02-11362. Grants for Dissemination Research of Effective Interventions To Prevent Unintentional Injuries; Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds for Grants for Dissemination Research of Effective Interventions to Prevent Unintentional Injuries. This program addresses the “Healthy People 2010” focus area of Injury and Violence Prevention.

The purposes of the program are to:

1. Solicit research applications that address the priorities reflected under the heading, “Program Requirements.”

2. Build the scientific base for the prevention of unintentional injuries.

3. Encourage professionals from a wide spectrum of disciplines such as medicine, health care, public health, health care research, behavioral and social sciences, and others, to undertake research to prevent and control injuries.

4. Encourage investigators to propose research that involves the development and testing of dissemination strategies to stimulate individuals, organizations, or communities to adopt and maintain effective interventions.

5. Advance the practice of public health and policy in order to promote health and prevent injury with findings from this these projects.

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 and institutes, hospitals, managed care organizations, other public and private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, State and local governments or their bona fide agents, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Indian tribes, or Indian tribal organizations, and small minority, and women-owned businesses.

Note:

Title 2 of the United States Code section 1611 states that an organization described in section 501(C)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive Federal funds constituting an award, grant or loan.

Applications that are incomplete or non-responsive to the below requirements will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. The following are applicant requirements:

1. A principal investigator who has conducted research, published the findings in peer-reviewed journals, and has specific authority and responsibility to carry out the proposed project.

2. Demonstrated experience on the applicant's project team in conducting, evaluating, and publishing injury prevention and dissemination research in peer-reviewed journals.

3. Effective and well-defined working relationships within the performing organization and with outside entities which will ensure implementation of the proposed activities.

4. The ability to carry out injury prevention and dissemination research projects as defined under Attachment 2 (1.a-d). The attachment is contained in the application kit.

5. The overall match between the applicant's proposed theme and research objectives, and the program interests as described under the heading, “Program Requirements.”

C. Availability of Funds

Approximately $500,000 is available in FY 2002 to fund approximately 2-3 awards for unintentional injury research grant projects addressing dissemination research on home, community, sports/recreation or transportation injury prevention interventions. It is expected that the awards will begin on or about September 30, 2002, and will be made for a 12 month budget period within a project period of up to three years. The maximum funding level for each project will not exceed $250,000(including both direct and indirect costs) per year or $750,000 for a three year project period. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) will also consider applications with project periods of one and two years, and for smaller funding amounts.

Applications that exceed the funding caps noted above will be excluded from the competition and returned to the applicant. The availability of Federal funding may vary and is subject to change.

Continuation awards within the project period will be made based on satisfactory progress demonstrated by investigators at work-in-progress monitoring workshops (travel expenses for this annual one day meeting should be included in the applicant's proposed budget), and the achievement of work plan milestones reflected in the continuation application.

Note:

Grant funds will not be made available to support the provision of direct care. Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia agreements (as set forth in the PHS Grants Policy Statement, dated April 1, 1994), as necessary to meet the requirements of the program and strengthen the overall application.

D. Program Requirements

The NCIPC is soliciting research applications that will help expand and advance our understanding of dissemination practices that maximize the uptake, use, and maintenance of effective injury prevention practices and policies. In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, the recipient will be responsible for either Research Activity 1 or Research Activity 2:

1. Evaluate barriers and facilitators to increase the dissemination and use of effective interventions to prevent injuries at home, in the community, in motor vehicle transportation or in sports and recreation (See Attachment 3 entitled “Programmatic Interests” in the application kit for additional information).

2. Design and test theory-based strategies for dissemination of effective interventions (See Attachment 3 entitled “Programmatic Interests” in the application kit for additional information).

E. Content

Letter of Intent (LOI)

A LOI is optional for this program. The program announcement title and number must appear in the LOI. The narrative should be no more than two pages, double-spaced, printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced font. Your letter of intent will be used to enable CDC to determine the level of interest in the announcement and should include the following information: name of the principal investigator and a brief description of the scope and intent of the proposed research work.

Applications

The program announcement title and number must appear in the application. 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 consist of, at a minimum, a plan, objectives, methods, evaluation, and budget. Applications should follow the PHS-398 (Rev. 5/2001) application and Errata Sheet (see Attachment 4 in the application kit), and should include the following information:

1. The project's focus that justifies the research needs and describes the scientific basis for the research, the expected outcome, and the relevance of the findings to reduce injury morbidity, mortality, disability, and economic losses. This focus should be based on recommendations in “Healthy People 2010” and should seek creative approaches that will contribute to a national program for injury prevention and control.

2. Specific, measurable, and time-framed objectives.

3. A detailed plan describing the methods by which the objectives will be achieved, including their sequence. A comprehensive evaluation plan is an essential component of the application.

