[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31137-31140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15569]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[Announcement 634]
Violence Prevention Programs (Longitudinal Evaluations)
Introduction
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces the
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1996 funds for cooperative agreements
for Violence Prevention Programs (Longitudinal Evaluations). These
projects will evaluate injury prevention programs designed to reduce
the incidence of injuries, disabilities, and deaths due to
interpersonal violence among youth. The cooperative agreements will
extend and build upon the work begun in the group of cooperative
agreements funded under CDC's Program Announcement 329, which began in
fiscal year (FY) 1993. The cooperative agreements funded under Program
Announcement 329 supported the continuing development of applied
research to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and programs
designed to prevent violence-related injuries, disabilities, and deaths
among children, adolescents, and young adults.
CDC is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease
prevention objectives described in ``Healthy People 2000,'' a national
activity to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of
life. This announcement is related to the priority area of Violent and
Abusive Behavior (to order a copy of ``Healthy People 2000,'' see the
Section Where to Obtain Additional Information).
Authority
This program announcement is authorized under Sections 301, 317,
and 391-394 (42 U.S.C. 241, 247b, and 280b-280b-3) of the Public Health
Service Act, as amended.
Smoke-Free Workplace
CDC strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products, and
Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in
certain facilities that receive Federal funds in which education,
library, day care, health care, and early childhood development
services are provided to children.
Eligible Applicants
Applications will be accepted from public and private, non-profit
and for-profit organizations and governments and their agencies. Thus,
community-based organizations, other public and private organizations,
State, territorial, and local governments or their bona fide agents,
federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Indian tribes, or
Indian tribal organizations, hospitals, and small, minority- and/or
women-owned businesses, universities, colleges, and other research
institutions, are eligible to apply.
Availability of Funds
Approximately $500,000 is available in FY 1996 to fund up to four
follow-up evaluations of previously implemented and evaluated violence
prevention programs that targeted youth below the age of 19 years.
Institutions may request funds for more than one project as long as the
proposed projects are submitted separately and are distinctly
different. Awards are expected to range from $100,000 to $166,000 with
an average award of $125,000 for each 12-month budget period.
It is expected that the new awards will begin on or about September
30, 1996, and will be made for a 12-month budget period. Programs
funded under this announcement will have a 3-year project period.
Funding estimates may vary and are subject to change.
Continuation funds within the project periods will be awarded on
the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports and
the availability of funds. The estimates outlined above may vary, based
on the quality of the applications received within each project period.
Purpose
The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to support extended
assessments of the impact of previously implemented and evaluated
violence prevention programs that targeted youth below the age of 19
years which demonstrated promising outcomes. Specifically, this
announcement seeks applications to assess the residual effects of
previously evaluated interventions that initially exhibited significant
effects in reducing violent behavior, violence-related injuries, or
intermediate indicators (e.g. aggressiveness).
Of particular interest are: (1) assessing whether the effects of
the initial intervention persist, and (2) assessing the effects of
continued long-term intervention such as efforts to reinforce gains
made in the initial intervention against both those who receive no
significant additional reinforcement and those who received no
significant intervention.
Program Requirements
Successful completion of the project will require a close working
relationship between the recipient and CDC. Recipient and CDC
Activities are listed below:
A. Recipient Activities
In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program,
the recipient will:
1. Collect, compile, and analyze information relevant to the
proposed project.
2. Develop a final written protocol for a comprehensive
longitudinal evaluation of the intervention's impact.
This protocol must contain the following elements:
a. Statement of the questions to be answered (hypotheses to be
tested);
b. Description of the intervention to be evaluated;
c. Specific monitoring data that has been collected and analyzed;
[[Page 31138]]
d. Specific impact assessment data that will be collected and
analyzed;
e. A description of methods (both scientific and operational) for
collecting impact assessment data;
f. A description of how data will be maintained (i.e., in what
format and databases, and how subjects' confidentiality will be
protected); and,
g. A description of statistical techniques that will be used to
analyze the data.
3. Obtain the necessary clearances and agreements to proceed with
all aspects of the proposed violence prevention project. These shall
include appropriate human subjects clearances and agreements with other
organizations and individuals needed to complete the project.
4. Identify or develop, and pilot test data collection instruments.
5. Establish baseline rates for pertinent outcomes within the
target group.
6. Monitor progress toward achievement of project goals through the
use of realistic, measurable, time-oriented objectives for all phases
of the project.
7. Evaluate the longitudinal impact of the intervention.
8. Develop collaborative relationships with voluntary, community-
based public and private organizations and agencies already involved in
preventing violence.
B. CDC Activities
As required for the proper direction of these cooperative
agreements, CDC will:
1. Provide technical consultation on determining the impact of the
evaluation; and on designing the scientific protocols;
2. Collaborate in the design of all phases of the project;
3. Advise the awardee on data collection instruments and
procedures;
4. Monitor implementation of collection and analysis of impact
assessment data;
5. Arrange for information sharing among the various evaluation
projects;
6. Provide up-to-date scientific information about youth violence
prevention; and
7. Assist in the transfer of information and methods developed in
these projects to other prevention programs.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated according to the
following criteria (maximum 100 total points):
A. Intervention Description, Initial Evaluation Results (25%)
The extent to which the applicant describes in detail the
intervention to be evaluated, including the theoretical and scientific
bases for the intervention's potential effectiveness in reducing
violent behavior or injury among youth.
