[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 41 (Thursday, March 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12935-12937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4937]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement Number 01030]


Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance; 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 cooperative agreement 
program for Central Nervous System Injury Surveillance activities, 
consisting of the following parts: Core Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 
Surveillance (Part A); and Enhanced TBI Surveillance (Part B). This 
Program addresses the ``Healthy People 2010'' focus areas for Injury 
and Violence Prevention. The purpose of the program is to develop and 
sustain injury surveillance programs with a focus on central nervous 
system injuries, particularly TBI. The goal of this program is to 
produce data of demonstrated quality that will (a) be useful to State 
injury prevention and control programs and (b) enable national 
estimates of TBI incidence and public health consequences.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to the official public health 
departments of States or their bona fide agents, including the District 
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, 
federally recognized Indian tribal governments, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of 
Palau.
    Applicants must submit one application for either Part A alone or 
for Parts A and B combined. Applicants cannot apply for Part B only. To 
be eligible, all applicants must provide evidence of: (a) An existing 
statewide population-based surveillance system for TBI-related 
hospitalizations and deaths, (b) the availability of at least one year 
of data from the TBI surveillance system (describing cases occurring in 
calendar year 1998 or 1999), and (c) existing legislation and/or 
regulations that support current collection of necessary TBI data. 
Applications that fail to submit evidence of (a), (b), and (c) will be 
considered non-responsive and will be returned without review.

    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 $1,350,000 is available in FY 2001 to fund 
approximately 12 awards:
    Part A: Core TBI Surveillance--Approximately $960,000 is available 
to fund approximately 12 awards. It is expected that the average award 
will be $80,000. It is expected that the awards will begin on or about 
August 1, 2001, and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a 
project period of up to 3 years. Funding estimates may change.
    Part B: Enhanced TBI Surveillance--Approximately $390,000 is 
available to fund approximately 6 of the 12 above (Part A). It is 
expected that the average additional award will be $65,000. It is 
expected that the awards will begin on or about August 1, 2001, and 
will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period of up 
to 3 years. Funding estimates may change.
    Applicants must be approved for part A in order to be eligible to 
receive part B funding.
    Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made 
on the basis of satisfactory progress, as evidenced by required 
reports, and on the availability of funds.

    Note: Funds awarded may not be used to supplant funds available 
from other sources to the recipient to conduct similar activities. 
Funding may not be used to provide patient care or management. Funds 
are not to be used for construction purposes or for rental of office 
space or for the purchase or rental of furniture or vehicles.

Funding Preferences

    During the selection process, CDC may attempt to ensure a balanced 
geographic distribution of funded TBI surveillance projects.

D. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1. and 2. 
(Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for the activities 
listed under 3. (CDC Activities).
    1. Recipient Activities for Part A (all recipients):
    a. Conduct statewide surveillance of TBI, consistent with standard 
definitions and methods for core surveillance, described in the current 
CDC Guidelines for Central Nervous System Injury Surveillance. This 
includes linking and unduplicating data obtained from State vital 
records (death certificates and/or multiple-cause-of-death data) and 
statewide hospital discharge data (or equivalent data), including data 
elements that describe diagnosis, demographics, external cause, and 
survival status.
    b. Conduct yearly evaluations of the surveillance system to assess 
the predictive value positive and sensitivity of case ascertainment as 
well as the completeness and validity of the data collected.
    c. Analyze and interpret collected data.
    d. Link surveillance activities and findings to State injury 
prevention and control activities, including CDC Core State Injury 
Surveillance and Program Development, where applicable.
    e. Provide representative(s) to CDC-sponsored meetings for 
Cooperative Agreement recipients.
    2. Additional Recipient Activities for Part B:
    a. Review medical records to obtain data for additional variables 
(e.g., ``optional'' variables described in the CDC Guidelines), that 
address severity of injury, circumstances and etiology of injury, and 
early outcome of injury, in a large representative sample (e.g., n  
1000) of reported cases of TBI-related hospitalization.
    b. Analyze and interpret collected data.
    3. CDC Activities:
    a. Provide technical assistance, if necessary, for effective 
project planning and management.
    b. Provide technical assistance to evaluate the surveillance system 
for completeness and validity.
    c. Facilitate communication/coordination among States to improve 
efficiency of activities and quality of data.
    d. Coordinate meetings for Cooperative Agreement recipients, to be 
held annually.

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 proposal narrative (excluding budget narrative and any 
appendices) should be no more than 25 double-spaced pages for Part A, 
or an additional 10-15 pages if also applying for Part B, printed on 
one side with one inch margins, and no smaller than 12-point font. If 
applying for Parts A and B, include a separate budget and narratives 
that are clearly identified as ``Part A'' and ``Part B.'' Number each 
page consecutively and provide a complete

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table of contents. The entire application with appendices should be no 
longer than 70 pages total.
    Applications should include:
    1. Executive Summary (one page, may be single spaced): This section 
(used to determine eligibility) should briefly summarize:
    a. amount of federal assistance requested in dollar amounts for 
Part A and, if applicable, Part B.
    b. existing capacity, i.e., (a) the existence of a statewide 
population-based surveillance system for TBI-related hospitalizations 
and deaths, (b) the most recent year for which data from the TBI 
surveillance system have been analyzed, and (c) existing legislation 
and/or regulations that support current collection of necessary TBI 
data.
    c. major objectives and activities proposed.
    2. Application Narrative:
    a. Introduction, review of the literature, and statement of need.
    b. Existing TBI surveillance program and capacity.
    c. Proposed goals and objectives.
    d. Proposed methods and activities.
    e. Project management and project staff.
    f. Proposed methods to evaluate the attainment of objectives.
    g. Description of capacity, methods, activities, and staff specific 
to Part B, if applicable.
    h. Budget narrative, including justification for all proposed 
expenditures. If applying for part B, submit a separate budget.

