STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 36389-36394 [05-12410]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 120 / Thursday, June 23, 2005 / Notices
(U.S.) organization for developing
consensus standards for clinical and
laboratory testing. CLSI members,
approximately 2,000, are organizations
(not individuals) representing the three
major sectors contributing to assuring
the quality of laboratory testing in the
health field. They are the professional
sector, the government sector, and
industry. The professional sector is
comprised of: (a) Clinical and medical
science health services delivery
organizations such as hospitals, health
clinics, public health laboratories; and
(b) clinical and laboratory science
professional organizations. The
government sector is represented by
agencies such as the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (a founding
member), the Food and Drug
Administration, the National Institute
for Standards and Technology, and the
Department of Veteran Affairs. The
industry sector is represented by
laboratory device and reagent
manufacturers, the pharmaceutical
industry, and the informatics industry.
2. CLSI is a global, nonprofit,
standards-developing organization that
promotes the development and use of
voluntary consensus standards and
guidelines within the healthcare
community. CLSI is recognized
worldwide for the application of its
unique consensus process. CLSI is based
on the principle that consensus is an
efficient and cost-effective way to
improve patient testing and services.
3. CLSI is a global leader in the
development of medical laboratory
standards.
a. One-fourth of CLSI members are
located outside the U.S.
b. CLSI is the Executive Secretariat for
the International Organization for
Standardization (IOS) Technical
Working Group. The IOS group
develops internationally applicable
medical laboratory testing standards.
c. CLSI is designated the World
Health Organization (WHO)
Collaborating Center for Clinical
Laboratory Standards and Accreditation
d. Standards developed by CLSI are
recognized and used throughout the
world.
4. CLSI portfolio of more than 200
standards is recognized worldwide and
provides a core for modification and
expansion to better meet the needs in
resource limited settings.
5. CLSI volunteers who develop
laboratory standards represent CLSI
member organizations. The volunteers
are recognized as experts and world
leaders. The accredited consensus
process assures that all views are
accounted for and adequately
addressed. Consequently, standards
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:40 Jun 22, 2005
Jkt 205001
developed by CLSI are considered
authoritative and recognized among
federal agencies, large segments of the
health industry, and the professional
sector.
6. CLSI staff and volunteers are
actively engaged in numerous HIV
activities to improve the quality of
testing for diagnosing infection, staging
disease in those infected, monitoring
therapy, and detecting opportunistic
infections. Venues for these interactions
include CLSI workgroups developing
standards in related technical areas,
CLSI’s Limited Resource Laboratories
Working Group, and interaction with
the Forum for Collaborative HIV
Research.
7. CLSI Quality Systems Standards are
a key building block for work that has
already been done by the U.S.
Government efforts to assure laboratory
capacity to meet the needs of HIV
prevention, care and treatment,
surveillance, prevention of mother-tochild-transmission (PMTCT), voluntary
counseling and testing (VCT), and blood
safety programs. Quality systems
training using CLSI standards has
already been initiated in Africa and
Southeast Asia countries. Laboratory
leaders in these countries recognize
CLSI as the world leader in developing
these standards and would value and
consider authoritative and credible
additional contributions by CLSI.
C. Funding
Approximately $6,000,000 is available
in FY 2005 to fund this award. It is
expected that the award will begin on or
before August 31, 2005, and will be
made for a 12-month budget period
within a project period of up to three
years. Funding estimates may change.
D. Where To Obtain Additional
Information
For general comments or questions
about this announcement, contact:
Technical Information Management,
CDC Procurement and Grants Office,
2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA
30341–4146; Telephone: 770–488–2700.
For program technical assistance,
contact: Elyse Hill, Project Officer, CDC/
NCHSTP/GAP, 1600 Clifton Road, NE.
(MS–E30), Atlanta, GA 30333,
Telephone: 404–639–8181; E-mail:
elh8@cdc.gov.
For financial, grants management, or
budget assistance, contact: Diane
Flournoy, Grants Management
Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants
Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta,
GA 30341, Telephone: 770–488–2072;
E-mail: dmf6@cdc.gov.
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36389
Dated: June 17, 2005.
William P. Nichols,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05–12411 Filed 6–22–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
STD Surveillance Network (SSuN)
Announcement Type: New.
Funding Opportunity Number:
AA055.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 93.977.
Key Dates:
Letter of Intent Deadline: July 8, 2005.
Application Deadline: July 25, 2005.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: Sections 317(k)(2) and 318
of the Public Health Service Act [42
U.S.C. Sections 247b(k)(2) and 247c], as
amended.
Background: A dynamic STD
surveillance network, comprised of
local enhanced STD surveillance
systems following common protocols,
has the potential to fill several
important gaps in the existing national
STD surveillance system. National STD
surveillance data, reported through the
National Electronic Telecommunication
Surveillance System (NETSS), currently
involves a limited number of
demographic data elements collected
from all states for a limited number of
sexually transmitted diseases
(chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and
syphilis). Weekly reporting through
NETSS is insufficient for rapid
identification of many trends in disease,
and does not support the collection and
reporting of data on many relevant STD
risk behaviors. Furthermore, even if
trends in disease or risk behaviors are
identified, the national STD morbidity
surveillance infrastructure comprised of
NETSS reporting from all states has
limited capacity to be easily and rapidly
modified. Even though the transition to
the National Electronic Disease
Surveillance System (NEDSS) is
intended to improve the timeliness and
flexibility of national STD surveillance,
the flexibility of national morbidity
reporting will always be restricted by
the scale of the system.
CDC has traditionally relied on
supplemental activities such as
prevalence monitoring projects and
special studies to enhance STD
surveillance at a national level. While
these types of activities focus on
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
36390
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 120 / Thursday, June 23, 2005 / Notices
specific at-risk sub-populations, an STD
surveillance network would focus
activities on the larger population with
disease. The STD surveillance network
would also have the ability to monitor
what is happening across the range of
STD entities (gonorrhea, herpes,
chlamydia, syphilis, HPV, etc.). In
addition, it should provide the
infrastructure and potential to detect
emerging issues and environmental
changes (ex: increases in
lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV),
resistant gonorrhea, resistant syphilis,
HPV, illicit drug use). An initial focus
and priority would be to obtain
enhanced data on gonorrhea. Additional
priority areas would be determined by
the STD surveillance network on an
ongoing basis.
Purpose: The purposes of the program
are to: develop a dynamic STD
surveillance network comprised of local
enhanced STD surveillance systems,
following common protocols, to
improve the capacity of national, state,
and local STD programs to detect,
monitor, and respond rapidly, flexibly,
and with greater effectiveness to
established and emerging trends in
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
through improved collection, reporting,
analysis, visualization (i.e. mapping);
and interpret STD surveillance data.
