[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3365-3369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1420]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Implementation of the National Violent Death Reporting System

    Announcement Type: New.
    Funding Opportunity Number: 04061.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.136.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: April 22, 2004.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: This program is authorized under section 301(a) (42 
U.S.C. 241(a)) of the Public Health Service Act and section 391(a) 
(42 U.S.C. 280b(a)) of the Public Service Health Act, as amended.


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    Purpose: The purpose of the program is to expand the implementation 
of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) as mandated in 
FY 2004 Senate appropriations language. NVDRS will assist state 
governments to assess the extent of the violence related deaths in 
their states, identify risk factors and develop and evaluate violence 
prevention program efforts. This program addresses the ``Healthy People 
2010'' focus area of Injury and Violence Prevention.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the 
following performance goal for the National Center for Injury 
Prevention and Control (NCIPC): Develop new or improved approaches for 
preventing and controlling death and disability due to injuries.
    For this cooperative agreement, the case definition of violent 
deaths include deaths coded on the death certificate as a suicide 
(ICD10 X60-X84, Y87.0), a homicide (ICD10 X85-Y09, Y87.1), a death of 
undetermined intent (ICD10 Y10-Y34, Y87.2), a death from legal 
intervention (ICD10 Y35.0-Y35.4, Y35.6-Y35.7, Y89.0), a death related 
to terrorism (ICD10 U01-U03), an ``accidental'' death from a firearm 
(ICD10 W32-W34, and those cases coded to Y86 where a firearm is the 
source of injury) and those cases coded to Y89.9 where the death is 
later determined to be due to violence or unintentional firearm injury. 
Note that the defining code ranges explicitly include the sequelae or 
``late effects'' of violent injuries.

Activities

    Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
    a. Establish or maintain an advisory committee that will help in 
the development of the state violent death reporting system. Membership 
should include representatives from agencies that control medical 
examiner/coroner records, death certificates, police records, and crime 
laboratory data.
    b. Establish, maintain or expand routine access to uniquely 
identifiable case information from each of the four critical data 
sources for deaths occurring on or after 1/01/2005.
    c. Use case definition and uniform data elements developed by CDC 
(See Attachment I. All attachments are posted with this announcement on 
the CDC website).
    d. Obtain and code data from all core data sources for all cases 
identified. The means for obtaining data may be abstraction from the 
required data sources, electronic transfer or other method(s).
    e. Collect and input specified child fatality review (CFR) data 
into the NVDRS software.
    f. Develop procedures to combine information from the data sources. 
Maintain a unique case ID number.
    g. Establish or maintain: (1) A centralized location for 
maintaining a secure data storage system that allows for ready access 
to and retrieval of your collected data; and (2) an off-site, backup 
storage system for all your data.
    h. Transmit data free of personal identifiers electronically to CDC 
using software provided by CDC. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
clearance for this data collection is pending.
    i. Develop a quality assurance program that includes a systematic 
review of the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the data 
collection process. This should include reabstraction of a sample of 
cases where applicable, and monitoring of time intervals from death to 
case completion, as well as routine checks to identify duplicate cases.
    j. Evaluate the surveillance system annually using standard 
guidelines. These include: simplicity, flexibility, data quality, 
acceptability, sensitivity, predictive value positive, 
representativeness, timeliness, and stability. [See Morbidity and 
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Recommendations and Reports, ``Updated 
guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems,'' RR-13, 
vol. 50, 07/27/2001, found at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/RR/RR5013.pdf.]
    k. Prepare standard reports with aggregated data and distribute 
them widely.
    l. Share information learned from the project through 
presentations, peer-reviewed publications and media events.
    m. Participate in a collaborative effort coordinated by the CDC to 
establish a national violent death reporting system that collects 
uniform data across states as prescribed in the FY 2002 and FY 2003 
appropriations report language. Meetings will be held on a semiannual 
basis.

    Note: Applicants may choose to begin gathering data in smaller 
geographic areas, such as cities, counties or regions, rather than 
beginning statewide. If an applicant chooses to begin collecting 
data in a portion of the state, the applicant must outline a plan 
for expansion statewide within the five-year project period. If an 
applicant cannot go statewide within the five-year time frame, a 
justification must be provided.

