Announcement of Availability of Funds for Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Demonstration Projects, 14786-14793 [06-2804]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14786-14793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2804]



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Part II





Department of Health and Human Services





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Announcement of Availability of Funds for Adolescent Family Life (AFL) 
Demonstration Projects; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 56 / Thursday, March 23, 2006 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Announcement of Availability of Funds for Adolescent Family Life 
(AFL) Demonstration Projects

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Secretary.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Announcement of Availability of Funds 
for Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Demonstration Projects.
    Announcement Type: Initial Competitive Grant.
    CFDA Number: 93.995.
    Key Dates: To receive consideration, applications must be received 
by the Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) Office of Grants 
Management no later than May 22, 2006. Applications will be considered 
as meeting the deadline if they are received by the OPHS Office of 
Grants Management no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the application 
due date. Applications will not be accepted by fax, nor will the 
submission deadline be extended. The application due date requirement 
specified in this announcement supersedes the instructions in the OPHS-
1 (revised 08/2004). Applications that do not meet the deadline will be 
returned to the applicant unread. See heading ``APPLICATION and 
SUBMISSION INFORMATION'' for additional information.
    Overview: The Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (OAPP) of the 
Office of Population Affairs (OPA) requests applications for care 
demonstration grants under the Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Act 
Demonstration Projects Program, as authorized by Title XX of the Public 
Health Service (PHS) Act, 42 U.S.C. 300z et seq. Title XX authorizes 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for care 
demonstration projects to provide services to pregnant adolescents, 
adolescent parents, and their families. Services are intended to 
``enable pregnant adolescents to obtain proper care and assist pregnant 
adolescents and adolescent parents to become productive independent 
contributors to family and community life'' and ``to assist families of 
adolescents to understand and resolve the societal causes which are 
associated with adolescent pregnancy.'' PHS Act Sec.  2001(b)(3)(A) and 
(B). In addition, Title XX demonstration projects are required to ``use 
such methods as will strengthen the capacity of families to deal with 
the sexual behavior, pregnancy, or parenthood of adolescents and to 
make use of support systems such as other family members [and] 
friends.'' PHS Act Sec.  2003. With respect to Title XX care 
demonstration projects in particular, funds are awarded to develop 
interventions in an effort to ameliorate the effects of too-early 
childbearing for teen parents, their babies and their families.
    The parenting and healthy relationship skills of the adolescent 
mothers, extended family members, fathers of their children, husbands, 
and/or male partners with whom they are in a long-term relationship, 
are important to ensuring services meet the intent of the legislation. 
For example, fathers of the adolescent mothers' children, husbands and/
or male partners with whom the adolescent mothers are in long-term 
relationships can be offered case management services and an array of 
other services that consist of and are not limited to: career and 
leadership development, entrepreneurial training, tutoring and General 
Education Degree (GED) preparation, parenting groups, couples groups 
encouraging healthy relationships leading to marriage, mentoring, 
community service, cultural activities, and resources for employment. 
In addition, parents and siblings of the pregnant or parenting 
adolescent are encouraged to participate in various supportive services 
that will also help to ensure the welfare of the babies and the 
adolescent mother.
    These grants are for public or private nonprofit organizations or 
agencies to demonstrate effective means of strengthening families by 
providing an array of services that help prevent repeat pregnancy and 
enhance the well being of pregnant or parenting adolescent mothers, 
their children, fathers of their children, husbands and/or male 
partners with whom they are in a long-term relationship. Faith-based 
and community-based organizations are encouraged to apply. See heading 
``Care Services'' for additional information.
    Applicants should describe current and proposed efforts to prevent 
the sexual coercion and exploitation of teens by older partners, as 
well as management and reporting that comply with State reporting laws 
regarding child sexual abuse, sexual assault (including statutory 
rape), incest, or family violence in their proposals. For more 
information, applicants may access the National Clearinghouse on Child 
Abuse and Neglect Web site at https://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov.
    Special consideration may be granted to underserved areas and 
populations not currently receiving Title XX funding for care programs. 
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Population Affairs (DASPA) has the 
discretion not to fund current Title XX care and prevention grantees. 
However, all applicants are required to adhere to the DASPA criteria as 
set forth in this announcement. If there are multiple applicants from 
one State, agency collaboration is encouraged. Please note, the DASPA 
may elect to award one grant per State.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Care Services

    Under this announcement, funds are available for care projects 
only. The project site or sites must be identified in the application 
rather than selected after the grant is awarded. Under the Title XX 
statute, the primary purpose of care programs is to establish 
innovative, comprehensive, and integrated approaches to the delivery of 
care services for pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents under 19 
years of age at program entry, with primary emphasis on unmarried 
adolescents who are 17 years old or younger. Care services should 
promote the healthy involvement of the adolescents' children, extended 
family members, fathers of their children, husbands, and/or male 
partners with whom they are in a long-term relationship. The OAPP 
encourages the submission of care applications which propose to: (1) 
Add care services to supplement existing adolescent health services in 
school, hospital or other community settings; (2) provide care services 
to underserved populations; (3) continue services to clients after the 
delivery of the baby to enable them to acquire good parenting skills 
and to ensure that their children are developing physically, 
intellectually and emotionally; (4) stress self-sufficiency skills, 
such as school completion (in mainstream or alternative schools and GED 
programs) and/or job training preparation and placement; (5) involve 
the adolescents' children, extended family members, fathers of their 
children, husbands and/or male partners with whom they are in a long-
term relationship (e.g., through job training, parenting classes, and 
counseling); (6) provide education on how to build and maintain healthy 
relationships, prepare for marriage, parenting and future families; (7) 
assure identification of mental health concerns and referral to 
appropriate resources; and (8) provide Sexually Transmitted Infections 
(STI) and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention counseling.
    Applicants should justify their proposed approach by assessing 
current literature and describing the lack of existing programming in 
the community. Applicants should propose projects that will establish 
better coordination, integration, and linkages

