[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33082-33088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15886]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Announcement Number 708]


Cooperative Agreement for State-Based Surveillance Activities--
Sentinel Event Notification Systems for Occupational Risk (SENSOR); 
Notice of Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year 1997

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Nation's 
Prevention Agency, announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 1997 
funds for cooperative agreements with State and territorial departments 
of health (or other State or territorial governmental agencies in 
collaboration with a department of health) to establish and/or expand 
surveillance for occupational diseases and injuries.
    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 Occupational Safety and 
Health. (For ordering a copy of Healthy People 2000, see the Section 
Where to Obtain Additional Information.)

Authority

    This program is authorized under the Public Health Service Act, as 
amended, section 301(a) (42 U.S.C. 241(a)) and the Occupational Safety 
and Health Act of 1970, section 20(a) and 22(29 U.S.C. 669(a) and 671). 
The applicable program regulation is 42 CFR part 52.

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

    Eligible applicants are the official State or territorial health 
departments or other official State or territorial agencies or their 
bona fide agents, with occupational safety and health jurisdiction. 
Applicants other than the health department must apply in conjunction 
with their State or territorial health department.
    Applicants may apply for funding under one or both of the two 
surveillance categories (SENSOR Experimentation and/or SENSOR Field-
Testing). Under each category, applicants may apply for funding for 
single or multiple target conditions. We intend to support surveillance 
for no more than four target conditions per State.

    Note: Please review Funding Priorities for CDC/NIOSH's selection 
of priority funding.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $2 million is available in FY 1997. It is expected 
that the awards will begin on or about September 30, 1997, and will be 
made for a 12-month budget period within a project period of up to 
three years for SENSOR Experimentation, and five years for SENSOR Field 
Testing. Funding estimates may vary and are subject to change.
    Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the 
basis of satisfactory progress and the availability of funds.
    Approximately $200,000 per year in additional funding from the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is available to support follow-up 
activities for SENSOR Field-Testing awards for the surveillance of 
acute occupational pesticide illness case reports.
    Distribution of funds among the two categories of activities as 
described in the Background section is anticipated to be as follows:

A. Sensor Experimentation

    Between $200,000 and $900,000 will be available for SENSOR 
Experimentation. We intend to fund a minimum of two proposals in this

[[Page 33083]]

category. The average award will be $100,000 for each target condition. 
Individual awards for each condition may range from $85,000 to 
$115,000, depending on the number of conditions under surveillance, the 
scope of the surveillance program, the size of the State, and the stage 
of development of the current State program. CDC/NIOSH funding priority 
is applicable. See ``Funding Priorities.''

B. SENSOR Field-Testing

    Between $500,000 and $1,800,000 will be available for SENSOR Field-
Testing #1 and #2. A total of approximately 11 awards will be funded, 
the final number of awards reflecting the minimums below and the 
overall priority score ranking among all applications received under 
both SENSOR Experimentation and Field-testing. These awards will be 
made in two categories as follows:
    1. Sensor Field-Testing #1--(Pesticide Surveillance) We intend to 
fund up to six proposals for pesticide surveillance in this category. 
Approximately $600,000 is available for funding. The average award will 
be $100,000 for each target condition. Individual awards for each 
condition may range from $85,000 to $115,000, depending on the number 
of conditions under surveillance, the scope of the surveillance 
program, the size of the State, and the stage of development of the 
current State program. CDC/NIOSH funding priority is not applicable.
    2. Sensor Field-Testing #2--We intend to fund a minimum of five 
proposals in this category, including at least one award for work-
related burns, two for occupational asthma, and two for silicosis. 
Between $500,000 and $1,200,000 is available to fund proposals. The 
average award is expected to be $100,000; individual awards for each 
condition may range from $85,000 to $115,000 for this category. CDC/
NIOSH funding priority is applicable. See ``Funding Priorities.''

C. Requests for Supplemental EPA Funds

    Approximately $200,000 per year will be available for up to six 
States successfully competing for SENSOR Field-Testing #1 (pesticide 
surveillance) awards. Supplemental awards will be considered for each 
of the six proposals for the surveillance of acute occupational 
pesticide illness case reports, focusing on pesticide incidents 
involving re-entry to pesticide treated areas, pesticide drift from 
treated areas, pesticide drift from treated areas into adjacent or 
nearby fields, and incidents associated with mixing, loading, and 
application of pesticides. Individual awards may range from $30,000 to 
$100,000. CDC/NIOSH funding priority is applicable. See ``Funding 
Priorities.''

