[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33699-33701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14129]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[Program Announcement 03084]


A Pilot Program To Educate Vulnerable Populations About Fish 
Advisories in Michigan; Notice of Availability of Funds

    Application Deadline: July 21, 2003.

A. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under sections 104(i)(1)(E) and (15) of 
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability 
Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) (42 U.S.C. 9604(i)(1)(E) and (15)). 
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.208.

B. Purpose

    The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 
announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2003 funds for a grant 
program for A Pilot Program to Educate Vulnerable Populations about 
Fish Advisories in Michigan. This program addresses the ``Healthy 
People 2010'' focus area(s) of Educational and Community-Based 
Programs, Environmental Health, and Maternal, Infant, and Child Health.
    The purpose of the program is to conduct community-based research 
to assess the knowledge of and adherence to fish health advisories in 
vulnerable populations who reside in the Upper Peninsula of the state 
of Michigan. These vulnerable populations would include such 
populations as American Indians, sport and subsistence anglers, 
pregnant women, young children, and the elderly.
    The Upper Peninsula area has a specific need for health education 
about fish advisories. Many residents fall in the vulnerable groups of 
reproductive-age men and women, sport and subsistence anglers and their 
families, and minorities, including the various tribal groups in the 
Upper Peninsula. In addition, many of the residents depend heavily on 
sport fish as a subsistence food. Because the population is spread out 
over a large and often remote area, the process of educating people 
there is difficult.
    ATSDR encourages collaborative research efforts among potential 
applicants as well as the inclusion of community members and community 
organizations as partners in this pilot program.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one or 
more of the following performance goals for the Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): (1) Develop and provide 
reliable, understandable information for affected communities, tribes, 
and stakeholders, and (2) Build and enhance effective partnerships.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants are political subdivisions of the state of 
Michigan, including federally recognized Indian tribal governments and 
tribal organizations. State organizations, including State 
universities, State colleges, and State research institutions, must 
affirmatively establish that they meet the State's legislative 
definition of a State entity or political subdivision to be considered 
an eligible applicant.

    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.


[[Page 33700]]



D. Funding

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $300,000 is available in FY 2003 to fund two awards. 
It is expected that the award will begin on or about September 15, 
2003, and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project 
period of up to three years. Funding estimates may change.
    Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made 
on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports 
and the availability of funds.

Use of Funds

    Funds may be expended for reasonable program purposes, such as 
personnel, travel, supplies and services. Funds for contractual 
services may be requested; however, the grantee, as the direct and 
primary recipient of ATSDR grant funds, must perform a substantive role 
in carrying out project activities, and not merely serve as a conduit 
for an award to another party or provide funds to an ineligible party. 
Equipment may be purchased with grant funds. However, the equipment 
proposed should be appropriate and reasonable for the research activity 
to be conducted. Property may be acquired only when authorized in the 
grant. The grantee, as part of the application process, should provide 
a justification of need to acquire property, the description, and the 
cost purchase versus lease. At the completion of the project, the 
equipment must be returned to ATSDR.

Recipient Financial Participation

    Matching funds are not required for this program.

Funding Preferences

    The funding preference is a state entity or political subdivision 
with a close working relationship with tribal governments and tribal 
organizations as evidenced by letters of support.

E. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the following priority areas of 
research which include:
    1. Identifying the barriers (including specific cultural practices) 
to following current fish consumption advisories and fish preparation 
guidelines among vulnerable populations.
    2. Engaging vulnerable community members and institutions in 
identifying more effective communication channels for fish advisories 
that recognize and work within existing cultural practices.
    3. Designing new targeted fish advisory interventions incorporating 
effective communication channels, dissemination methods, and community 
programs.
    4. Implementing and assessing the effectiveness of pilot program 
messages, communications channels, and community-based educational 
programs in increasing the effectiveness of fish advisories among 
vulnerable populations.
    5. Sharing the results of the pilot program for broader replication 
in the Great Lakes region.

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 
determine level of interest in the announcement, and should include the 
following information: (1) Investigator's name and affiliation, (2) 
brief description of the research project, and (3) estimated cost.