4. A description of the principal investigator's role and responsibilities.

5. A description of all the project staff regardless of their funding source. It should include their title, qualifications, experience, percentage of time each person will devote to the project, as well as that portion of their salary to be paid by the grant.

6. A description of those activities related to, but not supported by the grant.

7. A description of the involvement of other entities that will relate to the proposed project, if applicable. It should include commitments of support and a clear statement of their roles.

8. A detailed first year's budget for the grant with future annual projections, if relevant.

9. An explanation of how the research findings will contribute to the national effort to reduce the morbidity, mortality and disability caused by injuries within three to five years from the project start-up.

An applicant organization has the option of having specific salary and fringe benefit amounts for individuals omitted from the copies of the application which are made available to outside reviewing groups.

To exercise this option: on the original and five copies of the application, the applicant must use asterisks to indicate those individuals for whom salaries and fringe benefits are not shown; however, the subtotals must still be shown. In addition, the applicant must submit an additional copy of page 4 of Form PHS-398, completed in full, with the asterisks replaced by the salaries and fringe benefits. This budget page will be reserved for internal staff use only.

F. Submission and Deadline

Letter of Intent (LOI)

On or before May 31, 2002, submit the LOI to the Grants Management Specialist identified in the “Where to Obtain Additional Information” section of this announcement.

Application

Submit the original and five copies of PHS-398 (OMB Number 0925-0001) (adhere to the instructions on the Errata Sheet for PHS 398). Forms are available in the application kit and at the following Internet address: www.cdc.gov/​od/​pgo/​forminfo.htm Application forms must be submitted in the following order:

Cover Letter

Table of Contents

Application

Budget Information Form

Budget Justification

Checklist

Assurances

Certifications

Disclosure Form

HIV Assurance Form (if applicable)

Human Subjects Certification (if applicable)

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Narrative

On or before 5:00 PM Eastern Time, June 14, 2002, submit the application to: Technical Information Management—PA02126, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Rd, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.

Deadline: Letters of intent and applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they are received before 5:00 PM Eastern Time on the deadline date. Applicants sending applications by the United States Postal Service or commercial delivery services must ensure that the carrier will be able to guarantee delivery of the application by the closing date and time. If an application is received after closing due to (1) carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a guarantee for delivery by the closing date and time, or (2) significant weather delays or natural disasters, CDC will upon receipt of proper documentation, consider the application as having been received by the deadline.

Applications which do not meet the above criteria will not be eligible for competition and will be discarded. Applicants will be notified at of their failure to meet the submission requirements.

G. Evaluation Criteria

Application

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by CDC staff for completeness and responsiveness as outlined under the Eligible Applicants Section (Items 1-5). Incomplete applications and applications that are not responsive will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. It is especially important that the applicant's abstract reflects the project's focus, because the abstract will be used to help determine the responsiveness of the application.

Applications which are complete and responsive may be subjected to a preliminary evaluation (triage) by a peer review committee, the Injury Research Grant Review Committee (IRGRC), to determine if the application is of sufficient technical and scientific merit to warrant further review by the IRGRC. 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 by a dual review process.

All awards will be determined by the Director of the NCIPC based on priority scores assigned to applications by the primary review committee IRGRC, recommendations by the secondary review committee Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and Control (ACIPC), consultation with NCIPC senior staff, and the availability of funds.

1. The primary review will be a peer review conducted by the IRGRC. A committee of no less that three reviewers with appropriate expertise will review all applications for scientific merit using current National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria to evaluate the methods and scientific quality of the application. Factors to be considered will include:

a. Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field?

b. Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? Does the project include plans to measure progress toward achieving the stated objectives? Is there an appropriate work plan included?

c. Innovation. Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge or advance existing paradigms, or develop new methodologies or technologies?

d. Investigator. Is the principal investigator appropriately trained and well-suited to carry out this work? Is the proposed work appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other significant investigator participants? Is there a prior history of conducting injury-related research?

e. Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Does the proposed research take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support? Is there an appropriate degree of commitment and cooperation of other interested parties as evidenced by letters detailing the nature and extent of the involvement?

f. Ethical Issues. What provisions have been made for the protection of human subjects and the safety of the research environments? How does the applicant plan to handle issues of confidentiality and compliance with mandated reporting requirements, e.g., suspected child abuse? Does the application adequately address the requirements of 45 CFR 46 for the protection of human subjects? (An application can be disapproved if the research risks are sufficiently serious and protection against risks is so inadequate as to make the entire application unacceptable.) 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. This includes: i. The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.

ii. The proposed justification when representation is limited or absent.

iii. A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate to measure differences when warranted.

iv. A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and outreach for study participants include the process of establishing partnerships with community or communities and recognition of mutual benefits.

g. Study Samples. Are the samples rigorously defined to permit complete independent replication at another site? Have the referral sources been described, including the definitions and criteria? What plans have been made to include women and minorities and their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research? How will the applicant deal with recruitment and retention of subjects?

h. Dissemination. What plans have been articulated for sharing the research findings?

