[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15488-15494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6642]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 02001]


Grants for Education Programs in Occupational Safety and Health; 
Notice of Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year 2002

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds for institutional training 
grants in occupational safety and health. This program addresses the 
``Healthy People 2010'' priority area of occupational safety and 
health. The goal of the program is to provide an adequate supply of 
qualified personnel to carry out the purposes of the Occupational 
Safety and Health Act. The specific program objective is to provide 
financial assistance to eligible institutions or agencies to assist in 
providing an adequate supply of qualified professional occupational 
safety and health personnel. Projects are supported for Occupational 
Safety and Health Education and Research Center Training Grants (ERCs) 
and for Long-Term Training Project Grants (TPGs). ERCs are funded 
academic institutions that provide interdisciplinary graduate training 
and continuing education in the industrial hygiene, occupational health 
nursing, occupational medicine, occupational safety, and closely 
related occupational safety and health fields. The ERCs also serve as 
regional resource centers for industry, labor, government, and the 
public. TPGs are funded academic institutions that primarily provide 
single-discipline graduate training in the industrial hygiene, 
occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, occupational 
safety, and closely related occupational safety and health fields.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Any public or private educational or training agency or institution 
that has demonstrated competency in the occupational safety and health 
field and is located in a State, the District of Columbia, or U.S. 
Territory is eligible to apply for an institutional training grant.


    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 and Types of Training Awards

    In FY 2002, a total of approximately $16,200,000 is available for 
award. Approximately $10,280,000 of this total is available for non-
competing continuation awards. Approximately $5,920,000 is available 
for competing continuation or new awards to fund ERC and TPG programs 
as described below:
    1. For ERCs:
    Approximately $5,520,000 of the total funds available will be 
utilized as follows:
    a. Approximately $4,800,000 is available to award seven competing 
continuation or new ERC grants. This includes $280,000 to augment the 
support of occupational medicine residents. Awards range from $400,000 
to $800,000 with the average award being $680,000.
    b. Approximately $480,000 is available to award supplemental funds 
to eight competing continuation or new training grants; four of the 
awards are planned for $240,000 for Hazardous Substance Academic 
Training (HSAT) Programs and four of the awards are planned for 
$240,000 for Hazardous Substance Training (HST) Programs. The awards 
are to support the development and presentation of: continuing 
education and short courses (HST Programs) and academic curricula (HSAT 
Programs) for trainees and professionals engaged in the management of 
hazardous substances. Program support is available for faculty and 
staff salaries, trainee costs, and other costs to provide training and 
education for occupational safety and health and other professional 
personnel engaged in the evaluation, management, and handling of 
hazardous substances.
    c. Approximately $120,000 is available to award supplemental funds 
to two competing continuation or new training grants. These awards will 
support the development of specialized educational programs in 
agricultural safety and health within the existing core disciplines of 
industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, 
and occupational safety.
    d. Approximately $120,000 is available to award supplemental funds 
to two new grants to support the enhancement of the ERC research 
training mission through the support of pilot project research training 
programs. The pilot projects should be related to the National 
Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).
    2. For TPGs:
    Approximately $400,000 of the total funds available will be 
utilized as follows:
    To award approximately six competing continuation or new TPG 
grants. Awards will range from approximately $20,000 to $100,000, with 
the average award being $65,000. This includes $40,000 to augment the 
support of occupational medicine residents. These awards will support 
academic programs in the core disciplines (i.e., industrial hygiene, 
occupational health nursing, occupational/industrial medicine, and 
occupational safety and ergonomics) and relevant components (e.g., 
occupational injury prevention, industrial toxicology, ergonomics). 
These awards are intended to augment the scope, enrollment, and quality 
of training programs rather than to replace

[[Page 15489]]

funds already available for current operations.
    3. It is expected that awards will begin on or about July 1, 2002, 
and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period 
of up to five years. Supplemental awards will be made for a 12-month 
budget period within a project period not to exceed that of the main 
training grant.
    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

