Request for Applications for the Targeting Obesity in Young Women to Prevent the Development of Type II Diabetes Program, 35424-35433 [E6-9640]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 20, 2006 / Notices
agreement grant mechanism, up to four
new 18-month awards by September 1,
2006.
Approximately $1,000,000 in FY 2006
funds is available to make individual
grant awards up to $250,000 total cost
(direct and indirect) for an 18-month
period. The actual number of awards
will depend on the quality of the
applications received and the amount of
funds available for the program. The
government is not obligated to make any
awards as a result of this
announcement.
In the Federal Register of June 6,
2006, FR Doc. 06–5135, on page 32544,
in the Eligibility Information section,
column 1, last paragraph, correct to read
as follows: ‘‘If funding is requested in an
amount greater than the ceiling of the
award range ($250,000 total cost for an
18-month period), the application will
be considered non-responsive and will
not be entered into the review process.’’
In the Federal Register of June 6,
2006, FR Doc. 06–5135, on page 32544,
in the IV. Application and Submission
Information section, under the
Application section, column 2, first
paragraph, seventh sentence, correct to
read as follows: ‘‘The Project Narrative,
excluding the appendices, is limited to
a total of 50 pages, the fronts and backs
of 25 pieces of paper.’’
In the Federal Register of June 6,
2006, FR Doc. 06–5135, on page 32548,
in the Application Review Information
section, under the Review and Selection
Process section, column 1, first
paragraph, sentence three, correct to
read as follows:
‘‘If funding is requested in an award
range ($250,000 for an 18-month budget
period), the application will be returned
with notification that it did not meet the
submission requirements.’’
In the Federal Register of June 6,
2006, FR Doc. 06–5135, on page 32549,
in the Other Information section, under
Women and Cardiovascular Disease,
column 1, fourth bullet, correct to read
as follows: ‘‘Thirty-eight percent of
women die within one year of having a
heart attack compared to 25 percent of
men who have heart attacks (2).’’
In the Federal Register of June 6,
2006, FR Doc. 06–5135, on page 32550,
in the Other Information section, under
Cardiovascular Disease Interventions,
column 2, second paragraph, second
sentence, correct to read as follows:
‘‘Such CVD interventions have been
administered at various venues,
including churches, community health
centers, community health clinics,
YMCAs and other health clubs, schools,
Head Start facilities, etc. (25–33).
Studies indicate that several aspects of
targeted CVD intervention programs are
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particularly effective in modifying the
CVD risk behaviors of women (1, 25, 26,
34–39).’’
In the Federal Register of June 6,
2006, FR Doc. 06–5135, on page 32551,
in the References section, column 2,
Reference Number 15, correct to read as
follows: ‘‘15. Pai JK, Pischon T, Ma J, et
al. Inflammatory markers and the risk of
coronary heart disease in men and
women. N Engl J Med 2004;
351(25):2599–610.’’
Dated: June 8, 2006.
Wanda K. Jones,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. E6–9641 Filed 6–19–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Request for Applications for the
Targeting Obesity in Young Women to
Prevent the Development of Type II
Diabetes Program
Office on Women’s Health,
Office of Public Health and Science,
Office of the Secretary, DHHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Announcement Type: Competitive
Cooperative Agreement—FY 2006 Initial
announcement.
Funding Opportunity Number: Not
applicable.
OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance: The OMB Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance number is 93.022.
DATES: Letter of Intent: June 29, 2006.
Application Deadline: July 20, 2006.
Anticipated Award Date: August 4,
2006.
SUMMARY: The Office on Women’s
Health (OWH) is the focal point for
women’s health within the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Under the direction of the Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health,
OWH provides leadership to promote
the health equity for women and girls
through gender-specific approaches. To
that end, OWH has established public/
private partnerships to address critical
women’s health issues nationwide.
These include supporting collaborative
efforts to provide accurate prevention
education and programs for young
women at risk for developing type II
diabetes because they are overweight or
obese.
These awards focus on the HHS
initiative Emphasize Healthy Living and
Prevention of Disease, Illness, and
Disability in the ‘‘One Department. One
Direction’’ Department-wide Objectives.
This program is authorized by 42
U.S.C. 300u–2(a).
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I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Populations
This cooperative grant announcement
focuses on the development and
demonstration of creative and
innovative approaches that are effective
in reducing the prevalence of
overweight/obesity in young women,
ages 16–24, by increasing the number of
women who adopt positive, healthy,
lifestyles. Organizations will be
provided with funding that will aid in
the development, expansion, or
sustainment of effective obesity-related
programs in order to effect lifestyle
changes that will prevent the
development of type II diabetes in the
targeted population. The interventions
implemented must be substantive in
nature, incorporating evidenced-based
nutrition, physical activity, and health/
wellness components, while also
positively impacting knowledge,
attitudes, and behaviors.
Proposals must include programs for
women who are members of racial and
ethnic minority populations who are
disproportionately affected by
overweight/obesity. Grantees will be
asked to describe the characteristics of
its target population. Programs that seek
to target audiences with a prevalence of
overweight/obesity greater than 25% are
particularly encouraged to submit
proposals.
B. Program Planning, Development, and
Recruitment
i. Post-Award Orientation
The grantee shall send two
representatives to a two-day post-award
orientation meeting in Washington, DC.
This meeting shall occur within 2
months of grant award. The project
manager of the program and a
representative who holds a leadership
position in the organization must attend
the meeting. Travel funds for this
meeting must come out of the total
award funding and should be included
in the applicant’s cost proposal.
The purpose of the post-award
orientation meeting will be to clarify
tasks and requirements and answer any
questions that grantees may have.
Grantees shall also share their program
plans, approaches, and best practices
with each other through presentations
and roundtable discussions.
ii. Curriculum Development
A multi-disciplinary planning
committee shall be formed consisting of
representatives from the organizations,
health care professionals, and educators
(one member with at least a B.S. in
human nutrition, preferably a registered
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dietitian), and high-risk women in the
community. The grantee will consult
with the planning committee to design
educational sessions that shall educate
women on all of the major results of
obesity (diabetes, hypertension,
cholesterol, stroke, CVD), methods to
modify risk, and the benefits associated
with risk modification. The benefits of
portion control and physical activity
shall also be addressed. The format of
the educational sessions will be
specified in subsequent sections of this
funding opportunity description.
Existing curriculum from successfully
tested and evaluated obesity prevention
intervention programs should be
obtained and adapted for this program.
DHHS/OWH will offer general
resources, such as ‘‘The Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 2005,’’ which
incorporates weight management
information and calorie-lowering
strategies, including the DASH diet
(2,000 calorie maintenance). The
curriculum and materials must be both
culturally and educationally appropriate
and women-centered (see section VIII.2
for definitions).
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iii. Interventions
Each scheduled intervention shall aim
to recruit an average of 20 to 50
participants. High-risk racial and ethnic
minority young women aged 16–24
shall be targeted; however, all high-risk
women shall be eligible to participate in
the program, regardless of race, religion,
or age. All participants must read and
sign a written consent form before
starting any intervention programs. The
grantee shall prepare the draft consent
form in lay-language. The grantee will
also create postcard reminders (or email reminders if participants have easy
access to the internet) for each
educational and maintenance session.
The grantee will mail or e-mail the
reminders to each participant.
All educational and maintenance
sessions shall be focused on mutual
support for participants in their efforts
to reduce the risk associated with
obesity. Grantees can obtain and
distribute incentives for attendance (e.g.
awards) and incentives to motivate
participants to modify risk factors
during the course of the intervention.
Appropriate incentives will be offered
to the participants who achieve their
personalized risk modification goals.
Positive reinforcement and open
communication as well as a healthy
sense of competition must be
encouraged. Incentives and awards may
be solicited as donations from private
sources.
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iv. Resource Establishment
The grantee must compile a local
directory of obesity, nutrition, and
physical activity resources (dietitians,
diabetes experts, weight loss and
exercise programs, public health
screening and diagnosis information)
available in the community, including
health care alternatives for the
uninsured and underinsured women.
The grantee shall establish a national
Web site or enhance an existing
organization’s Web site to provide
support and information online. These
Web sites shall be linked to the DHHS/
OWH’s https://www.womenshealth.gov.
C. Educational Sessions
i. Overview
Each site will host six educational
sessions over a period of 6 months. The
sessions can be physically located at the
grantee’s site or at any other appropriate
facility in the community that is
accessible to the target audience. These
sessions shall address the serious
consequences of obesity [high blood
pressure, type II diabetes, coronary heart
disease (CHD), stroke, gallbladder
disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea,
respiratory problems, and some types of
cancer] and the benefits associated with
risk modification. Sessions may include
lectures, demonstrations, video
presentations, activities, etc. Each
session must also incorporate some form
of moderate physical activity (such as
walking, yoga, or aerobics).
Additionally, each session shall
include a small group discussion
component that will focus on
encouraging participants to incorporate
weight control strategies and physical
activity into their daily lives.
Participants shall be divided into small
groups according to criteria chosen by
the grantee. During the group discussion
component, participants should discuss
self-monitoring efforts and establish risk
modification goals. The grantee will
consult and incorporate qualified health
and nutrition professionals in the
development and implementation of the
curriculum and small group
discussions.
ii. Educational Session #1: Screening
and Program Introduction
During the first educational session,
screening shall be conducted for each
participant (all measurements must be
kept confidential) to establish baseline
measurements. (Note: Fasting blood
tests must be used to screen for
cholesterol and diabetes.) The grantee
may solicit local health care
organizations, drug stores, and/or other
private sources to donate or loan
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screening equipment, giving proper
acknowledgment for their assistance.
Additionally, health professionals who
volunteer to present at sessions can be
asked to bring equipment with them and
help conduct the screenings.
Alternatively, grantees may use a small
amount (no more than $10,000.00) of
grant funds to purchase screening
equipment and supplies.
The importance of weight control,
good nutrition, recommended portion
sizes, and physical activity will be
introduced and emphasized as the
primary goal of the program. Daily
weight and physical activity selfmonitoring materials (diaries, logs, etc.)
will be distributed and explained. The
site leader should also discuss the
reward system for reaching risk
modification goals. Moreover, the first
session should include a basic
orientation on how to use the internet.
The orientation shall include
instruction on how participants who do
not own computers can access
computers that are available for public
use (e.g. at a public library, health
center, faith-based or community-based
organization). The format of the
orientation may include a hands-on
demonstration, pictorial diagrams, and/
or written instruction.
