[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 59 (Thursday, March 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14984-14990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7315]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 04003]


Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers; Notice 
of Availability of Funds

    Application Deadline: June 16, 2003.

A. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under sections 301(a), 317(k)(2) and 
1706 (42 U.S.C. 241(a), 247b(k)(2) and 300 u-5) of the Public Health 
Service Act, as amended. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
number is 93.135.

B. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program to fund Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research 
Centers (PRCs). This program addresses the Healthy People 2010 focus 
areas of Access to Quality Health Services, Cancer, Diabetes, 
Disability and Secondary Conditions, Educational and Community-Based 
Programs, Health Communications, Nutrition and Overweight, and Physical 
Activity and Fitness.
    In 1984, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a network of academic health 
centers to conduct applied public health research. As the designated 
administrator of the PRC Program, CDC provides leadership, technical 
assistance, and oversight.
    The purpose of the PRC Program is to support health promotion and 
disease prevention research that (1) focuses on the major causes of 
death and disability, (2) improves public health practice

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within communities, and (3) cultivates effective state and local public 
health programs. One of the major focuses of the PRCs is to design, 
test, and disseminate effective prevention research strategies. The 
program's ``Guiding Principles and Policy Statement for Core Research 
Projects'' are available at: http://www.cdc.gov/prc.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the 
following performance goal for the National Center for Chronic Disease 
Prevention and Health Promotion: to support prevention research to 
develop sustainable and transferable community-based behavioral 
interventions.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by schools of public health, schools 
of medicine or osteopathy with an accredited Preventive Medicine 
Residency that have:
    1. A multidisciplinary faculty with expertise in public health, and 
working relationships with relevant groups in such fields as medicine, 
psychology, nursing, social work, education and business.
    2. Graduate training programs relevant to disease prevention.
    3. A core faculty in epidemiology, biostatistics, social sciences, 
behavioral and environmental sciences, and health administration.
    4. A demonstrated curriculum in disease prevention.
    5. A capability for residency training in public health or 
preventive medicine.

First Round of Competition

    For this round of competition, assistance will be provided only to 
the universities currently funded under Program Announcements 98047, 
00089, and 01101. All three announcements are entitled ``Health 
Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers.'' The eligible 
universities are as follows: University of Washington, Yale University, 
Harvard University, Columbia University, The Johns Hopkins University, 
West Virginia University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 
University of South Carolina, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 
Morehouse School of Medicine, University of South Florida, University 
of Illinois at Chicago, University of Minnesota, University of 
Michigan, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 
University of Oklahoma, University of New Mexico, Tulane University, 
Saint Louis University, University of Colorado, University of 
California at Berkeley, University of Arizona, University of California 
at Los Angeles, University of Kentucky, Boston University, University 
of Pittsburgh, State University of New York at Albany, and University 
of Iowa.
    Competition is limited to these universities because they are 
uniquely positioned to perform, oversee, and coordinate community-based 
participatory research that promotes the field of prevention research, 
due to their established relationships with community partners. 
Applications receiving a quality score of 80 or above will be 
considered for funding. If sufficient applications do not obtain scores 
of 80 or greater, funding consideration will be given to applications 
that score 75 or above.


    Note: Only one application will be accepted from each 
university.

Second Round of Competition

    Pending the availability of funds, eligible applicants not 
receiving a fundable quality score during the first round of 
competition and all other applicants meeting the eligibility 
requirements listed at the beginning of the Eligible Applicants section 
will be considered during the second round of competition. Specific 
guidance with exact due dates for the second round of competition will 
be announced at a later date.
    Additionally, beginning in FY 2005, and for each of the remaining 
years for this program announcement (September 30, 2005 through 
September 29, 2009), there will be a competitive application process. 
Specific guidance will be provided with exact due dates and funding 
levels each year.

    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. Funding

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $14,000,000 will be available in FY 2004 to fund 
approximately 18 awards. It is expected that the average award will be 
approximately $750,000 to $850,000 per center. The awards are expected 
to begin on or about September 15, 2004, and will be made for a 12-
month budget period within a project period of up to five years. 
Funding estimates may change.
    Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made 
on the basis of satisfactory progress toward performance measures, as 
evidenced by required reports, and the availability of funds.

