[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 68 (Friday, April 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17386-17391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8822]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Program Announcement 99041]


Grants for Education Programs in Occupational Safety and Health; 
Notice of Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year 2000

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2000 funds for training grants in 
occupational safety and health. This program addresses the ``Healthy 
People 2000'' priority area of occupational safety and health. The 
purpose of the program is to provide an adequate supply of qualified 
personnel to carry out the purposes of the Occupational Safety and 
Health Act. The objective of the program is to award funds to eligible 
institutions or agencies to assist in providing an adequate supply of 
qualified professional occupational safety and health personnel. Funds 
are awarded for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research 
Center Training Grants (ERCs) and for Long-Term Training Project Grants 
(TPGs). (See ``D. Program Guidelines and Requirements''.)

B. Eligible Applicants

    Any public or private educational or training agency or institution 
that has demonstrated competency in the occupational safety and health 
field and is located in a State, the District of Columbia, or U.S. 
Territory is eligible to apply for a training grant.

    Note: Public Law 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 and Types of Training Awards

    In total, approximately $12,700,000 is expected to be available in 
FY 2000 to fund ERC and TPG programs.

1. For ERCs

    Approximately $10,450,000 of the total funds available will be 
utilized as follows:
    a. Approximately $8,000,000 is available to award eleven non-
competing continuation and four competing continuations or new ERCs. 
Awards will range from $400,000 to $800,000 with the average award 
being $530,000.
    b. Approximately $1,200,000 is available to award nine supplemental 
non-competing and three competing continuation or new training grants 
to support the development and presentation of continuing education and 
short courses and academic curricula for trainees and professionals 
engaged in the management of hazardous substances. Program support is 
available for faculty and staff salaries, trainee costs, and other 
costs to provide training and education for occupational safety and 
health and other professional personnel engaged in the evaluation, 
management, and handling of hazardous substances.
    c. Approximately $250,000 is available to award four supplemental 
non-competing continuation grants. These awards will support the 
development of specialized educational programs in agricultural safety 
and health within the existing core disciplines of industrial hygiene, 
occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, and occupational 
safety.
    d. Approximately $1,000,000 is available to award fifteen 
supplemental non-competing continuation grants to support the 
enhancement of the ERCs research training mission through the support 
of pilot project research training programs.

2. For TPGs

    Approximately $2,250,000 of the total funds available will be 
utilized as follows:
    a. To award approximately twenty-four, non-competing continuation 
and fifteen competing continuation or new TPG programs. Awards will 
range from approximately $10,000 to $500,000, with the average award 
being $58,000. These awards will support academic programs in the core 
disciplines (i.e., industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, 
occupational/industrial medicine, and occupational safety and 
ergonomics) and relevant components (e.g., occupational injury 
prevention, industrial toxicology, ergonomics). These awards are 
intended to augment the scope, enrollment, and quality of training 
programs rather than to replace funds already available for current 
operations.
    3. It is expected that awards will begin on or about 7/1/00 and 
will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period of up 
to five 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. Program Guidelines and Requirements

    The following are intended to serve as applicant guidelines and 
requirements:
    1. An ERC shall be an identifiable organizational unit within the 
sponsoring organization. Applicants must meet the following 
characteristics in order to be considered responsive. If the 
characteristics are not met, the application will be considered non-
responsive and will not be reviewed.
    a. Cooperative arrangements with a medical school or teaching 
hospital (with an established program in preventive or occupational 
medicine); with a school of nursing or its equivalent; with a school of 
public health or its equivalent; or with a school of engineering or its 
equivalent. It is expected that other schools or departments with 
relevant disciplines and resources shall be represented and shall 
contribute as appropriate to the

