97-4796. Special Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements; Maternal and Child Health Services; Federal Set-Aside Program; Comprehensive Hemophilia Centers, Genetic Services, and Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects  

  • [Federal Register Volume 62, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 8975-8980]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 97-4796]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
    Health Resources and Services Administration
    
    
    Special Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements; Maternal and 
    Child Health Services; Federal Set-Aside Program; Comprehensive 
    Hemophilia Centers, Genetic Services, and Maternal and Child Health 
    Improvement Projects
    
    AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
    
    ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    SUMMARY: The HRSA announces that approximately $10.2 million in fiscal 
    year (FY) 1997 funds will be available for grants and cooperative 
    agreements for the following activities: Maternal and Child Health 
    (MCH) Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS), 
    including genetic disease testing, counseling and information services; 
    and special MCH improvement projects (MCHIP) which contribute to the 
    health of mothers, children, and children with special health care 
    needs (CSHCN). All awards will be made under the program authority of 
    section 502(a) of the Social Security Act, the MCH Federal Set-Aside 
    Program. Within the HRSA, SPRANS grants are administered by the 
    Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Grants for SPRANS research and 
    training are being announced in a separate notice. No new SPRANS 
    hemophilia program grants will be funded in FY 1997.
        Of the approximately $52.1 million available for SPRANS genetics 
    and MCHIP activities in FY 1997, about $10.2 million will be available 
    to support approximately 63 new and competing SPRANs renewal projects, 
    at a cost of about $161,900 per project. The actual amounts available 
    for awards and their allocation may vary depending on unanticipated 
    program requirements and the volume and quality of applications. Awards 
    are made for grant periods which generally run from 1 to 5 years in 
    duration. Funds for grants under the MCH Federal Set-Aside Program are 
    appropriated by Public Law 104-208.
        The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the 
    health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 
    2000, a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. The MCH 
    Block Grant Federal Set-Aside Program addresses issues related to the 
    Healthy People 2000 objectives of improving maternal, infant, child and 
    adolescent health and developing service systems for children with 
    special health care needs. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of 
    Healthy People 2000 (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy 
    People 2000 (Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the 
    Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office Washington, DC 
    20402-9325 (telephone: 202-512-1800).
        The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a 
    smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. 
    In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, 
    prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion 
    of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day 
    care, health care or early childhood development services are provided 
    to children.
    
    ADDRESSES: Federal Register notices and application guidance for MCHB 
    programs are available on the World Wide Web via the Internet at 
    address: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/hrsa/mchb. Click on the file name you 
    want to download to your computer. It will be saved as a self-
    extracting (Macintosh or) WordPerfect 5.1 file. To decompress the file 
    once it is downloaded, type in the file name followed by a . 
    The file will expand to a WordPerfect 5.1 file.
        For applicants for SPRANS grants and cooperative agreements who are 
    unable to access application materials electronically, a hard copy 
    (Revised PHS form 5161-1, approved under OMB clearance number 0937-
    0189) may be obtained from the HRSA Grants Application Center. Requests 
    should specify the category or categories of activities for which an 
    application is requested so that the appropriate forms, information and 
    materials may be provided. The Center may be contacted by: Telephone 
    Number: 1-888-300-HRSA, FAX Number: 301-309-0579, E-mail Address: 
    [email protected] Completed applications should be returned to: 
    Grants Management Officer, HRSA Grants Application Center, 40 West Gude 
    Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Please indicate the 
    appropriate CFDA # for the application being submitted (see table 
    below).
    
