[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 127 (Friday, July 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40381-40384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15070]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


HIV/AIDS Surveillance: Development and Evaluation of Education 
Materials and Tools Used To Ascertain Risk Factor Information for HIV/
AIDS Surveillance

    Announcement Type: Supplement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: 04017 Supplement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.944.
    Application Deadline: August 2, 2004.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: This program is authorized under the Public Health 
Service Act Sections 301 (42 U.S.C. 241); and 318B (42 U.S.C. 247c-
2), as amended.

    Purpose: The purpose of the supplement is to develop and evaluate 
educational materials and tools to assist in ascertaining risk factor 
information by HIV/AIDS surveillance programs funded by the HIV 
Incidence and Case Surveillance Branch in the Division of HIV/AIDS 
Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 
ultimate goal is for surveillance areas to better ascertain risk factor 
information in an effort to reduce the proportion of HIV/AIDS cases 
reported to the national surveillance system without transmission 
category information.
    The decreasing proportion of transmission category information at 
the national level continues to be a problem. Transmission category 
information is critical to allocating resources and developing 
effective prevention activities. Funded areas will develop educational 
materials and tools to assist surveillance staff, health care partners 
and providers, and others reporting or abstracting risk factor 
information for surveillance purposes to obtain more complete 
ascertainment of risk factor information at the local level. There is 
also a need to evaluate these materials and tools to determine whether 
they are useful in improving completeness of ascertainment of risk 
factor information and if so, what information sources produced the 
highest yields. This information will help to inform the HIV/AIDS 
Surveillance Guidelines revisions. The development and evaluation of 
materials and tools is intended to take place over a two year period. 
The evaluation results are intended to immediately inform the HIV/AIDS 
surveillance program in order to make timely programmatic decisions. 
Year one funding is intended for formative assessment of barriers to 
reporting. Year two is intended for materials and tools development and 
testing of materials and tools. This program addresses the ``Healthy 
People 2010'' focus area(s) for HIV.
    Status of the ongoing award: PA 04017, HIV/AIDS Surveillance 
Cooperative Agreement, is in the 1st year of a 3-year project period.
    Federal and/or non-Federal investment in that award: In FY 2004, 
$45,434,343 was awarded to 65 state, territorial, and local health 
departments.
    The impact on the objectives of the affected program of not making 
the additional or supplemental award: A principal goal of the HIV/AIDS 
Cooperative agreement is to better ascertain risk factor information in 
an effort to reduce the proportion of HIV/AIDS cases reported to the 
national surveillance system without transmission category information. 
Without this supplement, we will be unable to develop and evaluate 
educational materials and tools to assist in ascertaining risk factor 
information by HIV/AIDS surveillance programs. The development and 
evaluation of materials and tools is intended to take place over a two 
year period. The evaluation results are intended to immediately inform 
the HIV/AIDS surveillance program in order to make timely programmatic 
decisions. Year one funding is intended for formative assessment of 
barriers to reporting. During year two, the educational materials and 
tools will be developed and tested.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one 
(or more) of the following performance goal(s) for the National Center 
for HIV STD and TB Prevention (NCHSTP): Strengthen the capacity 
nationwide to monitor the epidemic, develop and implement effective HIV 
prevention interventions and evaluate prevention programs.

Activities

    Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
    (1) Participate in a conference call (within one month of award) 
with CDC and other awardees to begin to develop a project plan and 2-
year time line;

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    (2) Collaborate with CDC staff to develop instruments to assess 
barriers to reporting and collect information on barriers to reporting;
    (3) Collaborate with CDC staff to select control and evaluation 
sites within each area;
    (4) From evaluation sites, collect risk factor information using 
standard public health surveillance methods such as chart reviews, 
source of information as well as other relevant information utilizing 
the educational materials and tools in a timeframe determined by the 
CDC;
    (5) Report information collected in item (4) in a format and 
timeframe determined by the CDC;
    (6) Provide qualitative feedback related to the feasibility and 
acceptability of the educational materials and tools to the CDC in a 
format and timeframe determined by the CDC; and
    (7) Maintain a secure environment to protect the security and 
confidentiality of data obtained in these evaluation activities.
    In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in 
the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring. CDC 
activities include:
    (1) Participate in a conference call (within one month of award) 
with awardees to begin to develop a project plan and 2-year time line;
    (2) Collaborate with awardees to develop instruments to assess 
barriers to reporting;
    (3) Collaborate with awardees to select control and evaluation 
sites within each area;
    (4) Determine timeframe for the collection and reporting of data by 
the awardees to the CDC;
    (5) Maintain a secure environment to protect the security and 
confidentiality of data obtained in these evaluation activities; and
    (6) Analyze data and disseminate project results.

