[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40668-40670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17156]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 03061]


Expansion of Reference Laboratory Infrastructure To Support HIV/
AIDS/STD/TB Control Activities in the Republic of Zambia; Notice of 
Availability of Funds

    Application Deadline: August 7, 2003.

A. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 307 of the Public Health 
Service Act, (42 U.S.C. 2421), as amended. The Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance number is 93.941.

B. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2003 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program with the national reference laboratories that support HIV, 
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Tuberculosis (TB) 
surveillance and control activities in Zambia.
    The purpose of this program is to build Zambia's national reference 
laboratory capacity to effectively monitor and control HIV/AIDS and 
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), as well as TB, the most common 
opportunistic infection associated with HIV in Zambia. Funds in this 
agreement may be used to support surveillance of these diseases and 
enhancements in information technology and capacity to analyze and 
disseminate reference laboratory findings. Collaborative activities 
between CDC and reference laboratories are intended to profoundly 
improve the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS, STD and TB program activities in 
Zambia.
    The United States Government (USG) seeks to reduce the impact of 
HIV/AIDS in specific countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the 
Americas through its Leadership and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic 
(LIFE) initiative. To carry out this initiative, the Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) has organized its Global AIDS Program 
(GAP) to strengthen capacity and expand activities in the areas of (1) 
HIV prevention; (2) HIV care, support and treatment; and (3) capacity 
and infrastructure development, especially for HIV/AIDS surveillance 
activities.
    Targeted countries represent those with the most severe epidemics 
and the highest number of new infections. They also represent countries 
where the potential for impact is greatest and where U.S. Government 
agencies are already active. Zambia is one of these targeted countries.
    Through CDC, HHS is working in a collaborative manner with national 
governments and other agencies to develop programs of assistance to 
address the HIV/AIDS epidemics in LIFE Initiative countries. In 
particular, CDC's mission in Zambia is to improve surveillance for HIV, 
TB and STIs and to strengthen and make more effective programs for 
preventing and treating these diseases.
    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/TB Prevention: Strengthen the capacity nationwide to monitor 
the epidemic, develop and implement effective HIV prevention 
interventions and evaluate prevention programs, and improve HIV/AIDS 
information management and decision making by developing well 
coordinated databases by 2005.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by research institutions, hospitals, 
and government reference laboratories in Zambia. Applicants must be 
actively involved in surveillance of HIV, STIs or TB on a national or 
regional level. CDC has been working closely with the Government of the 
Republic of Zambia (GRZ) to build its national laboratory system. 
Because the intent of this agreement is to support national public 
health laboratory infrastructure, applicants must have a mandate from 
the GRZ to provide reference laboratory services within the system.

D. Funding

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $300,000 is available in FY 2003 to fund 
approximately three awards. It is expected that the average award will 
be $100,000, ranging from $90,000 to $110,000. 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 five 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 not be used for:
    1. Funds received from this announcement will not be used for the

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purchase of antiretroviral drugs for treatment of established HIV 
infection (with the exception AZT and nevirapine in Prevention of 
Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) cases and with prior written 
approval), occupational exposures, and non-occupational exposures and 
will not be used for the purchase of machines and reagents to conduct 
the necessary laboratory monitoring for patient care.
    2. No funds appropriated under this Act shall be used to carry out 
any program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for the 
hypodermic injection of any illegal drug.
    Funds may be used for:
    1. Funds may be spent for reasonable program purposes, including 
personnel, travel, supplies and services. Equipment may be purchased if 
deemed necessary to accomplish program objectives, however, prior 
approval by CDC officials must be requested in writing.
    2. The costs that are generally allowable in grants to domestic 
organizations are allowable to foreign institutions and international 
organizations, with the following exception: with the exception of the 
American University, Beirut, and the World Health Organization, 
Indirect Costs will not be paid (either directly or through sub-award) 
to organizations located outside the territorial limits of the United 
States or to international organizations regardless of their location.
    3. The applicant may contract with other organizations under this 
program; however the applicant must perform a substantial portion of 
the activities (including program management and operations, and 
delivery of prevention services for which funds are required.)
    All requests for funds contained in the budget, shall be stated in 
U.S. dollars. Once an award is made, CDC will not compensate foreign 
grantees for currency exchange fluctuations through the issuance of 
supplemental awards.
    You must obtain annual audit of these CDC funds (program-specific 
audit) by a U.S.-based audit firm with international branches and 
current licensure/authority in-country, and in accordance with 
International Accounting Standards or equivalent standard(s) approved 
in writing by CDC.
    A fiscal Recipient Capability Assessment may be required, prior to 
or post award, in order to review the applicant's business management 
and fiscal capabilities regarding the handling of U.S. Federal funds.

