Limited Competition for Supplemental Grants for Centers for Education and Research (CERTs), 11245-11246 [05-4444]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 8, 2005 / Notices
1. Exchange National Bancshares,
Inc., Jefferson City, Missouri; to acquire
100 percent of the voting shares of Bank
10, Belton, Missouri.
2. First National Security Company,
DeQueen, Arkansas; to acquire 100
percent of the voting shares of First
Community Banking Corporation, Hot
Springs, Arkansas, and thereby
indirectly acquire First National Bank,
Hot Springs, Arkansas; First National
Bank in Mena, Mena, Arkansas; and
First National Bank, Mount Ida,
Arkansas.
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, March 2, 2005.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Deputy Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 05–4456 Filed 3–7–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–P
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
Federal Open Market Committee;
Domestic Policy Directive of February
1-2, 2005
In accordance with § 271.25 of its
rules regarding availability of
information (12 CFR part 271), there is
set forth below the domestic policy
directive issued by the Federal Open
Market Committee at its meeting held
on February 1-2, 2005.1
The Federal Open Market Committee
seeks monetary and financial conditions
that will foster price stability and
promote sustainable growth in output.
To further its long–run objectives, the
Committee in the immediate future
seeks conditions in reserve markets
consistent with increasing the federal
funds rate to an average of around 2-1/
2 percent.
By order of the Federal Open Market
Committee, February 28, 2005.
Vincent R. Reinhart,
Secretary, Federal Open Market Committee.
[FR Doc. 05–4455 Field 3–7–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–S
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Limited Competition for Supplemental
Grants for Centers for Education and
Research (CERTs)
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability of fund for
limited competitive supplements.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This notice informs the
research community that the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) is requesting applications for
competitive supplemental grants from
the seven Centers for Education and
Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) for
which it provided funding in fiscal year
2004.
The purpose of the competitive
supplements is to provide funds for
existing CERTs research centers to build
on and to expand their research work
and expertise with respect to
comparative effectiveness research
specifically to carry out short term
projects that will address research gaps
in priority subject areas identified and
published pursuant to section 1013 of
the Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement, and Modernization Act
(MMA). Since the inception of the
CERTs program in 1999, the CERTs
research centers have gathered
significant data regarding therapeutics,
refined research methodologies, and
developed collaborative research
resources. They are therefore uniquely
prepared and suited to efficiently carry
out pharmaco-epidemiology and
methodological studies related to
comparative effectiveness research that
is pertinent to developing therapeutic
evidence identified as being of high
interest to the Medicare, Medicaid or
SCHIP programs. For this reason, this
solicitation will be for a limited
competition among CERTs grantees.
DATES: The receipt date for the
competitive supplemental grant
applications is April 7, 2005. AHRQ
will inform the current grantees directly
regarding application procedures and
format.
Submission of the
applications should be sent to: Dr.
Gerald Calderone, Office of Extramural
Research, Education, and Priority
Populations, Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road,
Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: (301) 427–
1548, Fax: (301) 427–1561, E-mail:
gcaldero@ahrq.gov.
ADDRESSES:
1 Copies of the Minutes of the Federal Open
Market Committee meeting on February 1-2, 2005,
which includes the domestic policy directive issued
at the meeting, are available upon request to the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,
Washington, D.C. 20551. The minutes are published
in the Federal Reserve Bulletin and in the Board’s
annual report.
VerDate jul<14>2003
19:54 Mar 07, 2005
Jkt 205001
PO 00000
Frm 00053
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11245
Dr.
Scott R. Smith, Center for Outcomes and
Evidence, Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road,
Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: (301) 427–
1511, Fax: (301) 427–1520, E-mail:
ssmith@ahrq.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 1013 of the MMA directs the
Secretary of the Department of health
and Human Services (DHHS), acting
through the Director of AHRQ, to
support research to address priorities
identified by the Medicare, Medicaid,
and SCHIP programs and other
concerned stakeholders, regarding
improvement of health care outcomes,
comparative clinical effectiveness, and
appropriateness of health care items and
services (including prescription drugs)
either provided or possibly not
currently covered under these programs;
and strategies for improving program
efficiency and effectiveness with
attention to the ways in which health
care items and services are organized,
managed, and delivered under these
programs.