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. 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 Public Law 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), Public Law 104-208 (September 30, 1996).

Background and Definitions

    In 1987, NIOSH announced the availability of funds for a 5-year 
program entitled SENSOR in State and territorial health departments. 
The purpose of the 5-year program was to pilot case-based surveillance 
and follow-back activities for selected occupational health conditions, 
with the ultimate goal of preventing occupational disease and injury.
    The original SENSOR model involved case ascertainment through 
reporting by sentinel physicians. Cases were reported to a State health 
department, which obtained additional information for each case, 
analyzed the aggregate reports, and disseminated the analyzed data. The 
health department, often in collaboration with other State agencies 
(such as State departments of labor or State OSHA programs), conducted 
prevention-oriented follow-up activities involving follow-back to the 
reported case, co-workers of the reported case, and the workplace of 
the reported case. Thus the prevention-oriented intervention primarily 
involved a specific workplace. In addition, information on the 
aggregate case reports and educational material concerning the target 
condition were disseminated to the medical community.
    During the period 1987-1992, 10 States received SENSOR funding for 
experimental case-based occupational health and safety surveillance 
activities. The target conditions have included elevated blood lead, 
carpal tunnel syndrome, pesticide poisoning, occupational lung diseases 
(silicosis, occupational asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, 
pneumoconiosis), and work-related burns.
    In the course of SENSOR's past ten years, the original model has 
evolved. Case ascertainment methods, other than or in addition to 
physician reporting--such as reporting by hospitals and laboratories, 
hospital discharge data, and death certificates--have been demonstrated 
to be useful and feasible. Outreach and intervention strategies other 
than, or in addition to intervention at a particular worksite--such as 
hazard alerts, large-scale education efforts, and the use of hazard 
surveillance to target groups of workplaces analogous to those 
identified through cases--have been demonstrated to be feasible and 
effective. It has become clear that no single follow-up or intervention 
model for workplace prevention is appropriate for all target conditions 
or for all State health departments.
    The objective of the SENSOR cooperative agreements program is to 
build upon the States' experience of the past 10 years by continued 
support for two types of surveillance activities:

[[Page 33084]]

    A. SENSOR Experimentation: The purpose of this experimentation 
effort is to support the initial design of State-based surveillance 
systems. Experimental programs may include target conditions and/or 
surveillance methodologies not currently funded by SENSOR, as well as 
current SENSOR experiments not deemed ready for inclusion in the field-
testing category. NIOSH currently supports nine developmental programs 
for carbon monoxide poisoning, carpal tunnel syndrome, childhood 
injuries, noise-induced hearing loss, amputations, cadmium 
overexposure, pesticide health effects, occupational tuberculosis, and 
dermatitis. Experimental programs should utilize case ascertainment 
methods appropriate to the target condition, and as applicable should 
link surveillance activities to an appropriate follow-up or 
intervention activity. The ability of the experimental surveillance 
program to yield representative or generalizable data useful for 
estimating incidence or prevalence rates for the target condition is 
but one factor that should be considered in the experimental design. 
All follow-up or intervention activities should have the broad 
objective of preventing occupational disease and injury. The 
appropriate follow-up or intervention for any given experimental 
program will depend on the target condition, the available personnel 
and resources, and the unique characteristics of the State.
    B. SENSOR Field-Testing: The purpose of this effort is to field-
test feasible and effective surveillance approaches subsequent to 
development under SENSOR experimental programs. Surveillance strategies 
currently ready for field-testing are:
    1. Hospital reporting of work-related burns;
    2. Surveillance of acute occupational pesticide illness;
    3. Silicosis surveillance utilizing each of three sources of case 
ascertainment: Physician reporting, hospital discharge data, and death 
certificates. Workers' compensation records should also be utilized if 
available; and
    4. Physician reporting of occupational asthma.

