[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 20, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23198]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 20, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Announcement Number 506]
Grants For Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research; Notice of
Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year 1995
Introduction
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces
applications are being accepted for Violence-Related Injury Prevention
Research Grants for fiscal year (FY) 1995. The Public Health Service
(PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease
prevention objectives of Healthy People 2000, a PHS-led national
activity to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of
life. This announcement is related to the 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 is authorized under Sections 301, 391-394 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241, 280b-280b-3). Program
regulations are set forth in Title 42 CFR Part 52.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include all non-profit and for-profit
organizations. Thus State, and local health departments, other State
and local governmental agencies, universities, colleges, research
institutions, and other public and private organizations, including
small, minority and/or woman-owned businesses are eligible for these
research grants. Current holders of CDC injury control research
projects are eligible to apply.
Smoke-Free Workplace
The Public Health Service strongly encourages all grant recipients
to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all
tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect
and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.
Availability of Funds
Approximately $1.0 million may be available in FY 1995 to fund
approximately 3 to 5 grants. The amount of funding actually available
may vary and is subject to change. New grant awards will not exceed
$300,000 per year (including both direct and indirect costs). Grant
applications that exceed the $300,000 per year cap will be returned to
the investigator as non-responsive. Research grant supplements will
generally be no more than $75,000 (including both direct and indirect
costs). New awards are expected to begin on or about September 1, 1995.
Awards will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project
period not to exceed 3 years. Continuation awards within the project
period will be made on the basis of satisfactory progress demonstrated
by investigators at work-in-progress monitoring workshops, the
achievement of workplan milestones reflected in the continuation
application, and the availability of Federal funds. In addition,
continuation awards will be eligible for increased funding to offset
inflationary costs depending upon the availability of funds.
Purpose
The purposes of this program are to:
A. Build the scientific base for the prevention of injuries and
deaths due to violence in the following three priority areas:
interpersonal youth violence, youth suicide, and firearm injuries as
delineated in Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action.
Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and Healthy
People 2000;
B. Identify effective strategies to prevent violence-related
injuries;
C. Expand the development and evaluation of current and new
intervention methods and strategies for the primary prevention of
violence-related injuries;
D. Encourage professionals from a wide spectrum of disciplines such
as medicine, health care, public health, criminal justice, and
behavioral and social sciences, to undertake research to prevent and
control injuries from interpersonal violence and suicidal behavior.
Program Requirements
The following are applicant requirements:
A. A principal investigator who has conducted research, published
the findings, and has specific authority and responsibility to carry
out the proposed project.
B. Demonstrated experience in conducting, evaluating, and
publishing injury control research on the applicant's project team.
C. Effective and well-defined working relationships within the
performing organization and with outside entities which will ensure
implementation of the proposed activities.
D. An explanation of how research findings could lead to the
development of injury control interventions within 3-5 years of project
start-up. Furthermore, how the research findings might be disseminated
and implemented through organizations (such as public health agencies)
or systems, both public and private.
E. The ability to carry out injury control research projects.
F. The overall match between the applicant's proposed theme and
research objectives, and the program priorities as described under the
heading ``Programmatic Interests'' and in Injury Control in the 1990s:
A National Plan for Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 1993, and Healthy People 2000.
Note: Grant funds will not be made available to support the
provision of direct care services.
Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia
agreements (as set forth in the PHS Grants Policy Statement) as
necessary to meet the requirements of the program and strengthen the
overall application.
Programmatic Interests
The grants should concentrate on the need to prevent the morbidity,
mortality, and disability which results from interpersonal violence and
suicidal behavior, in order to reduce their devastating social and
economic impact on the nation. Applicants are encouraged to propose
research which either: (1) Rigorously evaluates the outcomes of
violence prevention strategies currently in use, or (2) identifies
modifiable risk factors which can lead to the development of effective
interventions. Examples of possible projects listed under the priority
areas below are by no means exhaustive, and innovative approaches are
encouraged. Because of time constraints, comments were not solicited
from the general public regarding funding priorities and special
considerations.
(1) Evaluating the outcomes of violence prevention strategies:
In prevention, there is specific interest in research which
evaluates the effectiveness of interventions in preventing violent
injuries or reducing their impact and develops the basic sciences of
injury (i.e., social and behavioral science, biomechanics, and
epidemiology). This research might evaluate one or more different
approaches to implementing a specific intervention strategy. In
addition, there is a need to examine intervention strategies for which
evidence of effectiveness is either sparse or totally lacking.
Interventions chosen for evaluation should have a significant potential
for reduction in violent injury morbidity, mortality, disability, or
cost. Special consideration will be given to grants which target
populations at high risk for violence-related injuries and their
consequences, including adolescents, women, and children, racial and
ethnic minorities, urban residents, and people with low incomes.
Prevention strategies for youth suicide whose effectiveness should
be assessed include:
school or community ``gatekeeper'' training;
screening for high-risk youth;
peer support programs;
suicide education of the general population;
crisis centers and hotlines;
limiting access to lethal means of suicide, such as
firearms, prescription drugs, and high places;
intervention after a suicide or attempted suicide to
prevent imitation due to the effects of ``contagion''.