[[Page 17387]]

conduct of the total program, e.g., epidemiology, toxicology, 
biostatistics, environmental health, law, business administration, and 
education. Specific mechanisms to implement the cooperative 
arrangements between departments, schools/colleges, universities, etc., 
shall be demonstrated in order to assure that the intended 
multidisciplinary training and education will be engendered.
    b. An ERC Director who possesses a demonstrated capacity for 
sustained productivity and leadership in occupational health and safety 
education and training. The Director shall oversee the general 
operation of the ERC Program and shall, to the extent possible, 
directly participate in training activities. A Deputy Director shall be 
responsible for managing the daily administrative duties of the ERC and 
to increase the ERC Director's availability to ERC staff and to the 
public.
    c. Program Directors who are full-time faculty and professional 
staff representing various disciplines and qualifications relevant to 
occupational safety and health who are capable of planning, 
establishing, and carrying out or administering training projects 
undertaken by the ERC. Each academic program, as well as the continuing 
education and outreach program shall have a Program Director.
    d. Faculty and staff with demonstrated training and research 
expertise, appropriate facilities and ongoing training and research 
activities in occupational safety and health areas.
    e. A program for conducting education and training in four core 
disciplines: occupational physicians, occupational health nurses, 
industrial hygienists, and occupational safety personnel. There shall 
be a minimum of five full-time students in each of the core programs, 
with a goal of a minimum of 30 full-time students (total in all of core 
programs together). ERCs are encouraged to recruit and train minority 
students to help address the under-representation of minorities among 
the occupational safety and health professional workforce. Although it 
is desirable for an ERC to have the full range of core programs, an ERC 
with a minimum of three components of which two are in the core 
disciplines is eligible for support providing it is demonstrated that 
students will be exposed to the principles and issues of all four core 
disciplines. In order to maximize the unique strengths and capabilities 
of institutions, consideration will be given to the development of: new 
and innovative academic programs that are relevant to the occupational 
safety and health field, e.g., ergonomics, industrial toxicology, 
occupational injury prevention, and occupational epidemiology; and to 
innovative technological approaches to training and education. ERCs 
must also document that the program covers an occupational safety and 
health discipline in critical need or meets a specific regional 
workforce need. Each core program curriculum shall include courses from 
non-core categories as well as appropriate clinical rotations and field 
experiences with public health and safety agencies and with labor-
management health and safety groups. Where possible, field experience 
shall involve students representing other disciplines in a manner 
similar to that used in team surveys and other team approaches. ERCs 
should address the importance of providing training and education 
content related to special populations at risk, including minority 
workers and other sub-populations specified in the National 
Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) special populations at risk 
category.
    f. A specific plan describing how trainees will be exposed to the 
principles of all other occupational safety and health core and allied 
disciplines. Consortium ERCs generally have geographic, policy and 
other barriers to achieving this ERC characteristic and, therefore, 
must give special, if not innovative, attention to thoroughly 
describing the approach for fulfilling the multidisciplinary 
interaction between students.
    g. Demonstrated impact of the ERC on the curriculum taught by 
relevant medical specialties, including family practice, internal 
medicine, dermatology, orthopedics, pathology, radiology, neurology, 
perinatal medicine, psychiatry, etc., and on the curriculum of 
undergraduate, graduate and continuing education of primary core 
disciplines as well as relevant medical specialities and the curriculum 
of other schools such as engineering, business, and law.
    h. An outreach program to interact with and help other institutions 
or agencies located within the region. Programs shall be designed to 
address regional needs and implement innovative strategies for meeting 
those needs. Partnerships and collaborative relationships shall be 
encouraged between ERCs and TPGs. Programs to address the under-
representation of minorities among occupational safety and health 
professionals shall be encouraged. Specific efforts should be made to 
conduct outreach activities to develop collaborative training programs 
with academic institutions serving minority and other special 
populations, such as Tribal Colleges and Universities. Examples of 
outreach activities might include activities such as: Interaction with 
other colleges and schools within the ERC and with other universities 
or institutions in the region to integrate occupational safety and 
health principles and concepts within existing curricula (e.g., 
Colleges of Business Administration, Engineering, Architecture, Law, 
and Arts and Sciences); exchange of occupational safety and health 
faculty among regional educational institutions; providing curriculum 
materials and consultation for curriculum/course development in other 
institutions; use of a visiting faculty program to involve labor and 
management leaders; cooperative and collaborative arrangements with 
professional societies, scientific associations, and boards of 
accreditation, certification, or licensure; and presentation of 
awareness seminars to undergraduate and secondary educational 
institutions (e.g., high school science fairs and career days) as well 
as to labor, management and community associations.
    i. A specific plan for preparing, distributing and conducting 
courses, seminars and workshops to provide short-term and continuing 
education training courses for physicians, nurses, industrial 
hygienists, safety engineers and other occupational safety and health 
professionals, paraprofessionals and technicians, including personnel 
from labor-management health and safety committees, in the geographical 
region in which the ERC is located. The goal shall be that the training 
be made available to a minimum of 400 trainees per year representing 
all of the above categories of personnel, on an approximate 
proportional basis with emphasis given to providing occupational safety 
and health training to physicians in family practice, as well as 
industrial practice, industrial nurses, and safety engineers. Priority 
shall be given to establishing new and innovative training 
technologies, including distance learning programs and to short-term 
programs designed to prepare a cadre of practitioners in occupational 
safety and health. Where appropriate, it shall be professionally 
acceptable that Continuing Education Units (as approved by appropriate 
professional associations) may be awarded. These courses should be 
structured so that higher educational institutions, public health and 
safety agencies, professional societies or other appropriate agencies 
can utilize them to provide training at the local level to occupational 
health and safety

