[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25488-25490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12212]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
[Program Announcement 98056]


Mining Occupational Safety and Health Research Grants; 
Availability of Funds for FY 1998

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1998 funds for a research grant 
program for Mining Occupational Safety and Health Research Grants. This 
program addresses the ``Healthy People 2000'' priority area of 
Occupational Safety and Health. The purpose of the program is to 
develop knowledge that can be used to prevent occupational diseases and 
injuries to miners. NIOSH will support hypothesis-testing research 
projects to identify and quantify occupational health and safety 
hazards to miners, develop methods and technologies to measure and 
control these hazards, and translate research findings so that they can 
be applied to solve health and safety problems in mines.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private nonprofit and 
for-profit organizations and by governments and their agencies; that 
is, universities, colleges, research institutions, hospitals, other 
public and private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, State and 
local governments or their bona fide agents, and federally recognized 
Indian tribal governments, Indian tribes, or Indian tribal 
organizations.

    Note: Pub. L. 104-65 states that an organization described in 
section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages 
in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive Federal funds 
constituting an award, grant, cooperative agreement, contract, loan, 
or any other form.

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $700,000 is expected to be available in FY 1998 to 
fund 4-8 research project grants. This money is in addition to the 
funds available for the previous RFA 807 announced in August 1997. 
Organizations that submitted applications for RFA 807 may revise and 
resubmit under this announcement. The amount of funding available may 
vary and is subject to change. Awards will range from $50,000 to 
$200,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) per year. It is expected 
that the awards will begin on or about September 30, 1998, and will be 
made for a 12-month budget period within a project period of up to 3 
years.
    Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made 
on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports 
and the availability of funds.

D. Programmatic Interest

    The Mine Safety and Health Research Program has been fully 
coordinated with the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) plans 
and recommendations. The NORA document is available through the NIOSH 
homepage at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora.html. The focus of grants 
should emphasize research in the following topical areas which are in 
priority order:

(1) Hearing Loss Prevention

    Conduct laboratory and field research on noise-induced hearing loss 
in miners; Conduct field dosimetric and audiometric surveys to assess 
the extent and severity of the problem and to identify those mining 
segments in greatest need of attention and to objectively track 
progress in meeting loss prevention goals; Conduct field and laboratory 
research to identify noise generation sources and to identify those 
areas most amenable to intervention activities; Develop, test, and 
demonstrate new control technologies for noise reduction; Develop 
strategies and methods to improve the effectiveness of hearing 
protectors for miners; Assess the effect of using hearing protectors on 
miner safety; Evaluate technical and economic feasibility of controls; 
Develop, evaluate, and recommend implementation strategies to promote 
the adoption and use of noise reduction technology.

(2) Mining Injury Prevention

    Conduct laboratory, field, and computer modeling research to focus 
on human physiological capabilities and limitations and their 
interactions with mining jobs, tasks, equipment and the mine work 
environment; Research on causes and prevention of low back disorders, 
slips and falls, and materials handling injuries in miners; Study 
effects of human behavior on mining injuries; Design and conduct 
epidemiological research studies to identify and classify risk factors 
that are causing or may be causing traumatic injuries to miners; 
Evaluate and recommend implementation strategies for injury prevention 
and control technologies; Research to improve response to mine 
emergencies, and to enhance the effectiveness of mine rescue teams; 
Identify and evaluate research opportunities using a systems approach 
for intervention and prevention; and Develop cost analysis 
methodologies to evaluate performance and engineering control 
strategies.

(3) Dust and Toxic Substance Control

    Research to develop or improve personal and area direct reading 
instruments for measuring mining contaminants, including but not 
limited to respirable dust, silica, diesel engine emissions, and other 
toxic substances and mixtures; Conduct field tests, experiments, and 
demonstrations of new technology for monitoring and assessing mine air 
quality; Conduct laboratory and field research to develop airborne 
hazard reduction control technologies; Carry out field surveys in mines 
to identify work organization strategies that could result in reduced 
dust or toxic substance exposure; Evaluate the performance, economics, 
and technical feasibility of engineering control strategies, novel 
approaches, and the application of new or emerging technologies for 
underground and surface mine dust and toxic substance control systems; 
Develop and evaluate implementation strategies for using newly 
developed monitors and control technology for exposure reduction or 
prevention.

(4) Social and Economic Consequences of Mining Illness and Injury

    Analyze all effects of mining illness and injury on miners, their 
families, communities and States; Assess the effectiveness of health 
services provided to miners for prevention and care of occupational 
illness and injury; Assess the economic burden of mining illnesses and 
injuries and potential economic benefits of their prevention.

(5) Surveillance

    Develop and evaluate new surveillance methods for mining-related 
illnesses and fatal and nonfatal injuries to improve collection and 
analysis of

[[Page 25489]]

health and safety data; Collect demographic information on miners to 
analyze health and safety data; Develop improved methods to describe 
trends in incidence of mining-related fatalities, morbidity, and 
traumatic injury; Develop and evaluate methods to conduct surveillance 
on the use of new and emerging technologies, the use of engineering 
controls, and the use of protective equipment in the mining sector; 
Analyze the effectiveness of prevention and control interventions in 
mining; Conduct mining-relevant risk analyses.

E. Submission and Deadline

Letter of Intent (LOI)

    Your letter of intent should identify the announcement number, 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.
    The Letter of Intent must be submitted on or before June 1, 1998, 
to: Joanne Wojcik, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 98056, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Room 300, 255 East Paces Ferry 
Road, NE., M/S E-13, Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2209.

