[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69769-69774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32289]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Program Announcement 00028]
Cooperative Agreement Program to Increase Knowledge and Skills of
Under-Represented Minority Students in the Areas of Biostatistics,
Epidemiology, and Occupational Safety and Health; Notice of
Availability of Funds
A. Purpose
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2000 funds for a cooperative agreement
program to increase knowledge, skills and research training of under-
represented minority students in the areas of biostatistics,
epidemiology and occupational health and safety. For the purposes of
this agreement, under-represented minority students are African
American/Black American, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian/Alaska
Native students. This program addresses the ``Healthy People 2000''
priority area of Educational and Community-based Programs, Clinical
Preventive Services, and Surveillance and Data (Objective 21.8), which
proposes to increase the proportion of all persons with degrees in
health professions, including allied and associated health fields, and
the number of degrees awarded to members of under-represented racial
and ethnic minority groups. In addition, the program addresses the
performance of executive agency actions under Executive Order 12876, to
advance the development of human potential, to strengthen the capacity
of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to provide
quality education, and to increase opportunities to participate in and
benefit from Federal programs.
The purpose of the program is to provide under-represented minority
undergraduate students with training in two categories of
specialization: Category I--biostatistics and epidemiology in Atlanta,
GA, and Category II--occupational safety and health in Cincinnati, OH,
Morgantown, WV, Pittsburgh, PA and Spokane, WA. Specifically, the
program is intended to assist an HBCU to:
(1) Develop an undergraduate research training and internship
program for African American and other under-represented minority
students.
(2) Increase the knowledge and skills of African American and other
under-represented undergraduate minority students in both categories of
specialization, (i.e., epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational
safety and health);
(3) Expand the educational and applied public health research
training and skills development opportunities and experiences in the
two fields of specialization (epidemiology, biostatistics, and
occupational safety and health) for under-represented minority students
who are interested in pursuing public health careers;
(4) Develop and implement a public health science curriculum at an
HBCU,
(5) Foster linkages and collaboration among students and faculty in
developing epidemiological and analytical knowledge bases for the
health status of minority and under-served populations in America;
(6) Increase the number of African Americans and other under-
represented minority populations with advanced degrees in epidemiology,
biostatistics, and occupational safety and health.
B. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education that are
designated as HBCUs. Only HBCUs which meet the following criteria are
eligible to apply under this announcement: (1) have a predominantly
black and other minority student enrollment of at least 51 percent, and
(2) offer undergraduate courses in community/allied health,
[[Page 69770]]
computer sciences, mathematics, and/or biostatistics and epidemiology
in their curriculum. Competition is limited to HBCUs under this program
announcement because there is a critical shortage of both minority
students and minority professionals to plan, monitor, and evaluate the
public health policies and programs that target the heterogeneous
minority population groups in the U.S.
Note: Public Law 104-65 states that an organization described in
section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages
in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive Federal funds
constituting an award, grant, cooperative agreement, contract, loan,
or any other form.
C. Availability of Funds
It is anticipated that a minimum of $200,000 will be available in
FY 2000, to fund one award. It is expected that the award will begin on
or about January 28, 2000, and will be made for a 12-month budget
period within a project period of up to five years for Category I
specialization, epidemiology and biostatistics, and for Category II
specialization, occupational safety and health. Funding estimates may
change.
Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made
on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports
and the availability of funds.
D. Program Requirements
In conducting activities to develop and achieve the purpose of this
program, the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1.
(Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for the activities
listed under 2. (CDC Activities).
1. Recipient Activities
a. Educational Support and Curriculum Development: The recipient
should develop and implement an educational support curriculum that
includes, at a minimum, a Public Health Sciences Curriculum that
emphasizes epidemiology, biostatistics, occupational safety and health,
and related academic courses, including practicum. The public health
sciences curriculum should be consistent with the institutional
policies and procedures of the grantee, and include at least one
semester (or equivalent) of biostatistics and epidemiology. In
implementing the public health sciences curriculum developed under this
agreement, the grantee should:
(1) Collaborate among, and across the recipient institution's
educational departments to demonstrate the cross-disciplinary
advantages of public health practice, and the importance of integrative
and multi-disciplinary approaches to improving the health status and
quality of life of African Americans and other minorities.
(2) Demonstrate how the public health sciences curriculum and
educational support will enhance opportunities for minority students to
obtain advanced degrees in epidemiology, biostatistics, and
occupational safety and health from graduate programs housed within
schools of public health or medicine.