Purpose

    The underlying goal of SENSOR is the prevention of occupational 
disease and injury. As one of the major CDC/NIOSH surveillance 
programs, SENSOR promotes the more general goals for surveillance that 
include:
    A. Identifying new, or previously unrecognized occupational 
diseases, injuries, and hazards;
    B. Identifying ``sentinel'' diseases, injuries, or hazards, the 
occurrence of which represent a failure of prevention;
    C. Determining the magnitude and distribution of occupational 
diseases, injuries, and hazards;
    D. Tracking trends in the magnitude and distribution of 
occupational diseases, injuries, and hazards;
    E. Effectively targeting occupations, industries, and workplaces 
for consultative services or inspections; and
    F. Disseminating information to aid the public and government in 
decision-making.
    The specific objectives of these cooperative agreements are:
    A. To support the development, implementation, and evaluation of 
experimental State-based surveillance strategies utilizing current 
SENSOR target conditions (see Experimental and Field Testing conditions 
noted above) and/or new or as-yet-unevaluated methodologies (SENSOR 
Experimentation);
    B. To support the field-testing of State-based surveillance 
strategies;
    C. To support the implementation of occupational health 
surveillance activities in as many States and territories as possible;
    D. To encourage ongoing evaluation of NIOSH-supported State-based 
surveillance activities;
    E. To support the development and evaluation of information 
dissemination and intervention strategies that result in the prevention 
of occupational disease and injury;
    F. To explore the utility of case-based surveillance systems in 
providing estimates of incidence and/or prevalence rates of selected 
occupational disorders;
    G. To enhance the role of State and territorial health departments 
in surveillance and prevention of occupationally-related morbidity and 
mortality; and
    H. To foster cooperation with NIOSH surveillance programs and 
between and among State and territorial health departments and other 
State governmental agencies with interest and expertise relevant to 
occupational health surveillance, intervention, and prevention 
activities; and
    I. Support the EPA's evaluation of the Worker Protection Standard 
through collaborative CDC/NIOSH and State efforts in developing 
information from acute occupational pesticide illness investigations 
and case reports.

Program Requirements

    For both types of SENSOR surveillance activities, cooperative 
agreement recipients will be responsible for the activities under 
A.(Recipient Activities), and CDC/NIOSH will be responsible for the 
activities listed under B. (CDC/NIOSH Activities).

A. Recipient Activities

    1. Develop in collaboration with NIOSH a surveillance plan for the 
target occupationally-related condition(s) which includes:
    a. Delineating a case definition for each target surveillance 
condition;
    b. Developing case ascertainment systems appropriate for the target 
surveillance condition(s) and available resources. These may include:
    (1) Direct physician, laboratory, or hospital reports of disease 
and injury;
    (2) Hospital discharge data;
    (3) Death certificates;
    (4) Workers' compensation data;
    (5) State or Federal disability data;
    (6) Poison control center reports;
    (7) Other.
    c. Gathering additional data as necessary to adequately 
characterize the reported cases. Sources of this additional data may 
include:
    (1) Reporting physician, hospital, or laboratory;
    (2) Reported individual or family member;
    (3) Workplace of reported individual;
    (4) Co-workers of reported individual;
    (5) Other.
    d. Establishing a case and data management system;
    e. Developing case follow-up and intervention methods aimed toward 
immediate and/or long-term prevention of the condition(s) under 
surveillance, such as:
    (1) Hazard alerts, or other publications with wide distribution to 
relevant unions, trade organizations, media, public health agencies, 
and other groups with responsibilities for or interest in occupational 
safety and health;
    (2) Educational efforts aimed toward physicians, other health care 
professionals, individual or groups of workers, individual workplaces, 
employer and trade organizations;
    (3) Workplace walk-through visits, with recommendations regarding 
hazard abatement;
    (4) Screening of co-workers of affected individuals;
    (5) Referral to regulatory agencies;
    (6) Coordinating with NIOSH in conducting in-depth investigations 
or development of control technology.
    Research investigations, such as detailed case-control, cohort, or 
cross-sectional medical studies, while important for prevention 
efforts, should be funded through mechanisms other than the SENSOR 
cooperative agreements.

