[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30927-30930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12233]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Centers for Public Health Preparedness

    Announcement Type: New, competitive cooperative agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: 04209.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.283.
    Application Deadline: July 1, 2004.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: Sections 301(a) and 317(k)(2) of Public Health 
Service Act.
    Purpose: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
announces the availability of fiscal year 2004 funds for a cooperative 
agreement program to support Centers for Public Health Preparedness 
(CPHP) responsible for improving the capacity of the public health 
workforce to prepare for and respond to terrorism and other emerging 
public health threats.
    This program addresses the public health goals described in ``A 
National Strategy for Terrorism Preparedness and Response: 2003-2008 
Strategic Plan'', specifically Imperative five related to activities to 
ensure a competent and sustainable workforce. Critical objectives under 
this Imperative are to: (1) Increase the number and type of 
professionals that comprise a preparedness and response workforce; (2) 
deliver certification and competency-based training and education; (3) 
recruit and retain the highest quality workforce; and (4) evaluate the 
impact of training to assure learning has occurred.
    Major goals of the CPHP Program are to: (1) Strengthen public 
health workforce readiness through implementation of programs for life-
long learning; (2) strengthen capacity at State and local level for 
terrorism preparedness and emergency public health response; and (3) 
develop a network of academic-based programs contributing to national 
terrorism preparedness and emergency response capacity, by sharing 
expertise and resources across State and local jurisdictions.
    Funded Centers are expected to work closely with State and local 
health agencies to plan, implement, and evaluate activities in response 
to the CDC Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism 
(Announcement Number 99051).
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the 
following CDC performance goal(s):
    (1) Public Health Improvement: Increase the number of frontline 
public health workers at the State and local level that are competent 
and prepared to respond to bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks, 
and other public health threats and emergencies, and prepare frontline 
State and local health departments and laboratories to respond to 
current and emerging public health threats. Evaluate the impact on the 
performance/preparedness of the frontline public health workforce 
resulting from education and training programs implemented or supported 
by CDC, including the CPHP system.
    (2) Terrorism Preparedness Workforce Development: Increase the 
number, type, and distribution of health professionals that comprise a 
preparedness and response workforce. Ensure that clinicians in the 
United States have access to training and information resources that 
prepare them to diagnose, treat and/or refer for treatment persons 
exposed to biological, radiological, chemical or mass trauma events 
related to terrorism.
    Activities: Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
     Development, delivery, and evaluation of competency-based 
training and education programs based on identified needs of State and 
local public health agencies for building workforce preparedness and 
response capabilities. These programs should be done with maximal 
interaction and collaboration with State and local partners. Centers 
may collaborate within the residing jurisdiction of their institution 
or in any other jurisdictions, based on community needs and desire for 
collaboration. The programs may utilize strategies such as: (1) 
Preparing students through academic programs with a preparedness focus; 
(2) re-training current public health employees in terrorism 
preparedness and response; and (3) providing leadership training and 
skill-building in preparedness and emergency response. Plans for 
dissemination and delivery of education/training should be based as 
much as possible on already developed tools and resources, so as to 
minimize duplication and redundancy of materials and curricula. The 
evaluation components planned should be robust enough to document 
impact and outcome changes at the individual and institutional/agency 
levels. Each Center should also develop educational programs and 
supporting activities as requested by partners, which facilitate the 
achievement of preparedness goals established to support CDC Program 
Announcement number 99051. Eighty percent of proposed plans and budget 
should be dedicated to these education and training activities.
     Participation in overall Centers Network activities. Each 
Center will: (1) Contribute to a Network inventory of preparedness 
education products, courses, curricula, assessment and evaluation 
tools. Results of impact evaluations and effectiveness of project 
activities must also be shared with the Network; (2) facilitate the 
identification of expertise and resources that can be accessed through 
the Network to meet technical assistance (TA) and educational needs of 
other Centers, or local, State, Federal, and other public health 
partners; (3) confer as Network members to create and validate 
terrorism and emergency preparedness discipline-specific competencies, 
which can lead to national curricula standardized by discipline(s); and 
(4) participate in the development of evaluation criteria to measure 
the impact of learner skills/worker competencies that can be used 
across the Network. Twenty percent of proposed plans and budget should 
be dedicated to these Network activities.
    Applicants that fully address the core activities may also submit 
project plans for non-core activities such as:
     Implementing scholarships and traineeships for 
preparedness.
     Leveraging additional resources for related projects and 
activities.
     Contributing unique subject matter expertise to the 
Network in: (1) Specific content area(s) (e.g., psychosocial/mental 
health preparedness, rural/border preparedness, etc.); (2) educational 
processes or innovative delivery methodology; or (3) unique access to 
particular target group(s).
     Proposing programs and educational activities in 
collaboration with tribal, national, and international partners, where 
the need is clearly justified and work plans are feasible based on 
expertise and previous experience.
     Convening with other identified experts in the Network to 
develop toolkits containing guidance and consistent information on 
critical preparedness education topics.