    In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in 
the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.
    CDC Activities for this program are as follows:
    a. Provide a case definition and required uniform data elements to 
be collected.
    b. Provide standardized model software that can be used to store 
and transmit data to CDC electronically, and provide software updates, 
as needed.
    c. Train recipients on NVDRS systems. This includes: data 
standards, coding, data entry, data editing, quality assurance 
functions, record tracking, and reporting format.
    d. Provide technical assistance in solving problems in all aspects 
of the system.
    e. Review submitted records for quality and completeness and 
provides feedback to recipients. Work with the recipients to 
systematically resolve problems of missing or inaccurate data.
    f. Prepare an analysis file of final edited data to be shared with 
the recipient for data analysis and reporting of findings.
    g. Prepare standard reports with aggregated data and distribute 
them widely.
    h. Prepare Office of Management and Budget (OMB) package to obtain 
clearance for data collection.
    i. Provide list of child fatality review data elements that should 
be collected.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. CDC involvement in this 
program is listed in the Activities Section above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2004.
    Approximate Total Funding: $700,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: Three.
    Approximate Average Award: $233,000.
    Floor of Award Range: None.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $320,000.
    For applicants with violent deaths equal to 2,200 or less per year, 
your application will not be eligible for review if you request a 
funding amount greater than the upper threshold. You will be notified 
that you did not meet the submission requirements.
    For applicants with violent deaths greater than 2,200 per year, an 
amount greater than the ceiling is allowable.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2004.
    Budget Period Length: 12 months.
    Project Period Length: Five years.
    Throughout the project period, CDC's commitment to continuation of 
awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of 
satisfactory

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progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports), and the 
determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the 
Federal Government.

III. Eligibility Information

    Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by:
    [sbull] State and local governments or their Bona Fide Agents (this 
includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, 
American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic 
of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau)
    A Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by the state 
as eligible to submit an application under the state eligibility in 
lieu of a state application. If you are applying as a bona fide agent 
of a state or local government, you must provide a letter signed by the 
authorizing official of the state health department designating the 
status bona fide agent. The letter must state that the state health 
department is aware of the opportunity to be involved in the 
cooperative agreement (include the Program Announcement number) and is 
allowing the bona fide agency to be the state applicant. Place this 
documentation behind the first page of your application form.
    Other Eligibility Requirements: If your application is incomplete 
or non-responsive to the requirements listed below, it will not be 
entered into the review process. You will be notified that your 
application did not meet the submission requirements.
    States already receiving funding under Program Announcements 02059 
and 03038--Cooperative Agreement for Development of National Violent 
Death Reporting System (Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, 
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, 
South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin) are not eligible to apply.
    The ability to obtain population-based information from core data 
sets is crucial for the successful development of the NVDRS. Eligible 
applicants must document, through letters of support and memorandums of 
agreement/understanding (MOA/MOU), access to information on individual, 
identifiable decedents from all of the following data sources:
    1. Death certificates.
    2. Medical examiner and/or coroner records.
    3. Police records.
    4. Crime laboratory records.
    The letters of support must come from each agency authorized to 
grant access to the specific required data. Each letter must note the 
most recent year for which data is available to the health department, 
and note that a MOA/MOU is in place between the applicant and the data 
agency. The MOA/MOU must note the applicant's access to data and 
specify any limitations regarding data use. A copy of the MOA/MOU must 
accompany each letter of support to confirm access.
    Applicants from states that do not have centralized, statewide 
medical examiner/coroner or police records, must obtain letters of 
support from the agencies with authority over the four required data 
sources in three cities or counties within the state, and MOA/MOUs from 
at least three of the four agencies in each city or county.
    MOA/MOUs are required to verify that an applicant has access to 
data and will not send the majority of project time trying to gain 
access to required data.
    Applications that fail to submit all evidence listed above will be 
considered non-responsive and will be returned without review.

Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required for this program.

    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.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    How to Obtain Application Forms: To apply for this funding 
opportunity use application form PHS 5161. Application forms and 
instructions are available on the CDC Web site, 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) staff at: 770-488-2700. Application forms can be mailed to 
you.

