[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 81 (Monday, April 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22955-22959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10830]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Announcement Number 720]


Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1997 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program to ensure adequate capacity of local, State, and national 
efforts to conduct epidemiology and laboratory surveillance and 
response for infectious diseases.
    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. (For ordering a copy of Healthy People 2000, see 
the section WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.)

Authority

    This program is authorized under sections 301(a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)] 
and 317 [42 U.S.C. 247b] of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. 
Applicable program regulations are found in 42 CFR Part 51b, Project 
Grants for Preventive Health Services and 42 CFR Part 52, Grants for 
Research Projects.

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.

[[Page 22956]]

Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants are limited to the official public health 
agencies of States or their bona fide agents. This includes the 
District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
the Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the 
Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
Republic of Palau, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments. 
In addition, official public health agencies of county or city 
governments with jurisdictional populations greater than 2,500,000 
(based on 1990 census data) are eligible to apply.
    This announcement is an expansion of the State Epidemiology and 
Laboratory Surveillance and Response Program that was implemented in FY 
1995 and FY 1996 with awards to 15 State and local public health 
agencies under Program Announcement 543. The intention of this 
announcement is to add new recipients to the 15 that are currently 
funded. Thus, the 15 recipients under Program Announcement 543 are 
ineligible to apply for funds provided through this announcement. The 
15 State or local public health agencies currently funded are: 
Washington, Maine, Massachusetts, New York City, New York, New Jersey, 
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, 
Colorado, Hawaii, and County of Los Angeles.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $1,800,000 is available in FY 1997 to fund five to 
ten awards. It is expected that the average annual award amount (for 
both direct and indirect costs) will be approximately $200,000, ranging 
from $70,000 to $250,000. 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 five years. Funding estimates 
may vary and are subject to change.
    Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made 
on the basis of satisfactory progress and availability of funds.
    Although a requirement for matching funds is not a condition for 
receiving an award under this cooperative agreement program, applicants 
must document the non-Federal human and fiscal resources that will be 
available to conduct proposed activities. Federal funds cannot be used 
to replace or supplant existing State and local support. See 
APPLICATION CONTENT AND EVALUATION CRITERIA (section G: Budget) for 
additional information.

Use of Funds

Restrictions on Lobbying

    Applicants should be aware of restrictions on the use of HHS funds 
for lobbying of Federal or State legislative bodies. Under the 
provisions of 31 U.S.C. Section 1352 (which has been in effect since 
December 23, 1989), recipients (and their subtier contractors) are 
prohibited from using appropriated Federal funds (other than profits 
from a Federal contract) for lobbying Congress or any Federal agency in 
connection with the award of a particular contract, grant, cooperative 
agreement, or loan. This includes grants/cooperative agreements that, 
in whole or in part, involve conferences for which Federal funds cannot 
be used directly or indirectly to encourage participants to lobby or to 
instruct participants on how to lobby.
    In addition, the FY 1997 HHS Appropriations Act, which became 
effective October 1, 1996, expressly prohibits the use of 1997 
appropriated funds for indirect or ``grass roots'' lobbying efforts 
that are designed to support or defeat legislation pending before State 
legislatures. This new law, Section 503 of Pub. L. No. 104-208, 
provides as follows:

    Sec. 503(a) No part of any appropriation contained in this Act 
shall be used, other than for normal and recognized executive-
legislative relationships, for publicity or propaganda purposes, for 
the preparation, distribution, or use of any kit, pamphlet, booklet, 
publication, radio, television, or video presentation designed to 
support or defeat legislation pending before the Congress, * * * 
except in presentation to the Congress or any State legislative body 
itself.
    (b) No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall be 
used to pay the salary or expenses of any grant or contract 
recipient, or agent acting for such recipient, related to any 
activity designed to influence legislation or appropriations pending 
before the Congress or any State legislature.

    Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, as enacted by the Omnibus 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997, Division A, Title I, Section 
101(e), Pub. L. No. 104-208 (September 30, 1996).