[[Page 17388]]

personnel working in the workplace. Further, the ERC shall conduct 
periodic training needs assessments, shall develop a specific plan to 
meet these needs, and shall have demonstrated capability for 
implementing such training directly and through other institutions or 
agencies in the region. The ERC should establish and maintain 
cooperative efforts with labor unions, government agencies, and 
industry trade associations, where appropriate, thus serving as a 
regional resource for addressing the problems of occupational safety 
and health that are faced by State and local governments, labor and 
management.
    j. A Board of Advisors or Consultants representing the user and 
affected population, including representatives of labor, industry, 
government agencies, academic institutions and professional 
associations, shall be established by the ERC. The Board should meet at 
least annually to advise an ERC Executive Committee and to provide 
periodic evaluation of ERC activities. The Executive Committee shall be 
composed of the ERC Director and Deputy Director, academic Program 
Directors, the Directors for Continuing Education and Outreach and 
others whom the ERC Director may appoint to assist in governing the 
internal affairs of the ERC.
    k. A plan to incorporate research training into all aspects of 
training and, in research institutions, as documented by on-going 
funded research and faculty publications, a defined research training 
plan for training doctoral-level researchers in the occupational safety 
and health field. The plan will include how the ERC intends to 
strengthen existing research training efforts, how it will integrate 
research training activities into the curriculum, field and clinical 
experiences, how it will expand these research activities to have an 
impact on other primarily clinically-oriented disciplines, such as 
nursing and medicine, and how it will build on and utilize existing 
research opportunities in the institution. Each ERC is required to 
identify or develop a minimum of one, preferably more, areas of 
research focus related to work environment problems. Consideration 
shall be given to the CDC/NIOSH priority research areas identified in 
the National Occupational Health Research Agenda (NORA). (This 
publication may be obtained from NIOSH). The research training plan 
will address how students will be instructed and instilled with 
critical research perspectives and skills. This training will emphasize 
the importance of developing and working on interdisciplinary teams 
appropriate for addressing a research issue. It should also prepare 
students with the skill necessary for developing research protocols, 
pilot studies, outreach efforts to transfer research findings into 
practice, and successful research proposals. Such components of 
research training will require the ERCs to strive toward developing the 
faculty composition and administrative infrastructure essential to 
being Centers of Excellence in Occupational Safety and Health Research 
Training that are required to train research leaders of the future. The 
plan should address the incremental growth of such elements and 
evaluation of the plan commensurate with funds available. In addition 
to the research training components, the plan will also include such 
items as specific strategies for obtaining student and faculty funding, 
plans for acquiring equipment, if appropriate, and a plan for 
developing research-oriented faculty.
    l. Evidence in obtaining support from other sources, including 
other Federal grants, support from States and other public agencies, 
and support from the private sector including grants from foundations 
and corporate endowments, chairs, and gifts.
    2. TPG applicants must document that the program covers an 
occupational safety and health discipline in critical need or meets a 
specific regional workforce need. There shall be a minimum of three 
full-time students in each academic program. Applicants should address 
the importance of providing training and education content related to 
special populations at risk, including minority and disadvantaged 
workers. The types of training currently eligible for support are:
    a. Graduate training for practice, teaching, and research careers 
in occupational safety and health. Priority will be given to programs 
producing graduates in areas of greatest occupational safety and health 
need. Strong consideration will be given to the establishment of 
innovative training technologies including distance learning programs.
    b. Undergraduate and other pre-baccalaureate training providing 
trainees with capabilities for positions in occupational safety and 
health professions.
    c. Special technical or other programs for long-term training of 
occupational safety and health technicians or specialists.
    d. Special programs for development of occupational safety and 
health training curricula and educational materials, including 
mechanisms for effectiveness testing and implementation.