This program addresses the ‘‘Healthy
People 2010’’ focus area(s) of: HIV
Infection, Immunization and Infectious
Diseases, Public Health Infrastructure,
and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Measurable outcomes of the program
will be in alignment with one or more
of the following performance goals for
the Coordinating Center for Infectious
Diseases (CCID), National Center for
HIV, STD, and TB Prevention
(NCHSTP), Division of STD Prevention
(DSTDP): (1) Reduce STD rates by
providing chlamydia and gonorrhea
screening, treatment, and partner
treatment to 50 percent of women in
publicly funded family planning and
STD clinics nationally; (2) Reduce the
incidence of primary and secondary
syphilis; (3) Reduce the incidence of
congenital syphilis; and (4) Strengthen
the capacity nationwide to monitor the
epidemic, develop and implement
effective HIV prevention interventions,
and evaluate prevention programs.
This announcement is only for nonresearch activities supported by CDC/
ATSDR. If research is proposed, the
application will not be reviewed. For
the definition of research, please see the
CDC Web site at the following Internet
address: https://www.cdc.gov/od/ads/
opspoll1.htm.
Activities:
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:40 Jun 22, 2005
Jkt 205001
Required awardee activities for this
program are as follows:
• Participate in conference calls and
a CDC-organized meeting in the first
quarter of the year one budget period to
finalize a common protocol for
enhanced gonorrhea surveillance and
for at least one other emerging or
existing STD area of concern. Types of
data to be collected under the common
protocol for enhanced gonorrhea
surveillance, with relevance for other
STDs may include: number and gender
of sex partners; presence or absence of
symptoms; sites of infection; STD/HIV
infection history; level of education;
internet usage; history of incarceration;
performance drug use; and illicit
substance use.
• Provide the human and technical
resources necessary for collection,
analysis, interpretation, and
dissemination of enhanced gonorrhea
surveillance data from one or more STD
clinics; it is also desirable, but not
required, that awardees conduct
enhanced surveillance of gonorrhea in
one or more surrounding counties.
• Awardees planning to conduct
enhanced surveillance of GC in
surrounding counties should conduct
surveillance on a representative sample
of patients with gonorrhea in the county
in which the STD clinic is located.
• Collaborate with CDC and other
awardees to identify other STDs and
sexual health issues of interest (ex: LGV,
resistant gonorrhea, resistant syphilis,
increased illicit drug use), including
those for which rapid implementation of
surveillance and/or prevention activities
are needed.
• Collaborate with CDC and other
awardees to expeditiously develop
common protocols to monitor and
respond to STD-relevant trends.
• Provide the human and technical
resources necessary to conduct
enhanced surveillance for the
collaboratively identified other STDs
and sexual health issues.
• Work collaboratively with other
awardees and CDC to standardize
behavioral risk domains and achieve
standardization of specific data
elements.
• Collaborate to develop and
implement common data elements and
protocols.
• Plan to use or build upon currently
existing electronic information systems
for the collection, integration, analysis,
and reporting of enhanced surveillance
data.
• Electronically transmit data from
STD surveillance activities to CDC on a
monthly basis in a mutually agreedupon format.
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• Perform routine analyses of local
STD surveillance data, including spatial
or outbreak detection analyses; and
evaluate the effectiveness of different
methods of spatial or outbreak detection
analysis in improving STD surveillance
and program activities.
• Establish mechanisms by which
STD enhanced and routine surveillance
data are shared with stakeholders.
• Participate in annual collaboration
meetings by reporting preliminary data
and the status of ongoing activities, and
working with other sites to develop or
revise common enhanced surveillance
activity protocols.
In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff
is substantially involved in the program
activities, above and beyond routine
grant monitoring. CDC Activities for this
program are as follows:
• Draft common protocols for
enhanced gonorrhea surveillance, in
STD clinics and in counties, to be
discussed and modified by awardees
through conference calls and a meeting
with awardees in the first quarter of the
year one budget period.
• Analyze data from all awardees,
and share results with stakeholders.
• Identify emerging trends in STDs
and sexual health issues that merit
further investigation by the STD
surveillance network.
• Coordinate the development of new
common surveillance and response
protocols; standardization of data
elements; and definition of data
reporting formats through collaboration
with awardees.
• Coordinate annual collaboration
meetings to review and plan program
activities.
• Collaborate directly in the
publication and dissemination of project
findings and experiences.
• Facilitate, where possible, and
assist with the electronic transmission
of data to CDC.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
Agreement. CDC involvement in this
program is listed in the Activities
Section above.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2005.
Approximate Total Funding: $400,000
(This amount is an estimate for the first
12-month budget period, and is subject
to availability of funds.)
Approximate Number of Awards:
Five.
Approximate Average Award:
$80,000, if enhanced county-level
surveillance is included; $60,000 for
projects that don’t include such an
activity. (This amount is for the first 12month budget period, and includes both
direct and indirect costs.)
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 120 / Thursday, June 23, 2005 / Notices
Floor of Award Range: None.
Ceiling of Award Range: $100,000
(This ceiling is for the first 12-month
budget period.)
Anticipated Award Date: August 31,
2005.
Budget Period Length: 12 months.
Project Period Length: Three years.
Throughout the project period, CDC’s
commitment to continuation of awards
will be conditioned on the availability
of funds, evidence of satisfactory
progress by the recipient (as
documented in required reports), and
the determination that continued
funding is in the best interest of the
Federal Government.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible Applicants
Limited competition. Only the 65
state, county, city, and territorial health
departments that are current recipients
of Comprehensive STD Prevention
Systems grants may apply for this
program because participation in an
STD surveillance network requires the
participating entity to have the legal and
programmatic capacity to collect and
monitor health data, as well as the
programmatic capacity to respond to
emerging trends in disease and risk
behaviors.
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Matching funds are not required for
this program.
III.3. Other
If you are requesting a funding
amount greater than the ceiling of the
award range, your application will be
considered non-responsive and will not
be entered into the review process. You
will be notified that your application
did not meet the submission
requirements.
Special Requirements
If your application is incomplete or
non-responsive to the special
requirements listed in this section, it
will not be entered into the review
process. You will be notified that your
application did not meet submission
requirements.
• Late applications will be considered
non-responsive. See section ‘‘IV.3.
Submission Dates and Times’’ for more
information on deadlines.
• Letters of intent are requested.
• Awardees must ensure that
enhanced gonorrhea surveillance
activities occur in at least one STD
clinic that diagnoses at least 150 cases
of gonorrhea per year; and, if the
awardee plans to work in the
surrounding county, the county in
which the STD clinic is located receives
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:40 Jun 22, 2005
Jkt 205001
reports of at least 100 cases of gonorrhea
per year from other providers.
• Participation in Outcomes
Assessment through Systems of
Integrated Surveillance (OASIS)
cooperative agreements #707, #99000, or
#02211 is useful, but not required, for
meeting the requirements of this
activity. If not a former OASIS
participant, the applicant should
demonstrate that they have significant
experience conducting other types of
enhanced STD surveillance, analyzing
enhanced STD surveillance data, and
disseminating findings to stakeholders.
• 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.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
IV.1. Address To Request Application
Package
To apply for this funding opportunity
use application form CDC 5161–1.
CDC strongly encourages you to
submit your application electronically
by utilizing the forms and instructions
posted for this announcement at
https://www.grants.gov.
Application forms and instructions
are available on the CDC Web site, at the
following Internet address: https://
www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm.
