[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6475-6479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3033]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 03036]


Grants for Dissertation Awards for Doctoral Candidates for 
Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research in Minority Communities; 
Notice of Availability of Funds

A. 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. 
280b(a)] of the Public Service Health Act, as amended. The catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.

B. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2003 funds for a grant program for 
Dissertation Awards for Doctoral Candidates for Violence-Related Injury 
Prevention Research in Minority Communities. This program addresses the 
``Healthy People 2010'' focus area of Injury and Violence Prevention.
    The purposes of the program are to:
    1. Solicit research applications that address the priorities 
reflected under the ``Programmatic Requirements.''
    2. Build the scientific base for the prevention and control of 
injuries, disabilities, and deaths disproportionately experienced in 
minority communities.
    3. Encourage doctoral candidates from a wide spectrum of 
disciplines, including, epidemiology, medicine, biostatistics, public 
health, law and criminal justice, behavioral and social sciences, to 
perform research in order to prevent and control injuries more 
effectively.
    4. Assist students in the completion of their dissertation research 
on a violence-related topic.
    5. Encourage investigators to build research careers related to the 
prevention of violence-related injuries, disabilities, and deaths in 
minority communities.
    A dissertation represents the most extensive research experience 
formulated and carried out by a doctoral candidate, with the advice and 
guidance of a mentor (the chair or another member of the dissertation 
committee). Dissertation research involves a major investment of the 
doctoral student's time, energy, and interest and its substance is 
often the basis for launching a research career. This research 
initiative is aimed at providing students with assistance to complete 
their dissertation research on a violence-related topic and, thereby, 
increasing representation of junior investigators in violence-related 
injury research.
    Deaths and injuries associated with interpersonal violence and 
suicidal behavior are a major public health problem in the United 
States and around the world. In 1999, more than 46,000 people died from 
homicide and suicide in the United States. Among 15 to 24 year olds, 
homicide ranked as the second and the third leading causes of death. 
Violent deaths are the most visible consequence of violent behavior in 
our society. Morbidity associated with physical and emotional injuries 
and disabilities resulting from violence, however, also constitutes an 
enormous public health problem. For every homicide that occurs each 
year there are more than 100 non-fatal injuries resulting from 
interpersonal violence. For every completed suicide it is estimated 
that there are 20 to 25 suicide attempts. The mortality and morbidity 
associated with violence are associated with a variety of types of 
violence including child mistreatment, youth violence, intimate partner 
violence, sexual violence, elder abuse, and self-directed violence or 
suicidal behavior.
    Violence has a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic 
minorities. In 1999, homicide was the leading cause of death for 
African Americans and the second leading cause of death for Hispanics 
between the ages of 15 and 34. Suicide was the second leading cause of 
death for American Indians and Alaskan Natives and Asian and Pacific 
islanders 15 to 34 years of age. It is important to note that existing 
research indicates that race or ethnicity, per se, is not a risk factor 
for violent victimization or a cause of violent behavior. Rather, 
racial or ethnic status is associated with many other factors that do 
influence the risk of becoming a victim or behaving violently. 
Nevertheless, racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are at 
high risk for both violent victimization and perpetration. A better 
understanding of the factors that contribute to this vulnerability or 
protection from such risk is important to furthering effective violence 
prevention programs that address racial and ethnic minorities.
    There is a critical need for highly qualified scientists to carry 
out research on violence that can help in the development, 
implementation, and evaluation of effective violence prevention 
programs. In particular, scientists are needed who bring an 
understanding and sensitivity to the problems of violence as they 
affect minority communities. The purpose of this extramural research 
training grant program is to attract young scientists to the field of 
violence prevention by encouraging doctoral candidates from a variety 
of disciplines to conduct violence prevention research and hopefully 
carry this focus on throughout their careers. The number of individuals 
who are members of minority groups and who are engaged in violence-
related injury prevention research is currently small. This research 
program should also attract young minority scientists to the field of 
violence research.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the 
following performance goal for the National Center for Injury 
Prevention and Control (NCIPC): Develop new or improved approaches for 
preventing and controlling death and disability due to injuries.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided to any United States public or private 
institution. The institution must support an accredited doctoral level 
training program. The performance site must be domestic.
    Applicants must be students in good standing enrolled in an 
accredited doctoral degree program. The applicant must have the 
authority and responsibility to carry out the proposed project. 
Applicants must be conducting or intending to conduct research in one 
of the areas described under the ``Research Objectives'' in the Program 
Requirement's section of this announcement. To receive this funding, 
applicants must have successfully defended their dissertation proposal. 
This must be verified in a letter of certification from the mentor (the 
chair or another member of the dissertation committee). CDC requests 
that, if available, the letter of certification be submitted with the 
grant application, or before the negotiation and award.
    Applications that are incomplete or non-responsive to the below 
requirements will be returned to the applicant without further 
consideration. The following are applicant requirements:

