Training of Latin American Health-Care Workers Through the Gorgas Memorial Institute, Republic of Panama, 38214-38221 [E8-15120]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 129 (Thursday, July 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38214-38221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15120]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Training of Latin American Health-Care Workers Through the Gorgas 
Memorial Institute, Republic of Panama

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Preparedness and Response.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Funding Opportunity Title: Training of Latin American Health-Care 
Workers through the Gorgas Memorial Institute, Republic of Panama.
    Announcement Type: Single-Source, Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: Not applicable.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.019.

DATES: To receive consideration, applications must be received by the 
Office of Grants Management within the Office of Public Health and 
Science (OPHS) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) no 
later than August 4, 2008. HHS will consider applications as meeting 
the deadline if the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants Management (c/o Grant 
Application Center, 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 
22209), receives them no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 
application due date. HHS will accept applications electronically 
submitted through GrantSolutions.gov or Grants.Gov until 11 p.m., 
Eastern Time, on this date. HHS will not accept applications by fax, 
nor will HHS extend the submission deadline. The application due date 
requirement specified in this announcement supersedes the instructions 
in the OPHS-1. HHS will return to the applicant, unread, applications 
that do not meet the deadline. See heading ``Application and Submission 
Information'' for information on mechanisms to submit applications.

SUMMARY: This project will support the Gorgas Memorial Institute (GMI) 
to: (a) Develop a regional training center in Panama and (b) train 
community health workers, clinicians (physicians, nurses, and auxiliary 
medical workers) and select public-health professionals from Central 
and South America (i.e., Latin America), (c) facilitate partnerships 
between U.S. universities and their Latin American counterparts to 
develop human resources for health in Latin America, and (d) harness 
the energies of U.S. and other non-governmental organizations by 
partnering with them to advance community health-training and program 
efforts in Latin America.
    These efforts will help engage significantly more areas of these 
countries to prepare for and respond to public-health emergencies, such 
as pandemic influenza, and they will contribute to the improved and 
expanded provision of prevention and primary health care. This training 
of nurses, community health workers and physicians will focus on 
improving and expanding coverage and access to both public-health 
emergency care and preventive and primary health care in underserved 
parts of Latin America (i.e., both underserved rural and poor urban 
communities). A result of this project, the health-care work force in 
Central America should be better prepared to respond to public-health 
emergencies, including pandemic influenza. Key to the selection of 
recipients for this training will be their availability and willingness 
to provide their health and medical care skills in underserved areas 
within the region, especially rural and indigenous communities and 
those visited by U.S. Government humanitarian missions in the past 
year. In addition to all appropriate subjects in the fields of medical 
care and health education or communication, training supported by this 
project will emphasize infectious diseases, epidemiology, disease 
surveillance and outbreak response, so graduates of training programs 
will be prepared to play contributing roles in any pandemic preparation 
and response.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: While a number of Central and South American 
and Caribbean countries have made significant strides towards improving 
the quality of health care for their citizens, and extending that care 
into underserved areas, a number of countries and regions still suffer 
from a shortage of appropriately trained health-care workers and 
clinicians. Though all levels of medical care (primary, secondary and 
tertiary) warrant further investment and effort to meet the present and 
growing need in Latin America and the Caribbean for medical care, this 
need is perhaps most acute among rural, indigenous and disadvantaged 
urban communities, where essential public health, prevention and 
primary care are absent or sparse. From a public-health perspective, 
focusing public investment on basic and essential primary care results 
in a maximization of benefits for the greatest number of people.
    Compounding the pre-existing and wide ranging needs for basic 
community, preventive and primary health care in this region are new 
threats from emerging infectious diseases that are looming on the 
horizon. The H5N1 strain of avian flu has become the most threatening 
influenza virus in the world that could cause a pandemic, and any 
large-scale outbreak of this disease among humans would have grave 
consequences for global public health, including in Latin America. 
Influenza experts have warned that the re-assortment of different 
influenza viruses could greatly increase the potential for the viruses 
to transmit more easily from person to person. Medical practitioners 
have also discovered several other, new avian viruses transmissible to 
humans. In the fight against avian and pandemic influenza, early 
detection and response is the first line of defense, and greater 
numbers of appropriately trained community and clinical health-care 
workers would play a vital role in helping respond to such public-
health emergencies.
    No funds provided under this cooperative agreement may support any 
activity that duplicates another activity supported by any component of 
HHS. Funds provided under this cooperative agreement may not supplant 
funding provided by other sources. Grantees must coordinate all funded 
activities with the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Office of Global Health 
Affairs.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority:
    Section 307(a) and (b) of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 242l);