Background

    Once expected to be eliminated as a public health problem, 
infectious diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. In the 
United States and elsewhere, infectious diseases increasingly threaten 
public health and contribute significantly to the escalating costs of 
health care.
    Despite the continued threat of infectious diseases and the 
emergence of new, re-emergent and drug-resistant diseases, the public 
health infrastructure of the United States is often inadequately 
prepared to support the surveillance necessary for early detection and 
response to public health threats from infectious diseases. These 
deficiencies were made clear in a series of National Academy of 
Science, Institute of Medicine, reports published between 1987 and 
1992. Emerging Infections, Microbial Threats to Health in the United 
States, published in 1992, provided specific recommendations to address 
these deficiencies and emphasized a critical leadership role for both 
CDC and State health departments in a national effort to detect and 
control infectious disease threats.
    In partnership with other Federal agencies, State and local health 
departments, academic institutions, and others, CDC has developed a 
plan for revitalizing the nation's ability to identify, contain, and 
prevent illness from emerging infectious diseases. The plan, Addressing 
Emerging Infectious Disease Threats; A Prevention Strategy for the 
United States, identifies objectives in four major areas: surveillance; 
applied research; prevention and control; and infrastructure. The plan 
proposes three major domestic surveillance activities: (1) 
Strengthening the local and State public health infrastructures for 
infectious disease surveillance and response; (2) Establishing 
provider-based sentinel surveillance networks; and, (3) Establishing 
population-based emerging infections programs to conduct surveillance 
and applied epidemiologic, laboratory, and prevention research. This 
announcement addresses the first objective--strengthening the local and 
State public health infrastructure for infectious disease surveillance.
    Concern about the quality of surveillance data and its ability to 
support good public health decision-making has led to a reevaluation of 
public health surveillance by the Council of State and Territorial 
Epidemiologists (CSTE) and the CDC. CSTE and CDC are working to improve 
public health surveillance by such approaches as utilization of 
laboratories as sources of surveillance information and development of 
sentinel surveillance methodology to complement the traditional 
``notifiable diseases'' approach. These goals are consistent with 
directions outlined by CDC's new Health Information Surveillance 
Systems (HISS) Board.

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Purpose

    The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to assist State and 
eligible local public health agencies in strengthening and enhancing 
basic capacity for public health surveillance and response for 
infectious diseases. Awards are intended to support the development or 
enhancement of existing basic surveillance and response capacity with a 
focus on notifiable diseases; food-, water- and vector-borne diseases; 
vaccine-preventable diseases; and drug-resistant infections. In this 
regard, strengthening collaboration between laboratory and epidemiology 
practice is seen as a crucial component. Additional epidemiologic or 
laboratory components addressing infectious diseases problems of 
particular State or local importance may also be supported.

Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for addressing activities A.1 through 
A.3 below (including A.4 if that is a described program activity for 
that State or eligible official public health agency of county or city 
government), and CDC will be responsible for conducting activities 
under B., below:

A. Recipient Activities

    1. Develop public health capacity for surveillance and response for 
infectious diseases, including flexible surveillance and response 
capability to meet the challenges of new and emerging infectious 
diseases.
    2. Strengthen the collection and use of surveillance information 
from clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory sources to improve early 
response and disease intervention activities.
    3. Monitor and evaluate scientific and operational accomplishments 
and progress in achieving the purpose of this program. Prepare reports 
and publications to disseminate scientific and programmatic findings.
    4. Develop and implement long- and short-term training for 
epidemiology and laboratory staff that is consistent with the purpose 
of this announcement.

B. CDC Activities

    1. Provide consultation and assistance in establishing enhanced 
reporting from laboratories and health care practitioners and in 
developing response capability.
    2. Assist in monitoring and evaluating scientific and operational 
accomplishments and progress in achieving the purpose of this program.