The IRGRC will also examine the appropriateness of the proposed project budget and duration in relation to the proposed research and the availability of data required for the project.

2. The secondary review will be conducted by the Science and Program Review Committee (SPRS) from the ACIPC. The ACIPC Federal ex officio members will be invited to attend the secondary review and will receive modified briefing books (i.e., abstracts, strengths and weaknesses from summary statements, and project officer's briefing materials). Federal ex officio members will be encouraged to participate in deliberations when applications address overlapping areas of research interest so that unwarranted duplication in federally funded research can be avoided and special subject area expertise can be shared. The NCIPC Division Associate Directors for Science (ADS) or their designees will attend the secondary review in a similar capacity as the Federal ex officio members to assure that research priorities of the announcement are understood and to provide background regarding current research activities. Only SPRS members will vote on funding recommendations, and their recommendations will be carried to the entire ACIPC for voting by the ACIPC members in closed session. If any further review is needed by the ACIPC, regarding the recommendations of the SPRS, the factors considered will be the same as the factors that the SPRS considered.

The committee's responsibility is to develop funding recommendations for the NCIPC Director based on the results of the primary review, the relevance and balance of proposed research relative to the NCIPC programs and priorities, and to assure that unwarranted duplication of federally funded research does not occur. The Secondary Review Committee has the latitude to recommend to the NCIPC Director, to reach over better ranked proposals in order to assure maximal impact and balance of proposed research. The factors to be considered will include:

a. The results of the primary review including the application's priority score as the primary factor in the selection process.

b. The relevance and balance of proposed research relative to the NCIPC programs and priorities.

c. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the priorities and objectives stated in “Healthy People 2010” and the Institute of Medicine report, “Reducing the Burden of Injury.”

d. Budgetary considerations.

3. Continued Funding

Continuation awards made after FY 2002, but within the project period, will be made on the basis of the availability of funds and the following criteria:

a. The accomplishments reflected in the progress report of the continuation application indicate that the applicant is meeting previously stated objectives or milestones contained in the project's annual work plan and satisfactory progress demonstrated through presentations at work-in-progress monitoring workshops.

b. The objectives for the new budget period are realistic, specific, and measurable.

c. The methods described will clearly lead to achievement of these objectives.

d. The evaluation plan will allow management to monitor whether the methods are effective.

e. The budget request is clearly explained, adequately justified, reasonable and consistent with the intended use of grant funds.

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

Provide CDC with an original plus two copies of:

1. Annual progress reprts.

2. A financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of the budget period.

3. Final financial report and performance report, no more than 90 days after the end of the project period.

4. At the completion of the project, the grant recipient will submit a brief (2,500 to 4,000 words written in non-scientific [laymen's] terms) summary highlighting the findings and their implications for injury prevention programs, policies, environmental changes, etc. The grant recipient will also include a description of the dissemination plan for research findings. This plan will include publications in peer-reviewed journals and ways in which research findings will be made available to stakeholders outside of academia, (e.g., state injury prevention program staff, community groups, public health injury prevention practioners, and others). CDC will place the summary report and each grant recipient's final report with the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to further the agency's efforts to make the information more available and accessible to the public.

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 Attachment 1 of the application kit.

AR-1 Human Subjects Certification

AR-2 Requirements for inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Research

AR-3 Animal Subjects Requirement

AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Requirements

AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirement

AR-11 Healthy People 2010

AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions

AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC funds for Certain Gun Control Activities

AR-21 Small, Minority, and Women-owned Business

AR-22 Research Integrity

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

This program is authorized under section 301 (a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)] of the Public Health Service Act and section 391 (a) [42 U.S.C. 280(b)] of the Public Service Health Act, as amended. The catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

This and other CDC announcements, the necessary applications, and associated forms can be found on the CDC home page Internet address— http://www.cdc.gov Click on “Funding Opportunities” then “Grants and Cooperative Agreements.”

For business management technical assistance, contact:

Van A. King, Grants Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-4146, Telephone number [phone], e-mail address: [e-mail].

For program technical assistance, contact: Sharon Martin, Deputy Director, Office of Research Grants, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K-58, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, Telephone number: [phone], e-mail address: [e-mail].

Dated: May 2, 2002.

Sandra R. Manning,

Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.