[[Page 38215]]

    Section 1702(a)(2), (3) and (4)(A) and (C) (42 U.S.C. 300u-1(a)(2), 
(3), and 4(A) and (C));
    Section 1703(a)(1), (2), (3), and (4) (42 U.S.C. 300u-2(a)(1), (2), 
(3) and (4));
    Section 1703(c) (42 U.S.C. 300u-2(c)); and
    Section 1704(1), (2), and (3) (42 U.S.C. 300u-3(1), (2), and (3)).
    Purpose: This program proposes that Gorgas Memorial Institute 
(GMI):
    (a) Continue to develop and establish a regional training center in 
Panama for health workers, medical clinicians (auxiliary health-care 
workers, community health aides, nurses, physician assistants, nurse 
practitioners, and physicians) and select public-health professionals 
from Central and South America. Development of such a center is 
understood to include the recruitment and retention of faculty and 
administrative staff, the development of curricula, and all appropriate 
inter-face with Panamanian, regional and international educational 
systems and peer groups.
    (b) Train significant numbers of community health workers and 
clinicians (physicians, nurses, and auxiliary medical workers) and 
select public-health professionals from Central and South American and 
Caribbean countries.
    (c) Through this cooperative agreement with HHS, explore and lead, 
where possible, the creation of partnerships between U.S. universities 
and Latin American counterpart institutions to further develop and 
train community-level health-care workers, and identify policy and 
program options that can contribute to the greater expansion and 
sustainability of community-level health-care workers in currently 
underserved areas. Additional funds from HHS could be available in the 
future to further expand the number of these partnerships.
    (d) With HHS, investigate and develop approaches for collaborating 
with Latin American, Caribbean, U.S. and/or international non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) to help advance the training of the 
community and field health and medical personnel of these NGOs.
    (e) With HHS, investigate and develop approaches for collaborating 
with Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. NGOs to link, bridge and 
supplement these NGOs' community health initiatives, where possible, 
through GMI's provision of logistical support and a base of operations 
for the NGOs', working in agreement with GMI.
    (f) Identify organizations of U.S.-based emigrants and their places 
of origin throughout the countries of Central and South America and the 
Caribbean, and pursue efforts to build or expand community health 
complements to any community-assistance initiatives these organizations 
are or could be providing.
    (g) With HHS, international health organizations and NGOs, pursue 
coordinated efforts on health campaigns of public-health priority for 
which a campaign strategy approach offers merit (e.g., immunization 
promotion, including seasonal influenza immunization, polio 
eradication, oral rehydration therapy, etc.). Any campaigns should 
utilize the best available approaches to research, development, 
implementation and evaluation. GMI will design and implement new 
teaching methods directed to the community, to adopt healthy lifestyles 
and attitudes towards prevention.
    (h) With HHS and the U.S. Department of Defense, coordinate 
training and surveillance activities of all three institutions with 
humanitarian missions in the Region.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be the following:
    (a) Continue work begun in the first and second years of this 
effort to develop appropriate teaching curricula, engage with 
appropriate Panamanian and international teaching/educational networks 
to ensure high educational standards; hire appropriately-trained 
teaching, administrative and management staff; and maintain all 
appropriate management, fiscal, and business operations to support and 
sustain such a training institute.
    (b) Provide periodic reports of the number of people who have 
completed training; such reports should include details on the numbers 
of those who have dropped out midway, and those who have completed the 
training; pre- and post-test scores on key competency subject areas; 
numbers trained by type of health-care or clinical worker; town and 
country of origin of incoming students, as well as where those same 
students work and reside at six- and twelve-month intervals following 
the completion of their training; and the results of follow-up 
questionnaires sent to graduates that solicit feedback on their 
training and its appropriateness, and suggestions for how the school 
might improve its training. Any information Gorgas provides to HHS on 
training participants should remove individuals' personal data from the 
reports, to maintain the privacy of participants. (See ``Reporting 
Requirements 2'' Section later in this document for 
complementary reporting obligations pertinent to this outcome).
    (c) Quantify and detail the number of partnerships with U.S. 
institutions explored, as well as the number for which formal 
partnerships have been created, where substantive exchange of training 
expertise, faculty, and/or students is documented and described.
    (d) Quantify and detail the number of studies and recommendations 
of program and policy options available to Latin American and Caribbean 
countries that would contribute to expanded, sustained community-level 
health-care personnel.
    (e) Quantify and detail the number of partnerships with Latin 
American, Caribbean, U.S. and/or international NGOs explored, and the 
number of such partnerships developed and formally established.
    (f) Provide detailed descriptions of the base-of-operations and 
logistics resources that GMI has developed and is maintaining, along 
with details of how it has communicated the availability of these 
resources to NGOs.
    (g) Quantify and detail the number of Latin American, Caribbean, 
U.S. and/or international NGOs that have opted to use GMI's provision 
of base-of-operations and logistics support in a given time period, and 
details on the nature and extent of such use.
    (h) Quantify and detail the number of health campaigns in which GMI 
participates, with detailed description(s) of the role(s) played by 
GMI, along with the level of effort it contributed to each of these 
efforts.
    (i) Quantify and detail the number of organizations of U.S.-based 
Latin American and Caribbean emigrants with which GMI has identified 
and partnered with, to enhance their community-health activities, and 
provide details of those community-health activities.
    (j) Quantify and detail the number of scholarships awarded to low-
income students who will be participating in these trainings. Any 
information Gorgas provides to HHS on training participants should 
remove individuals' personal data from the reports, to maintain the 
privacy of participants.
    Activities HHS Anticipates the Grantee will Perform:
    HHS anticipates the grantee will undertake a variety of activities 
to realize the aforementioned purposes and outcomes. A list of what 
some of these activities might include follows.
    1. Continue to establish/develop appropriate teaching curricula for 
specific training modules and assemblages of trainees;
    2. In partnership with HHS, Panamanian Ministry of Health and NGOs, 
acquire didactic teaching

