[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 62 (Thursday, April 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15768-15770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8005]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
[Program Announcement 99069]


Program to Build Environmental Public Health Capacity Within 
Tribal Colleges and Universities; Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 
announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 1999 funds for a 
cooperative agreement program to build environmental public health 
capacity within Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU). This program 
addresses the ``Healthy People 2000'' priority areas of Educational and 
Community-Based Programs and Environmental Health. The purpose of the 
program is to undertake capacity building activities that will assist 
TCU programs, and TCU graduates, in addressing human health issues 
related to exposures to hazardous substances released into the 
environment which may affect American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. 
This five-year cooperative agreement program is designed to assist TCUs 
in the development of environmental health curriculum through the 
provisions of technical assistance in environmental health science, 
including toxicology, assistance with materials development, and 
internships in environmental health nursing, education, and science. 
The implementation of the program will assist American Indian and 
Alaska Native nations in: (1) Determining the public health 
implications from past, present, and potential future human health 
effects related to exposures from National Priorities List (NPL) sites 
and other hazardous substance environmental waste sites and releases on 
tribal lands and (2) determining and evaluating the technical and 
culturally-appropriate response to such exposures.

B. Eligible Applicants

    This program is directed only to Federally recognized Tribal 
Colleges and Universities as defined in the Executive Order 13201. 
Thirty TCUs within the United States are thus qualified (see Attachment 
II in the application kit).

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $200,000 is available in FY 1999 to fund 
approximately four awards. It is expected that the average award will 
be $50,000, ranging from $35,000 to $70,000. It is expected that the 
awards will begin on or about August 1, 1999, and will be made for a 
12-month budget period within a project period of up to five years. 
Funding estimates may change.
    Continuation awards within the approved project period will be made 
on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports 
and the availability of funds.

Use of Funds

    The funds awarded may be expended for reasonable program purposes, 
such as personnel, travel, supplies and services. Funds are not to be 
used for the purchase of furniture or equipment.
    The TCU, as the direct and primary recipient of the cooperative 
agreement program, must perform a substantive role in the project 
activities and not merely serve as a conduit for an award to another 
party or provide funds to an ineligible party. Indirect costs are 
limited as described in an approved indirect rate agreement or other 
evidence showing indirect rate; documentation on indirect rate must be 
included in the application.

D. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of the program, the 
recipient shall be responsible for conducting activities under 1., 
below, and ATSDR will be responsible for conducting activities under 
2., below:
1. Recipient Activities
    a. Define and develop environmental health curriculum to include, 
as appropriate for the recipient, environmental health science, health 
education, and nursing. Prepare project period and budget period work 
plans.
    b. Develop internship programs within the scope of this project.
    c. Determine potential collaborative relationships with tribal 
nations and their environmental health needs to optimize the outcomes 
of this program.
    d. Define appropriate educational materials needed by tribal 
constituency (i.e., materials translated into native language, and 
incorporation of traditional cultural information into the curriculum).
    e. Develop an evaluation plan to ascertain the effectiveness and 
impact of the environmental health curriculum and its utilization 
within the tribal community.
    2. ATSDR Activities
    a. Assist in the development of the assessment process, and the 
work plans.
    b. Provide technical assistance in the development of the 
environmental health curriculum
    c. Assist in the development of internship programs for TCU 
students in environmental health science, health education and nursing.
    d. Provide technical assistance in the area of evaluation plans.

E. Application Content

    Applicants should use the information in the Program Requirements, 
Other Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the 
application content. In a narrative form, the application should 
include a discussion of items listed under ``Evaluation Criteria'' as 
they relate to the proposed program. Because these criteria serve as 
the basis for evaluating the application, omissions or incomplete 
information may affect the rating of the application. The narrative 
should be no more than 20 double-spaced pages, printed on one side, 
with one inch margins, and unreduced font.
    Although this program does not require in-kind or matching funds, 
the applicant should include any in-kind support in the formal 
application. For example, if the in-kind support includes personnel, 
the applicant should provide the qualifying experience of the 
personnel, and clearly state the type of activity to be performed and 
the amount of time to be contributed.

F. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-
0189) with your application. On or before June 1, 1999, submit the 
application to: Nelda Godfrey, Grants Management Specialist, Grants 
Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 99069, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 Brandywine Road, 
Suite 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.
    Deadline: Applications shall 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 
orderly processing. (Applicants must request a legibly dated U.S. 
Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a 
commercial carrier or

[[Page 15769]]

U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks shall not be acceptable 
as proof of timely mailing.)
    Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria in 
(a) or (b) above are considered late applications, will not be 
considered, and will be returned to the applicant.

G. Evaluation Criteria

    Each application will be evaluated individually against the 
following criteria by an independent review group appointed by ATSDR.

