[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40307-40308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14727]



[[Page 40307]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 02108]


The Recurrence of Neural Tube Defects Affected Pregnancies 
Educational and Prevention Program Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program for the support of a prevention recurrence program for neural 
tube defects (NTDs). This program addresses the ``Healthy People 2010'' 
focus area of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
    The purpose of the program is to prevent the recurrence of 
pregnancies affected by NTDs by increasing maternal preconceptional and 
periconceptional use of folic acid supplementation through a program 
targeting women who have had at least one such pregnancy. This program 
will improve the knowledge and awareness of health care providers, and 
women of reproductive age about reducing birth defects by promoting the 
use of folic acid.
    Quantitative and measurable outcomes of the program will be in 
alignment with the performance goal to increase consumption of folic 
acid among women of reproductive age to prevent serious birth defects.

B. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under Sections 301, 311, and 317(C) of 
the Public Health Service Act, (42 U.S.C. Sections 241, 243 and 247b-
4), as amended. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 
93.184.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to applicants that are well-
established national, nonprofit organizations with experience in the 
development of health education strategies targeting women that are at 
risk of having a NTD-affected pregnancy and educating health care 
providers about the relationship between folic acid and NTDs, 
specifically spina bifida.
    To be eligible, applicants must:
    1. Demonstrate that the organization's mission is explicitly 
committed to the prevention of NTDs specifically spina bifida, and this 
may be demonstrated by submission of the charter, articles of 
incorporation, or other governing documents.
    2. Demonstrate that the organization is a nonprofit and recognized 
as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and 
this may be demonstrated through inclusion of your Internal Revenue 
Service determination letter.
    3. Demonstrate the organization has the capacity and experience 
providing health education to women who are at risk of having a NTD-
affected pregnancy, and this may be demonstrated through letters of 
support.
    4. Demonstrate that the organization has a national membership of a 
national network of local organizations, and this may be done through a 
letter from the organization's leadership which describes the national 
network.
    This information should be placed directly behind the face page 
(first page) of your application. Applications that do not include the 
above information will be determined as non responsive and returned 
without review.

    Note: Title 2 of the United States Code section 1611 states that 
an organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to 
receive Federal funds constituting an award, grant or loan.

D. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $200,000 is available in FY 2002 to fund one award. 
It is expected that the award will begin on or about September 1, 2002, 
and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period 
of up to three 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.
    Matching funds are not required for this program.

E. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under ``1. 
Recipient Activities,'' and CDC will be responsible for the activities 
listed under ``2. CDC Activities.''
    1. Recipient Activities:
    a. Develop a public awareness campaign for women who are at risk 
for recurrence of a NTD-affected pregnancy.
    b. Identify women who have had a NTD-affected pregnancy in order to 
target educational and prevention messages and strategies.
    c. Develop and test messages for brochures, posters and other 
materials to physician and health care providers on the recurrence of 
NTDs.
    d. Educate women who have had a NTD-affected pregnancy and provide 
them with accurate, sensitive, and timely information on the causes of 
NTDs and the possibility of preventing future such problems through 
increased folic acid supplementation.
    e. Evaluate the effectiveness of education and supplementation by 
assessing reported knowledge, consumption and subsequent pregnancy 
outcomes of the target audience.
    f. Develop training of health care providers (HCP) designed to 
increase the number of women counseled about consuming adequate levels 
of folic acid.
    g. Develop and implement a plan to evaluate the efficacy and 
effectiveness of this project.
    h. Access target populations of: families affected by NTDs (e.g., 
those living with spina bifida); women of reproductive age who have 
spina bifida; and women who have experienced miscarriage, therapeutic 
terminations, or stillbirth due to NTD-affected pregnancies, in order 
to test messages for efficacy and sensitivity.
    i. Develop and disseminate health promotion prevention information 
through innovative health communication and social marketing techniques 
related to the prevention of recurrence of NTDs.
    2. CDC Activities:
    a. Provide technical and scientific consultation and assistance for 
the development and implementation aspect of this project.
    b. Provide technical and scientific consultation in evaluating the 
indicators of changes in knowledge, attitude and behaviors of women who 
are at risk for recurrence of NTDs.
    c. Participate in the development and evaluation of national 
surveys of women at risk for a recurrence related pregnancy.
    d. Participate in the development of educational materials and 
information for health care providers to increase their knowledge about 
folic acid consumption for women who are at risk for recurrence of 
NTDs.