During the first educational session,
each participant shall also be
administered a test to determine
baseline knowledge of obesity and its
risk factors. Additionally, each
participant shall assess her own
personal risk profile.
iii. Educational Sessions #2–6: Risk
Factors
After the first introductory
educational session, the following five
educational sessions will be devoted to
educating participants about overeating
and portion control, good nutrition, and
physical activity. In addition, key
lessons learned at previous sessions will
be reviewed at each of the proceeding
sessions to reinforce risk factor
knowledge. Interactive guided
discussion among participants may help
identify effective strategies for
overcoming obstacles to eating better
and moving more.
iv. Educational Session #6: Screening
and Wrap-up
During the sixth and final educational
session, participants shall be screened
again and each participant shall assess
her own personal CVD risk profile. Each
participant shall also be administered a
test to determine knowledge of obesity
and its consequences, nutrition, and
physical activity. Additionally,
participants shall be asked to provide
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feedback regarding their experience in
the program and evaluate the program.
Participants will also decide on a plan
of action for the two maintenance
sessions.
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D. Maintenance Sessions
The maintenance sessions will take
place 6 months after the last educational
sessions. Participants can decide on the
format of the maintenance sessions. The
sessions may include any or all of the
following: Additional educational
seminars, screenings, testimonials,
personal counseling, field trips (e.g.
trips to gyms to exercise or trips to
grocery stores and restaurants to
practice selecting healthy foods), etc.
However, each session must include a
physical activity and a small group
discussion component.
The format of each maintenance
session should be clearly outlined and
documented (what type of activity,
duration of activity, material covered,
location, etc.). During the last
maintenance session, participants will
be screened again for risk factors and
each participant shall assess her own
personal risk profile. Each participant
shall also be administered a test to
determine knowledge of being obese or
overweight and its associated risk
factors. Additionally, participants shall
be asked to give feedback and evaluate
the program.
E. Program Evaluation/Write-Up
Information on personal risk factors
must be obtained from three assessment
points—the first (baseline) educational
session, the last educational session,
and the last maintenance session. Selfmonitoring materials and feedback from
evaluation forms will also provide
information. Grantees may choose to use
any appropriate tools, survey
instruments, self-monitoring and
evaluation materials to provide
information on short-term and long-term
behavioral changes. All materials must
be reviewed and approved by the multidisciplinary planning committee. In
addition, grantees shall be required to
include a core set of screening and
evaluation items that will be prescribed
by the DHHS/OWH. These items will be
determined during and after the postaward orientation meeting and will
most likely consist of items developed
by one or more of the grantees.
The grantee shall design a database,
collect all participant data, and enter
data into the database. This data shall be
kept confidential through use of unique
identifying numbers and an electronic
copy of the data shall be provided to
DHHS/OWH. Baseline and follow-up
data must be analyzed to quantitatively
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evaluate the program’s effectiveness at
two different intervals—after the end of
the educational sessions and after the
end of the maintenance sessions. The
program evaluation must be able to
demonstrate, at minimum, the following
desired program outcomes:
Primary Outcome Measures
1. Increase the proportion of
participants who understand the
correlation between being obese/
overweight and the resulting illnesses
and major complications.
2. Increase participant’s knowledge of
how to correctly measure and use the
widely accepted portions of food.
3. Increase the number of participants
who use healthier methods to prepare
foods long after session’s end.
4. Increase the participant’s
knowledge of resources in the
community that will enable them to
engage in regular physical activity,
weight control, and healthy nutrition.
5. Have participants show how they
have incorporated physical activity into
everyday living (using stairs instead of
elevators, walking instead of riding to
work, parking their vehicle further away
from a destination) long after session’s
end.
6. Decrease the Body Mass Index
(BMI) from baseline for participants
who are obese long after session’s end.
7. Decrease the weight by 7–10% of
overweight participants long after
session’s end.
8. Increase the proportion of
participants who engage regularly in
moderate physical activity (e.g. joining
a health club, using the gym at the
YMCA, attending dance classes at the
neighborhood recreation center) long
after session’s end.
Secondary Outcome Measures
1. Increase the proportion of
participants who are aware of the BMI
and their weight status using the BMI
scale.
2. Increase the proportion of
participants with high blood pressure at
baseline whose blood pressure is under
control because of weight loss.
3. Decease the proportion of
participants with high total blood
cholesterol because they now engage in
regular physical activity and practice
healthier eating habits.
4. Were new behaviors sustained or
abandoned after the sessions?
The evaluation should also address
the following questions:
1. Did participants evaluate the
program favorably?
2. Did the program meet the needs
and expectations of the participants?
3. What changes do the participants
suggest?
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Emphasis should be placed on
aligning program outcomes and targets
with the objectives and targets of
Healthy People 2010. More information
on the Healthy People 2010 objectives
may be found at https://www.health.gov/
healthypeople. Each grantee should also
take into account the baseline
characteristics of the potential program
participants when setting outcome
targets.
DHHS/OWH shall site visit the five
grantees during one of the 2–6
Educational Sessions. The grantee shall
participate in monthly conference calls
with the DHHS/OWH and other
grantees. The grantee shall prepare
quarterly progress reports that outline
the status and progress of the project.
The grantee shall prepare a final report
that describes the results from the
program evaluation and all project
activities for the entire 12-month period
of the program.
The purpose of the program is to
reduce obesity among high-risk young
women in the United States through
education and risk behavior
modification. This obesity prevention
program will be targeted towards highrisk racial and ethnic minority women,
ages 16–24; however, all high-risk
women shall be eligible to participate in
the programs regardless of race, religion,
or age.
Each grantee shall implement a
program in community-based sites
across the United States, including
urban and rural areas. The main goals
will be for program participants to
increase their knowledge of obesity risk
factors, its cause and effects, to increase
their level of physical activity and to
learn healthier methods of food
preparation and portion control.
II. Award Information
The Office on Women’s Health (OWH)
anticipates making, through the
cooperative agreement grant
mechanism, new annual awards for the
creation or sustainment of obesity
programs for young women, ages 16–24.
Funds to be awarded no later than
September 1, 2006. Approximately
$490,000 is available to make five
awards of up to $98,000 total cost
(direct and indirect) for a 12-month
period. The actual number of awards
made will depend upon the quality of
the applications received and the
amount of funds available for the
program. The government is not
obligated to make any awards as a result
of this announcement.
In order to achieve the goals of the
program, the grantee shall develop
methods to provide effective education
and awareness interventions and
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messages to at risk young women, ages
16–24, that will positively impact
behaviors.
Under this cooperative agreement, the
duties of the Federal Government and
the grantee are described below:
The DHHS/OWH will provide
technical assistance and the oversight
necessary for the implementation,
conduct, and assessment of program
activities. This program will be a model;
as such, the federal government may
replicate the program and/or use the
program materials both during and after
the period of performance. The grantee
may copyright any work that is
developed, or for which ownership was
purchased, under the award, but DHHS
reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive
and irrevocable right to reproduce,
publish, or otherwise use the work for
Federal purposes, and to authorize
others to do so. In addition, the grantee
and/or community partners are
encouraged to sustain the program after
the end of award and expand it to other
sites within its network.
The Federal Government will also:
Review and approve work plan, task
outline, and schedule of activities.
Review quarterly progress reports.
Conduct the monthly conference calls
with grantees.
Conduct the two-day post-award
orientation meeting in Washington, DC
within two months of award.
Conduct one site visit per grantee.
Review and approve all educational
and instructional materials for the six
educational sessions.
Review and approve informed
consent document and program
promotional materials to ensure
adherence to DHHS policies.
The grantee shall complete the
requirements described in the Funding
Opportunity Description. Specifically,
the grantee will:
Provide no less than six educational
forums/interventions to address obesity
issues in the target audience. The
location must be accessible to the target
audience.
Establish partnerships with local and
community-based organizations, health
clubs, recreation centers, hospitals,
clinics, etc. to increase access to, or
create support groups for overweight/
obese young women. Establish a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with each urban or rural communitybased site willing to participate in the
program.
Develop culturally appropriate
facilitator education and training
modules in an effort to sustain
awareness and education programs for
the target audience; and ensure
education, awareness and training
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programs are culturally, linguistically,
and educationally appropriate for the
target audience.
Submit a work plan, task outline, and
schedule of activities within one month
of award.
Attend a two-day post-award
orientation meeting in Washington, DC
within two months of grant award.
(Travel funds for this meeting must
come out of the total award funding and
should be included in the applicant’s
budget justification.)
Participate in monthly conference
calls with the DHHS/OWH and other
grantees.
Prepare quarterly progress reports that
outline the status and progress of the
program.
Form a planning committee consisting
of representatives from community
organization, health care and nutrition
professionals and educators, and highrisk women in the community.
Consult with the planning committee
to develop six educational sessions that
address all of the major risk factors of
obesity. Curriculum should be adapted
from existing models of prevention
intervention curriculum that have been
successfully tested and evaluated.
Prepare or obtain educational
materials for the six educational
sessions (e.g. instructional manual,
educational and/or exercise videos,
booklets, etc.).
Develop small group discussion
format for each session focusing on
encouraging participants to incorporate
weight control strategies and physical
activity into their daily lives.
Track regular physical activity and
weight control behaviors.
Use pre and post evaluation materials
and survey instruments (e.g. knowledge
tests, risk factor profile assessment
tools, and qualitative feedback forms).
Prepare a draft consent form in laylanguage, obtain appropriate
institutional IRB approval, if applicable,
and obtain consent from all program
participants.
Adhere to all program requirements
specified in this announcement and the
Notice of Grant Award.
Comply with the DHHS 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.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible entities may include: For
profit and not for profit community
based organizations, national
organizations, colleges and universities,
clinics and hospitals, research
institutions, State and local government
agencies, tribal government and tribal/
urban Indian entities, and faith-based
organizations.
If funding is requested in an amount
greater than the ceiling of the award
range ($98,000 total cost for a 12-month
period), 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. Applications
that are not complete or do not conform
to or address the criteria of this
announcement will be considered nonresponsive and will not be entered into
the review process. The application will
be returned with notification that it did
not meet the submission requirements.
An organization may submit no more
than one proposal for the program
announced in this notice of funding
availability. Organizations submitting
more than one proposal will be deemed
ineligible. The proposal will be returned
without comment.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds
Cost sharing and matching funds are
not a requirement of this grant; however
applicants may solicit private sources
for donations and/or loans of screening
equipment, screening personnel, and
participation incentives.
3. Other
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required
prior to submission of applications. See
section IV.2 for formatting and
submission requirements for the LOI.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address To Request Application
Package
Application kits may be requested by
calling (240) 453–8822 or writing to:
OPHS Office of Grants Management,
1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 550,
Rockville, MD 20852. Requests may also
be submitted by FAX at (240) 453–8823.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
A. Letter of Intent
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required
from all potential applicants for the
purpose of planning the competitive
review process. The LOI should be no
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more than one page, double-spaced,
printed on one side, with one-inch
margins, and 12-point font. LOIs should
include the following information: (1)
Program announcement title and
number; (2) name of the applicant
agency or organization, the official
contact person and that person’s
telephone number, fax number, and
mailing and e-mail addresses. Do not
include a description of your proposed
project. Submit the LOI to: OPHS Office
of Grants Management, 1101 Wootton
Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD
20852. The LOI must be received by the
OPHS Office of Grants Management by
5 p.m. Eastern Time on June 29, 2006.
