[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 41 (Thursday, March 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12933-12934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4936]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 01021]


Strategies for Improving Health Risk Communication Related to 
Military Deployments Among Military Personnel, Veterans, Their Family 
Members, and Their Health Care Providers; Notice of Availability of 
Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2001 funds for a grant program for 
developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies for improving 
health risk communication related to military deployments among 
military personnel, veterans, their family members, and their health 
care providers. CDC is 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 of Environmental 
Health.
    For a conference copy of the ``Healthy People 2010,'' visit the 
internet site: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
    The purpose of this program is to enhance interagency efforts to 
protect the health of deployed military personnel, veterans, and their 
families through improved health risk communication efforts that are 
timely, understandable, and effective. This should be accomplished 
through the development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies 
for communicating health risk information related to military 
deployments. This may include, but is not limited to the following 
types of studies:
    a. Assessment of optimal strategies, methods or tools for conveying 
health information to deployed military personnel, veterans, their 
families, and their health care providers;
    b. Evaluation of the impact of various health risk communication 
strategies on attitudes regarding risk, knowledge of health issues and 
outcomes, health and illness behaviors, and the prevention of ill-
defined, symptom-based conditions such as those seen among Gulf War 
veterans;
    c. Evaluation of patient and health care provider acceptance and 
attitudes about various risk communication tools and assessment of how 
these tools impact upon patient-provider communication.
    For additional information, see Addendum II of this announcement, 
Background Information.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private nonprofit and 
for-profit organizations and by governments and their agencies; that 
is, universities, colleges, research institutions, hospitals, other 
public and private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, State and 
local governments or their bona fide agents, federally recognized 
Indian tribal governments, Indian tribes, or Indian tribal 
organizations, and small, minority, or women-owned businesses.

    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 $800,000 is available in FY 2001 to fund up to three 
awards. It is expected that the average award will be $260,000, ranging 
from $200,000 to $400,000. It is expected the awards will begin on or 
about September 1, 2001, 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.

Use of Funds

    The budget should include a request for travel funds for key staff 
to participate in at least 3 planning meetings in either Atlanta or 
Washington DC per year (or clearly specify that the organization will 
provide required travel funds from other sources).

D. Program Requirements

    The following are requirements for this program:
    1. Develop and pilot test the study protocol and data collection 
instruments.
    2. Ensure that appropriate cognitive, behavioral, and human factors 
variables are included in the project's experimental design and 
analyses.
    3. Provide time lines for completing all components of the study.
    4. Assure and maintain the confidentiality of all study 
participants.
    5. Conduct the analysis, interpretation, presentation, and 
reporting of the study findings.
    6. Establish appropriate partnerships to ensure the successful 
completion of the study. This may include, but is not limited to, 
partnerships with state or local health departments, community-based or 
professional organizations, local veterans' or military service 
organizations, and other veterans and military groups.

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.

F. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and five copies of PHS-398 (OMB No. 0925-0001. 
(Adhere to instructions in the ERRATA Instruction Sheet for PHS-398). 
Forms are available in the application kit. On or before May 2, 2001, 
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 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

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

1. Background and Need (10 Points)

    The extent to which the applicant has provided adequate background 
information justifying the need for the research, and his or her 
ability to

[[Page 12934]]

conduct this or similar research. This should include the following: 
(a) Description of the scientific basis for the research (including an 
understanding of the role of symptom-based conditions in military and 
civilian populations), identification of the knowledge gaps which the 
research is intended to fill, and the expected outcome of the research; 
(b) description of the problems, complexities, and partnerships that 
will be required to carry out the research; and (c) description of the 
applicant's current and previous experience conducting health risk 
communication research and/or research with military populations and 
their family members.

2. Goals and Objectives (20 Points)

    a. The extent to which the applicant has included goals and 
objectives which are relevant to the purpose of the proposal and 
feasible to be accomplished during the project period, and the extent 
to which the goals and objectives are specific and measurable.
    b. The extent to which the proposed goals and objectives are 
relevant for enhancing federal efforts to improve deployment-related 
health risk communication.

3. Proposed Plan (50 Points)

    a. The extent to which the applicant provides a detailed 
description of proposed activities which are likely to achieve each 
objective and overall program goal. This should include a reasonable 
and complete time line for implementing all activities; designation of 
responsibility for each action undertaken; and a description of data 
management and quality assurance procedures, data analysis plans, and 
methods to evaluate and assess the cognitive, behavioral, and human 
factors aspects of the risk communication activities
    b. The extent to which the applicant has adequately described the 
key communication elements that will form the basis of the research. 
This should include a description of targeted audience(s), plans for 
developing messages and selecting channels for message delivery, 
expected communication objectives, implementation and monitoring plans, 
and methods of evaluation.
    c. The extent to which the applicant documents the establishment of 
internal and external partnerships, the adequacy of plans for 
maintaining these partnerships, the appropriateness of the described 
partners, and the degree to which these partnerships will ensure the 
successful and timely completion of the research. The applicant 
provides meaningful letters of support from identified partners.
    d. The degree to which the applicant has met the CDC policy 
requirements regarding the inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial 
groups in the proposed research. This should include the proposed plan 
for inclusion of both sexes and racial and ethnic minority populations 
for appropriate representation, the proposed justification when 
representation is limited or absent, a statement as to whether the 
design of the study is adequate to measure differences when warranted, 
and a statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and outreach of 
study participants include the process of establishing partnerships 
with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.

4. Management and Staffing Plan (20 Points)

    The extent to which proposed staffing, organizational structure, 
staff experience and background, job descriptions and curricula vitae 
for both proposed and current staff indicate ability to carry out the 
purposes of the research.

5. Budget and Justification (Not Scored)

    The extent to which the budget is reasonable, adequately justified, 
and consistent with the intended use of the grant funds. All budget 
categories should be itemized.

6. Human Subjects (Not Scored)

    The extent to which the applicant adequately addresses the 
requirements of Title 45 CFR Part 46 for the protection of human 
subjects.

H. Other Requirements

    Technical Reporting Requirements:
    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    1. Semi-annual progress reports;
    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 Addendum I in the 
application kit.

AR-1--Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2--Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR-7--Executive Order 12372 Review
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

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under sections 301 and 317 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. sections 241 and 247b, as amended). The 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.283.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements may be downloaded through the CDC 
home page on the internet at: http://www.cdc.gov (click on funding). 
Please refer to Program Announcement Number 01021 when requesting 
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 information may be obtained 
from: Sharron Orum, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, 
Telephone number: 770-488-2716.
    For program technical assistance, contact: Drue H. Barrett, Ph.D., 
Chief, Veterans' Health Activity Working Group, Office of the Director, 
Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center 
for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop E-19, Atlanta, GA 30333, Telephone number: 
404-639-4862, Email address: [email protected]

    Dated: February 23, 2001.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 01-4936 Filed 2-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P