(3) Develop, plan and provide other educational support for
encouraging the pro-active recruitment of undergraduate students
majoring in disciplines other than biology, chemistry, community
health, or pre-medicine to increase their knowledge of public health
practice.
(4) Establish a mechanism to award three (3) semester (or
equivalent) credit hours to students who enroll and complete each of
the public health sciences curriculum courses.
b. Internship Programs: The recipient should plan and manage an
undergraduate summer internship program for African Americans and other
under-represented minorities that emphasizes the two categories of
specialization: Category I--training in biostatistics and epidemiology
where plans will be developed to train students at CDC laboratories in
Atlanta, GA; and Category II--occupational safety and health where
plans will be developed to train students in National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) laboratories in Cincinnati, OH,
Morgantown, WV, Pittsburgh, PA or Spokane, WA. Examples of activities
that may be undertaken, include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Establish a criteria for competitive selection of prospective
students for both categories of specialization for the summer
internship program that is consistent with the goals and objectives of
the cooperative agreement. For example, a criteria for competitive
selection might include the requirement for completion of one or more
courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, or occupational safety and
health; grade of B or above in overall course work; likelihood of the
student to pursue a career in public health, research experience, other
academic performance; and performance on personal interviews.
2. Identify and recruit undergraduate students who have
successfully completed at least the sophomore year in college and who
have expressed an interest in pursuing a career in the health sciences,
occupational safety and health, industrial hygiene, environmental
sciences, engineering, physics, social and behavioral sciences, or
mathematics.
3. Provide mechanisms for supporting the participation of students
in the summer internship program with the requirement that students
should be available to participate fully in the program activities.
4. Provide adequate technical assistance and consultants, (e.g.,
computer, biostatistics, epidemiology, occupational safety and health),
to assist the students in successfully completing the requirements of
the internship program.
5. Establish and maintain a data base with demographic information
on previous years' interns for the purposes of evaluation.
6. Establish a mechanism to award three (3) semester (or
equivalent) credit hours to research interns upon successful completion
of research projects that is consistent with grantee academic policies
and procedures.
7. Maintain a liaison with the category II specialization,
occupational safety and health.
c. Public Health Sciences Advisory Group: The recipient should
establish a Public Health Sciences Advisory Group to advise on the
implementation of the cooperative agreement program. Examples of
activities which the Public Health Advisory Group might perform include
the following:
1. Serve as liaison between the grantee institution and the public
health education, training and research program.
2. Review applications and/or interview prospective interns.
3. Review proposals or research project descriptions submitted by
the CDC to be analyzed by the students during the summer internship,
and
4. Evaluate the public health sciences program on operating
aspects, such as education, training and research components, and make
suggestions for overall program improvement.
d. Research Training and Skills Development: The grantee should
develop plans and approaches to make applied public health research
projects (e.g., community assessments, programs and materials
evaluation, etc.) an integral part of the public health sciences
curriculum. The grantee should describe its existing and/or anticipated
resources, (e.g., computer resources, and faculty members with
applicable research experiences) which will ensure hands-on analytic
research training and participation for the undergraduate students.
e. Staffing and Management: The grantee should provide adequate
staffing
[[Page 69771]]
and management resources for the successful implementation of the
cooperative agreement. For example, the following positions might be
identified as key staff: Principal Investigator (PI), Executive
Director (ED), Educational Program Coordinator, Occupational Safety and
Health Coordinator, and Research Coordinator. The grantee should ensure
that qualifications of key personnel are consistent with personnel
policies and practices of the institution.
f. Evaluation Plan: The grantee is required to evaluate the
management and performance of the students, including specific measures
of a successful program and the frequency/time-frame for the
evaluations (i.e., process and outcome evaluations). The recipient
shall develop a computerized tracking system used as an evaluation tool
for following-up the future professional activities of the students who
have participated in this cooperative education program.