1. The extent to which the influence of gender, ethnicity, life
experiences, and social setting on pertinent risk and protective
factors are addressed.
2. The extent to which the applicant provides quantitative evidence
that the initial intervention achieved significant behavioral
improvement in the target group exposed to the intervention.
B. Goals and Objectives (10%)
1. The extent to which the applicant has included goals which are
relevant to the purpose of the application and feasible to be
accomplished during the project period, and the extent to which these
goals are specific and measurable.
2. The extent to which the applicant has included objectives which
are feasible to be accomplished during the budget period, and which
address all activities necessary to achieve the stated goals of the
application.
3. The extent to which the objectives are specific, time-framed,
and measurable.
C. Evaluation (30%)
1. The extent to which the applicant provides a comprehensive plan
for evaluating the long-term effects of the intervention that includes:
a. A detailed description of the evaluation design and methods, and
the analysis plan to be used to answer research questions and to
evaluate the previously implemented intervention.
b. A discussion of the feasibility and ethical considerations
relevant to the selected evaluation method.
c. A reasonable and complete schedule for implementing all project
activities.
d. A detailed data management plan which describes how monitoring
and impact assessment data will be collected, processed, and maintained
for analysis.
2. The extent to which barriers to validity are described and
addressed.
3. The extent to which the sample population is described,
including:
a. Selection methods for assignment to treatment or control groups;
b. A description of the community in which the target group lives;
c. A discussion that demonstrates that the target group is of
sufficient size to yield an adequate sample for testing the proposed
evaluation questions; and
d. A detailed discussion of the effect of attrition on sample size,
and the applicant's plan for preserving access to the target group in
spite of this threat.
D. Project Management (20%)
1. The extent to which roles of each unit, organization, or agency
are described, and coordination and supervision of staff, organizations
and agencies involved in activities is apparent.
2. The extent to which documentation of program organizational
location is clear, and shows a coordinated relationship among staff and
collaborators in the applicant's evaluation effort.
3. The extent to which position descriptions, CV's, and lines of
command are appropriate to accomplishment of program goals and
objectives.
4. The extent to which concurrence with the applicant's plans by
all other involved parties, including consultants, is specific and
documented.
In addition, 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:
a. The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and
ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.
b. The appropriateness of the proposed justification when
representation is limited or absent.
c. Whether the design of the study is adequate to measure
differences when warranted.
d. Whether the plans for recruitment and outreach for study
participants include the process of establishing partnerships with
community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.
E. Collaboration (15%)
The extent to which the applicant:
1. Describes current and proposed collaborations with appropriate
government, health, youth agencies, community-based organizations,
minority organizations, and other researchers working with the
specified target group;
2. Documents collaborative relationships with letters of support
and memoranda of understanding which precisely specify the nature of
past, present, and proposed collaborations, and the data products or
services to be provided to the applicant through the project period.
F. Budget and Justification (Not Weighted)
The extent to which the applicant provides a detailed budget and
narrative justification consistent with stated objectives and planned
program activities.
[[Page 31139]]
G. Human Subjects (Not Weighted)
The extent to which the applicant describes the review process
which will govern the participation of human subjects in order to
insure their protection and privacy.
Executive Order 12372 Review
Applications are subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs as governed by Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. E.O. 12372 sets
up a system for State and local government review of proposed Federal
assistance applications. Applicants (other than federally recognized
Indian tribal governments) should contact their State Single Point of
Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert them to the prospective
applications and receive any necessary instructions on the State
process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, applicants
are advised to contact the SPOC of each affected State. A current list
of SPOCs is included in the application kit. If SPOCs have any State
process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they should
send them to Ronald S. Van Duyne, Grants Management Officer, Grants
Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300,
Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, no later than 30 days after the
application deadline. (The appropriation for this financial assistance
program was received late in the fiscal year and would not allow for
the application receipt date which would accommodate the 60-day State
recommendation process period.) The Announcement Number and Program
Title should be referenced on the document. The granting agency does
not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for State process
recommendations it receives after that date.
Indian tribes are strongly encouraged to request tribal government
review of the proposed application. If tribal governments have any
tribal process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they
should forward them to Ronald S. Van Duyne, Grants Management Officer,
Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE.,
Room 300, Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, no later than 30 days after
the application deadline. The Announcement Number and Program Title
should be referenced on the document. The granting agency does not
guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for tribal process
recommendations it receives after that date.