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among organizations with such existing programs.
    Under the statutory requirements of Title XX, applicants for care 
projects are required to provide, either directly or by referral, the 
following 10 core services:
    (1) Pregnancy testing and maternity counseling;
    (2) Adoption counseling and referral services which present 
adoption as an option for pregnant adolescents, including referral to 
licensed adoption agencies in the community if the eligible grant 
recipient is not a licensed adoption agency;
    (3) Primary and preventive health services, including prenatal and 
postnatal care;
    (4) Nutrition information and counseling;
    (5) Referral for screening and treatment of STIs, including HIV/
AIDS;
    (6) Referral to appropriate pediatric care;
    (7) Educational services relating to family life and problems 
associated with adolescent premarital sexual relations including:
    (a) Information about adoption;
    (b) Education on the responsibilities of sexuality and parenting;
    (c) The development of material to support the role of parents as 
the providers of sex education; and
    (d) Assistance to parents, schools, youth agencies and health 
providers to educate adolescents and preadolescents concerning self-
discipline and responsibility in human sexuality;
    (8) Appropriate educational and vocational services;
    (9) Mental health services and referral to mental health services 
and to other appropriate physical health services; and
    (10) Counseling and referral for family planning services.


    Note: Funds provided under Title XX may not be used for the 
provision of family planning services other than counseling and 
referral services unless appropriate family planning services are 
not otherwise available in the community. In accordance with sec. 
2006(a)(17) of Title XX (42 U.S.C. 300z-5(a)(17)), applicants must 
make maximum use of funds available under the Title X Family 
Planning Program in providing this required core service. According 
to the Title XX legislation (section 2006(a)(18)), ``the acceptance 
by any individual of family planning services or family planning 
information (including educational materials) * * * shall be 
voluntary and shall not be a prerequisite to eligibility for or 
receipt of any other service furnished by the applicant.''


    In addition to the 10 required core services listed above, 
applicants for care projects may provide any of the following 
supplemental services:
    (1) Referral to licensed residential care or maternity home 
services;
    (2) Child care sufficient to enable the adolescent parent to 
continue education or to enter into employment;
    (3) Consumer education;
    (4) Counseling for the immediate and extended family members of the 
eligible person;
    (5) Transportation; and
    (6) Outreach services to families of adolescents to discourage 
sexual relations among unemancipated minors.
    The applicants proposal must address how each of the ten core 
services and any supplemental services will be provided, either 
directly or by referral.

Youth Development or Developmental Assets Approach

    Achieving a successful transition into adulthood for adolescents 
can be difficult and this is particularly so for pregnant and parenting 
adolescents. Research has clearly shown that future educational and 
economic prospects for teens decline significantly if they have a baby. 
Teen pregnancy is closely linked to less than optimal health outcomes 
for mother and infant, school dropout, lack of job skills, repeat 
pregnancies, poverty, and unstable home environments. To help address 
these multiple problems, the OAPP encourages applicants to incorporate 
youth development concepts into their care programs.
    All adolescents need to see hope for their future, acquire the 
skills necessary to turn hope into reality, and be provided with 
opportunities to help them reach that reality. Examples of youth 
development activities in a care program are ones that address school 
retention and completion, job and vocational training, service 
learning, community involvement, building and maintaining healthy 
relationships, marriage preparation, building skills, confidence and 
self-efficacy, and avoiding health risks such as tobacco, alcohol, drug 
use, and sexual involvement. These types of activities contribute to 
strengthening the support systems these young parents need to achieve 
productive futures. Where possible, adolescents should be an integral 
part of the design, implementation, and evaluation of this approach. 
All services provided by AFL grantees, however, including all 
activities that are part of a youth development approach, must be 
within the scope of the Title XX care services listed above.

Parental, Family, and Male Involvement

    Strengthening families and healthy relationship skills is a primary 
focus for the OAPP. In the case of adolescent parents, this includes 
not only providing health, educational, and social services for 
adolescents who are pregnant or parenting, but also finding ways to 
ensure the healthy involvement of their children, extended family 
members, fathers of their children, husbands and/or male partners with 
whom they are in a long-term relationship. Research has clearly shown 
the importance of families in the social, emotional, and intellectual 
growth of children and adolescents. Adolescent parents are still 
adolescents; they need the involvement and support of their own parents 
as they continue their transition to adulthood. Applicants should 
provide services that include the adolescents' children, extended 
family members, fathers of their children, husbands, and/or male 
partners with whom they are in a long-term relationship. The 
involvement of these groups is important to enhance the overall well-
being and skills of these individuals within the context of a healthy 
family.

