[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40318-40320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14681]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Maternal and Child Health Federal Set-Aside Program; Special 
Projects of Regional and National Significance; National Child Death 
Review Resource Center Demonstration Program

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that approximately $300,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds is

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available to fund a single competitive cooperative agreement to 
demonstrate the effectiveness of a National Child Death Review Resource 
Center (NCDRRC). The NCDRRC will assist States and localities in using 
the Child Death Review (CDR) process to promote improved health 
services delivery and risk reduction and public health prevention 
programs.
    Eligibility is open to any public or private entity, including an 
Indian tribe or tribal organization (as defined at 25 U.S.C. 450(b)). 
Awards will be made under the program authority of section 501(a)(2) of 
the Social Security Act, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Federal 
Set-Aside Program (42 USC 701(a)(2)), or ``SPRANS.'' Funds for this 
award were appropriated under Public Law 107-116. The award will be 
made for a period of three years. Additional funding of up to $300,000 
annually in the second and third years is contingent on the 
availability of funds and grantee performance. No matching funds are 
required.

DATES: Applicants for this program are requested to notify the Maternal 
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) by June 25, 2002. Notification of intent 
to apply can be made in one of three ways: telephone: 301-443-2250; e-
mail [email protected]; mail, MCHB, HRSA; Division of Child, Adolescent 
and Family Health, Parklawn Building, Room 18A-39; 5600 Fishers Lane; 
Rockville, MD 20857. The deadline for receipt of applications is August 
2, 2002. Applications will be considered ``on time'' if they are either 
received at the HRSA Grants Application Center on or before the 
deadline date or postmarked on or before the deadline date. The 
projected award date is September 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: To receive a complete application kit which includes the 
number of copies of the application to be submitted and instructions on 
how to fill-out the application form, applicants may telephone the HRSA 
Grants Application Center at 1-877-477-2123 (1-877-HRSA-123) beginning 
June 1, 2002, or register on-line at: http://www.hrsa.gov/, or by 
accessing http://www.hrsa.gov/g_order3.htm directly. This program uses 
the standard Form PHS 5161-1 (rev. 7/00) for applications (approved 
under OMB No. 0920-0428). Applicants must use the Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 93.110 when requesting application 
materials. The CFDA is a Government wide compendium of enumerated 
Federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide 
assistance. All applications should be mailed: HRSA Grants Application 
Center, 901 Russell Avenue, Suite 450, Gaithersburg MD, telephone: 1-
877-HRSA-123 (477-2123), e-mail: [email protected].
    This application guidance and the required form for the NCDRRC 
Demonstration Program may also be downloaded in either WordPerfect 6.1 
or Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf) from the MCHB home page at http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/. Please contact Joni Johns at 301-443-2088 or 
[email protected]/, if you need technical assistance in accessing the 
MCHB home page via the Internet.
    This announcement will appear on the HRSA home page at: http://www.hrsa.gov/. Federal Register notices can be accessed electronically 
by following instructions at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Heppel or Peter Conway, 301-443-
2250, e-mail: [email protected] (for questions specific to project 
activities of the program, program objectives, or the Letter of Intent 
described above); and Curtis Colston, 301-443-1440; e-mail, 
[email protected] (for grants policy, budgetary, and business 
questions).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Background and Objectives

    For more than a decade the Maternal and Child Health Bureau has 
been deeply involved in supporting States and localities in the process 
of conducting Fetal and Infant Mortality Reviews (FIMR). A significant 
component of that support has been through the establishment of a 
National Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Resource Center. The intent 
of NCDRRC is to establish a similar resource center for CDR, to assist 
States and localities in examining factors contributing to poor child 
health outcomes from a broad public health perspective.
    CDR is a community-based action process aimed at helping 
communities identify and solve problems contributing to poor child 
health outcomes. Specifically, using death as a sentinel event, CDR 
involves a systematic examination of personal characteristics such as 
age, race/ethnicity, and gender, and factors that play a role in death, 
integrating information about the health and safety of individuals with 
information descriptive of medical care and community health and 
social/welfare systems.
    Information from the CDR process can then be used to focus planning 
and policy development, to direct health systems development, and to 
enhance efforts to develop and maintain risk reduction and prevention 
programs for children. The CDR process enhances the ability of State 
and local health departments to carry out the core public health 
functions of assessment, policy development, and quality assurance.
    The CDR process, while focused on death, also has the potential to 
be adapted for use in examining nonfatal adverse events affecting 
maternal and child health and safety. A few States have begun to expand 
into this broader area.

Authorization

    Section 501(a)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701(a)(2)).