If you do not have access to the
Internet, or if you have difficulty
accessing the forms on-line, you may
contact the CDC Procurement and
Grants Office Technical Information
Management Section (PGO–TIM) staff
at: 770–488–2700. Application forms
can be mailed to you.
IV.2. Content and Form of Submission
Letter of Intent (LOI): Your LOI must
be written in the following format:
• Maximum number of pages: 1.
• Font size: 12-point unreduced.
• Single spaced.
• Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
• Page margin size: One inch.
• Printed only on one side of page.
• Written in plain language, avoid
jargon.
Your LOI must contain the following
information:
• Your intent to apply for this
application.
• The name of the project
coordinator(s).
• The name of any proposed
collaborator(s).
• The name, address, telephone,
e-mail, and fax number of the
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36391
applicant’s primary point of contact for
writing and submitting the application.
Application: You must submit a
project narrative with your application
forms. The narrative must be submitted
in the following format:
• Maximum number of pages: 20. If
your narrative exceeds the page limit,
only the first pages which are within the
page limit will be reviewed.
• Font size: 12 point unreduced.
• Double spaced.
• Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
• Page margin size: One inch.
• Printed only on one side of page.
• Held together only by rubber bands
or metal clips; not bound in any other
way.
• The funding opportunity title and
number must appear on the first page.
Your narrative should address
activities to be conducted over the
entire project period, and must include
the following items in the order listed:
Background/Need, Objectives, Plan,
Method, Experience, Timeline,
Capacity, Evaluation Plans,
Sustainability, and Line-Item Budget
with Justifications. More detailed
descriptions of these items are described
in section V.1. ‘‘Criteria’’ of this
announcement.
Additional information may be
included in the application appendices.
The appendices will not be counted
toward the narrative page limit. This
additional information includes:
• Curriculum Vitas.
• Organizational Charts.
• Letters of Support.
You are required to have a Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number to apply for a
grant or cooperative agreement from the
Federal Government. The DUNS
number is a nine-digit identification
number, which uniquely identifies
business entities. Obtaining a DUNS
number is easy and there is no charge.
To obtain a DUNS number, access
https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or
call 1–866–705–5711.
For more information, see the CDC
Web site at: https://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/
funding/pubcommt.htm. If your
application form does not have a DUNS
number field, please write your DUNS
number at the top of the first page of
your application, and/or include your
DUNS number in your application cover
letter.
Additional requirements that may
require you to submit additional
documentation with your application
are listed in section ‘‘VI.2.
Administrative and National Policy
Requirements.’’
IV.3. Submission Dates and Times
LOI Deadline Date: July 8, 2005.
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
36392
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 120 / Thursday, June 23, 2005 / Notices
CDC requests that you submit a LOI
if you intend to apply for this program.
Although the LOI is not required, not
binding, and does not enter into review
of your subsequent application, the LOI
will be used to gauge the level of
interest in this program, and allow CDC
to plan the application review.
Application Deadline Date: July 25,
2005.
Explanation of Deadlines: LOIs and
Applications must be received in the
CDC Procurement and Grants Office by
4 p.m. eastern time on the deadline
date.
You may submit your application
electronically at https://www.grants.gov.
Applications completed online through
Grants.gov are considered formally
submitted when the applicant
organization’s Authorizing Official
electronically submits the application to
https://www.grants.gov. Electronic
application will be considered as having
met the deadline if the application has
been submitted electronically by the
applicant organization’s Authorizing
Official to Grants.gov on or before the
deadline date and time.
If you submit your application
electronically with Grants.gov, your
application will be electronically time/
date stamped, which will serve as
receipt of submission. You will receive
an e-mail notice of receipt when CDC
receives the application.
If you submit your LOI or application
by the United States Postal Service or
commercial delivery service, you must
ensure that the carrier will be able to
guarantee delivery by the closing date
and time. If CDC receives your
submission 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, you will be given the
opportunity to submit documentation of
the carrier’s guarantee. If the
documentation verifies a carrier
problem, CDC will consider the
submission as having been received by
the deadline.
If you submit a hard copy application,
CDC will not notify you upon receipt of
your submission. If you have a question
about the receipt of your LOI or
application, first contact your courier. If
you still have a question, contact the
PGO–TIM staff at: 770–488–2700. Before
calling, please wait two to three days
after the submission deadline. This will
allow time for submissions to be
processed and logged.
This announcement is the definitive
guide on LOI and application content,
submission address, and deadline. It
supersedes information provided in the
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:40 Jun 22, 2005
Jkt 205001
application instructions. If your
submission does not meet the deadline
above, it will not be eligible for review,
and will be discarded. You will be
notified that you did not meet the
submission requirements.
IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of
Applications
Your application is subject to
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs, as governed by Executive
Order (EO) 12372. This order sets up a
system for State and local governmental
review of proposed federal assistance
applications. You should contact your
state single point of contact (SPOC) as
early as possible to alert the SPOC to
prospective applications, and to receive
instructions on your state’s process.
Click on the following link to get the
current SPOC list: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/
spoc.html.
IV.5. Funding Restrictions
Restrictions, which must be taken into
account while writing your budget, are
as follows:
• Funds may not be used for research.
• Reimbursement of pre-award costs
is not allowed.
• Funds may not be used for
construction.
If you are requesting indirect costs in
your budget, you must include a copy
of your indirect cost rate agreement. If
your indirect cost rate is a provisional
rate, the agreement should be less than
12 months of age.
Guidance for completing your budget
can be found on the CDC Web site, at
the following Internet address: https://
www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/
budgetguide.htm.
IV.6. Other Submission Requirements
LOI Submission Address: Submit your
LOI by express mail, delivery service,
fax, or e-mail to: Lori Newman, MD,
Project Officer, CDC/NCHSTP/DSTDP,
Mailstop E–02, 1600 Clifton Road,
Atlanta, GA 30333, (404) 639–6183,
(404) 639–8610 (fax); len4@cdc.gov.
Application Submission Address:
CDC strongly encourages applicants to
submit electronically at: https://
www.grants.gov. You will be able to
download a copy of the application
package from https://www.grants.gov,
complete it offline, and then upload and
submit the application via the
Grants.gov site. E-mail submissions will
not be accepted. If you are having
technical difficulties in Grants.gov, they
can be reached by e-mail at https://
www.support@grants.gov or by phone at
1–800–518–4726 (1–800-GRANTS). The
Customer Support Center is open from
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern time, Monday
through Friday.
CDC recommends that you submit
your application to Grants.gov early
enough to resolve any unanticipated
difficulties prior to the deadline. You
may also submit a back-up paper
submission of your application. Any
such paper submission must be received
in accordance with the requirements for
timely submission detailed in Section
IV.3. of the grant announcement. The
paper submission must be clearly
marked: ‘‘Back-Up for Electronic
Submission.’’
The paper submission must conform
to all requirements for non-electronic
submissions. If both electronic and
back-up paper submissions are received
by the deadline, the electronic version
will be considered the official
submission.
It is strongly recommended that you
submit your grant application using
Microsoft Office products (e.g.,
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.). If
you do not have access to Microsoft
Office products, you may submit a PDF
file. Directions for creating PDF files can
be found on the Grants.gov Web site.
