[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27983-27985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13545]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Announcement Number 98067]


Cooperative Agreement for a Suicide Prevention Research Center; 
Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year 1998 cooperative agreement funds to 
establish a Suicide Prevention Research Center. This program addresses 
the Healthy People 2000 priority area of Violent and Abusive Behavior.
    The purposes are:
    1. To support Suicide Prevention Research Center (SPRC) which 
represent CDC's largest national extramural investment in suicide 
prevention research and training, intervention development, and 
evaluation;
    2. To integrate collectively, in the context of a national program, 
the disciplines of epidemiology, medicine, biostatistics, public 
health, and behavioral and social sciences in order to prevent injuries 
from suicidal behavior more effectively;
    3. To identify and evaluate current and new interventions for the 
prevention and control of suicide-related injuries;
    4. To bring the knowledge and expertise of SPRC to bear on the 
development and improvement of effective public and private sector 
programs for suicide prevention and control; and
    5. To facilitate suicide prevention efforts supported by various 
governmental and non-governmental agencies within a geographic region.
    For additional information please see Addendum 2, Background and 
Definitions (included in the application package).

B. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private nonprofit

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

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $500,000 is expected to be available in fiscal year 
(FY) 1998 to fund one new center project. It is expected that the award 
will begin on or around September 30, 1998, and will be made for a 12 
month budget period, not to exceed a project period of three years. 
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.

D. Program Requirements

    The following are applicant requirements:
    1. Applicant must demonstrate expertise in some form of suicide 
prevention research.
    2. Applicant must provide a director (Principal Investigator) who 
has specific authority and responsibility to carry out the project.

E. Cooperative Agreement Activities

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1. 
(Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for activities 
listed under 2. (CDC Activities).
    1. Recipient Activities:
    a. Conduct, evaluate, and publish suicide prevention research.
    b. Design, implement, and evaluate suicide prevention programs.
    c. Collaborate with outside agencies and other entities which will 
allow for implementation of any proposed intervention activities.
    d. Collaborate with at least one National organization that has 
suicide prevention as its major objective and whose members are 
actively engaged in suicide prevention activities.
    e. Develop a curricula and graduate training programs in 
disciplines relevant to suicide prevention (e.g., epidemiology or 
behavioral sciences).
    f. Disseminate injury control research findings, translate them 
into interventions, and evaluate their effectiveness.
    2. CDC Activities:
    a. Collaborate in establishing research and evaluation priorities, 
and defining the target populations.
    b. Provide technical assistance.

F. Application Content

    Use the information in the Program Requirements, Other 
Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the 
application content. Your application will be evaluated on the criteria 
listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program 
plan.
    1. The narrative should be no more than 30 double-spaced pages, 
printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced font.
    2. Applications must be organized as follows: Applications for 
support of a SPRC should follow the PHS Form 398 (Revised 9/91, OMB 
Control Number 0925-0001) format and should include the following 
information:
    a. Face page.
    b. Description (abstract) and personnel.
    c. Table of contents.
    d. Detailed budget for the initial budget period: The budget should 
reflect the composite figures for the grant as well as breakdown 
budgets for individual projects within the grant.
    e. Budget for entire proposed project period including budgets 
pertaining to consortium/contractual arrangements.
    f. Core Faculty: Biographical sketches of key personnel, 
consultants, and collaborators, beginning with the Principal 
Investigator and core faculty.
    g. Organizational collaboration: The applicant must describe a 
collaborative relationship with at least one National organization that 
has suicide prevention as its major objective and whose members are 
actively engaged in suicide prevention activities. The collaborating 
organization should be described in terms that demonstrate how 
collaboration with the applicant will strengthen the proposed SPRC. 
Roles and activities for collaborating organizations must be clearly 
specified in relation to the SPRCs goals and objectives. Evidence of 
relationships should be documented through letters that detail 
commitments and a clear statement of the role, activities, and 
participating personnel of each organization.
    h. Research and prevention plan including:
    1. The proposed activities should be clearly described in terms of 
need, scientific basis, expected interactions, and anticipated 
outcomes, including the expected effect on injury morbidity and 
mortality. In selecting the theme, applicants should consider the 
findings in Injury In America and the Year 2000 Objectives for the 
Nation.
    2. A research plan (design and methods) including hypothesis and 
expected outcome, value to field, and specific, measurable, and time-
framed objectives consistent with the proposed theme and activities for 
each project within the proposed grant. The applicant must demonstrate 
that they have met the CDC/ATSDR policy requirements regarding the 
inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial groups in the proposed projects. 
This includes:
    a. The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and 
ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation;
    b. The proposed justification when representation is limited or 
absent;
    c. A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate to 
measure differences when warranted; and
    d. A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and outreach 
for study participants include the process of establishing partnerships 
with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.
    Human Subjects: If the proposed research involves obtaining data 
through intervention or interaction with an individual(s) or 
identifiable private information then the applicant must provide 
background information on the precautions that will be put in place to 
protect human subjects.
    3. A description of the core faculty and its role in implementing 
and evaluating the proposed programs.
    4. Charts showing the proposed organizational structure of the SPRC 
and its relationship to the broader institution of which it is a part, 
and, where applicable, to affiliate institutions or collaborating 
organizations. These charts should clearly detail the lines of 
authority as they relate to the center or the project, both 
structurally and operationally. SPRC's should report to an appropriate 
organizational level (e.g., dean of a school, vice president of a 
university, or commissioner of health), demonstrating strong 
institution-wide support of SPRC activity and ensuring oversight of the 
process of interdisciplinary activity.
    5. Documentation of the involved public health agencies and other 
public and private sector entities to be involved in the proposed 
program, including letters that detail commitments of support and a 
clear statement of the role, activities, and participating personnel of 
each agency or entity.

G. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and five copies of PHS Form 398 (Revised 9/91, 
OMB

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Control Number 0925-0001). Please adhere to the instructions on the 
Errata Instruction Sheet for PHS Form 398. Forms are in the application 
kit.
    On or before July 21, 1998, submit to:
    Lisa T. Garbarino, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement Number 98067, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry 
Road, NE., Mailstop E-13, Room 300, 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).

H. Evaluation Criteria

    Each application will be evaluated individually against the 
following criteria by an independent reviewer group appointed by CDC. 
Applicants will be evaluated according to the following criteria 
(Maximum of 100 total points):
    1. Core faculty, staff, and organizational capacity (30 points)
    a. Core faculty: Qualifications, experience, and/or ability of core 
faculty in conducting research relevant to suicide prevention. Faculty 
history and experience in receiving research support from competitive 
sources of funding.
    b. Staffing plan: Qualifications, adequacy, and appropriateness of 
personnel to accomplish the proposed activities.
    c. Organizational capacity: Existence and availability of 
organizational resources and support for achieving research and 
prevention goals.
    2. Organizational collaboration (30 points)
    a. The extent to which the collaborative relationship (joint 
activities and access to the collaborative organization's membership 
for promoting prevention activities) will be considered and will 
strengthen the proposed SPRC.
    b. The extent to which the collaborating organization is a National 
organization that has suicide prevention as its major objective and 
whose members are actively engaged in suicide prevention activities.
    3. Research and prevention plan (40 points)
    a. The extent to which suicide is a public health problem in the 
State(s) or region to be served by the SPRC.
    b. The extent to which the applicant plans to provide consultation, 
technical assistance, and training to public and private agencies and 
institutions in the area of suicide prevention.
    c. The extent to which the research plan is responsive to needed 
research in the area of suicide prevention.
    d. If human subjects are involved, how they will be protected, 
i.e., describe the review process which will govern their 
participation. The applicant must demonstrate that they have met the 
CDC/ATSDR policy requirements regarding the inclusion of women, ethnic, 
and racial groups in the proposed projects. This includes:
    1. The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and 
ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation;
    2. The proposed justification when representation is limited or 
absent;
    3. A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate to 
measure differences when warranted; and
    4. A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and outreach 
for study participants include the process of establishing partnerships 
with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.
    4. Budget (not scored)
    Soundness of the proposed budget in terms of adequacy of resources 
and their allocation.

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    a. Quarterly progress reports;
    b. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period; and
    c. Final financial report and performance report, no more than 90 
days after the end of the project period.
    Send all reports to: Lisa T. Gabarino, 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, Room 300, Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2209.
    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Addendum 1 (included 
in the application kit).

AR98-1  Human Subjects Requirements
AR98-2  Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR98-7  Executive Order 12372 Review
AR98-9  Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR98-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR98-11  Healthy People 2000
AR98-12  Lobbying Restrictions
AR98-13  Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control 
Activities

J. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program announcement is authorized under sections 301, 317, 
and 391-394A (42 U.S.C. 241, 247b, and 280b-280b-3) of the Public 
Health Service Act as amended. The Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance number is 93.136.

K. Where To Obtain Additional Information:

    To receive additional written information call 1-888-GRANTS4 (1-
888-472-6874). You will be asked to leave your name, organization, 
address, and phone number and will need Announcement Number 98067.
    All application procedures and guidelines are contained within that 
package or can be found on the CDC Homepage. The address for the CDC 
Homepage is (http://www.cdc.gov). For your convenience, you may be able 
to retrieve a copy of the PHS Form 398 from (http://www.nih.gov.grants/
funding).
    Business management technical assistance, contact: Lisa T. 
Garbarino, 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, Room 
300, Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2209, Telephone (404) 842-6796, E-mail 
address [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Timothy Thornton, 
Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention 
and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
4770 Buford Highway, NE., Mailstop K-60, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, 
Telephone (770) 488-4389, E-mail address [email protected].

    Dated: May 15, 1998.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 98-13545 Filed 5-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P