    The following are applicant requirements:
    1. An ERC shall be an identifiable organizational unit within the 
sponsoring organization. Applicants must meet the following 
characteristics in order to be considered responsive. If the 
characteristics are not met, the application will be considered non-
responsive and will be returned to the applicant without a review.
    (a) Cooperative arrangements with a: medical school or teaching 
hospital (with an established program in preventive or occupational 
medicine); school of nursing or its equivalent; school of public health 
or its equivalent; or school of engineering or its equivalent. It is 
expected that other schools or departments with relevant disciplines 
and resources shall be represented and shall contribute as appropriate 
to the conduct of the total program, e.g., epidemiology, toxicology, 
biostatistics, environmental health, law, business administration, and 
education. Specific mechanisms to implement the cooperative 
arrangements between departments, schools/colleges, universities, etc., 
shall be demonstrated in order to assure that the intended 
interdisciplinary training and education will be engendered.
    (b) An ERC Director who possesses a demonstrated capacity for 
sustained productivity and leadership in occupational health and safety 
education and training. The Director shall oversee the general 
operation of the ERC Program and shall, to the extent possible, 
directly participate in training activities. A Deputy Director shall be 
responsible for managing the daily administrative duties of the ERC and 
to increase the ERC Director's availability to ERC staff and to the 
public.
    (c) Program Directors who are full-time faculty and professional 
staff representing various disciplines and qualifications relevant to 
occupational safety and health who are capable of planning, 
establishing, and carrying out or administering training projects 
undertaken by the ERC. Each academic program, as well as the continuing 
education and outreach program, shall have a Program Director.
    (d) Faculty and staff with demonstrated training and research 
expertise, appropriate facilities and ongoing training and research 
activities in occupational safety and health areas.
    (e) A program for conducting education and training for four core 
disciplines: occupational physicians, occupational health nurses, 
industrial hygienists, and occupational safety personnel. There shall 
be a minimum of five full-time students or full-time equivalent 
students in each of the core programs, with a goal of a minimum of 30 
full-time students (total in all of core and component programs 
together). ERCs are encouraged to recruit and train minority students 
to help address the under-representation of minorities among the 
occupational safety and health professional workforce. Although it is 
desirable for an ERC to have the full range of core programs, an ERC 
with a minimum of three academic programs of which two are in the core 
disciplines is eligible for support providing it is demonstrated that 
students will be exposed to the principles and issues of all four core 
disciplines. In order to maximize the unique strengths and capabilities 
of institutions, consideration will be given to the development of: new 
and innovative academic programs that are relevant to the occupational 
safety and health field, e.g., ergonomics, industrial toxicology, 
occupational injury prevention, and occupational epidemiology; and to 
innovative technological approaches to training and education. ERCs 
must also document that the program covers an occupational safety and 
health discipline in critical need or meets a specific regional 
workforce need. Each core program curriculum shall include courses from 
non-core categories as well as appropriate clinical rotations and field 
experiences with public health and safety agencies and with labor-
management health and safety groups. Where possible, field experience 
shall involve students representing other disciplines in a manner 
similar to that used in team surveys and other team approaches. ERCs 
should address the importance of providing training and education 
content related to special populations at risk, including minority 
workers and other sub-populations specified in the National 
Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) special populations at risk 
category.
    (f) A specific plan describing how trainees in core and component 
academic programs will be exposed to the principles of all other 
occupational safety and health core and allied disciplines. ERCs that 
apply as a consortium (contracting with other institutional partners) 
generally have geographic, policy and other barriers to achieving this 
ERC characteristic and, therefore, must give special, innovative, 
attention to thoroughly describing the approach for fulfilling 
interdisciplinary interaction between students.
    (g) Demonstrated impact of the ERC on the curriculum taught by 
relevant medical specialties, including family practice, internal 
medicine, dermatology, orthopedics, pathology, radiology, neurology, 
perinatal medicine, psychiatry, etc., and on the curriculum of 
undergraduate, graduate and continuing education of primary core 
disciplines as well as relevant medical specialities and the curriculum 
of other schools such as engineering, business, and law.
    (h) An outreach program to interact with and help other 
institutions or agencies located within the region. Programs shall be 
designed to address regional needs and implement innovative strategies 
for meeting those needs. Partnerships and collaborative relationships 
shall be encouraged between ERCs and TPGs. Programs to address the 
under-representation of minorities among occupational safety and health 
professionals shall be encouraged. Specific efforts should be made to 
conduct outreach activities to develop collaborative training programs 
with academic institutions serving minority and other special 
populations, such as Tribal Colleges and Universities, Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions. 
Examples of outreach activities might include activities such as: 
Interaction with other colleges and schools within the ERC and with 
other universities or institutions in the region to integrate 
occupational safety and health principles and concepts within existing 
curricula (e.g., Colleges of Business Administration, Engineering, 
Architecture, Law, and Arts and Sciences); exchange of occupational 
safety and health faculty among regional educational institutions; 
providing curriculum materials and consultation for curriculum/course 
development in other institutions; use of a visiting faculty program to 
involve labor and management leaders; cooperative and collaborative 
arrangements with professional societies, scientific associations, and 
boards of accreditation, certification, or licensure; and presentation 
of awareness seminars to undergraduate and secondary