[[Page 38216]]

resources and equipment that will allow appropriate training;
    3. Continue to engage in appropriate Panamanian and international 
teaching or educational networks to ensure high educational standards;
    4. Continue to recruit and hire appropriately trained teaching and 
administrative staff;
    5. Continue to establish all appropriate management, fiscal, and 
business operations to support and sustain an efficient and effective 
training institute;
    6. Establish an efficient performance-monitoring and reporting 
system, and submit periodic reports to HHS;
    7. Continue to pursue and develop partnerships with U.S. 
educational institutions in expanding GMI's knowledge, contacts and 
resources for improving and expanding community training and 
sustainability of health workers;
    8. Pursue and develop partnerships with Latin American, Caribbean, 
U.S. and/or international NGOs to provide these NGOs' health-care staff 
with appropriate training;
    9. Identify an appropriate level of facilities that can function as 
a base of operation for NGOs, with appropriate contingency plans for 
expanding this level of facilities as interest and demand for it could 
grow;
    10. Identify, provide and assemble logistics resources for NGOs to 
enhance their community-health and outreach activities;
    11. In partnership with HHS, and NGOs, identify appropriate topics 
for health campaigns, and participate in the implementation and 
assessment of those campaigns;
    12. Identify and approach fraternal organizations of U.S.-based 
emigrants that provide assistance to communities in Latin America and 
Caribbean, and partner with these groups to enhance their community-
health activities;
    13. In partnership with HHS, Panamanian Ministry of Health and 
NGOs, identify scholarships or fellowships to participating health-care 
personnel who are attending these courses;
    14. In partnership with HHS and the U.S. Department of Defense, 
coordinate training and surveillance activities of the three 
institutions with humanitarian missions in the Region.
    This cooperative agreement will provide total funding of $600,000 
for all aspects of the described project.
    HHS will be substantially involved with the design and 
implementation of the grantee's described activities. The HHS Office of 
the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is issuing 
and will manage this grant, with substantive involvement from the 
Office of Global Health Affairs (OGHA). In HHS international public 
health efforts, the Offices/Centers of HHS/OGHA and HHS/ASPR often 
collaborate on programs, issues and initiatives (e.g., influenza, the 
implementation of the International Health Regulations, etc.).
    HHS staff members' activities for this program are as follows:
    1. Provide assistance in the design and implementation with any of 
the aforementioned objectives and activities, including the 
identification of U.S. universities, and NGOs.
    2. Provide liaison through HHS employees at U.S. Embassy(ies) in 
any participating or collaborating countries, as appropriate, and as 
relevant to the achievement of the purposes of this cooperative 
agreement.
    3. Organize an orientation meeting with the grantee to discuss 
applicable U.S. Government, HHS, and National Strategic Plan 
expectations, regulations and key management requirements, as well as 
report formats and contents. The orientation could include meetings 
with staff from HHS agencies and the Office of the Senior Coordinator 
for Avian and Pandemic Influenza at the U.S. Department of State.
    4. Review and approve the process used by the grantee to select key 
personnel and/or post-award subcontractors and/or subgrantees to 
involve in the activities performed under this agreement.
    5. Review and approve the grantee's work plan and detailed budget.
    6. Review and approve the grantee's monitoring-and-evaluation plan, 
including for compliance with the strategic-information guidance 
established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and HHS;
    7. Review, on a monthly basis, with the grantee to assess monthly 
disbursement requests and expenditures in relation to approved work 
plan and modify plans, as necessary.
    8. Meet via conference call on a quarterly basis with the grantee 
to assess quarterly technical and financial progress reports and modify 
plans, as necessary.
    9. Meet via conference call or in person with the grantee to review 
the final progress report.
    10. Provide technical assistance, as mutually agreed upon. This 
could include expert technical assistance and targeted training 
activities in specialized areas, such as strategic information and 
project management.
    11. Provide in-country administrative support to help the grantee 
meet U.S. Government financial and reporting requirements approved by 
OMB under 0920-0428 (Public Health Service Form 5161).
    12. Assist in assessing program operations and in implementing 
approaches to accurately monitor the progress and evaluate the overall 
effectiveness of the program.