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 25 pages, double-spaced, 
printed on one side, with one-inch margins, and unreduced 12-point 
font.
    The narrative should consist of: (1) Proposed research, (2) 
Objectives, (3) Methods and procedures, (4) Three-Year Timetable for 
research activities, (5) Proposed personnel, and (6) Budget.

G. Submission and Deadline

Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission:

    On or before June 25, 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. Forms are 
available at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm.
    Follow the instructions in the Errata sheet (posted on the CDC web 
site) for PHS-398. 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 July 21, 
2003. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management-
PA03084, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.
    Applications may not be submitted electronically.

CDC Acknowledgement 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

    Applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that 
will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified priority 
areas of research of the grant. Measures of effectiveness must relate 
to the performance goals stated in the purpose section of this 
announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative and must 
measure the intended outcome. These measures of effectiveness must be 
submitted with the application and will be an element of evaluation.
    An independent review group appointed by ATSDR will evaluate each 
application against the following criteria:

[[Page 33701]]

1. Proposed Research--60 percent
    The extent to which the applicant's project addresses:
    a. The scientific merit of the hypothesis of the proposed project, 
including the originality of the approach and the feasibility, 
adequacy, and rationale of the design (the design of the study should 
ensure statistical validity for comparison with other research 
projects).
    b. The technical merit of the methods and procedures (analytic 
procedures should be state of the art), including the degree to which 
the project can be expected to yield results that meet the program 
objective as described in the Purpose section of this announcement.
    c. The proposed project schedule, including clearly established and 
obtainable project objectives for which progress toward attainment can 
and will be measured.
    d. The proposed mechanism to be utilized as a resource to address 
community concerns and opinion, and create lines of communication.
    e. The prooposed method to disseminate the study results to State 
and local public health officials, tribal governments, Indian Health 
Service, community residents, and to other concerned individuals and 
organizations.
    f. 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. 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 when warranted.
    (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.
2. Program Personnel--30 percent
    The extent to which the proposal has described:
    a. The qualifications, experience, and commitment of the Principal 
Investigator, and his/her ability to devote adequate time and effort to 
provide effective leadership.
    b. The competence of associate investigators to accomplish the 
proposed study, their commitment, and time devoted to the study.
3. Applicant Capability--10 percent
    Description of the adequacy and commitment of the institutional 
resources to administer the program and the adequacy of the facilities 
as they impact on performance of the proposed study.
4. Program Budget--(Not Scored)
    The extent to which the budget is reasonable, clearly justified, 
and consistent with intended use of grant funds.
5. Human Subjects--(Not Scored)
    Does the application adequately address the requirements of Title 
45 CFR part 46 for the protection of human subjects? Not scored; 
however, 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.

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    (a) An Interim progress report, due June 15th. The progress report 
will serve as your non-competing continuation application, and must 
contain the following elements:
    (1) Current Budget Period Activities Objectives.
    (2) Current Budget Period Financial Progress.
    (3) New Budget Period Program Proposed Activity Objectives.
    (4) Detailed Line-Item Budget and Justification.
    (5) Additional Requested Information.
    (b) Financial status report, due no later than 90 days, after the 
end of the budget period.
    (c) Final financial and performance reports, due no later 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.

Additional Requirements

    The following additional requirements are applicable to this 
program.

AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2 Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR-3 Animal Subjects Requirements
AR-7 Executive Order 12372 Review
AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements *
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11 Healthy People 2010
AR-12 Lobby Restrictions
AR-17 Peer and Technical Reviews of Final Reports of Health Studies--
ATSDR
AR-18 Cost Recovery--ATSDR
AR-19 Third Party Agreements

    For a complete description of each, see Attachment I of the program 
announcement, as posted on the CDC Web site.

    * OMB Clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act is not 
required for 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 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: Ms. Edna 
Green, Grant Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, 
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2743, E-mail address: 
[email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Dr. Heraline E. Hicks, 
Research Implementation Branch, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton 
Road, NE., Mail Stop E29, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, Telephone: (404) 498-
0717, E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: May 30, 2003.
Edward Schultz,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-14129 Filed 6-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P