[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16947-16949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7585]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 01035]


Grants for Education Programs in Occupational Safety and Health: 
Training Project Grant for Cross-Cultural Training in the Pacific Rim 
Basin Region; Notice of Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year 2001

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2001 funds for an institutional 
training project grant (TPG) in occupational safety and health. This 
program will support the development of a Pacific Rim Basin focus in 
occupational safety and health. For the purposes of this announcement, 
the areas include Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, Palau, Samoa and the Northern Marianas with collaborative 
activities in countries, such as, Singapore and Taiwan. This program 
addresses the ``Healthy People 2010'' focus 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 of this grant is 
to provide financial assistance to an eligible institution to assist in 
providing an adequate supply of qualified professional occupational 
safety and health personnel to address occupational and environmental 
exposure to toxins in the Pacific Rim Basin. This project will be 
supported as a Long-Term Training Project Grant (TPG).

B. Eligible Applicants

    Any public or private educational or training agency or institution 
with disciplines relevant to the field of occupational safety and 
health and which is located in a state, the District of Columbia, or U. 
S. Territory, is eligible to apply for a training grant.
    Preference will be given to academic institutions in the Pacific 
Rim Basin dealing with transitional economies which expose workers to a 
multitude of new occupational and environmental exposures in a large 
minority population. Transitional economies can be defined as those 
which are moving from traditional types of industries and products to 
newer and diverse industries dominating the marketplace.

    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

    Approximately $250,000 is available in 2001 to fund one award. It 
is expected that the award 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 five years. 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 intended to serve as applicant requirements:
    1. The applicant must document that the program(s) cover an 
occupational safety and health discipline in critical need or meets 
specific regional workforce needs in the Pacific Rim Basin Region. 
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 and multicultural populations. Justification should be provided 
in support of the degree levels proposed for financial assistance.
    2. The types of training currently eligible for support are:
    a. Undergraduate and other pre-baccalaureate training for 
disciplines, such as nursing and psychology, which provide trainees 
with capabilities for positions in business, industry, community 
agencies, government and labor organizations.
    b. Special technical or other programs, such as short-term training 
programs for interdisciplinary training in occupational safety and 
health.
    3. Curriculum content should focus on occupational health of 
workers in multicultural populations. The focus should be on 
occupational/environmental exposures and illness in tropical regions, 
including pesticides and environmental toxins found in farming and 
fisheries. Content should also include the behavioral and social 
aspects of work and work organization. Field experiences should be 
provided, including direct hands on work with exposures and 
environmental agents found in the region. Training plans and curricula 
should be structured and clearly identified for each level of training 
as well as the number of full and part-time students proposed.
    4. Collaborative relationships should be established within the 
university and with external institutions and agencies that work with 
the culturally diverse community to serve as resources for the program 
and to promote education in the occupational health of multicultural 
populations. Examples of collaborating groups could include:
    a. The disciplines of medicine, engineering, safety, nursing, 
business, psychology and others in the behavioral and social sciences.
    b. Industry, labor, the public sector and worker organizations.
    5. The Program Director shall be a full-time faculty member, 
preferably with education and experience in the occupational safety and 
health field. Consultants and adjunct faculty should be available and 
provide needed expertise in the field of occupational safety and 
health.
    6. Key faculty should be full-time faculty with documented 
experience and education in their appropriate fields.
    7. The applicant should include a plan for student recruitment, 
including entrance requirements.
    8. The applicant shall include a plan for evaluation of the 
program, including placement of graduates, tracking of graduates, and 
contributions that graduates are making in providing programs for 
workers and meeting the occupational health and safety needs of 
populations in the region.
    9. An Advisory Committee should be established representing 
stakeholders in occupational safety and health in the Pacific Rim Basin 
region, and should comprise members representing industry, the business 
community, professional groups, the public sector and labor groups.