II. Award Information

    This project will be supported through the cooperative agreement 
mechanism. HHS/ASPR anticipates making only one award for this proposed 
work. The anticipated start date is September 1, 2008, and end date is 
August 31, 2009. HHS/ASPR anticipates providing $600,000 for the 12-
month budget period. The total amount that the Gorgas Memorial 
Institute for Health Studies may request is $600,000. The funds in this 
cooperative agreement may not support indirect costs.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    The only eligible applicant that can apply for this funding 
opportunity is the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies of 
Panama. Gorgas Memorial Institute is uniquely qualified to assist the 
Department in its efforts to train health care workers from this region 
to increase access to quality medical care, including efforts to 
detect, prevent, and contain pandemic influenza outbreaks for the 
following reasons:
     Legacy: The Republic of Panama has legacy of biomedical 
triumphs that began with the building of the Panama Canal. Recognizing 
the outstanding achievements of William Crawford Gorgas in eliminating 
Yellow Fever and controlling other tropical infections that made 
possible the construction of the Panama Canal, Panamanian President 
Belisario Porras proposed in 1920 the creation of the Gorgas Memorial 
Institute and Laboratories (GMI). GMI opened its doors in 1928, and 
since then has produced ground-breaking and internationally recognized 
work in the field of tropical medicine, emerging and re-emerging 
diseases.
    As a public-health, training, and research institution, GMI offers 
strengths in several areas that are essential to the effective 
realization of this proposal's objectives and activities.
     Staffing: GMI has 201 workers, who include trainers, 
physicians, scientists, technical staff and administrative staff. GMI 
scientific and technical expertise resides in its excellent 
professional staff members, six of whom are Ph.D.s, and 12 of whom are 
M.D.s. One of the physicians is a former Minister of

[[Page 38217]]

