[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44850-44854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16814]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 02059]


Cooperative Agreement for Development of the National Violent 
Death Reporting System (NVDRS); 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 Development of the National Violent Death Reporting System 
(NVDRS). This program addresses the ``Healthy People 2010'' focus area 
of Injury and Violence Prevention.
    The purpose of the program is to begin establishing state violent 
death information collection systems that will form the basis of NVDRS. 
The purpose of NVDRS is to generate public health surveillance 
information at the national, state, and local levels that is more 
detailed, useful, and timely than is currently available. This 
information will help develop, inform, and evaluate violence prevention 
strategies at both state and national levels. The proposed system will 
build upon a pilot system, the National Violent Injury Statistics 
System (NVISS), that has been under development since 1999. Additional 
information on this pilot system can be found at www.NVISS.org.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one or 
more of the following performance goals for the National Center for 
Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC):
    1. Reduce the risk of youth violence.
    2. Reduce violence against women.
    3. Enhance the capacity of states to implement effective rape 
prevention and education programs.
    4. Increase external input on the research priorities, policies, 
and procedures related to the extramural research supported by CDC.
    5. Provide online access to injury prevention data.
    6. Improve the uniformity, quality, and accessibility of emergency 
department data for public health surveillance in several states; 
ultimately developing the capacity to improve data in all states 
through development of guidelines, recommendations, or technical 
assistance.

B. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 301(a) (42 U.S.C. 241(a)) 
of the Public Health Service Act and section 391(a) (42 U.S.C. 280(b)) 
of the Public Service Health Act, as amended. The catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to the health departments of 
states or their bona fide agents, including the District of Columbia, 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Federated 
States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
Republic of Palau, and the federally recognized Indian tribal 
governments. In consultation with States, assistance may be provided to 
political subdivisions of States.
    The ability to obtain population-based information from core data 
sets is crucial for the successful development of the NVDRS. Eligible 
applicants must document through letters of support access to 
information on individual, identifiable decedents from all of the 
following data sources:
    1. Death certificates.
    2. Medical examiner and/or coroner records.
    3. Police records (Supplemental Homicide Reports at a minimum).
    4. Crime laboratory records.
    The letters of support must come from the agency authorized to 
grant access to the specific required data. They must note the most 
recent year for which data are available and make a statement regarding 
a memorandum of agreement/understanding that is in place between the 
applicant and the data agency. The memorandum of agreement must provide 
the applicant access to data while specifying any limitations regarding 
data use. A copy of the memorandum of agreement/understanding should 
accompany each letter of support to confirm access.
    Applicants from states that do not have centralized, statewide 
medical examiner/coroner or police records must obtain the letters of 
support from the appropriate agencies serving the three largest cities 
within the state.
    Applications that fail to submit evidence listed above will be 
considered non responsive and will be returned without review.
    Funding will be available to those applicants who are willing to 
pilot test a child fatality NVDRS module developed to collect 
additional data

[[Page 44851]]

from child fatality review committees on violent deaths occurring in 
children less than 18 years of age.

Minimum Requirements

    In order to qualify for this funding, the applicant must provide 
evidence of an existing centralized statewide child fatality review 
committee and access to information on individual, identifiable 
decedents generated by this committee.
    Acceptable documentation, at a minimum, is a letter of support from 
the child fatality review committee on committee letterhead. The letter 
must note the most recent year for which data are available and make a 
statement regarding a memorandum of agreement/understanding that is in 
place between the applicant and the data agency. The memorandum of 
agreement must provide the applicant access to data while specifying 
any limitations regarding data use. A copy of the memorandum of 
agreement/understanding should accompany each letter of support to 
confirm access. Applicants that do not apply for this optional funding 
will not be considered non responsive because this activity is 
optional.
    Applications will be classified into two categories, ``New'' and 
``Experienced.'' States with funding from an external source (other 
than state funds) for any form of violent death reporting or 
surveillance occurring among adults, defined as 18 years of age or 
older, will be considered an ``Experienced'' system. States with 
surveillance projects (state or local) funded by the Harvard Injury 
Control Research Center as part of the NVISS will be considered 
Experienced. States without any such external funding will be 
considered a ``New'' system. Funds awarded for this program cannot be 
used to supplant (replace) existing activity funds.