Proposed Program--40 Percent

    a. Clearly stated understanding of environmental health capacity 
building needs within the TCU, and needs of the affiliated tribal 
community (where applicable). (10 percent)
    b. Clear and reasonable project goals. (10 percent)
    c. Extent to which stated project objectives are realistic, 
measurable, and related to program requirements. (5 percent)
    d. Identification of specific target audiences who may benefit from 
this program. (10 percent)
    e. Specificity and feasibility of the proposed time line for 
implementing project activities. (5 percent)

Proposed Personnel--25 Percent

    a. Ability of the applicant to provide adequate program staff and 
support staff, including any proposed consultants or contractors. (10 
percent)
    b. Experience of proposed staff in developing materials, 
implementing activities, and conducting program evaluation related to 
environmental health curriculum. (7 percent)
    c. Experience of staff in conducting culturally appropriate 
programs to benefit tribal communities, (8 percent)

Capability--35 Percent

    a. Cultural appropriateness of the environmental health programs 
developed for the proposed target groups. (10 percent)
    b. Thoroughness of the developed program in addressing 
environmental health needs of tribal peoples. (8 percent)
    c. Extent to which the program may be evaluated to include measures 
of program outcome and effectiveness, such as changes in participants' 
technical knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. (7 percent)
    d. Plans for collaborative efforts, to include (where applicable) 
coordination with tribal staff working on hazardous waste sites and 
other environmental concerns. (10 percent)

Proposed Budget--(not Scored)

    The extent to which the proposed budget is reasonable, clearly 
justified with a budget narrative, and consistent with the intended use 
of cooperative agreement funds.

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide ATSDR with original plus two copies of
    1. Semi-annual program progress reports, due 30 days after the end 
of each six-month time period;
    2. Annual progress report and financial status report, no more than 
90 days after the end of the budget period; and;
    3. Final financial status and performance reports, no more than 90 
days after the end of the project period.
    Send all reports to: Nelda Godfrey, Grants Management Specialist, 
Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 Brandywine Road, Suite 3000, 
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.
    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment I in the 
application kit.


                  AR-7.........  Executive Order 12372 Review.
AR-10..........................  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements.
AR-11..........................  Healthy People 2000.
AR-12..........................  Lobbying Restrictions.
AR-16..........................  Security Clearance Requirement.
AR-19..........................  Third Party Agreements--ATSDR.
 

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under sections 104(i)(14), and (15), and 
126 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments 
and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) (42 U.S.C.9604 (i) (14), (15) 
and 9626). The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.161

J. Where to Obtain Additional Information

    Please refer to Program Announcement 99069 when you request 
information. For a complete program description, information on 
application procedures, an application package, and business management 
technical assistance, contact Nelda Godfrey, Grants Management 
Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, 
Announcement 99069, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
2920 Brandywine Road, Suite 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, telephone 
(770) 488-2722, Email address: [email protected]. See also the CDC home page 
on the Internet: http://www.cdc.gov.
    For program technical assistance, contact Leslie Campbell, M.S., 
Acting Tribal Coordinator, Division of Health Assessment and 
Consultation, ATSDR, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, telephone 
(404) 639-6337 or 1-888-42ATSDR.

    Dated: March 26, 1999.
Georgi Jones,
Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry.

Attachment II--Federally Recognized Tribal Colleges and Universities

1. Bay Mills Community College, Brimley, Michigan
2. Blackfeet Community College, Browning, Montana
3. Cheyenne River Community College, Eagle Butte, South Dakota
4. College of the Menominee Nation, Keshena, Wisconsin
5. Crownpoint Institute of Technology, Crownpoint, New Mexico
6. D-Q University, Davis, California
7. Dineh College/Navajo Community College, Tsaile, Arizona
8. Dull Knife Memorial College, Lame Deer, Montana
9. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Cloquet, Minnesota
10. Fort Belknap Community College, Harlem, Montana
11. Fort Berthold Community College, New Town, North Dakota
12. Fort Peck Community College, Poplar, Montana
13. Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, Kansas
14. Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
15. Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, Hayward, Wisconsin
16. Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, Minnesota
17. Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, Montana
18. Little Hoop Community College, North Dakota
19. Little Priest Tribal College, Winnebago, Nebraska
20. Nebraska Indian Community College
21. Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, Washington
22. Oglala Lakota College, Kyle, South Dakota
23. Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana
24. Sinte Gleska University, Rosebud, South Dakota
25. Sisseton Wahpeton Community College, Sisseton, South Dakota
26. Sitting Bull College, Fort Yates, South Dakota
27. Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico
28. Stone Child Community College, Box Elder, Montana

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29. Turtle Mountain Community College, Belcourt, North Dakota
30. United Tribes Technical College Bismarck, North Dakota
[FR Doc. 99-8005 Filed 3-31-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P