Health. GMI has two veterinary physicians with Ph.D.s and many 
technicians with Master's degrees in science. GMI has a specialist in 
geo-reference and a group trained in the field isolation of dangerous 
organisms from animal tissues (developed during the Hanta virus 
epidemics). There is also an excellent administrative, medical library 
and informatics staff.
     Scientific and technical expertise: GMI is the National 
Public Health Laboratory and the reference laboratory for influenza, 
dengue and other pathogenic viruses in Panama. It is the reference 
laboratory for Central America and Panama for HIV/AIDS, measles, Hanta 
virus and viral encephalitis. Its parasitologists have worked and 
continue to work in malaria, leishmania and Chagas disease.
    GMI has a long and solid reputation in virology, easily confirmed 
by many distinguished virologists in the United States. The Gorgas 
Department of Virology has been extremely productive through its 
collaborations with the Yale University Arbovirus Research Unit, the 
University of Texas at Galveston and the HHS Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC). GMI began working with influenza in 1976, 
and has contributed influenza isolates to the World Health Organization 
(WHO), one of which the WHO has determined should be part of the 
current influenza vaccine. All these are health concerns of pressing 
significance for rural and underserved areas.
     Laboratory capacity: GMI has well-established laboratories 
of virology, parasitology, immunology, genomics, entomology and food 
and water chemistry. GMI is the national Public Health Laboratory of 
Panama, and this makes it the reference laboratory for malaria, 
tuberculosis and all viral and bacterial diseases. GMI also has 
departments of epidemiology and biostatistics, chronic disease studies, 
health policy, and health and human-reproduction studies. In addition 
to all these areas of expertise, GMI is also the locus of the 
Panamanian national human-subjects committee (National Institutional 
Review Board). A new BLS-3 laboratory is currently under construction, 
along with the expansion and improvement of existing laboratory space, 
is part of a modernization plan that will significantly enhance the 
capability of GMI laboratories to provide training in the role that 
laboratory services play in the delivery of community health care.
     Location: The unique geographic characteristics of Panama 
and its transportation (air, sea and land) infrastructure make it an 
extremely central and accessible location for people from Central and 
South America who would attend for training.
     Strategic partnerships: GMI has a history of developing 
effective relations and partnerships with leading organizations, 
including the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA), and HHS/CDC in Guatemala, among others.
     History: Historical Medical Collaboration between the 
United States and Panam via GMI: American and Panamanian physicians and 
scientist have produced significant contributions since 1928, and those 
relationships continue up to present.
    GMI is the only institution positioned and capable to carry out the 
activities specified in the cooperative agreement. For these reason, 
the Department desires to award the cooperative agreement based on 
single eligibility to GMI.

2. Cost-Sharing or Matching Funds

    Cost participation is encouraged. HHS will pay $600,000, while GMI 
should provide an amount specified in their proposal. GMI's 
contribution may include indirect expenses and in-kind contributions. 
The types of resources GMI could contribute could include, but are not 
limited to, the following: Personnel time and costs, provision of 
existing and physical space and structures, and the remodeling (and 
associated costs) of those physical facilities that are to be converted 
to teaching facilities, vehicles for transportation, and the 
development of a staging area for NGOs. If applicant receives funding 
from other sources to underwrite the same or similar activities, or 
anticipate receiving such funding in the next 12 months, they must 
detail how the disparate streams of financing complement each other.

3. Other

    If an applicant requests a funding amount greater than the ceiling 
of the award range, HHS will consider the application non-responsive, 
and the application will not enter into the review process. HHS will 
notify the applicant that the application did not meet the submission 
requirements.
Special Requirements
    If the application is incomplete or non-responsive to the special 
requirements listed in this Section, the application will not enter 
into the review process. HHS will notify the applicant that the 
application did not meet submission requirements. HHS will consider 
late applications non-responsive.
    Please see Division G, Title V, ``General Provisions,'' Section 
503(b) of the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which provides that 
``* * * no part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall be 
used to pay the salary or expenses of any grant or contract recipient, 
or agent acting for such recipient, related to any activity designed to 
influence legislation or appropriations pending before the Congress or 
any State legislature.''

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    Applicants may obtain kits electronically by accessing Grants.gov 
at https://www.grants.gov, or at Grant Solutions at https://
www.grantsolutions.gov. Applicants may also request kits through the 
HHS/OPHS Office of Grants Management, 1101 Wootten Parkway, Suite 550, 
Rockville, MD 20852; telephone 1-240-453-8822 or fax 1-240-453-8823. 
Applicants must use Form OPHS-1.