[[Page 6476]]

    1. A principal investigator who has the skill and academic training 
to conduct the proposed research, and the specific authority to carry 
out the proposed project.
    2. Effective and well-defined working relationships within the 
performing organization and with outside entities, which will ensure 
implementation of the proposed activities.
    3. The ability to carry out injury-control research projects as 
defined under Attachment 2 (1.a-c) as posted on the CDC web site at 
www.cdc.gov.
    4. The overall match between the applicant's proposed theme and 
research objectives and the program priorities as described under the 
heading, ``Program Requirements''.

    Note: Title 2 of the United States Code section 1611 states that 
an organization described in section 501c(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. Funds

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $100,000 is expected to be available in FY 2003 to 
five fund approximately five dissertation awards for doctoral 
candidates. It is expected that the average awards will begin on or 
about September 1, 2003, and will be made for a 12-month budget and 
project period. The project period may be extended without additional 
funds for up to a total of 24 months. The maximum funding level will 
not exceed $20,000 (including both direct and indirect costs). 
Applications that exceed the funding caps noted above will be excluded 
from the competition and returned to the applicant. The availability of 
Federal funding may vary and is subject to change.

Use of Funds

    Training grant funds will not be made available to support the 
provision of direct patient care including medical and/or psychiatric 
care. Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia 
agreements, as necessary to meet the requirements of the program and 
strengthen the overall application.
    Allowable costs include direct research project expenses, such as 
interviewer expenses, data processing, participant incentives, 
statistical consultant services, supplies, dissertation printing costs, 
and travel to one scientific meeting, if adequately justified. 
Applicants should include travel costs for one two-day trip to CDC in 
Atlanta to present research findings. No tuition support is allowed.

Recipient Financial Participation

    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 following activities:
    1. Evaluating strategies for disseminating and implementing 
evidence-based interventions or policies for the prevention of intimate 
partner violence, sexual violence, youth violence, suicide, and child 
maltreatment.
    2. Evaluating the efficacy, effectiveness, and cost effectiveness 
of interventions, programs, and policies to prevent intimate partner 
violence, sexual violence, youth violence, suicide, and child 
maltreatment.
    3. Identifying shared and unique risk and protective factors for 
the perpetration of intimate partner violence and sexual violence and 
examine the relationships among these forms of violence and others such 
as child maltreatment, youth violence, or suicidal behavior.

Other Special Conditions for Dissertation Research Grants

    1. The doctoral candidate must be the designated principal 
investigator. The principal investigator will be responsible for 
planning, directing, and executing the proposed project with the advice 
and consultation of the mentor and dissertation committee.
    2. The responsible program official for CDC must be informed if 
there is a change of a mentor. A biographical sketch of the new mentor 
must be provided for approval by the CDC program official.
    3. A dissertation research training grant may not be transferred to 
another institution, except under unusual and compelling circumstances 
(such as if the mentor moves to a new institution and both the mentor 
and the applicant wish to move together).
    4. Two copies of the completed dissertation, including abstract, 
must be submitted to the CDC program official and will constitute the 
final report of the grant. The dissertation must be officially accepted 
by the dissertation committee or university official responsible for 
the candidate's dissertation and must be signed by the responsible 
university official.
    5. Any publications directly resulting from the grant should be 
reported to the CDC program official. The grantee also should cite 
receiving support from the NCIPC and CDC, both in the dissertation and 
any publications directly resulting from the dissertation training 
grant.