E. Application Content

Competing Applications

    Use the information in the Program Guidelines and Requirements and 
Other Requirements sections to develop the application content. Your 
application will be evaluated on the basis of the Program Guidelines 
and Requirements, Other Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections 
listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program 
plan. The narrative should be no more than 15 single-spaced pages per 
program, printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced 
font.

    Note: Please consult the detailed Recommended Outline for 
Preparation of Competing New/Renewal Training Grant Applications 
provided in each application kit (CDC 2.145 A).

Noncompeting Continuation Applications

    For noncompeting continuation applications submitted within the 
approved project period, include:
    1. Brief progress report describing the accomplishments of the 
preceding budget period;
    2. New or significantly revised items or information (objectives, 
scope of activities, operational methods, evaluation), that is not in 
the initial application; and
    3. Annual budget and justification.

    Note: Please consult the detailed Recommended Outline for 
Preparation of Non-competing Renewal (Continuation) Training Grant 
Applications (CDC 2.145 B) provided in each application kit.

F. Submission and Deadline

    Applications should be clearly identified as an application for an 
ERC Training Grant or TPG grant.

Application

Deadline for New, Competing Continuation, and Supplemental Applications 
(CDC 2.145 A ERC or TPG): July 1, 1999

Deadline for Non-competing Continuation Applications (CDC 2.145 B ERC 
or TPG): November 15, 1999

    Submit the original and two copies of CDC 2.145 A or B (OMB Number 
0920-00261). Forms are in the application kit. Submit the application 
to:

    Anne Foglesong, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 99041
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 
Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-4146


[[Page 17389]]


    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 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