    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 $1.2 million is available in FY 2002 to fund 
approximately five awards. It is expected that the average award will 
be $240,000, ranging from $150,000 to $220,000 for states with up to 
800 cases of violent death in calendar year 2000 and from $220,000 to 
$320,000 for states with greater than 800 cases of violent death in 
2000. At least one applicant from each funding range will be funded.
    ``New'' and ``Experienced'' system applications will be evaluated 
separately; at least one applicant from each group will be funded. It 
is expected that the awards will begin on or about September 30, 2002 
and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period 
of up to five years. Funding estimates may change.
    Approximately $100,000 of optional funding is available to fund up 
to five states to pilot test the child fatality NVDRS module. It is 
expected the average award will be $20,000. It is expected that the 
awards will begin on or about September 30, 2002 and will be made for a 
12-month budget period within a project period of up to five years. 
Funding estimates may change.
    Matching funds are not required for this program.
    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.

E. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1. or 2. and 
3. (if applying for optional funds), Recipient Activities, and CDC will 
be responsible for the activities under 4. CDC Activities.

For New Violent Death Reporting Systems

    1. Recipient Activities.
    a. Establish an advisory committee that will help in the 
development of the state violent death reporting system. Membership 
should include representatives from agencies that control medical 
examiner/coroner records, death certificates, police records, and crime 
laboratory data.
    b. Establish routine access to uniquely identifiable case 
information from each of the four critical data sources for deaths 
occurring on January 1, 2003 or later.
    c. Use uniform data elements provided by the CDC to collect 
required data.
    d. Abstract and code uniform data elements from all core data 
sources for all cases identified.
    e. Develop procedures to combine information from the data sources. 
Maintain a unique case ID number.
    f. Establish (1) a centralized location for maintaining a secure 
data storage system that allows for ready access and retrieval of 
abstracted and edited data and (2) an off-site backup storage system of 
abstracted and edited data.
    g. Develop a quality assurance program that includes an automated 
record tracking system, edit reports, systematic review of the accuracy 
and completeness of abstracted data from all core data sources, and 
methods to identify and resolve case ascertainment and data collection 
and processing problems, e.g., identifying and removing duplicate 
records prior to submission to CDC.
    h. Transmit data free of personal identifiers electronically to CDC 
using a specified time schedule.
    i. Disseminate surveillance results.
    j. Evaluate the surveillance system according to standard 
guidelines, including simplicity, flexibility, data quality, 
acceptability, sensitivity, predictive value positive, 
representativeness, timeliness and stability. (See MMWR Recommendations 
and Reports, ``Updated guidelines for evaluating public health 
surveillance systems,'' RR-13, vol. 50, July 27, 2001.)
    k. Prepare standard reports with aggregated data and distribute 
them widely.
    l. Share information learned from project through presentations, 
peer-reviewed journals and media events.
    m. Participate in a collaborative effort to establish a uniform 
violent death reporting system across states. Meetings will be held on 
a semiannual basis.

For Experienced Violent Death Reporting Systems

    2. Recipient Activities.
    a. Maintain an advisory committee that will help in the enhancement 
of the reporting system. The committee should be able to help develop 
methods for data dissemination and set priorities for helping to 
develop prevention strategies. The committee should include, at a 
minimum, representatives from agencies that control the core data 
sources.
    b. Maintain or expand routine access to uniquely identifiable case 
information from each of the four core data sources for deaths 
occurring on January 1, 2003 or later.
    c. Use uniform data elements provided by the CDC to collect 
required data.
    d. Use or modify existing procedures that combine information from 
the data sources. Maintain a unique case ID number.
    e. Maintain or modify (1) an existing secure data storage system 
that allows for ready access and retrieval of all abstracted and edited 
data and (2) off-site backup data storage system for all abstracted and 
edited data from the core data sources.
    f. Develop a quality assurance program that includes an automated

[[Page 44852]]

record tracking system, edit reports, systematic review of the accuracy 
and completeness of abstracted data from all core data sources, and 
methods to identify and resolve case ascertainment and data collection 
and processing problems e.g., identifying and removing duplicate 
records prior to submission to CDC.
    g. Transmit data free of personal identifiers electronically to the 
CDC using a specified time schedule.
    h. Disseminate surveillance results.
    i. Evaluate the surveillance system according to standard 
guidelines including simplicity, flexibility, data quality, 
acceptability, sensitivity, predictive value positive, 
representativeness, timeliness and stability. (See MMWR Recommendations 
and Reports, ``Updated guidelines for evaluating public health 
surveillance systems,'' RR-13, vol. 50, July 7, 2001.)
    j. Prepare standard reports with aggregated data and distribute 
them widely.
    k. Share information learned from the project through 
presentations, peer review journals and media events.
    l. Participate in a collaborative effort to establish a uniform 
violent death reporting system across states. Meetings will be held on 
a semiannual basis.

