[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28196-28200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13141]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
[Announcement Number 99067]
Cooperative Agreement for an Evaluation Research Study in the
Area of Aggression and Interpersonal Youth Violence; Notice of
Availability of Funds
A. Purpose
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1999 funds for a cooperative agreement
to identify organizations to participate in a multiple site violence
prevention evaluation study. This program addresses the ``Healthy
People 2000'' priority area of Violent and Abusive Behavior. The
purpose of this prevention study is to determine the effectiveness of a
middle school-based, social cognitive intervention to reduce violence,
and to determine the impact of including a community-based intervention
that complements the school-based activities. CDC is seeking applicants
interested in collaborating with other recipients funded under this
announcement in the development and implementation of the violence
prevention evaluation study.
B. Eligible Applicants
Applications may be submitted by public and private nonprofit and
for-profit organizations and by governments and their agencies; that is
universities, colleges, research institutions, hospitals, other public
and private nonprofit organizations, State, local governments or their
bona fide agents, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments,
Indian tribes, or Indian tribal organizations.
Note: Pub. L. 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
Approximately $1,700,000 is available in FY 1999 to fund three
awards. It is expected that the average award will be $565,000, ranging
from $400,000 to $600,000. It is expected that the awards will begin on
or about September 30, 1999 and will be made for a 12-month budget
period within a project period up to four years. Funding estimates may
change.
[[Page 28197]]
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.
1. Use of Funds
The initial budget period (Year 1) will serve as a planning year to
prepare projects for institutional review, develop and plan the
specific social-cognitive intervention to be implemented in the school
setting and the specific community programming that will be used to
complement the school-based efforts, develop the common protocol,
determine which participants will serve as intervention and comparison
groups, determine training needs and staffing requirements for
implementation years, and develop instruments. Program implementation
is expected to take place in Years 2 and 3. The final year of the
project period will be utilized for data analysis, the writing of final
reports, and dissemination activities.
2. Budgets
Budgets should include costs for travel for two project staff to
attend three planning meetings (10/99, 2/00, and 6/00) in Atlanta with
CDC staff and other cooperative agreement recipients.
D. Funding Preferences
Important considerations for funding under this announcement are a
national geographic balance among the potential study sites. Priority
will also be given to competing applications that demonstrate an
existing collaboration in middle schools utilizing social cognitive
interventions to reduce violence.
E. Program Requirements
In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program,
the recipient will be responsible for the activities listed under 1.
(Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for the activities
listed under 2. (CDC Activities):
1. Recipient Activities
a. Design and develop intervention components, data collection
instruments, implementation and evaluation study protocols, and data
management procedures.
b. Collaborate with other cooperative agreement recipients in the
development and evaluation of intervention components, analysis of
data, and dissemination of results.
c. Establish goals and realistic, measurable, and time-oriented
objectives for all phases of the project.
d. Pilot test research instruments for data collection.
e. Recruit, obtain informed consent from, and enroll an adequate
number of study participants as determined by the study protocol and
program requirements.
f. Collect and compile monitoring (process) and outcome data.
g. Pool data for analyses and publication and develop and analyze
site-specific data.
h. Publish results in peer review journals or other appropriate
distribution.
2. CDC Activities
a. Provide technical assistance in the design and conduct of the
research.
b. Provide technical advice and guidance in the development of
study protocols, consent forms, and data collections forms.
c. Assist in the development of a research protocol for
Institutional Review Board review by all cooperating institutions
participating in the research project. The CDC Institutional Review
Board will review and approve the protocol initially and on at least an
annual basis until the research project is complete
d. Assist in designing a data management system.
e. Arrange for information sharing among the various projects and
facilitate coordination of research activities among the different
sites.
f. Assist in the analyses of research information and presentation
and publication of research findings.
g. Assist in the transfer of information and methods developed in
these projects to other prevention programs.
F. 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.
The application may not exceed 25 double-spaced pages in length,
excluding appendices (the abstract, budget justification, and
attachments) (i.e., letters of commitment, data collections forms,
resumes, etc). Applicants should provide a one-page abstract of the
proposal. Number all pages clearly and sequentially and include a
complete index to the application and appendices. The original and each
copy of the application must be submitted UNSTAPLED and UNBOUND. Print
all material, double spaced, in a 12-point or larger font on 8\1/2\ by
11 paper, with at least 1'' margins and printed on one side only.
