[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 128 (Monday, July 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41076-41078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16718]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 00105]


TB Epidemiologic and Operational Research; Notice of Availability 
of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of Fiscal Year 2000 funds for a new cooperative agreement 
to enhance the capabilities of recipients of state and local 
tuberculosis (TB) elimination and laboratory agreements to conduct TB 
epidemiologic and operational research. This program addresses the 
``Healthy People 2010'' focus areas of Immunization and Infectious 
Diseases. For the conference copy of ``Healthy People 2010'', visit the 
internet site http://www.health.gov/healthypeople
    The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to build capacity at 
state and local health departments to conduct and implement protocol-
driven epidemiologic and operational research. Such actions are 
consistent with recommendations issued by the Advisory Council for the 
Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) calling for decisive actions to: 
Better understand the changing epidemiology of TB to rebuild the public 
health infrastructure; identify challenges and opportunities for TB 
control in an era of changes in health care organizations and delivery; 
recognize the interdependence of global TB and TB in the United States; 
and develop and evaluate new tools for TB diagnosis, treatment and 
prevention. This new cooperative agreement will be awarded to 
successful applicants from state and local health agencies to support 
health department-based investigators with access to patients with 
tuberculosis, latent tuberculosis infection, or recent exposure to 
persons with active tuberculosis (``contacts'') in the implementation 
of protocols for epidemiologic and operational research. Recipients of 
this award will be expected to conduct site-specific epidemiologic and 
operational research activities in TB which rely upon the 
implementation of common, agreed-upon study protocols. Award recipients 
will be expected to successfully compete for one or more of the 
specific TB research projects listed below. Eligible applicants may 
request support for activities under one or more of the following three 
separate focus areas. See Attachments 1-3 in the application kit for 
details under each focus area:
    1. Development of Contact Investigation Self-Evaluation Tools: (See 
Attachment 1): Assist local TB control programs in building local-level 
capacity for evaluation of contact investigation processes by providing 
them with a package of self-evaluation tools. These tools will enable 
programs to systematically assess contact investigation processes and 
target programmatic revisions accordingly. The package will include 
economic evaluation tools to show how program changes will impact 
resource use and outcomes, thus enabling programs to plan 
strategically. The package of tools will be pilot tested to ensure 
usefulness and feasibility. These funds will give state and local 
health departments the ability to develop practical evaluation tools, 
based on the CDC's Recommended Framework for Evaluation, that can be 
used by local TB programs to use local data to evaluate contact 
investigation processes. They will also provide for the development of 
educational support materials to enable local level program staff to 
understand evaluation principles and conduct self-evaluations.
    2. Improving Contact Investigations in Foreign-Born Populations: 
(See Attachment 2) Improve contact identification for foreign-born (FB) 
TB cases. Improve completeness and timeliness of screening for 
identified contacts to FB TB cases. Improve the interpretation of 
screening results for contacts to FB TB cases in [a] the context of 
screening results for US-born contacts to the same cases and [b] using 
serum immunologic profile (IFN-gamma

[[Page 41077]]

and TNF-alpha) and results of skin test screening with non-tuberculous 
mycobacterial antigens to aid interpretation of screening results for 
FB contacts. Improve completion of treatment for latent TB infection 
for FB contacts to pulmonary TB cases. These funds will be used to 
provide information for public health officials and policy makers to 
better understand methods for conducting contact investigations in FB 
populations and will provide improved completeness and timeliness of 
screening, interpretation of screening results, and treatment for 
latent TB infection for FB contacts to pulmonary TB cases.
    3. The Unmeasured Impact of the TB Epidemic on TB Programs in 
Health Departments: (See Attachment 3) Describe the burden of 
investigating, providing diagnostic and treatment services, and 
conducting contact investigations for persons reported as suspect TB 
cases who are not subsequently verified as a TB case using the public 
health surveillance case definition or who are verified as a TB case 
but do not meet the criteria to be included in the area's annual 
morbidity reported to the national TB surveillance system. These funds 
will be used to allow state or local public health departments to 
provide information for public health officials and policy makers to 
better understand the burden of TB suspects and TB patients who are not 
included in annual morbidity TB counts. In addition, they will be used 
to provide a template for approaches to measuring this burden that may 
be useful in other jurisdictions in the future.
    Additional background information and details for each of the three 
focus areas are provided in Attachments 1-3 in the application kit.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Applications for this cooperative agreement award are limited to 
the official public health agencies of States and territories, or their 
bona-fide agents that are current recipients of the Tuberculosis 
Cooperative Awards announced in PA 00001, AND which reported 200 or 
more TB cases in 1999. These sites are the states of Alabama, Arizona, 
California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, 
New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington; the cities of Chicago, 
Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego and San Francisco; and Puerto 
Rico.
    The only additional requirement of eligibility applies to the 
research activity listed in Attachment 2 for ``Improving Contact 
Investigations in Foreign-Born Populations'' which includes a 
requirement that of the reported 200 or more TB cases in 1999, at least 
100 must be among foreign-born persons. Therefore, eligible applicants 
for this cooperative agreement would be the states of Arizona, 
California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, 
Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, 
Virginia, and Washington and the cities of Chicago, New York, Houston, 
Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $1,015,000 is available in FY 2000 to fund 
approximately 13 awards. See Attachments 1--3 for the specific amount 
of funds available in each focus area.
    It is anticipated that awards will begin on or about September 30, 
2000, and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project 
period of up to three years. 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.