[[Page 15490]]

educational institutions (e.g., high school science fairs and career 
days) as well as to labor, management and community associations.
    (i) A specific plan for preparing, distributing and conducting 
courses, seminars and workshops to provide short-term and continuing 
education training courses for physicians, nurses, industrial 
hygienists, safety engineers and other occupational safety and health 
professionals, paraprofessionals and technicians, including personnel 
from labor-management health and safety committees, in the geographical 
region in which the ERC is located. The goal shall be that the training 
be made available to a minimum of 400 trainees per year representing 
all of the above categories of personnel, on an approximate 
proportional basis with emphasis given to providing occupational safety 
and health training to physicians in family practice, as well as 
industrial practice, industrial nurses, and safety engineers. Priority 
shall be given to establishing new and innovative training 
technologies, including distance learning programs and to short-term 
programs designed to prepare a cadre of practitioners in occupational 
safety and health. Where appropriate, it shall be professionally 
acceptable that Continuing Education Units (as approved by appropriate 
professional associations) may be awarded. These courses should be 
structured so that higher educational institutions, public health and 
safety agencies, professional societies or other appropriate agencies 
can utilize them to provide training at the local level to occupational 
health and safety personnel working in the workplace. Further, the ERC 
shall conduct periodic training needs assessments, shall develop a 
specific plan to meet these needs, and shall have demonstrated 
capability for implementing such training directly and through other 
institutions or agencies in the region. The ERC should establish and 
maintain cooperative efforts with labor unions, government agencies, 
and industry trade associations, where appropriate, thus serving as a 
regional resource for addressing the problems of occupational safety 
and health that are faced by State and local governments, labor and 
management.
    (j) A Board of Advisors or Consultants representing the user and 
affected population, including representatives of labor, industry, 
government agencies, academic institutions and professional 
associations, shall be established by the ERC. The Board should meet at 
least annually to advise an ERC Executive Committee and to provide 
periodic evaluation of ERC activities. The Executive Committee shall be 
composed of the ERC Director and Deputy Director, academic Program 
Directors, the Director for Continuing Education and Outreach and 
others whom the ERC Director may appoint to assist in governing the 
internal affairs of the ERC.
    (k) A plan to incorporate research training into all aspects of 
training and, in research institutions, as documented by on-going 
funded research and faculty publications, a defined research training 
plan for training doctoral-level researchers in the occupational safety 
and health field. The plan will include how the ERC intends to 
strengthen existing research training efforts, how it will integrate 
research training activities into the curriculum, field and clinical 
experiences, how it will expand these research activities to have an 
impact on other primarily clinically-oriented disciplines, such as 
nursing and medicine, and how it will build on and utilize existing 
research opportunities in the institution. Each ERC is required to 
identify or develop a minimum of one, preferably more, areas of 
research focus related to work environment problems. Consideration 
shall be given to the CDC/NIOSH priority research areas identified in 
the National Occupational Health Research Agenda (NORA). Further 
information regarding NORA may be found at the CDC/NIOSH home page: 
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh. The research training plan will address how 
students will be instructed and instilled with critical research 
perspectives and skills. This training will emphasize the importance of 
developing and working on interdisciplinary teams appropriate for 
addressing a research issue. It should also prepare students with the 
skill necessary for developing research protocols, pilot studies, 
outreach efforts to transfer research findings into practice, and 
successful research proposals. Such components of research training 
will require the ERCs to strive toward developing the faculty 
composition and administrative infrastructure essential to being 
Centers of Excellence in Occupational Safety and Health Research 
Training that are required to train research leaders of the future. The 
plan should address the incremental growth of such elements and 
evaluation of the plan commensurate with funds available. In addition 
to the research training components, the plan will also include such 
items as specific strategies for obtaining student and faculty funding, 
plans for acquiring equipment, if appropriate, and a plan for 
developing research-oriented faculty.
    1. Evidence in obtaining support from other sources, including 
other Federal grants, support from States and other public agencies, 
and support from the private sector including grants from foundations 
and corporate endowments, chairs, and gifts.
    2. TPG applicants must document that the program covers an 
occupational safety and health discipline in critical need or meets a 
specific regional workforce need. There shall be a minimum of three 
full-time students or full-time equivalent students in each academic 
program. Applicants should address the importance of providing training 
and education content related to special populations at risk, including 
minority and disadvantaged workers. The types of training currently 
eligible for support are:
    (a) Graduate training for practice, teaching, and research careers 
in occupational safety and health. Priority will be given to programs 
producing graduates in areas of greatest occupational safety and health 
need. Strong consideration will be given to the establishment of 
innovative training technologies including distance learning programs.
    (b) Undergraduate and other pre-baccalaureate training providing 
trainees with capabilities for positions in occupational safety and 
health professions.
    (c) Special technical or other programs for long-term training of 
occupational safety and health technicians or specialists.

