[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42061-42064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15758]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

[CFDA 93.145, HRSA 04-076]


Cooperative Agreement for a Twinning Center (CATC)

AGENCIES: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds for a 
Cooperative Agreement for the establishment of a Twinning Center (TC) 
to support twinning and volunteer activities as part of the 
implementation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (the 
President's Emergency Plan). The Cooperative Agreement will be awarded 
for a 5-year project period.
    Program Purpose: The purpose of this funding is to support the 
President's Emergency Plan by strengthening human and organizational 
capacity through twinning and use of health care volunteers to rapidly 
expand the pool of trained providers, managers, and allied health staff 
delivering quality HIV/AIDS services to people with HIV/AIDS. Fourteen 
countries including 12 in African and two in the Caribbean (Botswana, 
C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, 
Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), 
are the focus of the initiative, based on high HIV burden and limited 
country resources. A fifteenth country, outside of Africa and the 
Caribbean, will soon

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be added to the initiative. The President's Emergency Plan is intended 
to complement other bilateral and international support efforts, 
including support through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, 
and Malaria.
    Two of the strategies outlined in the President's Emergency Plan 
for human and institutional capacity building are twinning and 
volunteer activities, which will be implemented through a TC and a 
Volunteer Health-Care Corps (VHC), although other strategies, including 
other forms of training, will be employed. The volunteer activities 
under this program will exist within the twinning partnerships, 
although the TC will also coordinate with the activities of target 
country volunteers outside of the twinning activities. The guiding 
principle for the TC and VHC is that the implementation of this program 
will be based on the needs of the targeted country as identified by the 
U.S. Government country teams, including Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) field offices and United States Agency for International 
Development (USAID) missions.
    The definition of ``twinning'' for the purposes of this Notice of 
Availability of Funds (NOAF) for a Cooperative Agreement for a Twinning 
Center (CATC) is the definition developed by the Canadian Interagency 
Coalition on AIDS and Development in its publication Beyond Our 
Borders: A Guide to Twinning for HIV/AIDS Organizations: a formal, 
substantive collaboration between two similar organizations. ``Formal'' 
means there is an agreement or contract, verbal or written. 
``Substantive'' means the interaction between the twinning partners is 
significant and lasts for a period of time. ``Collaboration'' means 
that the partner organizations work together on a specific project or 
exchange information and skills.
    Additionally, the European ESTHER program (Ensemble pour une 
Solidarit[eacute] Th[eacute]rapeutique Hospitali[egrave]re en 
R[eacute]seau) is a source of a hospital-to-hospital twinning model. 
ESTHER is a twinning initiative among hospitals in Western Europe and 
developing countries, created in 2002 to encourage the use of anti-
retroviral therapy for people with HIV infection through developing the 
capacity of African and Latin American countries to provide treatment 
for people living with HIV/AIDS. The basis for this model is an 
exchange of expertise and experience in treating HIV/AIDS consisting of 
promoting partnerships between hospitals in France, Spain, Italy, 
Luxembourg, Belgium and health care facilities in developing countries 
with the close involvement of teams among those countries. The winner 
of the TC award will be expected to coordinate closely with ESTHER 
projects in C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire, Haiti, Mozambique, Tanzania and 
Rwanda. Information on the ESTHER program may be found on ``http://www.esther.fr''.
    A centrally-funded TC will broker and facilitate relationships 
between twinning partners, plan and fund logistics for the VHC, and 
fund in-country twinning partners. The twinning plan will build upon 
existing relationships between U.S. and target country institutions as 
well as initiate new twinning partnerships.
    Eligible Applicants: Public or non-profit private entities, 
including schools of medicine, nursing, public health, management and 
public administration and academic health sciences centers, community-
based organizations, and faith-based organizations, are eligible to 
apply for the TC. All applicants must have substantive experience (for 
at least five years) in establishing and monitoring an official 
twinning relationship anywhere in the world and providing or 
facilitating technical assistance and support on issues related to the 
prevention and treatment of HIV, including community outreach, social 
support programs, and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, 
and must have substantiated experience with twinning of programs and 
institutions in the United States with counterparts overseas. 
Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze 
data for program monitoring and conduct program evaluation.
    Authorizing Legislation: Department of Health and Human Services: 
Section 307 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, 42 U.S.C. 242l.
    Availability of Funds: Funds are available under the appropriation 
included in Pub. L. 108-7 for International HIV/AIDS activities. 
Additional funds may be available from funds appropriated to support 
the President's Emergency Plan. It is estimated that up to $150,000,000 
for up to 5 years may be available to support the TC and twinning 
activities in the focus countries. Initially, the TC will receive an 
award of up to $1,786,000, of which $893,000 will be for TC operational 
activities and $893,000 will be for focus country twinning activities. 
The TC will be funded for a six month budget period and a five year 
project period. Funding will be made toward the end of September 2004 
to cover the six month period through March 2005. During March 2005, an 
additional award will be made of up to $4 million for an additional 
budget period of one year. This funding will also be for TC operations 
activities and focus country twinning activities. Continuation awards 
for the TC after the first budget award will be made based upon 
satisfactory performance and the availability of Federal funds. Funding 
for in-country twinning activities will occur on a specific project 
basis, with funding for up to six months and a project period of up to 
five years. Continuation funding for specific twinning activities will 
be based upon satisfactory performance of existing twinning 
partnerships, initiation of new twinning partnerships, and availability 
of Federal funds.
    Application Deadline: Applications for this cooperative agreement 
must be received in the HRSA Grants Application Center (GAC) by close 
of business August 12, 2004. Applications shall be considered as 
meeting the deadline if they are RECEIVED on or before the deadline 
date. One original and two copies of an application will be required. 
Applicants are responsible for mailing applications well in advance, 
when using all mail services, to ensure that the applications are 
received on or before the deadline time and date. Mailed or handcarried 
applications received after 5:30 p.m. on the closing date will be 
classified as late. Grant applications received after the deadline will 
be returned.
    Late applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria 
above are considered late applications. Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) shall notify each late applicant that its 
application will not be considered in the current competition.
    The Chief Grants Management Officer (CGMO) or a higher level 
designee may authorize an extension of published deadlines when 
justified by circumstances such as acts of God (e.g. floods or 
hurricanes), widespread disruptions of mail service, or other 
disruptions of services, such as a prolonged blackout. The authorizing 
official will determine the affected geographical area(s).
    Electronic Submission: HRSA encourages applicants to submit 
applications on-line. To register and/or log-in to prepare your 
application, go to https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/login.asp. For 
assistance in using the on-line application system, call 877-GO4-HRSA 
(877-464-4772) between 8:30 am to 5:30 pm ET or e-mail 
[email protected].
    Application narratives and spreadsheets will need to be created 
separately and submitted as attachments to the application. You will be 
prompted to ``upload'' your attachments