    DATES: Potential applicants are invited to request application packages 
    for the particular program category in which they are interested, and 
    to submit their applications for funding consideration. Deadlines for 
    receipt of applications differ for the several categories of grants. 
    These deadlines are as follows:
    
    [[Page 8976]]
    
    
    
    MCH Federal Set-Aside Competitive Grants and Cooperative Agreements for Genetic Services, and Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects Anticipated
                                          Deadline, Award, Funding, and Project Period Information, by Category FY 1997                                     
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                 Est.                                                       
                CFDA No.               Funding source/category      Application deadline      number of    Est. amounts available        Project period     
                                                                                                awards                                                      
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       Category 1: Grants                                                                   
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    93.110(A).......................  Genetic Services........  April 28, 1997..............         21  $ 3.6 million............  3 years.                
    93.110(F).......................  Integrated Services for   May 16, 1997................       8-10  900,000..................  3-4 years.              
                                       CSHCN.                                                                                                               
    93.110(I).......................  State Fetal/Infant        May 13, 1997................          5  600,000..................  3 years.                
                                       Mortality Review                                                                                                     
                                       Support Centers.                                                                                                     
    93.110(U).......................  Data Utilization and      June 30, 1997...............      15-17  1 million................  1-3 years.              
                                       Enhancement for State/                                                                                               
                                       Community                                                                                                            
                                       Infrastructure Building                                                                                              
                                       and Managed Care.                                                                                                    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Category 2: Cooperative Agreements                                                           
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    93.110(C).......................  Managed Care Policy and   April 11, 1997..............          1  375,000..................  4 years.                
                                       CSHCN.                                                                                                               
    93.110(G).......................  Partnership for           April 15, 1997..............          5  1.1 million..............  5 years.                
                                       Information and                                                                                                      
                                       Communications.                                                                                                      
    93.110(M).......................  Health, Mental Health     June 3, 1997................          1  200,000..................  4 years.                
                                       and Safety for Schools.                                                                                              
    93.110(N).......................  Partners in Program       June 17, 1997...............          1  100,000..................  up to 5 years.          
                                       Planning for Adolescent                                                                                              
                                       Health.                                                                                                              
    93.110(P).......................  Health and Safety in      June 3, 1997................          1  175,000..................  3 years.                
                                       Child Care Settings.                                                                                                 
    93.110(O).......................  SIDS/OID Program Support  April 18, 1997..............          1  350,000..................  5 years.                
                                       Center.                                                                                                              
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
         Applications will be considered to have met the deadline if they 
    are either: (1) Received on or before the deadline date, or (2) 
    postmarked on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
    orderly processing. Applicants should request a legibly dated receipt 
    from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service, or obtain a 
    legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. Private metered postmarks 
    will not be accepted as proof of timely mailing. Late applications will 
    be returned to the applicant.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for technical or programmatic 
    information should be directed to the contact persons identified below 
    for each category covered by this notice. Requests for information 
    concerning business management issues should be directed to: Sandra 
    Perry, Grants Management Officer (GMO), Maternal and Child Health 
    Bureau, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18-12, Rockville, Maryland 20857, 
    telephone: 301-443-1440.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    Program Background and Objectives
    
        Section 502 of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Omnibus 
    Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1989, requires that 12.75 percent 
    of amounts appropriated for the Maternal and Child Health Services 
    Block Grant in excess of $600 million are set aside by the Secretary of 
    Health and Human Services (HHS) for special Community Integrated 
    Service Systems (CISS) projects authorized under Section 501(a)(3) of 
    the Act. Of the remainder of the total appropriation, Section 502(a) of 
    the Act requires that 15 percent of the funds be retained by the 
    Secretary to support (through grants, contracts, or otherwise) special 
    projects of regional and national significance, research, and training 
    with respect to maternal and child health and children with special 
    health care needs (including early intervention training and services 
    development); for genetic disease testing, counseling, and information 
    development and dissemination programs; for grants (including funding 
    for comprehensive hemophilia diagnostic treatment centers) relating to 
    hemophilia without regard to age; and for the screening of newborns for 
    sickle cell anemia, and other genetic disorders and follow-up services. 
    The MCH SPRANS set-aside was established in 1981. Support for projects 
    covered by this announcement will come from the SPRANS set-aside.
        Availability of FY 1997 funds for MCH research and training grants 
    is being announced separately from other SPRANS grants this year in 
    order to help potential applicants better distinguish among very large 
    numbers of SPRANS categories and subcategories. No new SPRANS 
    hemophilia program grants will be funded in FY 1997.
    
