[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35245-35247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16626]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[Program Announcement 01103]


Alaska Traditional Diet Project; Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 
announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2001 funds for a grant 
program for the Alaska Traditional Diet Project. This program addresses 
the ``Healthy People 2010'' focus areas for Environmental Health; 
Maternal, Infant, and Child Health; and Educational and Community-Based 
Programs.
    Congress has directed ATSDR to identify and study contaminants in 
the environment, subsistence resources, and people in Alaska Native 
populations. The scope of the project covers all users of Alaska 
traditional foods, including subsistence, commercial and recreational, 
and does not focus solely on Alaska Native users.
    The purpose of the program is to begin defining the dietary 
consumption patterns of rural Alaska subsistence diet

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users. This dietary information will be used by Alaskans for public 
health data collection. The data collected will support other efforts 
by public health entities in Alaska to better define both the risk of 
exposures to environmental contaminants in the diet and the nutritional 
benefits of the foods. Due to the diversity of lifestyles, cultures, 
and foods harvested in different areas of Alaska, dietary consumption 
data collections must be completed in various regions of Alaska.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to the Alaska Native Health Board. 
No other applications are solicited. The fiscal year 2001 Federal 
appropriations specifically direct ATSDR to study contaminants in the 
environment, subsistence resources, and people in Alaska Native 
populations. The Alaska Native Health Board (ANHB) is uniquely 
qualified to coordinate activities as directed by the congressionally 
appropriated money to ATSDR since it's programs and functions are 
directed by the 22 Alaska Native regional health organizations that 
serve 108,000 Alaska Natives. ANHB's activities have evolved to provide 
statewide support through technical assistance, research, wellness, 
environmental and contaminant programs.

    Note: Title 2 of the United States Code, Chapter 26, Section 
1611 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 $350,000 is available in FY 2001 to fund one 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 one year. Funding estimates may change.

Use of Funds

    Funds may be expended for reasonable program purposes, such as 
personnel, travel, supplies, and services. Funds for contractual 
services may be requested; however, the awardee, as the direct and 
primary recipient of ATSDR grant funds, must perform a substantive role 
in carrying out project activities and not merely serve as a conduit 
for an award to another party or provide funds to an ineligible party. 
Equipment may be purchased with grant funds. However, the equipment 
proposed should be appropriate and reasonable for the research activity 
to be conducted. Property may be acquired only when authorized in the 
grant. The awardee, as part of the application process, should provide 
a justification of need to acquire property, the description, and the 
cost of purchase versus lease. At the completion of the project, the 
equipment will be returned to ATSDR.

D. Program Requirements

    The purpose of the program is to define the dietary consumption 
patterns of rural Alaska subsistence diet users. Data from this grant 
will be utilized by the public health agencies and organizations in 
Alaska, and the Alaska Native health corporations, as they develop a 
coordinated response to contaminant issues in traditional food 
supplies.
    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose and objectives of 
this program, the recipient will be responsible for the following 
activities:
    1. Identify an appropriate Alaska-specific dietary survey. The 
survey (or surveys) should contain a core section that is applicable to 
all Alaska regions and provide for the collection of regional-specific 
information as appropriate.
    2. Establish an ad hoc oversight group to provide advice on the 
identification of regions to be surveyed and to advise on other 
technical aspects on the conduct of the survey.
    3. Conduct training for the staff selected to conduct the survey 
and for staff compiling the data.
    4. Provide education and consultation with the communities selected 
regarding the program throughout the various stages of the survey 
implementation.
    5. Identify regions in Alaska to be surveyed; and complete the 
surveys within the defined populations to include needed seasonal 
variations and complete definition of diets within the regions being 
surveyed. The data collected should also include the amounts of 
traditional foods consumed by Alaska Native villagers and others 
residing in the villages, the portion of the diet that is non-
traditional, seasonal dietary variations, and the methods of 
preservation and preparation of the food items.
    6. Compile the data, extracting the information as appropriate, and 
organizing the results in a database format that can be utilized for 
inter-regional analysis.