Use of file formats other than Microsoft
Office or PDF may result in your file
being unreadable by our staff.
Or:
Submit the original and two hard
copies of your application by mail or
express delivery service to: Technical
Information Management-PA AA055,
CDC Procurement and Grants Office,
2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA
30341.
V. Application Review Information
V.1. Criteria
Applicants are required to provide
measures of effectiveness that will
demonstrate the accomplishment of the
various identified objectives of the
cooperative agreement. Measures of
effectiveness must relate to the
performance goals stated in the
‘‘Purpose’’ section of this
announcement. Measures must be
objective and quantitative, and must
measure the intended outcome. These
measures of effectiveness must be
submitted with the application and will
be an element of evaluation. Your
application will be evaluated against the
following criteria:
• Methods: (25 points total)
(a) To what extent does the applicant
demonstrate that methods for STD
clinic-based surveillance, information
management, and disease investigation
and response are flexible and could be
adapted for other types of enhanced
STD and behavioral surveillance in such
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 120 / Thursday, June 23, 2005 / Notices
settings? Has the applicant included
letters from collaborating clinics and
county health departments that
demonstrate their support? If the
application is from a county or a city,
does the application include a letter of
support from the state? (15 points)
(b) The applicant should clearly
indicate if their plans include enhanced
surveillance of gonorrhea from the
surrounding county. If included, what is
the extent to which methods are sound
and analyses will describe a
representative sample of persons
reported to have gonorrhea in the
county? Has the applicant included
letters from collaborating facilities and
county health departments that
demonstrate their support? (10 points)
• Capacity: (20 points total)
(a) Is the proposed staff capacity
sufficient to conduct enhanced data
collection, entry, cleaning, analysis,
evaluation, and dissemination? Does the
project staff have the appropriate
background, experience, and time to
perform the proposed work? (10 points)
(b) Does the applicant have existing
information management systems with
the capacity to merge or integrate
electronic data from providers,
laboratories, or other data sources? Does
the applicant have a database that can
be queried, can generate line listed
clinic visit/patient data, and can easily
be modified to incorporate new data
elements? (10 points)
• Objectives/Plan: (15 points total)
What is the quality of the proposed
plan to participate in an enhanced
surveillance network to collect
enhanced gonorrhea data, as well as
data on other emerging or existing STD
issues? Consider clarity of objectives
and soundness of the applicant’s
approach. The applicant should
demonstrate an understanding of the
potential utility of enhanced STD
surveillance at both the local and
national level. The applicant should
indicate a willingness to collaborate
with other grantees funded for this
project, and adhere to a common
standard protocol.
• Experience: (15 points total)
Did the applicant participate in
previous Outcomes Assessment through
Systems of Integrated Surveillance
(OASIS) cooperative agreements #707,
#99000, or #02211, and demonstrate
their ability to successfully conduct
enhanced gonorrhea surveillance and
work collaboratively with other sites?
OR Does the applicant demonstrate that
they have significant experience
conducting other types of enhanced
STD surveillance, analyzing enhanced
STD surveillance data, and
disseminating findings to stakeholders?
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:40 Jun 22, 2005
Jkt 205001
• Background/Need: (10 points total)
How well has the applicant described
the target population, and justified the
need for this program within the target
population? Is the gonorrhea morbidity
in the target population sufficient to
merit enhanced surveillance and
subsequent interventions? To what
extent does the STD clinic have a large
and varied clientele (with regard to
gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual
orientation) who experience a range of
STDs, and a professional staff with the
ability to recognize, correctly diagnose,
and treat emerging STDs and sexual
issues? (Note: It is required that the STD
clinic see a minimum average of 150
patients of gonorrhea per year.) What is
the STD burden in the designated
county? (Note: For awardees planning
enhanced surveillance in the county,
the county must have at least an
additional 100 reported cases of
gonorrhea a year reported from other
providers.)
• Evaluation Plans: (5 points total)
Has the applicant set forth clear
performance goals? Has the applicant
outlined outcome measures that are
objective, quantitative, and adequately
measure the intended outcome? To what
extent does the applicant demonstrate
their ability and intent to disseminate
and translate the data into programmatic
action?
• Timeline: (5 points total)
Has the applicant proposed an
achievable timeline? Has the applicant
documented their ability to implement
the proposed plan for enhanced
gonorrhea surveillance within the first
year of the project period?
• Sustainability: (5 points total)
To what extent has the applicant
demonstrated that activities could be
institutionalized as ongoing surveillance
activities?
• Budget and Justification:
(Reviewed, but not scored.)
Is the budget reasonable, clearly
justified, and consistent with the
intended use of funds?
V.2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed for
completeness by the Procurement and
Grants Office (PGO) staff, and for
responsiveness by NCHSTP/DSTDP.
Incomplete applications and
applications that are non-responsive to
the eligibility criteria will not advance
through the review process. Applicants
will be notified that their application
did not meet submission requirements.
An objective review panel of CDC
employees will evaluate complete and
responsive applications according to the
criteria listed in the ‘‘V.1. Criteria’’
section above. All members of the
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36393
objective review panel will come from
outside of the funding division of
NCHSTP.
In addition, the following factors may
affect the funding decision:
• The need for geographic diversity
may affect applicant selection.
• Applicant selection may be affected
by the importance of covering high
gonorrhea morbidity areas.
• Applicant selection may be affected
by the importance of including
populations that broadly represent
patients with gonorrhea by gender, race,
ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
CDC will provide justification for any
decision to fund out of rank order.
V.3. Anticipated Announcement and
Award Dates
August 31, 2005.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive a
Notice of Award (NoA) from the CDC
Procurement and Grants Office. The
NoA shall be the only binding,
authorizing document between the
recipient and CDC. The NoA will be
signed by an authorized Grants
Management Officer, and mailed to the
recipient fiscal officer identified in the
application. Unsuccessful applicants
will receive notification of the results of
the application review by mail.
VI.2. Administrative and National
Policy Requirements
45 CFR part 74 and part 92
For more information on the Code of
Federal Regulations, see the National
Archives and Records Administration at
the following Internet address: https://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-tablesearch.html.
The following additional
requirements apply to this project:
• AR–4 HIV/AIDS Confidentiality
Provisions.
• AR–6 Patient Care.
• AR–7 Executive Order 12374
Review.
• AR–9 Paperwork Reduction Act
Requirements.
• AR–10 Smoke-Free Workplace
Requirements.
• AR–11 Healthy People 2010.
Additional information on these
requirements can be found on the CDC
Web site at the following Internet
address: https://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/
funding/ARs.htm.
An additional Certification form from
the PHS 5161–1 application needs to be
included in your Grants.gov electronic
submission only. Refer to https://
www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
36394
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 120 / Thursday, June 23, 2005 / Notices
PHS5161–1Certificates.pdf. Once the
form is filled out, attach it to your
Grants.gov submission as Other
Attachment Forms.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide CDC with an
original, plus two hard copies of the
following reports:
1. Interim progress report, due by June
30th of each funding year. The progress
report will serve as your non-competing
continuation application, and must
contain the following elements:
a. Current Budget Period Activities
Objectives.
b. Current Budget Period Financial
Progress.
c. New Budget Period Program
Proposed Activity Objectives.
d. Budget.
e. Measures of Effectiveness.
f. Additional Requested Information.