Application

    Submit the original and five copies of PHS-398 (OMB Number 0925-
0001) (adhere to the instructions on the Errata Instruction Sheet for 
PHS 398). Forms are in the application kit. On or before June 25, 1998, 
submit the application to: Joanne Wojcik, Grants Management Specialist, 
Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 
98056, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Room 300, 255 
East Paces Ferry Road, NE., M/S E-13, Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2209.
    If your application does not arrive in time for submission to the 
independent review group, it will not be considered in the current 
competition unless you can provide proof that you mailed it on or 
before the deadline (i.e., receipt from U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier; private metered postmarks are not acceptable).

F. Evaluation Criteria

    Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by CDC for completeness 
and responsiveness. Applications determined to be incomplete or 
unresponsive to this announcement will be returned to the applicant 
without further consideration. If the proposed project involves 
organizations or persons other than those affiliated with the applicant 
organization, letters of support and/or cooperation must be included.
    Applications that are complete and responsive to the announcement 
will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by an initial 
review group and will be determined to be competitive or non-
competitive, based on the review criteria relative to other 
applications received. Applications determined to be non-competitive 
will be withdrawn from further consideration and the principal 
investigator/program director and the official signing for the 
applicant organization will be promptly notified.
    Applications judged to be competitive will be discussed and 
assigned a priority score. Following initial review for technical 
merit, the applications will receive a secondary review for 
programmatic importance.

Review Criteria for Technical Merit Are as Follows

    1. Significance--Does this study address an important problem 
related to the topical research issues outlined in this solicitation? 
If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific 
knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the 
concepts or methods that drive this field?
    2. Approach--Are the conceptual framework, design (including 
composition of study population), methods, and analyses adequately 
developed, well-integrated and appropriate to the aims of the project? 
Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider 
alternative approaches?
    3. Innovation--Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches 
or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project 
challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or 
technologies.
    4. Principal Investigator--Is the investigator appropriately 
trained and well suited to carry out this work (particularly but not 
exclusively) in the area of the proposed project? Is the work proposed 
appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and 
other researchers, if any?
    5. Environment--Does the scientific environment in which the work 
will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed 
experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific 
environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there 
documentation of cooperation from industry, unions, or other 
participants in the project, where applicable? Is there evidence of 
institutional support and availability of resources necessary to 
perform the project?
    6. Gender and minority issues--Are plans to include both sexes and 
minorities and their subgroups adequately developed (as appropriate for 
the scientific goals of the project)? Are strategies included for the 
recruitment and retention of human subjects?
    7. Human Subjects--Are the procedures proposed adequate for the 
protection of human subjects and are they fully documented? Are all 
procedures in compliance with applicable published regulations (see 
``Other Requirements'').
    8. Vertebrate animals--Are the procedures proposed adequate for the 
welfare of vertebrate animals and are they fully documented? Are all 
procedures in compliance with applicable published regulations?
    9. Budget--Is the budget reasonable and appropriate for all direct 
costs and period/s of requested support and are all entries adequately 
justified?

Review Criteria for Programmatic Importance Are as Follows

    1. Relevance to mine safety and health, by contributing to 
achievement of research objectives specified in Section 501 of the 
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
    2. Magnitude of the problem in terms of numbers of miners affected.
    3. Severity of the disease or injury in the mining population.
    4. Usefulness to applied technical knowledge in the identification, 
evaluation, or control of occupational safety and health hazards in 
mines on a national or regional basis.
The Following Will Be Considered in Making Funding Decisions
    1. Technical merit of the proposed project as determined by the 
initial peer review.
    2. Programmatic importance of the project as determined by 
secondary review.
    3. Availability of funds.
    4. Program balance among priority areas of the announcement.

G. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of--
    1. Progress reports (annual);

[[Page 25490]]

    2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period; and
    3. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days 
after the end of the project period.
    Send all reports to: Joanne Wojcik, Grants Management Specialist, 
Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Room 300, 255 East Paces Ferry 
Road, NE., M/S E-13, Atlanta, GA 30305-2209.
    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment I (in the 
application kit).

AR98-1--Human Subjects Requirements
AR98-2--Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR98-3--Animal Subjects Requirements
AR98-10--Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR98-11--Healthy People 2000
AR98-12--Lobbying Restrictions

H. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under the Public Health Service Act, 
section 301(a) (42 U.S.C. 241(a)), as amended and the Federal Mine 
Safety and Health Act of 1977, section 501 (30 U.S.C. 951) as amended. 
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.262.

I. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    Please refer to Program Announcement 98056 when you request 
information. For a complete program description, information on 
application procedures, an application package, and business management 
technical assistance, contact: Joanne Wojcik, Grants Management 
Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, 
Announcement 98056, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
Room 300, 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., M/S E-13, Atlanta, GA 30305-
2209, telephone (404) 842-6535, Email address: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Roy M. Fleming, Sc.D., 
Research Grants Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton 
Road, NE., Building 1, Room 3053, M/S D-30, Atlanta, GA 30333, 
Telephone: (404) 639-3343, FAX: (404) 639-4616, Internet: [email protected].
    To receive additional written information and to request an 
application kit, call 1-888-GRANTS4 (1-888 472-6874). You will be asked 
to leave your name and address and will be instructed to identify the 
Announcement number of interest. Also, this and other CDC Announcements 
can be found on the CDC homepage on the Internet,(http://www.cdc.gov) 
under the ``Funding'' section, as well as on the NIOSH homepage (http:/
/www.cdc.gov/niosh under ``Extramural Program.'' For your convenience, 
you may be able to retrieve a copy of the PHS Form 398 from (http://
www.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).
    Please Refer to Announcement Number 98056 when Requesting 
Information and Submitting an Application.

    Dated: May 1, 1998.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 98-12212 Filed 5-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P