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 listed in 1. 
Recipient Activities, and CDC will be responsible for activities listed 
in 2. CDC Activities.

1. Recipient Activities

    a. The applicant will plan and implement activities to build 
information technology capacity that supports reference laboratory 
work. This may include a local area network (LAN) and Internet access 
that will be used to disseminate information and communicate with 
public health officials within and outside of Zambia. This may also 
include training in the analysis and handling of laboratory data.
    b. The applicant will plan and implement laboratory-based 
activities to monitor the impact or assist in controlling HIV, STDs or 
TB in Zambia. This may include disease or drug-resistance surveillance, 
infrastructure building and training.

2. CDC Activities

    a. CDC will provide technical assistance in designing and building 
local area networks, setup of databases and other information 
technology projects.
    b. CDC will provide specifications for computer equipment and 
assist in the procurement process in order to achieve project goals.
    c. CDC will assist in developing and implementing data and 
information dissemination plans for HIV, AIDS, TB, and STI data and 
results.
    d. CDC provide technical assistance including support from Atlanta-
based staff for planning and implementing laboratory activities, 
particularly in the areas of disease surveillance and laboratory 
quality assurance from reference labs to peripheral labs.
    e. CDC will also assist in developing specifications for laboratory 
equipment and supplies as needed to achieve project objectives.

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 20 pages, double-spaced, 
printed on one side, with one-inch margins, and unreduced 12-point 
font.
    The narrative should consist of background information about the 
laboratory and its place in the national laboratory structure, 
objectives for the agreement and a description of how they will be 
accomplished, background on the staff members who will work with CDC to 
implement the project, and a description of prior and proposed 
collaboration with the Zambia CDC office. A detailed budget 
justification is required.

G. Submission and Deadline

Application Forms

    Submit the signed original and two copies of your proposal and 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. 
Forms are also available in the application kit, available from the CDC 
Zambia Office, American Embassy, Lusaka, tel. +260-1-250955.

Submission Date, Time, and Address

    The application must be received by 4 p.m. eastern time August 7, 
2003. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management-PA 
03061, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, 
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, USA.
    Applications may be e-mailed to [email protected]. If you e-mail your 
application, you must also mail a hard copy of the application to the 
address listed above, for documentation purposes.

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 4:00 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

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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. 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. Importance of the Laboratory in Zambia's Public Health Laboratory 
Network (40 points)
    The extent to which the applicant's proposal demonstrates the key 
role of the laboratory for HIV, STD or TB control programs and disease 
surveillance in Zambia.
2. Ability To Jointly Work with CDC on the Project (20 points)
    The extent to which the applicant documents their ability to work 
with CDC to jointly develop laboratory capacity in the areas of HIV, 
STIs or TB.
3. Personnel (20 points)
    The extent to which professional personnel involved in this project 
are qualified to develop and implement laboratory projects in the areas 
of HIV, STIs or TB.
4. Administration (20 points)
    The adequacy of the plans to account for, prepare reports, monitor, 
and audit expenditures under this agreement.
5. Budget (Reviewed, but not scored)
    The extent to which the itemized budget for conducting the project 
is itemized and justified.
    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.
    Does the application adequately address 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 
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.

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.

AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements
AR-4 HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Provisions
AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
AR-14 Accounting System Requirements

    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 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: Shirley 
Wynn, Grants Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, 
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146. Telephone: 770-488-1515. E-mail: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: David B. Nelson, Chief 
of Party, Global AIDS Program, Zambia, American Embassy, Corner of 
Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka, Zambia. Telephone: 
+260-1-250955. E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: July 1, 2003.
Sandra R. Manning,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-17156 Filed 7-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P