Goals and Objectives

    The Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (OAPP) has 3 cross-site 
performance measures for AFL Care programs: (1) Reduce the incidence of 
repeat pregnancies among AFL clients; (2) Increase AFL Care 
demonstration client conformance with recommended infant immunization 
schedules; and (3) Increase the educational attainment of AFL Care 
demonstration project clients. All grantees will be responsible for 
reporting on these three measures and the applicant should include a 
program goal(s) statement related to these outcome objectives. 
Additional programmatic goal(s) and objectives can be proposed, if 
applicable.
    A goal is a general statement of what the project hopes to 
accomplish. It should reflect the long-term desired impact of the 
project on the target group(s) as well as reflect the program goals 
contained in this program announcement. An outcome objective is a 
statement which defines a measurable result the project expects to 
accomplish. All outcome objectives, including the performance measures 
above, should be described in terms that measure how project specific 
results will be measured. Good applications should contain the 3 OAPP 
performance measures listed above and no more than 3 additional 
objectives. Applications should ensure all proposed objectives are 
specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed 
(S.M.A.R.T.).
    Specific: An objective should specify one major result directly 
related to the

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program goal, state who is going to be doing what, to whom, by how 
much, and in what time-frame. It should specify what will be 
accomplished and how the accomplishment will be measured.
    Measurable: An objective should be able to describe in realistic 
terms the expected results and specify how such results will be 
measured.
    Achievable: The accomplishment specified in the objective should be 
achievable within the proposed time line and as a direct result of 
program activities.
    Realistic: The objective should be reasonable in nature. The 
specified outcomes, expected results, should be described in realistic 
terms.
    Time-framed: An outcome objective should specify a target date or 
time for its accomplishments. It should state who is going to be doing 
what, by when, etc.
    The Public Management Institute, How to Get Grants (1981).

Evaluation

    Section 2006(b)(1) of Title XX requires each grantee to expend at 
least one percent, but not more than five percent, of the Federal funds 
received under Title XX on evaluation of the project. In cases in which 
a more rigorous or comprehensive evaluation effort is proposed, waivers 
of the five percent limit on evaluation may be granted by OAPP (see 
sec. 2006(b)(1)). Under this announcement, the OAPP is requesting 
applications for evaluation-intensive projects. For evaluation-
intensive projects, the OAPP will waive the five percent limit up to a 
maximum of 20 percent. Evaluation plans that are not evaluation-
intensive, according to the following criteria, will be scored 
accordingly by the external review panel.
    1. The evaluation plan should be directly tied to program 
objectives. Research hypotheses should be clearly stated and reflect 
the outcomes the program intends to achieve.
    2. The evaluation plan should include a process or implementation 
evaluation. Evaluations in their first year should focus on determining 
that the intervention is in place, that it is adequately and 
appropriately staffed, and that it is reaching its intended population.
    3. The evaluation plan should have a viable comparison strategy. If 
a true experimental design with random assignment is not possible, a 
quasi-experimental design with matched comparison group would be 
acceptable.
    4. The evaluation plan should have a sufficient sample size to 
ensure that any observed differences between groups are significant. 
The evaluation plan should propose appropriate statistical analyses.
    5. The evaluation plan should measure dosage. Client participation 
and use of various service components should be carefully tracked so 
that any differences can be corrected for, or at least taken into 
account, in discussion of evaluation results.
    6. The evaluation plan should include a follow-up assessment and 
longitudinal tracking of program participants during and after the 
intervention.
    In addition, applications should clearly demonstrate the capacity 
to participate in a cross-site evaluation, as well as the understanding 
that use of a core evaluation instrument will be incorporated into the 
outcome evaluation design. The core instrument has specific questions 
that will measure the 3 OAPP performance measures. A copy of the core 
instrument is included in the AFL application kit and may be viewed at 
https://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov.
    Section 2006(b)(2) of Title XX requires that evaluations be 
conducted by an organization or entity independent of the grantee 
providing services. To assist in conducting the evaluation, each 
grantee shall develop a working relationship with an independent 
evaluator associated with a college or university located in the 
grantee's state. This evaluator will provide monitoring and evaluation 
of the proposed program. The OAPP strongly recommends extensive 
collaboration between the applicant organization and the proposed 
evaluator. It is important to establish this relationship when 
preparing the application to ensure that the project's goals and 
objectives and the evaluation plan are consistent with each other.

Curricula Review

    The grantee shall submit all curricula and educational materials 
for use in the AFL project, whether currently available or to be 
developed by the grantee to the OAPP for review and approval prior to 
use in the project. The review shall ensure that the materials are 
medically accurate, consistent with Title XX policies on religion, and 
in compliance with the statutory prohibitions against advocating, 
promoting, encouraging, or providing abortions.


    Note: Curricula and educational materials should be identified 
for this application. Review and approval of curricula and other 
educational materials are not done until an application is approved 
for funding. Successful approval of a grant application does not 
indicate approval of curricula and educational materials for use in 
a funded project.