[[Page 30928]]

    In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff are substantially involved in 
the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.
    CDC Activities for this program are as follows:
     TA to support training and education programs focused on 
the public health workforce.
     TA for assessing State and local public health 
preparedness (in collaboration with CDC, OTPER, Division of State and 
Local Preparedness).
     TA in development of Network activities.
     Development and/or delivery of information and educational 
materials through collaboration with experts in the Network and in 
collaboration with subject matter experts throughout CDC.

II. Award Information

    Approximately $26,000,000 is available for awards in fiscal year 
2004 for 21-25 Centers. The awards are expected to range between 
$300,000 and $1,500,000. Institutions selected will receive funding on 
or before September 1, 2004. These funds are to be used during a budget 
time frame of 12 months within a project period of up to five years. 
Funding estimates may change based on the availability of funds. 
Continuing awards may be made in out years (i.e. 2005, 2006, 2007, and 
2008) under this agreement. Funding after the first year is based on 
the amount of funds available to CDC, and awardee's progress in meeting 
goals and objectives.
    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement. CDC involvement in this 
program is described in the Activities Section above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2004.
    Approximate Total Funding: $ $26,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 21-25.
    Approximate Average Award: $1,000,000. (This amount is for the 
first 12-month budget period, and includes both direct and indirect 
costs.)
    Floor of Award Range: $300,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $ 1,500,000.
    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 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 accredited Schools of Public 
Health with expertise and experience in building capacity and providing 
terrorism preparedness and emergency response education to students of 
public health and to state and local public health workers. Preference 
for funding will be given to Schools of Public Health with existing 
Centers for Public Health Preparedness.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required for this program. In-kind funding 
or other financial support provided by your institution or state or 
other partners should be documented in the proposal and budget, as this 
demonstrates the level of support for your Center.

III.3. Other

    CDC will accept and review applications with budgets greater than 
the ceiling of the award range.
    Funded Centers are expected to work closely with state and local 
health agencies to implement work plans developed in response to CDC PA 
number 99051.
    If your application is incomplete or non-responsive to the 
requirements listed in this section, it will not be entered into the 
review process. You will be notified that your application did not meet 
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

    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 submit a project narrative with your 
application forms. The narrative must be submitted in the following 
format:
     Maximum number of pages: 20 pages. If your narrative 
exceeds the page limit, only the first pages which are within the page 
limit will be reviewed. Budget and budget justification narrative will 
not be counted in the page limit. (Please see guidance regarding 
including CVs and other supporting documentation in the instructions 
for appendices on page 11.)
     Font size: 12 point unreduced.
     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 broadly address activities to be conducted 
over the entire project period, but focus should be on activities 
proposed for Year one budget period. The narrative must include the 
following items in the order listed: Problem Background and Need 
Statement; Institutional Capacity; Operational Plan, including Goals, 
Objectives, Methods, Timeline, Activities, and Logic Model; Evaluation 
Plan and Performance Measures; and Budget with Narrative Justification.
    Additional information may be included in the application 
appendices. The appendices will not be counted toward the narrative 
page limit. This additional information could include: Curricula vitae 
or resumes for proposed staff; letters of intent from partner 
organizations; and brief summaries of educational materials, evaluation 
tools, and existing impact evaluation reports.
    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 Requirements.''

[[Page 30929]]

IV.3. Submission Dates and Times

    Application Deadline Date: July 1, 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 carrier's guarantee. If the documentation 
verifies a carrier problem, CDC will consider the application as having 
been received by the deadline.
    This announcement is the definitive guide on application submission 
address 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 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

    Restrictions, which must be taken into account while writing your 
budget, are as follows:
     Cooperative agreement funds may not be used for lobbying, 
and generally are not to be used for purchases of food or furniture.
     Indirect costs will be reimbursed at the eight percent 
rate used for training and education grants. If you are requesting 
indirect costs in your budget, you will be reimbursed at eight percent 
of total allowable direct cost, exclusive of tuition and related fees, 
and equipment, or at the actual indirect cost rate, whichever results 
in a lesser dollar amount. If using other than the eight percent rate, 
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.
     Awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.
    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

