[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 221 (Thursday, November 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58415-58417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29141]



[[Page 58415]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Announcement 709]


Community Education and Training To Address Environmental Health 
Research Near Department of Energy Nuclear Weapons Facilities

Introduction

    Announcement 709 supersedes Announcement 656 which was published in 
the Federal Register on July 10, 1996 [61 FR 36380].
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of funds in fiscal year (FY) 1997 for a cooperative 
agreement program to develop community education and training for 
environmental health research near Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear 
weapons facilities. 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 
Environmental Health. (For ordering a copy of ``Healthy People 2000,'' 
see the section ``Where To Obtain Additional Information.'')

Authority

    This program is authorized under section 317 [42 U.S.C. 247b] 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 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

    Applications may be submitted by public and private nonprofit 
organizations and State governments and their agencies.

    Note: Eligible applicants may enter into contractual agreements, 
as necessary, to meet the requirements of the program and to 
strengthen the overall application. The intent to use such 
mechanisms must be stated in the application and the nature and 
scope of work of these mechanisms require the approval of CDC. 
Awardee(s) must maintain the primary responsibility for conduct of 
the cooperative agreement. The awardee, as the direct and primary 
recipient of Federal funds, must perform a substantive role in 
carrying out project activities and not merely serve as a conduit 
for an award to another party or provide funds to an ineligible 
party. Applicants must justify the need to use a contractor. If 
contractors are proposed, the following must be provided: (1) Name 
of the contractor, (2) method of selection, (3) period of 
performance, (4) detailed budget, (5) justification for use of 
contractor, and (6) assurance of non-conflict of interest.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $300,000 will be available in FY 1997 (for both 
direct and indirect costs) to fund approximately one or more awards. 
The amount of each award will be dependent upon the number of awards 
made. It is expected that the awards will begin on or about March 5, 
1997, for a 12-month budget period within a project period of up to 3 
years. Funding estimates may vary and are subject to change.
    Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the 
basis of the following criteria:
    1. Satisfactory progress in meeting program objectives.
    2. Extent to which the continuation year objectives are realistic, 
specific, and measurable.
    3. Extent to which proposed changes in program objectives, methods 
of operation, staff or contractor(s), or evaluation procedures will 
facilitate achievement of project goals.
    4. Extent to which budget changes or requests are clearly justified 
and consistent with the intended use of cooperative agreement funds.
    5. The availability of funds.

Purpose

    The purpose of this program is to support a health education effort 
for communities in proximity to DOE nuclear weapons facilities sites to 
increase understanding of environmental health research. A key focus is 
to increase community understanding of issues associated with potential 
health effects of radionuclide and chemical exposures from releases 
from DOE nuclear weapons facilities near the community. Another key 
focus will be to address community understanding of environmental 
health research related to past operations of nuclear weapons 
facilities. CDC is presently conducting dose reconstruction and health 
studies in communities. Increasingly, communities desire educational 
and health communication activities that address their need to 
understand the conduct of studies and interpretation of results.
    CDC is aware of the need for information and community education 
near all nuclear weapons facility sites and may consider expanding this 
program in the future to include additional sites. However, award 
priority will be given to approved applications that focus on the 
following sites where CDC studies are in place (only one award will be 
made per site): (1) Fernald, Ohio; (2) Hanford Nuclear Reservation, 
Washington; (3) Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho; (4) 
Lawrence Livermore, California; (5) Los Alamos, New Mexico; and (6) 
Savannah River Site, Georgia/South Carolina.

Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient shall be responsible for the activities under A., below, 
and CDC shall be responsible for conducting activities under B., below:

A. Recipient Activities

    1. Develop and implement a pilot health education program on 
potential health effects of radionuclide and chemical exposures in 
communities near DOE nuclear weapons facility. The education program 
should include information that promotes a basic understanding of the 
scientific methods used to estimate these exposures and conduct health 
studies, and, at a minimum, the following:
    a. Development of an educational plan to address identified 
community needs.
    b. Development and dissemination of educational materials such as 
brochures, fact sheets, and posters.
    c. Involvement of and outreach to diverse communities, including 
the youth of communities.
    d. Communication of the concepts depicted in the educational 
materials to the targeted community through workshops.
    2. Develop and implement a parallel evaluation program focusing on 
the effectiveness of every aspect of the education program in the 
community in the vicinity of the DOE site.
    3. Develop a guidebook, to be used by members of the community 
during the community education process, and during education efforts 
for the DOE site.
    4. As a follow-up to the education process, identify the types of 
education materials/information, either generic or specific to the DOE 
site, that were unavailable and still need to be developed.
    5. Meet with representatives of other education/community outreach 
project representatives at least once a year.