F. Submission and Deadline

Letter of Intent (LOI)

    Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that 
includes the number and title of the announcement, a descriptive title 
of the proposed program, the name, address, and telephone number of the 
Principal Investigator and whether applying for Part A only or Parts A 
and B. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and 
is not used in the review of an application, the information that it 
contains is used to estimate the potential review workload and avoid 
any potential conflict of interest in the review. The letter of intent 
should be submitted on or before April 2, 2001 to the Grants Management 
Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' 
section of this announcement.
    Application: Submit the original and 2 copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB 
Number 0937-0189). Forms are 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 
submission to the objective review panel. (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 and scored individually by an 
objective review panel. All applications will be evaluated and scored 
first for Part A and subsequently, where applicable, for Part B.
    Evaluations and scoring for Part A will be conducted according to 
the following criteria:

1. Review of Literature and Statement of Need: (5 Points)

    Consistent with this Program Announcement, the extent to which the 
applicant reviews key literature relevant to the proposed project, and 
the extent to which the applicant describes needs within the 
jurisdiction to which the applications are responsive.

2. Existing TBI Surveillance Program and Capacity: (20 Points)

    The extent to which the applicant demonstrates authority to collect 
and maintain necessary TBI surveillance data. The extent to which the 
applicant describes an effective existing TBI surveillance system whose 
methods, including case definitions, are consistent with CDC 
Guidelines, with demonstrated timeliness of case ascertainment, 
completeness of case ascertainment, and ability to analyze data. The 
extent to which the applicant provides evidence of successful TBI 
surveillance activities, including:
    a. a summary of current (i.e., 1998 or 1999) TBI morbidity and 
mortality data analyzed by age, sex, and cause;
    b. an evaluation of TBI surveillance data quality (e.g., predictive 
value positive, completeness, timeliness).
3. Goals and Objectives: (10 Points)
    The extent to which objectives are specific, achievable, practical, 
measurable, time-linked, and consistent with the overall purposes 
described in this announcement.

4. Methods and Activities: (35 Points)

    The extent to which the proposed methods and activities can achieve 
the proposed objectives, consistent with the purposes of this 
announcement. The extent to which clear explanations of appropriate 
methods addressing case ascertainment and data collection, TBI case 
definition(s), data elements, sources and availability of data, 
protection of confidentiality, and data processing and analysis.

5. Management and Staffing: (20 Points)

    The extent to which the staffing plan indicates the applicant's 
ability to carry out the objectives of the program. Considerations 
include: organizational structure, staff qualifications, experience, 
degree of stability maintaining current staff in critical positions, 
identified training needs or plan, and job descriptions and curricula 
vitae for both proposed and current staff. Also, the extent to which 
the applicant plans to coordinate activities with any other injury 
surveillance, prevention, and control programs or activities in the 
applicant's organizations.

6. Evaluation: (10 Points)

    The degree to which the applicant includes plans to evaluate the 
attainment of proposed objectives, including plans to evaluate the 
sensitivity and predictive value positive of case ascertainment and the 
completeness and quality of data.

7. Budget and Justification: (Not Scored)

    The extent to which the budget is reasonable, clearly justified, 
and consistent with stated objectives and proposed activities.
    Part B will be evaluated and scored according to the following 
criteria:

1. Existing Capacity for Enhanced TBI Surveillance: (30 Points)

    The extent to which the applicant demonstrates appropriate existing 
capacity to collect and analyze optional data (e.g., describing TBI 
severity, circumstances, and early outcome) from a representative 
sample of cases reported to the TBI surveillance system.

2. Methods for Enhanced TBI Surveillance: (70 Points)

    The extent to which the applicant proposes appropriate methods and

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activities to collect and analyze optional data consistent with the 
Program Requirements for Part B, including sampling methods and 
proposed staffing.

3. Budget and Justification: (Not Scored)

    The extent to which the budget is reasonable, clearly justified, 
and consistent with stated objectives and proposed activities.

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus 2 copies of:
    1. Semi-annual progress reports.
    2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period.
    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.
    For descriptions of the following Other Requirements, see 
Attachment I in the application package:

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-13--Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control 
Activities
AR-21--Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under sections 301(a), 317(k)(2), 391, 
392, 393A, 394, and 394A [42 U.S.C. 241(a), 247b(k)(2), 280b, 280b-1, 
280b-2, 280b-3] of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements are available through the CDC home 
page on the Internet at: http://www.cdc.gov. 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 assistance may be obtained from: Angie 
Nation, Grants Management Specialist, Announcement #01030, Grants 
Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Suite 3000, Atlanta, GA 
30341-4146, Telephone number (770) 488-2719, Email address: 
[email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Renee Johnson, MSPH, CDC 
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Highway, 
NE, Mailstop F41, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, Telephone (770) 488-4031, 
Email address: [email protected].
    For a copy of the CDC Guidelines for Central Nervous System Injury 
Surveillance, contact: Patricia Allen, CDC National Center for Injury 
Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop F41, Atlanta, 
GA 30341-3724, Telephone (770) 488-4031, Email address: [email protected].
    CDC does not guarantee to accept or justify its nonacceptance of 
recommendations that are received more than 60 days after the 
application deadline.

    Dated: February 23, 2001.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 01-4937 Filed 2-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P