Purpose

    The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to demonstrate the 
effectiveness of developing an NCDRRC to assist States and localities 
in using the CDR process to promote improved health services delivery 
and risk reduction and public health prevention programs. Specifically, 
this cooperative agreement will determine how an NCDRRC could:
    (1) Serve as a technical support to States, particularly State 
Title V agencies, and communities as they develop, implement, and 
sustain CDR as a community-based process to assess and improve services 
and systems for children and adolescents;
    (2) Refine the methodology for CDR through continuous assessment of 
the state of the field, trends, and feedback from States and 
communities;
    (3) Support expanded use of the CDR process to address other 
adverse events (e.g., morbidity) affecting the MCH population, and
    (4) Promote collaboration with other MCH related mortality/
morbidity review processes to increase effectiveness and reduce 
duplication of effort.

Eligibility

    Under SPRANS project grant regulations at 42 CFR 51a.3, any public 
or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal organization (as 
defined at 25 U.S.C. 450(b)), is eligible to apply for grants and 
cooperative agreements covered by this announcement. Under the 
President's initiative, community-based and faith-based organizations 
that are otherwise eligible and believe they can contribute to HRSA's 
program objectives are urged to consider this initiative.

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Funding Levels/Project Periods

    The administrative and funding instrument to be used for the NCDRRC 
will be a cooperative agreement, in which substantial MCHB scientific 
and/or programmatic involvement with the awardee is anticipated during 
the performance of the project. Under the terms of this cooperative 
agreement, in addition to the required monitoring and technical 
assistance, Federal responsibilities will include:
    (1) Participation in meetings conducted during the period of the 
cooperative agreement.
    (2) Ongoing review of activities and procedures to be established 
and implemented.
    (3) Review of project information prior to dissemination.
    (4) Review of information on project activities.
    (5) Assistance with the establishment of contacts with Federal and 
State agencies, MCHB grant projects, and other contacts that may be 
relevant to the project's mission; and referrals to these agencies.
    One project will be approved for three years. Up to $300,000 in 
fiscal year 2002 funds will be used to fund the first year. Additional 
funding of up to $300,000 annually in years two and three will be 
contingent on the availability of funds, and grantee performance.

Review Criteria

    Applications that are complete and responsive to the guidance will 
be evaluated by an objective review panel specifically convened for 
this solicitation and in accordance with HRSA grants management 
policies and procedures.
    Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:

1. Knowledge and Understanding of the Issues relating to CDR (Weight: 
20%)

     The degree of understanding of the beginnings of CDR and 
the evolution of the CDR process as a public health model
     The degree of thoroughness in describing the CDR process 
and the challenges involved in creating and sustaining it in States and 
localities
     The extent of applicant knowledge of community-based 
systems in child and adolescent health and safety
     The extent of applicant knowledge of the individuals and 
organizations involved in the CDR process and the relationship of CDR 
and FIMR

2. Soundness and Adequacy of Project Plan (Weight: 30%)

     The extent to which the project objectives address the 
program purpose and are measurable, time-framed, and appropriate in 
relation to both the program requirements and identified needs.
     The degree to which the program areas outlined in the 
grant guidance have been addressed, prioritized and justified.
     The quality and feasibility of the project plan or 
methodology and its relation to the project's goals and objectives.
     The extent to which the proposed approach identifies the 
resources that will be used to implement the strategies.
     The degree to which the approaches are technically sound 
and appropriate to the project goals and objectives.

3. Soundness of Evaluation Plan (Weight: 10%)

     The soundness of the plan for evaluating the process and 
outcome of this project.
     The extent to which the applicant describes how the 
project staff will determine the degree to which proposed activities 
are being successfully conducted and completed, based on the objectives 
outlined.

4. Applicant's Capability and Capacity (Weight: 30%)

     The extent to which the applicant has demonstrated 
expertise and its capability to oversee and successfully carry out the 
project.
     Evidence that a sufficient number of project personnel and 
resources are proposed. Biographical sketches/curricula vitae document 
education, skills and experience that are relevant and necessary for 
the proposed project.

5. Appropriateness of Budget (Weight: 10%)

     The extent to which the proposed budget is realistic, 
adequately justified, and consistent with the proposed project plan.
     The extent to which the costs of administration and 
monitoring/evaluation are reasonable and proportionate to the costs of 
service provision.
     The degree to which the costs of the proposed project are 
economical in relational to the proposed service utilization.
    Additional criteria may be used to review and rank applications for 
this competition. Any such criteria will be identified in the program 
guidance included in the application kit. Applicants should pay strict 
attention to addressing these criteria, in addition to those referenced 
above. Also, to the extent that regulatory review criteria generally 
applicable to all Title V programs (at 42 CFR 51a) are relevant to this 
specific project, such factors will be taken into account.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    OMB approval for any data collection in connection with this 
cooperative agreement will be sought, as required under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.

Executive Order 12372

    The MCH Federal Set-Aside program has been determined to be a 
program which is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 
concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs.

    Dated: May 16, 2002.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-14681 Filed 6-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P