Content and Form of Application Submission

    This program announcement is the definitive guide on application 
format, content, and deadlines. It supersedes information provided in 
the application instructions. If there are discrepancies between the 
application form instructions and the program announcement, adhere to 
the guidance in the program announcement.
    You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number to 
apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the Federal government. 
The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely 
identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there 
is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711.
    For more information, see the CDC Web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/pubcommt.htm.
    If your application form does not have a DUNS number field, please 
write your DUNS number at the top of the first page of your 
application, and/or include your DUNS number in your application cover 
letter.

Application

    You must submit a signed original, two copies, and a labeled disk 
or CD-Rom of your application forms.
    You must include a project narrative with your application forms. 
Your narrative must be submitted in the following format:
    [sbull] Maximum number of pages: 30.
    If your narrative exceeds the page limit, only the first pages 
which are within the page limit will be reviewed.
    [sbull] Font size: 12 point unreduced.
    [sbull] Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
    [sbull] Page margin size: One inch.
    [sbull] Printed only on one side of page.
    [sbull] Held together only by rubber bands or metal clips; not 
bound in any other way.
    [sbull] Maximum number of pages for entire application: 70 (which 
includes the 30 page narrative).

    Note: Applicants who do not follow the content guidelines will 
have the following point reductions to their overall evaluation 
score: 5 points for more than 30 pages of the narrative; 3 points 
for use of a font smaller than 12-point; 2 points for less than 
double spacing; and 2 points for margins less than specified.

    Your narrative should address activities to be conducted over the 
entire project period, and must include the following items in the 
order listed: Methods, Goals and Objectives, Experience, Capacity and 
Staffing, Collaboration, Evaluation and Background. The Budget 
Justification is not included in the narrative page count.
    Funding restrictions, which must be taken into account while 
writing your budget, are as follows: none
    If you are requesting indirect costs in your budget, you must 
include a copy of your indirect cost rate agreement. If

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your indirect cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement must be 
less than 12 months of age.
    Guidance for completing your budget can be found on the CDC web 
site, at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/budgetguide.htm.
    Additional information may be included in the application 
appendices. The appendices will not be counted toward the narrative 
page limit. This additional information may include: Curriculum Vitaes, 
Resumes, Organizational Charts, Letters of Support, etc.
    Submission Date, Time, and Address:
    Application Deadline Date: April 22, 2004.
    Application Submission Address: Submit your application by mail or 
express delivery service to: Technical Information Management-
PA 04061, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be received in the CDC 
Procurement and Grants Office by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline 
date. If you send your application by the United States Postal Service 
or commercial delivery service, you must ensure that the carrier will 
be able to guarantee delivery of the application by the closing date 
and time. If CDC receives your application 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, you will be given the opportunity to 
submit documentation of the carriers guarantee. If the documentation 
verifies a carrier problem, CDC will consider the application as having 
been received by the deadline.
    This program announcement is the definitive guide on application 
format, content and deadlines. It supersedes information provided in 
the application instructions. If your application does not meet the 
deadline above, it will not be eligible for review, and will be 
discarded. You will be notified that you did not meet the submission 
requirements.
    If you have a question about the receipt of your application, first 
contact your courier. If you still have a question, contact the PGO-TIM 
staff at: 770-488-2700. Before calling, please wait two to three days 
after the application deadline. This will allow time for applications 
to be processed and logged.
    Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 12372 
does not apply to this program.

V. Application Review Information

    Review Criteria: You 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.
    Your application will be evaluated against the following criteria:

1. Methods (25 points)

    a. Are methods used for ascertaining cases and obtaining data from 
core data sources provided? It should include a discussion of methods 
used in motivating reporting sources, ensuring high quality data, and 
resolving data issues.
    b. Does the applicant provide a detailed and clear description of 
how linkage of records from different sources is, or will be, 
accomplished?
    c. Does the applicant describe how data will be stored in a central 
location in the state?
    d. Is a detailed plan for protecting data from loss and assuring 
confidentiality where required by state law or regulation provided?
    e. Does the applicant provide evidence that proposed activities are 
not duplications of existing activities?
    f. Does the applicant provide evidence of access to child fatality 
review team (CFR) data?

2. Goal(s) and Objectives (15 points)

    a. Are goals that are relevant and consistent with the purpose of 
the program announcement included?
    b. Are the objectives specific, measurable, assigned to specific 
staff, realistic, and time-phased?
    c. Does the applicant include a five-year plan with timeline? Is it 
realistic? Does it accomplish the goals and objectives?