Pursuant to this section 1013, which
may also be found at 42 U.S.C. 229b–7,
DHHS published, on December 15,
2004, an initial priority list of ten
conditions with respect to which
research mandated under this section is
to be promptly undertaken. The ten
conditions are:
• Ischemic heart disease
• Cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease/asthma
• Stroke, including control of
hypertension
• Arthritis and non-traumatic joint
disorders
• Diabetes mellitus
• Dementia, including Alzheimer’s
disease
• Pneumonia
• Peptic ulcer/dyspepsia
• Depression and other mood
disorders
The Centers for Education and
Research on Therapeutics (CERTs)
program was first developed by AHRQ
in accordance with a Congressional
authorization in the Food and Drug
Administration Modernization Act of
1997 (Pub. L. 105–115) to carry out or
support research that would provide
objective information on drugs,
biologics, and medical devices. Just
months after the first CERTs grants were
awarded, the CERTs program was
incorporated into the AHRQ
Reauthorization Act of 1999 (Pub. L.
106–129); its objectives: to increase
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
08MRN1
11246
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 8, 2005 / Notices
awareness of the benefits and risks of
new, existing, or combined uses of
therapeutics through education and
research and to reduce costs. The CERTs
were to disseminate their findings to
inform, among others, insurers and
government agencies, patients and
consumers. Under 42 U.S.C. 299b–1(b),
CERTs grantees were to gather, develop
and provide evidence related to
comparative effectiveness, cost
effectiveness and safety of therapeutics.
Thus, the mission and work of the
CERTs is consistent with and addresses
identified priority research
requirements of the MMA section 1013.
Accordingly, the expedite the conduct
of priority research related to health
care services and items including
prescription drugs, as mandated by
section 1013, AHRQ is seeking to carry
out the initial work on a competitive
basis with the benefit of the existing
collaborative organizational frameworks
and therapeutics expertise and
specialization developed by CERTs with
prior AHRQ support.
Review
AHRQ will consider requests from
current CERTs research center grantees
to develop short term supplemental
research projects specifically gathering,
summarizing and assessing available
therapeutics evidence with respect to
subjects identified as priorities pursuant
to MMA section 1013 or formulating
and/or addressing methodological
issues pertinent to the production of
evidence that is needed with research to
these priority subject areas. See https://
www.medicare.gov/MedicareReform/
researchtopics.asp. These competitive
applications for supplemental grant
awards will undergo scientific and
technical review using regular AHRQ
peer review processes. In addition to
criteria set forth in 42 CFR part 67,
subpart A, § 67.15(c), the peer review
evaluations and recommendations, in
particular, will be based on adherence
to the agenda and priorities established
in accordance with section 1013 of the
MMA.
Each center may submit a single
application for supplemental support of
a research project that address clinical
or methodological issues pertaining to a
knowledge gap regarding the
comparative effectiveness of
therapeutics for one or more of the ten
priority clinical areas of interest to the
Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP
programs. Requests are to be limited to
projects that can be completed in 12
months or less. Although each CERTs
Research Center may be the primary
applicant on any one application,
AHRQ encourages partnerships between
VerDate jul<14>2003
19:54 Mar 07, 2005
Jkt 205001
existing CERTs. The actual number of
applications that will be funded is
dependent on the number of high
quality applications.
Dated: February 24, 2005
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05–4444 Filed 3–7–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Meeting of the ICD–9–CM Coordination
and Maintenance Committee
National Center for Health Statistics
(NCHS), Classifications and Public
Health Data Standards Staff, announces
the following meeting.
Name: ICD–9–CM Coordination and
Maintenance Committee meeting.
Time and Date: 9 a.m.–4 p.m., March
31–April 1, 2005.
Place: Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) Auditorium,
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore,
Maryland.