2. Financial status report and annual
progress report, due by December 30 of
each funding year.
3. Final financial and performance
reports, no more than 90 days after the
end of the project period.
These reports must be mailed to the
Grants Management or Contract
Specialist listed in the ‘‘Agency
Contacts’’ section of this announcement.
VII. Agency Contacts
We encourage inquiries concerning
this announcement. For general
questions, contact: Technical
Information Management Section, CDC
Procurement and Grants Office, 2920
Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341;
telephone: 770–488–2700.
For program technical assistance,
contact: Lori Newman, MD, Project
Officer, Mailstop E–02, 1600 Clifton
Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, telephone:
404–639–6183; e-mail: len4@cdc.gov.
For financial, grants management, or
budget assistance, contact: Gladys
Gissentanna, Grants Management
Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants
Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta,
GA 30341, telephone: 770–488–2753; email: gcg4@cdc.gov.
VIII. Other Information
This and other CDC funding
opportunity announcements can be
found on the CDC Web site, Internet
address: https://www.cdc.gov. Click on
‘‘Funding’’ then ‘‘Grants and
Cooperative Agreements.’’
Dated: June 17, 2005.
William P. Nichols,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05–12410 Filed 6–22–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–18–P
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:40 Jun 22, 2005
Jkt 205001
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Workplace HIV/AIDS Programs/Public
Private Partnerships
Announcement Type: New.
Funding Opportunity Number: 05073.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 93.067.
Key Dates: Application Deadline: July
25, 2005.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: This program is authorized
under Sections 301 and 307 of the
Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 241
and 242], as amended.
Background: Zimbabwe has one of the
highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the
world, with approximately a 25 percent
infection rate among adults. For the past
five years, Zimbabwe has been and
continues to suffer severe
socioeconomic and political crises. The
economy continues to contract at
unprecedented rates with close to 200
percent annual inflation.
Unemployment is high, yet workplaces
remain a critical point for information
and service delivery to combat HIV and
AIDS.
In the context of these numerous
pressures, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) Global
AIDS Program (GAP) in Zimbabwe is
designed to support key national
initiatives and organizations, including
those led by the Ministry of Health and
Child Welfare (MOHCW), National
AIDS Council (NAC), University of
Zimbabwe (UZ) and Zimbabwe AIDS
Network, through strategic use of
technical and financial assistance.
Given the impact of the HIV/AIDS
pandemic on Zimbabwe’s workforce,
CDC Zimbabwe has also been
supporting the provision of assistance to
governmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
businesses, and labor organizations for
the development and implementation of
HIV/AIDS workplace prevention, care,
and support programs. With this request
for technical assistance, CDC Zimbabwe
seeks to continue to provide support for
development of workplace HIV
programs.
Purpose: The purpose of the program
is to provide targeted assistance to
governmental, nongovernmental,
business and labor sectors in developing
and implementing HIV/AIDS workplace
prevention, care, and support programs.
Targeted assistance should include
gender-focused supports and
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
interventions, as well as general
supports.
Measurable outcomes of the program
will be in alignment with the following
performance goal for the National
Center for HIV/STD/TB Prevention
(NCHSTP): By 2010, work with other
countries, international organizations,
the Department of State, United States
Agency for International Development
(USAID), and other partners to achieve
the United Nations General Assembly
Special Session on HIV/AIDS goal of
reducing prevalence among persons 15
to 24 years of age. This will be done by
strengthening human capacity to
respond to the epidemic, working in
priority areas of primary prevention,
care and treatment, and surveillance for
HIV/AIDS.
This announcement is only for nonresearch activities supported by CDC. If
research is proposed, the application
will not be reviewed. For the definition
of research, please see the CDC Web site
at the following Internet address:
https://www.cdc.gov/od/ads/
opspoll1.htm.
Activities: Through a previous
cooperative agreement with the
Academy for Educational Development
(AED), number UC62/CCU320180–03,
CDC Zimbabwe support in the area of
workplace HIV/AIDS programs has
resulted in the completion of an
extensive needs assessment and
strategic planning process. As a result of
this process, work has already begun
with numerous organizations (including
the business sector, labor, and nongovernmental organizations). The
Awardee will select 20 of these
organizations (including nine
organizations that received subgrants
under the AED cooperative agreement,
i.e., Hippo Valley Estates, Associated
Mine Workers of Zimbabwe, General
Agriculture and Plantation Workers
Union, Crest Breeders, Dyno Nobel
Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd., Victoria Falls
Informal Traders Association,
Zimbabwe Domestic and Allied Workers
Union, Zimbabwe Chemicals Plastics
Allied Workers Union, and the Iron and
Steel Workers Union of Zimbabwe) and
will provide the following services:
1. Planning
Provide planning services to the 20
core organizations noted above on the
development and implementation of
workplace HIV/AIDS programs. The
criteria used for selecting 11 of these 20
organizations (nine are specifically cited
above) will be developed in
coordination with CDC. Planning
services may include:
a. Conducting focused program
assessments of the 20 core organizations
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 120 (Thursday, June 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36389-36394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12410]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
STD Surveillance Network (SSuN)
Announcement Type: New.
Funding Opportunity Number: AA055.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.977.
Key Dates:
Letter of Intent Deadline: July 8, 2005.
Application Deadline: July 25, 2005.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: Sections 317(k)(2) and 318 of the Public Health Service
Act [42 U.S.C. Sections 247b(k)(2) and 247c], as amended.
Background: A dynamic STD surveillance network, comprised of local
enhanced STD surveillance systems following common protocols, has the
potential to fill several important gaps in the existing national STD
surveillance system. National STD surveillance data, reported through
the National Electronic Telecommunication Surveillance System (NETSS),
currently involves a limited number of demographic data elements
collected from all states for a limited number of sexually transmitted
diseases (chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis). Weekly
reporting through NETSS is insufficient for rapid identification of
many trends in disease, and does not support the collection and
reporting of data on many relevant STD risk behaviors. Furthermore,
even if trends in disease or risk behaviors are identified, the
national STD morbidity surveillance infrastructure comprised of NETSS
reporting from all states has limited capacity to be easily and rapidly
modified. Even though the transition to the National Electronic Disease
Surveillance System (NEDSS) is intended to improve the timeliness and
flexibility of national STD surveillance, the flexibility of national
morbidity reporting will always be restricted by the scale of the
system.
CDC has traditionally relied on supplemental activities such as
prevalence monitoring projects and special studies to enhance STD
surveillance at a national level. While these types of activities focus
on
[[Page 36390]]
specific at-risk sub-populations, an STD surveillance network would
focus activities on the larger population with disease. The STD
surveillance network would also have the ability to monitor what is
happening across the range of STD entities (gonorrhea, herpes,
chlamydia, syphilis, HPV, etc.). In addition, it should provide the
infrastructure and potential to detect emerging issues and
environmental changes (ex: increases in lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV),
resistant gonorrhea, resistant syphilis, HPV, illicit drug use). An
initial focus and priority would be to obtain enhanced data on
gonorrhea. Additional priority areas would be determined by the STD
surveillance network on an ongoing basis.