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: $240,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 2-3.
    Approximate Average Award: $80,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 2004.
    Budget Period Length: Budget periods will coincide with budget 
periods for PA04017 funding. The current budget period ends December 
31, 2004.
    Project Period Length: 2 years 3 months.
    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

    Surveillance areas should have a large number of cases reported 
without risk factor information available over a short time period in 
order to provide sufficient statistical power.
    Eligible applicants are state or territorial health departments or 
directly funded city health departments currently engaged in HIV/AIDS 
surveillance funded through Program Announcement 04017 with at least 
5,000 HIV cases reported to CDC in 2002 as reported in the HIV/AIDS 
Surveillance Report (2002) and with at least 800 cases initially 
reported without risk factor information.
    Eligible applicants also must have the legal authority to access 
health care records, consistently and rapidly contact health care 
providers as part of routine HIV surveillance, and have implemented HIV 
laboratory- and provider-based reporting since at least January 1, 
2001.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required for this program.

III.3. Other

    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 CDC 
1246. Application forms and instructions are available on the CDC web 
site, at the following Internet address: www.cdc.gov listed under 
funding. 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: 10 If your narrative exceeds the 
page limit, only the pages 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:
    (1) Participate in a conference call (within one month of award) 
with CDC and other awardees to begin to develop a project plan and 2-
year time line;
    (2) Collaborate with CDC staff to develop instruments to assess 
barriers to reporting and collect information on barriers to reporting;
    (3) Collaborate with CDC staff to select control and evaluation 
sites within each area;
    (4) From evaluation sites, collect risk factor information using 
standard public health surveillance methods such as chart reviews, 
source of information as well as other relevant information utilizing 
the educational materials and tools in a timeframe determined by the 
CDC;
    (5) Report information collected in item (4) in a format and 
timeframe determined by the CDC;
    (6) Provide qualitative feedback related to the feasibility and 
acceptability of the educational materials and tools to the CDC in a 
format and timeframe determined by the CDC; and
    (7) Maintain a secure environment to protect the security and 
confidentiality of data obtained in these evaluation activities.
    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

[[Page 40383]]

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.''

IV.3. Submission Dates and Times

    Application Deadline Date: August 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 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

    Your application is subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs, as governed by Executive Order (EO) 12372. This order sets up 
a system for state and local governmental review of proposed federal 
assistance applications. You should contact your state single point of 
contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert the SPOC to prospective 
applications, and to receive instructions on your state's process. 
Click on the following link to get the current SPOC list: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

IV.5. Funding Restrictions

    Restrictions which must be taken into account while writing your 
budget are as follows:
     None
    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 04017 Supplemental, 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) The extent to which the applicant describes its ability to 
collaborate with CDC and other awardees on projects with a quick turn 
around time. (20 Points)
    (2) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates its ability to 
develop realistic project plans and time lines and follow through on 
their completion. (20 Points)
    (3) The extent to which the applicant describes its ability to 
develop instruments to assess barriers to reporting, or other 
surveillance activities, and to collect information on barriers to 
these activities. (20 Points)
    (4) The extent to which the applicant describes past, current, and 
proposed collaboration with: the relevant HIV/AIDS organizations and 
agencies within the reporting area, CDC, and other states or national 
organizations involved in coordinating and assuring the quality, 
completeness, and accuracy of HIV/AIDS surveillance data and can 
demonstrate the understanding of the importance of following a standard 
protocol for data collection. (15 Points)
    (5) The extent to which the applicant can maintain a secure 
environment to protect the security and confidentiality of data 
obtained in these evaluation activities. (15 Points)
    (6) The extent to which proposed staffing, organizational 
structure, staff experience and background, and job descriptions and 
curricula vitae for both proposed and current staff indicate the 
ability to carry out the anticipated activities. (10 Points)
    (7) The budget is reasonable, clearly justified, consistent with 
the demonstrated need and proposed activities, and likely to lead to 
success of the planned activities. (Reviewed, but not scored)

V.2. Review and Selection Process

    Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Procurement 
and Grants Office staff, and for responsiveness by NCHSTP. 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 evaluation criteria listed in the 
criteria section above.

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    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.

[[Page 40384]]

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-4 HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Provisions.
     AR-7 Executive Order 12372.
     AR-8 Public Health System Reporting Requirements.
     AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements.
     AR-11 Healthy People 2010.
     AR-14 Accounting System Requirements.
     AR-16 Security Clearance Requirement.
    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.

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: Ron Sanders, Program 
Consultant, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Division of 
HIV AIDS Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE Mail stop E-47, Atlanta, GA 
30333, Telephone: 404-639-4678, E-mail: [email protected].
    For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact: 
Kang Lee, Grants Management Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants 
Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone: 770-488-
2733, E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: June 28, 2004.
Alan Kotch,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-15070 Filed 7-1-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P