Public Health System Reporting Requirements
This program subject to the Public Health System Reporting
Requirements. Under these requirements, all community-based
nongovernmental applicants must prepare and submit the items identified
below to the head of the appropriate State and/or local health
agency(s) in the program area(s) that may be impacted by the proposed
project no later than the receipt date of the Federal application. The
appropriate State and/or local health agency is determined by the
applicant. The following information must be provided:
A. A copy of the face page of the application.
B. A summary of the project that should be titled ``Public Health
System Impact Statement'' (PHSIS), not exceed one page, and include the
following:
1. A description of the population to be served;
2. A summary of the services to be provided; and
3. A description of the coordination plans with the appropriate
State and/or local health agencies.
If the State and/or local health official should desire a copy of
the entire application, it may be obtained from the State Single Point
of Contact (SPOC) or directly from the applicant.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 93.136.
Other Requirements
A. Paperwork Reduction Act
Projects that involve the collection of information from 10 or more
individuals and funded by cooperative agreement will be subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork
Reduction Act.
B. Protection of Human Subjects
If the proposed project involves research on human subjects, the
applicant must comply with the Department of Health and Human Services
Regulations (45 CFR Part 46) regarding the protection of human
subjects. Assurance must be provided (in accordance with the
appropriate guidelines and form provided in the application kit) to
demonstrate that the project will be subject to initial and continuing
review by an appropriate institutional review committee. In addition to
other applicable committees, Indian Health Service (IHS) institutional
review committees also must review the project if any component of IHS
will be involved or will support the research. If any American Indian
community is involved, its tribal government must also approve that
portion of the project applicable to it. The applicant will be
responsible for providing assurance in accordance with the appropriate
guidelines and form provided in the application kit.
C. Confidentiality of Records
All identifying information obtained in connection with the
provision of services to any person in any program that is being
carried out with a cooperative agreement made under this announcement
shall not be disclosed unless required by a law of a State or political
subdivision thereof unless written, voluntary informed consent is
provided by persons who received services.
D. Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
It is the policy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) to ensure that individuals of both sexes and the various racial
and ethnic groups will be included in CDC-supported research projects
involving human subjects, whenever feasible and appropriate. Racial and
ethnic groups are those defined in OMB Directive No.15 and include
American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black and
Hispanic. Applicants shall ensure that women racial and ethnic minority
populations are appropriately represented in applications for research
involving human subjects. Where a clear and compelling rationale exists
that inclusion is inappropriate or not feasible, this situation must be
explained as part of the application. This policy does not apply to
research studies when the investigator cannot control the race,
ethnicity, and/or sex of subjects. Further guidance to this policy is
contained in the Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 179, pages 47947-47951,
dated Friday, September 15, 1995.
E. Accounting Systems
The services of a certified public accountant licensed by the State
Board of Accountancy or equivalent must be retained throughout the
budget period as a part of the recipient's staff, or as a consultant to
the recipient's accounting personnel. These services may include the
design, implementation, and maintenance of an accounting system that
will record receipts and expenditures of Federal funds in accordance
with accounting principles,
[[Page 31140]]
Federal regulations, and terms of the cooperative agreement.
F. Audits
Funds claimed for reimbursement under this cooperative agreement
must be audited annually by an independent certified public accountant
(separate and independent of the consultant referenced above or
recipient's staff certified public accountant). This audit must be
performed within 60 days after the end of the budget period, or at the
close of an organization's fiscal year. The audit must be performed in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards (established by
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA)),
governmental auditing standards (established by the General Accounting
Office (GAO)), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-
133.
Application Submission and Deadline
The original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB
Number 0937-0189) must be submitted to Joanne A. Wojcik, Grants
Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East
Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300, Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, on or
before August 15, 1996.
A. Deadlines
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
submission to the independent review committee. For proof of timely
mailing, applicants must request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service
postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or
the U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks will not be
acceptable as proof of timely mailing.
Late Applications
Applications that do not meet the criteria in A.1. or A.2. above
are considered late. Late applications will not be considered in the
current competition and will be returned to the applicant.
Where To Obtain Additional Information
To receive additional information call (404) 332-4561. You will be
asked to leave your name, address and phone number and will need to
refer to Announcement 634. You will receive a complete program
description, information on application procedures and application
forms. The announcement is also available through the CDC home page on
the Internet. The address for the CDC home page is http://www.cdc.gov.
If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all
documents, business management assistance may be obtained from Joanne
A. Wojcik, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch,
Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), 255 E. Paces Ferry Road, NE., Mailstop E13, Atlanta,
GA 30305, telephone (404) 842-6535, or INTERNET address
jcw6@opspgo1.em.cdc.gov.
Programmatic assistance may be obtained from Mark S. Long, Division
of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and
Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford
Highway, NE., Mailstop K60, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, telephone: (770)
488-4224, E-mail: msl1@cipcod1.em.cdc.gov.
Note: Please refer to announcement number 634 when requesting
information and submitting an application.
There may be delays in mail delivery as well as difficulty in
reaching the CDC Atlanta offices during the 1996 Summer Olympics (July
19 - August 4). Therefore, in order to receive more timely response to
questions please use INTERNET/E-Mail, follow all instructions in this
announcement and leave messages on the contact person's voice mail.
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) referenced in the
Introduction through the Superintendent of Documents, Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone, (202) 512-1800.
Dated: June 11, 1996.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-15569 Filed 6-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