Purpose: The purposes of the program are to: develop a dynamic STD
surveillance network comprised of local enhanced STD surveillance
systems, following common protocols, to improve the capacity of
national, state, and local STD programs to detect, monitor, and respond
rapidly, flexibly, and with greater effectiveness to established and
emerging trends in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) through
improved collection, reporting, analysis, visualization (i.e. mapping);
and interpret STD surveillance data.
This program addresses the ``Healthy People 2010'' focus area(s)
of: HIV Infection, Immunization and Infectious Diseases, Public Health
Infrastructure, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one or
more of the following performance goals for the Coordinating Center for
Infectious Diseases (CCID), National Center for HIV, STD, and TB
Prevention (NCHSTP), Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP): (1) Reduce STD
rates by providing chlamydia and gonorrhea screening, treatment, and
partner treatment to 50 percent of women in publicly funded family
planning and STD clinics nationally; (2) Reduce the incidence of
primary and secondary syphilis; (3) Reduce the incidence of congenital
syphilis; and (4) Strengthen the capacity nationwide to monitor the
epidemic, develop and implement effective HIV prevention interventions,
and evaluate prevention programs.
This announcement is only for non-research activities supported by
CDC/ATSDR. If research is proposed, the application will not be
reviewed. For the definition of research, please see the CDC Web site
at the following Internet address: https://www.cdc.gov/od/ads/
opspoll1.htm.
Activities:
Required awardee activities for this program are as follows:
Participate in conference calls and a CDC-organized
meeting in the first quarter of the year one budget period to finalize
a common protocol for enhanced gonorrhea surveillance and for at least
one other emerging or existing STD area of concern. Types of data to be
collected under the common protocol for enhanced gonorrhea
surveillance, with relevance for other STDs may include: number and
gender of sex partners; presence or absence of symptoms; sites of
infection; STD/HIV infection history; level of education; internet
usage; history of incarceration; performance drug use; and illicit
substance use.
Provide the human and technical resources necessary for
collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of enhanced
gonorrhea surveillance data from one or more STD clinics; it is also
desirable, but not required, that awardees conduct enhanced
surveillance of gonorrhea in one or more surrounding counties.
Awardees planning to conduct enhanced surveillance of GC
in surrounding counties should conduct surveillance on a representative
sample of patients with gonorrhea in the county in which the STD clinic
is located.
Collaborate with CDC and other awardees to identify other
STDs and sexual health issues of interest (ex: LGV, resistant
gonorrhea, resistant syphilis, increased illicit drug use), including
those for which rapid implementation of surveillance and/or prevention
activities are needed.
Collaborate with CDC and other awardees to expeditiously
develop common protocols to monitor and respond to STD-relevant trends.
Provide the human and technical resources necessary to
conduct enhanced surveillance for the collaboratively identified other
STDs and sexual health issues.
Work collaboratively with other awardees and CDC to
standardize behavioral risk domains and achieve standardization of
specific data elements.
Collaborate to develop and implement common data elements
and protocols.
Plan to use or build upon currently existing electronic
information systems for the collection, integration, analysis, and
reporting of enhanced surveillance data.
Electronically transmit data from STD surveillance
activities to CDC on a monthly basis in a mutually agreed-upon format.
Perform routine analyses of local STD surveillance data,
including spatial or outbreak detection analyses; and evaluate the
effectiveness of different methods of spatial or outbreak detection
analysis in improving STD surveillance and program activities.
Establish mechanisms by which STD enhanced and routine
surveillance data are shared with stakeholders.
Participate in annual collaboration meetings by reporting
preliminary data and the status of ongoing activities, and working with
other sites to develop or revise common enhanced surveillance activity
protocols.
In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in
the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring. CDC
Activities for this program are as follows:
Draft common protocols for enhanced gonorrhea
surveillance, in STD clinics and in counties, to be discussed and
modified by awardees through conference calls and a meeting with
awardees in the first quarter of the year one budget period.
Analyze data from all awardees, and share results with
stakeholders.
Identify emerging trends in STDs and sexual health issues
that merit further investigation by the STD surveillance network.
Coordinate the development of new common surveillance and
response protocols; standardization of data elements; and definition of
data reporting formats through collaboration with awardees.
Coordinate annual collaboration meetings to review and
plan program activities.
Collaborate directly in the publication and dissemination
of project findings and experiences.
Facilitate, where possible, and assist with the electronic
transmission of data to CDC.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. CDC involvement in this
program is listed in the Activities Section above.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2005.
Approximate Total Funding: $400,000 (This amount is an estimate for
the first 12-month budget period, and is subject to availability of
funds.)
Approximate Number of Awards: Five.
Approximate Average Award: $80,000, if enhanced county-level
surveillance is included; $60,000 for projects that don't include such
an activity. (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and
includes both direct and indirect costs.)
[[Page 36391]]
Floor of Award Range: None.
Ceiling of Award Range: $100,000 (This ceiling is for the first 12-
month budget period.)
Anticipated Award Date: August 31, 2005.
Budget Period Length: 12 months.
Project Period Length: Three years.
Throughout the project period, CDC's commitment to continuation of
awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of
satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required
reports), and the determination that continued funding is in the best
interest of the Federal Government.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible Applicants
Limited competition. Only the 65 state, county, city, and
territorial health departments that are current recipients of
Comprehensive STD Prevention Systems grants may apply for this program
because participation in an STD surveillance network requires the
participating entity to have the legal and programmatic capacity to
collect and monitor health data, as well as the programmatic capacity
to respond to emerging trends in disease and risk behaviors.
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Matching funds are not required for this program.
III.3. Other
If you are requesting a funding amount greater than the ceiling of
the award range, your application will be considered non-responsive and
will not be entered into the review process. You will be notified that
your application did not meet the submission requirements.
Special Requirements
If your application is incomplete or non-responsive to the special
requirements listed in this section, it will not be entered into the
review process. You will be notified that your application did not meet
submission requirements.
Late applications will be considered non-responsive. See
section ``IV.3. Submission Dates and Times'' for more information on
deadlines.
Letters of intent are requested.
Awardees must ensure that enhanced gonorrhea surveillance
activities occur in at least one STD clinic that diagnoses at least 150
cases of gonorrhea per year; and, if the awardee plans to work in the
surrounding county, the county in which the STD clinic is located
receives reports of at least 100 cases of gonorrhea per year from other
providers.
Participation in Outcomes Assessment through Systems of
Integrated Surveillance (OASIS) cooperative agreements 707,
99000, or 02211 is useful, but not required, for
meeting the requirements of this activity. If not a former OASIS
participant, the applicant should demonstrate that they have
significant experience conducting other types of enhanced STD
surveillance, analyzing enhanced STD surveillance data, and
disseminating findings to stakeholders.
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.
IV. Application and Submission Information
IV.1. Address To Request Application Package
To apply for this funding opportunity use application form CDC
5161-1.