F. Content

Letter of Intent (LOI)

    A LOI is optional for this program. The Program Announcement title 
and number must appear in the LOI. The narrative should be no more than 
two pages, single-spaced, printed on one side, with one inch margins, 
and unreduced 12-point font. Your letter of intent will be used to 
enable CDC to plan the review more effectively and efficiently, and 
should include the following information: A brief description of the 
scope and intent of the proposed research work.

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. The 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 pages, single-spaced, 
printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced 12-point 
font.
    Applications should follow the PHS-398 (Rev. 5/2001) application 
and Errata sheet (See attachment 3 of this announcement as posted on 
the CDC Web site). The narrative should consist of the following 
information:
    1. The project's focus that justifies the research needs and 
describes the scientific basis for the research, the expected outcome, 
and the relevance of the findings to reduce injury morbidity, 
mortality, disability, and economic losses. This focus should be based 
on recommendations in ``Healthy People 2010'' and the ``CDC Injury 
Research Agenda'' and should seek creative approaches that will 
contribute to a national program for injury control.
    2. Specific, measurable, and time-framed objectives.
    3. A detailed plan describing the methods by which the objectives 
will be achieved, including their sequence. A comprehensive evaluation 
plan is an essential component of the application.
    4. A description of the principal investigator's role and 
responsibilities.
    5. A description of all the project staff regardless of their 
funding source. It should include their title, qualifications, 
experience, percentage of time each will devote to the project, as well 
as that portion of their salary to be paid by the grant.

[[Page 6477]]

    6. A description of those activities related to, but not supported 
by the grant.
    7. A description of the involvement of other entities that will 
relate to the proposed project, if applicable. It should include 
commitments of support and a clear statement of their roles.
    8. A detailed budget for the grant.
    9. An explanation of how the research findings will contribute to 
the national effort to reduce the morbidity, mortality and disability 
caused by violence-related injuries within three-five years from 
project start-up.

Additional Required Materials

    The applicant must also submit the following materials, attached to 
the application as appendices:
    1. A letter from the applicant's mentor which:
    a. Fully identifies the members of the dissertation committee.
    b. Certifies that the mentor has read the application and believes 
that it reflects the work to be completed in the dissertation. (Letters 
certifying approval of the dissertation proposal must be received 
before negotiation and award of the grant.)
    c. Certification that the institution's facilities and general 
environment are adequate to conduct the proposed research.
    2. A tentative time line for completion of the research, the 
dissertation, and the dissertation defense.
    3. An official transcript of the applicant's graduate school record 
showing that the applicant has completed all required course work for 
the degree with the exception of the dissertation.
    4. A statement of the applicant's career goals and intended career 
trajectory.
    5. A biography of the mentor, limited to two pages (use the 
Biographical Sketch page in application form PHS 398).

G. Submission and Deadline

Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission

    The LOI must be received by March 4, 2003. Submit the LOI to the 
Grants Management Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain 
Additional Information'' section of this announcement.

Application Forms

    Submit the signed original and two copies of PHS 398 (OMB Number 
0925-0001)(adhere to the instructions on the Errata Instruction Sheet 
for PHS 398). Forms are available at the following Internet address: 
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm.
    If you do not have access to the Internet, or if you have 
difficulty accessing the forms on-line, you may contact the CDC 
Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section 
(PGO-TIM) at: 770-488-2700. Application forms can be mailed to you.

Submission, Date, Time and Address

    The application must be received by 4 p.m. Eastern Time May 8, 
2003. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management--PA 
 03036, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.
    Applications may not be sent electronically.

CDC Acknowledgment of Application Receipt

    A postcard will be mailed by PGO-TIM, notifying you that CDC has 
received your application.