Direct Assistance

    You may request Federal personnel in lieu of a portion of financial 
assistance. (See the Application Content section of this announcement 
for more information on how to request direct assistance.)

Use of Funds

    The applicant should allocate funds to support evaluation 
activities related to the center. In addition, funds should be 
allocated to support communication activities, including the input and 
maintenance of information for the PRC Information System (See Appendix 
A for a description of the PRC Information System. All appendices 
referenced in this announcement are posted on the CDC Website with the 
full announcement.)

Funding Preferences

    In the second round of competition, funding preference will be 
based on selecting applicants in order to maintain an equitable 
geographic distribution of centers. Funding preference will also be 
given to applicants that demonstrate a focus on the public health needs 
of rural populations.

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 activities under item 1. 
Recipient Activities, and CDC will be responsible for the activities 
under item 2. CDC Activities.

1. Recipient Activities

    a. Create a logic model for the prevention research center. This 
logic model can be adapted from the national PRC Program conceptual 
framework (See Appendix B for a description) to fit the specific 
inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of the center. Write an 
accompanying narrative that includes a description of how the center-
level components relate to the national PRC framework.
    b. Evaluate the center based on the center's logic model, 
particularly addressing critical components related to the center's 
stated outcomes. Describe how the center's evaluation will contribute 
to CDC's national program evaluation, including the core performance 
indicators. (See Appendix D for a list of the indicators.)
    c. Establish or maintain a center community committee. Define the 
role and composition of the committee, how the center will communicate 
with the

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committee, and how it will link to the CDC PRC National Community 
Committee (NCC). (See Appendix C for a description of the CDC PRC NCC.)
    d. Establish and maintain partnerships (e.g., state and local 
health departments, community groups and agencies, and academic units), 
and include these partners, when applicable, in the center activities.
    e. Identify national, regional, or local health priorities and 
health disparities within the defined community. Involve center 
partners when identifying the health priorities and health disparities, 
and provide evidence of such involvement.
    f. Develop the center's participatory, community-based core 
research project and the center's five-year research agenda. Ensure the 
core research project and other proposed research activities are 
grounded in sound research methods and further the field of prevention 
research consistent with the purpose of this announcement. Plan the 
core research project in collaboration with community partners and 
provide evidence of such collaboration. Each center is required to 
conduct at least one core research project. (See the application 
content section of this announcement for additional information.)
    g. Communicate and disseminate the center's research findings and 
research products.
    h. Establish the appropriate resources for contributing information 
to the PRC Information System and maintaining the information.
    i. Recruit, hire, and retain qualified staff. Develop an 
organizational chart that illustrates the center's staffing plan.
    j. Acquire and maintain the technological capacity, facilities, and 
university support for the center (e.g., software, space, equipment, 
etc.).
    k. Provide training, technical assistance, or mentoring to health 
professionals, researchers, students, community members, and other 
partners, as appropriate.

2. CDC Activities

    a. Convene semi-annual meetings of PRCs to facilitate research 
collaboration and information sharing.
    b. Conduct onsite visits of PRCs to provide consultation and 
technical support and help recipients meet program objectives and 
cooperative agreement requirements.
    c. Provide consultation and other technical assistance to help 
recipients use the PRC Information System for recording and 
disseminating research results.
    d. Collect, organize, and disseminate information on PRC research 
pertinent to the PRC Program's Guiding Principles (http://www.cdc.gov/prc).
    e. Provide support to the PRC National Community Committee to 
promote capacity-building and community participation in the PRC 
Program.
    f. Guide an external, peer-reviewed funding mechanism to enhance 
centers' opportunities for prevention research consistent with their 
mission.
    g. Organize information-sharing sessions to guide recipients in 
developing their center-specific logic models consistent with the 
national framework.
    h. Serve as a scientific and professional resource for projects 
developed through the PRCs' national committee structure.
    i. Inform recipients about the laws and regulations pertaining to 
human subjects research and conduct inquiries concerning allegations of 
scientific misconduct.
    j. Evaluate and monitor recipients' progress toward meeting program 
objectives and goals.