The application should include a general introduction, followed by
one narrative subsection per application content element in the order
in which the elements appear below. Each narrative subsection should be
labeled with the element title and contain all of the information
needed to evaluate that element of the application (except for
curriculum vita, references, and letters of support, which are
appropriate for the appendices). The application content elements are
outlined below for all research issues.
1. Abstract
A one page summary of the application outlining the target
population and location of intervention activities, experience
delivering the intervention components, experience with evaluation
research methods and the management of complex interventions, project
management and staffing, and proposed collaborations.
2. Description of the Target Population
The application needs to identify the specific target population
for the study and the location or setting in which the intervention
activities will take place. The application should include the
following information:
a. Identification of the various middle schools to participate in
the evaluation study and description of their demographic
characteristics (i.e. type of school--public, private/parochial, urban,
rural, size of school, grade levels, composition of student population,
e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, percentage of students receiving reduced
or free meals; IOWA basic skills scores and grade equivalencies).
b. Demographic information for study participants (e.g., targeted
age group or grade levels, sex, race/ethnic background).
c. Pertinent available morbidity and violence-related data (e.g.,
physical fights or injury-related incidents at school, weapon-carrying,
suspension/expulsion rates, absenteeism) (See Addendum 2 for definition
of high incidence of physical fighting and weapon-carrying).
d. The prevalence or incidence within the target group of any
cognitive, attitudinal, or behavioral characteristics that will be
influenced by the intervention.
e. Projected sample size per school for the evaluation study,
including statistical power calculations to justify sample size and
expected levels of attrition on final sample size and power.
[[Page 28198]]
f. Demographic characteristic of neighborhood (i.e. population
size, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, unemployment rates, county-
level aggravated assault and homicide rates, high school drop-out
rates) (See Addendum 2 for definition of high incidence of homicide).
g. Applicant must describe the capacity, feasibility, and/or prior
experience of the targeted schools to link with appropriate community-
based organizations or mental health or social service agencies (e.g.,
do the selected schools have any experience with parent training
activities, after-school programs, or have referral mechanisms in place
for children in need of additional social or counseling services?).
h. The applicant should include a detailed description of the
procedures that makes the applicant compliant with CDC's Policy
requirements regarding the inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial
groups in the proposed research. The applicant's procedures should
include:
(1) A proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and
ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.
(2) The proposed justification when representation is limited or
absent.
(3) A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate
to measure differences when warranted.
(4) A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and
outreach for study participants include the process of establishing
partnerships with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.
3. Access to Target Population
a. This section should provide evidence that the applicant or a
full working partner has access to the target population for proposed
intervention and evaluation activities.
b. The application should include letters of commitment from the
targeted schools indicating knowledge of proposed activities (i.e.,
implementation and evaluation of a social cognitive intervention and
appropriate community-based programming to complement the school-based
activities) and agreement to provide access to the target population,
facilities, and relevant records (e.g., aggregate-level suspension/
expulsion, absenteeism, disciplinary data).
c. Letters of commitment should indicate a willingness to
facilitate the implementation of intervention activities and collection
of appropriate evaluation data.
4. Experience Delivering Intervention Components
a. The applicant should provide a detailed description and
documented support (e.g., abstracts, presentations, published peer-
reviewed manuscripts) of prior experience in the area of youth violence
prevention and experience with designing and implementing school-based,
social-cognitive interventions and any related intervention components
(e.g., parent training, mental health/psychological services,
mentoring, after-school programs, etc).
b. The applicant should describe the types of programs previously
delivered; the frequency, intensity, and duration of previous programs;
the settings and targeted age groups; and the manner in which previous
programs were staffed and monitored.
5. Experience with Evaluation Research
a. Applicants should provide a detailed description and documented
support (e.g., abstracts, presentations, published peer-reviewed
manuscripts) of prior experience with the management of complex
intervention trials, prior experience or the experience of a full
working partner in evaluation research methods, and their ability or
the ability of a full working partner to collect, manage, and analyze
both quantitative and qualitative data.
b. Applicants should describe the nature and scope of programs
previously evaluated; the types of evaluation designs utilized for
these studies, the targeted age groups evaluated; and the settings in
which the evaluations took place.
c. This section should also describe familiarity with various
statistical approaches for analyzing complex evaluation data (e.g.,
ANCOVA, MANOVA, Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Growth Curve Analysis,
Repeated Measures Analysis, Mixed Effects Models, etc.) and any prior
experience with analyzing and modeling multi-level prevention data.
