[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 165 (Friday, August 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50435-50438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7134]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Office of Clinical and Preventive Services; Division of Nursing 
Services, Public Health Nursing

    Announcement Type: New competitive
    Funding Announcement Number: HHS-2006-IHS-NU-0001
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s): 93.933
    Key Dates: Application deadline Date: September 15, 2006.
     Review Date: September 20-22, 2006.
     Award Announcement Date: September 25, 2006.
     Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 29, 2006.

1. Funding Opportunity Description

    The Indian Health Service (IHS), Office of Clinical and Preventive 
Services, Division of Nursing Services announces competitive grant 
applications for Public Health Nurse (PHN) Disease Prevention and 
Health Promotion (DPHP). This program is authorized by the Snyder Act, 
25 U.S.C. 13; Section 301(a), Public Health Service Act, as amended; 
and Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 U.S.C. 1652. This program is 
described at 93.933 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
    The Public Health Nursing (PHN) Service is the prevention of 
illness, promotion and maintenance of health through the provision of 
therapeutic services, counseling, education and advocacy services. This 
is accomplished through assessment and identification of the 
individual, family and community needs, promotion of consumer 
participation in establishing health goals, planning programs to meet 
identified needs and coordination of community health programs and 
services. The public-health nursing program is flexible and 
individualized to meet needs within existing resources and takes into 
account prevailing economic, cultural, social, and geographic 
characteristics.
    Tribal PHN Programs may submit applications for review. The highest 
scored applications will be funded for two years based on availability 
of funds and satisfactory progress. The content of the application 
should relate directly to the basic emphasis of the PHN program's scope 
of services as indicated by American Nursing Association PHN Standards 
of Care, Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) measures associated 
with PHN practice such as: Alcohol Screening (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 
(FAS) Prevention); Domestic (Intimate Partner) Violence Screening; 
Breast feeding; Childhood Immunization; Adult Immunization; CVD 
Prevention (Cholesterol Screening); Obesity Assessment; Tobacco Use 
Assessment; Prenatal Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Screening; and 
sound program planning and evaluation principles. Proposal must include 
measurable health outcomes. Outline goals and anticipated results 
linked to outcome objectives, process objectives, and proposed 
activities performed in the home or community setting as demonstrated 
through quality data improvement of these activities.

II. Award Information

    Type of Awards: Grant
    Estimated Funds Available: The total amount identified for project 
period is $2,352,000. The total for each 12 month period is $1,176,000. 
The awards are for 24 months in duration and the average award is 
approximately $100,000. Awards under this announcement are subject to 
availability of funds and satisfactory performance.
    Anticipated Number of Awards: 11 awards will be made under the 
Program.
    Project Period: 24 months.
    Award Amount: $100,000 per year.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants must be one of the following (please specify 
in the application which category applies to each applicant):
    A. Federally-recognized Indian Tribe,
    B. Non-Profit Urban Indian Organization as defined by Urbans-25 
U.S.C. 1603(f), or
    C. Non-Profit Tribal organizations as defined by Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act (IHCIA), 25 U.S.C. 1603(e).
    2. Supporting Documentation to Determine Eligibility:
    A. Tribal Resolution--If the applicant is an Indian Tribe or Tribal 
organization, a resolution from the Tribal government of all Tribes to 
be served supporting the project must accompany the application 
submission. Applications by Tribal organizations will be require 
resolutions if the current Tribal resolutions under which they operate 
would encompass the proposed activities. In this instance a copy of the 
current resolution must accompany the application. The list of Tribes 
to be served by the project in the proposal must match the set of 
appended resolutions. If a resolution from an appropriate 
representative of each Tribe

[[Page 50436]]

to be served is not submitted, the application will be considered 
incomplete and will not be considered for funding. No documents will be 
accepted as separate mailings to be added to proposals; all documents, 
Tribal resolutions, etc., must accompany the submission as one complete 
proposal.
    B. Non-Profit applicants must submit proof of non-profit status. A 
current IRS tax exemption certificate or a copy of 501(c)3 form is 
required proof that must accompany all applications.
    3. Cost Sharing or Matching
    The PHN PHP does not require matching funds or cost sharing.
    4. Other Requirements
    Applications with budgets exceeding $100,000 dollar amount will not 
be considered for review.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Information regarding the application process may be obtained 
from either of the following persons:

    Program Contact: Cheryl Peterson, Division of Nursing Services, 
Indian Health Service, 801 Thompson Ave, Suite 300, Rockville, Maryland 
20852, (301) 443-1840.
    Grants Contact: Martha Redhouse, Division of Grants Operations, 
Indian Health Service, 801 Thompson Ave, TMP Suite 360, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852, (301) 443-5204.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission:
    Under this specific announcement, only paper applications will be 
accepted. Grants.gov electronic transmission do not apply to this 
specific announcement. Applicants must submit a paper application 
(original and 2 copies) to the Division of Grants Operations at 801 
Thompson Avenue, TMP Suite 360, Rockville, MD 29852.
    A. Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance.
    B. Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction 
Programs.
    C. Standard Form 424B, Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (front 
and back). The application shall contain assurances to the Secretary 
that the applicant will comply with program regulations, 42 CFR part 36 
Subpart H.
    D. Form PHS 5161-1, Certifications Web site: http://www.psc.gov/forms/PHS/PHS-5161-1.pdf
    E. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.
    F. Table of Contents with corresponding numbered pages.
    G. Project Narrative (not to exceed 10 typed written pages-should 
address first year only if project is a multi-year request) that 
includes the following:
    (1) Introduction and Need for Assistance.
    (2) Work Plan.
    (3) Project Evaluation.
    (4) Organizational Capabilities and Qualifications.
    (5) Categorical Budget line items and Budget Justification.
    H. Pre-application or letter of intent are not required under this 
announcement.
    Public Policy Requirements: all Federal-wide public policies apply 
to IHS grants with exception of Lobbying and Discrimination.
    Telecommunication for the hearing impaired is available at: 301-
443-6394.
    3. Form of Submission, Dates and Times:
    Applications must be received by September 15, 2006; 5 p.m. (EST). 
IHS will not acknowledge receipt of applications.
    Late applications will not be considered for review.
    4. Intergovernmental Review:
    Executive Order 12372 requiring intergovernmental review is not 
applicable to this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions:
    A. Obtain prior approval from the Program Official to determine 
whether Pre-award costs are allowable.
    B. The available funds are inclusive of direct and indirect costs.
    C. No more than one grant will be awarded per applicant and/or per 
Tribe.
    D. All funding for this grant will end after two years with no 
additional funds.
    E. Delinquent Federal Debts. No award shall be made to an applicant 
who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt until either:
    (1) The delinquent account is paid in full; or
    (2) A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one 
payment is received.
    6. Other Submission Requirements
    DUNS Number
    Applicants are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet (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.dnb.com/us/ or call 1-866-705-5711. Interested parties may wish to 
obtain their DUNS number by phone to expedite the process.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    The instructions for preparing the application narrative also 
constitute the evaluation criteria for reviewing and scoring the 
application. Weights assigned to each section are noted in parentheses. 
The narrative should include only the first year of activities. The 
narrative section should be written in a manner that is clear to 
outside reviewers unfamiliar with prior related activities of the 
applicant. It should be well organized, succinct, and contain all 
information necessary for reviewers to understand the project fully.
a. Format--maximum of 10 pages (5 Points)
     Be single spaced.
     Be typewritten.
     Have consecutively numbered pages.
     Use black type not smaller than 12 characters per one 
inch.
     Contain a narrative that does not exceed 10 typed pages 
that includes the other submission requirements below. The 10-page 
narrative does not include the work plan, standard forms, Tribal 
resolutions (if necessary), proof of NonProfit status, table of 
contents, budget, budget justifications, narratives, and/or other 
appendix items.
b. Background/Problem Statement (10 Points)
     Clearly state health problem.
     Provide demographic information, prevalence rates of 
disease, and baseline health data to substantiate the proposal and need 
for services.
     Describe how data collection will support the stated 
project objectives and how it will support the project evaluation in 
order to determine the impact of the project. Address how the proposed 
project will result in health improvements.
     Name of facility, location, type of site (Direct Care, 
Title I, Title III).
     Contact person and phone number, address, e-mail address, 
fax number.
c. Goals and Objectives (25 Points)
     Establish two to three measurable objectives within a plan 
that will provide significant outcome. Goals/Objectives should be 
specific with a realistic time line.
d. Methodology/Activities (30 Points)
     Describe the activities that will be implemented in a work 
plan to meet the objectives. The work plan should be directly related 
to the objectives.
     Describe how you will monitor the objectives (chart 
reviews, survey, etc.)