    Eligible Applicants
    
        Any public or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal 
    organization (as defined at 25 U.S.C. 450b), is eligible to apply for 
    grants or cooperative agreements for project categories covered by this 
    announcement. As noted in the FUNDING CATEGORIES section below, based 
    on the subject matter of particular categories or subcategories, 
    applications may be encouraged from or preference for funding given to 
    applicants with a specified area of expertise.
    
    Funding
    
        Two categories of SPRANS awards are open for competition in FY 
    1997: (1) grants; and (2) cooperative agreements.
    
    Category 1: Grants
    
        Grants in the following 4 subcategories will be awarded in FY 1997:
    Subcategory 1.1: Genetic Services (CFDA #93.110A)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: The purpose of 
    these grants is to improve the quality, availability, accessibility, 
    and utilization of genetic services as an integral component of 
    comprehensive maternal and child health care. Grants will be awarded 
    competitively to support projects on priority topics specified below.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $3.6 million.
         Number of Expected Awards: 21.
         Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: Priority topics for 
    projects include: (1) Genetics in primary care; (2) genetic services 
    networks; (3) comprehensive care for Cooley's Anemia; (4) genetic 
    services for populations with ethnocultural barriers
    
    [[Page 8977]]
    
    to care; (5) comprehensive care for infants with Sickle Cell disease 
    identified through State newborn screening programs; and (6) genetics 
    in managed care.
         Application Deadline: April 28, 1997.
         Contact Person: Jane Lin-Fu, M.D., telephone: 301-443-
    1080.
    Subcategory 1.2: Integrated Services for Children with Special Health 
    Care Needs (CFDA #93.110F)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: The purpose of 
    this competition is to demonstrate innovative and nationally replicable 
    models of community-based services in two areas: (1) Reduction of 
    barriers to service integration for young children with special health 
    care needs and their families. Funded activities will demonstrate 
    successful community approaches for resolving Federal Interagency 
    Coordinating Council (FICC) identified barriers to community services 
    for young children with disabilities and their families. Projects will 
    demonstrate and make recommendations on replicable community-wide 
    strategies in one or more of the following areas: (a) Coordination of 
    program eligibility requirements; (b) coordinated financing of 
    services; (c) shared data and information systems; and (d) coordination 
    of early intervention services with the medical home. All models are 
    expected to involve substantive coordination and participation with 
    medical/health homes and the broad system of community services 
    required by Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
    (IDEA).
        (2) Promoting the accessibility of ``medical homes'' (i.e., ongoing 
    source of health/medical care) for CSHCN and their families through 
    family/professional partnerships. Funded activities will support 
    partnership arrangements between families and community health 
    providers/managed care organizations, and demonstrate that these 
    partnerships can be used to establish or expand quality primary and 
    specialty care and supportive services through collaborative working 
    relationships with other health, mental health, education, social 
    services, and ancillary networks.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $900,000.
         Number of Expected Awards: 8-10.
         Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: Proposals must be 
    developed, implemented, and demonstrated at the community level and in 
    partnership with community programs. Preference will be given to public 
    and private community-based providers and programs; community/State 
    agency partnerships; and community coalitions. Special consideration 
    will be given to established community coalitions with existing 
    projects and models related to this competition, including the member 
    communities of the ``Communities Can'' coalition, a national coalition 