E. Application Content

    Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the Program 
Requirements, Other Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections 
listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out the program 
plan. The narrative should be no more than 15 pages per program. 
Prepare the application single-sided and single-spaced, staying within 
the margin limitations indicated on the form and continuation pages. 
The print must be clear and legible. Use standard size, black letters 
that can be clearly copied. Do not use photo reduction. Prepare all 
graphs, diagrams, tables, and charts in black ink. The application must 
contain only material that can be photocopied. Do not include course 
catalogue and course brochures. When additional space is needed to 
complete any of the items, use plain white paper (8 \1/2\ by 11 
inches), leave \1/2\ inch margin on each side, identify each item by 
its title, and type the name of the program director and the grant 
number (if the application is a competitive renewal) in the upper right 
corner of each page. All pages,

[[Page 15491]]

including Appendices should be numbered consecutively at least \1/2\ in 
from the bottom edge.

    Note: Please consult the detailed Recommended Outline for 
Preparation of Competing New/Renewal Training Grant Applications 
provided in each application kit (CDC 2.145 A).

F. Submission and Deadline

    Applications should be clearly identified as an application for an 
ERC Training Grant or TPG Training Grant.

Application

    Submit the original and two copies of CDC 2.145 A--ERC or TPG (OMB 
Number 0920-0261). Forms are in the application kit. Forms and 
instructions are also available on the CDC home page: http://www.cdc.gov. On or before July 5, 2001, submit the application to the 
Grants Management Specialist identified in Section J of this 
announcement, ``Where to Obtain Additional Information''.
    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 
following criteria. The initial peer review will be conducted by means 
of a panel meeting or site visit. The purpose of the initial review is 
to obtain basic information regarding elements of the proposed training 
grant program and to provide a technical report as input to the Special 
Emphasis Panel. The final official peer review will be conducted by a 
Special Emphasis Panel appointed by CDC.
    In reviewing ERC grant applications, the evaluation criteria are as 
follows:
    1. Plans to satisfy the regional needs for training in the areas 
outlined by the application, including projected enrollment, 
recruitment and current workforce populations. Special consideration 
should be given to the development of programs addressing the under-
representation of minorities among occupational safety and health 
professionals. Indicators of regional need should include measures 
utilized by the ERC such as previous record of training and placement 
of graduates. The need for supporting students in allied disciplines 
must be specifically justified in terms of user community requirements.
    2. Extent to which arrangements for day-to-day management, 
allocation of funds and cooperative arrangements are designed to 
effectively achieve the ``Characteristics of an Education and Research 
Center'' (see D.1).
    3. The establishment of new and innovative programs and approaches 
to training and education relevant to the occupational safety and 
health field and based on documentation that the program meets specific 
regional workforce needs. In reviewing such proposed programs, 
consideration shall be given to the developing nature of the program 
and its capability to produce graduates who will meet such workforce 
needs.
    4. Extent to which curriculum content and design includes 
formalized training objectives, minimal course content to achieve 