F. Content

Letter of Intent

    A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required for this program. The Program 
Announcement title and number must appear in the LOI. The LOI should be 
no more than three double-spaced pages, printed on one side, with one-
inch margins, and 12-point font. The LOI, which will be used in 
planning for the external peer review panel, should include the 
following information: (1) The name, address, telephone number, fax 
number, and E-mail address of a contact person from the applicant's 
institution; (2) name of the Principal Investigator; (3) center name 
and location; (4) description of how the center meets the eligibility 
requirements contained in Section C of this announcement; (5) a brief 
description of the center's research focus (a 3-4 line description); 
and (6) a brief description of the center's proposed activities 
(maximum of one paragraph). Note: Each university may submit only one 
application per round of competition. Attachments, booklets, or other 
documents will not be accepted with the LOI.

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 the application. The 
narrative should be no more than 120 double-spaced pages, printed on 
one side, with one-inch margins, and 12-point font, excluding 
appendices and PHS Form 398. Appendices must not exceed 50-pages and 
must be hard copy documents (i.e., no audiovisual materials or 
posters). Curriculum vitae, letters of support, and memoranda of 
understanding should be included as appendices; however, these 
documents will not be counted against the 50-page limit. Instructions 
contained here regarding font and page length supersede those in the 
PHS Form 398. The narrative should consist of the following items, in 
the order listed:

Evaluation

    An infrastructure of resources and personnel is required to support 
center-level evaluation. Applicants should have the capacity to (1) 
establish a five-year evaluation plan; (2) conduct center-level 
evaluation; and (3) collaborate with national partners in the planning, 
implementation, and evaluation of national PRC Program evaluation 
strategies (See Appendix B for a description of Developing an 
Evaluation Framework: Insuring National Excellence [Project DEFINE].) 
To assure that applicants have this capacity, applicants should, at a 
minimum, address the following:
    1. Create a center-level logic model specifying the center's health 
priorities and expected outcomes. Within the logic model, define the 
inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, evaluation, and contextual 
conditions for the center. This logic model can be adapted from the 
national PRC Program conceptual framework (See Appendix B) to fit the 
specific components of the individual center. In addition to the logic 
model, a narrative description of each component must be included. 
Please include the center's mission within the narrative, and limit the 
mission statement to one to two sentences. Further, within this 
narrative describe how each component of the center's model is related 
to the national PRC Program conceptual framework.
    2. Document experiences in conducting program evaluations in the 
past five years. Describe how the center will continue or enhance its 
evaluation expertise as it relates to the center-level evaluation.
    3. Create and describe a five-year plan for evaluating the critical 
components of the center's logic model. The plan should include 
evaluation goals and related questions and describe how the

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plan was developed in collaboration with the centers' community 
committee.
    4. Address how the center's evaluation will consider the following:
    a. The overarching national program evaluation questions: (1) How 
is the center contributing to changes in public health research, 
practice, and policy; and (2) What types of partnerships has the center 
established and what effect have these relationships had on the goal of 
building community capacity for public health practice and disease 
prevention?
    b. The national performance indicators. The performance indicators 
will be reported on annually through the PRC information system.

Collaborations/Partnerships

    An infrastructure of resources and personnel is required to support 
collaboration with partners. Collaboration with partners and the 
defined community in program planning and activities can increase the 
success of programs and enhance community capacity. Applicants should 
have the capacity to (1) establish and maintain relationships with 
partners; (2) facilitate the establishment and maintenance of the 
center's community committee(s); and (3) collaborate with partners on 
the planning and implementation of core research. To assure that 
applicants have this capacity, applicants should, at a minimum, address 
the following:
    1. Define and describe the primary community or communities that 
the center's activities will serve (e.g., describe population size, 
geographic boundaries, racial and ethnic makeup, socioeconomic status, 
etc.).
    2. Describe the plan for establishing or maintaining the center's 
community committee(s). (See the glossary for additional information 
regarding the center community committee.) This plan should include, at 
a minimum, the following: (a) The intended composition and membership 
of the committee and how the constituents reflect the community 
described in item 1 of this section; (b) the proposed mission and role 
for the committee in the center's planning and activities, consistent 
with the logic model; (c) the plan for developing or refining 
guidelines for the community committee over the first year of the 
funding period; (d) the plan for communication between the community 
committee and the center staff, and how this plan is linked to the 
center's overall communication plan; and (e) how the center's community 
committee members will participate in and communicate with the CDC PRC 
NCC. (See Appendix C for a description of the CDC PRC NCC.) Provide 
evidence of commitment and cooperation of current and potential members 
of the center's community committee(s) (e.g., letters of support, 
memoranda of understanding, or examples of prior collaboration.)
    3. Identify and describe other partners such as state and local 
health departments, community groups and agencies, and academic units. 
At a minimum, briefly describe: (a) Past partners, new partners, and 
proposed partners; (b) the proposed methods for establishing and 
maintaining these partnerships, including how the lessons learned from 
previous partnerships will be applied to the proposed methods; and (c) 
the partners involvement in the centers proposed activities. In this 
section, specifically address the partners' role in developing this 
proposal and partners' expectations about their roles in the planning 
and implementation of the center's activities. Provide evidence of 
commitment and cooperation of current and potential partners (e.g., 
letters of support, memoranda of understanding, and examples of prior 
collaborations).