Status: Open to the public.
Purpose: The ICD–9–CM Coordination
and Maintenance (C&M) Committee will
hold its first meeting of the 2005
calendar year cycle on Thursday and
Friday March 31–April 1, 2005. The
C&M meeting is a public forum for the
presentation of proposed modifications
to the International Classification of
Diseases, Ninth-Revision, Clinical
Modification.
Matters to be Discussed: Agenda items
include:
Sleep disorders
Epilepsy
Transfusion related lung injury (TRALI)
Failed hearing screening
Myelitis
Macrophage activation syndrome
Subtalar joint arthroereisis
360 degree spinal fusion
Implantation of interspinous process
decompression device
Hip arthroplasty ‘‘bearing surfaces
External fracture fixation devices
Endovascular implantation of graft in
thoracic aorta Infusion of liquid
radioisotope
Radiofrequency Total Occlusion Crossing
System
ICD–10–Procedure Coding System (PCS)
update Addenda
Contact Person for Additional
Information: Amy Blum, Medical
Systems Specialist, Classifications and
Public Health Data Standards Staff,
NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2402,
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, telephone
PO 00000
Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(301) 458–4106 (diagnosis), Amy
Gruber, Health Insurance Specialist,
Division of Acute Care, CMS, 7500
Security Blvd., Room C4–07–07,
Baltimore, Maryland 21244 telephone
(410) 786–1542 (procedures).
Notice: Because of increased security
requirements,(CMS) has instituted
stringent procedures for entrance into
the building by non-government
employees. Persons without a
government I.D. will need to show an
official form of picture I.D., (such as a
drivers license), and sign-in at the
security desk upon entering the
building.
Those who wish to attend a specific
ICD–9–CM C&M meeting in the CMS
auditorium must submit their name and
organization for addition to the meeting
visitor list. Those wishing to attend the
March 31–April 1, 2005 meeting must
submit their name and organization by
March 29, 2005 for inclusion on the
visitor list. This visitor list will be
maintained at the front desk of the CMS
building and used by the guards to
admit visitors to the meeting. Those
who attended previous ICD–9–CM C&M
meetings will no longer be
automatically added to the visitor list.
You must request inclusion of your
name prior to each meeting you attend.
Register to attend the meeting on-line at:
https://cms.hhs.gov/events.
Notice: This is a public meeting.
However, because of fire code
requirements, should the number of
attendants meet the capacity of the
room, the meeting will be closed.
The Director, Management Analysis
and Services Office, has been delegated
the authority to sign Federal Register
notices pertaining to announcements of
meetings and other committee
management activities, for both CDC
and the Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry.
Dated: March 2, 2005.
Alvin Hall,
Director, Management Analysis and Services
Office, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05–4428 Filed 3–7–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
Allergenic Products Advisory
Committee; Notice of Meeting
AGENCY:
Food and Drug Administration,
HHS.
ACTION:
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
Notice.
08MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11245-11246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4444]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Limited Competition for Supplemental Grants for Centers for
Education and Research (CERTs)
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability of fund for limited competitive
supplements.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice informs the research community that the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is requesting applications for
competitive supplemental grants from the seven Centers for Education
and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) for which it provided funding in
fiscal year 2004.
The purpose of the competitive supplements is to provide funds for
existing CERTs research centers to build on and to expand their
research work and expertise with respect to comparative effectiveness
research specifically to carry out short term projects that will
address research gaps in priority subject areas identified and
published pursuant to section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA). Since the inception of the
CERTs program in 1999, the CERTs research centers have gathered
significant data regarding therapeutics, refined research
methodologies, and developed collaborative research resources. They are
therefore uniquely prepared and suited to efficiently carry out
pharmaco-epidemiology and methodological studies related to comparative
effectiveness research that is pertinent to developing therapeutic
evidence identified as being of high interest to the Medicare, Medicaid
or SCHIP programs. For this reason, this solicitation will be for a
limited competition among CERTs grantees.