    of public/private community partnerships serving CSHCN. (A list of 
    member communities is included in the application kit.) For area (2), 
    preference for funding will be given to managed care companies and 
    community-based organizations serving culturally diverse, underserved 
    populations.
         Evaluation Criteria: See CRITERIA FOR REVIEW; applications 
    will be reviewed, in addition, on the basis of the extent to which 
    they: (a) demonstrate substantive involvement of the medical home; (b) 
    show evidence of substantive family/professional partnership in all 
    aspects of the project; (c) show potential for national dissemination 
    and replication; (d) show evidence of partnership with the broad early 
    intervention community; and (e) leverage the resources of other local, 
    state, and federally funded initiatives.
         Application Deadline: May 16, 1997.
         Contact Person: Bonnie Strickland, Ph.D., or Diana 
    Denboba, telephone: 301-443-2370.
    Subcategory 1.3: State Fetal/Infant Mortality Review Support Centers 
    (CFDA #93.110I)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: This initiative 
    is designed to support State MCH agencies, or their designees, to 
    stimulate and promote Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Programs in 
    communities in order to enhance needs assessment and quality 
    improvement efforts. Projects will support training and technical 
    assistance activities that would be targeted to the particular needs 
    within the State. State centers would work collaboratively with the 
    national center located at the American College of Obstetricians and 
    Gynecologists.
         Estimated Amount of this competition: $600,000.
         Number of Expected Awards: 5.
         Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: Preference for 
    funding will be given to Title V programs or their designees.
         Evaluation Criteria: See CRITERIA FOR REVIEW; application 
    guidance materials will specify final criteria.
         Application Deadline: May 13, 1997.
         Contact Person: Ellen Hutchins, Sc.D., telephone: 301-443-
    9534.
    Subcategory 1.4: Data Utilization and Enhancement for State/Community 
    Infrastructure Building and Managed Care (CFDA #93.110U)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: The purpose of 
    these grants is to enable State MCH and CSHCN programs to enhance the 
    use of qualitative and quantitative analytic methods in local problem 
    solving for MCH populations. Awards are intended to supplement or 
    complement existing data utilization activities and to foster and 
    strengthen continuing collaboration among State and local public health 
    agencies, private sector efforts and academic institutions. This 
    initiative is specifically designed to assist States, local 
    communities, and supporting entities in the following categories: (1) 
    Developing, adapting and integrating a sentinel model and system to 
    assess the benefits and risks to the health status of children and 
    families resulting from State and private sector health, welfare reform 
    and, specifically, managed care efforts in terms of quantitative and 
    qualitative measures focused upon needs assessments, outcome measures, 
    systems performance, quality, efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency; 
    (2) analyzing the economic implications of maternal and child health 
    programs with the objective of augmenting the capacity of State and 
    local policy staff to use, interpret and conduct economic assessments; 
    and (3) enhancing the use of information technologies in State and 
    local MCH/CSHCN programs and agencies.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $1 million.
         Number of Expected Awards: 15-17.
        Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: Special consideration will 
    be given to proposals seeking to identify and track emerging issues 
    resulting from health care structural, financial, and demographic 
    changes (e.g., health care and welfare reform, managed care waivers, 
    population income shifts, etc.).
         Evaluation Criteria: See CRITERIA FOR REVIEW; application 
    guidance will specify final criteria.
         Application Deadline: June 30, 1997.
         Contact Person: Russ Scarato, telephone: 301-443-0701.
    