2. CDC Activities
The CDC is responsible for the following activities:
a. As requested, collaborate with the recipient, and provide
consultation, assistance and support in planning, implementing and
evaluating all aspects of the cooperative agreement.
b. As requested, collaborate with the grantee to establish criteria
for evaluating both short-and long-term success of the public health
sciences education, training, and research programs.
c. As requested, provide consultation and advice to the key program
staff regarding administrative planning and program evaluation for
program development in future years.
d. As needed, provide computer equipment (hardware and requisite
software) to the computer, statistical, biostatistic, and the
occupational safety and health consultants, interns and Public Health
Science Institute faculty.
e. As needed, provide access to data sets, CDC mainframe computer,
personal computers, word processors, research activities and other
facilities that would be beneficial to program participants.
f. As needed, provide on-site office space and mentors to instruct
the summer interns in the analysis of data sets.
g. As needed, provide meeting and office space at CDC for the
summer participants, the coordinators, and the consultants for
activities to be carried out during the summer internship program.
h. As needed, provide staff to give seminars to students who are
selected for the internship program.
i. As needed or requested, provide technical support to assist the
recipient in curriculum development and implementation of public
health-related courses.
j. Collaborate in program planning and consultation with
participants in the summer research program.
k. As needed or requested, provide applied public health research
opportunities to allow students hands-on research experience and skills
development training.
l. As needed, provide clerical support, necessary equipment,
supplies, and other resources required for student recruitment and
administration of the summer internship program by the Occupational
Safety and Health Coordinator located at one of the NIOSH facilities.
E. Application Content
Use the information in the Program Requirements, Other
Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the
application content. Your application will be evaluated on the criteria
listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program
plan. The narrative should be no more than 40 double-spaced pages,
printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced font.
Attachments should be limited to essential documentation.
The requirements under this cooperative agreement are consistent
with the purpose/activities as enumerated above. It is anticipated,
therefore, that each applicant will submit a proposal that addresses
each of the following areas:
1. Executive Summary
The applicant should provide a concise, 1-3 page executive summary
that clearly describes:
a. Eligibility, including: (a) Status as a Historically Black
College and University, (b) Percent of students enrollment of African
American and other minority students, (c) Description of undergraduate
courses in community/allied health, computer sciences, mathematics,
and/or biostatistics and epidemiology, and (d) Experience and capacity
as an HBCU to provide knowledge, skills, and research training in the
two categories of specialization, (i.e., category I--epidemiology and
biostatistics, and category II--occupational safety and health.)
b. The needs for implementing a program to increase the knowledge,
skills and research training in category I--epidemiology and
biostatistics, and category II--occupational safety and health among
African American and other minority students.
c. The major proposed goals, objectives and activities for
implementing the program as well as total requested amount of Federal
funding for each category of specialization.
d. Applicant's capability to implement the program.
2. Capacity (not more than 12 pages)
a. Describe ability to address the identified need.
b. Describe efforts and relevant experience that support the
activities proposed to accomplish the objective for which the applicant
is applying, including:
(1) current and previous experience related to the proposed program
activities,
(2) activities related to operating internship programs;
(3) activities related to curriculum development,
(4) current and previous experience related to fostering linkages
and collaboration among students and faculty, fostering integrative and
multi-disciplinary approaches to improving health status, and
(5) current and previous experience with increasing the
participation of minority students in public health careers.
c. Submit a copy of the project's management hierarchy, and
describe how that structure supports the proposed program activities.
3. Operational Plan (Not more than 20 pages)
a. Goals. List goals that specifically relate to program
requirements that indicate where the program will be at the end of the
projected five-year period.
b. Objectives. List objectives that are specific, measurable, and
feasible to be accomplished during the projected 12-month period. The
objectives should directly relate to the project goals and recipient
activities.
c. Describe in narrative form and display on a timetable, specific
activities that are related to each objective. Indicate when each
activity will occur as well as when preparations for activities will
occur. Also, indicate who will be responsible for each activity and
identify staff who will work on each activity. The applicant's proposal
should include multiple subparts detailing its approach to fulfill the
following program requirements:
[[Page 69772]]
(1) Educational Support and Curriculum Development
The applicant's application must describe a plan to develop and
implement a public health sciences curriculum that emphasizes the
category I specialization--epidemiology and biostatistics, and category
II specialization--occupational safety and health, as well as related
academic courses. However, consistent with the educational and
administrative policies of the grantee, the application should also
describe how the grantee will accomplish the following: (a) encourage
undergraduate students majoring in disciplines other than biology,
chemistry, community health, and pre-medicine to increase their
knowledge of public health practice; (b) demonstrate how the curriculum
and educational support will enhance opportunities for minority
students to obtain advanced degrees in epidemiology, biostatistics, and
occupational safety and health; (c) encourage interdepartmental
activities that provides integrative and multi-disciplinary approaches,
knowledge and skills to improve health status; (d) describe how the
grantee will incorporate a practicum to give students hands-on research
experience in each category of specialization, i.e., category I--
biostatistics and epidemiology, and category II--occupational safety
and health; (d) describe parameters for establishing a mechanism to
award three (3) semester credit hours to students who enroll and
complete each of the public health science curriculum courses and
internship programs.