Research

    An infrastructure of resources and personnel is required to support 
research in the center. Applicants should have the capacity to (1) 
establish a five-year research agenda; (2) conduct core research and 
other prevention research as described in the research agenda; and (3) 
effectively collaborate with partners in the planning, implementation, 
and dissemination of core research. To assure that applicants have this 
capacity, applicants should, at a minimum, address the following:
    1. Provide evidence of having identified national, regional, or 
local health priorities and health disparities within the community and 
of having identified them in collaboration with community partners.
    2. Document experience in successfully conducting, evaluating, and 
publishing prevention research in the past five years. In particular, 
describe community-based research activities and provide evidence of 
community involvement in those activities.
    3. Describe the center's five-year research agenda, including the 
goals and objectives. Describe how this agenda helps fulfill the 
center's mission. If the research agenda is also supported by non-PRC 
Program funding sources, identify the other funders.
    4. Provide a detailed description of the center's participatory, 
community-based core research project and how it will further the field 
of prevention research. The long-term outcome should be applicable to 
public health programs and policies. The core research project can 
address any of the three types of applied research: (1) Determinant 
research, which examines how risk and protective factors affect health 
and how this research is essential for developing effective 
interventions; (2) intervention research, which examines the 
effectiveness of strategies or programs in reducing disease and 
promoting health; or (3) dissemination research, which examines 
strategies for promoting the adoption and maintenance of effective 
programs.
    The applicant should use the following template to describe the 
core research project:
    a. Title of the project
    b. Project Director/Lead Investigator for the project
    c. Institution(s)/partners involved in the project
    d. Categorization of the project as determinant, intervention, or 
dissemination research
    e. Relationship of the project to the center's mission and health 
priorities
    f. Relationship of the project to HHS objectives (e.g., Healthy 
People 2010)
    g. Indication of whether the project is new or ongoing. (If 
ongoing, describe the prior work on this project.)
    h. Detailed summary of the project:
    (1) Background
    (2) How the project furthers the field of prevention research
    (3) Goals and objectives
    (4) Proposed timeframe for the project
    (5) Methods and measures
    (6) Setting and context
    (7) Study participants and recruitment strategy
    (8) Intervention (if applicable)
    (9) Expected outcomes and how the center intends to communication 
and disseminate these outcomes
    i. Evidence of community participation in planning the core 
project. Describe how the center will collaborate with partners on 
refining and developing the research methodology, recruiting of 
research participants, and reporting and disseminating research 
findings.
    j. Describe how the core research project is integrated into the 
centers five-year research agenda.

Communication/Dissemination Activities

    An infrastructure of resources and personnel is required to support 
communication functions. These functions will help ensure that key 
research, dissemination, and managerial objectives are met. Applicants 
should have the capacity to (1) disseminate