    Category 2: Cooperative Agreements
    
        Cooperative agreements in 6 subcategories will be awarded in FY 
    1997.
        It is anticipated that substantial Federal programmatic involvement 
    will
    
    [[Page 8978]]
    
    be required in these cooperative agreements. This means that after 
    award, awarding office staff provide technical assistance and guidance 
    to, or coordinate and participate in, certain programmatic activities 
    of award recipients beyond their normal stewardship responsibilities in 
    the administration of grants. Federal involvement may include, but is 
    not limited to, planning, guidance, coordination and participation in 
    programmatic activities. Periodic meetings, conferences, and/or 
    communications with the award recipient are held to review mutually 
    agreed upon goals and objectives and to assess progress. Details on the 
    scope of Federal programmatic involvement in cooperative agreements 
    included in this Notice, consistent with HRSA grants administration 
    policy, are included in the application guidance kit for each 
    cooperative agreement subcategory.
    Subcategory 2.1: Managed Care Policy and CSHCN (CFDA #93.110C)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: This 
    cooperative agreement will support a national policy center to 
    implement strategic planning to assure the availability and 
    accessibility of comprehensive, community-based, culturally competent, 
    and family-centered care to CSHCN and their families in a managed care 
    environment. The center supported by this agreement will advance the 
    state of the art and foster the ability of leaders in the field to 
    interact. It will: (1) Analyze existing national epidemiologic studies 
    of CSHCN (currently defined as children who have or are at increased 
    risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional 
    conditions and who also require health and related services of a type 
    or amount beyond that required by children generally); (2) monitor 
    access to necessary medical, health and related services for CSHCN who 
    are privately insured, underinsured or uninsured, in consultation with 
    State and community providers, Medicaid agencies and families; and (3) 
    support analyses of the work of national workgroups addressing critical 
    issues for CSHCN in areas such as quality of care, cost and utilization 
    of services, and provider networks; (4) analyze the impact on CSHCN of 
    legislative and policy changes at the national, state and local levels; 
    and (5) utilize the full range of available data and information to 
    make recommendations for the successful integration of managed care 
    into the community system of services for CSHCN and their families.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $375,000.
         Number of expected Awards: 1.
         Funding Priorities and/or Preference: Preference will be 
    given to organizations with proven national experience and an existing 
    infrastructure for policy analysis at the national level on issues 
    related to chronic care in the emerging managed care system.
         Application Deadline: April 11, 1997.
         Contact Person: Irene Forsman, M.S., R.N. 301-443-9023.
    Subcategory 2.2: Partnership for Information and Communications (PIC) 
    (CFDA #93.110G)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: The PIC program 
    enhances communication between the MCHB and governmental, professional 
    and private organizations representing leaders and policy makers 
    concerned with issues related to maternal and child health. It 
    facilitates dissemination of new maternal and child health related 
    information to these policy and decision makers and provides those 
    individuals and organizations with a means of communicating issues 
    directly to the Maternal and Child Health program and to each other. 
    Presently, this program consists of organizations representing State 
    Title V programs; State legislators; private business, particularly 
    self-insured businesses; philanthropic organizations; municipal health 
    policy makers; county health policy makers; parent organizations; and 
    other national membership organizations.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $1.1 million.
         Number of Expected Awards: 5.
         Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: For FY 1997, 
    preference for funding will be given to national membership 
    organizations representing State Governors and their staffs; State 
    Health Officers; nonprofit and for-profit managed care organizations; 
    and coalitions of organizations promoting the health of mothers and 
    infants.
         Application Deadline: April 15, 1997.
         Contact Person: Stuart Swayze, M.S.W., telephone: 301-443-
    2917.
    Subcategory 2.3: Health, Mental Health and Safety for Schools (CFDA 
    #93.110M)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: This 
    cooperative agreement, a collaborative effort by HRSA and the Centers 
    for Disease Control and Prevention, will support a process that will 
    result in development of advisory guidelines for assuring basic health 
    and safety in Kindergarten-12 grade school settings. The standards will 
    be developed through a consensus process, which relies upon exchanges 
    among groups of experts in specific topical areas to determine the 
    state of the science and art. The guidelines will consolidate the best 
    features of the array of guidelines, recommendations, and standards 
    presently in existence. They will be made available to the field as a 
    model for State health and education agencies and school districts to 
    adopt or adapt. This initiative is based upon the process used to 
    develop the National Health and Safety Performance Standards: 
    Guidelines for Out of Home Child Care, which are currently helping 
    States and communities to determine appropriate child care settings. As 
    with the Child Care guidelines, this initiative is expected to be a 
    collaborative effort among those organizations concerned with health, 
    safety and schools.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $200,000.
         Number of Expected Awards: 1.
         Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: Preference for 
    funding will be given to organizations which have credibility in the 
    education community and the capacity to address all aspects of health 
    services, health education, and injury and violence prevention in the 
    school environment.
         Application Deadline: June 3, 1997.
         Contact Person: Stephanie Bryn, M.Ph., telephone: 301-443-
    3513.
    Subcategory 2.4: Partners in Program Planning for Adolescent Health 
    (CFDA #93.110N)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: This 
    cooperative agreement is part of a process to involve organizations 
    having an historic interest in adolescent health in developing the 
    programming of HRSA's Office of Adolescent Health (OAH). The OAH will 
    collaborate with these organizations in seeking policy guidance from 
    and providing programmatic information to their memberships. 
    Organizations currently receiving support under this program are the 
    American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, 
    the American Bar Association, and the National Association of Social 
    Workers. This competition will allow for expansion of this 
    collaboration.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $100,000.
         Number of Expected Awards: 1.
         Funding Priorities and/or Preferences: For FY 1997, 
    preference for funding will be given to national membership 
    organizations representing the professional discipline of nursing.
    