Child Fatality NVDRS Module

    3. Recipient Activities.
    a. Establish or maintain partnership with child death review 
team(s).
    b. Use uniform data elements provided by the CDC to collect 
required data.
    c. Transmit data free of personal identifiers electronically to the 
CDC using a specified time schedule.
    d. Provide feedback to CDC regarding the appropriateness of module 
for gaining data related to violent deaths to children.

    Note: ``New'' recipients may choose to begin data gathering in 
smaller geographic areas, such as a city or region rather than 
beginning statewide.

    ``Experienced'' recipients may choose to expand data gathering to a 
broader geographic area, region or statewide, if not currently 
statewide. If an applicant chooses to begin collecting data in a 
portion of the state, the applicant must outline a plan for expansion 
statewide within the five-year project period.
    4. CDC Activities.
    a. Provide required uniform data elements and definitions to be 
collected similar to those used by NVISS.
    b. Provide standardized software that will be used to transmit data 
to CDC, either through a web-based or distributed (a stand-alone server 
located in the state) system. The software will be menu-driven with 
editing functions, data transmission protocols, and report options for 
use in data review and quality assurance by the state prior to 
submission to CDC.
    c. Provide training in data standards and coding, data entry, data 
editing and other quality assurance functions, record tracking, and 
transmission of data to the CDC.
    d. Provide technical assistance in solving problems in all aspects 
of the system.
    e. Provide updates to the necessary software as needed.
    f. Review submitted records for quality and completeness and 
provide feedback to recipients. Work with the recipient to 
systematically resolve problems of missing or inaccurate data.
    g. Prepare an analysis file of final edited data to be shared with 
the recipient for data analysis and reporting of findings.
    h. Prepare standard reports with aggregated data and distribute 
them widely.

F. Content

Applications

    The Program Announcement title and number must appear in the 
application. 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 30 pages, double-spaced, 
printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced font. The 
total number of pages should not exceed 65 pages, including appendices 
and abstract. Applicants that fit into the ``Experienced'' category are 
allowed up to an additional five pages for a required appendix that 
evaluates their current violent death surveillance system according to 
standard guidelines. States applying for funding to pilot test the 
child fatality NVDRS module should submit a separate plan no greater 
than five pages in length.
    The narrative should consist of, at a minimum, a Plan, Objectives, 
Methods, Evaluation and Budget.
    The application narrative should include the following information:
    1. Documentation of access to required data source.
    2. A one-page abstract of proposed activities and project outcomes. 
The abstract should specify the type of applicant (``new'' or 
``experienced''), the number of violent deaths category into which the 
state fits (less than or equal to 800 or greater than 800 deaths), and 
whether the state is applying for the child fatality NVDRS module 
optional funding.
    3. Background.
    4. Goal(s) and Objectives.
    5. Methods.
    6. Experience.
    7. Capacity and Staffing.
    8. Evaluation.
    9. Collaboration.
    10. Human Subjects.
    11. Budget.
    12. Plan for incorporating child fatality NVDRS module into 
existing or proposed state violent death system. (Only if applying for 
child fatality NVDRS module optional funds).
    13. Appendices.

G. Submission and Deadline

Application

    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
    Application forms must be submitted in the following order:

Cover Letter
Table of Contents
Application
Budget Information Form
Budget Justification
Checklist
Assurances
Certifications
Disclosure Form
Human Subjects Certification
Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
Narrative

    The application must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 
Time August 19, 2002. Submit the application to: Technical Information 
Management Section, PA 02059, 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 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 
disasters, CDC will upon receipt of proper