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Narrative progress reports are required semiannually. The first 
semiannual report is required with each year's non-competing 
continuation application and should cover program activities from date 
of the previous report (or date of award for reporting in the first 
year of the project). The second semiannual report is due with the 
Financial Status Report (FSR) 90 days after the end of each budget 
period and should cover activities from the date of previous report. 
All progress reports should address the following: (1) Status of each 
recipient activity; (2) Impact of recipient activities in addressing 
gaps in surveillance and response capacity; and (3) Progress toward 
overall objectives as related to the PURPOSE and Recipient Activities 
sections of this announcement. An original and two copies of all 
reports are required.
    An original and two copies of the FSR are required no later than 90 
days after the end of each budget period.
    The final performance report and FSR are due no later than 90 days 
after the end of the project period. All reports are submitted to the 
Grants Management Officer, CDC. (See section on APPLICATION SUBMISSION 
AND DEADLINE for address.)

Notification of Intent to Apply

    In order to assist CDC in planning and executing the evaluation of 
applications submitted under this program announcement, all parties 
intending to submit an application are requested to inform CDC of their 
intention to do so not later than 10 working days prior to the 
application due date. Notification can be provided by facsimile, postal 
mail, or E-mail to Greg Jones, M.P.A., Funding Resources Specialist, 
Office of Administrative Services, National Center for Infectious 
Diseases, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop C-19, Atlanta, Georgia 
30333, facsimile: (404) 639-4195, E-mail address: [email protected].

Application Content and Evaluation Criteria

    The application should be presented in a manner that demonstrates 
the applicant's ability to address the proposed activities in a 
collaborative manner with CDC based upon information contained in this 
announcement and the instructions outlined below.
    All pages must be clearly numbered and a complete index to the 
application and its appendices must be included. To facilitate 
photocopying, do not bind, staple, or paper clip any pages of any copy 
of the application, including appendices. Do not include any bound 
documents in the appendices. Do not include cardboard, plastic, or 
other page separators between sections. The entire application must be 
typewritten, single spaced, and in unreduced type on 8\1/2\'' by 11'' 
white paper, with at least 1'' margins, including headers and footers, 
and printed on one side only.
    Provide a brief abstract (no more than two pages) of the 
application. The application narrative should be limited to 12 pages 
(excluding abstract and appendices) and must contain the following 
sections in the order presented. The narrative must stand by itself; it 
should not refer the reader to the appendices for any details essential 
to understanding the application. For each section the criteria by 
which the applications will be reviewed and evaluated are listed:
    A. Understanding the objectives of the State Epidemiology and 
Laboratory Capacity Building Program: Evaluation criteria: (10 points).
    The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a clear 
understanding of the background and objectives of this program.
    B. Description of the population under surveillance, either the 
State or other appropriate jurisdiction (if an applicant is a county, 
city, or other agency): Evaluation criteria: (5 points).
    The extent to which the applicant clearly describes the population 
size, demographic characteristics, population, geographic distribution, 
racial/ethnic makeup, and health care delivery systems for Medicaid and 
Medicare patients.
    C. Description of existing public health infectious disease 
epidemiology and laboratory capacity: Evaluation criteria: (15 points).
    1. The extent to which the applicant describes the scope of its 
existing surveillance and response activities in infectious diseases 
with respect to epidemiology and laboratory activities. Extent to which 
the applicant includes descriptions of reporting requirements, spectrum 
of laboratory specimen testing performed, degree of automation of 
laboratory and epidemiologic information management, and public health 
response capacity.
    2. The extent to which the applicant describes existing staffing, 
management, material and equipment investment, training, space, and 
financial support of laboratory and epidemiologic capacity for public 
health surveillance and response for infectious diseases.
    3. The extent to which the applicant:
    a. Describes current collaboration between its epidemiology and 
laboratory programs in laboratory-based

