02-16939. Dissertation Awards for Doctoral Candidates for Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research in Minority Communities; Notice of Availability of Funds; Amendment

A notice announcing the availability of Fiscal Year 2002 grant funds for Program Announcement Number 02152, entitled “Dissertation Awards for Minority Doctoral Candidates for Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research was published in the Federal Register on May 9, Vol. 67, No. 90, pages 31344-31348. The notice is amended primarily to (1) open the program for all doctoral candidates for violence-related injury prevention research (2) change the application submission and deadline to August 7, 2002, (3) adjust the Evaluation Criteria section, and (4) emphasize the targeted minority population. The announcement is amended in most sections to identify the eligible dissertation candidates. Therefore, the entire amended announcement is submitted below.

A. Purpose

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds for an extramural grant program for Dissertation Awards to Doctoral Candidates for Violence-Related injury prevention research. This program addresses the “Healthy People 2010” focus areas of injury and violence prevention.

Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one or more of the following performance goals for The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC):

1. Reduce the risk of youth violence in minority communities.

2. Reduce violence against women in minority communities.

3. Enhance the capacity of states to implement effective rape prevention and education programs for minority communities.

4. Increase external input on the research priorities, policies, and procedures related to the extramural research supported by CDC.

The purposes of this program are to:

1. Stimulate and encourage doctoral candidates from a variety of academic disciplines and programs, including, but not limited to public health, health care, criminal justice, and behavioral and social sciences, to conduct violence-related injury prevention research.

2. Assist students in the completion of their dissertation research on a violence-related topic.

3. Encourage investigators to build research careers related to the prevention of violence-related injuries, disabilities, and deaths.

A dissertation represents the most extensive research experience formulated and carried out by a doctoral candidate, with the advice and guidance of a mentor (the chair of the dissertation committee or other academic advisor). Dissertation research involves a major investment of the doctoral student's time, energy, and interest and its substance is often the basis for launching a research career. This research initiative is aimed at providing students with assistance to complete their dissertation research on a violence-related topic and thereby increase their representation in violence-related injury research.

Deaths and injuries associated with interpersonal violence and suicidal behavior are a major public health problem in the United States and around the world. In 1999, more than 46,000 people died from homicide and suicide in the United States. Among 15 to 24 year olds, homicide ranked as the second and the third leading causes of death. Violent deaths are the most visible consequence of violent behavior in our society. Morbidity associated with physical and emotional injuries and disabilities resulting from violence, however, also constitute an enormous public health problem. For every homicide that occurs each year there are more than 100 non-fatal injuries resulting from interpersonal violence. For every completed suicide it is estimated that there are 20 to 25 suicide attempts. The mortality and morbidity associated with violence are associated with a variety of types of violence including child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, elder abuse, and self-directed violence or suicidal behavior.

Violence has a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minorities. In 1999, homicide was the leading cause of death for African Americans and the second leading cause of death for Hispanics between the ages of 15 and 34. Suicide was the second leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaskan Natives and Asian and Pacific islanders 15 to 34 years of age. It is important to note that existing research indicates that race or ethnicity, per se, is not a risk factor for violent victimization or a cause of violent behavior. Rather, racial or ethnic status is associated with many other factors, such as poverty, that do influence the risk of becoming a victim or behaving violently. Nevertheless, racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are at high risk for both violent victimization and perpetration. A better understanding of the factors that contribute to this vulnerability or protection from such risk is important to furthering effective violence prevention programs that address racial and ethnic minorities.

There is a critical need for highly qualified scientists to carry out research on violence that can help in the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective violence prevention programs. In particular, scientists are needed that bring an understanding and sensitivity to the problems of violence as they affect minority communities. The purpose of this extramural research grant program is to attract young scientists to the field of violence by encouraging doctoral candidates from a variety of disciplines to conduct violence prevention research and hopefully carry this focus on throughout their careers. The number of individuals who are members of minority groups and who are engaged in violence-related injury prevention research is currently small. This research program should also attract young minority scientists to the field of violence.