degree, course descriptions, course sequence, additional related 
courses open to occupational safety and health students, time devoted 
to lecture, laboratory and field experience, and the nature of specific 
field and clinical experiences including their relationships with 
didactic programs in the educational process.
    5. Academic training including the number of full-time and part-
time students and graduates for each core and component program, the 
placement of graduates, employment history, and their current location 
by type of institution (academic, industry, labor, etc.). Previous 
continuing education training in each discipline and outreach activity 
and assistance to groups within the ERC region.
    6. Methods in use or proposed methods for evaluating the 
effectiveness of training and outreach including the use of placement 
services and feedback mechanisms from graduates as well as employers, 
innovative strategies for meeting regional needs, critiques from 
continuing education courses, and reports from consultations and 
cooperative activities with other universities, professional 
associations, and other outside agencies.
    7. Competence, experience and training of the ERC Director, the 
Deputy ERC Director, the Program Directors and other professional staff 
in relation to the type and scope of training and education involved.
    8. Institutional commitment to ERC goals. An example of 
institutional commitment to the long-term stability of ERC programs is 
the commitment of tenured or tenure-track faculty positions to each 
participating academic program.
    9. Academic and physical environment in which the training will be 
conducted, including access to appropriate occupational settings.
    10. Appropriateness of the budget required to support each academic 
component of the ERC program, including a separate budget for the 
academic staff's time and effort in continuing education and outreach.
    11. Evidence of the integration of research experience into the 
curriculum, and field and clinical experiences. In institutions seeking 
funds for doctoral and post-doctoral (physician training) level 
research training, evidence of a plan describing the research and 
research training the ERC proposes. This shall include goals, elements 
of the program, research faculty and amount of effort, support faculty, 
facilities and equipment available and needed, and methods for 
implementing and evaluating the program.
    12. Evidence of success in attaining outside support to supplement 
the ERC grant funds including other Federal grants, support from States 
and other public agencies, and support from the private sector 
including grants from foundations and corporate endowments, chairs, and 
gifts.
    13. Evidence of a strategy to evaluate the impact that the ERC and 
its programs have had on the region served by the Center. Examples 
could include a continuing education needs assessment, a workforce 
needs survey, consultation and research programs provided to address 
regional occupational safety and health problems, the impact on primary 
care practice and training, a program graduate data base to track the 
employment history and contributions of graduates to the occupational 
safety and health field, and the cost effectiveness of the program.
    14. Past performance based on evaluation of the most recent CDC/
NIOSH Objective Review Summary Statement and the grant application 
Progress Report(Competing Continuation applications only).
    In reviewing supplements to ERC grants, consideration will be given 
to:
    1. Hazardous Substance Training Program in Education and Research 
Centers--The evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Relevance of the proposed project to each element of the 
characteristics of a hazardous substance training program.

