[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41124-41126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19358]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Program Announcement 00012]
Grants for Education Programs in Occupational Safety and Health
To Prepare Health Services Researchers; Availability of Funds for
Fiscal Year 2000
A. Purpose
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2000 funds for training grants in
occupational safety and health. This program addresses the ``Healthy
People 2000'' priority area of Occupational Safety and Health. The
purpose of this program is to train health services researchers in the
field of occupational safety and health.
B. Eligible Applicants
Any public or private educational or training agency or institution
that has demonstrated competency in the occupational safety and health
field and/or health services research and is located in a State, the
District of Columbia, or U.S. Territory, is eligible to apply for a
training grant.
For existing Educational Resource Centers (ERC) or Training Project
Grants (TPG) that will be requesting supplemental funding, it is
imperative to include the present grant number, so it may be processed
as a supplement.
Note: Public Law 104-65 states that an organization described in
section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages
in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive Federal funds
constituting an award, grant, cooperative agreement, contract, loan,
or any other form.
C. Availability of Funds
Approximately $500,000 is expected to be available in FY 2000 to
fund three awards. It is expected that the average award will be $
165,000, ranging from $150,000 to $200,000. It is expected that the
awards will begin on July 1, 2000 and will be made for a 12-month
budget period within a project period of up to five years. Funding
estimates may change.
Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made
on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports
and the availability of funds.
D. Program Requirements
The following are intended to serve as applicant requirements:
1. Programs should train researchers to examine the impact of the
organization, financing, and management of preventive, clinical, and
rehabilitative occupational health services and indemnity policies on
the delivery, quality, cost, access to, and outcomes of such services.
2. Programs should establish training that comprises the following
two components: (a) Health services research curricula and expertise;
(b) occupational health and safety training, research curricula and
expertise. Programs could be established through the following
approaches: (i.) Programs within a University Department including
these two components; (ii) linkages between programs addressing these
two components, either within the University (linking separate
Departments) or between Universities.
3. Applicants should address the need for preparing health services
researchers in this field. Justification should be provided supporting
the degree levels requested.
4. A plan should be provided outlining collaborative relationships
between Departments and/or Universities, addressing institutional
roles, goals and objectives, proposed curriculum, faculty and policies
and administrative measures to establish appropriate coordination.
5. A program for education and research training in occupational
health services research should be established. Programs may be at the
Masters, Doctoral and Post-doctoral levels. Doctoral programs presently
will be given higher priority to address the dearth of senior
researchers evaluating occupational health services.
Curricula and research training plans must be structured and
clearly identified for each level of training as well as the number of
full and part time students proposed.
6. Course work should contain, as a minimum, training in (a) health
services research methodologies, such as: epidemiology, biostatistics,
health economics, frameworks for analysis (e.g., decision sciences,
benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analyses), health policy, program
evaluation, performance measurement, survey design and implementation
and, data systems for health services research; and, (b) occupational
safety and health topic areas, such as: organization, finance and
management of occupational health services, workers' compensation/
disability systems administration and policy, occupational health
prevention services (industrial hygiene, safety and ergonomics,
occupational health and safety policy, labor economics), industrial
relations, and data systems in occupational safety and health. Required
core and elective courses should be outlined. Flexibility in
structuring curricula is acceptable, e.g., specific tracks may be
established focusing on select program area emphases, such as, economic
analysis or performance measurement.
7. A plan should be provided to incorporate research experience (as
principal or co-investigators) in original occupational health services
research for students at all degree levels. The plan should also
document ongoing funded research and faculty publications and how the
school intends to expand and strengthen existing research efforts. The
plan should also include items such as strategies for obtaining student
and faculty funding.
8. Programs are strongly encouraged to incorporate collaborative
relationships with external agencies and institutions that can serve as
resources for the program, to coordinate research with public and
private policy needs, and to provide sources of data for research. Some
examples of potential collaborating organizations include the
following: State agencies managing workers' compensation and State
workers' compensation funds, private insurance carriers in health care,
disability insurance and workers' compensation; managed care
organizations; large employers; and, private health research institutes
and foundations.
9. The Program Director should be a full-time faculty member and
have education and experience in training health services researchers
and/or occupational safety and health professionals. If the Program
Director is from a Health Services research background, a Co-Director
should be designated with an Occupational Health and Safety background.
The Director should have currently funded research grants in
occupational safety and health and/or health services research. He/she
should be responsible for the coordination of the program across
Departments or Universities.
10. Key faculty and research advisors should be full-time faculty
with documented expertise and education in their appropriate fields.
Qualifications include having current research grants in the field of
health services research and/or research in the field of occupational
safety and health. Research advisors should have recent research
experience in health services research, preferably addressing
occupational health services.