Interventions which should be evaluated for their effectiveness in
preventing firearm injuries are listed below:
firearm design modifications to reduce the lethality of
firearms and ammunition, loading indicators, and safety mechanisms to
prevent accidental discharge;
statutory interventions (e.g., prohibiting carrying
firearms in public, increasing sentences for felony gun use, or owner
liability for firearm injury);
imposing waiting periods and limits on the number of guns
which can be purchased within a specified time period;
taxing firearm and/or ammunition purchases;
increased gun dealer fees and restrictions;
metal detectors in schools;
firearm licensure system (e.g., restricting youth access
to firearms, owner-registration regulations, etc.);
storage containers which limit unauthorized access to
weapons and ammunition;
disrupting illegal gun markets through localized street-
level tactics currently used against illegal drug markets, and
neighborhood-oriented police coordination with residents and community-
based organizations;
public education campaigns to change weapon storage
practices.
Examples of interpersonal youth violence interventions which
deserve further evaluation include:
mentoring programs which provide positive adult role
models for high-risk youth;
public information campaigns which dramatize the
unacceptability and enormous social and economic cost of violence,
while promoting alternatives to violence as a means of conflict
resolution;
environmental changes such as improved lighting,
protective landscaping, or closed-circuit television monitoring;
legal sanctions restricting youth access to alcohol;
job training and work experiences;
sports and recreational activities which offer young
people opportunities to spend time in a structured and purposeful
environment;
parent training to increase parental support for non-
violent behavior by youths.
(2) Identifying modifiable risk factors:
In epidemiology, there is programmatic interest in analytic
research that identifies mechanisms, causes, or risks of injury which
might lead to new or more effective interventions against the four
types of violence highlighted in this announcement. Examples of
potentially modifiable risk factors which should be examined for each
area are listed below:
Youth Suicide
impact of acute exposure to alcohol and chronic alcohol
abuse on suicidal behavior among youth;
possible relationship between sexual orientation and
suicidal behavior among youth;
impact of accessibility to lethal means (e.g., guns,
medications) upon youth suicide;
relationship between a history of physical and/or sexual
abuse and suicidal behavior among youth;
Firearm Injuries
risk of firearm injury vs. the protective value of
firearms;
motives and sources of gun acquisition by adolescents;
role of firearms in protecting people from injuries;
Interpersonal Youth Violence
role of social and economic factors (e.g., unemployment,
poverty, family dysfunction, and racism) in contributing to violent
behavior;
early childhood experiences of violence, as a victim or
witness, related to later development of violent behavior patterns;
link between television and media portrayals of violence
and the development of attitudes which lead to violent behavior as an
acceptable method of settling conflict;
influence of alcohol or other drug use upon victimization
and perpetration of violent behavior;
role of academic performance, athletics or other
extracurricular activities as a protective factor for violent behavior;
history of prior victimization as a predictor of risk for
future homicide/assault perpetration or victimization.
Also of interest is research that more accurately defines the cost
of violent injuries and the cost effectiveness or prevention
effectiveness of interventions. Cost analysis should be included in the
plans, where appropriate, to evaluate an intervention(s) that addresses
one of the three priority areas of violence-related injury research
previously outlined, (i.e., youth suicide, firearm injuries, and
interpersonal youth violence). A more complete discussion of
methodologies for assessing cost analysis is presented in, A Framework
for Assessing the Effectiveness of Disease and Injury Prevention, (CDC,
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 27, 1992, Volume 41,
Number RR-3, pages 5-11). (To receive information on these reports see
the section WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.)
Evaluation Criteria
Upon receipt, applications will be screened by CDC staff for
completeness and responsiveness as outlined under the previous heading,
Program Requirements (A-F). Incomplete applications and applications
that are not responsive will be returned to the applicant without
further consideration. Applications which are complete and responsive
may be subjected to a preliminary evaluation by a peer review group to
determine if the application is of sufficient technical and scientific
merit to warrant further review (triage); the 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. Awards will be made based on priority score ranking by the
Injury Research Grants Review Committee (IRGRC), programmatic
priorities and needs by the Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention
and Control, and the availability of funds.