If an applicant does not submit an LOI
by the established due date and time,
the application will not be eligible for
the review process.
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 Web site https://www.dnb.com/
product/eupdate/requestOptions.html.
B. Application
Applications must be submitted using
the Form OPHS–1 (Revised 8/04) and in
the manner prescribed in the
application kit. Applicants are required
to submit an original ink-signed and
dated application and 2 photocopies.
The application should be organized in
accordance with the format presented in
the Program Guidelines. The original
and each copy must be stapled and/or
otherwise securely bound. All pages
must be numbered clearly and
sequentially. The application must be
typed on plain 81⁄2″ x 11″ white paper,
using a 12 point font, and contain 1’’
margins all around. The Project
Narrative, excluding the appendices, is
limited to a total of 50 pages—the fronts
and backs of 25 pieces of paper. The
first 50 pages of the proposal will be
considered; any pages exceeding this
length will be removed from the
proposal and will not be evaluated. Staff
resumes, letters of support,
memorandums of understanding
(MOUs), budget justifications, samples
of existing curriculum, samples of
survey instruments and data collection
forms, and research results and
references may be included as part of an
appendix and will not count toward the
50 pages limit. The application must
also include a detailed budget
justification, including a narrative and
computation of expenditures for one
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year. The budget justification does not
count toward the 50 pages limit.
An outline for the minimum
information to be included in the
‘‘Project Narrative’’ section is presented
below.
A. Program Plan
The applicant must describe, in
detail, its approach for accomplishing
each of the requirements identified in
the funding opportunity description.
The program plan must reference each
requirement, and the material should be
presented in the order in which it
appears in the funding opportunity
description. The applicant should
demonstrate a full understanding of the
need for the program, anticipating,
prioritizing, and presenting likely
components that will achieve overall
goals and desired outcomes. The
applicant should also identify potential
problems and intended solutions. The
applicant is free to recommend and
describe other procedures that it
believes will more effectively achieve
the stated objectives, but needs to
carefully relate alternatives and
rationales to the approach
recommended in the funding
opportunity description.
The proposal should include
curriculum outlines and sample agendas
for one or more of the educational
sessions described in the funding
opportunity description. The applicant
must provide a detailed description of
the existing curriculum that will be
adapted and used for the educational
sessions. In addition, samples of the
existing curriculum and results from
any pilot or demonstration projects that
used the curriculum should be
provided. These samples and results
may be included as part of the
appendices.
B. Experience and Commitment of Key
Personnel
The applicant must identify key
personnel involved in the project based
on the requirements described in
funding opportunity description and
other personnel adequate to support the
administrative, logistical, financial, and
scientific coordination aspects of the
project within the time limits of the
grant. The applicant must provide
information on which task(s) each of the
key personnel will perform and the
rationale for that assignment. Resumes
for all proposed personnel must be
submitted with the application in the
appendices.
C. Management Plan
The applicant should develop and
propose a Management Plan. This plan
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includes a program schedule that lays
out tasks and a time-line and identifies
significant milestones for the
accomplishment of the project. Specific
staff responsibilities must be detailed in
this schedule along with the number of
hours that each person will devote to
each task. The plan must provide, at a
minimum, details pertaining to the four
program phases (Program Planning,
Development, and Recruitment;
Educational Sessions; Maintenance
Sessions; Program Evaluation/Write-Up)
as they are outlined in the funding
opportunity description.
D. Past Performance
Each applicant should describe its
organization’s relevant experience and
success in managing this type of project.
The applicant should also include a
description of itself, the experience of
its support personnel, and information
about grantees, partners, and quality of
cooperation between organization, staff,
key personnel, and clients. Specific
descriptions of relevant previous
experience that the organization has
performed within the past five years
must be included. Include period of
performance, dollar amount, name of
program sponsor, and a letter of support
from at least three different program
sponsors. Letters of support may be
included as part of the appendices.
Relevant previous experience may
include, but is not limited to, the
development of: Comprehensive
campaigns or educational programs
aimed at improving the health of
women and/or men; health behavior
modification programs; programs
delivered in a variety of settings (e.g.,
educational, hospital, community, etc.);
obesity, physical activity, nutrition,
chronic disease, or other illness
prevention and risk modification
programs; and previous collaborations
with local and national organizations.
E. Appendices
Include documentation and other
supporting information in this section,
including staff resumes, letters of
support, memorandums of
understanding (MOUs), samples of
existing curriculum, samples of survey
instruments and data collection forms,
and research results and references. The
applicant should also include an MOU
between the applicant and any other
organization or entity with which it
intends to collaborate/partner.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Submission Mechanisms
The Office of Public Health and
Science (OPHS) provides multiple
mechanisms for the submission of
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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 Web site 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 hard copy 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, hard copy 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
Grants.gov Web Site Portal
The Grants.gov Web site 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
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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 Web site 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 Web site 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
Web site Portal. Grants.gov will notify
the applicant regarding the application
validation status. Once the application
is successfully validated by the
Grants.gov Web site 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.
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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 hard copy 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 Web site Portal.
Applicants should contact Grants.gov
regarding any questions or concerns
regarding the electronic application
process conducted through the
Grants.gov Web site 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
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
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also provide a listing of all items that
constitute the final application
submission including all electronic
application components, required hard
copy 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.
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Mailed or Hand-Delivered Hard Copy
Applications
Applicants who submit applications
in hard copy (via mail or handdelivered) 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 5:00 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
This program is subject to the Public
Health Systems Reporting
Requirements. Under these
requirements, community-based and
faith-based, non-governmental applicant
must prepare and submit a Public
Health System Impact Statement
(PHSIS). Applicants shall submit a copy
of the application face page (SF–424)
and a one page summary of the project,
called the Public Health System Impact
Statement. The PHSIS is intended to
provide information to State and local
health officials to keep them apprised of
proposed health services grant
applications submitted by communitybased or faith-based, non-governmental
organizations within their jurisdictions.
Community-based and faith-based,
non-governmental applicants are
required to submit, no later than the
Federal due date for receipt of the
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application, the following information
to the head of the appropriate state and
local health agencies in the area(s) to be
impacted: (a) a copy of the face page of
the application (SF 424), (b) a summary
of the project (PHSIS), not to exceed one
page, which provides: (1) A description
of the population to be served, (2) a
summary of the services to be provided,
and (3) a description of the coordination
planned with the appropriate state or
local health agencies. Copies of the
letters forwarding the PHSIS to these
authorities must be contained in the
application materials submitted to the
DHHS/OWH.
This program is also subject to the
requirements of Executive Order 12372
that allows States the option of setting
up a system for reviewing applications
from within their States for assistance
under certain Federal programs. The
application kit to be made available
under this notice will contain a listing
of States that have chosen to set up a
review system and will include a State
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) in the
State for review. Applicants (other than
federally recognized Indian tribes)
should contact their SPOCs as early as
possible to alert them to the prospective
applications and receive any necessary
instructions on the State process. For
proposed projects serving more than one
State, the applicant is advised to contact
the SPOC in each affected State. A
complete list of SPOCs may be found at
the following Web site: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/
spoc.html The due date for State process
recommendations is 60 days after the
application deadline. The OWH does
not guarantee that it will accommodate
or explain its responses to State process
recommendations received after that
date. (See ‘‘Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs,’’ Executive Order
12372, and 45 CFR part 100 for a
description of the review process and
requirements.)
5. Funding Restrictions
Grant funds may be used to cover
costs of:
Personnel.
Consultants.
Office supplies and software.
Educational, promotional and
evaluation materials.
Screening supplies and equipment.
Grant related travel (domestic only).
Other grant related costs.
Grant funds may not be used for:
Building alterations or renovations.
Computers.
Construction.
Food.
Fund raising activities.
Medical treatment or therapy.
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Political education and lobbying.
Other activities that are not grant
related.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
The technical review of applications
will consider the following 4 factors:
A. Factor 1: Program Plan (40 points)
This factor will be evaluated by rating
the applicant’s approach to
accomplishing each of the requirements
identified in the funding opportunity
description as demonstrated by the
following:
Demonstrated understanding of the
scope, goals, and objectives of the work
required and the applicability and
clarity of the overall approach.
Discussions detailing how each of the
requirements will be performed and the
appropriateness of all proposed
methodologies and analyses.
Identification of potential problems
and intended solutions.
Discussions detailing the criteria used
for selecting sites, list of selected sites
or locations of sites, and letters of
support from each site, if possible.
Discussions of curriculum, including
samples of the existing curriculum that
will be adapted for the program and
preliminary outlines and sample
agendas for one or more of the
educational sessions described in the
funding opportunity description.
Potential for the success of the
proposed program plan to improve
healthy behaviors so as to reduce
obesity/overweight of the targeted
population.
B. Factor 2: Management Plan (30
points)
The applicant’s staffing, scheduling,
and logistics plans will be evaluated for
their effectiveness in committing
personnel and resources to provide
high-quality service and products
within the time frames set-forth. This
evaluation is based on the following:
Realism of the proposed timeline and
the personnel and resources assigned to
complete each requirement.
Appropriateness of the proposed
number of hours estimated for each
requirement and each staff member.
Adequacy of organizational structure.
Adequacy of proposed plan to
identify and solve potential problems.
Adequacy of proposed plan to
monitor and report on program progress
and ensure effective communication
between program staff members and the
DHHS/OWH.
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C. Factor 3: Experience and
Commitment of Key Personnel (20
Points)
This factor covers the qualifications of
key personnel proposed to perform the
work assigned to them and the amount
of effort estimated for each person. This
evaluation is based on the following:
Experience, education, and
professional credentials of proposed key
personnel on similar projects and in
related fields (similar projects must
convey similarity in topic, dollar value,
workload, duration, and complexity).
Appropriateness of each person’s
skills and experience for performing the
requirements in the funding opportunity
description.
D. Factor 4: Past Performance (10
Points)
This factor will be evaluated by
considering the number, size, and
complexity of similar projects that the
applicant has previously successfully
completed. Relevant previous
experience may include, but is not
limited to, the development of:
Comprehensive campaigns or
educational programs aimed at
improving the health of women and/or
men; health behavior modification
programs; programs delivered in a
variety of settings, re. faith-based,
clinical, collegiate, or community-based;
obesity-related, re. diabetes, nutrition,
physical activity, CHD; disease
prevention and risk modification
programs; and previous collaborations
with national or local community
organizations.
Also evaluated will be the applicant’s
adherence to schedules and budgets,
effectiveness of program management,
willingness to cooperate when
difficulties arise, general compliance
with the terms of the contracts, and
acceptability of delivered products.