    Application Submission Address: Submit the original and two hard 
copies of your application by mail or express delivery service to:
    Technical Information Management-PA 04209, 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. Operational Plan: 40 percent
    Does the applicant present clear goal(s) and measurable objectives 
including: Scope of proposed education and training; location(s) of 
target audience(s); and anticipated numbers of public health students, 
public health professionals, and public health leaders to be reached 
with education or training?
    Applicant must include a program logic model, describing the 
sequence of steps and processes leading to short-, intermediate-, and 
long-term expected outcomes.
    Applicant must describe a detailed operational plan outlining 
specific methods, including strategies for reaching target audiences, 
and for assuring non-duplication of existing materials. The plans must 
include description of activities that are in alignment with the 
requirement that 80 percent of activities must be focused on training 
and education and 20 percent on the development of Network processes, 
activities, and products.
    Applicant must include a Year one timeline that is feasible given 
proposed Center and Network activities.
    Does the plan clearly outline the responsibilities of each of the 
key personnel related to the Center and Network activities, and clear 
descriptions of major roles for local, state, and other public health 
partners in planning, implementation, and evaluation of Center 
activities?
    2. Institutional Capacity: 25 percent
    Does the applicant demonstrate that it has the staff, expertise, 
and facilities necessary to accomplish the program requirements, 
including curricula vitae of key staff?
    Documentation of experience and impact in conducting education and 
training activities of a Center for Public Health Preparedness, 
including evidence of past participant improvement in knowledge, 
skills, and abilities.
    Does the applicant demonstrate existing effective collaborations 
with community, local, state, and other public health partners with 
whom and to whom their program activities will be provided, including 
letters of intent from participating agencies and organizations?
    Description of the specific and unique areas of expertise the 
applicant brings to the National Network.
    3. Evaluation Plan: 25 percent
    Does the applicant present a clear plan for monitoring progress 
toward the stated goals and objectives, including specific evaluation 
questions to be addressed, and plans to provide semi-annual and annual 
evaluation data? In addition to process measures, program impacts and 
outcome measures must be considered and effective data collection 
methods described.
    Experience in conducting and reporting evaluation activities of a 
Center for Public Health Preparedness, i.e. conducting successful 
process, outcome, and impact evaluation as a Center and reporting and 
participating in overall evaluation activities as a member of the 
Network.
    Demonstration of consideration of cost-effectiveness and return-on-
investment principles for maximizing the economic value of activities, 
e.g., describing the cost of activity including dissemination versus 
the number of persons predicted to benefit.
    4. Problem Background/Need: 10 percent
    Does the applicant demonstrate a strong understanding of the need 
for improving terrorism preparedness and

[[Page 30930]]

emergency response capability in the public health workforce?
    Does the applicant illustrate a clear need, based on existing state 
or local data, for the activities proposed in this cooperative 
agreement program?
    5. Budget: not weighted
    Does the applicant present a detailed budget with a line-item 
narrative justification and any other information to demonstrate that 
the request for assistance is consistent with the purpose of this 
cooperative agreement program?
    Does the budget reflect alignment with requirement that it is 80 
percent Center and 20 percent Network focused?

V.2. Review and Selection Process

    Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Procurement 
and Grants Office (PGO) staff, and for responsiveness by Public Health 
Practice Program Office (PHPPO) staff, with input from the Office of 
Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (OTPER). 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 complete and responsive 
applications according to the criteria listed in the ``V.1. Criteria'' 
section above.

V.3. Anticipated Award Date

    Awards will be made by September 1, 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

    CDC programs are administered under 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-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements.
     AR-11 Healthy People 2010.
     AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions.
     AR-20 Conference Support.
     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 an original, plus two hard copies of the 
following reports:
    1. Semi-annual progress reports, no more than 30 days after the end 
of each semi-annual budget period.
    2. Interim annual progress reports, 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. Budget.
    e. Measures of Effectiveness.
    3. Annual Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the 
end of the budget period.
    4. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days 
after the end of the project period.
    These reports 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: Dr. Joan Cioffi, Project 
Officer, CDC Public Health Practice Program Office, 4770 Buford 
Highway, NE., K-38, Atlanta, GA 30341. Telephone: 770-488-8118; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact: 
Sharon Robertson, Grants Management Specialist, CDC Procurement and 
Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341. Telephone: 770-
488-2748; e-mail: [email protected].

References

    1. Guidance for fiscal year 2003 Continuation Funds for Public 
Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism (Announcement 
Number 99051). http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Planning/CoopAgreementAward/.
    2. A National Strategy for Terrorism Preparedness and Response: 
2003-2008 (draft, May 2003). http://www.bt.cdc.gov.
    3. Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health, MMWR, 
September 17, 1999, vol. 48, No. RR-11, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr4811a1.htm, report includes guidance in program 
evaluation, and includes logic models for describing program 
strategy and goals.
    4. Public Health Workforce Development. http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/workforce. Web page includes reference documents 
from CDC and partners.

    Dated: May 21, 2004.
William P. Nichols,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control.
[FR Doc. 04-12233 Filed 5-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P