    In reviewing ERC grant applications, consideration will be given 
to:
    1. Plans to satisfy the regional needs for training in the areas 
outlined by the application, including projected enrollment, 
recruitment and current workforce populations. Special consideration 
should be given to the development of programs addressing the under-
representation of minorities among occupational safety and health 
professionals. Indicators of regional need should include measures 
utilized by the ERC such as previous record of training and placement 
of graduates. The need for supporting students in allied disciplines 
must be specifically justified in terms of user community requirements.
    2. Extent to which arrangements for day-to-day management, 
allocation of funds and cooperative arrangements are designed to 
effectively achieve the Characteristics of an Education and Research 
Center.
    3. The establishment of new and innovative programs and approaches 
to training and education relevant to the occupational safety and 
health field and based on documentation that the program meets specific 
regional workforce needs. In reviewing such proposed programs, 
consideration shall be given to the developing nature of the program 
and its capability to produce graduates who will meet such workforce 
needs.
    4. Extent to which curriculum content and design includes 
formalized training objectives, minimal course content to achieve 
certificate or degree, course descriptions, course sequence, additional 
related courses open to occupational safety and health students, time 
devoted to lecture, laboratory and field experience, and the nature of 
specific field and clinical experiences including their relationships 
with didactic programs in the educational process.
    5. Academic training including the number of full-time and part-
time students and graduates for each core program, the placement of 
graduates, employment history, and their current location by type of 
institution (academic, industry, labor, etc.). Previous continuing 
education training in each discipline and outreach activity and 
assistance to groups within the ERC region.
    6. Methods in use or proposed methods for evaluating the 
effectiveness of training and outreach including the use of placement 
services and feedback mechanisms from graduates as well as employers, 
innovative strategies for meeting regional needs, critiques from 
continuing education courses, and reports from consultations and 
cooperative activities with other universities, professional 
associations, and other outside agencies.
    7. Competence, experience and training of the ERC Director, the 
Deputy ERC Director, the Program Directors and other professional staff 
in relation to the type and scope of training and education involved.
    8. Institutional commitment to ERC goals.
    9. Academic and physical environment in which the training will be 
conducted, including access to appropriate occupational settings.
    10. Appropriateness of the budget required to support each academic 
component of the ERC program, including a separate budget for the 
academic staff's time and effort in continuing education and outreach.
    11. Evidence of the integration of research experience into the 
curriculum, field and clinical experiences. In institutions seeking 
funds for doctoral and post-doctoral (physician training) level 
research training, evidence of a plan describing the research and 
research training the ERC proposes. This shall include goals, elements 
of the program, research faculty and amount of effort, support faculty, 
facilities and equipment available and needed, and methods for 
implementing and evaluating the program.
    12. Evidence of success in attaining outside support to supplement 
the ERC grant funds including other Federal grants, support from States 
and other public agencies, and support from the private sector 
including grants from foundations and corporate endowments, chairs, and 
gifts.
    13. Evidence of a strategy to evaluate the impact that the ERC and 
its programs have had on the DHHS Region. Examples could include a 
continuing education needs assessment, a workforce needs survey, 
consultation and research programs provided to address regional 
occupational safety and health problems, the impact on primary care 
practice and training, a program graduate data base to track the 
contributions of graduates to the occupational safety and health field, 
and the cost effectiveness of the program.
    14. Past performance based on evaluation of the most recent CDC/
NIOSH Objective Review Summary Statement and the grant application 
Progress Report (Competing Continuation applications only).
    In reviewing supplements to ERC projects, consideration will be 
given to:
    1. Hazardous Substance Training Program in ERCs--The evaluation 
criteria are as follows:
    a. Relevance of the proposed project to each element of the 
characteristics of a hazardous substance training program.
    b. Comprehensiveness and soundness of the training plan developed 
to carry out the proposed activities. This is based on a documented 
need for the training and evidence to support the approach used to 
provide the required training. It includes descriptions of the scope 
and magnitude of the hazardous substance problem in the applicable DHHS 
Region and current activities and training efforts.
    c. Education and experience of the Project Director, faculty, and 
staff assigned to this project with respect to handling, managing or 
evaluating hazardous substance sites and to the training of 
professionals in this field.
    d. Creativity and innovation of the project leadership with respect 
to marketing the courses, structure in attracting trainees and/or 
providing incentives for training.
    e. Extent to which the applicant considered the work of relevant 
agencies involved in hazardous substance activities and cooperated with 
these agencies in developing and implementing this training program.
    f. Suitability of facilities and equipment available for this 
project.
    g. Appropriateness of the budget to carry out the planned 
activities.
    2. Agricultural Safety and Health Education Programs in ERCs--The 
evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Evidence of a needs assessment directed to the overall 
contribution of the training program toward meeting the job market, 
especially within the applicant's region, for qualified personnel to 
carry out the purposes of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 
1970. The needs assessment should consider the regional requirements 
for

[[Page 17390]]