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2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be screened upon
receipt. Those that are judged to be
incomplete or arrive after the deadline
will be returned without review or
comment. If funding is requested in an
amount greater than the ceiling of the
award range ($98,000 for a 12-month
budget period), 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.
Applicants that are judged to be in
compliance will be notified by the
OPHS Office of Grants Management.
Accepted applications will be evaluated
based on the criteria listed in Section
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V.1 and reviewed for technical merit in
accordance with DHHS policies.
Applicants are advised to pay close
attention to the specific program
requirements and general instructions in
the application kit and to the definitions
provided in this notice.
Applications will be evaluated by an
objective technical review panel
composed of experts in the fields of
program management, chronic disease,
obesity/overweight, minority
community outreach, health education,
and community-based research.
Consideration for award will be given to
applicants that best demonstrate the
potential to design a program that
achieves the program goals stated in this
announcement.
The Federal Government may conduct
pre-award site visits of applicants with
scores in the funding range prior to final
selection. References may also be
requested from these applicants and
contacted to better evaluate prior
relevant experience. Any applicant who
believes the Government will find
derogatory information as a result of
checking the past performance record
may provide an explanation and any
remedial action taken by its company to
address the problem. Funding decisions
will be made by the DHHS/OWH, and
will take into consideration the
recommendations and ratings of the
review panel, pre-award site visits and
references, program needs, geographic
location, and stated preferences.
Guidance for completing the budget
can be found in the Program Guidelines,
which are included with the complete
application kits. The allowability,
allocability, reasonableness, and
necessity of direct and indirect costs
that may be charged to OPHS grants are
outlined in the following documents:
OMB Circular A–21 (Institutions of
Higher Education); OMB Circular A–87
(State and Local Governments); OMB
Circular A–122 (Nonprofit
Organizations); and 45 CFR part 74,
Appendix E (Hospitals). Copies of the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Circulars are available on the
Internet at https://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/grants/grants_circulars.html. In
order to claim indirect costs as part of
a budget request, an applicant
organization must have an indirect cost
rate which has been negotiated with the
Federal government. The Health and
Human Services Division of Cost
Allocation (DCA) Regional Office that is
applicable to your State can provide
information on how to receive such a
rate. A list of DCA Regional Offices is
included in the application kit for this
announcement. Guidance for
completing the budget can be found in
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35431
the Program Guidelines, which are
included with the complete application
kits.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: Applicants selected
for funding support will receive a
Notice of Grant Award signed by the by
the Director of the OPHS Office of
Grants Management. This is the
authorizing document and it will be
sent electronically and followed up with
a mailed copy.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: (1) In accepting this
award, the grantee stipulates that the
award and any activities thereunder are
subject to all provisions of 45 CFR parts
74 and 92, currently in effect or
implemented during the period of this
grant. (2) Requests that require prior
approval from the awarding office (See
Chapter 8, PHS Grants Policy Statement)
must be submitted in writing to the
OPHS Grants Management Officer. Only
responses signed by the OPHS Grants
Management Officer are to be
considered valid. Grantees who take
action on the basis of responses from
other officials do so at their own risk.
Such responses will not be considered
binding by or upon the Office on
Women’s Health. (3) Responses to
reporting requirements, conditions, and
requests for post award amendments
must be mailed to the attention and
address of the Grants Management
Officer indicated below in ‘‘Contacts.’’
All correspondence should include the
Federal grant number (item 4 on the
Notice of Grant Award) and requires the
signature of an authorized business
official and/or the project director.
Failure to follow this guidance will
result in a delay in responding to your
correspondence. (4) 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.
3. Reporting: Grantees will submit 4
progress reports, a final report, and a
final Financial Status Report in the
format established by the DHHS/OWH,
in accordance with provisions of the
general regulations which apply under
‘‘Monitoring and Reporting Program
Performance,’’ 45 CFR parts 74 and 92.
The purpose of the progress reports and
final report is to provide accurate and
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timely program information to program
managers and to respond to
Congressional, Departmental, and
public requests for information about
the program. Grantees shall prepare a
progress report that outlines the status
and progression of the project every 3
months. Grantees will be informed of
the exact progress report due dates and
means of submission after the award is
made. The final report must describe all
project activities for the entire 12-month
period of the program including data
analysis and program evaluation.
DHHS/OWH shall provide an outline of
the final report format and templates for
required tables. A draft of the final
report must be submitted six weeks
prior to the end date of the award.
DHHS/OWH will review the draft.
Suggested revisions will be discussed
individually during a conference call
with each grantee. The mutually agreed
upon revisions must be incorporated
into the final report by the end date of
the award.
The grantee shall assign one staff
member to participate in a committee
with other grantees and DHHS/OWH to
prepare a joint manuscript suitable for
a peer-reviewed journal. This
manuscript shall combine and
summarize data from all programs into
one final evaluation. The jointly
prepared manuscript must be submitted
two weeks prior to the end date of
award.
VII. Agency Contact(s)
For application kits and information
on budget and business aspects of the
application, please contact: OPHS Office
of Grants Management, 1101 Wootton
Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD
20852. Telephone: (240) 453–8822.
Questions regarding programmatic
information and/or requests for
technical assistance in the preparation
of the ‘‘Project Narrative’’ should be
directed in writing to: Henrietta (Retta)
Terry, Public Health Advisor, Office on
Women’s Health, Office of Public Health
and Science, DHHS, 200 Independence
Ave., SW., Rm 712E, Washington, DC
20201. Telephone: 202–205–1952. Email: hterry@osophs.dhhs.gov.
VIII. Other Information
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1. Background
A. Agency
The Office on Women’s Health in the
United States Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS/OWH)
coordinates the efforts of all the DHHS
agencies and offices involved in
women’s health. DHHS/OWH works to
improve the health and well-being of
women and girls in the United States
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through its innovative programs by
educating health professionals and
motivating behavior change in
consumers through the dissemination of
health information. To that end, the
DHHS/OWH has established public/
private partnerships to address health
problems in women.
activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a
combination of the two, with genetics
and lifestyle both playing important
roles. Physical activity levels drop
sharply as girls become teenagers. By
the age of 15 or 16, 28% of Caucasian
girls and 58% of African American girls
report no habitual leisure-time activity.
B. Obesity
In 2003–2004, 32.2% of adults were
obese. If you are overweight or obese,
carrying this extra weight puts you at
risk for developing many diseases,
especially heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, cancer, and breathing
problems such as asthma and sleep
apnea. Ultimately, obesity can even be
life-threatening. Annually in the United
States, more than 300,000 deaths are
linked to obesity. Losing weight helps to
prevent and control these diseases. The
good news is that even a modest weight
loss can bring health improvements. In
many cases, you can accomplish this by
eating healthier, exercising, and
changing behaviors. For people who
don’t respond to lifestyle changes,
prescription medications, and surgical
techniques are available to enhance the
weight-loss process.
E. Racial and Ethnic Minority Women
In 2003–2004, significant differences
in obesity prevalence remained by race/
ethnicity and by age. Approximately
30% of non-Hispanic white adults were
obese as were 45.0% of non-Hispanic
black adults and 36.8% Mexican
Americans. About 57% of Hispanic/
Latino women, 56% of American
Indians/Alaska Native women, 42.6% of
Asian/Pacific Islander women and 55%
of African American women do not
exercise, compared to 38% of white
women. Hispanic and black individuals,
especially women, have a greater
prevalence of excess weight compared
to their white counterparts. In the 2003
national survey conducted by the
American Heart Association, fewer
African-American and Hispanic women
than white women correctly cited heart
disease as the leading cause of death
among women.
C. Women and Obesity
More than 65% of U.S. adults are
overweight or obese. The percentage of
obese adults varied little from 1960 to
1980, but increased considerably
between 1980–1991, from 13–21 percent
among men and from 17–26 percent
among women. Among women, no
significant increase in obesity was
observed in 1999–2000 (33.4%) and
2003–2004 (33.2%). The prevalence of
extreme obesity in women is 6.9%.
More adult women are obese (33
percent) than men (28 percent). African
American women (32.9%) had the
highest rates of obesity. Faced with a
history of negative experiences at the
doctor’s office, many obese women
delay preventive medical visits,
including those for gynecological cancer
screening. Being overweight increases a
woman’s chance of developing breast,
ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancer.
D. Women & Girls Ages 16–24
In 2003–2004, 17.1% of U.S. children
and adolescents were overweight. Tests
for trend were significant for male and
female children and adolescents,
indicating an increase in the prevalence
of overweight in female children and
adolescents from 13.8% in 1999–2000 to
16.0% in 2003–2004. Overweight
adolescents have a 70% chance of
becoming overweight or obese adults.
Overweight in children/adolescents is
generally caused by lack of physical
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F. Genetic Factors
Obesity tends to run in families,
suggesting a genetic cause. Yet families
also share diet and lifestyle habits that
may contribute to obesity. Separating
these from genetic factors is often
difficult. Even so, science shows that
heredity is linked to obesity. In one
study, adults who were adopted as
children were found to have weights
closer to their biological parents than to
their adoptive parents. In this case, the
person’s genetic makeup had more
influence on the development of obesity
than the environment in the adoptive
family home.
G. Environmental Factors
Genes do not destine people to a
lifetime of obesity; however,
environment also strongly influences
obesity. This includes lifestyle
behaviors such as what a person eats
and his or her level of physical activity.
Americans tend to eat high-fat foods,
and put taste and convenience ahead of
nutrition. Also, most Americans do not
get enough physical activity. Although
you cannot change your genetic
makeup, you can change your eating
habits and levels of activity.
H. Obesity Interventions
Prevention programs that target highrisk women, particularly racial/ethnic
minority women, have the potential to
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 20, 2006 / Notices
reduce the incidence of obesity/
overweight in the United States.
Education is an essential component of
health promotion efforts, and many
programs aiming to prevent obesity
focus on education as their primary
goal. However, risk behavior
modification, the process of translating
knowledge into practice, is pivotal to
achieving improved health outcomes. In
particular, interventions that encourage
women to establish a healthy weight
and increase their levels of physical
activity could dramatically affect
obesity rates in the United States. These
include:
Personalized risk assessment and
screening.
Daily self-monitoring (log-sheets,
exercise diaries, etc.).
Program and educational materials
tailored to stages of the life cycle,
readiness to change, needs and
subgroup affiliation (e.g. racial group,
low socioeconomic status, obese, etc.).
Behavioral reinforcement strategies
such as contracts, verification
procedures, incentives, lotteries, and
team building.
Group sessions that incorporate
physical activity.
Frequent contact via mail and phone.
Resource library on maintaining a
health weight, nutrition, physical
activity.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
2. Definitions
For the purposes of this cooperative
agreement program, the following
definitions are provided:
Community-based: The locus of
control and decision-making powers is
located at the community level,
representing the service area of the
community or a significant segment of
the community.
Community-based organization:
Public and private, nonprofit
organizations that are representative of
communities or significant segments of
communities.
