[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 21 (Monday, February 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4970-4973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2047]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry


Program To Build Capacity in Alaska Native Villages To Assess 
Impact of Releases From Formerly Used Defense Sites; Notice of 
Availability of Funds

    Announcement Type: New.
    Funding Opportunity Number: 04081.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.202.

DATES: Pre-Application Conference Call Date: February 17, 2004.
    Application Deadline: April 2, 2004.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: This program is authorized under section 104(i)(6), 
(14), and (15) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended by the 
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 [42 
U.S.C. 9604(i)(6), (14), and (15)].

    Purpose: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 
(ATSDR) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds for 
cooperative agreements for up to nine Alaska villages to determine the 
possible impact of environmental contamination on local resources, and 
provide health-related technical assistance and health education to 
prevent contamination of local subsistence food supplies. Many Alaska 
villages rely on local natural resources for subsistence. In instances 
where environmental contamination and the potential for adverse health 
effects prohibit the use of a local resource, the environmental 
contamination would also result in an economic impact; villages would 
no longer be able to sell their resources and would have to purchase 
those resources from other sources. The purpose of the program is to: 
(1) Improve the local economic conditions by determining the possible 
impact of environmental contamination from Formerly Used Defense Sites 
(FUDS) on the local resources by assessing the pathways of exposure to 
contaminants from FUDS, with a special emphasis on the impact of these 
contaminants on subsistence-related food supplies; (2) create capacity 
within Alaska Native villages to assess public health issues related to 
pathways of exposure and provide health-related technical assistance 
and health education; and (3) develop the environmental health 
education and health promotion capacity within the villages to provide 
appropriate environmental health education and health promotion 
activities that are designed to address potential exposures and 
possible health effects. This program addresses the ``Healthy People 
2010'' focus areas of educational and community-based programs, 
environmental health, and maternal, infant, and child health.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one 
(or more) of the following performance goals for the ATSDR: Prevent 
ongoing and future exposures and resultant health effects from 
hazardous waste sites and releases. Build and enhance effective 
partnerships.

Activities

    Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
    a. Attend the Health Assessment training course provided by ATSDR.
    b. Prepare culturally relevant and sensitive environmental health 
education materials, promotion materials, and activities that are 
designed to address community concerns related to environmental 
contamination from FUDS sites. This may include information regarding 
potential health effects (both cancer and non-cancer), site-specific 
chemicals, the possible impact on local food sources, and information 
regarding exposures that are unique to each village.
    c. Provide local knowledge of hazardous waste site conditions, site 
history, and natural resource use, assist with data gathering, assist 
with obtaining community concerns, etc.
    d. With ATSDR, jointly develop public health assessments, 
recommendations to reduce exposure, and identify areas for the needed 
health education related to environmental contamination. Information on 
ATSDR public health assessments can be found at the ATSDR Web page 
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/.
    e. Work in collaboration with federal, state, and local agency 
staff, community and village members, and local health care providers 
to develop and implement culturally relevant and sensitive 
environmental health education and promotion activities and to enhance 
outreach, communication and information exchange related to 
contamination from FUDS sites. The materials are to be designed to 
address community concerns related to environmental contamination, 
including results of health assessments, cancer, chemicals, and 
exposures unique to each village.
    f. Distribute educational materials and develop and participate in 
other relevant health education activities such as working with health 
care providers, development of curriculum and working with students, 
demonstration of food preparation methods to reduce exposures, etc.
    g. Meet monthly, either telephonically or in person, with ATSDR and 
other program participants to coordinate planned efforts and review 
progress.
    In a cooperative agreement, ATSDR staff is substantially involved 
with the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.
    ATSDR activities for this program are as follows:
    a. ATSDR will provide a culturally appropriate Public Health 
Assessment Training Course for staff from selected villages and other 
interested Alaska Natives who work in environmental health. The course 
will explain the process that ATSDR uses to assess environmental health 
impacts from hazardous substances. Participants will also learn the 
fundamentals to evaluate pathways of exposure and associated health 
impacts of these exposures. This includes how to evaluate environmental 
sampling data, steps for involving the community in the assessment 
process, identifying potential and completed exposure pathways, 
evaluating health implications and determining appropriate public 
health actions. Participants will also learn methods to apply health 
education, health promotion, and risk communication principles at 
sites.
    b. ATSDR and the funded villages will jointly develop public health 
assessments and health consultations which identify pathways of 
exposure, make recommendations to reduce exposures to environmental 
contaminants, and identify areas needed for health education and health 
promotion.
    c. ATSDR will work in collaboration with other federal, state, and 
local agency staff, community and village members, and local health 
care providers to develop and implement environmental health education 
and promotion activities and to enhance outreach, communication and 
information exchange related to FUDS.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement.
    ATSDR involvement in this program is listed in the Activities 
Section above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2004.

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    Approximate Total Funding: $600,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: Six to Nine.
    Approximate Average Award: $67,000 (This amount is for the whole 
budget period, and includes both direct and indirect costs).
    Floor of Award Range: $50,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $100,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: July 15, 2004.
    Budget Period Length: 12 months.
    Project Period Length: Two years.
    Throughout the project period, ATSDR's commitment to continuation 
of awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of 
satisfactory 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

III.1. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by:

 Federally recognized Alaska native tribal 
governments
 Alaska native tribal organizations

This program is directed only to federally recognized Alaska Native 
Villages.
    This announcement is limited to only those tribes with proximity to 
FUDS in Alaska and with suspected impacts on economies and traditional 
foods.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required for this program.

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

    If you request a funding amount greater than the ceiling of the 
award range, your application will be considered non-responsive and 
will not be entered into the review process. You will be notified that 
your application did not meet the submission requirements.

