[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 127 (Monday, July 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34941-34942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16534]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 01141]


Developing HIV/AIDS Management and Research Capacity in Uganda: 
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 developing management, evaluation, and research capacity 
for HIV/AIDS programs in Uganda.
    The purpose of this program is to produce public health specialists 
who possess the knowledge, skills, and professional approach required 
to assume HIV/AIDS leadership roles within the public health systems of 
Uganda. This will be accomplished by supporting the provision of 
training through short courses and a fellowship in HIV/AIDS program 
management and evaluation and in HIV/AIDS research in Uganda. The 
fellowship will also improve communication among the country's AIDS 
specialists, encouraging future collaboration and information-sharing. 
In general, the development of well-trained specialists will help to 
assure that the country meets, in a self-reliant manner, the current 
and future challenges that HIV/AIDS presents to public health in 
Uganda.
    The U.S. Government seeks to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in 
specific countries within sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas 
through its Leadership and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic (LIFE) 
initiative. Through this LIFE program, CDC has initiated its Global 
AIDS Program (GAP) to strengthen capacity and expand activities in the 
areas of (1) HIV primary prevention; (2) HIV care, support, and 
treatment; and (3) capacity and infrastructure development. Targeted 
countries represent those with the most severe epidemics and the 
highest number of new infections. They also represent countries where 
the potential for impact is greatest and where U.S. Government agencies 
are already active. Uganda is one of these targeted countries.
    Uganda has been a global leader in the development of programs to 
combat the spread of HIV. Despite intensive interventions and reduced 
HIV incidence, however, incidence and prevalence rates of HIV infection 
are still unacceptably high. It is estimated that 1,500,000 people (7-8 
percent of the adult population) in Uganda are living with HIV. In 
addition, Uganda's success in developing these innovative HIV/AIDS 
intervention programs has generated a strong demand for people with the 
time and skills to manage and evaluate the programs and to conduct 
high-level HIV/AIDS research. Currently, the supply of qualified people 
able to devote all of their time to HIV/AIDS program management or HIV/
AIDS research is limited; persons running HIV programs are often too 
involved with day-to-day activities to be able to stay abreast of 
issues related to the multiple aspects of the HIV epidemic or to meet 
all of the daily management demands created by the new programs. The 
availability of training in HIV/AIDS-specific program management and 
research to meet this demand is also limited in Uganda. In fact, no 
systematic public health training specifically oriented towards HIV/
AIDS is currently offered in Uganda.
    Establishing a core group of well-trained experts in the various 
aspects of HIV/AIDS will expand the country's capacity in HIV/AIDS 
programs and research and will provide much-needed cross-fertilization 
of disciplines.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to the Institute of Public Health 
(IPH) at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. No other applications 
are solicited.
    The Institute of Public Health at Makerere University is the most 
appropriate and qualified organization for conducting activities under 
this program, because it is the only public health education facility 
in Uganda with the resources necessary to adequately train the 
participants of this fellowship. This unique capability is partly due 
to its Masters in Public Health (MPH) program, which the University has 
offered since 1994. This ``Public Health School Without Walls 
(PHSWOW)'' provides both classroom and field-based experiences for 
their MPH students during the two-year curriculum. IPH also has 
previous experience in offering short courses in health program 
management for middle-level managers as part of its public health 
curriculum.
    Additional important and unique resources include fourteen staff 
members specializing in relevant fields of public health, on-line 
access to databases on CD-ROM, a data management center equipped with 
ten computers that have word processing and statistical programs, and 
Internet connectivity with unlimited access for students.

A. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $700,000 is available in FY 2001 to fund this award. 
It is expected that the award will begin on or about September 30, 
2001, and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project 
period of up to five 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.
    All requests for funds, including the budget contained in the 
application,

[[Page 34942]]

shall be stated in U.S. dollars. Once an award is made, the Department 
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will not compensate foreign 
grantees for currency exchange fluctuations through the issuance of 
supplemental awards.

Use of Funds

    Funds awarded through this announcement may be used for salaries, 
equipment, supplies, travel, and other costs required to run the 
fellowship and courses.
    Funds may not be used for major capital expenditures, such as a 
large volume purchase of computers and data storage systems. 
Additionally, funds may not be used for the direct purchase of 
antiretroviral drugs for treatment of established HIV infection.
    Funds received from this announcement will not be used for the 
purchase of antiretroviral drugs for treatment of established HIV 
infection, occupational exposures, and non-occupational exposures and 
will not be used for the purchase of machines and reagents to conduct 
the necessary laboratory monitoring for patient care.
    No funds appropriated under this Act shall be used to carry out any 
program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic 
injection of any illegal drug.
    Applicants may contract with other organizations under these 
cooperative agreements, however, applicants must perform a substantial 
portion of the activities including program management and operations 
and delivery of prevention services for which funds are requested.
    The costs that are generally allowable in grants to domestic 
organizations are likewise allowable to foreign institutions and 
international organizations, with the following exceptions:
    A. Alterations and Renovations: Unallowable.
    B. Customs and Import Duties: Unallowable. This includes consular 
fees, customs surtax, value added taxes, and other related charges.
    C. Indirect Costs: With the exception of the American University, 
Beirut, the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and the World Health 
Organization, indirect costs will not be paid (either directly or 
through a sub-award) to organizations located outside the territorial 
limits of the United States or to international organizations 
regardless of their location.

D. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 0920-
0428). Forms are available in the application kit and at the following 
Internet address: www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm.
    On or before July 25, 2001, submit an electronic or hard copy of 
the application to the Grants Management Specialist identified in the 
``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of this 
announcement. If you choose to submit your application electronically, 
you should submit hard copies of your application on or before August 
9, 2001.
    Deadline: Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline 
if they are either:
    1. Received on or before the deadline date; or
    2. Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
submission to the independent review group.
    Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria 1. 
or 2. above will be returned to the applicant.

E. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements can be found on the CDC home page 
Internet address--http://www.cdc.gov Click on ``Funding'' then ``Grants 
and Cooperative Agreements.''
    To obtain additional information, contact: Dorimar Rosado, Grants 
Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Room 3000 MS-15 Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2782 
Email: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Jonathan Mermin, MD, 
MPH, Global AIDS Program (GAP), Uganda Country Team, National Center 
for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda, Telephone: 41-320-776, 
Email: [email protected].

    Dated: June 26, 2001.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 01-16534 Filed 6-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P