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11. The applicant should develop a plan for student recruitment,
including entrance requirements.
12. The applicant should develop a plan for evaluation of the
program, including placement of graduates and tracking of graduates.
13. An Advisory Committee should be established representing
stakeholders for occupational health services, including, labor,
industry, and government.
E. Application Content
Use the information in the Program Requirements, Other
Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the
application content. Your application will be evaluated on the criteria
listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program
plan. The narrative should be no more than 15 single-spaced pages per
program, printed on one side, with one-inch margins, and unreduced
font.
Note: Please consult the detailed Recommended Outline for
Preparation of Competing New/Supplemental Training Grant
Applications to prepare Health Services Researchers provided in the
application kit. (CDC 2.145 A).
F. 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
and address of principal investigator, brief description of the program
proposed, and the names of the participating institutions. 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. Please submit on or before
September 24, 1999, 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 CDC 2.145 A (OMB Number 0920-
00261) Forms are in the application kit. On or before November 30,
1999, submit the application to the Grants Management Specialist
identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of
this announcement. Please be reminded that for existing ERC or TPG that
will be requesting supplemental funding, it is imperative to include
the present grant number, so it may be processed as a supplement.
Deadline: Applications should be considered as meeting the deadline
if they are either:
(a) Received on or before the deadline date; or
(b) Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for
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
should not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria in
(a) or (b) above are considered late applications, will not be
considered, and will be returned to the applicant.
G. Evaluation Criteria
Each application will be evaluated individually against the
following criteria by an independent review group appointed by CDC:
1. Evidence of a plan to satisfy the need for training in the area
outlined by the application, including projected enrollment,
recruitment and job opportunities. Indicators of need may include
measures utilized by the Program such as previous record of training
and placement of graduates. Indicate the potential contribution of the
project toward meeting the need for this specialized training.
2. Extent to which arrangements for day-to-day management,
allocation of funds and cooperative arrangements are designed to
effectively achieve the program requirements.
3. Evidence of a plan describing the academic and research training
the program proposes. This should include goals, elements of the
program, research faculty and amount of effort, support faculty,
facilities and equipment available and needed, and methods for
implementing and evaluating the program.
4. Extent to which curriculum content and design includes
formalized training objectives, minimal course content to achieve
degree, course descriptions, course sequence, additional related
courses open to students, time devoted to lecture, and clinical and
research experience addressing the relationship with didactic programs
in the educational process.
5. The extent to which the program effort is capable of supporting
the number and type of students proposed.
6. Extent to which the program has initiated collaborative
relationships with external agencies and institutions to expand and
strengthen its research capabilities by providing student and faculty
research opportunities.
7. Evidence of previous record of training in health services
research and occupational safety and health, including placement of
graduates and employment history.
8. The extent to which the program documents methods in use or
proposed methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the training,
including the use of feedback mechanisms from graduates and employers,
placement of graduates in research positions, research accomplishments
of graduates and reports from consultations and cooperative activities
with other universities, professional associations, and other outside
agencies.
9. Competence, experience and training of the Program Director,
faculty and advisors in relation to the type and scope of research
training and education involved.
10. Degree of institutional commitment to Program goals.
11. Adequacy of the academic and physical environment in which the
training will be conducted, including access to appropriate
occupational health research resources.
12. The extent to which the budget is reasonable, adequately
justified, and consistent with the intended use of the grant funds.
13. Evidence of a plan for establishment of an Advisory Committee,
including meeting times, roles and responsibilities.
H. Other Requirements
Technical Reporting Requirements
Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
1. Progress reports (annual).
2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of
the budget period; and
3. Final financial status report and performance report, no more
than 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 Attachment I in the
application kit.
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11 Healthy People 2000
AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
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I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number
This program is authorized under section 21(a) of the Occupational
Safety and Health Act [29 U.S.C. 670 (a)]. The Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance number is 93.263.
J. Where To Obtain Additional Information
You may obtain Program Announcement 00012 from the CDC home page
address on the Internet, http://www.cdc.gov>. To receive additional
written information and to request an application kit, call 1-888-
GRANTS (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
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained
from: Sonia Phelix, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 00012, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000,
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2724, Email address:
svp1@cdc.gov.
For program technical assistance, contact: Bernadine Kuchinski,
Occupational Health Consultant, Office of Extramural Coordination and
Special Projects, National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton
Road, N.E., Mailstop D-40, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, telephone (404) 639-
3342, Email address: bbk@cdc.gov.
Dated: July 23, 1999.
Diane D. Porter,
Acting Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-19358 Filed 7-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P
