[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 146 (Friday, July 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45717-45720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17357]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Office of the Secretary; Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Research 
Grants

    Funding Opportunity Title: Announcement of Availability of Funds 
for Grants for Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Research.
    Announcement Type: This announcement is a modification of the 
program announcement for AFL research grants published in the Federal 
Register on June 20, 2003 (68 FR 36992). It is being reissued as a 
standing announcement to remain in effect through September 15, 2006, 
unless it is withdrawn, with an annual application receipt date of 
September 15.
    Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-04-185.
    CFDA Number: 93.111.

    Authority: Section 2008 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.

DATES: This standing program announcement will remain in effect through 
September 15, 2006, unless it is withdrawn. To receive consideration, a 
package containing a signed typewritten application, including the 
checklist, and two photocopies of the application must be received at 
the address below no later than September 15 of each year the program 
announcement remains in effect. Letters of intent should be received by 
August 15 of the year in which an application will be submitted.
SUMMARY: The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) requests applications 
for grants for applied research addressing Adolescent Family Life (AFL) 
program goals related to adolescent sexual relations, pregnancy, and 
parenthood: helping adolescents avoid health risk behaviors; ensuring 
that adolescents have the supports necessary to pursue healthy and 
productive lives; and strengthening families. Grant awards will be made 
to investigate one or more of the following seven areas: (1) Parent 
involvement and communication; (2) youth development/developmental 
assets; (3) pro-social risk behaviors; (4) adoption; (5) adolescent 
parents; (6) long term impact of adolescent childbearing on family 
structure; and (7) influences on adolescent premarital sexual behavior.
    Title XX of the Public Health Service Act, in section 2008 (42 
U.S.C. 300z-7), authorizes research concerning the societal causes and 
consequences of adolescent premarital sexual relations, pregnancy and 
child rearing. The statute also provides authority for research to 
identify effective services which alleviate, eliminate, or resolve any 
negative consequences of adolescent premarital sexual relations and 
adolescent childbearing for the parents, the child, and their families. 
Regulations pertaining to grants for research projects are set out at 
42 CFR part 52.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This announcement seeks proposals for grants for applied research 
addressing AFL program goals related to adolescent premarital sexual 
relations, pregnancy, and parenthood: helping adolescents avoid health 
risk behaviors; ensuring that adolescents have the supports necessary 
to pursue healthy and productive lives; and strengthening families.

Background

    The Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Program was enacted in 1981 as 
Title XX of the Public Health Service Act. The program supports two 
types of demonstration projects: (1) prevention demonstration projects 
to develop, implement, and evaluate programs that provide sexuality 
education designed to prevent adolescent premarital sexual relations 
and other health risk behaviors; and (2) care demonstration projects to 
develop, implement and evaluate interventions (including presenting 
adoption as an option) with pregnant and parenting adolescents, 
including fathers, their infants, and other family members in an effort 
to alleviate the negative consequences of adolescent childbearing. The 
program is also authorized to conduct both basic and applied research 
on the causes and consequences of adolescent premarital sexual 
relations, adolescent pregnancy and parenting.

Purposes of the Grant

    The purpose of this grant is to expand the research base in a 
number of areas

[[Page 45718]]