6. Project Management and Staffing Plan
a. The applicant should demonstrate the availability of staff and
facilities to carry out Year 1 planning and development activities.
b. The applicant should describe in detail each existing or
proposed position for the planning year by job title, function, general
duties, and activities for which that position will be involved. It
should include the level of effort and allocation of time for each
project activity by staff position. If the identity of any individual
who will fill a position is known, his/her name and curriculum vitae
should be attached.
c. Management operation principles, structure, and organization
should be described.
d. This section should also describe available resources and
facilities for processing and maintaining data for analysis.
7. Collaboration
a. This section should describe and document current and proposed
collaborations between schools, community-based organizations, and
university or other research organizations working with the specified
target population.
b. The application should include letters of commitment and/or
memoranda of understanding which specify precisely the nature of past,
present, and proposed collaborations, and the products/services or
other activities that will be provided by and to the applicant through
the collaboration on the proposal.
c. The applicant should describe their willingness to collaborate
with the other cooperative agreement recipients funded under this
announcement on all phases of the project (e.g., development and
evaluation of intervention components, analysis of data, and
dissemination of results).
d. The applicant should further describe current or past funding
that has been received for similar projects and the outcomes of these
projects. Evidence should be provided that these funds do not duplicate
already funded components of ongoing projects.
8. Human Subjects
a. The applicant should describe the degree to which human subjects
may be at risk and what protections will be in place to assure
protection and confidentiality.
b. The applicant should demonstrate that it has adequately
addressed the requirements of Title 45 CFR Part 46 for the protection
of human subjects.
9. Budget
Provide a detailed budget for each priority activity to be
undertaken during the planning year, with accompanying justification of
all operating expenses that is consistent with the stated activities
under this program announcement. Applicants should be precise about the
purpose of each budget item and should itemize calculations wherever
appropriate.
[[Page 28199]]
G. Application Submission and Deadline
1. Letter of Intent
Although not a prerequisite of application (optional), a non-
binding letter of intent-to-apply is requested from potential
applicants. The letter should identify the announcement number, name of
principal investigator, and specify the priority area to be addressed
by the proposed project. The letter of intent does not influence review
or funding decisions, but it will enable CDC to determine the level of
interest in the announcement and to plan the review more efficiently.
On or before June 11, 1999, submit the letter of intent to the
Grants Management Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain
Additional Information'' section of this announcement.
2. Application
Submit the original and two copies of the application PHS-5161-1
(OMB Number 0925-0001). Forms are in the application kit.
On or before July 19, 1999, submit the application to the Grants
Management Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional
Information'' section of this announcement.
a. Deadline:
Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they
are either:
(1) Received on or before the deadline date; or
(2) Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for
orderly processing. Applicants must request a legibly dated U.S. Postal
Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial
carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks shall not be
acceptable as proof of timely mailing.
b. Late applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria
in a.1 or a.2 above are considered late applications, will not be
considered, and will be returned to the applicant.
H. Evaluation Criteria
Applications which are complete and determined to be responsive
will be subjected to a preliminary evaluation (triage) by a Special
Emphasis Panel (SEP) to determine if the application is of sufficient
technical and scientific merit to warrant further review by the SEP.
CDC will withdraw from further consideration applications judged to be
noncompetitive and promptly notify the principal investigator/program
director and the official signing for the applicant organization. Those
applications judged to be competitive will be further evaluated
individually against the following criteria by a Special Emphasis Panel
(Maximum 100 total points):
1. Description of Target Population (10 Points)
a. The extent to which the target population is clearly identified,
has a high incidence or prevalence of the risk factors to be influenced
by intervention activities, and supported with appropriate demographic,
morbidity and violence-related data.
b. The extent to which the settings for the intervention components
are clearly described; adequate for reaching the target population; and
suggest a need for violence prevention programming.
c. The extent to which the capacity, feasibility, and/or experience
of the targeted schools to link with appropriate community-based
resources or programming is described and documented.
d. The extent to which sample size estimates, power estimates, and
anticipated attrition of the target population are clarified,
reasonable, and sufficient for evaluation activities.
e. The degree to which the applicant has met the CDC Policy
requirements regarding the inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial
groups in the proposed research.
2. Access to the Target Population (15 Points)
a. The extent to which targeted schools are identified and access
to the target population is demonstrated.
b. The extent to which applicant provides proof of commitment from
the targeted schools (e.g., letters from school principals indicating
knowledge of proposed activities and agreement to provide access to the
target population, relevant records, facilities) and their willingness
to facilitate the implementation of intervention activities and
collection of appropriate evaluation data.