[[Page 33085]]

    f. Timely data analysis to ascertain trends and patterns of public 
health importance and provide guidance for intervention efforts; and;
    g. Developing means of dissemination of surveillance information 
that will contribute to occupational disease and injury prevention. 
This includes (but is not limited to) sharing material developed under 
this cooperative agreement with other States through NIOSH and/or other 
NIOSH surveillance partners, and preparation for publication of one 
report per year for each target condition.
    2. Ensure that surveillance protocols provide confidentiality and 
job protection for reported individuals;
    3. Provide information necessary for evaluating the usefulness and 
efficacy of the surveillance and intervention efforts;
    4. Develop a timetable for development and implementation of the 
proposed surveillance activity; and
    5. Periodically disseminate important or unusual case reports, and 
generally promote the periodic summarization and analysis of SENSOR 
reports;
    6. In collaboration with NIOSH, work to standardize protocols, data 
management systems, questionnaires, and other surveillance-related 
material with other States conducting surveillance for the same target 
condition.
    7. Within States with large numbers of farm workers, particularly 
those working on farms with row crops, fruits and vegetables, improve 
the nation's understanding of the incidence of pesticide related 
illness. Emphasis will be placed on those follow-up activities to case 
reports, focusing on incidents involving re-entry to pesticide treated 
areas, pesticide drift from treated areas into adjacent or nearby 
fields, and incidents associated with the mixing, loading, and 
application of pesticides.

B. CDC/NIOSH Activities

    1. Provide guidance and technical assistance in all phases of 
development, implementation, analysis, and evaluation of case 
ascertainment, follow-up, and intervention activities;
    2. Provide technical assistance in identifying the most appropriate 
target surveillance conditions and the most effective surveillance 
strategies;
    3. Provide technical assistance for in-depth investigations and 
development of control technology;
    4. Provide periodic summaries and analyses of aggregate 
surveillance data from SENSOR States;
    5. Support or otherwise maintain a central clearinghouse of 
surveillance-related materials for use by the States, and otherwise 
partner with States to assure the effective use and dissemination of 
State surveillance work products;
    6. Facilitate communication and coordination among the States with 
regard to data collection and analysis, information development and 
dissemination, intervention strategies, and evaluation of surveillance 
activities;
    7. Convene an annual national meeting of SENSOR States, as well as 
periodic meetings of States with similar target surveillance 
conditions;
    8. Provide editorial assistance in preparation of important or 
unusual case reports for publication in the MMWR or other appropriate 
publications.

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Annual and periodic progress reports are required. Schedules for 
the periodic reports, not more frequently than semi-annual, will be 
established at the time of the award. An original and two copies of a 
progress report and financial status report are required no later than 
90 days after the end of each budget period. Final financial and 
performance reports are required no later than 90 days after the end of 
the project period. All reports are to be submitted to the Grants 
Management Branch, CDC.
    Semi-annual progress report should include:
    A. A brief program description.
    B. A listing of program goals and objectives accompanied by a 
comparison of the actual accomplishments related to the goals and 
objectives established for the period.
    C. If established goals and objectives to be accomplished were 
delayed, describe both the reason for the deviation and anticipated 
corrective action or deletion of the activity from the project.
    D. Other pertinent information, including the status of 
completeness, timeliness and quality of data.