[[Page 44853]]

documentation, consider the application as having been received by the 
deadline.
    Applications which 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 goals as stated in section ``A. Purpose'' of 
this announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative and must 
measure the intended outcome. These 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. Methods (25 points).
    a. The extent that the applicant describes the methods used for 
case ascertainment and those used to access and abstract data from core 
data sources. This should include a discussion of methods used in 
motivating reporting sources, ensuring high quality data abstraction, 
and resolving data issues.
    b. The extent that the applicant documents a detailed and clear 
description of how linkage of records from different sources will be or 
is accomplished.
    c. The extent that the applicant describes how data will be 
maintained, edited, and transferred to the CDC from a central location 
in the state.
    d. The extent that the applicant provides a five-year time line for 
the planned activities.
    e. The extent that the applicant provides a detailed plan for 
assuring confidentiality where required by state law or regulation.
    f. The extent that the applicant provides evidence that proposed 
activities are not duplications of existing activities. (Experienced 
applicants only)
    2. Goal(s) and Objectives (15 points).
    a. The extent that the applicant has included goals which are 
relevant and consistent with the purpose of the program announcement.
    b. The extent that the objectives are specific, measurable, 
assigned, realistic, and time-phased.
    3. Experience (15 points).
    a. The extent that the applicant documents experience in accessing, 
collecting, linking, editing, managing and analyzing surveillance 
information from multiple data sets, especially experience with 
mortality surveillance.
    b. The extent that the applicant provides evidence of experience in 
injury surveillance, conducting data quality assurance activities and 
generating data reports.
    4. Capacity and Staffing (15 points).
    a. The extent that the applicant provides evidence of existing 
staff with SAS and Microsoft Access expertise, computer programming 
skills, and skills in data management and quality assurance, especially 
involving large complex databases, or a plan (position description) to 
hire someone with such skills and expertise. Resumes or curriculum 
vitae should be included.
    b. The extent that the applicant provides a time table showing when 
information regarding the occurrence of a violent death during a given 
calendar quarter is available to the applicant from each of the four 
required data sources.
    c. The extent that the applicant describes existing or needed 
computer facilities for storing, managing and transmitting data to CDC.
    5. Collaboration (15 points).
    a. The extent that the applicant provides evidence of involvement 
by key stakeholders in the current system or a plan for including key 
stakeholders in the development of a violent death reporting system.
    b. The extent that the applicant documents the quality and 
specificity of access to required and optional data sources, e.g., the 
limitations of that access, the most recent year data are available, 
the timeliness and availability of data from all core and optional data 
sources, the duration of access, etc. Information from the letters of 
support will be considered in this context.
    c. The extent that the applicant provides additional letters of 
support from potential partners in the project.
    d. The extent that the letters of support document specific 
contributions of the partner, including but not limited to a 
description of the precise nature of past and proposed collaborations, 
products, services, and other activities that will be provided by and 
to the applicant through the proposed collaboration.
    6. Evaluation (10 points).
    a. The extent that the applicant provides a detailed plan for 
evaluating the surveillance system. The plan should include standard 
surveillance evaluation measures described above.
    b. The extent that the applicant describes both system and data 
quality assurance procedures.
    7. Background (5 points).
    The extent that the applicant documents the magnitude of the 
violent death problem in the applicant's state and/or target area.
    8. Child Fatality NVDRS Module Plan (Not Scored).
    The extent that the applicant adequately describes how the child 
fatality NVDRS module will be incorporated into the existing or 
proposed state violent death reporting system.
    9. Human Subjects (Not Scored).
    The extent that the applicant adequately addresses the requirements 
of 45 CFR Part 46 for the protection of human subjects.
    10. Budget (Not Scored).
    a. The extent that the budget request is clearly explained, 
adequately justified, reasonable, sufficient and consistent with the 
stated objectives and planned activities.
    The Budget should include funds for at least two trips to CDC for 
program related meetings and training.
    b. If applying to pilot test the child fatality NVDRS module, a 
separate budget must be attached.

    Note: Applicants applying for additional funds to pilot test the 
child fatality NVDRS module will only receive this funding if they 
successfully compete for NVDRS funding.

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    1. Semiannual progress reports. The progress report will include a 
data requirement that demonstrates measures of effectiveness.
    2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period.
    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 1 of the 
application kit.

AR-1  Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2  Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11  Healthy People 2010
AR-12  Lobbying Restrictions
AR-13  Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control 
Activities

[[Page 44854]]

AR-21  Small, Minority, Women-Owned Businesses
AR-22  Research Integrity

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements, the necessary applications, and 
associated forms can be found on the CDC home page Internet address--
http://www.cdc.gov Click on ``Funding'' then ``Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements.''
    For business management assistance, contact: Van A. King, 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-
2751, E-mail address: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Leroy Frazier, Jr., 
MSPH, CHES, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury 
Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS K60, Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone number: 
(770)488-1507, E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: June 27, 2002.
Sandra R. Manning,
CGFM Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-16814 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P