[[Page 15492]]

    b. Comprehensiveness and soundness of the training plan developed 
to carry out the proposed activities. This is based on a documented 
need for the training and evidence to support the approach used to 
provide the required training. It includes description of the scope and 
magnitude of the hazardous substance problem in the region served by 
the ERC and current activities and training efforts.
    c. Education and experience of the Project Director, faculty, and 
staff assigned to this project with respect to handling, managing or 
evaluating hazardous substance sites and to the training of 
professionals in this field.
    d. Creativity and innovation of the project leadership with respect 
to marketing the courses, structure in attracting trainees and/or 
providing incentives for training.
    e. Extent to which the applicant considered the work of relevant 
agencies involved in hazardous substance activities, including EPA, and 
cooperated with these agencies in developing and implementing this 
training program.
    f. Suitability of facilities and equipment available for this 
project.
    g. Appropriateness of the budget to carry out the planned 
activities.
    2. Agricultural Safety and Health Education Programs in Education 
and Research Centers--The evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Evidence of a needs assessment directed to the overall 
contribution of the training program toward meeting the job market, 
especially within the applicant's region, for qualified personnel to 
carry out the purposes of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 
1970. The needs assessment should consider the regional requirements 
for outreach, continuing education, information dissemination and 
special industrial or community training needs that may be peculiar to 
the region.
    b. Evidence of a plan to satisfy the regional needs for training in 
the areas outlined by the application, including projected enrollment, 
recruitment and current workforce populations. The need for supporting 
students in allied disciplines must be specifically justified in terms 
of user community requirements.
    c. The extent to which arrangements for day-to-day management, 
allocation of funds and cooperative arrangements are designed to 
effectively achieve characteristics of an ERC.
    d. The extent to which curriculum content and design includes 
formalized training objectives, minimal course content to achieve 
degree, course descriptions, course sequence, additional related 
courses open to occupational safety and health students, time devoted 
to lecture, laboratory and field experience, and the nature of specific 
field and clinical experiences including their relationships with 
didactic programs in the educational process.
    e. Previous record of academic training in agricultural safety and 
health including the number of full-time and part-time students and 
graduates, the placement of graduates, employment history, and their 
current location by type of institution (academic, industry, labor, 
etc.). Previous record of continuing education training in agricultural 
safety and health and record of outreach activity and assistance to 
agricultural groups within the ERC region.
    f. Methods in use or proposed for evaluating the effectiveness of 
training and services including the use of placement services and 
feedback mechanisms from graduates as well as employers, critiques from 
continuing education courses, and reports from consultations and 
cooperative activities with other universities, professional 
associations, and other outside agencies.
    g. The competence, experience and training of the Program Director 
and other professional staff in relation to the type and scope of 
training and education involved.
    h. Institutional commitment to Center goals.
    i. Academic and physical environment in which the training will be 
conducted, including access to appropriate occupational agricultural 
settings.
    j. Appropriateness of the budget required to support the 
agricultural safety and health education program. This includes the 
budget for the academic program and the continuing education and 
outreach program.
    k. Evidence of a plan describing the agricultural safety and health 
training the Center proposes. This shall include goals, elements of the 
program, faculty and amount of effort, support faculty, facilities and 
equipment available and needed, and methods for implementing and 
evaluating the program.
    l. Evidence of success in attaining outside support to supplement 
the ERC grant funds including other federal grants, support from states 
and other public agencies, and support from the private sector 
including grants from foundations and corporate endowments, chairs, and 
gifts.
    3. Hazardous Substance Academic Training Program in Education and 
Research Centers--The evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Evidence of a needs assessment directed to the overall 
contribution of the proposed training program toward meeting the needs 
of the job market, especially within the applicant's region. The needs 
assessment should consider the regional requirements for hazardous 
substance training, information dissemination and special industrial, 
labor or community training needs that may be peculiar to the region.
    b. Evidence of a plan to satisfy regional needs for training in the 
areas outlined by the application, including Program projected 
enrollment and recruitment and current workforce populations.
    c. The extent to which the HSAT curriculum content and design 
includes: Formalized training objectives; minimal course content to 
achieve a degree or successful completion of the specialty area 
requirements; course descriptions; course sequence; additional related 
courses open to occupational safety and health students; time devoted 
to lecture, laboratory, and field experience; and the nature of 
specific field and clinical experiences including their relationships 
with didactic programs in the educational process.
    d. Previous record of academic and/or short course training 
delivered in the hazardous substances field, including the number and 
type of students trained. Previous record of hazardous substances 
outreach activity and assistance to hazardous substance groups within 
the ERC's region.
    e. Methods in use or proposed for evaluating the effectiveness of 
training and services including the use of placement services and 
feedback mechanisms from graduates as well as employers, student 
evaluations from academic and continuing education courses, and reports 
from consultations and cooperative activities with other universities, 
professional associations, and other outside agencies.
    f. The competence, experience and training of the Program Director 
and other professional staff in relation to the type and scope of 
training and education involved.
    g. Institutional commitment to HSAT Program goals.
    h. Academic and physical environment in which the training will be 
conducted.
    i. Appropriateness of the budget required to support the training 
courses developed, including accounting for the academic staff's time.
    j. Evidence of a plan describing the hazardous substances academic 
training the Center proposes. This shall include goals, elements of the 
program, faculty and amount of effort, support faculty,