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at strategic points within the application interface. The following 
document types will be accepted as attachments: WordPerfect (.wpd), 
Microsoft Word (.doc), Microsoft Excel (.xls), Rich Text Format (.rtf), 
Portable Document Format (.pdf).
    To look for funding opportunities, go to http://www.hrsa.gov/grants 
and follow the links.
    DUNS Number: All applicants are now required to have a Dun and 
Bradstreet (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement 
from the Federal Government. To obtain a DUNS number, access 
www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please include the 
DUNS number next to OMB Approval Number on the application face page. 
Applications will not be reviewed without a DUNS number.
    Additionally, the applicant organization will be required to 
register with the Federal Government's Central Contractor Registry 
(CCR) in order to do business with the Federal Government, including 
electronic. Information about registering with the CCR can be found at 
http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.htm.
    Where to Request and Send an Application: To prepare and submit an 
application, organizations must obtain: (1) the CATC Program Guidance 
and (2) the official Federal grant application kit required for these 
cooperative agreements, PHS Form 5161-1. The Program Guidance is 
available on the HIV/AIDS Bureau Web site at the following Internet 
address: http://www.hab.hrsa.gov/grant.htm. The PHS Form 5161-1 is 
available at the following Internet address: http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/forms.htm. The SF 424 is available at the following Internet 
addresses: http://forms99.psc.gov/Forms/sf-424_2.htm. For those 
organizations who do not have access to the Internet, hard copies of 
the Program Guidance, PHS Form 5161-1 and SF 424 may be obtained from 
the HRSA GAC. You can reach the HRSA GAC toll-free at (877) 477-2123, 
fax (877) 477-2345, or email: [email protected]. Please request the 
Office of Management and Budget Catalogue of Federal Domestic 
Assistance Number 93.145, HRSA 04-076 and Program Code CATC.
    Notification of Letter of Intent: Letters of intent to apply are 
not required.