    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

IV.1. Address To Request Application Package

    A pre-application conference call will be held [INSERT DATE] at 
[INSERT TIME]. Attendance at the conference call is not required, 
however, during the call information about this program, guidance for 
completing your application, will be discussed. To participate in the 
conference call, dial [INSERT info about phone number, any access codes 
or passwords]. If you experience technical difficulties accessing the 
conference call, please call [INSERT number] and someone will be 
available to assist you. If you are unable to participate in the 
conference call, the information discussed will be available by [INSERT 
DATE] on the ATSDR web page at the following Internet address: [INSERT 
address].
    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: 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.

IV.2. Content and Form of Submission

    You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (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 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.
    You must submit a signed original and two copies of your 
application forms.
    You must include a project narrative with your application forms. 
Your narrative must be submitted in the following format:

 Maximum number of pages: 20. If your narrative 
exceeds the page limit, only the first pages that are within the page 
limit will be reviewed
 Font size: 12 point unreduced
 Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches
 Single spaced
 Page margin size: One inch
 Printed only on one side of page
 Held together only by rubber bands or metal clips; 
not bound in any other way.

    Your narrative should address activities to be conducted over the 
entire project period, and must include the following items in the 
order listed:
    a. Background information on the FUDS in your village: history, 
known contamination, how the land was used before the FUDS existed.
    b. Potential for exposure to hazardous substances originating from 
a FUDS.
    c. Potential impact of FUDS contamination from the FUDS on natural 
resources that the village depends on both for subsistence and as an 
economic resource, with a special emphasis on subsistence food sources.
    d. Ability to provide staff that will complete the activities 
required for this program.
    e. Ability to develop health educational materials to address the 
FUDS. Include a plan and timeline for developing health educational 
materials.
    f. Knowledge about how environmental contamination has impacted 
health of your village members and how the contamination has impacted 
the economic condition of the village. Include a plan and timeline for 
data gathering, obtaining community concerns, developing health 
assessments, identifying areas with the greatest need for health 
education, and providing recommendations to reduce exposure.
    Additional information may be included in the application 
appendices. The appendices will not be counted toward the narrative 
page limit. This additional information includes:
     Curriculum Vitaes, Resumes, Organizational 
Charts, Letters of Support, etc.

IV.3. Submission Dates and Times

    Application Deadline Date: April 2, 2004.
    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

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application as having been received by the deadline.
    This program announcement is the definitive guide on submission 
address 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 your application did not meet the 
submission requirements.
    CDC will not notify you upon receipt of your application. 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.

IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications

    Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

IV.5. Funding Restrictions

    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 your indirect 
cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement should 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.
    Application Submission Address: Submit the signed hard copy 
original and two copies of your application by mail or express delivery 
service to: Technical Information Management-PA04081, CDC 
Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341. 
Applications may not be submitted electronically at this time.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. 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. Ability to provide staff who will complete the activities 
required for this program including: (50 percent total)
     Attend the Health Assessment training course 
provided by ATSDR in Alaska. (10 percent)
     Prepare culturally relevant and sensitive 
environmental health education and health promotion materials that are 
designed to address community concerns such as health effects (both 
cancer and non-cancer), exposure to environmental contaminants, and 
exposures that are unique to each village. (10 percent)
     Provide local knowledge of hazardous waste site 
conditions, assist in data gathering, obtain community concerns, etc. 
(10 percent)
     Develop health assessments, recommendations to 
reduce exposure, and identify areas with the greatest need for health 
education. (10 percent)
     Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively 
with tribal members, federal, state, and local agencies and health care 
providers to address health concerns and identify areas with greatest 
need for health education. (10 percent)
    2. Potential impact of contamination from FUDS on natural resources 
that the village uses and size range of potentially impacted 
population. Does the village have a current substantial subsistence-
based activity where FUDS may impact the long-term economic viability 
of the community; where subsistence activities impact the local 
community; or where development of business activities go beyond the 
local village community to markets outside the region. (30 percent)
    3. Potential for exposure to hazardous substances originating from 
a FUDS. Identify the FUDS, known hazardous substances present, known 
contamination in the environment (e.g., soil, water, food, animals), 
and use of land and/or resources affected by the FUDS. (20 percent)

V.2. Review and Selection Process

    Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Procurement 
and Grants Office (PGO), and for responsiveness by ATSDR. Incomplete 
applications and applications that are non-responsive to the 
eligibility criteria will not advance through the review process. 
Applicants will be notified that their application did not meet 
submission requirements.
    An objective review panel will evaluate your application according 
to the criteria listed in the Criteria section above.

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    Award Date: July 15, 2004.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1. 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.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review by mail.

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

45 CFR Part 74 and Part 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:

 AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
 AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
 AR-11 Healthy People 2010
 AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
 AR-18 Cost Recovery--ATSDR
 AR-19 Third Party Agreements--ATSDR
 AR-25 Release and Sharing of Data

    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.

VI.3. Reporting Requirements

    You must provide CDC with a hard copy 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.
    f. Measures of Effectiveness.

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    2. Financial status report and annual progress 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.
    These reports must be sent to the Grants Management Specialist 
listed in the ``Agency Contacts'' section of this announcement.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For general questions about this announcement, contact: Technical 
Information Management Section, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 
Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone: 770-488-2700.
    For program technical assistance, contact: Dean S. Seneca, MPH, 
MCURP (E-32), Assistant Director, Office of Tribal Affairs, Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1600 Clifton Road NE., Atlanta, 
GA 30333, Telephone: 404-498-0457, e-mail: [email protected].
    For budget assistance, contact: Edna Green, Grants Management 
Specialist (K-75), CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone: 770-488-2743, e-mail: 
[email protected].

    Dated: January 27, 2004.
Sandra R. Manning,
CGFM,Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-2047 Filed 1-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P