3. Experience (15 points)

    a. Is experience in accessing, collecting, linking, editing, 
managing, and analyzing surveillance information from multiple data 
sets documented, especially experience with mortality surveillance?
    b. Does the applicant provide evidence of experience in injury 
surveillance, conducting data quality assurance activities, and 
generating data reports?

4. Capacity and Staffing (15 points)

    a. Does the applicant provide evidence of existing staff with 
expertise in Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) software and database 
manager, (e.g., Microsoft Access), computer programming skills, and 
skills in data management and quality assurance, especially involving 
large complex databases?
    b. Is a plan provided with position description(s) for hiring 
someone with such skills and expertise? Resumes or curriculum vitae 
should be included.
    c. Is there a timetable provided showing when information regarding 
the occurrence of a violent death during a given calendar quarter is 
available to the applicant from each of the four required data sources?

5. Collaboration (15 points)

    a. Does the applicant provide evidence of involvement by key 
stakeholders in the current system, or a plan for including key 
stakeholders, in the development of a violent death reporting system?
    b. Does the applicant document the quality and specificity of 
access to required and optional data sources, e.g., the limitations of 
that access, the most recent year data are available, the timeliness 
and availability of data from all core and optional data sources, the 
duration of access, etc? Information from the letters of support will 
be considered in this context.
    c. Are additional letters of support from potential partners in the 
project included?
    d. Do the letters of support document specific contributions of the 
partner, including but not limited to a description of the precise 
nature of past and proposed collaborations, products, services, and 
other activities that will be provided by and to the applicant through 
the proposed collaboration?

6. Evaluation (10 points)

    a. Is a detailed plan for evaluating the surveillance system 
included? The plan should include standard CDC surveillance evaluation 
measures described above.
    b. Does the applicant describe both system and data quality 
assurance procedures?

7. Background (5 points)

    Does the applicant describe the magnitude of the violent death 
problem in the state and/or target area?

8. Human Subjects (Not Scored)

    Does the applicant adequately address the requirements of Title 45 
CFR part 46 for the protection of human subjects?

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This criteria is 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.

9. Budget (Not Scored)

    Is the budget request clearly explained, adequately justified, 
reasonable, sufficient and consistent with the stated objectives and 
planned activities? It should include funds for at least two trips to 
CDC for program related meetings and training. Attachment II provides 
guidance for developing budgets.
    Review and Selection Process: A Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) will 
evaluate your application according to the criteria listed above.
    In addition, the following factors may affect the funding decision: 
At least two applicants will be funded whose violent deaths total 2500 
or more per year statewide.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Award Notices: Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Grant 
Award (NGA) from the CDC Procurement and Grants Office. The NGA shall 
be the only binding, authorizing document between the recipient and 
CDC. The NGA will be signed by an authorized Grants Management Officer, 
and mailed to the recipient fiscal officer identified in the 
application.
    Administrative and National Policy Requirements: 45 CFR part 74 or 
92
    For more information on the Code of Federal Regulations, see the 
National Archives and Records Administration at the following Internet 
address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html.
    The following additional requirements apply to this project:

[sbull] AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements
[sbull] AR-2 Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
[sbull] AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
[sbull] AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
[sbull] AR-11 Healthy People 2010
[sbull] AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
[sbull] AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control 
Activities
[sbull] AR-21 Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business
[sbull] AR-22 Research Integrity

    Additional information on these requirements can be found on the 
CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/ARs.htm.

Reporting Requirements

    You must provide CDC with an original, plus two copies of the 
following reports:
    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.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For general questions about this announcement, contact: Technical 
Information Management Section, PA 04061, CDC Procurement and 
Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341.
    Telephone: 770-488-2700.
    For program technical assistance, contact: Leroy Frazier, Jr., 
Project Officer, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for 
Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS K60, Atlanta, GA 30341.
    Telephone: 770-488-1507.
    E-mail: [email protected].
    For budget assistance, contact: Nancy Ware, Contract Specialist, 
CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 
30341.
    Telephone: 770-488-2878.
    E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: January 16, 2004.
Sandra R. Manning,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-1420 Filed 1-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P