Application Content

    Separate applications must be submitted for each of the two SENSOR 
categories described above. Within each application, those applying for 
more than one target condition should address each target condition 
separately.
    The entire application, including appendices, should not exceed 100 
pages and the Proposal Narrative section contained therein should not 
exceed 25 pages. Pages should be clearly numbered and a complete index 
to the application and any appendices included. The original and each 
copy of the application must be submitted unstapled and unbound. All 
materials must be typewritten, double-spaced, with unreduced type (font 
size 12 point) on 8\1/2\'' by 11'' paper, with at least 1'' margins, 
headers, and footers, and printed on one side only. Do not include any 
spiral or bound materials or pamphlets.
    Completed budget forms should be placed at the beginning of the 
application with the rest of the form 5161-1. The applicant should 
provide a detailed budget, with accompanying justification of all 
operating expenses, that is consistent with the stated objectives and 
planned activities of the project. CDC may not approve or fund all 
proposed activities. Applicants should be precise about the program 
purpose of each budget item. For contracts described within the 
application budget, applicants should name the contractor, if known, 
describe the services to be performed; and provide an itemized 
breakdown and justification for the estimated costs of the contract; 
the kinds of organizations or parties to be selected; the period of 
performance; and the method of selection. Place budget narrative pages 
showing, in detail, how funds in each object class will be spent, 
directly behind form 424A. Do not put these pages in the body of the 
application.
    The applicant should provide a detailed description of first-year 
activities and briefly describe future-years objectives and activities.
A. Title Page
    The heading should include the title of grant program, project 
title, organization, name and address, project director's name, address 
and telephone number.
B. Abstract
    A one page, singled-spaced, typed abstract must be submitted with 
the application. The heading should include the title of grant program, 
project title, organization, name and address, project director and 
telephone number. This abstract should include a work plan identifying 
activities to be developed, activities to be completed, and a time-line 
for completion of these activities.
C. Proposal Narrative
    The narrative of each application must:
    1. Briefly state the applicant's understanding of the need or 
problem to be addressed and the goal of this cooperative agreement;
    2. Document the applicant's ability to provide staff, knowledge, 
and other

[[Page 33086]]

resources required to perform the responsibilities in this project, and 
describe the approach to be used in carrying out those 
responsibilities;
    3. Describe clearly the objectives of the project, the steps to be 
taken in planning and implementing this project, and the respective 
responsibilities of the applicant and any other entities for carrying 
out those steps;
    4. Discuss how this project will contribute to the prevention of 
occupational disease and injury;
    5. Provide a proposed schedule and timeline for accomplishing each 
of the activities to be carried out in this project, and a method for 
evaluating the accomplishments;
    6. Describe the names, qualifications, and time commitments of the 
professional staff to be assigned to this project; the support staff 
available for performance of this project; and the facilities, space, 
and equipment available for performance of this project. This should 
include a description of the organizational structure and a mission 
statement;
    7. Specify a proposed plan for administering this project, and 
provide the name, qualifications, and time commitments of the Program 
Director who will be responsible for its technical development and 
overall management;
    8. Provide a detailed budget which indicates: (1) Anticipated costs 
for personnel, travel, communications, postage, equipment, supplies, 
etc., and (2) all sources of funds to meet those needs. Funding for the 
program director to attend one annual SENSOR meeting and one annual 
meeting for each target condition at a NIOSH facility (in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, or Morgantown, W. Virginia) should be included in the proposed 
budget;
    9. Copies of all pertinent regulations and/or legislation, 
including physician, laboratory, or hospital reporting requirements;
    10. For applicants seeking support for surveillance of acute 
occupational pesticide illnesses, a separate part of the application 
should be devoted to a proposal for supplemental funds to conduct 
follow-up investigations or case studies on case reports, focusing on 
incidents involving re-entry to pesticide treated areas, pesticide 
drift from treated areas into adjacent or nearby fields, and incidents 
associated with the mixing, loading, and application of pesticides. 
Proposals will be rated according to the criteria noted under 
Evaluation Criteria, Sensor Field-Testing, paragraph F, Scoring 
Requests for Supplemental EPA Funds. A separate supplemental budget 
should accompany the application. It should be understood that the 
rating and ranking for support for surveillance of acute occupational 
pesticide illness is independent of an application's competitiveness 
for supplemental support;
    11. Human Subjects: State whether or not humans are subjects in 
this proposal. (See Human Subjects in the Evaluation Criteria and Other 
Requirements sections.)

Evaluation Criteria

    Each target condition within each application will be evaluated, 
scored and ranked separately according to the following criteria:

SENSOR Experimentation (100 Total Points)

