[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7462-7465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4010]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[Announcement Number 723]


Grants for Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Research Notice 
of Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year 1997

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces 
applications are being accepted for Intimate Partner Violence 
Prevention Research Grants for fiscal year (FY) 1997. The 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 Violent and Abusive 
Behavior. (To order a copy of Healthy People 2000, see the section 
Where to Obtain Additional Information.)

Authority

    This program is authorized under Sections 301, 391, 392, 393 and 
394 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 241, 280b, 
280b-1, 280b-1a, and 280b-3). Program regulations are set forth in 
Title 42 CFR, Part 52.

Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants include all non-profit and for-profit 
organizations. Thus State and local health departments, State and local 
governmental agencies, universities, colleges, research institutions, 
and other public and private organizations, including small, minority 
and/or woman-owned businesses are eligible for these research grants. 
Current holders of CDC injury control research projects are eligible to 
apply.

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, child care, health care, and early childhood development 
services are provided to children.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $750,000 is expected to be available to fund 3-4 
injury research grants in the area of intimate partner violence. The 
specific program priorities for these funding opportunities are 
outlined with examples in this announcement under the section, 
``Programmatic Priorities.'' It is expected that the awards will begin 
on or about September 1, 1997, and will be made for a 12-month budget 
period within a project period of up to three years. Funding may not 
exceed $250,000 per year (including both direct and indirect costs). 
Grant applications that request more than the $250,000 per year cap 
will be returned to the investigator as non-responsive. Funding 
availability may vary and is subject to change.
    Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the 
basis of satisfactory progress demonstrated by investigators at work-
in-progress monitoring workshops, the achievement of workplan 
milestones reflected in the continuation application, and the 
availability of Federal funds. In addition, continuation awards will be 
eligible for increased funding to offset inflationary costs depending 
upon the availability of funds.
    Use of Funds: Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun 
Control Activities. The Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 
specifies that: None of the funds made available for injury prevention 
and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be 
used to advocate or promote gun control.
    Anti-Lobbying Act requirements prohibit lobbying Congress with 
appropriated Federal monies. Specifically, this Act prohibits the use 
of Federal funds for direct or indirect communications intended or 
designed to influence a Member of Congress with regard to specific 
Federal legislation. This prohibition includes the funding and 
assistance of public grassroots campaigns intended or designed to 
influence Members of Congress with regard to specific legislation or 
appropriation by Congress.
    In addition to the restrictions in the Anti-Lobbying Act, CDC 
interprets the new language in the CDC's 1997 Appropriations Act to 
mean that CDC's funds may not be spent on political action or other 
activities designed to affect the passage of specific Federal, State, 
or local legislation intended to restrict or control the purchase or 
use of firearms.

Background and Definitions

A. Background

    Intimate partner violence is a major public health problem. 
Although men are at much greater risk of fatal injury due to 
interpersonal violence, women are at much higher risk of nonfatal 
injuries due to intimate partner violence. National surveys estimate 
that approximately 2 million women each year are battered by an 
intimate partner, and crime data from the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation (FBI) record about 1,500 murders of women by husbands or 
boyfriends each year. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 
women sustained about 3.8 million assaults and 500,000 rapes a year in 
1992 and 1993: More than 75 percent of these violent acts were 
committed by an intimate, a husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, or ex-
boyfriend. Studies estimate that between 13 and 25 percent of all U.S. 
women will experience rape in their lifetimes.
    These numbers are thought to be underestimates of the actual number 
of American women assaulted by intimate male partners.
    The total extent and severity of violence-related nonfatal injuries 
is unknown, but an increasing portion of the nation's health care and 
rehabilitation systems' resources are devoted to attending to victims 
of violence. Intimate partner violence (including rape, physical 
battering, and psychological abuse) are associated with a host of both 
short-and long-term problems, including physical injury and illness, 
psychological symptoms, and death. The consequences extend far beyond 
the individual female victims, affecting their children, families, 
friends, and society as well.
    Opportunities to understand and prevent intimate partner violence-
related injuries and reduce their effects are available. Maximizing 
these opportunities for prevention requires a broad approach, 
incorporating many disciplines that heretofore have not been an 
integral part of public health efforts. Many of these opportunities and 
research priorities are discussed in Injury Control in the 1990s: A 
National Plan for Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 1993 and Healthy People 2000. Additional background 
information can be found in the following suggested readings: 
Understanding Violence Against Women, Violence and the Public's Health, 
Understanding and Preventing Violence, and Violence in America: A 
Public Health Approach. (To receive information on these reports see 
the

[[Page 7463]]

section Where To Obtain Additional Information);