outreach, continuing education, information dissemination and special 
industrial or community training needs that may be peculiar to the 
region.
    b. Evidence of a plan to satisfy the regional needs for training in 
the areas outlined by the application, including protected enrollment, 
recruitment and current workforce populations. The need for supporting 
students in allied disciplines must be specifically justified in terms 
of user community requirements.
    c. The extent to which arrangements for day-to-day management, 
allocation of funds and cooperative arrangements are designed to 
effectively achieve characteristics of an ERC.
    d. The extent to which curriculum content and design includes 
formalized training objectives, minimal course content to achieve 
certificate or degree, course descriptions, course sequence, additional 
related courses open to occupational safety and health students, time 
devoted to lecture, laboratory and field experience, and the nature of 
specific field and clinical experiences including their relationships 
with didactic programs in the educational process.
    e. Previous record of academic training in agricultural safety and 
health including the number of full-time and part-time students and 
graduates for each core program, the placement of graduates, employment 
history, and their current location by type of institution (academic, 
industry, labor, etc.). Previous record of continuing education 
training in agricultural safety and health and record of outreach 
activity and assistance to agricultural groups within the ERC region.
    f. Methods in use or proposed for evaluating the effectiveness of 
training and services including the use of placement services and 
feedback mechanisms from graduates as well as employers, critiques from 
continuing education courses, and reports from consultations and 
cooperative activities with other universities, professional 
associations, and other outside agencies.
    g. The competence, experience and training of the Center Director, 
the Deputy Center director, the Program directors and other 
professional staff in relation to the type and scope of training and 
education involved.
    h. Institutional commitment to Center goals.
    i. Academic and physical environment in which the training will be 
conducted, including access to appropriate occupational agricultural 
settings.
    j. Appropriateness of the budget required to support each academic 
component of the ERC program, including a separate budget for the 
academic staff's time and effort in continuing education and outreach.
    k. Evidence of a plan describing the agricultural safety and health 
training the Center proposes. This shall include goals, elements of the 
program, faculty and amount of effort, support faculty, facilities and 
equipment available and needed, and methods for implementing and 
evaluating the program.
    l. Evidence of success in attaining outside support to supplement 
the ERC grant funds including other federal grants, support from states 
and other public agencies, and support from the private sector 
including grants from foundations and corporate endowments, chairs, and 
gifts.
    3. Hazardous Substance Academic Training Program in ERCs--The 
evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Evidence of a needs assessment directed to the overall 
contribution of the proposed training program toward meeting the job 
market, especially within the applicant's region, for qualified state, 
local and other qualified professional personnel. The needs assessment 
should consider the regional requirements for hazardous substance 
training, information dissemination and special industrial, labor or 
community training needs that may be peculiar to the region.
    b. Evidence of a plan to satisfy the regional needs for training in 
the areas outlined by the application, including projected enrollment, 
recruitment and current workforce populations.
    c. The extent to which arrangements for day-to-day management, 
allocation of funds and cooperative arrangements are designed to 
effectively achieve characteristics of an ERC.
    d. The extent to which curriculum content and design includes 
formalized training objectives, minimal course content to achieve a 
degree, course descriptions, course sequence, additional related 
courses open to occupational safety and health students, time devoted 
to lecture, laboratory and field experience, and the nature of specific 
field and clinical experiences including their relationships with 
didactic programs in the educational process.
    e. Previous record of academic training in hazardous substances 
including the number and type of students trained. Previous record of 
continuing education training in hazardous substances, outreach 
activity and assistance to hazardous substance groups within the ERC`s 
region.
    f. Methods in use or proposed for evaluating the effectiveness of 
training and services including the use of placement services and 
feedback mechanisms from graduates as well as employers, critiques from 
continuing education courses, and reports from consultations and 
cooperative activities with other universities, professional 
associations, and other outside agencies.
    g. The competence, experience and training of the Center Director, 
the Deputy Center Director, the Program Directors and other 
professional staff in relation to the type and scope of training and 
education involved.
    h. Institutional commitment to Center goals.
    i. Academic and physical environment in which the training will be 
conducted.
    j. Appropriateness of the budget required to support the training 
courses developed, including accounting for the academic staff's time.
    k. Evidence of a plan describing the hazardous substances training 
the Center proposes. This shall include goals, elements of the program, 
faculty and amount of effort, support faculty, facilities and equipment 
available and needed, and methods for implementing and evaluating the 
program.
    l. Evidence of success in attaining outside support to supplement 
the ERC grant funds including other federal grants, support from states 
and other public agencies, and support from the private sector 
including grants from foundations and corporate endowments, chairs, and 
gifts.
    4. ERC Supplemental Pilot Project Research Training Programs--The 
evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Relevance of the proposed program, including objectives that are 
specific and consistent.
    b. Adequacy of the plan proposed to conduct the pilot projects 
program, including procedures for reviewing and funding projects, the 
scientific review mechanism, program quality assurance. 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?
    c. Extent to which the applicant demonstrates collaboration with 
other research training institutions in the region, including NIOSH 
Training Project Grantees.
    d. Education and experience of the proposed Research Training 
Program Director and faculty in the occupational safety and health 
field, including the utilization of pilot projects as a research 
training mechanism.