CDC strongly encourages you to submit your application
electronically by utilizing the forms and instructions posted for this
announcement at https://www.grants.gov.
Application forms and instructions are available on the CDC Web
site, at the following Internet address: https://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/
forminfo.htm.
If you do not have access to the Internet, or if you have
difficulty accessing the forms on-line, you may contact the CDC
Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section
(PGO-TIM) staff at: 770-488-2700. Application forms can be mailed to
you.
IV.2. Content and Form of Submission
Letter of Intent (LOI): Your LOI must be written in the following
format:
Maximum number of pages: 1.
Font size: 12-point unreduced.
Single spaced.
Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
Page margin size: One inch.
Printed only on one side of page.
Written in plain language, avoid jargon.
Your LOI must contain the following information:
Your intent to apply for this application.
The name of the project coordinator(s).
The name of any proposed collaborator(s).
The name, address, telephone, e-mail, and fax number of
the applicant's primary point of contact for writing and submitting the
application.
Application: You must submit a project narrative with your
application forms. The narrative must be submitted in the following
format:
Maximum number of pages: 20. If your narrative exceeds the
page limit, only the first pages which are within the page limit will
be reviewed.
Font size: 12 point unreduced.
Double spaced.
Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
Page margin size: One inch.
Printed only on one side of page.
Held together only by rubber bands or metal clips; not
bound in any other way.
The funding opportunity title and number must appear on
the first page.
Your narrative should address activities to be conducted over the
entire project period, and must include the following items in the
order listed: Background/Need, Objectives, Plan, Method, Experience,
Timeline, Capacity, Evaluation Plans, Sustainability, and Line-Item
Budget with Justifications. More detailed descriptions of these items
are described in section V.1. ``Criteria'' of this announcement.
Additional information may be included in the application
appendices. The appendices will not be counted toward the narrative
page limit. This additional information includes:
Curriculum Vitas.
Organizational Charts.
Letters of Support.
You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the Federal Government. The DUNS number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities.
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a
DUNS number, access https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711.
For more information, see the CDC Web site at: https://www.cdc.gov/
od/pgo/funding/pubcommt.htm. If your application form does not have a
DUNS number field, please write your DUNS number at the top of the
first page of your application, and/or include your DUNS number in your
application cover letter.
Additional requirements that may require you to submit additional
documentation with your application are listed in section ``VI.2.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements.''
IV.3. Submission Dates and Times
LOI Deadline Date: July 8, 2005.
[[Page 36392]]
CDC requests that you submit a LOI if you intend to apply for this
program. Although the LOI is not required, not binding, and does not
enter into review of your subsequent application, the LOI will be used
to gauge the level of interest in this program, and allow CDC to plan
the application review.
Application Deadline Date: July 25, 2005.
Explanation of Deadlines: LOIs and Applications must be received in
the CDC Procurement and Grants Office by 4 p.m. eastern time on the
deadline date.
You may submit your application electronically at https://
www.grants.gov. Applications completed online through Grants.gov are
considered formally submitted when the applicant organization's
Authorizing Official electronically submits the application to https://
www.grants.gov. Electronic application will be considered as having met
the deadline if the application has been submitted electronically by
the applicant organization's Authorizing Official to Grants.gov on or
before the deadline date and time.
If you submit your application electronically with Grants.gov, your
application will be electronically time/date stamped, which will serve
as receipt of submission. You will receive an e-mail notice of receipt
when CDC receives the application.
If you submit your LOI or application by the United States Postal
Service or commercial delivery service, you must ensure that the
carrier will be able to guarantee delivery by the closing date and
time. If CDC receives your submission 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, you will be given the opportunity to
submit documentation of the carrier's guarantee. If the documentation
verifies a carrier problem, CDC will consider the submission as having
been received by the deadline.
If you submit a hard copy application, CDC will not notify you upon
receipt of your submission. If you have a question about the receipt of
your LOI or application, first contact your courier. If you still have
a question, contact the PGO-TIM staff at: 770-488-2700. Before calling,
please wait two to three days after the submission deadline. This will
allow time for submissions to be processed and logged.
This announcement is the definitive guide on LOI and application
content, submission address, and deadline. It supersedes information
provided in the application instructions. If your submission does not
meet the deadline above, it will not be eligible for review, and will
be discarded. You will be notified that you did not meet the submission
requirements.
IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
Your application is subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs, as governed by Executive Order (EO) 12372. This order sets up
a system for State and local governmental review of proposed federal
assistance applications. You should contact your state single point of
contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert the SPOC to prospective
applications, and to receive instructions on your state's process.
Click on the following link to get the current SPOC list: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
IV.5. Funding Restrictions
Restrictions, which must be taken into account while writing your
budget, are as follows:
Funds may not be used for research.
Reimbursement of pre-award costs is not allowed.
Funds may not be used for construction.
If you are requesting indirect costs in your budget, you must
include a copy of your indirect cost rate agreement. If your indirect
cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement should be less than 12
months of age.
Guidance for completing your budget can be found on the CDC Web
site, at the following Internet address: https://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/
funding/budgetguide.htm.
IV.6. Other Submission Requirements
LOI Submission Address: Submit your LOI by express mail, delivery
service, fax, or e-mail to: Lori Newman, MD, Project Officer, CDC/
NCHSTP/DSTDP, Mailstop E-02, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333,
(404) 639-6183, (404) 639-8610 (fax); len4@cdc.gov.
Application Submission Address: CDC strongly encourages applicants
to submit electronically at: https://www.grants.gov. You will be able to
download a copy of the application package from https://www.grants.gov,
complete it offline, and then upload and submit the application via the
Grants.gov site. E-mail submissions will not be accepted. If you are
having technical difficulties in Grants.gov, they can be reached by e-
mail at http:www.support@grants.gov">//www.support@grants.gov or by phone at 1-800-518-4726 (1-
800-GRANTS). The Customer Support Center is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
eastern time, Monday through Friday.
CDC recommends that you submit your application to Grants.gov early
enough to resolve any unanticipated difficulties prior to the deadline.
You may also submit a back-up paper submission of your application. Any
such paper submission must be received in accordance with the
requirements for timely submission detailed in Section IV.3. of the
grant announcement. The paper submission must be clearly marked:
``Back-Up for Electronic Submission.''
The paper submission must conform to all requirements for non-
electronic submissions. If both electronic and back-up paper
submissions are received by the deadline, the electronic version will
be considered the official submission.
It is strongly recommended that you submit your grant application
using Microsoft Office products (e.g., Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel,
etc.). If you do not have access to Microsoft Office products, you may
submit a PDF file. Directions for creating PDF files can be found on
the Grants.gov Web site. Use of file formats other than Microsoft
Office or PDF may result in your file being unreadable by our staff.
Or:
Submit the original and two hard copies of your application by mail
or express delivery service to: Technical Information Management-PA
AA055, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road,
Atlanta, GA 30341.
V. Application Review Information
V.1. Criteria
Applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that
will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified
objectives of the cooperative agreement. Measures of effectiveness must
relate to the performance goals stated in the ``Purpose'' section of
this announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative, and
must measure the intended outcome. These measures of effectiveness must
be submitted with the application and will be an element of evaluation.
