[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 93 (Thursday, May 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26610-26612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10857]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Accessing and Improving Medical Examiner/Coroner Data

    Announcement Type: New.
    Funding Opportunity Number: 04123.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.136.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: June 17, 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.

    Purpose: The purpose of the program is to collaborate with a 
national organization that represents medical examiners (ME) and/or 
coroners to develop strategies for improving data collection from ME/
coroners. 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):
    1. Increase the capacity of injury prevention and control programs 
to address the prevention of injuries and violence.

Activities

    Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
    a. Provide expert advice in regard to working with state ME to 
access ME data.
    b. Serve as a liaison with medical examiners in the National 
Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) funded states. This could 
include gaining feedback from ME/Coroners regarding the impact of NVDRS 
on operational activities and costs.
    c. Develop a set of recommendations for gaining input from coroners 
regarding violent death reporting data. The recommendations would 
address a process for getting coroners more involved in the 
organization.
    d. Send one medical examiner to the NVDRS implementation training 
to provide consultation on working with medical examiner offices.
    e. Explore the possibility of an additional ME/Coroner set of 
variables that can be added to the electronic death certificate.
    f. Provide at least one educational update per year regarding NVDRS 
in the potential grantees' organizational newsletter.
    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 technical assistance for planning and conducting program 
activities.
    b. Provide educational materials for use with the organization's 
membership as needed.
    c. Provide technical assistance regarding the development of 
strategies to increase involvement of coroners and medical examiners.
    d. Identify and facilitate training opportunities for ME 
representative for improvement of data collection accuracy.
    e. Facilitate discussion with the National Center for Health 
Statistics (NCHS) for inclusion of additional ME variables into the 
electronic death certificate for enhanced data collection through 
NVDRS.
    f. Attend relevant organizational functions to provide NVDRS 
updates.

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: $55,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: One.
    Approximate Average Award: $55,000.
    Floor of Award Range: None.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $55,000.
    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.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2004.
    Budget Period Length: 12 months.
    Project Period Length: Two years.
    Throughout the project period, CDC's commitment to continuation of 
awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of 
satisfactory progress by the recipient (as

[[Page 26611]]

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 public and private nonprofit 
organizations such as:
     Public nonprofit organizations
     Private nonprofit organizations

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required for this program.

III.3. 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. Eligible applicants should be a national 
professional organization of physician medical examiners, medical death 
investigators and death investigation system administrators who perform 
the official duties of the medicolegal investigation of deaths of 
public interest in the United States. Applicant should provide a brief 
description of organizational membership.
    Data from medical examiners/coroners is one of the major data 
sources that is vital for the development and implementation of the 
National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS).


    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

    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.

IV.2. Content and Form of Submission

    Application: 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 
which are within the page limit will be reviewed.
     Font size: 12 point unreduced
     Double spaced
     Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches
     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:
    The narrative should consist of, at a minimum, Background, Goal and 
Objectives, Methods, Evaluation, Management and Collaboration.
    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.
    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 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.
    Additional requirements that may require you to submit additional 
documentation with your application are listed in section ``VI.2. 
Administrative and National Policy Requirement.''

IV.3. Submission Dates and Times

    Application Deadline Date: June 17, 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 application as having 
been received by the deadline.
    This program announcement is the definitive guide on submission and 
deadline. 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.
    CDC will 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

    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 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.

IV.6. Other Submission Requirements

    Submit the original and two hard copies of your application by 
mail, or express delivery service to: Technical Information Management-
PA 04123, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

    You are required to provide measures of effectiveness that will 
demonstrate

[[Page 26612]]

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 (30 points)
    a. Is a plan for educating organizational members regarding the 
NVDRS included?
    b. Does the applicant describe methods for developing standards for 
representing concepts and data elements among its members?
    2. Goal(s) and Objectives (20 points)
    Are objectives that are measurable, specific, time phased and 
achievable provided?
    3. Background and Need (15 points)
    Does the applicant describe its role regarding access to ME/
coroners and the need for a NVDRS?
    4. Collaboration (15 points)
    a. Does the applicant document a process for developing a working 
relationship between medical examiners and coroners?
    5. Management (10 points)
    a. Does the applicant provide details regarding staff responsible 
for activities related to the objectives?
    b. Does the applicant provide an organizational chart of the 
organization?
    6. Evaluation (10 points)
    Is a plan for evaluating and reporting results of proposed 
activities included?
    7. Budget (not scored)
    8. Performance Measures (not scored)
    Are measures of effectiveness included and do they address those 
areas identified under the ``Purpose'' section above?

V.2. Review and Selection Process

    An objective review panel will evaluate your application according 
to the criteria listed above.

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    September 1, 2004.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1. Award Notices

    Successful applications 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 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:
     AR-8 Public Health System Reporting Requirements
     AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
     AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
     AR-11 Healthy People 2010
     AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
     AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun 
Control Activities
     AR-14 Accounting System Requirements
     AR-15 Proof of Non-Profit Status
     AR-20 Conference Support
     AR-21 Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business
    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 an original, plus two hard 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.
    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.
    This report must be mailed to the Grants Management or Contract 
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: 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 Pillar, Grants Management 
Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, 
Atlanta, GA 30341,Telephone: 770-488-2721, E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: May 7, 2004.
William P. Nichols,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-10857 Filed 5-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P