;
    e. Description of how data will be maintained (i.e., in what 
databases); and,
    f. Description of statistical techniques that will be used to 
analyze the data.
    3. Obtain the necessary clearances and agreements to proceed with 
all aspects of the proposed violence prevention project. These shall 
include appropriate human subjects clearances and agreements with other 
organizations and individuals needed to complete the project.
    4. Identify or develop, and pilot test data collection instruments.
    5. Establish baseline rates for the pertinent outcomes within the 
target group.
    6. Monitor progress toward achievement of project goals through use 
of realistic, measurable, time-oriented objectives for all phases of 
the project.
    7. Implement the proposed intervention(s).
    8. Evaluate the impact of the intervention.
    9. Collect and compile monitoring and prevention effectiveness data 
in an ongoing fashion. Compile ``lessons learned'' from the project.
    10. Establish an advisory structure to address issues related to 
violence to ensure community input, and to generate community support. 
This advisory structure must include individuals, or representatives of 
agencies or organizations with experience, expertise and interest in 
preventing violence. Additionally, the advisory structure must include 
individuals who represent the target population.
    11. Develop collaborative relationships with voluntary, community-
based public and private organizations and agencies already involved in 
preventing violence.

B. CDC Activities

    As required for the proper direction of these cooperative 
agreements, CDC will:
    1. Provide technical consultation on implementing the intervention, 
determining the impact of the evaluation, and designing the scientific 
protocols.
    2. Collaborate in the design of all phases of the project, consult 
with the applicant on data collection instruments and procedures, on 
the choice and timing of the intervention, and on training needs and 
composition of the implementation team.
    3. Monitor intervention implementation, and the collection and 
analysis of process and impact assessment (outcome) data.
    4. Facilitate information sharing among DVP/NCIPC's various 
evaluation projects, and with similar projects funded by other agencies 
or private foundations.
    5. Provide up-to-date scientific information about youth violence 
prevention.
    6. Assist in the transfer of information and methods developed in 
these projects to other prevention programs.

Evaluation Criteria

    Applicants will be evaluated according to the following criteria 
(Maximum of 100 total points):

A. Target Group

    The extent to which the target group is described and access to the 
target population is demonstrated. The extent to which the target group 
has a high incidence or prevalence of the risk factors to be influenced 
by the proposed intervention and the extent to which appropriate 
demographic and morbidity data are described. The extent to which 
youth, who are the direct or indirect target group, have a high 
incidence of interpersonal violence and violence- related injuries, 
disabilities, and deaths. (13 points)
    The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a capability to 
achieve a sufficient level of participation by the target group in 
order to evaluate the intervention in an unbiased fashion.
    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. This includes:
    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.

B. Goals and Objectives

    The extent to which the proposed goals and objectives are clearly 
stated, time-phased, and measurable. The extent to which they encompass 
monitoring both process and outcome features of the intervention. The 
extent to which specific questions to be answered about the 
effectiveness and replicability of the intervention are described. (12 
points)

[[Page 31135]]

C. Intervention Description

    The extent to which the potential effectiveness of the intervention 
is theoretically justified and supported by epidemiologic, or social 
and behavioral research. The extent to which the intervention is 
feasible and can be expected to produce the expected results in the 
target group of interest. The extent to which the intervention, its 
implementation, the development of all necessary materials, and all 
necessary training are clearly described. The extent to which the 
desired outcomes (e.g., behavioral change, injury, disability, or 
death) are specified and definitions of measurable endpoints are 
provided. The extent to which the setting in which the intervention is 
to be implemented is clearly described and shown to be adequate for 
reaching the target group and achieving the desired objectives. The 
status of all necessary measurement instruments or training materials 
must be described; if any of this material is not extant, methods and 
time frames for their development must be described. Necessary 
collaborators must be identified, and evidence of their ability and 
intention to participate must be supplied. (25 points)

D. Evaluation Design and Analysis

    The extent to which the evaluation design and the data analysis 
plan are clearly described and are appropriate for the target group, 
intervention, data collection opportunities, and proposed project 
period. The extent to which the various threats to the validity of the 
evaluation are recognized and addressed. The extent to which the 
sampling methods, sample size estimates, power estimates, and attrition 
of the participating population are clarified. The extent to which data 
collection, data processing, and management activities are clearly 
described.
    The extent to which the major phases of the project are clearly 
presented and logically and realistically sequenced. (25 points)

E. Project Management and Staffing Plan

    The extent to which project management staff and their working 
partners are clearly described, appropriately assigned, and possess 
pertinent skills and experiences to conduct the project successfully to 
completion. The extent to which the applicant has arranged to involve 
appropriate researchers and other personnel who reflect the racial/
ethnic composition of the target group. The extent to which the 
applicant or a full working partner demonstrates the capacity and 
facilities to design, implement, and evaluate the proposed 
intervention. (13 points)

F. Collaboration

    The extent to which the necessary partners are clearly described 
and their qualifications and intentions to participate explicitly 
stated. The extent to which the applicant provides proof of support 
(e.g., letters of support and/or memoranda of understanding) for 
proposed activities. The extent to which a full working partnership 
between a community-based organization, a university or other academic 
institution, and a State or local health department has been 
established for applicants seeking funds for a 3-year project period. 
Evidence must be provided that these funds do not duplicate already 
funded components of ongoing projects. (12 points)

G. Proposed Budget

    The extent to which the budget request is clearly explained, 
adequately justified, reasonable, sufficient for the proposed project 
activities, and consistent with the intended use of the cooperative 
agreement funds. (Not scored)

H. Human Subjects

    If human subjects will be involved, how they will be protected, 
i.e., describe the review process which will govern their 
participation. (Not scored)

Funding Priority

    Important considerations for funding will be geographic balance, a 
representative mixture of target groups, and diversity of intervention 
strategies.
    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed funding 
priority. All comments received on or before July 19, 1996 will be 
considered before the final funding priority is established. If the 
funding priority should change as a result of any comments received, a 
revised Announcement will be published in the Federal Register prior to 
the final receipt of applications.
    Written comments should be addressed to Ron S. 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., Room 300, Mailstop E-13, Atlanta, GA 30305.

