[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31003-31005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14543]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Program Announcement 99130]


Improving Effectiveness of Tuberculosis; Prevention and Control 
Programs in Developing Countries Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1999 funds for a grant to provide 
education and technical assistance to improve the quality, efficiency, 
and effectiveness of programs for the prevention and control of 
tuberculosis (TB) in Central America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. This 
program addresses the ``Healthy People 2000'' priority areas of HIV 
Infection and Immunization and Infectious Diseases.
    The purpose of this grant is to assist the recipient in providing 
technical assistance and conducting training

[[Page 31004]]

programs in countries of mutual interest to the CDC and the recipient. 
This project is designed primarily for TB control program managers 
working with TB control programs in developing countries whose TB 
situation is of strategic interest to the United States including 
Central America (Mexico) and Southeast Asia (Vietnam and the 
Philippines).

B. Eligible Applicants

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

    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

    Approximately $125,000 is available in FY 1999 to fund one award. 
The award is anticipated to begin on or about September 1, 1999, for a 
12-month budget period within a five-year project period. The funding 
estimate is 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

    1. Assess the TB-related public health infrastructure, TB 
informational needs, and training needs of health care providers and TB 
control program personnel in developing countries with a high rate of 
TB and that are contributing to the U.S. immigrant population, 
especially Mexico, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
    2. Encourage collaboration between TB control programs in the 
Unites States that have a high prevalence of TB among the foreign-born 
and developing countries in their TB control efforts.
    3. Identify and propose project activities in response to findings 
in 1 and 2 above. Activities may include support of regional and 
international meetings designed to improve information transfer on a 
regional or international basis, and program assessments that can be 
used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of TB and improve TB 
control in developing countries contributing to the U.S. immigrant 
population, especially Mexico, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
    4. Disseminate publications developed by international TB 
controllers throughout the world in developing countries, such as 
documents related to TB epidemiology.
    5. Facilitate the incorporation of epidemiologic principles in TB 
international prevention and control programs and expedite the 
dissemination of epidemiologic findings in order to improve these 
programs.
    6. Provide technical support for the North American Region Meetings 
regarding issues of international TB issues, such as programmatic 
research, training, and new technology transfer in international TB 
strategies.
    7. Provide technical support of CDC Sponsored/Co-Sponsored Symposia 
at international conferences, including the 1999 conference in Madrid, 
Spain in the form of programmatic research, training, and new 
technology transfer in international TB strategies.
    8. Support travel to meetings of selected staff from countries with 
extremely high TB rates, who will actively participate in these 
meetings by developing agendas, providing presentations on 
international TB topics and coordinating and participating in training 
seminars. These areas should include countries that are having an 
impact on U.S. morbidity, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, in 
addition to the top ten countries on the World Health Organization's 
(WHO) list of 22 high burden countries.
    9. Develop a training program (mini-fellowship) to train 
international TB Control staff and other key personnel working in TB 
control activities and provide technical assistance to countries of 
mutual interest to the CDC and the recipient.

E. 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. The narrative should be no more than 35 double-spaced pages, 
printed on one side, with one inch margins, and 12 CPI font.
    1. Understanding of the Project: Describe the problems to be 
addressed with the requested assistance and briefly propose a 
programmatic plan for each.
    2. Objectives and Operational Plan: Establish long-(five year) and 
short-term (one year) objectives for programmatic plans. Objectives 
must be specific, measurable, time phased, and realistic. Describe the 
operational plan for achieving each objective. Concisely describe each 
component or major activity and how it will be carried out. Include a 
time line for completing each component or major activity.
    3. Evaluation Plan: Discuss the plan for monitoring progress toward 
each of the objectives.
    4. Program Management: Describe the professional personnel involved 
in the management of this project, their qualifications, and past 
achievements.
    5. Budget: Submit a detailed budget and line-item justification 
that is consistent with the program purpose and proposed activities.

F. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of the application PHS Form 
5161-1 (Revised 7/92, OMB Control Number 0937-0189). Forms are 
available at the following Internet address: www.cdc.gov/...Forms, or 
are in the application kit. On or before July 12, 1999, submit the 
application to the Grants Management Specialist identified in the 
``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of this 
announcement.
    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 
submission to the independent review group. (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

    Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a CDC appointed 
review committee according to the following criteria:
    1. Extent to which the applicant understands the requirements, 
problems, objectives, complexities, and interactions required of this 
project (20 Points).
    2. Degree to which the proposed objectives are clearly stated, 
realistic, time phased, and related to the purpose of this project (20 
Points).
    3. Adequacy of the plans for administering the project. (30 Points)

[[Page 31005]]

    4. Extent to which the professional personnel proposed to be 
involved in this project are qualified, including evidence of past 
achievements appropriate to this project. In addition, the extent to 
which the applicant demonstrates having a large, world-wide 
constituency. (30 Points)
    5. Budget: Consideration will be given to the extent to which the 
budget is reasonable, clearly justified, and consistent with the 
intended use of funds. (Not scored)

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    1. Annual progress reports. Progress reports must include the 
following for each program, function, or activity involved:
    a. a comparison of actual accomplishments to the goals established 
for the period;
    b. the reasons for slippage if established goals were not met; and
    c. other pertinent information including, when appropriate, 
analysis and explanation of unexpected high costs for performance.
    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 the Grants Management Specialist identified in 
the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of this 
announcement.
    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment I in the 
application kit.

AR-6 Patient Care
AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11 Healthy People 2000
AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

    This program is authorized under section 301(a), 317(k)(1) and 
317(k)(2) of the PHS Act, as amended [42 U.S.C. 241(a), 247b(k)(1) and 
247b(k)(2)]. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 
93.947, TB Demonstration, Research, Public and Professional Education 
Projects.

J. Where To Obtain Additional 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: Juanita Crowder, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 
Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146; Telephone (770) 
488-2734; Email address: [email protected].
    See also the CDC home page for this and other announcements on the 
Internet: http://www.cdc.gov. You may also download applications forms 
at this site.
    Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from: Harry 
Stern, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for 
Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E-10, Atlanta, GA 30333; Telephone 
(404) 639-8120; Email Address: [email protected].

    Dated: June 3, 1999.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-14543 Filed 6-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P