that are directly applicable to prevention and care program 
interventions for adolescents. To that end, this announcement invites 
applications in one or more of the following areas:
    1. Parent Involvement and Communication. Research has shown the 
importance of parents' involvement with their children and open 
communication between parent and child in the prevention of adolescent 
premarital sexual activity, pregnancy and sexually transmitted 
infection, as well as other adolescent risk behaviors. Many 
interventions designed to reduce these risks have thus added specific 
components for parents. Unfortunately, efforts to enroll and retain 
parents in these programs have too often been unsuccessful. Careful 
examination of recruitment strategies, and the interventions 
themselves, should provide insights on how to more effectively 
implement these program components. Research questions of interest 
include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Factors that affect recruitment and retention of parents in 
prevention programs for adolescents;
    (b) Evaluations of strategies or interventions designed to assist 
parents in effectively communicating with their children about 
sexuality issues; and
    (c) Mechanisms and/or venues for educating parents on adolescent 
development, the importance of parental expectations and boundary 
setting, and sexuality issues.
    2. Youth Development/Developmental Assets. The Youth Development or 
Developmental Assets approach, either by itself or in combination with 
sexuality education, is increasingly used in programs designed to 
prevent adolescent sexual activity, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted 
infection or other risk behaviors and negative outcomes. Strategies 
encompass strengthening families, fostering lasting relationships with 
adult mentors, involving youth in community service, promoting 
connectedness with school, providing opportunities to engage in sports 
and cultural activities, building confidence and self-efficacy; all are 
designed to strengthen supports, either internal or external, for youth 
as they transition to adulthood. Research questions of interest 
include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Incorporating youth development concepts into risk avoidance 
interventions for adolescents;
    (b) Impact of youth development strategies on adolescent premarital 
sexual relations and other health risk behaviors; and
    (c) Impact of youth development strategies (e.g., education, 
vocational training, employment) on transition to self-sufficiency and 
other positive outcomes for adolescent parents.
    3. Pro-Social Risk Behaviors. It is well established that some 
amount of risk taking in adolescence is normative in that it helps 
define and develop identity. While risk taking is part of the normal 
developmental spectrum for adolescents, risk behaviors fall into two 
broad categories: those that are associated with negative consequences 
such as drug, tobacco and alcohol use, sexual activity and violence as 
opposed to those that are associated with more positive outcomes--pro-
social risk behaviors such as athletics, academic endeavors, or 
community service. Research questions of interest include, but are not 
limited to:
    (a) The impact on adolescent sexual behavior of programs offering 
pro-social risk behavior activities;
    (b) Whether adolescents actively reject taking negative health 
risks when offered appealing pro-social risk behavior activities; and
    (c) Whether offering pro-social risk behavior activities can 
reverse established negative risk behaviors.
    4. Adoption. Adoption is a positive option for unmarried pregnant 
adolescents who are unable to care for their infants, yet available 
data indicate this option is seldom chosen. Prior research suggests 
that attitudes about adoption--by family members, the father of the 
infant, the pregnant adolescent herself, or the professional providing 
counseling--can often have great influence on the young mother's 
decision-making. Other factors of importance include the costs and 
benefits of the adoption decision for all involved, as well as the 
implications of the various types of adoption that are available. Areas 
of inquiry include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Social, psychological, legal, and service dimensions of 
adoption decision-making;
    (b) Social, economic, and/or psychological effects of adoption on 
the adolescent mother, the child, and/or the adoptive family; and
    (c) Usage and differential outcomes for the adolescent mother, the 
child, and/or the adoptive family among formal, informal, closed and 
open adoption arrangements.
    5. Adolescent Parents. The consequences of adolescent pregnancy and 
parenthood are well documented. Adolescent parents are less likely to 
complete their schooling, their employment prospects and income are 
concomitantly reduced, and they are more likely to be single parents. 
In addition, their children are more likely to have poor health status, 
poor educational outcomes, behavior problems, and to become adolescent 
parents themselves than are children born to older parents. Appropriate 
and adequate services for these adolescent parents and their children, 
however, do hold some promise for ameliorating these disadvantages. 
Research questions of interest include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Preparation for building committed adult relationships and 
strong marriages;
    (b) Evaluation of strategies or interventions to provide necessary 
support services (e.g., health, education, social) to adolescent 
parents and their children;
    (c) Factors influencing continuation of schooling for adolescent 
parents and/or evaluation of strategies to promote school retention or 
return for adolescent parents; and
    (d) Factors influencing successful parenting by adolescents and/or 
evaluation of strategies to promote successful parenting by 
adolescents.
    6. Long Term Impact of Adolescent Childbearing on Family Structure. 
The negative impact of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing on 
schooling, employment, income and health are well documented in the 
research literature. Another important area of inquiry, not as well 
studied, is the effect of adolescent parenthood on the structure and 
function of the young families created by this early, and most often, 
out-of-wedlock childbearing. Research topics of interest include, but 
are not limited to:
    (a) The impact of adolescent out-of-wedlock childbearing on the 
likelihood of marriage and the stability of marriage;
    (b) Types of support systems and their viability, other than 
marriage, for adolescent parents; and
    (c) The level of satisfaction with parenting, over time, 
experienced by adolescent parents.
    7. Influences on Adolescent Premarital Sexual Behavior. An 
important component in developing effective interventions to prevent 
adolescent premarital sexual activity, pregnancy and sexually 
transmitted infection is an understanding of the factors that influence 
adolescent sexual behavior. While research over the past few decades 
has contributed substantially to this understanding, the complexity and 
variability of these factors--and the interplay among them--still 
warrants continued study. Qualitative studies and exploration of 
understudied topics with the potential

[[Page 45719]]

of suggesting effective interventions are encouraged. For the purposes 
of this announcement, factors to explore include, but are not limited 
to:
    (a) Demographic, economic, social and psychological characteristics 
of the adolescent;
    (b) Family, peers, media, and other social factors; and
    (c) Community, neighborhood, school, faith-based organizations and 
other social institutions.