2. Content and Form of Submission

    Application: Applicants must submit a project narrative in English, 
along with the application forms, in the following format:
     The length of the proposal should not exceed 50 pages;
     Font size should be no smaller than 12-point, and it 
should be single-spaced;
     Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches;
     Page-margin size: one inch;
     Number all pages of the application sequentially from page 
one (Application Face Page) to the end of the application, including 
charts, figures, tables, and appendices;
     Print only on one side of page; and
     Hold application together only by rubber bands or metal 
clips, and do not bind it in any way.
    The narrative should address activities to conduct over the entire 
project period, and must include the following items in the order 
listed:
    Understanding of the requirements: The application shall include a 
discussion of your organization's understanding of the need, purpose 
and requirements of this cooperative agreement. The discussion shall be 
sufficiently specific, detailed and complete to clearly and fully 
demonstrate that the applicant has a thorough understanding of all the 
technical requirements of this announcement.
    Review of the Implementation and Progress during the first and 
second years: The awardee should provide a

[[Page 38218]]

concise, but sufficiently detailed summary, of all progress made to 
date during the second year of its grant collaboration with HHS. The 
awardee should organize its review of second-year accomplishments to 
follow and reference each and every one of the specific ``measurable 
outcomes'' specified in the second year's RFA, and describe any and all 
progress made on each of these measurable outcomes. If the awardee has 
made no progress, then it should state so. This reporting on the second 
year's progress made on each of the measurable outcomes should also 
include summarized mention of the progress made during the first year, 
on each of these measured outcomes. Whenever possible, any progress 
made on these outcomes should be quantified. And whenever possible, the 
awardee should make estimates of the degree of accomplishment or 
completion (e.g., 25%, 50%, etc.) achieved, where it has identified a 
quantified final goal or target for the grant.
    Project Plan: The project plan must demonstrate that the 
organization has the technical expertise to carry out the work or task 
requirements of this announcement. The plan must contain sufficient 
detail to clearly describe the proposed means for pursuing and 
accomplishing each of the ``Measurable Outcomes'' and ``Grantee 
Activities'' described in Section I, and shall include a complete 
explanation of the methods and procedures the applicant will use. The 
project plan shall include discussions of the following elements:
    [cir] Objectives;
    [cir] Methods to accomplish the purposes of the cooperative 
agreement and the ``Grantee Activities;''
    [cir] Detailed time line for accomplishment of each activity;
    [cir] Ability to respond to emergencies;
    [cir] Ability to respond to situations on weekends and after hours; 
and
    [cir] Coordination with HHS, U.S. educational institutions, and 
NGOs.
    Staffing and Management Plan: The applicant must provide a project 
staffing and management plan, which must include time lines and 
sufficient detail to ensure that it can meet the Federal Government's 
requirements in a timely and efficient manner.
    [cir] The applicant must provide r[eacute]sum[eacute]s that 
identify the educational and experience level of any individual(s) who 
will perform in a key position, and other qualifications to show the 
key individuals' ability to comply with the minimum requirements of 
this announcement;
    [cir] The applicant must provide a summary of the qualifications of 
non-key personnel. R[eacute]sum[eacute]s must be no longer than three 
pages per person; and
    [cir] The proposed staffing plan must demonstrate the applicant's 
ability to recruit, retain, or replace personnel who have the 
knowledge, experience, local-language skills, training and technical 
expertise commensurate with the requirements of this announcement. The 
plan must demonstrate the applicant's ability to provide bilingual 
personnel to train and mentor host-country participants for Latin 
America and the Caribbean.
    Performance Measures: The applicant must provide measures of 
effectiveness that will demonstrate accomplishment of this cooperative 
agreement's overall objectives, and with the specific ``measurable 
outcomes'' delineated above. Measures of effectiveness must relate to 
the performance goals stated in the ``Purpose'' Section of this 
announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative, and must 
measure the intended outcomes. The measures of effectiveness submitted 
with this application should refer to and build upon and improve, where 
possible, those submitted by the grantee in the previous year. The 
applicant must submit a section on measures of effectiveness with its 
application, and they will be an element for evaluation.
    Budget Justification: The budget justification must comply with the 
criteria for applications. The applicant must submit, at a minimum, a 
cost proposal fully supported by information adequate to establish the 
reasonableness of the proposed amount.
    Appendices: The applicant may include additional information in the 
application appendices, which will not count toward the narrative page 
limit. This additional information includes the following: Curricula 
vitae, r[eacute]sum[eacute]s, organizational charts, letters of 
support, etc. An agency or organization must have a Dun and Bradstreet 
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or 
cooperative agreement from the U.S. Federal government. The DUNS number 
is a nine-digit identification number which uniquely identifies 
business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy, and there is no 
charge. To obtain a DUNS number, go to the following Internet address: 
https://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/
leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to= https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711.
    Additional requirements that could require submission of additional 
documentation with the application appear in Section VI.2.--
Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