[[Page 15493]]

facilities and equipment available and needed, and methods for 
implementing and evaluating the program.
    k. Evidence of success in attaining outside support to supplement 
the ERC grant funds including other federal grants, support from states 
and other public agencies, and support from the private sector 
including grants from foundations and corporate endowments, chairs, and 
gifts.
    l. Extent to which the applicant has collaborated with state and 
federal agencies having hazardous substance management functions, 
including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and has cooperated 
with the agencies in developing and implementing this program.
    4. ERC Supplemental Pilot Project Research Training Programs--The 
evaluation criteria are as follows:
    a. Relevance of the proposed program, including objectives that are 
specific and consistent.
    b. Adequacy of the plan proposed to conduct the pilot projects 
program, including procedures for reviewing and funding projects, the 
scientific review mechanism, program quality assurance. Human 
Subjects--Are the procedures proposed adequate for the protection of 
human subjects and are they fully documented? Are all procedures in 
compliance with applicable published regulations?
    c. Extent to which the applicant demonstrates collaboration with 
other research training institutions in the region, including NIOSH 
Training Project Grantees.
    d. Education and experience of the proposed Research Training 
Program Director and faculty in the occupational safety and health 
field, including the utilization of pilot projects as a research 
training mechanism.
    e. Appropriateness of the proposed budget to carry out the planned 
activities.
    f. Adequacy of the plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the 
proposed pilot projects program.
    g. Gender and minority issues--Are plans to include both sexes and 
minorities and their subgroups adequately developed (as appropriate for 
the scientific goals of the project)? Are strategies included for the 
recruitment and retention of human subjects? (See Attachment 1, AR-2--
Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic Minorities in 
Research.)
    In reviewing TPG applications, the evaluation criteria are as 
follows:
    1. Need for training in the program area outlined by the 
application. This should include documentation of a plan for student 
recruitment, projected enrollment, job opportunities, regional need 
both in quality and quantity, and for programs addressing the under-
representation of minorities in the profession of occupational safety 
and health.
    2. Potential contribution of the project toward meeting the needs 
for graduate or specialized training in occupational safety and health.
    3. The establishment of new and innovative programs and approaches 
to training and education relevant to the occupational safety and 
health field and based on documentation that the program meets specific 
regional workforce needs. In reviewing such proposed programs, 
consideration shall be given to the developing nature of the program 
and its capability to produce graduates who will meet such workforce 
needs.
    4. Curriculum content and design which should include formalized 
program objectives, minimal course content to achieve degree, course 
sequence, related courses open to students, time devoted to lecture, 
laboratory and field experience, nature and the interrelationship of 
these educational approaches. There should also be evidence of 
integration of research experience into the curriculum, and field and 
clinical experiences.
    5. Previous records of training in this or related areas, including 
placement of graduates.
    6. Methods proposed to evaluate effectiveness of the training.
    7. Degree of institutional commitment: Is grant support necessary 
for program initiation or continuation? Will support gradually be 
assumed? Is there related instruction that will go on with or without 
the grant? An example of institutional commitment to the long-term 
stability of TPG programs is the commitment of tenured or tenure-track 