    [[Page 8979]]
    
    Other professional disciplines may be the focus of future competitions.
         Application Deadline: June 17, 1997.
         Contact Person: Trina Menden Anglin, M.D., Ph.D., 
    telephone: 301-443-4026.
    Subcategory 2.5: Health and Safety in Child Care Settings (CFDA 
    #93.110P)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: This 
    cooperative agreement supports the development and implementation of 
    State-based programs to expand the number of public (public health 
    nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, nutritionists, dentists, 
    mental health providers, and others) and private sector (managed care 
    supported outreach staff and others) health professionals trained to 
    serve as health care consultants to child care programs. This project 
    will serve as a national model; it is an outgrowth of the MCHB-
    sponsored National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines 
    for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs and will support promotion of 
    healthy development and increased access to preventive health services 
    and safe physical environments for all children.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $175,000.
         Number of Expected Awards: 1.
         Application Deadline: June 3, 1997.
         Contact Person: Jane Coury, telephone: 301-443-4566.
    Subcategory 2.6: SIDS and Other Infant Death Program Support Center 
    (CFDA #93.110O)
         Narrative Description of this Competition: This 
    cooperative agreement will fund population-based activities (e.g., 
    systems analysis, epidemiology, health promotion) in support of 
    development of community-based services to reduce as much as possible 
    the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other infant 
    deaths, to appropriately support families when an infant death does 
    occur, and will analyze standardized information about infant deaths in 
    the hope of discovering factors which can be ameliorated to reduce the 
    risk of a future infant death. Particular program elements will include 
    risk reduction, peer support programs, services for hard to reach 
    populations, and monitoring and reporting on SIDS and other infant 
    deaths. The awardee will identify commonalities among processes 
    addressing fatal events in the MCH population and determine if and how 
    these activities could be combined to allow a more coherent approach to 
    addressing community mortality and morbidity.
         Estimated Amount of this Competition: $350,000.
         Number of Expected Awards: 1.
         Application Deadline: April 18, 1997.
         Contact Person: Paul Rusinko, telephone: 301-443-2115.
    
    Special Concerns
    
        In keeping with the goals of advancing the development of human 
    potential, strengthening the Nation's capacity to provide high quality 
    education by broadening participation in MCHB programs of institutions 
    that may have perspectives uniquely reflecting the Nation's cultural 
    and linguistic diversity, and increasing opportunities for all 
    Americans to participate in and benefit from Federal public health 
    programs, HRSA will place a funding priority on projects from 
    Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) or Hispanic Serving 
    Institutions (HSI) in all categories and subcategories in this notice 
    for which applications from academic institutions are encouraged. This 
    is in conformity with the Federal Government's policies in support of 
    White House Initiatives on Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
    (Executive Order 12876) and Educational Excellence for Hispanic 
    Americans (Executive Order 12900). An approved proposal from a HBCU or 
    HSI will receive a 0.5 point favorable adjustment of the priority score 
    in a 4 point range before funding decisions are made.
    
    Evaluation Protocol
    
        A maternal and child health discretionary grant project, including 
    any SPRANS project, is expected to incorporate a carefully designed and 
    well planned evaluation protocol capable of demonstrating and 
    documenting measurable progress toward achieving the project's stated 
    goals. The protocol should be based on a clear rationale relating the 
    grant activities, the project goals, and the evaluation measures. 
    Wherever possible, the measurements of progress toward goals should 
    focus on health outcome indicators, rather than on intermediate 
    measures such as process or outputs. A project lacking a complete and 
    well-conceived evaluation protocol as part of the planned activities 
    may not be funded.
    
