[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35892-35894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15217]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 03094]


Perinatal HIV Prevention in the United States: National 
Organizations Working Toward Elimination; Notice of Availability of 
Funds

    Application Deadline: August 1, 2003.

A. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 301(a) and 317K(2) of the 
Public Health Service Act, (42 U.S.C. 241(a) and 274b (k)(2)), as 
amended. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.943.

B. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2003 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program for ``Perinatal HIV Prevention in the United States: National 
Organizations Working Toward Elimination.'' This program addresses the 
``Healthy People 2010'' focus area(s) of HIV and Maternal, Infant and 
Child Health.
    The purpose of this program is to: (1) Develop, provide and 
disseminate technical assistance and other educational and training 
materials needed to improve perinatal HIV prevention efforts 
nationally; (2) promote the integration of: universal voluntary HIV 
testing into prenatal care across the United States, rapid HIV testing 
for women with unknown HIV status in labor, and offering repeat HIV 
testing to women at risk for seroconversion during pregnancy; and (3) 
foster the exchange of information, ideas and experiences of perinatal 
HIV prevention among maternal and child health providers, HIV care 
providers and consumers.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one or 
more of the following performance goals for the National Center for 
HIV, STD and TB Prevention (NCHSTP): (1) Reduce the number of new HIV 
infections; (2) increase the proportion of HIV-infected people who know 
they are infected; (3) increase the proportion of HIV-infected people 
who are linked to appropriate prevention, care, and treatment services; 
and (4) strengthen the capacity nationwide to monitor the epidemic, 
develop and implement effective HIV prevention interventions and 
evaluate prevention programs.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by national organizations having 
demonstrated experience providing needs assessments, capacity building, 
curricula, and training about prevention of mother to child 
transmission of HIV (PMTCT) for consumers and health care workers, 
including: Pediatricians, obstetricians, family practitioners, nurses, 
nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners, counselors, health educators, 
PMTCT program managers, and other health care providers. These national 
organizations may be:
[sbull] Public nonprofit organizations
[sbull] Private nonprofit organizations
[sbull] Faith-based organizations
    This program is limited to national organizations that have the 
capability to serve the broadest U.S. audiences by supporting national 
efforts to assure consistent messages in training and education.


    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 $700,000 is available in FY 2003, to fund 
approximately three to four awards. It is expected that the average 
award will be $175,000, ranging from $50,000 to $225,000. It is 
expected that the awards 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 four 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 from this cooperative agreement should not be used for major 
purchase of equipment or construction. Requests for equipment such as 
computers and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Projectors for training 
require detailed justification.

Recipient Financial Participation

    Matching funds are not required for this program.

Funding Preferences

    Funding preference will be given to national organizations with 
prior experience providing training to health care providers regarding: 
(1) Incorporation of PMTCT into health care provider education; (2) 
offering of universal voluntary HIV testing to pregnant women as a 
routine part of prenatal care; (3) implementation of voluntary rapid 
HIV testing programs in labor and delivery settings; and (4) to 
national organizations that have developed and disseminated patient 
educational materials on HIV, perinatal HIV and its prevention.

E. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities listed in 1. 
Recipient Activities and CDC will be responsible for the activities 
listed in 2. CDC Activities.

1. Recipient Activities

    a. Provide training and technical assistance to programs and health 
care providers in sharing and applying knowledge and expertise 
regarding HIV prevention and perinatal transmission. Specifically, 
disseminate educational materials, and provide training and technical 
assistance on approaches to help providers achieve high rates of 
prenatal HIV testing by using recommended HIV screening practices 
including opt-out strategies, offering rapid HIV testing for women in 
labor who present with undocumented HIV status and linking HIV-at risk 
and HIV-infected women and their infants to comprehensive medical and 
social services.
    b. Sponsor a variety of forums for presentation of information on 
HIV perinatal reduction (i.e., policies, programs, materials, and other 
technical

[[Page 35893]]

information) and other public health information related to HIV 
prevention and pregnancy among Maternal and Child Health (MCH) 
populations.
    c. Collaborate with other funded national organizations and the 
CDC, Division of HIV/AIDS and other Centers, Institutes, and Offices 
(CIOs) within CDC which address HIV prevention relevant to MCH 
populations, to assess needs and provide technical assistance.
    d. Participate in an annual CDC-sponsored meeting on perinatal HIV 
prevention.