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) must 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, applicants 
are advised to contact the SPOC of 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 must 
forward them to Ron S. 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., Room 300, 
Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, no later than 30 days after the 
application deadline. (The appropriation for this financial assistance 
program was received late in the fiscal year and would not allow for 
the application receipt date which would accommodate the 60-day State 
recommendation process period.) The Announcement Number and Program 
Title should be referenced on the document. The granting agency does 
not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for State process 
recommendations it receives after that date.
    Indian tribes are strongly encouraged to request tribal government 
review of the proposed application. If tribal governments have any 
tribal process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they 
should forward them to Ron S. 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., 
Room 300, Mailstop E-13, Atlanta, GA 30305. This should be done no 
later than 30 days after the application deadline date. The granting 
agency does not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for tribal 
process recommendations it receives after that date.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

    This program subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements. Under these requirements, all community-based 
nongovernmental applicants must prepare and submit the items identified 
below to the head of the appropriate State and/or local health 
agency(s) in the program area(s) that

[[Page 31136]]

may be impacted by the proposed project no later than the receipt date 
of the Federal application. The appropriate State and/or local health 
agency is determined by the applicant. The following information must 
be provided:
    A. A copy of the face page of the application.
    B. A summary of the project that should be titled Public Health 
System Impact Statement (PHSIS), not exceed one page, and include the 
following:
    1. A description of the population to be served;
    2. A summary of the services to be provided; and
    3. A description of the coordination plans with the appropriate 
State and/or local health agencies.
    If the State and/or local health official should desire a copy of 
the entire application, it may be obtained from the State Single Point 
of Contact (SPOC) or directly from the applicant.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 93.136.

Other Requirements

A. Paperwork Reduction Act

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

B. Human Subjects

    If the proposed project involves research on 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. Assurance must be provided to demonstrate that the project 
will be subject to initial and continuing review by the appropriate 
institutional review committees. 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 assurance in accordance with the appropriate guidelines and 
form provided in the application kit.

C. Confidentiality of Records

    All identifying information obtained in connection with the 
provision of services to any person in any program that is being 
carried out with a cooperative agreement made under this announcement 
shall not be disclosed unless required by a law of a State or political 
subdivision thereof unless written, voluntary informed consent is 
provided by persons who received services.

D. Women, Racial, and Ethnic Minorities

    It is the policy of CDC to ensure that individuals of both sexes 
and the various 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. In conducting review for scientific merit, review 
groups will evaluate proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and 
both sexes as part of the scientific assessment and scoring. This 
policy does not apply to research studies when the investigator cannot 
control the race, ethnicity and/or sex of subject. Further guidance to 
this policy is contained in the Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 179, 
pages 47947-47951, Friday, September 15, 1995.

E. Accounting Systems

    The services of a certified public accountant licensed by the State 
Board of Accountancy or equivalent must be retained throughout the 
budget period as a part of the recipient's staff, or as a consultant to 
the recipient's accounting personnel. These services may include the 
design, implementation, and maintenance of an accounting system that 
will record receipts and expenditures of Federal funds in accordance 
with accounting principles, Federal regulations, and terms of the 
cooperative agreement.

F. Audits

    Funds claimed for reimbursement under this cooperative agreement 
must be audited annually by an independent certified public accountant 
(separate and independent of the consultant referenced above or 
recipient's staff certified public accountant). This audit must be 
performed within 60 days after the end of the budget period, or at the 
close of an organization's fiscal year. The audit must be performed in 
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards (established by 
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA)), 
governmental auditing standards (established by the General Accounting 
Office (GAO)), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-
133.

Application Submission and Deadline

    The original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB 
Number 0937-0189) must be submitted to Joanne A. Wojcik, 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 E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, on or 
before August 13, 1996.

A. Deadlines

    Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they 
are either:
    1. Received on or before the deadline date; or
    2. Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
submission to the independent review committee. For proof of timely 
mailing, 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.

B. Late Applications

    Applications that do not meet the criteria in A.1. or A.2. above 
are considered late. 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 information call (404) 332-4561. You will be 
asked to leave your name, address and phone number and will need to 
refer to Announcement 633. You will receive a complete program 
description, information on application procedures and application 
forms. The announcement is also available through the CDC home page on 
the Internet. The address for the CDC home page is http://www.cdc.gov.
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all 
documents, business management assistance may be obtained from Joanne 
A. Wojcik, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, 
Procurement and

[[Page 31137]]

Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 E. 
Paces Ferry Road, NE., Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, telephone (404) 
842-6535, or INTERNET address [email protected].
    Programmatic assistance may be obtained from Mark S. Long, Division 
of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and 
Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford 
Highway, NE, Mailstop K60, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, telephone, (770) 
488-4224, INTERNET address, [email protected].

Please Refer to Announcement Number 633 When Requesting Information and 
Submitting an Application

    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, in order to receive more timely response to 
questions please use INTERNET/E-Mail, follow all instructions in this 
announcement and leave messages on the contact person's voice mail.
    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: June 11, 1996.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-15568 Filed 6-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P