[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38285-38288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15462]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 00109]


Cooperative Agreements for National Programs That Build the 
Capacity of Schools To Prevent Foodborne Illness Through Coordinated 
School Food Safety Programs; Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2000 funds for cooperative agreements 
that establish a national program to assist the nation's schools and 
health departments to prevent foodborne illness through coordinated 
school food safety programs.
    The purpose of this announcement is to develop a national program 
that builds the capacity of national non-governmental, non-profit 
organizations' constituents to help schools prevent foodborne illness. 
CDC recognizes that many state education agencies (SEAs) and local 
education agencies (LEAs) have implemented components of a coordinated 
school health program that addresses important health risk behaviors 
and health problems. This announcement provides support to national 
non-governmental, non-profit organizations to collaborate with state 
education agencies, state health agencies and others engaged in 
activities related to Coordinated School Health Programs to focus on 
foodborne illness prevention and school food safety.
    CDC is committed to working collaboratively with the nation's state 
education and health agencies and to helping them implement 
comprehensive school health education as part of a coordinated school 
health program that can prevent the leading causes of death and 
disability. CDC is also committed to achieving the health promotion and 
disease prevention objectives of ``Healthy People 2010,'' a national 
activity to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of 
life. This announcement is related to the focus area(s) of Educational 
and Community-Based Programs. For the conference copy of ``Healthy 
People 2010'' , visit the internet site: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to national organizations that are 
private health, education, or social service agencies (professional, or 
voluntary); and must qualify as a non-profit 501 (c)(3) entity. 
Priority will be given to organizations whose constituencies have a 
direct impact on the school food safety program including school food 
service professionals, school nurses, and administrators. Eligible 
applicants must have the capacity and experience to assist their local 
affiliates. Applicants and their local affiliates must have experience 
working with personnel from state and local education agencies, state 
or local health agencies, or other relevant agencies within the 
previous ten years that could contribute toward foodborne illness 
prevention efforts through coordinated school food safety programs. 
Eligible organizations must have affiliate offices or local/state/or 
regional membership constituencies in a minimum of 10 states and 
territories. Affiliate offices and local/state/or regional membership 
constituencies may not apply in lieu of, or on behalf of, their parent 
national office.
    National organizations that are funded currently by CDC/Division of 
Adolescent and School Health (DASH) under program announcements 99023, 
and 97065, 00026,or 00037 are not eligible for this program 
announcement. A listing of CDC/DASH funded national organizations that 
are not eligible to apply is provided on the DASH website, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/.


    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 $420,000 is available in FY 2000 to fund 
approximately three awards. It is expected that the average award will 
be $140,000, ranging from $125,000 to $155,000 and that the project 
period will be for 3 years. It is expected that the awards will begin 
on or about September 30, 2000. Funding estimates may change. 
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 Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient shall be responsible for conducting activities under 
section 1 (Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for 
conducting activities under section 2 (CDC Activities) as listed below:

1. Recipient Activities

    a. Collaborate with constituents; state and local education, 
health, agriculture, and social service agencies; non-governmental 
partners; and federal government agencies to develop a national 
strategy to prevent foodborne illness within school-based food safety 
programs.
    b. Establish specific, measurable, and realistic goals and 
objectives that reduce and or manage school foodborne illness 
outbreaks.
    c. Establish an operational plan that includes collaborating with 
federal and state agencies and others engaged in coordinated school 
food safety program-related activities, in developing target-audience 
and discipline-specific training materials needed to effectively build 
the capacity of school personnel to implement a model coordinated 
school food safety program.
    d. Specific activities can also include:
    1. Build the capacity of constituents to better prevent school 
foodborne illness and implement a model coordinated school food safety 
program through participation in 3-4 training workshops facilitated by 
a State Education Agency;
    2. Develop discipline-specific training materials for accompanying 
a model coordinated school food safety program for constituents;
    3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving goals and 
objectives;
    4. Disseminate programmatic information through appropriate 
methods, such as:
    a. Sharing materials that would reduce school foodborne illness 
through a variety of mechanisms (e.g. clearinghouses, conferences and/
or workshops, newsletters, annual progress reports, etc.).
    b. Sharing project-related news and information with State and 
Local Education Agencies, State Health Agencies, national 
organizations, and others through the Internet, other computer 
networks, the mail and at workshops and conferences;

[[Page 38286]]