    Project Review and Funding
    
        Within the limit of funds determined by the Secretary to be 
    available for the activities described in this announcement, the 
    Secretary will review applications for funds under the specific project 
    categories in the FUNDING CATEGORIES section above as competing 
    applications and may award Federal funding for projects which will, in 
    her judgment, best promote the purpose of title V of the Social 
    Security Act; best address achievement of Healthy Children 2000 
    objectives related to maternal, infant, child and adolescent health and 
    service systems for children at risk of chronic and disabling 
    conditions; and otherwise best promote improvements in maternal and 
    child health.
    
    Criteria for Review
    
        The criteria which follow are used, as pertinent, to review and 
    evaluate applications for awards under all SPRANS grants and 
    cooperative agreement project categories announced in this notice. 
    Further guidance regarding review criteria is supplied in application 
    materials, which will specify final criteria.
    
    --The quality of the project plan or methodology.
    --The extent to which the project will contribute to the advancement of 
    maternal and child health and/or improvement of the health of children 
    with special health care needs;
    --The extent to which the project is responsive to policy concerns 
    applicable to MCH grants and to program objectives, requirements, 
    priorities and/or review criteria for specific project categories, as 
    published in program announcements or guidance materials.
    --The extent to which the estimated cost to the Government of the 
    project is reasonable, considering the anticipated results.
    --The extent to which the project personnel are well qualified by 
    training and/or experience for their roles in the project and the 
    applicant organization has adequate facilities and personnel.
    --The extent to which, insofar as practicable, the proposed activities, 
    if well executed, are capable of attaining project objectives.
    --The adherence of the project's evaluation plan to the requirements of 
    the EVALUATION PROTOCOL.
    --The extent to which the project will be integrated with the 
    administration of the Maternal and Child Health Services block grants, 
    State primary care plans, public health, and prevention programs, and 
    other related programs in the respective State(s).
    --The extent to which the application is responsive to the special 
    concerns
    
    [[Page 8980]]
    
    and program priorities specified in this notice.
    
    Funding of Approved Applications
    
        Final funding decisions for SPRANS grants and cooperative 
    agreements are the responsibility of the Director, MCHB. In considering 
    scores for the ranking of approved applications for funding, 
    preferences may be exercised for groups of applications, e.g., 
    applications from geographical areas without previously funded projects 
    in a particular category vs. applications from areas with previously 
    funded projects. Within any category of approved projects, special 
    consideration may be given, i.e., the score of an individual project 
    may be favorably adjusted, if the project addresses specific priorities 
    or categorical areas identified as meriting special consideration.
    
    Public Health System Reporting Requirements
    
        This program is subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
    Requirements (approved under OMB No. 0937-0195). Under these 
    requirements, the community-based nongovernmental applicant must 
    prepare and submit a Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS). The 
    PHSIS is intended to provide information to State and local health 
    officials to keep them apprised of proposed health services grant 
    applications submitted by community-based nongovernmental organizations 
    within their jurisdictions.
        Community-based nongovernmental applicants are required to submit 
    the following information to the head of the appropriate State and 
    local health agencies in the area(s) to be impacted no later than the 
    Federal application receipt due date:
        (a) A copy of the face page of the application (SF 525).
        (b) A summary of the project (PHSIS), not to exceed one page, which 
    provides:
        (1) A description of the population to be served.
        (2) A summary of the services to be provided.
        (3) A description of the coordination planned with the appropriate 
    State and local health agencies.
    
    Executive Order 12372
    
        The MCH Federal set-aside program has been determined to be a 
    program which is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 
    concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs.
    
        The OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.110.
    
        Dated: February 20, 1997.
    Ciro V. Sumaya,
    Administrator.
    [FR Doc. 97-4796 Filed 2-26-97; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4160-15-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
02/27/1997
Department:
Health Resources and Services Administration
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of availability of funds.
Document Number:
97-4796
Dates:
Potential applicants are invited to request application packages for the particular program category in which they are interested, and to submit their applications for funding consideration. Deadlines for receipt of applications differ for the several categories of grants. These deadlines are as follows:
Pages:
8975-8980 (6 pages)
PDF File:
97-4796.pdf