[[Page 50437]]

     Describe any collaborative efforts with programs outside 
of PHN.
e. Budget (15 Points)
     Discuss all expected/known expenses of the prevention 
program for years 1 and 2.
     Provide justification of the funds requested for years 1 
and 2 by the site.
     Provide a succinct description of specific roles and 
activities of each person involved in the proposed project and their 
ability to perform in that capacity.
f. Evaluation (15 Points)
    Describe the methods for evaluating the project activities. Each 
proposed project objective should have an evaluation component and the 
evaluation activities should appear on the work plan. At a minimum, 
projects should describe plans to collect or summarizes evaluation 
information about all project activities. Please address the following 
for each of the proposed objectives:
     Describe the data that will be reviewed and what data will 
be collected to evaluate the success of the objective(s)?
     How the data will be collected to assess the program's 
objective(s) (e.g., methods used such as, but not limited to focus 
groups, surveys, interviews, or other data collection activities)?
     When the data will be collected and the data analysis 
completed?
     The extent to which there are specific data sets, data 
bases or registries already in place to measure/monitor meeting 
objective.
     Who will collect the data and any cost of the evaluation 
(whether internal or external)?
     Where and to whom the data will be presented?
     Address anticipated obstacles to the success of the 
proposal such as underlying causes and the nature of their influence on 
accomplishing the objectives.
     Describe how the prevention project will be evaluated.
     Describe the process that will be used to follow-up on the 
findings/conclusions.
    When the applicant is approved for funding, the award recipient 
must comply with the proposal or provisions may result in withholding 
of support of other eligible projects.