    5. Help schools, or other agencies that serve young people, conduct 
coordinated programs that prevent behaviors that place elementary 
through college-aged young people at risk for foodborne illness;
    6. Collaborate with other national organizations to establish and 
maintain initiatives to prevent behaviors that place elementary through 
college-aged young people at risk for foodborne illness;
    7. Educate and enable managers, leaders, teachers, school food 
service managers, school nurses, and decision makers who are members of 
the national organizations to act individually and collectively to 
support locally determined programs to reduce/manage school foodborne 
illness outbreaks;
    8. Educate and enable families, media, businesses, and others in 
the community to act individually and collectively to support 
coordinated school health programs to reduce/manage school foodborne 
illness outbreaks;
    9. Build the capacity of community agencies and parents to 
establish and/or maintain programs that reduce/manage school foodborne 
illness outbreaks;
    10. Provide technical assistance and training to professionals and 
parents to use proven, effective strategies and programs to prevent 
behaviors that place elementary through college-aged young people at 
risk for foodborne illness.
    11. Participate in national conferences to promote model 
coordinated school food safety programs.
    12. Participate in CDC-planned meetings of national, state, and 
local education agencies and other appropriate agencies to address 
issues and program activities related to improving coordinated school 
health programs; and strengthen the capacity of post-secondary 
institutions and youth-serving agencies to prevent foodborne illness 
through coordinated school food safety programs.

2. CDC Activities

    a. Provide and periodically update information related to the 
purposes or activities of this program announcement.
    b. Coordinate with national, state, and local education, health and 
social service agencies as well as other relevant organizations in 
planning and conducting national strategies designed to prevent 
foodborne illness through coordinated school food safety programs.
    c. Provide programmatic consultation and guidance related to 
program planning, implementation, and evaluation; assessment of program 
objectives; and dissemination of successful strategies, experiences, 
and evaluation reports.
    d. Plan meetings of national, state, and local education agencies 
and other appropriate agencies to address issues and program activities 
related to improving coordinated school health programs; and strengthen 
the capacity of postsecondary institutions and youth-serving agencies 
to prevent foodborne illness through coordinated school food safety 
programs.
    e. Assist in the evaluation of program activities.

E. Application Content

    Use the information in the Purpose, 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 the criteria as you construct your 
program plan. The narrative should be no more than twenty (20) double-
spaced pages, printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced 
font.

1. Background (No More Than 4 Pages)

    a. Describe your organization's current structure (mission, goals 
and its primary constituency). Describe how that structure can support 
school-based food safety programs that are part of a coordinated school 
health program, including the potential role of your organization's 
primary constituency in a school food safety initiative. Identify 
current gaps in the existing structure and implementation of school-
based food safety programs and discuss how your constituency can 
enhance the state and local education agencies' ability to deliver an 
optimal food safety program.
    b. Describe your organization's constituency experience in 
assisting the state education, state health and state agriculture 
departments' current school food safety program. Include in your 
description constituency experience assisting these agencies' use of 
existing protocols, training, and educational materials available from 
the USDA and FDA related to food safety and foodborne illness 
outbreaks. Describe barriers within state and local education agencies 
to effectively reporting foodborne illnesses and outbreaks and indicate 
how your organization and constituency can build that capacity.
    c. Describe your organization's experience in developing and 
implementing policy related to food safety programs and reporting 
school-based foodborne outbreaks. Discuss potential limitations to 
existing policies and describe, if any, the need for new policies that 
address school food safety and the prevention of foodborne illness.
    d. Describe your organization's experience in developing and 
implementing model policy, curricula, training programs, surveillance 
activities, and evaluation protocols. Describe your organization's 
experience providing technical assistance and training.

2. Operational Plan (No More Than 8 Pages)

    a. Provide short-term (1-year) and long-term (3-year) objectives 
for the proposed project that build the capacity of coordinated school 
food safety programs nationwide. The objectives must be specific, time-
phased, measurable, and realistic. The proposed objectives should 
compliment ongoing activities related to ``From Farm to Table: A 
National Food Safety Initiative'' (see the U.S. government food safety 
information gateway website http://www.foodsafety.gov for more 
information on activities related to the National Food Safety 
Initiative).
    b. Submit a plan that proposes first year activities to build the 
capacity of your organization and others to implement a model food 
safety program designed to prevent foodborne illness in schools. 
Include a time-line for the completion of each component or major 
activity that describes who will do what by when. Examples of 
acceptable activities can include, but are not limited to the Recipient 
Activities Described in Section D Program Requirements.