E. Application Content

Competing Applications

    Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the Program 
Requirements, Other Requirements, and Evaluation

[[Page 16948]]

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, staying within 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 catalogues 
and course brochures. When additional space is needed to complete any 
of the items, use plain white paper (8 \1/2\  x  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 in the upper 
right corner of each page. All pages, including Appendices should be 
numbered consecutively at least \1/2\ in from the bottom of the page.

    Note: Please consult the detailed Recommended Outline for a 
Training Project Grant for Cross-Cultural Training in the Pacific 
Rim Basin Region On the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm

F. Submission and Deadline

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

Application

    Submit the original and two copies of CDC 2.145 A-TPG (OMB Number 
0920-00261). Forms are in the application kit. Forms and instructions 
are also available on the CDC home page http://www.cdc.gov. On or before May 11, 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 by an independent review group appointed by CDC:
    1. The extent of the occupational health and safety needs of 
populations in the Pacific Rim Basin area based on factors such as, a 
transitional economy, the nature of the workforce and workplaces, the 
composition of the population with respect to diverse cultures, and 
unique exposures in tropical climates. Documentation shall be provided 
of the need for training in the program area(s) outlined by the 
application and the contribution this project will make toward meeting 
the need for specialized training in occupational safety and health in 
the region.
    2. Evidence of a plan describing the training program(s) that are 
proposed. Should include a plan for student recruitment, projected 
enrollment, job opportunities, and regional need for programs 
addressing the under-representation of minorities in the occupational 
safety and health field. The goals, elements of the program, faculty 
and amount of effort, facilities and equipment and methods for 
implementing and evaluating the program shall be documented.
    3. Curriculum content and design which should include formalized 
program objectives, minimal course content to achieve degrees, course 
sequence, related courses open to students, time devoted to lecture, 
laboratory and field experience, nature and the interrelationship of 
these educational approaches. Field experiences shall include ongoing 
supervised hands-on experiences as part of the program of study.
    4. Previous records of training in this or related areas, including 
placement of graduates.
    5. The extent to which the program has initiated collaborative 
relationships with internal and external agencies and institutions to 
strengthen its training capabilities.
    6. Methods in use or proposed to evaluate effectiveness of the 
training, including the use of feedback mechanisms from graduates and 
employers, placement of graduates, and reports from cooperative 
activities with other schools and institutions.
    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?
    8. Adequacy of facilities (classrooms, laboratories, library 
services, books, and journal holdings relevant to the program, and 
access to appropriate occupational settings).
    9. Evidence of a plan for establishment of an Advisory Committee, 
including meeting times, members, roles and responsibilities. The 
Committee should meet at least annually to provide advice and periodic 
evaluation of TPG activities.
    10. Evidence of a plan to develop a strategy for evaluating the 
impact that the program has had on the region. Examples could include a 
workforce needs survey, consultation programs provided to address 
regional occupational safety and health problems, a program data base 
to track the contributions of graduates to the occupational safety and 
health field.
    11. 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 and cultural 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.

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 available 
with the application from the Grants Management Specialist.

AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11  Healthy People 2010
AR-12  Lobbying Restrictions

    Data collection initiated under this training grant program has 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Number 0920-
0261. ``Training Grants, Application and Regulations--42 CFR Part 86,'' 
Expiration Date 01/31/2004.

[[Page 16949]]

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)]. Regulations applicable to 
this Program are in 42 CFR 86, ``Grants for Education Programs in 
Occupational Safety and Health''. 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. The address for the CDC home page is: http://www.cdc.gov.
    Please refer to Program Announcement 01035 when you request 
information. To receive additional written information and to request 
application materials 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 assistance may be obtained from: Sonia Rowell, Grants 
Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants 
Office, Announcement 01035, 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: Bernadine Kuchinski, 
Occupational Health Consultant, Office of Extramural Programs, National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Mailstop D-40, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30341, Telephone (404) 639-3342, Email address: 
[email protected]

    Dated: March 21, 2001.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 01-7585 Filed 3-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P