3. Experience Delivering Intervention Components (25 Points)
a. The extent to which the applicant has documented (e.g.,
abstracts, presentations, peer-reviewed publications) prior experience
designing and implementing school-based, social-cognitive interventions
and related community intervention components (e.g., parent training,
mental health/psychological services, after-school programs, mentoring,
etc).
b. The extent to which applicant's prior experience, or that of a
full working partner, is relevant to proposed activities under this
program announcement, reflects a high degree of expertise, and is
sufficient for accomplishing proposed activities under this
announcement.
4. Experience With Evaluation Research (25 Points)
a. The extent to which applicant demonstrates prior experience
managing complex intervention trials, prior experience with evaluation
research methods, and has the capacity and relevant expertise to
collect, manage, and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data.
b. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates expertise and
familiarity with a range of statistical approaches for analyzing
complex evaluation data (e.g., ANCOVA, MANOVA, Repeated Measures
Analysis), and has prior experience with analyzing and modeling multi-
level prevention data (e.g., using Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Growth
Curve Analysis, Mixed Effects Models).
5. Project Management and Staffing Plan (10 Points)
a. The extent to which the research team and other project
personnel are clearly described, appropriately assigned (i.e., duties,
responsibilities, time allocation), and have pertinent training,
skills, qualifications, and experiences.
b. The extent to which the applicant or a full working partner has
the capacity to successfully complete proposed implementation
activities and the facilities, equipment, and data management resources
to successfully complete proposed evaluation activities.
c. The extent to which management operation, structure, and/or
organization is described.
6. Collaboration (15 Points)
a. The extent to which the applicant is willing to collaborate with
the other cooperative agreement recipients funded under this
announcement on all phases of the project (e.g., the development and
evaluation of intervention components, analysis of data, and
dissemination of results).
b. The extent to which the necessary partners are clearly described
and their qualifications and intentions to participate explicitly
stated. The extent to which the applicant provides proof of commitment
(e.g., letters of commitment and/or memoranda of understanding) from
proposed collaborators (other than school partners) for project
activities.
c. Evidence should be provided that these funds do not duplicate
already funded components of ongoing projects.
[[Page 28200]]
7. Human Subjects (Not Scored)
The extent to which procedures for the protection of human subjects
are described and adequately address the requirements of the Department
of Health and Human Resources (45 CFR part 46) for the protection of
human subjects.
8. Budget (Not Scored)
The extent to which the budget request is clearly explained,
adequately justified, reasonable, sufficient for proposed year 1
activities and consistent with the intended use of these cooperative
agreement funds.
I. Other Requirements
Technical Reporting Requirements
Provide CDC with the original and two copies of:
1. A semiannual progress report no later than 30 days after the end
of each six month period. Semiannual progress reports should include:
a. A brief description of the project;
b. A comparison of the actual accomplishments to the goals and
objectives established for the period;
c. Documentation of both the reason for the deviation and the
anticipated corrective action or deletion of the activity from the
project if established goals and objectives were not accomplished or
were delayed; and
d. Other pertinent information, including the analysis of
information collected.
2. Financial status reports are required no later than 90 days
after the end of each budget period.
3. Final financial status and performance reports are required 90
days after the end of the project period.
Send all reports to the Grants Management Specialist identified in
the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of this
announcement.
The following additional requirements are applicable to this
program. For a complete description of each, see Addendum 1.
AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2 Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in Research
AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11 Healthy People 2000
AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control
Activities
J. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number
This program is authorized under section 301(a), 391, and 393 (42
U.S.C. 241(a), 280b, and 280b-1a) of the Public Health Service Act, as
amended. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.262.
K. Where To Obtain Additional Information
This and all other CDC Announcements may be found and downloaded
from the CDC homepage. Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov (click on
funding).
To receive additional written information and to request an
application kit, call 1-888-GRANTS4 (1-888-472-6874). You will be asked
to leave your name and address and will be instructed to identify the
Announcement number of interest.
If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained
from: Ricky Willis, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 99067, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention 2920 Brandywine Road, Suite 3000,
Mailstop E-13, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146; Telephone (770) 488-2719; E-
mail: rqw0@cdc.gov
For program technical assistance contact: Wendy Watkins, Project
Officer, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K-60,
Atlanta, GA 30341;Telephone (770)-488-1567; E-mail address:
dmw7@cdc.gov
Dated: May 19, 1999.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control,
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-13141 Filed 5-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