[[Page 17391]]

    e. Appropriateness of the proposed budget to carry out the planned 
activities.
    f. Adequacy of the plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the 
proposed pilot projects program.
    g. 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?
    In reviewing TPG applications, consideration will be given to:
    1. Need for training in the program area outlined by the 
application. This should include documentation of a plan for student 
recruitment, projected enrollment, job opportunities, regional need 
both in quality and quantity, and for programs addressing the under-
representation of minorities in the profession of occupational safety 
and health.
    2. Potential contribution of the project toward meeting the needs 
for graduate or specialized training in occupational safety and health.
    3. Curriculum content and design which should include formalized 
program objectives, minimal course content to achieve certificate or 
degree, course sequence, related courses open to students, time devoted 
to lecture, laboratory and field experience, nature and the 
interrelationship of these educational approaches. There should also be 
evidence of integration of research experience into the curriculum, 
field and clinical experiences.
    4. Previous records of training in this or related areas, including 
placement of graduates.
    5. Methods proposed to evaluate effectiveness of the training.
    6. Degree of institutional commitment: Is grant support necessary 
for program initiation or continuation? Will support gradually be 
assumed? Is there related instruction that will go on with or without 
the grant?
    7. Adequacy of facilities (classrooms, laboratories, library 
services, books, and journal holdings relevant to the program, and 
access to appropriate occupational settings).
    8. Competence, experience, training, time commitment to the program 
and availability of faculty to advise students, faculty/student ratio, 
and teaching loads of the program director and teaching faculty in 
relation to the type and scope of training involved. The program 
director must be a full-time faculty member.
    9. Admission Requirements: Student selection standards and 
procedures, student performance standards and student counseling 
services.
    10. Advisory Committee: Membership, industries and labor groups 
represented; how often they meet; who they advise, role in designing 
curriculum and establishing program need.
    11. Evidence of a strategy to evaluate the impact that the program 
has had on the region. Examples could include a workforce needs survey, 
consultation and research programs provided to address regional 
occupational safety and health problems, a program graduate data base 
to track the contributions of graduates to the occupational safety and 
health field, and the cost effectiveness of the program.
    12. Past performance based on evaluation of the most recent CDC/
NIOSH Objective Review Summary Statement and the grant application 
Progress Report (Competing Continuation applications only).

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements Provide CDC with original plus two 
copies of

    1. progress reports (annual and may be incorporated as component of 
non-competing continuation applications);
    2. 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:

    Anne Foglesong, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 
30341-4146

    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment 1 in the 
application kit.

AR-1*..................................  Human Subjects Requirements.
AR-2*..................................  Requirements for Inclusion of
                                          Women and Racial and Ethnic
                                          Minorities in Research.
AR-3*..................................  Animal Subjects Requirements.
AR-10..................................  Smoke-Free Workplace
                                          Requirements.
AR-11..................................  Healthy People 2000.
AR-12..................................  Lobbying Restrictions.
 
* = Applies to ERC Supplemental Pilot Project Research Training Program
  applications only.

    Data collection initiated under this training grant program has 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Number 0920-
0261. ``Training Grants, Application and Regulations--42 CFR Part 86,'' 
Expiration Date 11/30/2000.

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 21(a) of the Occupational 
Safety and Health Act [29 U.S.C. 670 (a)]. The Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance number is 93.263.

J. Where to Obtain Additional Information

    Please refer to Program Announcement 99041 and specify ERC or TPG 
when you request information. 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. If you have questions 
after reviewing the contents of all the documents, business management 
technical assistance may be obtained from:

    Anne Foglesong, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 99041, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 
3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, telephone (770) 488-2724, Email 
address: [email protected]

    For program technical assistance, contact: John T. Talty, Principal 
Engineer, Office of Extramural Coordination and Special Projects, 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4676 Columbia Parkway, Mailstop 
C-7, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998, telephone (513) 533-8241, Email 
address: [email protected].
    This and other CDC announcements are available through the CDC 
homepage on the Internet. The address for the CDC home page is: www.cdc.gov>.

    Dated: April 2, 1999.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-8822 Filed 4-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P