F. Content

    Use the information in the Program Requirements, Other 
Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the 
application content. Your application will be evaluated on the criteria 
listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program 
plan. The narrative should be no more than 15 double-spaced pages, 
printed on one side, with one-inch margins, and unreduced font.

[[Page 40308]]

G. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 0920-
0428). Forms are available at the following Internet address: 
www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm 
    On or before 5 p.m. Eastern Time July 10, 2002, submit the 
application to: Technical Information Management Section, PA 02108, 
Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-
4146.
    Deadline: Applications will be considered as meeting the deadline 
if they are received before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline 
date. Applicants sending applications by the United States Postal 
Service or commercial delivery services must ensure that the carrier 
will be able to guarantee delivery of the application by the closing 
date and time. If an application is received after closing due to (1) 
carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a guarantee 
for delivery by the closing date and time, or (2) significant weather 
delays or natural disaster, CDC will upon receipt of proper 
documentation, consider the application as having been received by the 
deadline. Applications that do not meet the above criteria will not be 
eligible for competition and will be discarded. Applicants will be 
notified of their failure to meet the submission requirements.

H. Evaluation Criteria

    Applicants are required to provide Measures of Effectiveness that 
will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified 
objectives of the cooperative agreement. Measures of Effectiveness must 
relate to the performance goal as stated in section ``A. Purpose'' of 
this announcement. Measures must be objective/quantitative and must 
measure the intended outcome. The Measures of Effectiveness will be 
submitted with the application and will be an element of evaluation.
    Each application will be evaluated individually against the 
following criteria by an independent review group appointed by CDC.

1. Description of Objectives (30 Points)

    The extent that the proposed objectives are clearly stated, 
realistic, time-phased, and related to the purpose of the project

2. Scope of Proposal (30 points)

    Ability of the organization to carry out project activities on a 
national scope, including data collection and educational intervention 
in at least two-thirds of States located in the United States

3. Evaluation (15 Points)

    The quality and feasibility of the evaluation plan for the various 
initiatives involved in the project

4. Project Personnel (15 Points)

    The extent that professional personnel proposed to be involved in 
this project are qualified, including experience and evidence of past 
achievements appropriate to this project

5. Understanding of the Problem (10 Points)

    The extent that the applicant understands the requirements, 
problems and complexities of the project and the adequacy of the 
operation plans to carry out the various initiatives involved in the 
project

6. Budget (Not Scored)

    The applicant must provide justification for budget expenditures as 
well as appropriateness to activities proposed in the application. The 
budget will be evaluated for the extent that it is reasonable, clearly 
justified, and consistent with the intended use of the cooperative 
agreement funds.

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    7. Semi-annual reports should include:
    a. A brief project description.
    b. A comparison of the actual accomplishments to the goals and 
objectives established for the period.
    c. In the case that established goals and objectives may not be 
accomplished or are delayed, documentation of both the reason for the 
deviation and the anticipated corrective action or a request for 
deletion of the activity from the project.
    d. Other pertinent information, including preliminary findings from 
the analysis of available data.
    e. Financial recap of obligated monies to date as a percentage of 
total awarded funds.
    f. Measures of effectiveness.
    8. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period.
    9. Final financial and performance report, 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.

AR-7  Executive Order 12372 Review
AR-8  Public Health System Reporting Requirements
AR-9  Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11  Healthy People 2010
AR-12  Lobbying Restrictions
AR-14  Accounting System Requirements
AR-15  Proof of Nonprofit Status

J. 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.''
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from: Sheryl Heard, Grants Management Specialist, Assistance & 
Acquisition Branch B, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, Program Announcement 02108, 2920 
Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone number 
770-488-2723, Email address [email protected]. 
    For program technical assistance, contact: Annie Latimer, Public 
Health Advisor, Division of Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford 
Hwy, NE., Room 1411, Chamblee, GA 30341-4146, Telephone number 770-488-
7123, Email address [email protected]. 

    Dated: June 6, 2002.
Edward Schultz,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Center for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-14727 Filed 6-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P