II. Award Information

    This notice announces the availability of approximately $5 million 
to support an estimated 13-15 new care demonstration grants, up to a 
maximum of $375,000 each per year. Any application that proposes 
funding over the maximum will not be considered. Please note, in Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2005, the OAPP issued a similar Request for Applications 
(RFA) announcing approximately $5 million for new care demonstration 
projects. In response to that RFA, OAPP received 216 grant applications 
and was able to fund only 14 new projects. Grants may be approved for 
project periods of up to five years, and are funded in annual 
increments (budget periods). Funding for all approved budget periods 
beyond the first year of the grant is contingent upon the availability 
of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, and adequate 
stewardship of Federal funds.
    Applications are encouraged from organizations which are currently 
operating programs that are completing their funding cycle, if 
modifications are made to expand or enhance services for a new 
demonstration project according to the guidelines specified in this 
announcement. Existing or previous programs should include information 
regarding the evaluation outcomes of previous programs. Applications 
are also encouraged from organizations that have the capability to 
conduct a rigorous evaluation of the funded project.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Any public or private nonprofit organization or agency is eligible 
to apply for a grant. However, only those organizations or agencies 
which demonstrate the capability of providing the proposed services and 
meet the statutory requirements are considered for grant awards. Faith-
based and community-based organizations are encouraged to apply for AFL 
grants. Please note, however, that AFL funds may not be used for 
inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious 
instruction, and proselytization. If an organization engages in such 
activities, they must be offered separately in time or location from 
the program funded under the AFL program and participation must be 
voluntary for program beneficiaries. An AFL program, in providing 
services and outreach related to program services, cannot discriminate 
against current or prospective program beneficiaries on the basis of 
religion, a religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or 
a

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refusal to actively participate in a religious practice.

2. Cost Sharing

    Applicants funded under this announcement will be required to match 
federal funding provided by the OAPP. Section 2005 (c)(2) of Title XX 
states that an AFL grant award may not exceed 70 percent of the total 
costs of the project for the first and second years, 60 percent of the 
total costs for the third year, 50 percent for the fourth year and 40 
percent for the fifth year. The AFL non-Federal share of the project 
costs may be provided in cash expenditures or fairly evaluated in-kind 
contributions, including facilities, equipment, and services. 
Generally, other Federal funds may not be used as matching funds. Note, 
however, that the PHS Grants Policy Statement 9505 (``Non-Federal 
Sources of Funds'') provides that: ``Unless otherwise restricted by 
legislation or regulation, costs used to satisfy the grantee's matching 
requirements may be financed from * * * Funds derived either directly 
or indirectly from Federal sources which are received as fees, 
payments, or reimbursements for the provision of a specific service, 
such as patient care reimbursements received under Medicare or 
Medicaid.''

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    Application kits may be requested from, and submitted to the OPHS 
Office of Grants Management, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, 
Rockville, MD 20852, 240-453-8822. Application kits are also available 
online at the electronic grants management Web site (e-Grants) at 
https://egrants.osophs.dhhs.gov/ and Grants.Gov at https://
www.grants.gov. Applicants may fax a written request to the OPHS Office 
of Grants Management to obtain a hard copy of the application kit at 
240-453-8823.

2. Content and Form of Application

    In preparing the application, it is important to follow ALL 
instructions and public policy requirements provided in the application 
kit. Applications must be submitted on the forms supplied (OPHS-1, 
Revised 08/2004) and in the manner prescribed in the application kits 
provided by the OAPP. Applicants are required to submit an application 
signed by an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency or 
organization and to assume for the organization the obligations imposed 
by the terms and conditions of the grant award. The program narrative 
must be printed on 8\1/2\ by 11 inch white paper, with one-inch 
margins, double-spaced with an easily readable 12-point font. All pages 
must be numbered sequentially not including appendices and required 
forms. The program narrative should not be longer than 50 double-spaced 
pages, not including appendices and required forms. All pages, figures, 
and tables must be numbered sequentially. Do not staple or bind the 
application package. Use rubber bands or binder clips.
    The narrative description of the project must contain the 
following:
    One-page Summary: Briefly provide a statement of the proposed 
demonstration project indicating that this is a CARE demonstration 
project and whether it is for a local or statewide project; Type of 
organization applying (school, state agency, voluntary agency, etc.); 
Geographic area to be served (urban, rural, suburban); Description of 
target population to be served; Statement of the program intervention; 
Brief description of the proposed project.
     Description of Applicant Organization: Describe the 
decision-making authority and structure (e.g. relationship to the Board 
of Directors), its resources, experience, existing program units and/or 
those to be established if funding is obtained. This description should 
cover personnel, time and facilities and contain evidence of the 
organization's capacity to provide the rapid and effective use of 
resources needed to conduct the project, collect necessary data and 
evaluate it.
     Rationale: Describe the rationale for use of the proposed 
approach based upon previous practice and review of the literature and/
or evaluation findings.
     Geographic Area: Describe the geographic area to be 
served. Document the incidence of adolescent pregnancy, and describe 
economic conditions, income levels, existing services and unmet needs 
in the proposed service area.
     Program Outcome Objectives: Provide a clear statement of 
results or benefits expected that are consistent with the OAPP 
performance measures. Objectives should be specific, measurable, 
achievable, realistic, and time-framed.
     Care Services Demonstration Model: Describe the program, 
including how services will continue to be provided to clients after 
the birth of the child to enable parents to acquire good parenting 
skills and to ensure that their children are developing normally 
physically, intellectually and emotionally. Describe how the applicant 
will add care services to supplement existing adolescent health 
services in a school, hospital or other community setting. Describe how 
the applicant will provide directly, or by referral, each of the 
required ten core services and any supplemental services as 
appropriate. As appropriate, state how the project will be coordinated, 
integrated and linked to existing services within the service area. 
Describe case management and follow-up procedures. Describe the 
population, recruitment methods and selection criteria. Describe how 
the applicant will as appropriate, involve families, voluntary 
associations, religious and charitable organizations and other groups 
in the private sector.
     Workplan and Timetable: Provide a year long work plan and 
timetable, which spans at least three years of program implementation.
     Numbers and Types of Clients: Provide estimates of clients 
expected to be served during the first year (e.g. adolescent mothers, 
extended family members, fathers of their children, husbands, and/or 
male partners with whom they are in a long-term relationship).
     Documentation of Support: Provide a summary of the views 
of public agencies, providers of services and the general public in the 
geographical area to be served. Provide documentation of the support 
from other community agencies.
     Continuation Funding: Describe the plan regarding 
continuation of services at the termination of this Federal funding.
     Evaluation Plan: The evaluation plan must clearly 
articulate the program interventions and/or processes to be tested; 
theory upon which the program intervention is based; proposed 
questions/hypotheses the evaluation will address; instruments, 
including information regarding reliability and validity of 
instruments; sampling plan and data collection schedule; data analysis 
plan, including statistical tests. Describe how the evaluation is 
consistent with the program, particularly how data will be used for 
mid-course corrections and ongoing program improvements. Discuss how 
the evaluator will ensure confidentiality of the data. Describe the 
qualitative methodology planned and how it will be integrated with the 
required quantitative design. Describe how the data will be collected.
     Appendices: Include articles of incorporation and mission 
statement for private nonprofit organizations. Resumes of key staff and 
detailed