B. Definitions

    1. Injury: Injury is generally defined as physical damage to an 
individual that occurs over a short period of time as a result of acute 
exposure to one of the forms of physical energy in the environment or 
to chemical agents or the acute lack of oxygen.
    2. Intimate Partner Violence is defined as threatened or actual use 
of physical or sexual violence or psychological/emotional abuse 
perpetrated on a woman by a partner or ex-partner that either results 
or has the potential to result in injury or death. Types of behavior 
that fit within this definition are commonly referred to as domestic 
violence, sexual assault, spouse abuse, date rape, partner abuse, women 
battering, and acquaintance rape. Public health approaches violence as 
a health issue and consequently, uses injuries, both fatal and 
nonfatal, psychological and physical, to quantify the impact of 
violence. Our primary interest is in preventing violence against 
adolescent and adult women that occurs in the context of intimate 
relationships.
    3. Intimate partner violence prevention research projects are 
defined as research designed to:
    a. Elucidate the chain of causation--the etiology and mechanisms--
of injuries related to intimate partner violence; or
    b. Yield results directly applicable to identifying interventions 
to prevent injuries and deaths due to intimate partner violence; or
    c. Evaluate the effect of policies, programs, or interventions for 
intimate partner violence on morbidity, mortality, disability, and 
costs.

Purpose

    The purposes of this program are to:
    A. Build the scientific base for the prevention of injuries and 
deaths due to intimate partner violence as delineated in Injury Control 
in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 1993 and Healthy People 2000.
    B. Identify effective strategies to prevent intimate partner 
violence-related injuries.
    C. Expand the development and evaluation of current and new 
intervention methods and strategies for the primary prevention of 
intimate partner violence-related injuries.
    D. Encourage professionals from a wide spectrum of disciplines such 
as medicine, health care, public health, criminology and criminal 
justice, and behavioral and social sciences, to undertake research to 
prevent and control injuries from intimate partner violence.
    E. Encourage the training of pre-doctoral minority investigators to 
work in the area of violence research.

Program Requirements

    The following are applicant requirements:
    A. A principal investigator who has conducted research, published 
the findings, and has specific authority and responsibility to carry 
out the proposed project.
    B. Demonstrated experience in conducting, evaluating, and 
publishing injury control research on the applicant's project team.
    C. Effective and well-defined working relationships within the 
performing organization and with outside entities which will ensure 
implementation of the proposed activities.
    D. Ability to carry out intimate partner violence prevention 
research as previously defined under Background and Definitions, 
(B.3.a-c).
    E. Overall match between the applicant's proposed theme and 
research objectives, and the program priorities as described under the 
heading, ``Programmatic Priorities.''

    Note: Grant funds will not be made available to support the 
provision of direct care services.

    Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia 
agreements (as set forth in the PHS Grants Policy Statement) as 
necessary to meet the requirements of the program and strengthen the 
overall application.

Programmatic Priorities

    Applicants must propose research that (1) enhances understanding of 
social, economic, and environmental factors that may be associated with 
intimate partner violence, and (2) determines the effectiveness of 
prevention/intervention programs for perpetrators of intimate partner 
violence.
    Enhance understanding of societal level factors within a specific 
targeted community that may be associated with intimate partner 
violence and the costs of such violence.
     Conduct research to determine which societal level factors 
(e.g., crowding, socioeconomic status (SES), norms about intimate 
partner violence, levels of general violence, number of liquor stores 
in the community, etc.) contribute to perpetration of intimate partner 
violence.
     Conduct studies to determine direct and indirect costs of 
intimate partner violence (such as days absent from work or school, 
quality of life, numbers of visits to mental health and medical care 
providers, number of miscarriages, mental and physical disabilities, 
impact on child witnesses, etc.)
    Determine the effectiveness of prevention/intervention programs for 
(potential or actual) perpetrators of intimate partner violence.
     Develop and evaluate innovative or alternative approaches 
or settings for identifying and providing interventions and/or 
deterrents for perpetrators of intimate partner violence.
     Identify the components of effective batterer 
interventions.
     Evaluate the effectiveness of programs targeting children 
and young adolescents that teach and foster healthy interpersonal 
relationships as primary prevention of future perpetration of intimate 
partner violence.

Reporting Requirements

    An original and two copies of the financial status and progress 
reports are due 90 days after the end of each budget period. A brief 
(2-3 page) summary of the study findings and a final financial status 
report is due 90 days after the end of the project period.