Culturally competent/appropriate:
Information and services provided at the
educational level and in the language
and cultural context that are most
appropriate for the individuals for
whom the information and services are
intended. Additional information on
cultural competency is available at the
following Web site: https://
www.aoa.dhhs.gov/May2001/factsheets/
Cultural-Competency.html.
Partnership: A collaboration where
both parties play a substantive role
during all stages of the program
including development, implementation
and evaluation. Both parties must also
be included and consulted when
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:31 Jun 19, 2006
Jkt 208001
decisions are made on all aspects of the
program.
Racial and Ethnic Minority Women:
American Indian or Alaska Native,
Asian, Black or African American,
Hispanic or Latino, and Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
(Revision to the Standards for the
Classification of Federal Data on Race
and Ethnicity, Federal Register, Vol. 62,
No. 210, pg. 58782, October 30, 1997.)
Sustainability: An organization’s or
program’s staying power: The capacity
to maintain both the financial resources
and the partnerships/linkages needed to
provide the services demanded from an
OWH program. It also involves the
ability to survive change, incorporate
needed changes, and seize opportunities
provided by a changing environment.
Target: Put forth effort to ensure that
members of a specific group of women
are aware of the program and that
components of the program are designed
to be effective in reaching those
populations. This includes creating
program materials that are culturally
competent for that specific group of
women. This also includes training staff
and health professionals to understand
the unique needs, behaviors, cultures
and concerns of members of the specific
group of women. Targeting does not
mean excluding other groups of women
from the program.
Women-centered: (1) Taking into
account the differences between heart
disease in men and women and (2)
addressing the needs and concerns of
women in a way that is welcoming to
women, fosters a commitment to
women, treats women with dignity, and
empowers women through respect and
education.
3. Resources
https://www.healthierus.gov; https://
www.mypyramid.gov; https://
www.healthfinder.gov; https://
www.womenshealth.gov.
Aim for a Healthy Weight: https://
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/
heart/obesity/lose_wt/patmats.htm.
Body Mass Index Calculator: https://
www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
bmicalc.htm.
Portion Distortion: https://
hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion.
We Can! Families Finding the Balance—
A Parent Handbook (in English or
Spanish): https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
health/public/heart/obesity/
wecan_mats/parent_hb_en.htm.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005:
https://www.usda.gov/cnpp/
dietarylguidelines.html.
Allison DB, Fontaine KR, Manson JE,
Stevens J, VanItallie TB. Annual
deaths attributable to obesity in the
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Sfmt 4703
35433
United States. Journal of the
American Medical Association; 1999;
282(16):1530–1538.
NAASO Obesity Society. Web site:
https://www.nasso.obesity.org.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute. Clinical Guidelines on the
Identification, Evaluation, and
Treatment of Overweight and Obesity
in Adults. Department of Health and
Human Services, National Institutes
of Health; 1998. NIH Publication No.
98–4083.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute. Working Group on
Competencies for Overweight and
Obesity Identification, Prevention and
Treatment, 2005.
National Task Force on Prevention and
Treatment of Obesity. Overweight,
obesity, and health risk. Archives of
Internal Medicine. 2000; 160(7):898–
904.
Partnership for Healthy Weight
Management. Weight Loss: Finding a
Weight Loss Program that Works for
You. 2000. Phone: 1–888–8–PUEBLO.
Web site: www.consumer.gov/
weightloss/brochures.htm.
Partnership for Healthy Weight
Management. Setting Goals for
Healthy Weight Loss. 1999. Phone: 1–
888–8–PUEBLO. Web site: https://
www.consumer.gov/weightloss/
brochures.htm.
The President’s Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports, Department of
Health and Human Services. Exercise
and Weight Control. Web site: https://
www.fitness.gov/Reading_Room/
reading_room.html.
Surgeon General’s Call to Action to
Prevent and Decrease Overweight and
Obesity. Web site: https://
www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/
obesity.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services. Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. 2000. Phone: 1–888–878–
3256. Web site: https://www.usda.gov/
cnpp or https://www.health.gov/
dietaryguidelines.
Dated: June 7, 2006.
Wanda K. Jones,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
(Women’s Health).
[FR Doc. E6–9640 Filed 6–19–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150–33–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35424-35433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9640]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Request for Applications for the Targeting Obesity in Young Women
to Prevent the Development of Type II Diabetes Program
AGENCY: Office on Women's Health, Office of Public Health and Science,
Office of the Secretary, DHHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Announcement Type: Competitive Cooperative Agreement--FY 2006
Initial announcement.
Funding Opportunity Number: Not applicable.
OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: The OMB Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.022.
DATES: Letter of Intent: June 29, 2006.
Application Deadline: July 20, 2006.
Anticipated Award Date: August 4, 2006.
SUMMARY: The Office on Women's Health (OWH) is the focal point for
women's health within the Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS). Under the direction of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Women's Health, OWH provides leadership to promote the health equity
for women and girls through gender-specific approaches. To that end,
OWH has established public/private partnerships to address critical
women's health issues nationwide. These include supporting
collaborative efforts to provide accurate prevention education and
programs for young women at risk for developing type II diabetes
because they are overweight or obese.
These awards focus on the HHS initiative Emphasize Healthy Living
and Prevention of Disease, Illness, and Disability in the ``One
Department. One Direction'' Department-wide Objectives.
This program is authorized by 42 U.S.C. 300u-2(a).
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Populations
This cooperative grant announcement focuses on the development and
demonstration of creative and innovative approaches that are effective
in reducing the prevalence of overweight/obesity in young women, ages
16-24, by increasing the number of women who adopt positive, healthy,
lifestyles. Organizations will be provided with funding that will aid
in the development, expansion, or sustainment of effective obesity-
related programs in order to effect lifestyle changes that will prevent
the development of type II diabetes in the targeted population. The
interventions implemented must be substantive in nature, incorporating
evidenced-based nutrition, physical activity, and health/wellness
components, while also positively impacting knowledge, attitudes, and
behaviors.
Proposals must include programs for women who are members of racial
and ethnic minority populations who are disproportionately affected by
overweight/obesity. Grantees will be asked to describe the
characteristics of its target population. Programs that seek to target
audiences with a prevalence of overweight/obesity greater than 25% are
particularly encouraged to submit proposals.
B. Program Planning, Development, and Recruitment
i. Post-Award Orientation
The grantee shall send two representatives to a two-day post-award
orientation meeting in Washington, DC. This meeting shall occur within
2 months of grant award. The project manager of the program and a
representative who holds a leadership position in the organization must
attend the meeting. Travel funds for this meeting must come out of the
total award funding and should be included in the applicant's cost
proposal.
The purpose of the post-award orientation meeting will be to
clarify tasks and requirements and answer any questions that grantees
may have. Grantees shall also share their program plans, approaches,
and best practices with each other through presentations and roundtable
discussions.
ii. Curriculum Development
A multi-disciplinary planning committee shall be formed consisting
of representatives from the organizations, health care professionals,
and educators (one member with at least a B.S. in human nutrition,
preferably a registered
[[Page 35425]]
dietitian), and high-risk women in the community. The grantee will
consult with the planning committee to design educational sessions that
shall educate women on all of the major results of obesity (diabetes,
hypertension, cholesterol, stroke, CVD), methods to modify risk, and
the benefits associated with risk modification. The benefits of portion
control and physical activity shall also be addressed. The format of
the educational sessions will be specified in subsequent sections of
this funding opportunity description.
Existing curriculum from successfully tested and evaluated obesity
prevention intervention programs should be obtained and adapted for
this program. DHHS/OWH will offer general resources, such as ``The
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005,'' which incorporates weight
management information and calorie-lowering strategies, including the
DASH diet (2,000 calorie maintenance). The curriculum and materials
must be both culturally and educationally appropriate and women-
centered (see section VIII.2 for definitions).
iii. Interventions
Each scheduled intervention shall aim to recruit an average of 20
to 50 participants. High-risk racial and ethnic minority young women
aged 16-24 shall be targeted; however, all high-risk women shall be
eligible to participate in the program, regardless of race, religion,
or age. All participants must read and sign a written consent form
before starting any intervention programs. The grantee shall prepare
the draft consent form in lay-language. The grantee will also create
postcard reminders (or e-mail reminders if participants have easy
access to the internet) for each educational and maintenance session.
The grantee will mail or e-mail the reminders to each participant.
All educational and maintenance sessions shall be focused on mutual
support for participants in their efforts to reduce the risk associated
with obesity. Grantees can obtain and distribute incentives for
attendance (e.g. awards) and incentives to motivate participants to
modify risk factors during the course of the intervention. Appropriate
incentives will be offered to the participants who achieve their
personalized risk modification goals. Positive reinforcement and open
communication as well as a healthy sense of competition must be
encouraged. Incentives and awards may be solicited as donations from
private sources.
iv. Resource Establishment
The grantee must compile a local directory of obesity, nutrition,
and physical activity resources (dietitians, diabetes experts, weight
loss and exercise programs, public health screening and diagnosis
information) available in the community, including health care
alternatives for the uninsured and underinsured women. The grantee
shall establish a national Web site or enhance an existing
organization's Web site to provide support and information online.
These Web sites shall be linked to the DHHS/OWH's https://
www.womenshealth.gov.
C. Educational Sessions
i. Overview
Each site will host six educational sessions over a period of 6
months. The sessions can be physically located at the grantee's site or
at any other appropriate facility in the community that is accessible
to the target audience. These sessions shall address the serious
consequences of obesity [high blood pressure, type II diabetes,
coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, gallbladder disease,
osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and some types of
cancer] and the benefits associated with risk modification. Sessions
may include lectures, demonstrations, video presentations, activities,
etc. Each session must also incorporate some form of moderate physical
activity (such as walking, yoga, or aerobics).
Additionally, each session shall include a small group discussion
component that will focus on encouraging participants to incorporate
weight control strategies and physical activity into their daily lives.
Participants shall be divided into small groups according to criteria
chosen by the grantee. During the group discussion component,
participants should discuss self-monitoring efforts and establish risk
modification goals. The grantee will consult and incorporate qualified
health and nutrition professionals in the development and
implementation of the curriculum and small group discussions.
ii. Educational Session 1: Screening and Program Introduction
During the first educational session, screening shall be conducted
for each participant (all measurements must be kept confidential) to
establish baseline measurements. (Note: Fasting blood tests must be
used to screen for cholesterol and diabetes.) The grantee may solicit
local health care organizations, drug stores, and/or other private
sources to donate or loan screening equipment, giving proper
acknowledgment for their assistance. Additionally, health professionals
who volunteer to present at sessions can be asked to bring equipment
with them and help conduct the screenings. Alternatively, grantees may
use a small amount (no more than $10,000.00) of grant funds to purchase
screening equipment and supplies.