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position descriptions. How the project will obtain parental consent. 
Letters of commitment and support from other providers. Provide 
evidence of a working agreements with an evaluator affiliated with a 
college or university located in the applicant's State. The entities to 
be involved in the evaluation must be identified, their willingness to 
participate documented, their role (s) described and their capability 
documented by an attached curriculum vitae. Provide a copy of the table 
of contents of the proposed curriculum, plus a list of any other 
instructional materials that will be an integral part of the proposed 
project.
    Applicants must be familiar with Title XX in its entirety to ensure 
that they have complied with all applicable requirements. A copy of the 
legislation is included in the application kit.
    A Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is 
required for all applications for Federal assistance. Organizations 
should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps necessary 
to obtain one. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number are included in 
the application package, and may be downloaded from the OPA Web site.

3. Submission Dates, Times and Mechanisms

    The Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) provides multiple 
mechanisms for the submission of applications, as described in the 
following sections. Applicants will receive notification via mail from 
the OPHS Office of Grants Management confirming the receipt of 
applications submitted using any of these mechanisms. Applications 
submitted to the OPHS Office of Grants Management after the deadlines 
described below will not be accepted for review. Applications which do 
not conform to the requirements of the grant announcement will not be 
accepted for review and will be returned to the applicant.
    Applications may only be submitted electronically via the 
electronic submission mechanisms specified below. Any applications 
submitted via any other means of electronic communication, including 
facsimile or electronic mail, will not be accepted for review. While 
applications are accepted in hard copy, the use of the electronic 
application submission capabilities provided by the OPHS eGrants system 
or the Grants.gov Website Portal is encouraged.
    Electronic grant application submissions must be submitted no later 
than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date specified in the DATES 
section of the announcement using one of the electronic submission 
mechanisms specified below. All required hardcopy original signatures 
and mail-in items must be received by the OPHS Office of Grants 
Management no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the next business day 
after the deadline date specified in the DATES section of the 
announcement.
    Applications will not be considered valid until all electronic 
application components, hardcopy original signatures, and mail-in items 
are received by the OPHS Office of Grants Management according to the 
deadlines specified above. Application submissions that do not adhere 
to the due date requirements will be considered late and will be deemed 
ineligible. Applicants are encouraged to initiate electronic 
applications early in the application development process, and to 
submit early on the due date or before. This will aid in addressing any 
problems with submissions prior to the application deadline.
Electronic Submissions via the OPHS eGrants System
    The Grants.gov Website Portal provides organizations with the 
ability to submit applications for OPHS grant opportunities. 
Organizations must successfully complete the necessary registration 
processes in order to submit an application. Information about this 
system is available on the Grants.gov Web site, https://www.grants.gov.
    In addition to electronically submitted materials, applicants may 
be required to submit hard copy signatures for certain Program related 
forms, or original materials as required by the announcement. It is 
imperative that the applicant review both the grant announcement, as 
well as the application guidance provided within the Grants.gov 
application package, to determine such requirements. Any required hard 
copy materials, or documents that require a signature, must be 
submitted separately via mail to the OPHS Office of Grants Management, 
and, if required, must contain the original signature of an individual 
authorized to act for the applicant agency and the obligations imposed 
by the terms and conditions of the grant award.
    Electronic applications submitted via the Grants.gov Website Portal 
must contain all completed online forms required by the application 
kit, the Program Narrative, Budget Narrative and any appendices or 
exhibits. All required mail-in items must received by the due date 
requirements specified above. Mail-In items may only include 
publications, resumes, or organizational documentation.
    Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission 
via the Grants.gov Website Portal, the applicant will be provided with 
a confirmation page from Grants.gov indicating the date and time 
(Eastern Time) of the electronic application submission, as well as the 
Grants.gov Receipt Number. It is critical that the applicant print and 
retain this confirmation for their records, as well as a copy of the 
entire application package.
    All applications submitted via the Grants.gov Website Portal will 
be validated by Grants.gov. Any applications deemed ``Invalid'' by the 
Grants.gov Website Portal will not be transferred to the OPHS eGrants 
system, and OPHS has no responsibility for any application that is not 
validated and transferred to OPHS from the Grants.gov Website Portal. 
Grants.gov will notify the applicant regarding the application 
validation status. Once the application is successfully validated by 
the Grants.gov Website Portal, applicants should immediately mail all 
required hard copy materials to the OPHS Office of Grants Management to 
be received by the deadlines specified above. It is critical that the 
applicant clearly identify the Organization name and Grants.gov 
Application Receipt Number on all hard copy materials.
    Once the application is validated by Grants.gov, it will be 
electronically transferred to the OPHS eGrants system for processing. 
Upon receipt of both the electronic application from the Grants.gov 
Website Portal, and the required hardcopy mail-in items, applicants 
will receive notification via mail from the OPHS Office of Grants 
Management confirming the receipt of the application submitted using 
the Grants.gov Website Portal.
    Applicants should contact Grants.gov regarding any questions or 
concerns regarding the electronic application process conducted through 
the Grants.gov Website Portal.
Electronic Submissions via the OPHS eGrants System
    The OPHS electronic grants management system, eGrants, provides for 
applications to be submitted electronically. Information about this 
system is available on the OPHS eGrants Web site, https://
egrants.osophs.dhhs.gov, or may be requested from the OPHS Office of 
Grants Management at (240) 453-8822.
    When submitting applications via the OPHS eGrants system, 
applicants are required to submit a hard copy of the application face 
page (Standard Form