A. Technical Merit (65 Total Points)
    1. Relevance of the proposal to the objectives outlined in the 
Program Announcement (10 points);
    2. Importance of the proposed surveillance activity in reducing the 
risk of a specific occupational health or safety condition. Importance 
should be discussed relative to the applicant's State and the nation. 
Remarks should include reference to measures of the estimated magnitude 
of the disease, injury, or condition subject to surveillance, as well 
as a description of the potential population-at-risk (15 points);
    3. Appropriate selection and/or design for the surveillance of the 
target condition(s), case definitions, case identification methods, 
data analysis and information dissemination, case follow-up, and 
intervention activities (20 points);
    4. Provision for maintaining confidentiality of individual case 
reports and sensitivity to protecting the employment status of reported 
cases (5 points);
    5. Capacity to provide case reports, data, and other information 
that promotes the goals of surveillance generally, and the evaluation 
of this surveillance activity for inclusion under SENSOR Field Testing 
(10 points);
    6. Adequacy of the proposed schedule and personnel for 
accomplishing the proposed activities (5 points).
B. Background, Experience, and Capability (25 Total Points)
    1. Applicant's previous accomplishments in the design, 
implementation, and evaluation of occupational health surveillance 
activities, including SENSOR (10 points);
    2. Training, experience, and competence of the proposed Project 
Director and staff in the design, implementation, and evaluation of 
occupational health surveillance activities (10 points);
    3. Availability of sufficient support staff to carry out this 
project (5 points).

C. State Commitment (10 Total Points)

    The ability of the applicant to commit:
    1. Additional funds (5 points); and/or
    2. Staff time to the proposed program (5 points).
D. Human Subjects (Not Scored)
    Whether or not exempt from the DHHS regulations, are procedures 
adequate for the protection of human subjects? Recommendations on the 
adequacy of protections include: (1) Protections appear adequate, and 
there are no comments to make or concerns to raise, (2) protections 
appear adequate, but there are comments regarding the protocol, (3) 
protections appear inadequate and the Objective Review Group has 
concerns related to human subjects; or (4) disapproval of the 
application is recommended because the research risks are sufficiently 
serious and protection against the risks are inadequate as to make the 
entire application unacceptable.

E. Budget Justification and Adequacy of Facilities (Not Scored)

    The proposed budget will be evaluated 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.

SENSOR Field-Testing (100 Total Points)

    Applications for field-testing of surveillance strategies for work-
related burns, silicosis, acute occupational pesticide illness, and 
occupational asthma will be reviewed and evaluated according to the 
following criteria:
A. Technical Merit (65 Total Points)
    1. Relevance of the proposal to the objectives outlined in the 
Program Announcement (10 points);
    2. Importance of field-testing the proposed surveillance activity 
in the applicant's State. Importance should be discussed relative to 
the applicant's State and the nation. Remarks should include reference 
to measures of the estimated magnitude of the disease, injury, or 
condition subject to surveillance, as well as a description of the 
potential population-at-risk (10 points);

[[Page 33087]]

    3. Appropriate use and/or adaptation of the SENSOR surveillance 
guidelines for the selected target condition(s) (15 points). (To obtain 
guidelines, see below under Where to Obtain Additional Information);
    4. Provision for maintaining confidentiality of individual case 
reports and sensitivity to protecting the employment status of reported 
cases (5 points);
    5. Capacity to provide case reports, data, and other information 
that promotes the goals of surveillance generally, and the evaluation 
of this surveillance activity for inclusion under SENSOR Field Testing 
(10 points);
    6. Feasibility of providing information needed for the evaluation 
of this project (5 points);
    7. Adequacy of the proposed schedule and personnel for 
accomplishing the proposed activities (10 points).
B. Background, Experience, and Capability (25 Total Points)
    1. Applicant's previous involvement in the design, implementation, 
and evaluation of public health surveillance and epidemiology 
activities (10 points);
    2. Training, experience, and competence of the proposed project 
director and staff in the design, implementation, and evaluation of 
public health surveillance and epidemiology activities (10 points);
    3. Availability of sufficient support staff to carry out this 
project (5 points).
C. State Commitment (10 Total Points)
    1. State agency commitment to development of occupational health 
surveillance activities (5 points);
    2. The willingness of the applicant to commit additional funds and/
or staff time (5 points).
D. Human Subjects (Not Scored)
    Whether or not exempt from the DHHS regulations, are procedures 
adequate for the protection of human subjects? Recommendations on the 
adequacy of protections include: (1) Protections appear adequate, and 
there are no comments to make or concerns to raise, (2) protections 
appear adequate, but there are comments regarding the protocol, (3) 
protections appear inadequate and the Objective Review Group has 
concerns related to human subjects; or (4) disapproval of the 
application is recommended because the research risks are sufficiently 
serious and protection against the risks are inadequate as to make the 
entire application unacceptable.
E. Budget Justification and Adequacy of facilities (Not Scored)
    The proposed budget will be evaluated 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.
F. Scoring Requests for Supplemental EPA Funds (100 Total Points)
    Additional funding from the EPA is available to support follow-up 
activities to case reports, focusing on pesticide incidents involving 
re-entry to pesticide treated areas, pesticide drift from treated areas 
into adjacent or nearby fields, and incidents associated with the 
mixing, loading, and application of pesticides. Proposals seeking these 
EPA supplemental funds will be scored as follows:
    1. Description of the size of the farm worker population and the 
seasonal nature of farm worker employment in the State (20 points).
    2. Documentation on the outreach services used to interview these 
workers (20 points).
    3. Documented experience in reporting pesticide illness in farm 
worker populations (20 points).
    4. Documented experience in conducting investigations among farm 
worker populations (20 points).
    5. Documented State and local programs that enhance the likelihood 
of a successful follow-up activity by this program (20 points).