The importance of weight control, good nutrition, recommended
portion sizes, and physical activity will be introduced and emphasized
as the primary goal of the program. Daily weight and physical activity
self-monitoring materials (diaries, logs, etc.) will be distributed and
explained. The site leader should also discuss the reward system for
reaching risk modification goals. Moreover, the first session should
include a basic orientation on how to use the internet. The orientation
shall include instruction on how participants who do not own computers
can access computers that are available for public use (e.g. at a
public library, health center, faith-based or community-based
organization). The format of the orientation may include a hands-on
demonstration, pictorial diagrams, and/or written instruction.
During the first educational session, each participant shall also
be administered a test to determine baseline knowledge of obesity and
its risk factors. Additionally, each participant shall assess her own
personal risk profile.
iii. Educational Sessions 2-6: Risk Factors
After the first introductory educational session, the following
five educational sessions will be devoted to educating participants
about overeating and portion control, good nutrition, and physical
activity. In addition, key lessons learned at previous sessions will be
reviewed at each of the proceeding sessions to reinforce risk factor
knowledge. Interactive guided discussion among participants may help
identify effective strategies for overcoming obstacles to eating better
and moving more.
iv. Educational Session 6: Screening and Wrap-up
During the sixth and final educational session, participants shall
be screened again and each participant shall assess her own personal
CVD risk profile. Each participant shall also be administered a test to
determine knowledge of obesity and its consequences, nutrition, and
physical activity. Additionally, participants shall be asked to provide
[[Page 35426]]
feedback regarding their experience in the program and evaluate the
program. Participants will also decide on a plan of action for the two
maintenance sessions.
D. Maintenance Sessions
The maintenance sessions will take place 6 months after the last
educational sessions. Participants can decide on the format of the
maintenance sessions. The sessions may include any or all of the
following: Additional educational seminars, screenings, testimonials,
personal counseling, field trips (e.g. trips to gyms to exercise or
trips to grocery stores and restaurants to practice selecting healthy
foods), etc. However, each session must include a physical activity and
a small group discussion component.
The format of each maintenance session should be clearly outlined
and documented (what type of activity, duration of activity, material
covered, location, etc.). During the last maintenance session,
participants will be screened again for risk factors and each
participant shall assess her own personal risk profile. Each
participant shall also be administered a test to determine knowledge of
being obese or overweight and its associated risk factors.
Additionally, participants shall be asked to give feedback and evaluate
the program.
E. Program Evaluation/Write-Up
Information on personal risk factors must be obtained from three
assessment points--the first (baseline) educational session, the last
educational session, and the last maintenance session. Self-monitoring
materials and feedback from evaluation forms will also provide
information. Grantees may choose to use any appropriate tools, survey
instruments, self-monitoring and evaluation materials to provide
information on short-term and long-term behavioral changes. All
materials must be reviewed and approved by the multi-disciplinary
planning committee. In addition, grantees shall be required to include
a core set of screening and evaluation items that will be prescribed by
the DHHS/OWH. These items will be determined during and after the post-
award orientation meeting and will most likely consist of items
developed by one or more of the grantees.
The grantee shall design a database, collect all participant data,
and enter data into the database. This data shall be kept confidential
through use of unique identifying numbers and an electronic copy of the
data shall be provided to DHHS/OWH. Baseline and follow-up data must be
analyzed to quantitatively evaluate the program's effectiveness at two
different intervals--after the end of the educational sessions and
after the end of the maintenance sessions. The program evaluation must
be able to demonstrate, at minimum, the following desired program
outcomes:
Primary Outcome Measures
1. Increase the proportion of participants who understand the
correlation between being obese/overweight and the resulting illnesses
and major complications.
2. Increase participant's knowledge of how to correctly measure and
use the widely accepted portions of food.
3. Increase the number of participants who use healthier methods to
prepare foods long after session's end.
4. Increase the participant's knowledge of resources in the
community that will enable them to engage in regular physical activity,
weight control, and healthy nutrition.
5. Have participants show how they have incorporated physical
activity into everyday living (using stairs instead of elevators,
walking instead of riding to work, parking their vehicle further away
from a destination) long after session's end.
6. Decrease the Body Mass Index (BMI) from baseline for
participants who are obese long after session's end.
7. Decrease the weight by 7-10% of overweight participants long
after session's end.
8. Increase the proportion of participants who engage regularly in
moderate physical activity (e.g. joining a health club, using the gym
at the YMCA, attending dance classes at the neighborhood recreation
center) long after session's end.
Secondary Outcome Measures
1. Increase the proportion of participants who are aware of the BMI
and their weight status using the BMI scale.
2. Increase the proportion of participants with high blood pressure
at baseline whose blood pressure is under control because of weight
loss.
3. Decease the proportion of participants with high total blood
cholesterol because they now engage in regular physical activity and
practice healthier eating habits.
4. Were new behaviors sustained or abandoned after the sessions?
The evaluation should also address the following questions:
1. Did participants evaluate the program favorably?
2. Did the program meet the needs and expectations of the
participants?
3. What changes do the participants suggest?
Emphasis should be placed on aligning program outcomes and targets
with the objectives and targets of Healthy People 2010. More
information on the Healthy People 2010 objectives may be found at
https://www.health.gov/healthypeople. Each grantee should also take into
account the baseline characteristics of the potential program
participants when setting outcome targets.
DHHS/OWH shall site visit the five grantees during one of the 2-6
Educational Sessions. The grantee shall participate in monthly
conference calls with the DHHS/OWH and other grantees. The grantee
shall prepare quarterly progress reports that outline the status and
progress of the project. The grantee shall prepare a final report that
describes the results from the program evaluation and all project
activities for the entire 12-month period of the program.
The purpose of the program is to reduce obesity among high-risk
young women in the United States through education and risk behavior
modification. This obesity prevention program will be targeted towards
high-risk racial and ethnic minority women, ages 16-24; however, all
high-risk women shall be eligible to participate in the programs
regardless of race, religion, or age.
Each grantee shall implement a program in community-based sites
across the United States, including urban and rural areas. The main
goals will be for program participants to increase their knowledge of
obesity risk factors, its cause and effects, to increase their level of
physical activity and to learn healthier methods of food preparation
and portion control.
II. Award Information
The Office on Women's Health (OWH) anticipates making, through the
cooperative agreement grant mechanism, new annual awards for the
creation or sustainment of obesity programs for young women, ages 16-
24. Funds to be awarded no later than September 1, 2006. Approximately
$490,000 is available to make five awards of up to $98,000 total cost
(direct and indirect) for a 12-month period. The actual number of
awards made will depend upon the quality of the applications received
and the amount of funds available for the program. The government is
not obligated to make any awards as a result of this announcement.
In order to achieve the goals of the program, the grantee shall
develop methods to provide effective education and awareness
interventions and
[[Page 35427]]
messages to at risk young women, ages 16-24, that will positively
impact behaviors.
Under this cooperative agreement, the duties of the Federal
Government and the grantee are described below:
The DHHS/OWH will provide technical assistance and the oversight
necessary for the implementation, conduct, and assessment of program
activities. This program will be a model; as such, the federal
government may replicate the program and/or use the program materials
both during and after the period of performance. The grantee may
copyright any work that is developed, or for which ownership was
purchased, under the award, but DHHS reserves a royalty-free,
nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise
use the work for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so. In
addition, the grantee and/or community partners are encouraged to
sustain the program after the end of award and expand it to other sites
within its network.
The Federal Government will also:
Review and approve work plan, task outline, and schedule of
activities.
Review quarterly progress reports.
Conduct the monthly conference calls with grantees.
Conduct the two-day post-award orientation meeting in Washington,
DC within two months of award.
Conduct one site visit per grantee.
Review and approve all educational and instructional materials for
the six educational sessions.
Review and approve informed consent document and program
promotional materials to ensure adherence to DHHS policies.
The grantee shall complete the requirements described in the
Funding Opportunity Description. Specifically, the grantee will:
Provide no less than six educational forums/interventions to
address obesity issues in the target audience. The location must be
accessible to the target audience.
Establish partnerships with local and community-based
organizations, health clubs, recreation centers, hospitals, clinics,
etc. to increase access to, or create support groups for overweight/
obese young women. Establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
each urban or rural community-based site willing to participate in the
program.
Develop culturally appropriate facilitator education and training
modules in an effort to sustain awareness and education programs for
the target audience; and ensure education, awareness and training
programs are culturally, linguistically, and educationally appropriate
for the target audience.
Submit a work plan, task outline, and schedule of activities within
one month of award.
Attend a two-day post-award orientation meeting in Washington, DC
within two months of grant award. (Travel funds for this meeting must
come out of the total award funding and should be included in the
applicant's budget justification.)
Participate in monthly conference calls with the DHHS/OWH and other
grantees.
Prepare quarterly progress reports that outline the status and
progress of the program.
Form a planning committee consisting of representatives from
community organization, health care and nutrition professionals and
educators, and high-risk women in the community.
Consult with the planning committee to develop six educational
sessions that address all of the major risk factors of obesity.
Curriculum should be adapted from existing models of prevention
intervention curriculum that have been successfully tested and
evaluated.
Prepare or obtain educational materials for the six educational
sessions (e.g. instructional manual, educational and/or exercise
videos, booklets, etc.).
Develop small group discussion format for each session focusing on
encouraging participants to incorporate weight control strategies and
physical activity into their daily lives.
Track regular physical activity and weight control behaviors.
Use pre and post evaluation materials and survey instruments (e.g.
knowledge tests, risk factor profile assessment tools, and qualitative
feedback forms).
Prepare a draft consent form in lay-language, obtain appropriate
institutional IRB approval, if applicable, and obtain consent from all
program participants.
Adhere to all program requirements specified in this announcement
and the Notice of Grant Award.
Comply with the DHHS 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.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible entities may include: For profit and not for profit
community based organizations, national organizations, colleges and
universities, clinics and hospitals, research institutions, State and
local government agencies, tribal government and tribal/urban Indian
entities, and faith-based organizations.
If funding is requested in an amount greater than the ceiling of
the award range ($98,000 total cost for a 12-month period), 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.
Applications that are not complete or do not conform to or address the
criteria of this announcement 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. An organization may submit no more than one proposal for
the program announced in this notice of funding availability.
Organizations submitting more than one proposal will be deemed
ineligible. The proposal will be returned without comment.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds
Cost sharing and matching funds are not a requirement of this
grant; however applicants may solicit private sources for donations
and/or loans of screening equipment, screening personnel, and
participation incentives.
3. Other
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required prior to submission of
applications. See section IV.2 for formatting and submission
requirements for the LOI.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
Application kits may be requested by calling (240) 453-8822 or
writing to: OPHS Office of Grants Management, 1101 Wootton Parkway,
Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852. Requests may also be submitted by FAX
at (240) 453-8823.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
A. Letter of Intent
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required from all potential applicants
for the purpose of planning the competitive review process. The LOI
should be no
[[Page 35428]]
more than one page, double-spaced, printed on one side, with one-inch
margins, and 12-point font. LOIs should include the following
information: (1) Program announcement title and number; (2) name of the
applicant agency or organization, the official contact person and that
person's telephone number, fax number, and mailing and e-mail
addresses. Do not include a description of your proposed project.