[[Page 14791]]

424) with the original signature of an individual authorized to act for 
the applicant agency and assume the obligations imposed by the terms 
and conditions of the grant award. If required, applicants will also 
need to submit a hard copy of the Standard Form LLL and/or certain 
Program related forms (e.g., Program Certifications) with the original 
signature of an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency.
    Electronic applications submitted via the OPHS eGrants system must 
contain all completed online forms required by the application kit, the 
Program Narrative, Budget Narrative and any appendices or exhibits. The 
applicant may identify specific mail-in items to be sent to the Office 
of Grants Management separate from the electronic submission; however 
these mail-in items must be entered on the eGrants Application 
Checklist at the time of electronic submission, and must be received by 
the due date requirements specified above. Mail-In items may only 
include publications, resumes, or organizational documentation.
    Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission, 
the OPHS eGrants system will provide the applicant with a confirmation 
page indicating the date and time (Eastern Time) of the electronic 
application submission. This confirmation page will also provide a 
listing of all items that constitute the final application submission 
including all electronic application components, required hardcopy 
original signatures, and mail-in items, as well as the mailing address 
of the OPHS Office of Grants Management where all required hard copy 
materials must be submitted.
    As items are received by the OPHS Office of Grants Management, the 
electronic application status will be updated to reflect the receipt of 
mail-in items. It is recommended that the applicant monitor the status 
of their application in the OPHS eGrants system to ensure that all 
signatures and mail-in items are received.
Mailed or Hand-Delivered Hard Copy Applications
    Applicants who submit applications in hard copy (via mail or hand-
delivered) are required to submit an original and two copies of the 
application. The original application must be signed by an individual 
authorized to act for the applicant agency or organization and to 
assume for the organization the obligations imposed by the terms and 
conditions of the grant award.
    Mailed or hand-delivered applications will be considered as meeting 
the deadline if they are received by the OPHS Office of Grant 
Management on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date 
specified in the DATES section of the announcement. The application 
deadline date requirement specified in this announcement supersedes the 
instructions in the OPHS-1. Applications that do not meet the deadline 
will be returned to the applicant unread.

4. Intergovernmental Review

    Applications for AFL grants must meet both of the following 
requirements (each year):
    (1) Requirements for Review of an Application by the Governor. 
Section 2006(e) of Title XX requires that each applicant shall provide 
the Governor of the State in which the applicant is located a copy of 
each application submitted to the OAPP for a grant for a demonstration 
project for services under this Title. The Governor has 60 days from 
the receipt date in which to provide comments to the applicant. An 
applicant may comply with this requirement by submitting a copy of the 
application to the Governor of the State in which the applicant is 
located at the same time the application is submitted to OAPP. To 
inform the Governor's office of the reason for the submission, a copy 
of this notice should be attached to the application.
    (2) Requirements for Review of an Application Pursuant to Executive 
Order 12372 (SPOC Requirements). Applications under this announcement 
are subject to the review requirements of E.O. 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' as implemented by 45 
CFR part 100, ``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and 
Human Services Programs and Activities.'' E.O. 12372 sets up a system 
for state and local government review of proposed Federal assistance 
applications. As soon as possible, the applicant (other than Federally-
recognized Indian tribal governments) should contact the State Single 
Point of Contact (SPOC) for each state in the area to be served. The 
application kit contains the currently available listing of the SPOCs 
which have elected to be informed of the submission of applications. 
For those states not represented on the listing, further inquiries 
should be made by the applicant regarding submission to the relevant 
SPOC. Information about the SPOC is located on the OMB Web site https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc/html. The SPOC's comment(s) should 
be forwarded to the OPHS Office of Grants Management, 1101 Wootton 
Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852. The SPOC has 60 days from the 
closing date of this announcement to submit any comments.