faculty positions to each academic program.
    8. Adequacy of facilities (classrooms, laboratories, library 
services, books, and journal holdings relevant to the program, and 
access to appropriate occupational settings).
    9. Competence, experience, training, time commitment to the program 
and availability of faculty to advise students, faculty/student ratio, 
and teaching loads of the program director and teaching faculty in 
relation to the type and scope of training involved. The program 
director must be a full-time faculty member.
    10. Admission Requirements: Student selection standards and 
procedures, student performance standards and student counseling 
services.
    11. Advisory Committee: Membership, industries and labor groups 
represented; how often they meet; who they advise, role in designing 
curriculum and establishing program need. The Committee should meet at 
least annually to provide advice and periodic evaluation of TPG 
activities.
    12. Evidence of a strategy to evaluate the impact that the program 
has had on the region. Examples could include a workforce needs survey, 
consultation and research programs provided to address regional 
occupational safety and health problems, a program graduate data base 
to track the employment history and contributions of graduates to the 
occupational safety and health field, and the cost effectiveness of the 
program.
    13. Past performance based on evaluation of the most recent CDC/
NIOSH Objective Review Summary Statement and the grant application 
Progress Report(Competing Continuation applications only).

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements
    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    1. Progress reports (annual and may be incorporated as component of 
non-competing continuation applications);
    2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period; and
    3. Final financial status and progress reports, no more than 90 
days after the end of the project period.
    Send all reports to the Grants Management Specialist identified in 
Section J of this announcement, ``Where to Obtain Additional 
Information''.
    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment 1 in the 
application kit.

AR-1*  Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2*  Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research AR-
AR-3*  Animal Subjects Requirements
AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11  Healthy People 2010
AR-12  Lobbying Restrictions

    *=Applies to ERC Supplemental Pilot Project Research Training 
Program applications only.
    Data collection initiated under this training grant program has 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Number 0920-
0261. ``NIOSH Training Grants, 42 CFR part 86, Application and 
Regulations,'' Expiration Date 1/31/2004.

[[Page 15494]]

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 21(a) of the Occupational 
Safety and Health Act [29 U.S.C. 670 (a)]. The Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance number is 93.263.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements are available through the CDC 
homepage 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. Please refer to Program Announcement 
02001 and specify ERC or TPG when you request information. If you have 
questions after reviewing the contents of all the documents, business 
management technical assistance may be obtained from: Sonia V. Rowell, 
Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and 
Grants Office, Announcement 02001, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-
4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2724, Email address: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: John T. Talty, Principal 
Engineer, Office of Extramural Programs, National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 4676 Columbia Parkway, Mailstop C-7, Cincinnati, OH 
45226-1998, Telephone (513) 533-8241, Email address: [email protected].

    Dated: March 12, 2001.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 01-6642 Filed 3-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P