Deadline

    Letters of intent and applications shall be considered as meeting 
the deadline if they are received before 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the 
deadline date. Any applicant who sends their application 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 
documentation, consider the application as having been received by the 
deadline.
    Any application that does not meet the above criteria will not be 
eligible for competition, and will be discarded. The applicant will be 
notified of their failure to meet the submission requirements.

H. Evaluation Criteria

Application

    Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by CDC staff for 
completeness and responsiveness as outlined under the ``Eligible 
Applicants'' Section (Items one through four). Incomplete applications 
and applications that are not responsive will be returned to the 
applicant without further consideration. It is especially important 
that the applicant's narrative reflects the project's focus, because 
the narrative will be used to help determine the responsiveness of the 
application.
    Applications which are complete and responsive may be subjected to 
a preliminary evaluation (streamline review) by a peer review 
committee, the Injury Research Grant Review Committee (IRGRC), to 
determine if the application is of sufficient technical and scientific 
merit to warrant further review by the IRGRC; CDC will withdraw from 
further consideration applications judged to be noncompetitive and 
promptly notify the principal investigator/program director and the 
official signing for the applicant organization. Those applications 
judged to be competitive will be further evaluated by a dual review 
process.
    Competing supplemental grant awards may be made, when funds are 
available, to support research work or activities not previously 
approved by the IRGRC. Applications should be clearly labeled to denote 
their status as requesting supplemental funding support. These 
applications will be reviewed by the IRGRC and the secondary review 
group.
    All awards will be determined by the Director of the NCIPC based on 
priority scores assigned to applications by the primary review 
committee IRGRC, recommendations by the secondary review committee of 
the Science and Program Review Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee 
for Injury Prevention and Control (ACIPC), consultation with NCIPC 
senior staff, and the availability of funds. All categories are of 
equal importance, however, the application does not need to be strong 
in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific 
impact.
    1. The primary review will be a peer review conducted by the IRGRC. 
All applications will be reviewed for scientific merit using current 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria (a scoring system of 100-
500 points) to evaluate the methods and scientific quality of the 
application. Factors to be considered will include:
    a. Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If 
the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge 
be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts 
or methods that drive this field?
    b. Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and 
analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the 
aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem 
areas and consider alternative tactics? Does the project include plans 
to measure progress toward achieving the stated objectives? Is there an 
appropriate work plan included?

[[Page 6478]]