[[Page 58416]]

These meetings will be coordinated by CDC.
    6. Develop protocol for a community education and training program 
cooperatively with CDC.
    7. Collaborate with CDC on the use of distance-based learning 
methods for community health education.

B. CDC Activities

    1. Provide scientific assistance needed to produce the educational 
materials to educate the community members.
    2. Provide technical assistance in regard to assessment and 
evaluation activities, the use of distance-based learning methods, and 
other activities associated with the project.
    3. Coordinate annual meetings with recipients and representatives 
of other education/community outreach projects.
    4. Develop protocol for a community education and training program 
cooperatively with recipients.
    5. Provide information regarding CDC environmental health research 
projects.
    6. Collaborate with recipients on the use of distance-based 
learning methods for community health education.

Evaluation Criteria

    The application will be reviewed and evaluated according to the 
following criteria:
    1. The extent to which the applicant's proposal addresses: (a) A 
plan for developing a health education program for diverse communities, 
including the youth of these communities; (b) a plan for providing 
information support and liaison services to other State, local, and 
tribal health organizations on radiation-related health studies and; 
(c) plans and methods by which collaboration with other agencies will 
take place. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a cultural 
competency for the proposed site of the education and training. (35%)
    2. The qualifications and commitment of the applicant; allocations 
of time and effort of staff devoted to the project; and the 
qualifications of the primary and support staff. (35%)
    3. The applicant's ability to collaborate with other agencies for 
conduct of the project, including the degree of commitment and 
cooperation of collaborating parties. (30%)
    4. The proposed budget on the basis of its reasonableness, concise 
and clear justification, and consistency with the intended use of 
cooperative agreement funds. The application will also be reviewed as 
to the adequacy of existing and proposed facilities and resources for 
conducting project activities. (Not Scored)

Executive Order 12372 Review

    Applications are subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs as governed by Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. E.O. 12372 sets 
up a system for State and local government review of proposed Federal 
assistance applications. Applicants 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 send them 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., 
Room 300, Mailstop E-13, Atlanta, GA 30305, no later than 60 days after 
the application deadline. The Announcement Number and Program Title 
should be referenced on the document. The granting agency does not 
guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' the State process 
recommendations it receives after that date.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

    This program is 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 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 (SF424).
    B. A summary of the project that should be titled ``Public Health 
System Impact Statement'' (PHSIS), not to 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 93.283.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

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

Application Submission and Deadline

    An original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB 
Number 0937-0189) must be submitted to Ron Van Duyne, Grants Management 
Officer, Attention: David Elswick, 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, on or before January 13, 1997.
    1. Deadline: The application shall be considered as meeting the 
deadline if it is either:
    A. Received on or before the deadline date, or
    B. Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
submission to the objective review group. Applicants must request a 
legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated 
receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private 
metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.
    2. Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria 
in 1.A. or 1.B. above are considered late applications. A late 
application will not be considered and will be returned to the 
applicant.

Where to Obtain Additional Information

    A complete program description, information on application 
procedures, an application package, and business management technical 
assistance may be obtained from David Elswick, 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) 
842-6521, Internet address: DCE[email protected].
    Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from Art 
Robinson,

[[Page 58417]]

Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center 
for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC), 4770 Buford Highway, Mailstop F-35, Atlanta, GA 30341, telephone 
(770) 488-7630.
    Please refer to Announcement 709 when requesting information and 
submitting an application.
    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'' may be obtained through the 
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 
20402-9325, telephone (202) 512-1800.

    Dated: November 6, 1996.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-29141 Filed 11-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P