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research by making its findings, methods, and tools available; (2) keep 
stakeholders (i.e., researchers, practitioners, community members, and 
policymakers) abreast of the center's accomplishments; and (3) account 
for the grant funds dispersed by producing products that reflect 
research progress and results. To assure that applicants have this 
capacity, applicants should, at a minimum, address the following:
    1. Define and describe how the center's communication and 
dissemination activities will be integrated into the center's research 
agenda and activities as described in the logic model narrative. Show 
how the community's demographic and cultural profile will be taken into 
consideration. Describe how work with collaborators and other partners 
will extend the center's reach. Describe how the center intends to 
affect local, state, or national policy, and other potential outcomes 
through communication and dissemination efforts related to the research 
agenda.
    2. Describe the methods the center will use to communicate and 
disseminate its products and other information. At a minimum address 
the following: a. Plans for publications and distribution of materials 
such as scientific papers, conference reports, newsletters, educational 
and training materials. b. Plans for meetings, personal interactions, 
and sharing of information with collaborators for the development of 
long-term partnerships. c. Plans for electronic dissemination of 
products and other information through the PRC Information System and 
any other means (e.g., Web sites).
    d. Plans for media releases and statements or the pursuit of 
opportunities for media coverage.
    3. Describe the center's infrastructure of resources and personnel 
that will support the identified communication and dissemination 
activities. At a minimum, describe the following:
    a. Ability to understand community-based research in public health 
and the constituent communities/stakeholders.
    b. Ability to translate the content of the center's activities for 
different audiences.
    c. Ability to participate in strategic communication planning and 
the setting of center-wide standards.
    d. Access to personnel and resources as applicable for layout and 
design, Web site construction, photography, proofreading, other 
development and production activities, and the maintenance of the PRC 
Information System.

Infrastructure

    An infrastructure of personnel and resources is required to support 
center functions and processes. This infrastructure will help ensure 
that adequate personnel, facilities, technology, and university support 
exist to accomplish the research agenda/activities described in the 
center's logic model narrative. Applicants should have the capacity to 
(1) recruit, hire, and retain faculty and staff having the expertise to 
implement center projects and activities; (2) acquire, manage, and 
maintain the communications and information systems necessary to 
operate a PRC; and (3) acquire and maintain university support for the 
center. To assure that applicants have this capacity, applicants 
should, at a minimum, address the following:
    1. Provide an organizational chart for the center showing all 
organizational units and functions. The chart should also reflect the 
activities articulated in the center's logic model.
    2. Describe the center's staffing and management plan. Describe 
each proposed position and discuss how the position provides the 
scientific and technical expertise needed to carry out both research 
and non-research activities. Describe the minimum criteria and the 
required expertise for each position. Describe the qualifications of 
the proposed staff. Describe how the proposed staff will interact with 
each other and with the university's leaders to accomplish the center's 
goals and objectives. This discussion should highlight the center's (a) 
leadership staff; (b) research staff; (c) evaluation staff; (d) 
communication and dissemination staff; (e) training staff; (f) 
information management staff; and (g) fiscal administration staff.
    3. Describe how your center will be integrated within the 
university structure. Describe the facilities in which staff will work 
and how these facilities enhance the center's ability to complete the 
proposed activities.
    4. Describe the center's plan to enhance its core capacity over the 
five-year period, including the commitment and capability to obtain the 
communication, information systems, and other tools necessary to 
accomplish goals and objectives (i.e., computer equipment, telephones, 
facsimile machines, scanners, scientific software, etc.).

Training/Education

    An infrastructure of resources and personnel is required to support 
training, technical assistance, or mentoring of practitioners, 
researchers, students, community members, and other partners, as 
applicable. Applicants should have the capacity to assess, plan, 
implement, and evaluate training, technical assistance or mentoring 
activities. Applicants, at a minimum, should address the following:
    1. Describe the center's assets or needs assessment (past, current, 
or proposed) for training, technical assistance, or mentoring. Explain 
collaboration with partners in the assets or needs assessment.
    2. Describe the center's five-year plan for providing training, 
technical assistance, or mentoring. This plan should include (a) goals 
and objectives, (b) partner collaboration, and (c) how the plan 
reflects the mission of the center and the assets or needs assessment 
described above. Describe how any lessons learned from prior training, 
technical assistance, or mentoring activities during the past five 
years will be applied to the proposed plan. Additionally, describe 
training facilities and resources (e.g., ability to print materials, 
use video and computer equipment, and develop websites).