DATES: The receipt date for the competitive supplemental grant
applications is April 7, 2005. AHRQ will inform the current grantees
directly regarding application procedures and format.
ADDRESSES: Submission of the applications should be sent to: Dr. Gerald
Calderone, Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority
Populations, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither
Road, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: (301) 427-1548, Fax: (301) 427-1561,
E-mail: gcaldero@ahrq.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Scott R. Smith, Center for
Outcomes and Evidence, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540
Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, Phone: (301) 427-1511, Fax: (301)
427-1520, E-mail: ssmith@ahrq.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 1013 of the MMA directs the Secretary of the Department of
health and Human Services (DHHS), acting through the Director of AHRQ,
to support research to address priorities identified by the Medicare,
Medicaid, and SCHIP programs and other concerned stakeholders,
regarding improvement of health care outcomes, comparative clinical
effectiveness, and appropriateness of health care items and services
(including prescription drugs) either provided or possibly not
currently covered under these programs; and strategies for improving
program efficiency and effectiveness with attention to the ways in
which health care items and services are organized, managed, and
delivered under these programs.
Pursuant to this section 1013, which may also be found at 42 U.S.C.
229b-7, DHHS published, on December 15, 2004, an initial priority list
of ten conditions with respect to which research mandated under this
section is to be promptly undertaken. The ten conditions are:
Ischemic heart disease
Cancer
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/asthma
Stroke, including control of hypertension
Arthritis and non-traumatic joint disorders
Diabetes mellitus
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease
Pneumonia
Peptic ulcer/dyspepsia
Depression and other mood disorders
The Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs)
program was first developed by AHRQ in accordance with a Congressional
authorization in the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of
1997 (Pub. L. 105-115) to carry out or support research that would
provide objective information on drugs, biologics, and medical devices.
Just months after the first CERTs grants were awarded, the CERTs
program was incorporated into the AHRQ Reauthorization Act of 1999
(Pub. L. 106-129); its objectives: to increase
[[Page 11246]]
awareness of the benefits and risks of new, existing, or combined uses
of therapeutics through education and research and to reduce costs. The
CERTs were to disseminate their findings to inform, among others,
insurers and government agencies, patients and consumers. Under 42
U.S.C. 299b-1(b), CERTs grantees were to gather, develop and provide
evidence related to comparative effectiveness, cost effectiveness and
safety of therapeutics. Thus, the mission and work of the CERTs is
consistent with and addresses identified priority research requirements
of the MMA section 1013. Accordingly, the expedite the conduct of
priority research related to health care services and items including
prescription drugs, as mandated by section 1013, AHRQ is seeking to
carry out the initial work on a competitive basis with the benefit of
the existing collaborative organizational frameworks and therapeutics
expertise and specialization developed by CERTs with prior AHRQ
support.
Review
AHRQ will consider requests from current CERTs research center
grantees to develop short term supplemental research projects
specifically gathering, summarizing and assessing available
therapeutics evidence with respect to subjects identified as priorities
pursuant to MMA section 1013 or formulating and/or addressing
methodological issues pertinent to the production of evidence that is
needed with research to these priority subject areas. See https://
www.medicare.gov/MedicareReform/researchtopics.asp. These competitive
applications for supplemental grant awards will undergo scientific and
technical review using regular AHRQ peer review processes. In addition
to criteria set forth in 42 CFR part 67, subpart A, Sec. 67.15(c), the
peer review evaluations and recommendations, in particular, will be
based on adherence to the agenda and priorities established in
accordance with section 1013 of the MMA.
Each center may submit a single application for supplemental
support of a research project that address clinical or methodological
issues pertaining to a knowledge gap regarding the comparative
effectiveness of therapeutics for one or more of the ten priority
clinical areas of interest to the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP
programs. Requests are to be limited to projects that can be completed
in 12 months or less. Although each CERTs Research Center may be the
primary applicant on any one application, AHRQ encourages partnerships
between existing CERTs. The actual number of applications that will be
funded is dependent on the number of high quality applications.
Dated: February 24, 2005
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-4444 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