Submit the LOI to: OPHS Office of Grants Management, 1101 Wootton
Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852. The LOI must be received by
the OPHS Office of Grants Management by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on June 29,
2006. If an applicant does not submit an LOI by the established due
date and time, the application will not be eligible for the review
process.
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 Web site
https://www.dnb.com/product/eupdate/requestOptions.html.
B. Application
Applications must be submitted using the Form OPHS-1 (Revised 8/04)
and in the manner prescribed in the application kit. Applicants are
required to submit an original ink-signed and dated application and 2
photocopies. The application should be organized in accordance with the
format presented in the Program Guidelines. The original and each copy
must be stapled and/or otherwise securely bound. All pages must be
numbered clearly and sequentially. The application must be typed on
plain 8\1/2\'' x 11'' white paper, using a 12 point font, and contain
1'' margins all around. The Project Narrative, excluding the
appendices, is limited to a total of 50 pages--the fronts and backs of
25 pieces of paper. The first 50 pages of the proposal will be
considered; any pages exceeding this length will be removed from the
proposal and will not be evaluated. Staff resumes, letters of support,
memorandums of understanding (MOUs), budget justifications, samples of
existing curriculum, samples of survey instruments and data collection
forms, and research results and references may be included as part of
an appendix and will not count toward the 50 pages limit. The
application must also include a detailed budget justification,
including a narrative and computation of expenditures for one year. The
budget justification does not count toward the 50 pages limit.
An outline for the minimum information to be included in the
``Project Narrative'' section is presented below.
A. Program Plan
The applicant must describe, in detail, its approach for
accomplishing each of the requirements identified in the funding
opportunity description. The program plan must reference each
requirement, and the material should be presented in the order in which
it appears in the funding opportunity description. The applicant should
demonstrate a full understanding of the need for the program,
anticipating, prioritizing, and presenting likely components that will
achieve overall goals and desired outcomes. The applicant should also
identify potential problems and intended solutions. The applicant is
free to recommend and describe other procedures that it believes will
more effectively achieve the stated objectives, but needs to carefully
relate alternatives and rationales to the approach recommended in the
funding opportunity description.
The proposal should include curriculum outlines and sample agendas
for one or more of the educational sessions described in the funding
opportunity description. The applicant must provide a detailed
description of the existing curriculum that will be adapted and used
for the educational sessions. In addition, samples of the existing
curriculum and results from any pilot or demonstration projects that
used the curriculum should be provided. These samples and results may
be included as part of the appendices.
B. Experience and Commitment of Key Personnel
The applicant must identify key personnel involved in the project
based on the requirements described in funding opportunity description
and other personnel adequate to support the administrative, logistical,
financial, and scientific coordination aspects of the project within
the time limits of the grant. The applicant must provide information on
which task(s) each of the key personnel will perform and the rationale
for that assignment. Resumes for all proposed personnel must be
submitted with the application in the appendices.
C. Management Plan
The applicant should develop and propose a Management Plan. This
plan includes a program schedule that lays out tasks and a time-line
and identifies significant milestones for the accomplishment of the
project. Specific staff responsibilities must be detailed in this
schedule along with the number of hours that each person will devote to
each task. The plan must provide, at a minimum, details pertaining to
the four program phases (Program Planning, Development, and
Recruitment; Educational Sessions; Maintenance Sessions; Program
Evaluation/Write-Up) as they are outlined in the funding opportunity
description.
D. Past Performance
Each applicant should describe its organization's relevant
experience and success in managing this type of project. The applicant
should also include a description of itself, the experience of its
support personnel, and information about grantees, partners, and
quality of cooperation between organization, staff, key personnel, and
clients. Specific descriptions of relevant previous experience that the
organization has performed within the past five years must be included.
Include period of performance, dollar amount, name of program sponsor,
and a letter of support from at least three different program sponsors.
Letters of support may be included as part of the appendices.
Relevant previous experience may include, but is not limited to,
the development of: Comprehensive campaigns or educational programs
aimed at improving the health of women and/or men; health behavior
modification programs; programs delivered in a variety of settings
(e.g., educational, hospital, community, etc.); obesity, physical
activity, nutrition, chronic disease, or other illness prevention and
risk modification programs; and previous collaborations with local and
national organizations.
E. Appendices
Include documentation and other supporting information in this
section, including staff resumes, letters of support, memorandums of
understanding (MOUs), samples of existing curriculum, samples of survey
instruments and data collection forms, and research results and
references. The applicant should also include an MOU between the
applicant and any other organization or entity with which it intends to
collaborate/partner.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Submission Mechanisms
The Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) provides multiple
mechanisms for the submission of
[[Page 35429]]
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 Web site 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 hard copy 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, hard copy 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 Grants.gov Web Site Portal
The Grants.gov Web site 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 Web site
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 Web site 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 Web site Portal.
Grants.gov will notify the applicant regarding the application
validation status. Once the application is successfully validated by
the Grants.gov Web site 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 hard copy 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 Web site Portal.
Applicants should contact Grants.gov regarding any questions or
concerns regarding the electronic application process conducted through
the Grants.gov Web site 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 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
[[Page 35430]]
also provide a listing of all items that constitute the final
application submission including all electronic application components,
required hard copy 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 5:00 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
This program is subject to the Public Health Systems Reporting
Requirements. Under these requirements, community-based and faith-
based, non-governmental applicant must prepare and submit a Public
Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS). Applicants shall submit a copy
of the application face page (SF-424) and a one page summary of the
project, called the Public Health System Impact Statement. The PHSIS is
intended to provide information to State and local health officials to
keep them apprised of proposed health services grant applications
submitted by community-based or faith-based, non-governmental
organizations within their jurisdictions.
Community-based and faith-based, non-governmental applicants are
required to submit, no later than the Federal due date for receipt of
the application, the following information to the head of the
appropriate state and local health agencies in the area(s) to be
impacted: (a) a copy of the face page of the application (SF 424), (b)
a summary of the project (PHSIS), not to exceed one page, which
provides: (1) A description of the population to be served, (2) a
summary of the services to be provided, and (3) a description of the
coordination planned with the appropriate state or local health
agencies. Copies of the letters forwarding the PHSIS to these
authorities must be contained in the application materials submitted to
the DHHS/OWH.
This program is also subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 that allows States the option of setting up a system for
reviewing applications from within their States for assistance under
certain Federal programs. The application kit to be made available
under this notice will contain a listing of States that have chosen to
set up a review system and will include a State Single Point of Contact
(SPOC) in the State for review. Applicants (other than federally
recognized Indian tribes) should contact their SPOCs as early as
possible to alert them to the prospective applications and receive any
necessary instructions on the State process. For proposed projects
serving more than one State, the applicant is advised to contact the
SPOC in each affected State. A complete list of SPOCs may be found at
the following Web site: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html
The due date for State process recommendations is 60 days after the
application deadline. The OWH does not guarantee that it will
accommodate or explain its responses to State process recommendations
received after that date. (See ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs,'' Executive Order 12372, and 45 CFR part 100 for a
description of the review process and requirements.)
5. Funding Restrictions
Grant funds may be used to cover costs of:
Personnel.
Consultants.
Office supplies and software.
Educational, promotional and evaluation materials.
Screening supplies and equipment.
Grant related travel (domestic only).
Other grant related costs.
Grant funds may not be used for:
Building alterations or renovations.
Computers.
Construction.
Food.
Fund raising activities.
Medical treatment or therapy.
Political education and lobbying.
Other activities that are not grant related.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
The technical review of applications will consider the following 4
factors:
A. Factor 1: Program Plan (40 points)
This factor will be evaluated by rating the applicant's approach to
accomplishing each of the requirements identified in the funding
opportunity description as demonstrated by the following:
Demonstrated understanding of the scope, goals, and objectives of
the work required and the applicability and clarity of the overall
approach.
Discussions detailing how each of the requirements will be
performed and the appropriateness of all proposed methodologies and
analyses.
Identification of potential problems and intended solutions.
Discussions detailing the criteria used for selecting sites, list
of selected sites or locations of sites, and letters of support from
each site, if possible.
Discussions of curriculum, including samples of the existing
curriculum that will be adapted for the program and preliminary
outlines and sample agendas for one or more of the educational sessions
described in the funding opportunity description.
Potential for the success of the proposed program plan to improve
healthy behaviors so as to reduce obesity/overweight of the targeted
population.
B. Factor 2: Management Plan (30 points)
The applicant's staffing, scheduling, and logistics plans will be
evaluated for their effectiveness in committing personnel and resources
to provide high-quality service and products within the time frames
set-forth. This evaluation is based on the following:
Realism of the proposed timeline and the personnel and resources
assigned to complete each requirement.
Appropriateness of the proposed number of hours estimated for each
requirement and each staff member.
Adequacy of organizational structure.
Adequacy of proposed plan to identify and solve potential problems.
Adequacy of proposed plan to monitor and report on program progress
and ensure effective communication between program staff members and
the DHHS/OWH.
[[Page 35431]]
C. Factor 3: Experience and Commitment of Key Personnel (20 Points)
This factor covers the qualifications of key personnel proposed to
perform the work assigned to them and the amount of effort estimated
for each person. This evaluation is based on the following:
Experience, education, and professional credentials of proposed key
personnel on similar projects and in related fields (similar projects
must convey similarity in topic, dollar value, workload, duration, and
complexity).
Appropriateness of each person's skills and experience for
performing the requirements in the funding opportunity description.
D. Factor 4: Past Performance (10 Points)
This factor will be evaluated by considering the number, size, and
complexity of similar projects that the applicant has previously
successfully completed. Relevant previous experience may include, but
is not limited to, the development of: Comprehensive campaigns or
educational programs aimed at improving the health of women and/or men;
health behavior modification programs; programs delivered in a variety
of settings, re. faith-based, clinical, collegiate, or community-based;
obesity-related, re. diabetes, nutrition, physical activity, CHD;
disease prevention and risk modification programs; and previous
collaborations with national or local community organizations.
Also evaluated will be the applicant's adherence to schedules and
budgets, effectiveness of program management, willingness to cooperate
when difficulties arise, general compliance with the terms of the
contracts, and acceptability of delivered products.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be screened upon receipt. Those that are judged
to be incomplete or arrive after the deadline will be returned without
review or comment. If funding is requested in an amount greater than
the ceiling of the award range ($98,000 for a 12-month budget period),
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.