A. The first review will be a peer review to be conducted on all
applications. Factors to be considered will include:
1. The specific aims of the research project, i.e., the broad long-
term objectives, the intended accomplishment of the specific research
proposal, and the hypothesis to be tested;
2. The background of the proposal, i.e., the basis for the present
proposal, the critical evaluation of existing knowledge, and specific
identification of the injury control knowledge gaps which the proposal
is intended to fill;
3. The significance and originality from a scientific or technical
standpoint of the specific aims of the proposed research, including the
adequacy of the theoretical and conceptual framework for the research;
4. For competitive renewal and supplemental applications, the
progress made during the prior project period. For new applications,
(optional) the progress of preliminary studies pertinent to the
application;
5. The adequacy of the proposed research design, approaches, and
methodology to carry out the research, including quality assurance
procedures, plan for data management, and statistical analysis plan;
6. The extent to which the evaluation plan will allow for the
measurement of progress toward the achievement of the stated
objectives;
7. Qualifications, adequacy, and appropriateness of personnel to
accomplish the proposed activities;
8. The degree of commitment and cooperation of other interested
parties (as evidenced by letters detailing the nature and extent of the
involvement);
9. The reasonableness of the proposed budget to the proposed
research and demonstration program;
10. Adequacy of existing and proposed facilities and resources.
B. The second review will be conducted by the Advisory Committee
for Injury Prevention and Control. The factors to be considered will
include:
1. The results of the peer review;
2. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the
objectives stated in Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for
Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and
Healthy People 2000;
3. National needs;
4. Overall distribution among:
the three priority areas of violence-related injury
research: youth suicide, firearm injuries, and interpersonal youth
violence;
the major disciplines of violence-related injury
prevention: social and behavioral science, biomechanics, and
epidemiology;
populations addressed (e.g., adolescents, racial and
ethnic minorities, the elderly, children, urban, rural);
5. Budgetary considerations (e.g., preference may be given to
applicants who submit proposals requesting funding for research
projects of one to two year's duration);
6. Additional consideration may be given to those applicants who
provide evidence of an active training program or mentoring program for
inexperienced minority injury researchers (``junior investigators'').
C. Continued Funding:
Continuation awards made after FY 1995, but within the project
period, will be made on the basis of the availability of funds and the
following criteria:
1. 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 workplan and satisfactory progress has been demonstrated through
monitoring presentations or work-in-progress workshops;
2. The objectives for the new budget period are realistic,
specific, and measurable;
3. The methods described will clearly lead to achievement of these
objectives;
4. The evaluation plan will allow management to monitor whether the
methods are effective; and
5. The budget request is clearly explained, adequately justified,
reasonable and consistent with the intended use of grant funds.
D. Supplementary Funding:
Competing Supplemental grant awards may be made when funds are
available, to support research work or activities not previously
approved by the Injury Research Grants Review Committee (IRGRC).
Applications should be clearly labelled to denote their status as
requesting supplemental funding support. These applications will be
reviewed by the IRGRC and the secondary review group.
Executive Order 12372 Review
Applications are not subject to the review requirements of
Executive Order 12372, entitled Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.
Public Health System Reporting Requirement
This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting
Requirements.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.
Application Submission and Deadlines
A. Preapplication Letter of Intent
Although not a prerequisite of application, a non-binding letter of
intent-to-apply is requested from potential applicants. The letter
should be submitted to the Grants Management Officer (whose address is
reflected in section B, ``Applications''). It should be postmarked no
later than two months prior to the planned submission deadline, (e.g.,
December 13 for January 13 submission). The letter should identify the
announcement number, name the principal investigator, and specify the
priority area of violence-related injury research (i.e., youth suicide,
firearm injuries, and interpersonal youth violence) addressed by the
proposed project. The letter of intent does not influence review or
funding decisions, but it will enable CDC to plan the review more
efficiently, and will ensure that each applicant receives timely and
relevant information prior to application submission.
B. Applications
Applicants should use Form PHS-398 and adhere to the ERRATA
Instruction Sheet for Form PHS-398 contained in the Grant Application
Kit. Please submit an original and five copies, on or before January
13, 1995 to: Henry S. Cassell, III, 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,
Atlanta, Georgia 30305.
C. Deadlines
1. Applications shall be considered as meeting a deadline if they
are either:
A. Received at the above address on or before the deadline date, or
B. Sent on or before the deadline date to the above address, and
received in time for the review process. Applicants should 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 shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailings.
2. Applications which do not meet the criteria above are considered
late applications 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 Number 506. You will receive a complete program
description, information on application procedures, and application
forms.
If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the
documents, business management technical information may be obtained
from Lisa Tamaroff, Grants Management Specialist, Procurement and
Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255
East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Mailstop E-13, Atlanta, Georgia 30305,
telephone (404) 842-6796. Programmatic technical assistance may be
obtained from Ted Jones, Project Officer, Extramural Research Grants
Branch, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mailstop K-58, 4770 Buford
Highway, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, telephone (404) 488-4824.
Please refer to Announcement 506 when requesting information or
submitting an application.
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) through the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325,
telephone (202) 783-3238.
Copies of Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action.
Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and A
Framework for Assessing the Effectiveness of Disease and Injury
Prevention, (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 27,
1992, Volume 41, Number RR-3, pages 5-11) may be obtained by calling
(404) 488-4334.
Information for obtaining the suggested readings, Violence and the
Public's Health, Understanding and Preventing Violence, and Violence in
America: A Public Health Approach, is included on a separate sheet with
the application kit.
Dated: September 14, 1994.
Deborah L. Jones,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Mary Ellen Bloodworth,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 94-23198 Filed 9-19-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