ADDRESSES: All Cooperative Agreement applications should be mailed or 
delivered to: HRSA Grant Application Center, 901 Russell Avenue, Suite 
450, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879. Applications sent to any other 
address will be returned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information on the TC and 
the HRSA/DHHS technical assistance portion of the Cooperative Agreement 
may be obtained from Thurma Goldman, MD, MPH, HIV/AIDS Bureau, at (301) 
443-1993; fax (301) 443-9645; e-mail: [email protected]; mail HIV/AIDS 
Bureau, HRSA 5600 Fishers Lane, Parklawn Building, Room 7-13, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857 or Mr. Robert Soliz, (301) 443-0349, at the 
same address.
    Pre-Application Technical Assistance Conference Call: There will be 
a pre-application technical assistance conference call with potential 
applicants approximately 10 days after publication of the Notice of 
Availability of Funds (NOAF) for the CATC. The conference call will be 
with HRSA and USAID officials familiar with the NOAF requirements. The 
purpose of the call will be to answer questions which potential 
applicants may have about the application guidance or questions about 
completing the application. All questions to be discussed at the 
conference call must be submitted in advance of the call to HRSA, by 
fax, e-mail, or regular mail. Questions should be submitted to: Thurma 
Goldman, M.D., M.P.H., Program Director, Global HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS 
Bureau, HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7-13, Rockville, MD 20857, at 
(301-443-1993; fax: 301-443-9645; e-mail: [email protected]. To find 
out the exact date and time of the technical assistance conference 
call, and timeframe for submission of questions, please call the HRSA's 
HIV/AIDS Bureau main office on (301) 443-1993.
    Technical Oversight of the Cooperative Agreement: The HHS/HRSA 
Project Officer, with assistance from the U.S. Government country 
teams, including USAID missions and HHS/CDC field staff, will provide 
technical oversight of this cooperative agreement. This will include 
(1) oversight and management of the cooperative agreement activities 
associated with the operation and management of the TC and VHC and (2) 
oversight of the activities associated with the award and monitoring of 
funds for in-country twinning partners and volunteer activities. HHS/
HRSA will receive strategic direction for this cooperative agreement 
from the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator. This guidance will 
provide overall direction for the TC's goals and objectives in the 
development and implementation of partnerships.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cooperative Agreements are a type of Federal 
assistance that involves a substantial level of government 
participation in funded activities. Under the cooperative agreement, 
HRSA requires that certain activities be planned jointly and include 
approval from HRSA. HRSA responsibilities will be in the following 
areas:
    a. Provide consultation and technical assistance in planning, 
operation, and evaluation activities, including the identification and 
selection of in-country partners;
    b. Facilitate the coordination and collaboration among program 
partners, such as USAID, HHS and U.S. Government country teams;
    c. Facilitate efforts in the provision of technical assistance and 
training in twinning to specified individuals and organizations;
    d. Participate, as appropriate, in the planning and implementation 
of any meetings, training activities, or workgroups conducted during 
the period of the cooperative agreement;
    e. Provide technical assistance to the TC to increase its capacity 
to succeed in this international collaboration;
    f. Maintain an ongoing dialogue with the TC concerning program 
plans, policies, and other issues which have major implications for any 
activities undertaken by the applicants under the cooperative 
agreement;
    g. Review, provide comments, recommendations, and approvals for 
documents, curricula, program plans, budgets, work to be contracted 
out, key personnel (including consultants and contractors), workplan 
revisions, etc., prior to printing, dissemination or implementation; 
and
    h. Provide feedback to the TC on quarterly and other reports; and
    i. Serve as the official interface between the Federal Agencies 
involved in the Twinning Center activities.
    Detailed information on grantee responsibilities is provided in the 
application guidance.
    The applicant receiving the award will be required to submit 
quarterly reports, a mid-term report during the 30th month of the 
project, and a final report at the end of the project. Additionally, 
the TC must provide information to the country U.S. Government focus 
country teams, including the HHS field offices and USAID missions, to 
enable them to provide six month reports on the President's Emergency 
Plan indicators.
    The applicant receiving the award will not be required to match or 
share in project costs. Any matching or cost sharing will not be 
considered as part of the selection decision.

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    This program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, 
as implemented by 45 CFR 100. Executive Order 12372 allows States the 
option of setting up a system for reviewing applications from within 
their States for assistance under certain Federal programs. Application 
packages made available under this Guidance will contain a listing of 
States which have chosen to set up such a review system and will 
provide a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for the State's review. 
Information on states affected by this program and State Points of 
Contact may also be obtained from the Grants Management Specialist 
cited in the application guidance, as well as at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. All applicants other 
than federally recognized American Indian tribes should contact their 
SPOCs as early as possible to alert them to prospective applications 
and receive any necessary instruction on the State process used under 
this Executive Order.
    The activities proposed to be implemented through this award are 
not considered to be research activities.
    Non-Federal reviewers will participate in the review of submitted 
applications. Applicants have the option of omitting from the 
application copies (but not from the original) specific salary rates or 
amounts for individuals specified in the application budget and Social 
Security Numbers, if otherwise required for individuals. The copies may 
include summary salary information.
    Review Process: Applications submitted in response to this NOAF 
will be reviewed for threshold criteria and technical merit by an 
Objective Review Committee. Each application must address and apply for 
both aspects of the TC: (a) Brokering, facilitation, and management of 
twinning partners; and (b) funding of in-country twinning and volunteer 
activity. The threshold criteria are: (1) Need (10 points); (2) 
Response (30 points); (3) Evaluative Measures (10 points); (4) Impact 
(10 points); (5) Resources/Capabilities (30 points); and (6) Support 
Requested (10 points). Technical Merit criteria are more completely 
defined in the Application Kit.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: Should there be any data collection 
activities associated with this Cooperative Agreement that fall under 
the purview of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, then OMB clearance 
will be sought.

    Dated: June 25, 2004.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 04-15758 Filed 7-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P