Funding Priorities

SENSOR Experimentation

    CDC/NIOSH intends to fund a minimum of two proposals in this 
category. Of the two awards, at least one award will be made for the 
surveillance of occupational dermatitis and one award for carpal tunnel 
syndrome.

SENSOR Field-Testing #2

    CDC/NIOSH intends to fund a minimum of five proposals in this 
category. Of the five awards, at least one award will be made for work-
related burns, two for occupational asthma, and two for silicosis.

Supplemental EPA Funds for Sensor Field-Testing #1 (Pesticide 
Surveillance)

    CDC/NIOSH intends to fund up to six proposals for pesticide 
surveillance. Funds have been earmarked for pesticide surveillance, and 
the actual number of awards will reflect the funds available for this 
effort between CDC/NIOSH and the Environmental Protection Agency.
    Public comments are not being solicited regarding the funding 
priority because time does not permit solicitation and review prior to 
the funding date.

Executive Order 12372

    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) 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 forward them to Victoria Sepe, Grants Management 
Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry 
Road, NE., Atlanta, GA 30305, no later than 45 days after the 
application deadline date. The Program Announcement Number 708 and 
Program Title should be referenced on the document. The granting agency 
does not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' 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 93.262.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

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

[[Page 33088]]

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 
form provided in the application kit.
    In addition to other applicable committees, Indian Health Service 
(IHS) institutional review committees also must review the project if 
any component of 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.

Application Submission and Deadline

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 Branch, CDC at the address 
listed in this section. It should be postmarked no later than July 9, 
1997. The letter should identify Program Announcement number 708, and 
the name of principal investigator and specify the priority area to be 
addressed by the proposed project. 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. Application

    The original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 
(Revised 7/92, OMB Number 0937-0189) must be submitted to Victoria 
Sepe, 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, GA 
30305, on or before August 5, 1997.
    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. (The applicants must request 
a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a receipt from a 
commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private metered 
postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
    2. Late Applicants: Applications that 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 applicants.

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 NIOSH Announcement 708. You will receive a 
complete program description, information on application procedures, 
and application forms. CDC will not send application kits by facsimile 
or express mail. Please refer to NIOSH announcement number 708 when 
requesting information and submitting an application.
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from Victoria Sepe, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), Mailstop E-13, Room 321, 255 East Paces Ferry Road, 
NE., Atlanta, GA 30305, telephone (404) 842-6804, Internet: 
[email protected].
    Programmatic technical assistance, including guidelines for SENSOR 
field-testing target conditions, may be obtained from John P. Sestito, 
J.D., M.S., Chief, Surveillance Branch, Division of Surveillance, 
Hazard Evaluation and Field Studies, National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Mailstop R-41, 
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, telephone (513) 841-4303, Internet: 
[email protected].
    This and other CDC announcements are available through the CDC 
homepage on the Internet. The address for the CDC homepage is http://
www.cdc.gov.
    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.
    Potential applicants may obtain a copy of the SENSOR surveillance 
guidelines referenced in Sensor Field-Testing of the Evaluation 
Criteria section from John P. Sestito, NIOSH, at telephone number (513) 
841-4303.

    Dated: June 11, 1997.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-15886 Filed 6-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P