2. CDC Activities

    a. Facilitate and assist in the development of training materials 
and curricula, administrative tools and policy manuals.
    b. Participate in defining the scope of perinatal HIV transmission 
and other prevention needs relevant to MCH populations, and provide 
information and technical assistance in meeting those needs.
    c. Work with each awardee to facilitate and support collaboration 
among funded national organizations as well as CDC-funded perinatal HIV 
prevention and surveillance programs.
    d. Provide a synthesis of known best practices and interventions 
regarding prevention of perinatal transmission of HIV for all pregnant 
women, including women with little or no prenatal care and unknown HIV 
status at labor and delivery.
    e. Collaborate in the development of forums that focus on perinatal 
HIV transmission and other public health information that relates to 
HIV prevention among maternal-child health populations.
    f. Assist in the evaluation of perinatal HIV prevention education, 
training, and materials.
    g. Collaborate in the presentation and publication of evaluation 
findings.
    h. Conduct site visits to monitor progress of the programs.

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 18 pages, single-spaced, 
printed on one side, with one-inch margins, and unreduced 12-point 
font.
    The narrative should consist of:
    1. Abstract (not to exceed one page): An executive summary of your 
program covered under this announcement.
    2. Program Plan (Not to exceed 17 pages): In developing the 
application under this announcement, please review the recipient 
activities and, in particular, evaluation criteria and respond 
concisely and completely. The program plan should address activities to 
be conducted over the entire four-year budget period.
    3. Budget: Submit an itemized budget and supporting justification 
that is consistent with your proposed program plan.

G. Submission and Deadline

Application Forms

    Submit the signed original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 
0920-0428). 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 August 1, 
2003. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management-
PA 03094, 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

    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 
objectives of the cooperative agreement regarding educational material 
and training on perinatal HIV prevention. 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 CDC will evaluate each 
application against the following criteria:
    1. Scope of Plan (30 points): a succinct statement of the intent 
and desired outcome(s) of the project and clearly stated and measurable 
outcome objectives to be achieved by the project. These objectives must 
be quantifiable in terms of outputs and time frame for achievement. The 
statement of intent and outcome objectives should address the purpose 
of the cooperative agreement, which is to: (1) Develop, provide and 
disseminate technical assistance and other educational and training 
materials needed to improve perinatal HIV prevention efforts 
nationally; (2) promote the integration of universal voluntary HIV 
testing into prenatal care across the United States, rapid HIV testing 
for women with unknown HIV status in labor, and offering repeat HIV 
testing to women at risk for seroconversion during pregnancy; and (3) 
foster the exchange of information, ideas and experiences of perinatal 
HIV prevention among maternal and child health providers, HIV care 
providers and consumers.
    2. Personnel and Staffing (30 points): the qualifications and 
experience of key personnel, other professional staff and support staff 
available to carry out the perinatal HIV prevention activities.
    3. Methods (25 points): Clear statement of approach and activities 
required to achieve the stated perinatal HIV prevention outcome 
objectives. The relationship between activities and objectives must be 
explicitly demonstrated. Description of activities must include a 
delineation of resources required, identification of the personnel

[[Page 35894]]

who will perform the work, and a management plan with description of 
the systems and procedures which will be used to manage the progress, 
budget and operations of the project.
    4. Evaluation (15 points): Detailed plans for evaluating the degree 
to which the program achieves the purpose of the cooperative agreement 
(as listed in the purpose section, and above in the description of the 
scope of plan.) Measures must be objective and quantitative and must 
measure the intended outcome. The submission of these measures shall be 
a data element to be submitted with, or incorporated into the 
semiannual progress reports.
    5. Budget (reviewed, but not scored): There is an upper limit of 
$250,000. An application submitted with a budget over $250,000, will be 
reviewed and, if awarded, only partially funded. The budget will be 
reviewed to determine the extent to which it is reasonable, clearly 
justified, consistent with the intended use of the funds, and 
allowable. All budget categories should be itemized.

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
    1. Interim progress report, no less than 90 days before the end of 
the budget period. The progress report will serve as your non-competing 
continuation application, and must contain the following elements:
    a. Current Budget Period Activities Objectives.
    b. Current Budget Period Financial Progress.
    c. New Budget Period Program Proposed Activity Objectives.
    d. Detailed Line-Item Budget and Justification.
    e. Additional Requested Information.
    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.

Additional Requirements

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

AR-4 HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Provisions
AR-5 HIV Program Review Panel 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 Lobbying Restrictions
AR-14 Accounting System Requirements
AR-21 Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business
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 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: Carlos Smiley, 
Grants Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 
30341-4146, Telephone: 770-488-2722, E-mail address: [email protected].
For program technical assistance, contact: Margaret A. Lampe, RN, 
Project Officer, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop E-45, Atlanta, GA 
30333, Telephone: 404-639-5189, E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: June 7, 2003.
Sandra R. Manning,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-15217 Filed 6-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P