(2) Internship Program
The applicant must describe a methodology for planning and managing
summer internship activities (for example: recruitment strategies,
program operations, and program and course scheduling in each category
of specialization, i.e., category I--biostatistics and epidemiology,
and category II--occupational safety and health, and establishing a
data base of previous years' interns);
(3) Research Training and Skills Development
The applicant must describe their plans and approaches to make
applied public health research projects an integral part of the public
health sciences curriculum. Each applicant must describe its existing
and/or anticipated resources (e.g., computer resources and faculty
members with applicable research experiences) which will ensure hands-
on-analytic research training for the undergraduate students.
(4) Public Health Advisory Group
The applicant must include a description of plans to establish a
Public Health Advisory Group to advise on the implementation of the
cooperative agreement program.
(5) Staffing and Management
The applicant must describe the proposed staffing for the project
and provide job descriptions for existing and proposed positions. See
proposed definition of key personnel in the section on program
requirements.
(a) Submit curriculum vitae (limited to 2 pages per person) for
each professional staff member named in the application.
(b) Submit job descriptions illustrating the level of
organizational responsibility for professional staff who will be
assigned to the project.
(c) Submit an outline of the hierarchy of a management plan which
shall assure fiscal and programmatic accountability in accordance with
the terms of this cooperative agreement. The management plan should
clearly identify the officials who will manage this program and their
specific responsibilities.
(6) Evaluation Plan (Not more than 5 pages)
The applicant must describe a plan that evaluates the program's
effectiveness in meeting its objectives. For each of the types of
evaluation listed below, specify the evaluation question to be
answered, data to be obtained, the type of analysis, to whom it will be
reported, and how data will be used to improve the program. Indicate in
the plan the projected staff and time lines to be used.
a. Process evaluation. Evaluate the program's progress in meeting
objectives and conducting activities during the budget period.
b. Outcome evaluation. Assess the effectiveness of proposed
activities, including training sessions and documents developed in
attaining goal(s) at the completion of the one year budget period and
the five year project period.
c. Computerized Tracking System. Applicants are required to develop
a computerized tracking system to evaluate the effectiveness of the
program in achieving its goals and objectives.
(7) Budget and Accompanying Justification
The applicant must provide a detailed budget and line-item
justification of all operating expenses for each category of academic
specialization, (i.e., category I--epidemiology and biostatistics, and
category II--occupational safety and health.) The budget should be
consistent with the stated objectives and planned activities of the
project.
F. Submission and Deadline
Submit the original and two copies of the application (PHS Form
5161-1). Forms are available at the following Internet address:
www.cdc.gov/. . . Forms, or in the application kit. Pages must be
numbered clearly, and a complete table of contents of the application
and its appendices must be included. Applicant should begin each
separate section on a new page. The original and each copy of the
application set must be submitted unstapled and unbound. All materials
must be typewritten, single spaced, using an unreduced type not less
than 12 point (10 characters per inch) on 8\1/2\'' x 11'' paper, with
at least a 1'' margin, including headers and footers, and printed on
one side only.
On or before January 14, 2000, the application should be submitted
to: Brenda D. Hayes, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, (Program Announcement: 00028),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), 2920 Brandywine
Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146. Telephone: 770-488-2741.
Email: bkh4cdc.gov.
Deadline: Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline
if they are either: (a) received on or before the deadline date; or (b)
sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for submission
to the objective review group. (Applicants must request a legibly dated
receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private
metered postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria in
(a) or (b) above are considered late applications, will not be
considered in the current competition and will be returned to the
applicant.
G. Evaluation Criteria
Each application will be evaluated individually against the
following criteria by an independent review group appointed by CDC:
a. Educational Support and Curriculum Development (20 points)
The extent to which the applicant submits a plan which explains how
it will develop and implement an educational support curriculum at an
HBCU that does the following:
[[Page 69773]]
(1) Includes at a minimum a public health sciences curriculum
emphasizing two categories of specialization, i.e., category I--
epidemiology and biostatistics, and category II--occupational safety
and health, as well as related public academic courses, including
practicum.
(2) Explains how the recipient will collaborate among and across
educational departments to demonstrate the cross-disciplinary
advantages of public health practice, and the importance of integrative
and multi-disciplinary approaches to improving the health status and
quality of life of African Americans and other minorities.