Applicants that are judged to be in compliance will be notified by
the OPHS Office of Grants Management. Accepted applications will be
evaluated based on the criteria listed in Section V.1 and reviewed for
technical merit in accordance with DHHS policies. Applicants are
advised to pay close attention to the specific program requirements and
general instructions in the application kit and to the definitions
provided in this notice.
Applications will be evaluated by an objective technical review
panel composed of experts in the fields of program management, chronic
disease, obesity/overweight, minority community outreach, health
education, and community-based research. Consideration for award will
be given to applicants that best demonstrate the potential to design a
program that achieves the program goals stated in this announcement.
The Federal Government may conduct pre-award site visits of
applicants with scores in the funding range prior to final selection.
References may also be requested from these applicants and contacted to
better evaluate prior relevant experience. Any applicant who believes
the Government will find derogatory information as a result of checking
the past performance record may provide an explanation and any remedial
action taken by its company to address the problem. Funding decisions
will be made by the DHHS/OWH, and will take into consideration the
recommendations and ratings of the review panel, pre-award site visits
and references, program needs, geographic location, and stated
preferences.
Guidance for completing the budget can be found in the Program
Guidelines, which are included with the complete application kits. The
allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and necessity of direct and
indirect costs that may be charged to OPHS grants are outlined in the
following documents: OMB Circular A-21 (Institutions of Higher
Education); OMB Circular A-87 (State and Local Governments); OMB
Circular A-122 (Nonprofit Organizations); and 45 CFR part 74, Appendix
E (Hospitals). Copies of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Circulars are available on the Internet at https://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/grants/grants_circulars.html. In order to claim indirect costs as
part of a budget request, an applicant organization must have an
indirect cost rate which has been negotiated with the Federal
government. The Health and Human Services Division of Cost Allocation
(DCA) Regional Office that is applicable to your State can provide
information on how to receive such a rate. A list of DCA Regional
Offices is included in the application kit for this announcement.
Guidance for completing the budget can be found in the Program
Guidelines, which are included with the complete application kits.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: Applicants selected for funding support will
receive a Notice of Grant Award signed by the by the Director of the
OPHS Office of Grants Management. This is the authorizing document and
it will be sent electronically and followed up with a mailed copy.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: (1) In
accepting this award, the grantee stipulates that the award and any
activities thereunder are subject to all provisions of 45 CFR parts 74
and 92, currently in effect or implemented during the period of this
grant. (2) Requests that require prior approval from the awarding
office (See Chapter 8, PHS Grants Policy Statement) must be submitted
in writing to the OPHS Grants Management Officer. Only responses signed
by the OPHS Grants Management Officer are to be considered valid.
Grantees who take action on the basis of responses from other officials
do so at their own risk. Such responses will not be considered binding
by or upon the Office on Women's Health. (3) Responses to reporting
requirements, conditions, and requests for post award amendments must
be mailed to the attention and address of the Grants Management Officer
indicated below in ``Contacts.'' All correspondence should include the
Federal grant number (item 4 on the Notice of Grant Award) and requires
the signature of an authorized business official and/or the project
director. Failure to follow this guidance will result in a delay in
responding to your correspondence. (4) 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.
3. Reporting: Grantees will submit 4 progress reports, a final
report, and a final Financial Status Report in the format established
by the DHHS/OWH, in accordance with provisions of the general
regulations which apply under ``Monitoring and Reporting Program
Performance,'' 45 CFR parts 74 and 92. The purpose of the progress
reports and final report is to provide accurate and
[[Page 35432]]
timely program information to program managers and to respond to
Congressional, Departmental, and public requests for information about
the program. Grantees shall prepare a progress report that outlines the
status and progression of the project every 3 months. Grantees will be
informed of the exact progress report due dates and means of submission
after the award is made. The final report must describe all project
activities for the entire 12-month period of the program including data
analysis and program evaluation. DHHS/OWH shall provide an outline of
the final report format and templates for required tables. A draft of
the final report must be submitted six weeks prior to the end date of
the award. DHHS/OWH will review the draft. Suggested revisions will be
discussed individually during a conference call with each grantee. The
mutually agreed upon revisions must be incorporated into the final
report by the end date of the award.
The grantee shall assign one staff member to participate in a
committee with other grantees and DHHS/OWH to prepare a joint
manuscript suitable for a peer-reviewed journal. This manuscript shall
combine and summarize data from all programs into one final evaluation.
The jointly prepared manuscript must be submitted two weeks prior to
the end date of award.
VII. Agency Contact(s)
For application kits and information on budget and business aspects
of the application, please contact: OPHS Office of Grants Management,
1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone: (240)
453-8822.
Questions regarding programmatic information and/or requests for
technical assistance in the preparation of the ``Project Narrative''
should be directed in writing to: Henrietta (Retta) Terry, Public
Health Advisor, Office on Women's Health, Office of Public Health and
Science, DHHS, 200 Independence Ave., SW., Rm 712E, Washington, DC
20201. Telephone: 202-205-1952. E-mail: hterry@osophs.dhhs.gov.
VIII. Other Information
1. Background
A. Agency
The Office on Women's Health in the United States Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS/OWH) coordinates the efforts of all the
DHHS agencies and offices involved in women's health. DHHS/OWH works to
improve the health and well-being of women and girls in the United
States through its innovative programs by educating health
professionals and motivating behavior change in consumers through the
dissemination of health information. To that end, the DHHS/OWH has
established public/private partnerships to address health problems in
women.
B. Obesity
In 2003-2004, 32.2% of adults were obese. If you are overweight or
obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many
diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and
breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea. Ultimately, obesity
can even be life-threatening. Annually in the United States, more than
300,000 deaths are linked to obesity. Losing weight helps to prevent
and control these diseases. The good news is that even a modest weight
loss can bring health improvements. In many cases, you can accomplish
this by eating healthier, exercising, and changing behaviors. For
people who don't respond to lifestyle changes, prescription
medications, and surgical techniques are available to enhance the
weight-loss process.
C. Women and Obesity
More than 65% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. The
percentage of obese adults varied little from 1960 to 1980, but
increased considerably between 1980-1991, from 13-21 percent among men
and from 17-26 percent among women. Among women, no significant
increase in obesity was observed in 1999-2000 (33.4%) and 2003-2004
(33.2%). The prevalence of extreme obesity in women is 6.9%. More adult
women are obese (33 percent) than men (28 percent). African American
women (32.9%) had the highest rates of obesity. Faced with a history of
negative experiences at the doctor's office, many obese women delay
preventive medical visits, including those for gynecological cancer
screening. Being overweight increases a woman's chance of developing
breast, ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancer.
D. Women & Girls Ages 16-24
In 2003-2004, 17.1% of U.S. children and adolescents were
overweight. Tests for trend were significant for male and female
children and adolescents, indicating an increase in the prevalence of
overweight in female children and adolescents from 13.8% in 1999-2000
to 16.0% in 2003-2004. Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of
becoming overweight or obese adults. Overweight in children/adolescents
is generally caused by lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating
patterns, or a combination of the two, with genetics and lifestyle both
playing important roles. Physical activity levels drop sharply as girls
become teenagers. By the age of 15 or 16, 28% of Caucasian girls and
58% of African American girls report no habitual leisure-time activity.
E. Racial and Ethnic Minority Women
In 2003-2004, significant differences in obesity prevalence
remained by race/ethnicity and by age. Approximately 30% of non-
Hispanic white adults were obese as were 45.0% of non-Hispanic black
adults and 36.8% Mexican Americans. About 57% of Hispanic/Latino women,
56% of American Indians/Alaska Native women, 42.6% of Asian/Pacific
Islander women and 55% of African American women do not exercise,
compared to 38% of white women. Hispanic and black individuals,
especially women, have a greater prevalence of excess weight compared
to their white counterparts. In the 2003 national survey conducted by
the American Heart Association, fewer African-American and Hispanic
women than white women correctly cited heart disease as the leading
cause of death among women.
F. Genetic Factors
Obesity tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic cause. Yet
families also share diet and lifestyle habits that may contribute to
obesity. Separating these from genetic factors is often difficult. Even
so, science shows that heredity is linked to obesity. In one study,
adults who were adopted as children were found to have weights closer
to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents. In this
case, the person's genetic makeup had more influence on the development
of obesity than the environment in the adoptive family home.
G. Environmental Factors
Genes do not destine people to a lifetime of obesity; however,
environment also strongly influences obesity. This includes lifestyle
behaviors such as what a person eats and his or her level of physical
activity. Americans tend to eat high-fat foods, and put taste and
convenience ahead of nutrition. Also, most Americans do not get enough
physical activity. Although you cannot change your genetic makeup, you
can change your eating habits and levels of activity.
H. Obesity Interventions
Prevention programs that target high-risk women, particularly
racial/ethnic minority women, have the potential to
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reduce the incidence of obesity/overweight in the United States.
Education is an essential component of health promotion efforts, and
many programs aiming to prevent obesity focus on education as their
primary goal. However, risk behavior modification, the process of
translating knowledge into practice, is pivotal to achieving improved
health outcomes. In particular, interventions that encourage women to
establish a healthy weight and increase their levels of physical
activity could dramatically affect obesity rates in the United States.
These include:
Personalized risk assessment and screening.
Daily self-monitoring (log-sheets, exercise diaries, etc.).
Program and educational materials tailored to stages of the life
cycle, readiness to change, needs and subgroup affiliation (e.g. racial
group, low socioeconomic status, obese, etc.).
Behavioral reinforcement strategies such as contracts, verification
procedures, incentives, lotteries, and team building.
Group sessions that incorporate physical activity.
Frequent contact via mail and phone.
Resource library on maintaining a health weight, nutrition,
physical activity.
2. Definitions
For the purposes of this cooperative agreement program, the
following definitions are provided:
Community-based: The locus of control and decision-making powers is
located at the community level, representing the service area of the
community or a significant segment of the community.
Community-based organization: Public and private, nonprofit
organizations that are representative of communities or significant
segments of communities.
Culturally competent/appropriate: Information and services provided
at the educational level and in the language and cultural context that
are most appropriate for the individuals for whom the information and
services are intended. Additional information on cultural competency is
available at the following Web site: https://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/May2001/
factsheets/Cultural-Competency.html.
Partnership: A collaboration where both parties play a substantive
role during all stages of the program including development,
implementation and evaluation. Both parties must also be included and
consulted when decisions are made on all aspects of the program.
Racial and Ethnic Minority Women: American Indian or Alaska Native,
Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. (Revision to the Standards for the
Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, Federal Register,
Vol. 62, No. 210, pg. 58782, October 30, 1997.)
Sustainability: An organization's or program's staying power: The
capacity to maintain both the financial resources and the partnerships/
linkages needed to provide the services demanded from an OWH program.
It also involves the ability to survive change, incorporate needed
changes, and seize opportunities provided by a changing environment.
Target: Put forth effort to ensure that members of a specific group
of women are aware of the program and that components of the program
are designe