5. Funding Restrictions

    Budget Request: If funding is requested in an amount greater than 
the ceiling of the award range, the application will be considered non-
responsive and will not be entered into the review process. The 
application will be returned with notification that it did not meet the 
submission requirements.
    Grant funds may be used to cover costs of: Personnel, consultants, 
equipment, supplies, grant-related travel, and other grant-related 
costs. Grant funds may not be used for: building alterations or 
renovations, construction, fund raising activities, and political 
education and lobbying. Guidance for completing the application can be 
found in the Program Guidelines, which are included with the complete 
application kits.
    Applicants for discretionary grants are expected to anticipate and 
justify their funding needs and the activities to be carried out with 
those funds in preparing the budget and accompanying narrative portions 
of their applications. The basis for determining the allowability and 
allocability of costs charged to Public Health Service (PHS) grants is 
set forth in 45 CFR parts 74 and 92. If applicants are uncertain 
whether a particular cost is allowable, they should contact the OPHS 
Office of Grants Management at 240-453-8822 for further information.

6. Other Submission Requirements

    Organizations applying for funds under the AFL Demonstration 
Projects Program must submit documentation of nonprofit status with 
their applications. If documentation is not provided, the applicant 
will be considered non-responsive and will not be entered into the 
review process. The organization will be notified that the application 
did not meet the submission requirements.
    Any of the following serves as acceptable proof of nonprofit 
status:
     A reference to the applicant organization's listing in the 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) most recent listing of tax-exempt 
organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of te IRS Code.
     A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.
     A statement from a State taking body, State Attorney 
General, or other appropriate State official certifying that the 
applicant organization has a nonprofit status and that none of the net

[[Page 14792]]

earnings accrue to any private shareholders or individuals.
     A certified copy of the organization's certificate of 
incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes nonprofit 
status.
     Any of the above proof for a State or national 
organization and a statement signed by the parent organization that the 
applicant organization is a local nonprofit affiliate.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    Eligible competing grant applications will be reviewed by a multi-
disciplinary panel of independent reviewers and will be assessed 
according to the following criteria:
    (1) The applicant's presentation of a detailed evaluation plan that 
indicates an understanding of program evaluation methods, reflects a 
practical and technically sound approach to assessing both the 
project's implementation and its outcomes, demonstrates the capacity to 
participate in a cross-site evaluation, and the intent to incorporate 
the AFL core evaluation instrument into the outcome evaluation design. 
The applicant's provision of a clear statement of mission, goals, 
measurable (outcome) objectives, reasonable methods for achieving the 
objectives. Evaluation activities are included in the proposed workplan 
and timetable. (30 points)
    (2) The applicant's presentation of an organizational model for 
service delivery with appropriate design, including all 10 core 
services with the requirements of Title XX. Any supplemental services 
listed under the above subtitle ``Care Services'' are also discussed. 
All services proposed in this part of the project are addressed within 
an innovative youth development or developmental assets approach. A 
reasonable workplan and timetable are included. (20 points)
    (3) The applicant's presentation of the need for the project, 
including the incidence of adolescent pregnancy in the geographic area 
to be served and the availability of services for adolescents within 
this geographic area. [Healthy People 2010 is a set of health 
objectives for the Nation to achieve over the first decade of the new 
century; one goal is to eliminate health disparities. In evaluating 
this criterion, priority will be given to programs which serve 
underserved populations.] (10 points)
    (4) The applicant's presentation of an innovative, detailed, and 
viable plan to recruit and retain involvement of the adolescents' 
children, extended family members, fathers of their children, husbands 
and/or male partners with whom they are in a long-term relationship. 
This plan should also include innovative strategies for building 
healthy relationships, marriages, and families. (10 points)
    (5) The capacity of the applicant to implement the program, 
including personnel and other resources, and the applicant's experience 
and expertise in providing programs for adolescents, including 
management and reporting of sexual exploitation and coercion of teens. 
(10 points)
    (6) The population the project proposes to serve including number 
and type of clients to be served. The applicant must specify how 
program staff demonstrate responsiveness to the population it serves. 
(10 points)
    (7) The community commitment to, and involvement in, planning and 
implementation of the project, as demonstrated by letters of commitment 
and willingness to participate in the project's implementation, 
acceptance of referrals, etc. (10 points)

2. Review and Selection Process

    Final grant award decisions will be made by the Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Population Affairs (DASPA). In making these decisions, 
the DASPA will take into account the extent to which applications 
recommended for approval will provide an appropriate geographic 
distribution of resources, the priorities in sec. 2005(a), and other 
factors including:
    (1) Recommendations and scores of applications submitted by the 
review panels;
    (2) The geographic area to be served, particularly the underserved 
areas and populations;
    (3) The reasonableness of the estimated cost of the project based 
on factors such as the incidence of adolescent pregnancy in the 
geographic area to be served and the availability of services for 
adolescents in this geographic area;
    (4) The adequacy of the evaluation plan, including incorporation of 
the six evaluation criteria listed in the ``Evaluation'' section of 
this announcement, and the demonstrated ability to participate 
successfully in a cross-site evaluation.
    Special consideration may be granted to underserved areas and 
populations not currently receiving Title XX funding for care programs. 
The DASPA has the discretion not to consider, for this announcement, 
current Title XX care and prevention grantees who are already funded 
under the Title XX program. However, all applicants are required to 
adhere to the DASPA criteria as set forth in this announcement. If 
there are multiple applicants from one State, agency collaboration is 
encouraged. Please note, the DASPA may elect to award one grant per 
State.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award