E. Application Content

    In a narrative form, the application should include a discussion of 
areas under the ``Evaluation Criteria'' section of this announcement as 
they relate to the proposed program. These criteria serve as the basis 
for evaluating the application; therefore, omissions or incomplete 
information may affect the rating of the application. This program does 
not require in-kind support or matching funds, however, the applicant 
should describe any in-kind support in the application.
    The narrative should be no more than 25 pages, double-spaced, 
printed on one-side, with 1" margins, and unreduced fonts (font size 12 
point) on 8\1/2\" by 11" paper. The pages must be clearly numbered, and 
a complete index to the application and its appendices must be 
included. The original and two copies of the application must be 
submitted unstapled and unbound.

F. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-
0189). Forms are available at the following Internet address: 
www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm, or in the application kit.
    On or before August 15, 2001, submit the application to the Grants 
Management Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional 
Information'' section of this announcement.

G. Evaluation Criteria

    The application will be evaluated against the following criteria by 
an independent review group appointed by ATSDR.

1. Proposed Program (50 percent)

    The extent to which the application addresses:
    (a) The approach, feasibility, adequacy, and rationale of the 
proposed project design;
    (b) the technical merit of the proposed project, including the 
degree to which the project can be expected to yield results that meet 
the program description as described in the purpose and program 
requirements sections of the announcement;
    (c) the proposed project timeline, including clearly established 
project objectives for which progress toward attainment can and will be 
measured;
    (d) the proposed community involvement strategy;
    (e) the proposed method to disseminate the results to the village 
communities and tribal governments, State and local public health 
officials, and other concerned individuals and organizations;
    (f) a plan for evaluating the project's effectiveness in meeting 
the objectives.

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2. Program Personnel (25 percent)

    The extent to which the application has described the 
qualifications, experience, and commitment of the principal 
investigator (or project director) and his/her ability to devote 
adequate time and effort to provide effective leadership.

3. Applicant Capability and Coordination Efforts (25 percent)

    The extent to which the application has described:
    (a) the capability of the applicant's administrative structure to 
foster successful scientific and administrative management of the 
program;
    (b) the capability of the applicant to demonstrate an appropriate 
plan for interaction with the community; and
    (c) the level of collaboration needed to conduct the program; and 
demonstrate that an advisory group can be established at the onset of 
the project.

4. Program Budget--(not scored)

    The extent to which the budget is reasonable, clearly justified, 
and consistent with intended use of cooperative agreement/grant funds.

5. Human Subjects (not scored)

    Does the application adequately address 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. Annual progress report;
    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 Attachment I of the 
announcement in the application kit.

AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11  Healthy People 2010
AR-12  Lobbying Restrictions
AR-18  Cost Recovery--ATSDR
AR-19  Third Party Agreements--ATSDR

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 104 (i)(5)(A) of the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act 
(CERCLA) of 1980 as amended by the Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 [42 U.S.C. 9604 (i)(5)(9A), and 
(15)] and U.S. Senate Report 106-410. The Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance number is 93.161.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other ATSDR announcements can be found on the CDC home 
page Internet address--http://www.cdc.gov. Click on ``Funding'' then 
``Grants and Cooperative Agreements.''
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from:

Nelda Y. Godfrey, 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: 770-488-2722, Email address: [email protected]
For program technical assistance, contact: Leslie C. Campbell, 
Environmental Health Scientist, Division of Health Assessment and 
Consultation, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1600 
Clifton Road, MS E-32, Atlanta, GA 30333, Telephone number: 404-498-
0473, Email address: [email protected]
        or
William Cibulas, Chief, Research Implementation Branch, Division of 
Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1600 
Clifton Road, MS E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333, Telephone number: 404-498-
0715, Email address: [email protected].

    Dated: June 26, 2001.
Georgi Jones,
Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry.
[FR Doc. 01-16626 Filed 7-2-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P