Direct Assistance

    Applicants may request Federal personnel, equipment, or supplies as 
direct assistance in lieu of a portion of financial assistance.

Use of Funds

    Categorical funds are awarded for a specifically defined purpose 
and may not be used for any other purpose or program. Funds may be used 
to support personnel and to purchase equipment, supplies, and services 
directly related to project activities. Funds may not be used to 
supplant state or local health department funds or for inpatient care 
or construction of facilities. Funds may not be used to purchase drugs 
for treatment. In addition, recipients must maintain clear audit 
records to insure that the funding awarded under this cooperative 
agreement is used toward the activities under this announcement and 
remains separate from any funding the recipient may be awarded under 
other mechanisms.

Funding Preferences

    Funding preferences for awards under this announcement will be 
given to those applicants who have demonstrated the greatest continued 
achievement of the following National TB Program Objectives:
    1. At least 90 percent of patients with newly diagnosed TB, for 
whom therapy for one year or less is indicated*, will complete therapy 
within 12 months (*please refer to the definitions in ``Reported 
Tuberculosis in the United States, 1997'' for more information). To 
obtain a copy of this report, you may order through the CDC Website 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/ and go to online ordering; or you may 
contact the Communication and Education Branch, Sherry Hussain, 404-
639-8135.
    2. At least 85 percent of infected contacts who are started on 
treatment for latent TB infection will complete therapy.
    3. Completeness of RVCT reporting on HIV status for at least 75 
percent of all newly reported TB cases age 25-44.
    In addition, funding preference will be given to those applicants 
in areas with a high number of TB cases in foreign-born persons and 
other high-risk populations (e.g., HIV-infected persons), and to 
applicants with a high number of culture-positive TB cases reported in 
urban and rural areas.

D. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities listed under 1. 
Recipient Activities, and CDC will be responsible for conducting 
activities listed under 2. CDC Activities. See Attachments 1-3 for 
specific Program Requirements for each focus area.

E. Application Content

    Submit separate and complete narrative and budget sections for each 
specific epidemiologic and operations research focus area addressed. 
For the budget section, submit a separate Form 424A (included in the 
Application Package) and detailed line-item justification for each 
focus area project.
    Applications for each of the focus areas addressed must be 
developed in accordance with PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-0189). 
Pages must be clearly numbered, and a complete index to the application 
and its appendices must be included. The original and each copy of the 
application must be submitted unstapled and unbound. Materials which 
should be part of the basic plan should not be in the appendices.
    Please label each application request clearly. See Attachments 1-3 
for specific application content instructions for each focus area.

[[Page 41078]]

F. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of the application including the 
PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-0189) on or before July 28, 2000 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

    Each application will be evaluated individually against the stated 
criteria by an independent review group appointed by CDC. Evaluation 
Criteria instructions specific to each focus area may be found in 
Attachments 1-3.

H. Other Requirements

    Technical Reporting Requirements: Provide CDC with an original plus 
two copies of:
    1. Annual progress report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period;
    2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period; and
    3. Final financial and performance report, 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 
announcement. For a complete description of each, See Attachment IV in 
the application kit.

AR-1  Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2  Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR-4  HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Provisions
AR-5  HIV Program Review Panel Requirements
AR-7  Executive Order 12372 Review
AR-9  Paperwork Reduction
AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11  Healthy People 2010
AR-12  Lobbying

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 317E of the Public Health 
Service Act, 42 U.S.C. section 42 U.S.C. 247b-6, as amended. The 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.947.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC Announcements can be found on the CDC homepage 
on the Internet address http://www.cdc.gov Click on ``Funding'' then 
``Grants and Cooperative Agreements''.
    To obtain additional information, contact: Carrie Clark, Grants 
Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 
Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-2783, Telephone (770) 
488-2783, E-mail address: [email protected]
    Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from: Juanita 
Elder, 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 27, 2000.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-16718 Filed 6-30-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P