Data Resources

    When appropriate to the proposed topics, applicants may wish to 
consider using nationally-representative data sets such as the National 
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and the National 
Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). (Whether this type of data set is used 
or not used is completely at the discretion of the applicant and will 
not influence funding decisions on applications submitted under this 
announcement.)
    The Add Health survey used a longitudinal design to collect data on 
possible causes of health-related behaviors of adolescents in grades 7-
12 and their outcomes in young adulthood. Data were collected to focus 
on how social contexts (families, friends, peers, schools, 
neighborhoods and communities) influence adolescents' health and risk 
behaviors. Three waves of data collection took place between 1994 and 
2002, with multiple data sets available for study. See http://www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth for more information about the Add Health 
survey.
    NSFG is a cross-sectional survey of family formation and 
reproductive health conducted at various points over many years by the 
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention. Each round has consisted of personal interviews with a 
national sample of women 15-44 years of age in the United States, but 
with the latest round, Cycle 6, it will include data collected from men 
ages 15-49 as well. NSFG is a source of data for national estimates of 
such variables as: rates of adolescent sexual activity; incidence of 
unintended pregnancy; trends in marriage, divorce, and cohabitation; 
and non-marital childbearing. More information on NSFG is available at 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg.htm.

II. Award Information

    The OPA, subject to the availability of funds, intends to make 
available approximately $500,000 each year (fiscal years 2005, 2006, 
and 2007) to support an estimated 2 to 3 new research grants, up to a 
maximum of $250,000 each per year--including both direct and indirect 
costs. Section 2008(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act stipulates 
that a grant for any one year period may not exceed $100,000 for the 
direct costs of conducting research activities. However, this 
limitation may be waived if we determine that exceptional circumstances 
warrant such waiver and that the project will have national impact. 
(Although section 2008(a)(3) also allows for waiver of this limitation 
where limited demonstration projects are conducted in order to provide 
data for research, the OPA does not intend to fund such projects under 
this announcement.) OPA intends to fund research under this 
announcement only if it will have national impact. Therefore, 
applications will be reviewed for research that will have national 
impact and, in cases where direct costs exceed the $100,000 limit, 
whether the applicant has established that those costs constitute an 
exceptional circumstance because they are necessary to carry out the 
research project.
    Grants will be funded in annual increments (budget periods) and may 
be funded for a project period of up to three years. Funding for all 
approved budget periods beyond the first year is contingent upon the 
availability of funds, satisfactory progress on the project, and 
adequate stewardship of Federal funds.
    Earliest anticipated start date: 4 months after application receipt 
date.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Any public agency or private non-profit or for-profit organization 
or institution of higher education which may be located in any State, 
the District of Columbia, or any United States territory, commonwealth, 
or possession, is eligible to apply for a grant under this announcement 
Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for these Adolescent 
Family Life research grants.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    There is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    Applications must be submitted on the research application form PHS 
398 (revised 5/01), which is available online at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm. For additional information about 
obtaining the research application form PHS 398, please call (301) 594-
4001.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
    Applicants are encouraged to read all PHS Form 398 instructions 
prior to preparing an application in response to this announcement. The 
instructions given are a useful guide to application preparation. Pay 
close attention to font size, page limits and other format 
specifications. However, OPA is not using the Modular Grant Application 
and Award Process. Applicants for OPA funding should ignore 
instructions concerning the Modular Grant Application and Award 
Process, following budget instructions otherwise provided in PHS Form 
398.
    When submitting the application, check ``yes'' in Block 2 of the 
face page and provide PAR-04-185'' for the number and ``Adolescent 
Family Life (AFL) Research'' as the title.
    This notice seeks applications for applied research addressing 
Adolescent Family Life program goals. Applications should include the 
following:
    (1) A well-organized statement of the problem to be addressed;
    (2) A detailed description of the research design;
    (3) The conceptual framework within which the design has been 
developed;
    (4) The methodology to be employed;
    (5) The evidence upon which the analysis will rely; and
    (6) The manner in which the evidence will be analyzed.
    Applications should also clearly address how findings from the 
proposed study will have direct application for programs designed to 
prevent premarital adolescent sexual activity and promote adolescent 
and family health and well being.
3. Submission Dates and Times
    To receive consideration, applications must be received by the 
Center for Scientific Review, NIH, by the deadline listed in the 
``Dates'' section of this announcement. Applications submitted via U.S. 
Postal Service will be considered as meeting the deadline if they are 
postmarked no later than 1 week prior to the deadline date given in the 
``Dates'' section. A legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or 
U.S. Postal Service will be accepted in lieu of a postmark. Private 
metered postmarks will not be accepted as proof of timely mailing. As 
soon as possible after the receipt date, usually within 6 weeks, the 
principal investigator/program director and the applicant organization 
will receive by electronic notification the application assignment