Budget Information

    Provide a line-item budget and narrative justification for all 
requested costs that are consistent with the goals, objectives, and 
proposed research activities, to include the following:
    1. Line-item breakdown and justification for all personnel, i.e., 
name, position title, annual salary, percentage of time and effort, and 
amount requested.
    2. Line-item breakdown and justification for all contractors and 
consultants, to include the following:
    (a) Name of contractor or consultant
    (b) Period of performance
    (c) Method of selection (e.g., competitive or sole source)
    (d) Scope of work
    (e) Method of accountability
    (f) Itemized budget
    3. To request direct assistance assignees, include:
    (a) Number of assignees
    (b) Description of the position and proposed duties for each 
assignee
    (c) Justification of inability to hire locally with financial 
assistance
    (d) Justification for request
    (e) Name of intended supervisor
    (f) Opportunities for training, education, and work experiences for 
assignees
    (g) Description of assignee's access to computer equipment for 
communication with CDC (e.g., personal computer and location, shared 
computer at on-site workstation, shared computer at central office).

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G. Submission and Deadline

Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission:

First Round of Competition
    On or before April 10, 2003, submit a signed original and two 
copies of the LOI to the Grants Management Specialist identified in the 
Where to Obtain Additional Information section.

Application Forms

    Submit the signed original and two copies of the application PHS 
Form 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

First Round of Competition
    The application must be received by 4 p.m. Eastern Time June 16, 
2003. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management-
PA 04003, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.
    Applications may not be submitted electronically.

CDC Acknowledgment of Application Receipt

    A postcard will be mailed by PGO-TIM, indicating that CDC has 
received the 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 an application by the U.S. 
Postal Service or commercial delivery service must ensure that the 
carrier can 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. Applicants will be 
notified of their failure to meet the submission requirements.

H. Evaluation Criteria

Letter of Intent

    The Letter of Intent will be evaluated against the eligibility 
criteria contained in the Eligible Applicants section of this Program 
Announcement.

Application

    Applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that 
will demonstrate the accomplishment of the objectives identified in the 
cooperative agreement. These measures of effectiveness shall be 
submitted with the application and shall be an element of evaluation.
    Each application will be individually evaluated against the 
following criteria by an external peer review panel:
Evaluation (20 points)
    1. To what extent does the applicant appropriately construct a 
center-level logic model and provide a narrative description of 
components of the logic model?
    2. To what extent does the applicant sufficiently describe and 
justify how each component of the center's logic model relates to or 
differentiates from the national PRC Program conceptual framework?
    3. To what extent does the applicant describe relevant evaluation 
experiences and expertise as it relates to conducting an evaluation of 
the applicant's center?
    4. To what extent does the applicant adequately lay out a five-year 
evaluation plan for evaluating the critical components of the center's 
logic model, including the goals and questions?
    5. How well does the applicant illustrate how the center's 
evaluation plan is related to the national PRC Program evaluation 
activities, which include annual reporting on national performance 
indicators?
Collaborations/Partnerships (20 points)
    1. To what extent does the applicant adequately define and describe 
the primary community or communities that the center's activities 
serve?
    2. To what extent does the applicant adequately describe the 
center's community committee, particularly its initial mission, roles, 
and composition and plans for developing or refining guidelines? Does 
the applicant provide letters of support or other evidence from these 
partners of active participation in this collaboration?
    3. To what extent does the applicant appropriately describe the 
center's community committee relationship to the center's communication 
plan and the CDC PRC NCC?
    4. To what extent does the applicant adequately describe the past 
and newly established partnerships, the roles of these partners, and 
the methods for establishing and maintaining the partnerships?
    5. To what extent does the applicant adequately describe the 
proposed activities with the identified partners? Does the applicant 
provide letters of support or other evidence from these partners?
Research (20 points)
    1. To what extent does the applicant provide sound evidence of 
having identified the health priorities and health disparities in the 
community? Were these priorities identified in collaboration with the 
center's partners?
    2. To what extent has the applicant demonstrated success in 
conducting, evaluating, and publishing previous prevention research in 
the past five years? What percentage of these activities could be 
described as community-based participatory research?
    3. To what extent does the applicant specify the goals and 
objectives for the center's five-year research agenda and relate this 
agenda to the center's mission?
    4. To what extent does the applicant adequately describe the 
proposed core research project or projects? In particular, how 
appropriate is the description for the type of project, its linkage to 
the center's mission and priorities identified in the logic model, its 
linkage to HHS objectives, and its evidence of community participation 
in developing and conducting the project? To what extent are the 
research methods proposed of sound scientific quality and do they 
further the field of prevention research? To what extent is the core 
research project integrated into the center's five-year research 
agenda?
    Items 5 and 6 must be addressed but these items will not be scored
    5. To what extent does the applicant adequately address the 
requirements of Title 45 CFR part 46 for the protection of human 
subjects? This component is not scored; however, an application can be 
disapproved if the perceived research risks are sufficiently serious 
and the protection against risks is so inadequate as to make the entire 
application unacceptable.
    6. To what extent does the applicant adequately address the CDC 
policy requirements for the inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial 
groups in the proposed research? (See Attachment 1, AR-2 for more 
information). This policy