B. 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. 280b(a)) of the Public Service Health Act, as amended. The catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.

C. Eligibility

Eligible institutions include any United States public or private institution such as a university or college that supports an accredited doctoral level training program. The performance site must be domestic.

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.

Applicants must be students in good standing enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program. The applicant must have the authority and responsibility to carry out the proposed project. Applicants must be conducting or intending to conduct research in one of the areas described under the Research Objectives section. To receive this funding, applicants must have successfully defended their dissertation proposal, which must be verified in a letter of certification from the mentor (the chair of the dissertation committee or other academic advisor) and submitted with the grant application, if available, or before the negotiation and award of the grant.

D. Availability of Funds

Approximately $100,000 is expected to be available in FY 2002 for up to five dissertation awards for doctoral candidates. The availability of Federal funding may vary and is subject to change. 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 one-year project period. Applications that exceed the funding cap noted above will be excluded from the competition and returned to the applicant.

Grants to support dissertation research will provide no more than $20,000 in direct and indirect costs. Grants will be awarded for twelve months, but may be extended without additional funds for up to a total of 24 months. Grant funds will not be made available to support the provision of direct patient care including medical and/or psychiatric care.

Allowable costs include direct research project expenses, such as interviewer expenses, data processing, participant incentives, statistical consultant services, supplies, dissertation printing costs, and travel to one scientific meeting, if adequately justified. Applicants should include travel costs for one two-day trip to CDC in Atlanta to present research findings. No tuition support is allowed.

Matching funds are not required for this program.

E. Program Requirements

Research Objectives

For the purpose of this program announcement the highest priority will be given to dissertation research that addresses the following areas of inquiry:

1. Identifying shared and unique risk and protective factors for the perpetration of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child maltreatment, youth violence, or suicidal behaviors, and examining the relationships among these forms of violence in minority communities.

2. Evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions, programs, and policies to prevent intimate partner violence, sexual violence (includes both sexual violence against adults and child sexual abuse), child maltreatment, youth violence, or suicidal behavior in minority communities.

3. Evaluating strategies for disseminating and implementing evidence-based interventions or policies for the prevention of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child maltreatment, youth violence, or suicidal behavior in minority communities.

Other Special Conditions for Dissertation Research Grants

1. The doctoral candidate must be the designated principal investigator. The principal investigator will be responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project with the advice and consultation of the mentor and dissertation committee.

2. The responsible program official for CDC must be informed if there is a change of a mentor. A biographical sketch of the new mentor must be provided for approval by the CDC program official.

3. A dissertation research grant may not be transferred to another institution, except under unusual and compelling circumstances (such as if the mentor moves to a new institution and both the mentor and the applicant wish to move together).

4. Two copies of the dissertation, including abstract, must be submitted to the CDC program official and will constitute the final report of the grant. The dissertation must be officially accepted by the dissertation committee or university official responsible for the candidate's dissertation and must be signed by the responsible university official.

5. Any publications directly resulting from the grant should be reported to the CDC program official. The grantee also should cite receiving support from the NCIPC and CDC, both in the dissertation and any publications directly resulting from the dissertation grant.

F. Content

Application

Use the information in the Program Requirements and Evaluation Criteria sections described below 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.

Applications should follow the PHS-398 (Rev. 5/2001) application and Errata sheet 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, and economic losses in minority communities. This would include describing an understanding and sensitivity to the problems of violence as they affect minority communities.

2. Specific, and time-framed objectives.

3. A detailed plan describing the methods by which the objectives will be achieved, including their sequence.

4. A description of the principal investigator's role and responsibilities, along with that of the mentor.

5. A description of all project staff regardless of their funding source. It should include their title, qualifications, experience, percentage of time each 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. Letters of collaboration and a clear statement of their roles are required from all collaborating organizations.