[[Page 45720]]

number and the name, address, and telephone number of the Scientific 
Review Administrator (SRA) who will be directing the review group to 
which the application has been assigned. The SRA is located at the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) which is serving as 
the review organization for these applications. Applications that do 
not meet the deadline will not be accepted for review, and will be 
returned. Applications sent via facsimile or by electronic mail will 
not be accepted for review.
    The application package must be submitted to: Center for Scientific 
Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040-
MSC 7710, Bethesda, MD 29892-7710 (20817 for express/courier service).
    Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that 
includes a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name, 
address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, and the 
title of this Program Announcement. Although a letter of intent is not 
required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a 
subsequent application, the information that it contains allows OPA 
staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. 
The letter of intent should be sent to Barbara Cohen, at the address 
listed under the ``Agency Contacts'' section below and received by the 
date in the ``Dates'' section of this announcement.
    Applicants 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 OPA Web site at: http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov/duns.html.
4. Intergovernmental Review
    This program is not subject to the review requirements of Executive 
Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
5. Funding Restrictions
    The allowability, allocability, reasonableness and necessity of 
direct and indirect costs that may be charged to grants are outlined in 
the following documents: OMB Circular A-21 (Institutions of Higher 
Education); OMB Circular A-87 (State and Local Governments); OMB 
Circular A-122 (Nonprofit Organizations); and 45 CFR part 74, Appendix 
E (Hospitals). Copies of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Circulars are available on the Internet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_circulars.html.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    Eligible applications in response to this announcement will be 
reviewed according to the following criteria:
    (1) Scientific Merit. Are the conceptual framework, design, 
methods, and analyses adequately developed and appropriate to the goals 
of the project?
    (2) Significance. Will a scientific advance result if the project 
is carried out? Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches, or 
methods?
    (3) Feasibility and Likelihood of Producing Meaningful Results. Are 
the plans for organizing and carrying out the project, including the 
responsibilities of key staff, the time line, and the proposed project 
period, adequately specified and appropriate?
    (4) Competency of Staff. Are the principal investigator, and other 
key research staff, appropriately trained and well suited to carry out 
this project?
    (5) Adequacy of Facilities and Resources. Are the facilities and 
resources of the applicant institution and other study sites adequate?
    (6) Adequacy of Budget. Is the budget reasonable and adequate in 
relation to the proposed project?
2. Review and Selection Process
    Applications will be reviewed, in competition with other submitted 
applications, by a panel of independent peer reviewers. Each of the 
above criteria will be addressed and considered by the reviewers in 
assigning the overall score. Final grant award decisions will be made 
by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs on the basis 
of priority score, program relevance, and availability of funds.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notice

    OPA does not release information about individual applications 
during the review process until final funding decisions have been made. 
When these decisions have been made, applicants will be notified by 
letter regarding the outcome of their applications. The official 
document notifying an applicant that an application has been approved 
and granted funding is the Notice of Grant Award, which specifies to 
the grantee the amount of money awarded, the purpose of the grant, and 
the terms and conditions of the grant award.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    In accepting this award, the recipient stipulates that the award 
and any activities thereunder are subject to all provisions of 45 CFR 
parts 74 and 92, currently in effect or implemented during the period 
of the grant.
    The Buy American Act of 1933, as amended (41 U.S.C. 10a-10d), 
requires that Government agencies give priority to domestic products 
when making purchasing decisions. Therefore, to the greatest extent 
practicable, all equipment and products purchased with grant funds 
should be American-made.
    A Notice providing information and guidance regarding the 
``Government-wide Implementation of the President's Welfare-to-Work 
Initiative for Federal Grant Programs'' was published in the Federal 
Register on May 16, 1997. This initiative was designated to facilitate 
and encourage grant recipients and their sub-recipients to hire welfare 
recipients and to provide additional needed training and/or mentoring 
as needed. The text of the Notice is available electronically on the 
OMB home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb.
3. Reporting
    Applicants must submit all required reports in a timely manner, in 
recommended format (to be provided), and submit a final report on the 
project at the completion of the project period. Submissions of all 
required reports may be either electronic or in hard copy.

VII. Agency Contacts

    Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Barbara Cohen, 
Office of Population Affairs, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 700, 
Rockville, MD 20852; (301) 594-4001; or via E-mail at 
[email protected].
    Direct inquiries regarding fiscal and administrative matters to: 
Karen Campbell, Office of Grants Management, Office of Public Health 
and Science, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852; 
(301) 594-0758; or via E-mail at [email protected].

    Dated: July 26, 2004.
Alma L. Golden,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs.
[FR Doc. 04-17357 Filed 7-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-30-P