[[Page 14990]]

includes (a) the proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and 
racial and ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation; 
(b) the proposed justification when representation is limited or 
absent; (c) a statement as to whether the design of the study is 
adequate to measure differences when warranted; and (d) 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.
Communication/Dissemination (15 points)
    1. To what extent are the applicant's described communications and 
dissemination activities integrated into the center's goals and 
objectives? Has the applicant adequately addressed the diversity or 
special needs of the community or subgroups and described how it will 
work with its partners. Does the applicant anticipate these activities 
will have an effect on local, state, or national policy, and other 
potential outcomes?
    2. How well does the applicant describe the proposed methods for 
the center's communication and dissemination activities? To what extent 
can these methods help accomplish the center's goals and objectives?
    3. To what extent will the applicant's described infrastructure of 
resources and personnel adequately help support the center's 
communication and dissemination activities?
Infrastructure (15 points)
    1. Does the applicant provide an organizational chart? How well 
does the chart represent the center's activities? How well does the 
organizational structure facilitate the center's activities?
    2. To what extent does the applicant describe the positions needed 
to accomplish the center's goals and objectives? How well does the 
applicant describe the staffing plan, and to what extent does the plan 
describe the experience, expertise, and percentage of effort required 
of the center's leadership, research, evaluation, communications, 
training, information management, and fiscal administration staff? Has 
the applicant explained how it will increase its capacity over time? Is 
the staffing plan adequate for the center to accomplish its proposed 
goals and objectives?
    3. How well does the applicant describe the university's commitment 
to the center (e.g., facilities, technological resources, etc.)? Is the 
university commitment adequate to establish and maintain an identity 
for the proposed center?
Training/Education (10 points)
    1. To what extent does the applicant sufficiently describe and 
justify the center's assets or needs assessments for training, 
technical assistance, or mentoring activities?
    2. To what extent does the applicant adequately lay out a five-year 
training, technical assistance, or mentoring plan, including how the 
plan reflects the mission of the center and the assets or needs 
assessment described above?

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    1. Annual progress reports.
    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.
    Applicants will send all reports to the Grants Management 
Specialist identified in the Where to Obtain Additional Information 
section of this announcement.
    In addition, the applicant will be responsible for submitting 
information on program performance through the PRC Information System. 
This will include, but is not limited to the following: (1) Providing 
information on all projects (i.e., Core projects, special interest 
projects, and other funded projects) and products (i.e., interim 
reports, publications, presentations, surveys, etc.); (2) providing 
semi-annual updates to the information contained in the system; and (3) 
collaborate with the national PRC Program on the continued development 
and improvement of the information system.

Additional Requirements

    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment 1 of the 
program announcement, as posted on the CDC web site.

AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2 Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
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-22 Research Integrity

    See Appendix E for supplemental information about Research 
Integrity, Human Subjects Requirements, and Institutional Review Board 
policy.

J. Where to Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements, the necessary applications, and 
associated forms can be found on the CDC Web site, 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 and budget assistance, contact: Lucy 
Picciolo, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, 
Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, Room 3000, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, 
Telephone: 770-488-2683, E-mail address: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Robert Hancock, Project 
Officer, Prevention Research Centers Office, National Center for 
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Northeast, MS K45, 
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, Telephone: 770-488-5395, E-mail address: 
[email protected].

    Dated: March 20, 2003.
Sandra R. Manning,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-7315 Filed 3-26-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P