Application Content

    Applications for injury control research grants should include:
    A. The project's focus that justifies the research need and 
describes the scientific basis for the research, the expected outcome, 
and the relevance of the findings to reduce injury morbidity, 
mortality, disability and economic losses. This focus should be based 
on recommendations in Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for 
Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and 
Healthy People 2000 and should seek creative approaches that will 
contribute to a national program for injury control.
    B. Specific, measurable, and time-framed objectives.
    C. A detailed plan describing the methods, by which the objectives 
will be achieved, including their sequence. A comprehensive evaluation 
plan is an essential component of the application.
    D. A description of the role and responsibilities of the project's 
principal investigator.
    E. A description of all the project staff regardless of their 
funding source. It should include their title, qualifications, 
experience, percentage of time each will devote to the project, as well 
as that portion of their salary to be paid by the grant.
    F. A description of the role, duties, and responsibilities of the 
project's pre-

[[Page 7464]]

doctoral minority investigator(s) (a minimum of 15% of each pre-
doctoral minority investigator's time should be reflected in the 
project's budget).
    G. A description of those activities related to, but not proposed 
to be supported by the grant.
    H. A description of the involvement of other entities, (e.g., 
proposed study sites), that will relate to the proposed project, if 
applicable. It should include commitments of support and a clear 
statement of their roles.
    I. A detailed first year budget for the project with future annual 
projections, if relevant.
    J. Applicants must identify in a cover letter one of the topics 
previously outlined under the heading Programmatic Priorities upon 
which their project is focused.
    K. An explanation of how the research findings will lead to 
feasible, cost-effective injury interventions.
    An applicant organization has the option of having specific salary 
and fringe benefit amounts for individuals omitted from the copies of 
the application which are made available to outside reviewing groups. 
To exercise this option: on the original and five copies of the 
application, the applicant must use asterisks to indicate those 
individuals for whom salaries and fringe benefits are not shown; the 
subtotals must still be shown. In addition, the applicant must submit 
an additional copy of page four of Form PHS-398, completed in full, 
with the asterisks replaced by the salaries and fringe benefits. This 
budget page will be reserved for internal staff use only.

Evaluation Criteria

    Upon receipt, applications will be screened by CDC staff for 
completeness and responsiveness as outlined under the previous heading, 
Program Requirements (A-E). Incomplete applications and applications 
that are not responsive will be returned to the applicant without 
further consideration. Applications which are complete and responsive 
may be subjected to a preliminary evaluation (triage) by a peer review 
group to determine if the application is of sufficient technical and 
scientific merit to warrant a full review by the Injury Research Grants 
Review Committee (IRGRC); the CDC will withdraw from further 
consideration applications judged to be noncompetitive and promptly 
notify the principal investigator/program director and the official 
signing for the applicant organization. Those applications judged to be 
competitive will be further evaluated by a dual review process. Awards 
will be made based on priority scores assigned to applications by the 
IRGRC, programmatic priorities and needs determined by a secondary 
review committee (the Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and 
Control), and the availability of funds.
    A. The first review following the preliminary review (triage) will 
be a peer review to be conducted on all competitive applications. 
Factors to be considered will include:
    1. The specific aims of the research project, i.e., the broad long-
term objectives, the intended accomplishment of the specific research 
proposal, and the hypothesis to be tested.
    2. The background of the proposal, i.e., the basis for the present 
proposal, the critical evaluation of existing knowledge, and specific 
identification of the injury control knowledge gaps which the proposal 
is intended to fill.
    3. The significance and originality from a scientific or technical 
standpoint of the specific aims of the proposed research, including the 
adequacy of the theoretical and conceptual framework for the research.
    4. For competitive renewal applications, the progress made during 
the prior project period. For new applications, (optional) the progress 
of preliminary studies pertinent to the application.
    5. The adequacy of the proposed research design, approaches, and 
methodology to carry out the research, including quality assurance 
procedures, plan for data management, and statistical analysis plans, 
plans for inclusion of minorities and both sexes.
    6. The extent to which the evaluation plan will allow for the 
measurement of progress toward the achievement of the stated 
objectives.
    7. Qualifications, adequacy, and appropriateness of personnel to 
accomplish the proposed activities, including pre-doctoral minority 
investigator(s).
    8. The degree of commitment and cooperation of other interested 
parties (as evidenced by letters detailing the nature and extent of the 
involvement).
    9. The reasonableness of the proposed budget to the proposed 
research and demonstration program.
    10. Adequacy of existing and proposed facilities and resources.
    11. An explanation of how the research findings will lead to 
feasible, cost-effective injury interventions.
    B. The second review will be conducted by the Advisory Committee 
for Injury Prevention and Control. The factors to be considered will 
include:
    1. The results of the peer review.
    2. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the 
objectives outlined under the section, ``Programmatic Priorities.'
    3. National needs.
    4. Overall distribution among:
     the major disciplines of violence-related injury 
prevention: social and behavioral science, biomechanics, and 
epidemiology;
     populations addressed (e.g., batterers, adolescents, 
racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, children, urban, rural).
    5. Budgetary considerations (e.g., preference may be given to 
applicants who submit proposals requesting funding for research 
projects of one to two years duration).
    6. Additional consideration will be given to those applicants who 
provide evidence of an injury research training program for pre-
doctoral minority investigators.
C. Continued Funding
    Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the 
basis of the availability of funds and the following criteria:
    1. The accomplishments reflected in the progress report of the 
continuation application indicate that the applicant is meeting 
previously stated objectives or milestones contained in the project's 
annual workplan and satisfactory progress has been demonstrated through 
monitoring presentations or work-in-progress workshops;
    2. The objectives for the new budget period are realistic, 
specific, and measurable;
    3. The methods described will clearly lead to achievement of these 
objectives;
    4. The evaluation plan will allow management to monitor whether the 
methods are effective; and
    5. The budget request is clearly explained, adequately justified, 
reasonable and consistent with the intended use of grant funds.