(3) Explains how the recipient will develop, plan and provide other
educational support for encouraging the proactive recruitment of
undergraduate students majoring in disciplines other than biology,
chemistry, community health, or pre-medicine to increase their
knowledge of public health practice.
(4) Explains how the recipient will award students three semester
and/or credit hours for completing public health course work.
b. Internship Programs (25 Points)
The extent to which the recipient explains how it will develop and
implement a competitive undergraduate summer internship program that
emphasizes two categories of specialization:
(1) Category I--training in biostatistics, epidemiology, and
category II--training in occupational safety and health.
(2) Identifies recruitment strategies for undergraduate students
who have successfully completed at least the sophomore year in college
and expressed an interest in pursuing a career in the health sciences,
occupational safety and health, industrial hygiene, environmental
sciences, engineering, physics or mathematics.
(3) Provides mechanisms for supporting students during the summer
internship program.
(4) Provides adequate technical assistance (e.g., computer,
biostatistics, epidemiology, occupational safety and health) to ensure
student's success in the internship program.
(5) Establishes a data base of the interns.
(6) Establishes a mechanism to award the students three credit
hours for successful completion of research projects.
C. Public Health Sciences Advisory Group (10 Points)
The extent to which the applicant explains a process for
establishing a Public Health Sciences Advisory Group to help guide the
implementation of the public health curriculum, the internship program,
and activities related to research training and skills development.
d. Research Training and Skills Development (15 Points)
The extent to which the applicant describes a plan and approaches
to make applied health research projects (e.g., community assessments,
programs, and materials evaluation, etc.) an integral part of the
public health sciences curriculum, including existing and/or
anticipated resource needs, (e.g., computer resources and faculty with
applicable research experiences.)
e. Staffing and Management (20 points)
The extent to which the applicant submits an adequate staffing and
management plan for the successful implementation of the cooperative
agreement.
f. Evaluation Plan (10 Points)
The extent to which the applicant submits a plan (i.e., process and
outcome evaluations) for evaluating the management and performance of
the students who participate in the summer internship programs,
presents a reasonable plan for obtaining data, reporting results, and
includes a description of how a computerized tracking system will be
developed and used as an evaluation tool for tracking and using
programmatic results to enhance professional development of African
American and other under-represented minorities in public health.
g. Budget (not scored)
The extent to which the applicant provides a detailed and clear
budget narrative consistent with the stated objectives, planned
activities and goals of the project. The proposed budget must address
the two categories of specialization. The proposed budget should
include provisions for inflation adjustments for each subsequent year
following year one of the award.
H. Other Requirements
Technical Reporting Requirements Provide CDC with original plus two
copies of annual progress reports not more than 60 days at the end of
the project year, and a financial status report, no more than 90 days
after the end of the budget period. Send all reports to: Brenda D.
Hayes, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch,
Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000,
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146. Telephone: 770-488-2741. Email: bkh4@cdc.gov.
The following additional requirements are applicable to this
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment I in the
application kit.
(AR-12) Lobbying Restrictions
(AR-1) Human Subjects Requirements
(AR98-2) Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in Research
(AR-7) Executive Order 12372 Review
(AR-9) Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
(AR-10) Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
(AR-11) Healthy People 2000
(AR-15) Proof of Non-Profit Status
(AR-16) Security Clearance Requirement
I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number
This program is authorized under Sections 301(a) and 317 (k) (2)
[42 U.S.C. 241 (a) and 247b (k) (2) of the Public Health Service Act,
as amended. In addition, the program is authorized under Presidential
Executive Orders related to under-represented minority students:
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Executive Order 12876 of
November 1993. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is
93.283.
J. Where to Obtain Additional Information
Please refer to Program Announcement 00028 when you request
information. For a complete program description, information on
application procedures, an application package, and business management
technical assistance, contact: Brenda D. Hayes, Grants Management
Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office
Program Announcement 00028, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta,
GA 30341-4146. Telephone: 770-488-2741. Email address bkh4@cdc.gov.
See also the CDC home page on the Internet: http://www.cdc.gov.
For program technical assistance, contact: Yvonne H. Lewis,
Minority Health Program Specialist, Office of the Associate Director
for Minority Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
1600 Clifton Road, M/S D-39, Atlanta, GA 30333. Telephone: 404-639-
7220. Email address: yal0@cdc.gov.
See also the CDC home page on the Internet: http://www.cdc.gov.
[[Page 69774]]
Dated: December 8, 1999.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-32289 Filed 12-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