2. Review and Selection Process

    a. The review committee(s) will review each proposal according to 
the guideline requirements of the program announcement and undertake an 
indept evaluation based on the reviewer's findings, recommendations, 
scoring, and approval or disapproval. The final selection determination 
will be made by PHN Nurse Consultant.
    b. All application meeting the proposal requirements will be 
scored.
    c. The final score will be ranked by the total of the numerical 
scores divided by the number of reviewers scoring the application and 
read into the record.
    d. Each reviewer will use the score sheet when evaluating 
proposals, a signature and date will complete the evaluation record 
which will be returned to the committee chairperson.
    e. The review committee may provide differing scores to the 
chairperson for discussion, resolution, and committee consensus.
    f. The review will be conducted in accordance with the IHS 
Objective Review Guidelines. The applications will be evaluated and 
rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria.
    g. The Executive Summary will be used to provide advice to the 
program officials in making award decisions and comments to applicants.
     The review committee chairperson will incorporate an 
executive summary of the review, findings, recommendation, and comments 
of the project type, and proposal scores. Executive summary will be 
required at the close of announcement.
     The reviewers written evaluation will be used by the 
selecting official.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    Announcement of award status: September 25, 2006.
    Award Date: September 29, 2006.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Applicants which are approved and funded will be notified 
through a Notice of Grant Award (NoA) initiated by the Division of 
Grants Operations and signed by the Grants Management Officer. The NoA 
will serve as the only official notification of a grant award and will 
state the amount of Federal funds awarded, the purpose of the grant, 
the effective date of the awards, the project period and the budget 
period. The notification of ineligibility will include information 
regarding the rationale for the decision of ineligibility citing 
specific information from the original grant application. Applicants 
who are approved but unfunded and disapproved applicants will receive a 
copy of the Executive Summary which identifies the weaknesses and 
strengths of the application submitted. Pre-award costs are subject to 
prior approval from the awarding agency.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Grants are 
administered in accordance with the following documents:
    A. This program announcement.
    B. 45 CFR Part 92, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants 
and Cooperative Agreements to State, Local, and Tribal Governments'', 
or 45 CFR Part 74, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Awards and 
Subawards to Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, Other Non-
Profit Organizations, and Commercial Organizations''.
    C. PHS Grants Policy Statement, Revised April 1994.
    D. Appropriate Cost Principles: OMB Circular A-87, ``State, Local, 
and Indian Tribal Governments,'' or OMB Circular A-122, ``Non-Profit 
Organizations''.
    E. OMB Circular A-133, ``Audits of States, Local Governments, and 
Non-Profit Organizations''.
    3. Reporting.
    A. Program progress reports are required within 30 days of the 
completion of the semi-annual report (commencing with the award date). 
These reports will include a brief comparison of actual accomplishments 
to the goals established for the period, reasons for slippage (if 
applicable), and other pertinent information as required. Specific 
requirements for the GPRA performance measures will be identified in 
the terms and conditions of the award for all applicants that are 
identified for funding. A final report must be submitted within 90 days 
of expiration of the budget/project period (at the end of each year of 
funding).
    B. Financial Status Reports must be submitted within 30 days of the 
semi-annual report (commencing with the award date). Final financial 
status reports are due within 90 days of expiration of the budget/
project period (at the end of each year of funding). Standard Form 269 
(long form) will be used for financial reporting.
    Failure to submit required reports within the time allowed may 
result in suspension or termination of an active grant, withholding of 
additional awards for the project, or other enforcement actions such as 
withholding of payments or converting to the reimbursement method of 
payment. Continued failure to submit required reports may result in one 
or both of the following: (1) The imposition of special award 
provisions; and (2) the non-funding or non-award of other eligible 
projects or activities. This applies whether the delinquency is 
attributable to the failure of the grantee organization or the 
individual responsible for preparation of the reports.

[[Page 50438]]

VII. For Program-Related Information Regarding PHN:

    1. Cheryl Peterson--Office of Clinical and Preventive Services 
(OCPS), Division of Nursing Services, IHS, 801 Thompson Ave., Suite 
329, Rockville, Maryland 20852, (301) 443-1840.
    2. For general information regarding this announcement: Ms. Orie 
Platero, OCPS, IHS, 801 Thompson Avenue, Suite 326, Rockville, Maryland 
20852, (301) 443-2522.
    3. For specific grant-related and business management information: 
Ms. Martha Redhouse, Division of Grants Operations, IHS, 801 Thompson 
Avenue, TMP Suite 360, Rockville, Maryland 20852, (301) 443-5204.

VIII. Other Information

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is committed to 
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of 
Healthy People 2010, a HHS led activity for setting priority areas. 
This project will aid the accomplishment of Healthy People 2010 Focus 
Area 1--Access. Specifically, it will aid the accomplishment of 
objective 1-15, ``Increase the proportion of persons with long-term 
care needs who have access to the continuum of long-term care 
services.'' Potential applicants may obtain a printed copy of Healthy 
People 2010 (Summary Report No., 017-001-00549-5), or CD-ROM, Stock No. 
017-001-00549-5, through the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7945, (202) 512-
1800. You may also access this information at the following Web site: 
http://www.healthypeople.gov/Publications.
    The IHS is focusing efforts on three Health Initiatives that, 
linked together, have the potential to achieve positive improvements in 
the health of American Indian and Alaska Native people. These three 
initiatives are Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Management of 
Chronic Disease, and Behavioral Health. Further information is 
available at the Health Initiative Web sites at: http://www.ihs.gov/NonMedicalPrograms/DirInititives/index.cfm.

    Dated: August 21, 2006.
Phyllis Eddy,
Deputy Director for Management Operations, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 06-7134 Filed 8-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-16-M