3. Administration and Management (No More Than 2 Pages)

    a. Describe how the proposed professional staff will contribute to 
the overall school food safety program. Describe how the current or 
proposed placement of each staff will assure that program 
implementation among state education, health, and agriculture agencies, 
their affiliates, and partners is coordinated with your organization's 
constituents.
    b. Demonstrate that existing or proposed professional staff have or 
will have the necessary background and qualifications for the proposed 
responsibilities. Indicate how your organization can ensure that for 
each professional working on the project, their position description 
requires the appropriate level of education and experience related to 
the level of responsibility and expected duties. A curriculum vitae (no 
more than two pages for each professional staff) should be included in 
an appendix to the

[[Page 38287]]

application for existing staff who are assigned to this project.
    c. In an appendix to the application, provide an organizational 
chart that identifies lines of communication, accountability, 
reporting, authority, and describes management and control systems 
within your organization.

4. Collaboration (No More Than 2 Pages)

    a. Describe the organization's current collaboration with states' 
health, education, and agricultural departments. Describe your 
organization's collaboration with other federal agencies, national non-
profit organizations, foundations, community-based groups, and others 
who have an interest in or whose mission includes food safety programs, 
whether their efforts are school-based or not. Discuss how your 
collaborative relationship can strengthen this project. Indicate who 
you propose to collaborate with to implement the proposed Operational 
Plan. Include letters of participation and support documenting these 
anticipated collaborations. In particular, describe how the proposed 
activities compliment or build on existing food safety programs.
    b. Describe collaborative activities or anticipated relationships 
with other national organizations who support school-based health 
education programs. Include letters of participation and support 
documenting these anticipated collaborations. In particular, describe 
how your organization can compliment the activities of existing 
national organizations and how their expertise can support this 
proposed project.

5. Evaluation Plan (No More Than 2 Pages)

    Describe plans to evaluate progress in meeting objectives and 
conducting activities during the budget period. Specify what data will 
be obtained and present a plan that includes how the data will be 
obtained, disseminated, and used to improve the program. Indicate in 
the plan who will do what and when.

6. Budget and Justification (No More Than 2 Pages)

    Provide a detailed budget and line-item justification for all 
operating expenses that are consistent with proposed objectives and 
planned activities. The budget should include funds for travel to two 
CDC meetings during the budget year.

F. Submission and Deadline

Application Content

    Submit the original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-
0189). Forms are in the application kit. Submit the application kit on 
or before August 1, 2000, to the Grants Management Specialist (GMS) 
identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of 
this announcement.
    Deadline: Applications will 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. (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 are not 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 evaluation criteria by an independent review group appointed 
by CDC.

1. Background and Need (30 Points)

    a. (10 points) The extent to which the applicant describes the 
current organizational structure, how that structure can support 
school-based food safety programs, and identifies current gaps in the 
existing structure of state agencies that decreases the states' ability 
to deliver an optimal food safety program.
    b. (10 points) The extent to which the applicant discusses barriers 
within states to using existing resources that contribute to the 
prevention of foodborne illnesses, describes experience in assisting 
state education, state health and state agriculture departments' 
current school food safety programs and describes experience assisting 
state agencies' use of existing protocols, training, and educational 
materials.
    c. (5 points) The extent to which the applicant describes 
experience in developing policy related to food safety programs and 
reporting school-based foodborne outbreaks, discusses gaps in the 
existing policy at the state level and discusses a proposal for new 
policy.
    d. (5 points) The extent to which the applicant describes 
experience in developing and implementing model policy, curricula, 
training programs, surveillance activities, and evaluation protocol and 
describes your organization's experience providing technical assistance 
and training.

2. Operational Plan (30 Points)

    a. (15 Points) The extent to which the applicant provides short-
term (1-year) and long-term (3-year) objectives for the proposed 
project that build the capacity of coordinated school food safety 
programs nationwide. The objectives must be specific, time-phased, 
measurable, and realistic. The proposed objectives should compliment 
ongoing activities related to ``From Farm to Table: A National Food 
Safety Initiative'' (see the U.S. government food safety information 
gateway website, http://www.foodsafety.gov, for more information on 
activities related to the National Food Safety Initiative).
    b. (15 points) The extent to which the applicant submits a plan 
that builds the capacity of its constituents and others to assist state 
and local education agencies in establishing a model school food safety 
program designed to prevent foodborne illness and includes a time-line 
for the completion of each component or major activity that describes 
who will do what by when. The extent to which the proposed activities 
are comparable to the identified Recipient Activities Described in 
Section D Program Requirements.