    c. Innovation. Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches 
or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project 
challenge or advance existing paradigms, or develop new methodologies 
or technologies?
    d. Investigator. Is the principal investigator appropriately 
trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the proposed work 
appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and 
other significant investigator participants? Is there a prior history 
of conducting violence-related research?
    e. Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work 
will be done contribute to the probability of success? Does the 
proposed research take advantage of unique features of the scientific 
environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there 
evidence of institutional support? Is there an appropriate degree of 
commitment and cooperation of other interested parties as evidenced by 
letters detailing the nature and extent of the involvement?
    f. Ethical Issues. What provisions have been made for the 
protection of human subjects and the safety of the research 
environments? How does the applicant plan to handle issues of 
confidentiality and compliance with mandated reporting requirements, 
e.g., suspected child abuse? Does the application adequately address 
the requirements of 45 CFR part 46 for the protection of human 
subjects? (An application can be disapproved if the research risks are 
sufficiently serious and protection against risks is so inadequate as 
to make the entire application unacceptable.) The degree to which the 
applicant has met the CDC Policy requirements regarding the inclusion 
of women, ethnic, and racial groups in the proposed research (See 
Attachment 1, AR-2).
    This includes:
    (1) The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial 
and ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.
    (2) The proposed justification when representation is limited or 
absent.
    (3) A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate 
to measure differences if the proposed research is an intervention 
study.
    (4) A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and 
outreach for study participants include the process of establishing 
partnerships with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.
    g. Study Samples. Are the samples sufficiently rigorously defined 
to permit complete independent replication at another site? Have the 
referral sources been described, including the definitions and 
criteria? What plans have been made to include women and minorities and 
their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the 
research? How will the applicant deal with recruitment and retention of 
subjects?
    h. Dissemination. What plans have been articulated for 
disseminating findings?
    i. Measures of Effectiveness. The Peer Review Panel shall assure 
that measures set forth in the application are in accordance with CDC's 
performance plans. How adequately has the applicant addressed these 
measures?
    The IRGRC will also examine the appropriateness of the proposed 
project budget and duration in relation to the proposed research and 
the availability of data required for the project.
    2. The secondary review will be conducted by the Science and 
Program Review Subcommittee (SPRS)of the ACIPC. The ACIPC Federal 
agency experts will be invited to attend the secondary review, and will 
receive modified briefing books (i.e., project narratives, strengths 
and weaknesses from summary statements, and project officer's briefing 
materials). The ACIPC Federal agency experts will be encouraged to 
participate in deliberations when applications address overlapping 
areas of research interest so that unwarranted duplication in 
federally-funded research can be avoided and special subject area 
expertise can be shared. The NCIPC Division Associate Directors for 
Science (ADS) or their designees will attend the secondary review in a 
similar capacity as the ACIPC Federal agency experts to assure that 
research priorities of the announcement are understood and to provide 
background regarding current research activities. Only SPRS members 
will vote on funding recommendations, and their recommendations will be 
carried to the entire ACIPC for voting by the ACIPC members in closed 
session. If any further review is needed by the ACIPC, regarding the 
recommendations of the SPRS, the factors considered will be the same as 
those considered by the SPRS.
    The committee's responsibility is to develop funding 
recommendations for the NCIPC Director based on the results of the 
primary review, the relevance and balance of proposed research relative 
to the NCIPC programs and priorities, and to assure that unwarranted 
duplication of federally-funded research does not occur. The secondary 
review committee has the latitude to recommend to the NCIPC Director, 
to reach over better ranked proposals in order to assure maximal impact 
and balance of proposed research. The factors to be considered will 
include:
    a. The results of the primary review including the application's 
priority score as the primary factor in the selection process.
    b. The relevance and balance of proposed research relative to the 
NCIPC programs and priorities.
    c. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the 
priorities and objectives stated in ``Healthy People 2010,'' the 
Institute of Medicine report, ``Reducing the Burden of Injury,'' and 
the ``CDC Injury Research Agenda.''
    d. Budgetary considerations.

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    1. The dissertation, including abstract that will constitute the 
final Interim Progress Report of the grant.
    2. A 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.
    4. At the completion of the project, the grant recipient will 
submit a short (2,500 to 4,000 words written in non-scientific 
[laymen's] terms) summary highlighting the findings and their 
implications for injury prevention programs, policies, environmental 
changes, etc. The grant recipient will also include a description of 
the dissemination plan for research findings. This plan will include 
publications in peer-reviewed journals and ways in which research 
findings will be made available to stakeholders outside of academia, 
(e.g., state injury prevention program staff, community groups, public 
health injury prevention practitioners, and others). CDC will place the 
summary report and each grant recipient's final report with the 
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to further the agency's 
efforts to make the information more available and accessible to the 
public.
    Send all reports to the Grants Management Specialist identified in 
the Where To Obtain Additional Information section of this 
announcement.

Additional Requirements:

    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment 1 of this

[[Page 6479]]

announcement as posted on the CDC web site.

AR-1 Human Subjects Certification
AR-2 Requirements for inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR-3 Animal Subjects Requirement
AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Requirements
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirement
AR-11 Healthy People 2010
AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC funds for Certain Gun Control 
Activities
AR-21 Small, Minority, and Women-owned Business
AR-22 Research Integrity
    Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

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 general questions about this announcement, contact: Technical 
Information Management, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 
Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: 770-488-2700.
    For business management assistance, contact: Nancy Pillar, Grants 
Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, 
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2721, E-mail address: 
[email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Tom Voglesonger, Program 
Manager, Office of the Director, National Center for Injury Prevention 
and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 
Buford Highway, NE., Mail Stop K-02, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, Telephone: 
(770) 488-4823, E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: February 1, 2003.
Sandra R. Manning,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-3033 Filed 2-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P