    The OAPP anticipates announcing and awarding grantees under this 
announcement by September 30, 2006.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    The OAPP does not release information about individual applications 
during the review process until final funding decisions have been made. 
When final funding decisions have been made, the applicant's authorized 
representative will be notified of the outcome of their application by 
postal mail. The official document notifying an applicant that an 
application has been approved for funding is the Notice of Grant Award 
signed by the Grants Management Officer, which specifies to the grantee 
the amount of money awarded, the purposes of the grant, the length of 
the project period, terms and conditions of the grant award, and the 
amount of funding to be contributed by the grantee to project costs.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    The regulations set out at 45 CFR parts 74 and 92 are the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rules and requirements 
that govern the administration of grants. Part 74 is applicable to all 
recipients except those covered by part 92, which governs awards to 
state and local governments. Applicants funded under this announcement 
must be aware of and comply with these regulations. The CFR volume that 
includes parts 74 and 92 may be downloaded from https://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/45cfrv1_03.html.
    The HHS Appropriations Act requires that when issuing statements, 
press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other 
documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part 
with Federal money, all grantees shall clearly state the percentage and 
dollar amount of the total costs of the program or project which will 
be financed with Federal money and the percentage and dollar amount of 
the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-
governmental sources.

[[Page 14793]]

3. Reporting

    Applicants funded under this grant announcement will be required to 
electronically submit an End-of-Year Program, Evaluation and Financial 
report 90 days after the grant budget period ends.

VII. Agency Contacts

Administrative and Budgetary Contacts Requirements

    For information related to administrative and budgetary 
requirements, contact the OPHS Office of Grants Management, 1101 
Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852; 240-453-8822.

Program Contacts Requirements

    For information related to the OAPP program requirements, the OAPP 
staff are available at 240-453-2828 to answer questions and provide 
technical assistance on the preparation of grant applications. 
Questions may also be directed to the OAPP staff via e-mail at https://
oapp@osophs.dhhs.gov. If contacting the OAPP by e-mail, please include 
the phrase ``AFL Care Question'' in the subject heading.

VIII. Other Information

Protection of Human Subjects Regulations

    The applicant must comply with the HHS Protection of Human Subjects 
regulations (which require obtaining Institutional Review Board 
approval), set out at 45 CFR part 46, if applicable. General 
information about Human Subjects regulations can be obtained through 
the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) at https://www.hhs.gov/
ohrp, ohrp@osophs.dhhs.gov, or toll free at (866) 447-4777.

Technical Assistance

    The OAPP is committed to providing technical assistance to help 
prospective applicants at no cost. The OAPP anticipates offering both 
in-person technical assistance workshops at three locations across the 
country, and an interactive on-line workshop to provide such assistance 
through a teleconference. These one-day workshops will assist the 
public in learning more about the purposes and requirements of the 
Title XX program, the application process, budgeting information, and 
considerations that might help to improve the quality of grant 
applications. The OAPP encourages applicants to have appropriate agency 
staff members and a financial representative participate in the 
workshop. In order to participate in the teleconferencing workshop, 
participants must have a computer with internet access and a telephone. 
Participants will be able to ask questions and receive pertinent 
feedback during this workshop via the computer.
    With respect to both the in-person and interactive on-line 
workshops, applicants should check the OPA website for workshop and 
registration information. All participants must pre-register for the 
workshops. Participants may pre-register on-line at https://www.est-
oappta.com. Participants that do not have access to the Internet may 
call Enterprise Services and Technologies, Incorporated, the technical 
assistance contractor for the OAPP at 301-585-6046 to request a 
registration form. Completed registration forms should be faxed to 
ATTN: OAPP RFA Workshop at 301-941-1847, or you may insert OAPP RFA 
Workshop into the subject line and e-mail the form to a.suggs@ent-s-t-
com. Upon receipt of the applicant's request, the specific workshop 
information and logistical information will be faxed or emailed for the 
workshop specified by the participant. The OAPP anticipates conducting 
the in-person technical workshops in April 2006. Applicants should 
visit the OPA website for further information on dates and times. The 
interactive on-line workshop will be conducted live by May 26, 2006. If 
a prospective applicant cannot attend the live interactive on-line 
workshop, the transcripts of the workshop will be available on-line at 
https://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov until the closing date of this announcement.

Annual Conference and Training

    Each year, the OAPP hosts an annual grantee conference for care 
grantees. The Project Director and Evaluator are expected to attend 
and/or participate in the annual conference. In addition, the OAPP 
offers technical assistance and training to improve the caliber and 
professionalism of front-line staff. The Project Director, Evaluator 
and front-line staff are expected to participate in OAPP sponsored 
technical assistance workshops.

    Dated: March 9, 2006.
Alma L. Golden,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs.
[FR Doc. 06-2804 Filed 3-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-30-P