8. A detailed budget for the grant.

9. An explanation of how the research findings will contribute to the national effort to reduce the morbidity, mortality and disability caused by violence-related injuries.

The narrative portion of the application that describes the Research Plan for the dissertation may not exceed fifteen pages.

Additional Materials Required

The applicant must also submit the following materials, attached to the application as appendices:

1. A letter from the applicant's mentor which: (a) Fully identifies the members of the dissertation committee. (b) Certifies that the mentor has read the application and believes that it reflects the work to be completed in the dissertation. (Letters certifying approval of the dissertation proposal must be received before negotiation and award of the grant.) (c) Certifies that the institution's facilities and general environment are adequate to conduct the proposed research.

2. A tentative time line for completion of the research, the dissertation, and the dissertation defense.

3. An official transcript of the applicant's graduate school record showing that the applicant has completed all required course work for the degree with the exception of the dissertation.

4. A statement of the applicant's career goals and intended career trajectory.

5. A biography of the mentor, limited to two pages (use the Biographical Sketch page in application form PHS 398).

G. Submission and Deadline

Application

Submit the original and two copies of PHS 398 (OMB Number 0925-0001) (adhere to the instructions on the Errata Instruction sheet for PHS 398). Forms are available at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/​od/​pgo/​forminfo.htm. Forms may also be obtained by contacting the Grants Management Specialist in “Where to Obtain Additional Information” section of this announcement.

Applications must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 7, 2002. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management-PA02152, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Suite 3000, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-4146.

Deadline

Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they are received before 5:00 p.m. 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 that do not meet the above criteria will not be eligible for competition and will be discarded. Applicants will be notified of their failure to meet the submission requirements.

Note:

Applicants who submitted their applications to meet the June 24, 2002, deadline have the opportunity to make changes to their original applications if they wish. Any revisions, however, must be submitted to meet the August 7, 2002, deadline.

H. Evaluation Criteria

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by CDC staff for completeness, responsiveness and eligibility as outlined in Section “C. Eligibility”. Applications that are incomplete, not responsive, from applicants that are not eligible, or request more than the dollar limit 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 will undergo a review by an objective review panel appointed by CDC. The objective review panel will use the current National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria listed below to evaluate the methods and scientific quality of the applications.

1. Significance: Does this study address an important problem? There must be an overall match between the applicant's proposed topic and research objectives, and the research objectives described under “Program Requirements'.

2. Approach: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the principal investigator demonstrate an understanding and sensitivity to the problems of violence as they affect minority communities?

3. 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? Will it help expand and advance our understanding of violence, its causes, and prevention strategies?

4. 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? Is the name and role of a scientific mentor described?

5. Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Is there evidence of agreements to collaborate or other institutional support?

6. Ethical Issues: What provisions have been made for the protection of human subjects and the safety of the research environments? Where relevant, 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 part 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:

(a) The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.

(b) The proposed justification when representation is limited or absent.

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

(d) 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.

7. 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?

8. Dissemination: What plans have been articulated for disseminating findings?

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

The grantee must provide CDC with an original plus two copies of:

1. The dissertation, including abstract that will constitute the final report of the grant.

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

3. 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 practitioners, and others). CDC will place the dissertation abstract 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:

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

J. Where to Obtain Additional Information

This and other CDC announcements, the necessary application and associated forms can be found on the CDC homepage Internet address—http://www.cdc.gov. Click on “Funding” then “Grants and Cooperative Agreements.” If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained from:

Nancy Pillar, Grants Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office—PA02152, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, Telephone: [phone], Email address: [e-mail].

For program technical assistance, contact:

Melinda Williams, Project Officer, Prevention Development and Evaluation Branch, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mail Stop K-60, Atlanta, GA 30341-4723, Telephone: [phone], Email address: [e-mail].

Dated: June 27, 2002.

Sandra R. Manning,

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