[[Page 22958]]

surveillance and health care practitioner surveillance, including the 
existence of, or potential for, integrated uses of surveillance data;
    b. Describes current or previous collaborative relationships with 
clinical laboratories, local health agencies, academic medicine groups, 
and health care practitioners, including HMOs or managed care 
providers;
    c. Demonstrates the potential of these relationships for enhanced 
surveillance and public health response activities; and
    d. Demonstrates an understanding of the interaction between public 
health, managed care, and the health care delivery system.
    D. Identification of areas of need in public health surveillance 
and response for infectious diseases: Evaluation criteria: (20 points).
    The extent to which the applicant:
    1. Identifies State and local needs in epidemiology and laboratory 
capacity for public health surveillance and response for infectious 
diseases.
    2. Describes steps to be taken to facilitate and strengthen 
collaboration between epidemiology and laboratory practice, utilizing 
recent developments in laboratory and computer technologies (e.g., 
molecular characterization of pathogens, electronic reporting, and 
computer networks with database systems that facilitate sharing of 
information).
    3. Identifies specific important diseases or conditions (e.g., 
notifiable diseases, foodborne and waterborne diseases, vaccine-
preventable diseases and drug-resistant infections) which will be 
addressed.
    E. Operational Plan (Note: Provide a detailed description of first 
year activities only and briefly describe future year activities): 
Evaluation criteria: (40 points).
    The extent to which the applicant presents a plan for addressing 
the identified needs which:
    1. Clearly describes the proposed organizational and operating 
structure/procedures, staffing plan, participating agencies, 
organizations, institutions, and key individuals;
    2. Outlines a clear plan of activities that will be undertaken to 
address the identified needs in capacity;
    3. Outlines a clear plan of activities that will be undertaken to 
address the specific diseases for conditions to be addressed;
    4. Provides current letters of support from participating agencies, 
institutions, and organizations indicating their willingness to 
participate in major surveillance and public health response 
initiatives; and
    5. Is consistent with, and adequate to achieve, the needs 
identified and the purpose and objectives of this program.
    F. Plan for monitoring and evaluation: Evaluation criteria: (10 
points).
    The extent to which the applicant describes a detailed plan both 
for how they will monitor the implementation of the project and how 
they will evaluate the impact of the project.
    G. Provide a detailed budget with a line-item justification and any 
other information to demonstrate that the request for assistance is 
consistent with the purpose and objectives of this cooperative 
agreement program. Although matching funds is not a condition for 
receiving an award under this program, include in the budget, a 
separate line-item accounting of non-Federal contributions (funding, 
personnel, and other resources) that will be directly allocated to the 
proposed activities. Identify any non-applicant sources of these 
contributions. Evaluation criteria: (Not Scored).
    The extent to which the proposed budget is reasonable, clearly 
justifiable, and consistent with the intended use of cooperative 
agreement funds. The extent to which the applicant provides detailed 
information on non-Federal contributions.

Executive Order 12372 Review

    Applications are subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs as governed by Executive Order 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) 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. Indian tribes 
are strongly encouraged to request tribal government review of the 
proposed application. If SPOCs or tribal governments have any process 
recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they should forward 
them to Sharron P. Orum, Grants Management Officer, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Mailstop E-18, Room 
314, Atlanta, Georgia 30305. The due date for State process 
recommendations is 60 days after the application deadline date for new 
and competing continuation awards. The granting agency does not 
guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for 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 is 93.283.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

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

Application Submission and Deadline

    The original and two copies of the application Form PHS-5161-1 (OMB 
Number 0937-0189, Revised 7/92) must be submitted to Sharron P. Orum, 
Grants Management Officer, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and 
Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 
East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 314, Mailstop E-18, Atlanta, Georgia 
30305, on or before Monday, June 16, 1997. No applications or 
additional materials will be accepted after the deadline.

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. (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 which 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 
applicant.

Where To Obtain Additional Information

    To receive additional written information call (404) 332-4561. You

[[Page 22959]]

will be asked to leave your name, address, and telephone number and 
will need to refer to Announcement 720. You will receive a complete 
program description, 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 M. 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 314, Mailstop E-
18, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, telephone: (404) 842-6546, facsimile: (404) 
842-6513, E-mail: [email protected].
    Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from Pat 
McConnon, M.P.H., National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mailstop C-12, 1600 Clifton Road, 
NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333, telephone: (404) 639-2175, E-mail: 
[email protected].
    Please refer to Announcement 720 when requesting information 
regarding this program.
    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, D.C. 20402-9325, telephone (202) 512-1800.

    Dated: April 22, 1997.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-10830 Filed 4-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P