3. Administration and Management (15 Points)

    a. (5 points) The extent to which the applicant provides job 
descriptions for existing and proposed professional positions and 
describes how the proposed professional staff will contribute to the 
overall school food safety program. To the extent to which the 
applicant describes how the current or proposed placement of each staff 
will assure that program implementation among state education, health, 
and agriculture agencies, their affiliates, and partners is coordinated 
with the organization's constituents.
    b. (5 points) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that 
existing or proposed staff have or will have the necessary background 
and qualifications for the proposed responsibilities and indicates how 
the organization can ensure that for each professional working on the 
project, their position description requires the appropriate level of 
education and experience related to the level of responsibility and 
expected duties. The extent to which the applicant provides a 
curriculum

[[Page 38288]]

vitae for existing staff who are assigned to this project.
    c. (5 points) The extent to which the applicant provides an 
organizational chart that identifies lines of communication, 
accountability, reporting, authority, and describes management and 
control systems within the organization and discusses how the proposed 
placement of the project in the organization will increase its 
likelihood of success.

4. Collaboration (20 Points)

    a. (15 points) The extent to which the applicant describes current 
collaboration with states' health, education, and agricultural 
departments, the organization's collaboration with other federal 
agencies, national non-profit organizations, foundations, community-
based groups, and others who have an interest in or whose mission 
includes food safety programs, and discusses how the current 
collaborative relationships can compliment the proposed project. The 
extent to which the applicant indicates proposed collaborative 
relationships that will support the proposed operational plan and 
includes letters of participation and support documenting these 
anticipated collaborations especially with proposed activities.
    b. (5 points) The extent to which the applicant describes 
collaborative activities or anticipated relationships with other 
national organizations who support school-based health education 
programs, and includes letters of participation and support documenting 
these anticipated collaborations. The extent to which the applicant 
describes how the organization can compliment the activities of 
existing organizations and how their expertise can support this 
proposed project.

5. Evaluation Plan (5 Points)

    The extent to which the applicant describes their plan to evaluate 
progress in meeting objectives and conducting activities during the 
budget period including their ability to describe: (1) What data will 
be obtained; (2) how the data will be obtained; (3) how evaluation 
information will be disseminated; (4) how the evaluation data will be 
used to improve the program; and (5) who will implement the evaluation 
plan and when.

6. Budget and Justification (Not Scored)

    The extent to which the budget is reasonable and consistent with 
the purposes and activities of the program.

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    1. Provide CDC with original plus two copies of the progress 
report, submitted on an annual basis and due 90 days after the end of 
the budget period. The progress reports must include the following for 
each program, function, or activity involved:
     A comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives 
established for the period;
     Documentation on why established objectives were not met; 
and
     A summary of the project's annual progress in achieving 
performance measures, which will be developed and established in 
collaboration with CDC during the first budget period.
    2. Provide CDC with original plus two copies of the financial 
status report, no more than 90 days after the end of the budget period.
    3. Final financial and progress reports, no more than 90 days after 
the end of the project period, should be sent to the business 
management contact listed in Section J, ``Where to Obtain Additional 
Information.''
    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-8  Public Health System Reporting Requirement
AR-9  Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11  Healthy People 2010
AR-12  Lobbying Restrictions
AR-14  Accounting System Requirements
AR-15  Proof of Non-Profit Status
AR-20  Conference Support

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under sections 301(a), 311(b) and (c), 
and 317 (k)(2) [42 U.S.C. 241(a), 243(b) and (c), and 247b(K)(2)] of 
the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance number is 93.938.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from: Jesse Robertson, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
PA00109, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 
Brandywine Rd, M/S E18, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-4146, telephone (770) 
488-2747, [email protected].
    This and other CDC announcements can be found on the CDC Homepage 
Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov Also, CDC Guidelines to Promote 
Healthy Eating: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/nutguide.htm and CDC 
Guidelines to Promote Physical Activity: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/physact.htm
    For program technical assistance, contact: Pete Hunt, Chief, School 
Program Section, Program Development and Services Branch, Division of 
Adolescent and School Health, National Center for Chronic Disease 
Prevention and Health Promotion, Announcement 00109, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE MS K31, 
Atlanta, GA 30341, telephone: 770-488-3253, [email protected].

    Dated: June 13, 2000.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-15462 Filed 6-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P