Your application will be evaluated against the following criteria:
Methods: (25 points total)
(a) To what extent does the applicant demonstrate that methods for
STD clinic-based surveillance, information management, and disease
investigation and response are flexible and could be adapted for other
types of enhanced STD and behavioral surveillance in such
[[Page 36393]]
settings? Has the applicant included letters from collaborating clinics
and county health departments that demonstrate their support? If the
application is from a county or a city, does the application include a
letter of support from the state? (15 points)
(b) The applicant should clearly indicate if their plans include
enhanced surveillance of gonorrhea from the surrounding county. If
included, what is the extent to which methods are sound and analyses
will describe a representative sample of persons reported to have
gonorrhea in the county? Has the applicant included letters from
collaborating facilities and county health departments that demonstrate
their support? (10 points)
Capacity: (20 points total)
(a) Is the proposed staff capacity sufficient to conduct enhanced
data collection, entry, cleaning, analysis, evaluation, and
dissemination? Does the project staff have the appropriate background,
experience, and time to perform the proposed work? (10 points)
(b) Does the applicant have existing information management systems
with the capacity to merge or integrate electronic data from providers,
laboratories, or other data sources? Does the applicant have a database
that can be queried, can generate line listed clinic visit/patient
data, and can easily be modified to incorporate new data elements? (10
points)
Objectives/Plan: (15 points total)
What is the quality of the proposed plan to participate in an
enhanced surveillance network to collect enhanced gonorrhea data, as
well as data on other emerging or existing STD issues? Consider clarity
of objectives and soundness of the applicant's approach. The applicant
should demonstrate an understanding of the potential utility of
enhanced STD surveillance at both the local and national level. The
applicant should indicate a willingness to collaborate with other
grantees funded for this project, and adhere to a common standard
protocol.
Experience: (15 points total)
Did the applicant participate in previous Outcomes Assessment
through Systems of Integrated Surveillance (OASIS) cooperative
agreements 707, 99000, or 02211, and
demonstrate their ability to successfully conduct enhanced gonorrhea
surveillance and work collaboratively with other sites? OR Does the
applicant demonstrate that they have significant experience conducting
other types of enhanced STD surveillance, analyzing enhanced STD
surveillance data, and disseminating findings to stakeholders?
Background/Need: (10 points total)
How well has the applicant described the target population, and
justified the need for this program within the target population? Is
the gonorrhea morbidity in the target population sufficient to merit
enhanced surveillance and subsequent interventions? To what extent does
the STD clinic have a large and varied clientele (with regard to
gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation) who experience a range
of STDs, and a professional staff with the ability to recognize,
correctly diagnose, and treat emerging STDs and sexual issues? (Note:
It is required that the STD clinic see a minimum average of 150
patients of gonorrhea per year.) What is the STD burden in the
designated county? (Note: For awardees planning enhanced surveillance
in the county, the county must have at least an additional 100 reported
cases of gonorrhea a year reported from other providers.)
Evaluation Plans: (5 points total)
Has the applicant set forth clear performance goals? Has the
applicant outlined outcome measures that are objective, quantitative,
and adequately measure the intended outcome? To what extent does the
applicant demonstrate their ability and intent to disseminate and
translate the data into programmatic action?
Timeline: (5 points total)
Has the applicant proposed an achievable timeline? Has the
applicant documented their ability to implement the proposed plan for
enhanced gonorrhea surveillance within the first year of the project
period?
Sustainability: (5 points total)
To what extent has the applicant demonstrated that activities could
be institutionalized as ongoing surveillance activities?
Budget and Justification: (Reviewed, but not scored.)
Is the budget reasonable, clearly justified, and consistent with
the intended use of funds?
V.2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Procurement
and Grants Office (PGO) staff, and for responsiveness by NCHSTP/DSTDP.
Incomplete applications and applications that are non-responsive to the
eligibility criteria will not advance through the review process.
Applicants will be notified that their application did not meet
submission requirements.
An objective review panel of CDC employees will evaluate complete
and responsive applications according to the criteria listed in the
``V.1. Criteria'' section above. All members of the objective review
panel will come from outside of the funding division of NCHSTP.
In addition, the following factors may affect the funding decision:
The need for geographic diversity may affect applicant
selection.
Applicant selection may be affected by the importance of
covering high gonorrhea morbidity areas.
Applicant selection may be affected by the importance of
including populations that broadly represent patients with gonorrhea by
gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
CDC will provide justification for any decision to fund out of rank
order.
V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
August 31, 2005.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA) from the
CDC Procurement and Grants Office. The NoA shall be the only binding,
authorizing document between the recipient and CDC. The NoA will be
signed by an authorized Grants Management Officer, and mailed to the
recipient fiscal officer identified in the application. Unsuccessful
applicants will receive notification of the results of the application
review by mail.
VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
45 CFR part 74 and part 92
For more information on the Code of Federal Regulations, see the
National Archives and Records Administration at the following Internet
address: https://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html.
The following additional requirements apply to this project:
AR-4 HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Provisions.
AR-6 Patient Care.
AR-7 Executive Order 12374 Review.
AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements.
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements.
AR-11 Healthy People 2010.
Additional information on these requirements can be found on the
CDC Web site at the following Internet address: https://www.cdc.gov/od/
pgo/funding/ARs.htm.
An additional Certification form from the PHS 5161-1 application
needs to be included in your Grants.gov electronic submission only.
Refer to https://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/
[[Page 36394]]
PHS5161-1Certificates.pdf. Once the form is filled out, attach it to
your Grants.gov submission as Other Attachment Forms.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide CDC with an original, plus two hard copies of the
following reports:
1. Interim progress report, due by June 30th of each funding year.
The progress report will serve as your non-competing continuation
application, and must contain the following elements:
a. Current Budget Period Activities Objectives.
b. Current Budget Period Financial Progress.
c. New Budget Period Program Proposed Activity Objectives.
d. Budget.
e. Measures of Effectiveness.
f. Additional Requested Information.
2. Financial status report and annual progress report, due by
December 30 of each funding year.
3. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days
after the end of the project period.
These reports must be mailed to the Grants Management or Contract
Specialist listed in the ``Agency Contacts'' section of this
announcement.
VII. Agency Contacts
We encourage inquiries concerning this announcement. For general
questions, contact: Technical Information Management Section, CDC
Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341;
telephone: 770-488-2700.
For program technical assistance, contact: Lori Newman, MD, Project
Officer, Mailstop E-02, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333,
telephone: 404-639-6183; e-mail: len4@cdc.gov.
For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact:
Gladys Gissentanna, Grants Management Specialist, CDC Procurement and
Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, telephone: 770-
488-2753; e-mail: gcg4@cdc.gov.
VIII. Other Information
This and other CDC funding opportunity announcements can be found
on the CDC Web site, Internet address: https://www.cdc.gov. Click on
``Funding'' then ``Grants and Cooperative Agreements.''
Dated: June 17, 2005.
William P. Nichols,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-12410 Filed 6-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P