Executive Order 12372 Review

    Applications are not subject to the review requirements of 
Executive Order 12372.

Public Health System Reporting Requirement

    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 93.136.

[[Page 7465]]

Other Requirements

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 an appropriate 
institutional review committee. The applicant will be responsible for 
providing assurance in accordance with the appropriate guidelines and 
forms provided in the application kit.

Paperwork Reduction Act

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

Women and Minority Inclusion Policy

    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.
    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 to this policy is contained in the Federal Register, Vol. 60, 
No. 179, Friday, September 15, 1995, pages 47947-47951.

Application Submission and Deadlines

A. Preapplication Letter of Intent
    Although not a prerequisite of application, a non-binding letter of 
intent-to-apply is requested from potential applicants. The letter 
should be submitted to the Grants Management Specialist (whose address 
is reflected in section B, ``Applications''). It should be postmarked 
no later than March 20, 1997. The letter should identify the 
announcement number, name the principal investigator, and specify the 
priority area of study the proposal addresses as outlined under the 
section Programmatic Priorities. The letter of intent does not 
influence review or funding decisions, but it will enable CDC to plan 
the review more efficiently, and will ensure that each applicant 
receives timely and relevant information prior to application 
submission.
B. Applications
    Applicants should use Form PHS-398 (OMB No. 0925-0001 Revised 5/95) 
and adhere to the ERRATA Instruction Sheet for Form PHS-398 contained 
in the Grant Application Kit. Please submit an original and five 
copies, on or before April 22, 1997, to: Lisa G. Tamaroff, Grants 
Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East 
Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 321, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, telephone 
(404) 842-6796.
C. Deadlines
    1. Applications shall be considered as meeting a deadline if they 
are either:
    A. Received at the above address on or before the deadline date, or
    B. Sent on or before the deadline date to the above address, and 
received in time for the review process. Applicants should 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 mailings.
    2. Applications which do not meet the criteria above are considered 
late applications and will be returned to the applicant.

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 723. You will receive a complete 
program description, information on application procedures, and 
application forms. Business management technical information may be 
obtained from Lisa Tamaroff, Grants Management Specialist, Grants 
Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Mailstop 
E-13, Atlanta, GA 30305, telephone (404) 842-6796 or internet: 
.
    Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from Ted Jones, 
Project Officer, Extramural Research Grants Branch, National Center for 
Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), Mailstop K-58, 4770 Buford Highway, NE., Atlanta, 
Georgia 30341-3724, telephone (770) 488-4824, internet: 
.
    This and other CDC announcements are also available through the CDC 
homepage on the Internet. The address for the CDC homepage is <http://
www.cdc.gov.
    CDC will not send application kits by facsimile or express mail.
    Please refer to Announcement Number 723 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) through the Superintendent of 
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-9325, 
telephone (202) 512-1800.
    Copies of Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action. 
Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and A 
Framework for Assessing the Effectiveness of Disease and Injury 
Prevention, (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 27, 
1992, Volume 41, Number RR-3, pages 5-11) may be obtained by calling 
(770) 488-4265.
    Information for obtaining the suggested readings, Understanding 
Violence Against Women, Violence and the Public's Health, Understanding 
and Preventing Violence, and Violence in America: A Public Health 
Approach, is included on a separate sheet with the application kit.

    Dated: February 11, 1997.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-4010 Filed 2-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P