3. Submission Dates and Times

    To receive consideration, the Office of Grants Management within 
the HHS Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS), must receive 
applications no later than August 4, 2008. HHS will consider 
applications as meeting the deadline if the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants 
Management, c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, 
Arlington, VA 22209 receives them no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Time, 
on the application due date. HHS will accept applications 
electronically submitted through GrantSolutions.gov or Grants.Gov until 
11 p.m., Eastern Time, on this date. HHS will not accept applications 
by fax, nor will HHS extend the submission deadline. The application 
due date requirement specified in this announcement supersedes the 
instructions in the OPHS-1. HHS will return to the applicant, unread, 
applications that do not meet the deadline.
Submission Mechanisms
    HHS/OPHS provides multiple mechanisms for the submission of 
applications, as described in the following Sections. Applicants will 
receive notification via mail from the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants 
Management to confirm the receipt of applications submitted by using 
any of these mechanisms. HHS will not accept for review applications 
submitted to the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants Management after the 
deadlines described below. HHS will not accept for review applications 
that do not conform to the requirements of this grant announcement, and 
will return hard-copy applications to the applicant.
    While HHS will accept applications in hard copy, the Department 
encourages the use of the electronic application-submission 
capabilities provided by the Grants.gov and GrantSolutions.gov systems. 
Applicants may only submit applications electronically via the 
electronic-submission mechanisms specified below. HHS will not accept 
for review any applications submitted via any other means of electronic 
communication, including facsimile or electronic mail.
    All HHS funding opportunities and application kits are available on 
Grants.gov. If your organization has/had a grantee business 
relationship with a grant program serviced by the HHS/OPHS Office of 
Grants Management, and you are applying as part of ongoing, grantee-
related activities, please use GrantSolutions.gov.

[[Page 38219]]

    Applicants must submit electronic grant applications no later than 
11 p.m., Eastern Time, on the deadline date specified in the DATES 
Section of this announcement, by using one of the electronic-submission 
mechanisms specified below. For applications submitted electronically, 
the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants Management must receive all required, 
hard-copy, original signatures and mail-in items c/o the Grant 
Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209, 
no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Time, on the next business day after the 
deadline date specified in the Dates Section of this announcement.
    HHS/OPHS must receive hard-copy applications no later than 5 p.m., 
Eastern Time, on the deadline date specified in the Dates Section of 
this announcement.
    HHS will not consider applications as valid until the HHS/OPHS 
Office of Grants Management has received all components of the 
electronic application; hard-copy with original signatures, and mail-in 
items, according to the deadlines specified above. HHS will consider as 
late any application submissions that does not adhere to the due-date 
requirements, will deem them ineligible. Applicants should initiate 
electronic applications as early as possible, and should 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 HHS grant opportunities. 
Organizations must successfully complete the necessary registration 
processes 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 might 
have to submit hard-copy signatures for certain program-related forms, 
or original materials, as required by this announcement. Applicants 
must review both the grant announcement, as well as the application 
guidance provided within the Grants.gov application package, to 
determine such requirements. Applicants must submit separately any 
required, hard-copy materials, or documents that require a signature, 
via mail to the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants Management, at the address 
and time specified above; if required, these materials must contain the 
original signature of an individual authorized to act for the applicant 
and assume the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the 
grant award. When submitting the required forms, do not send the entire 
application. HHS will not consider for review complete, hard-copy 
applications submitted after the electronic submission.
    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. Any files uploaded or attached to the 
Grants.gov application must be of the following file formats--Microsoft 
Word, Excel or PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, ASCII Text, Adobe PDF, or 
image formats (JPG, GIF, TIFF, or BMP only). Even though Grants.gov 
allows applicants to attach any file format as part of their 
application, HHS/OPHS restricts this practice, and only accepts the 
file formats identified above. HHS/OPHS will not accept for processing 
any file submitted as part of the Grants.gov application that is not in 
a file format identified above, and will exclude it from the 
application during the review process.
    HHS/OPHS must receive all required, mail-in items by the due date 
specified above. Mail-in items only include publications, resumes, or 
organizational documentation. When submitting the required forms, do 
not send the entire application. HHS will not accept for review 
complete, hard-copy applications submitted after the electronic 
submission.
    Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission 
via the Grants.gov Web site Portal, applicants will receive a 
confirmation page from Grants.gov that indicates the date and time 
(Eastern Time) of the submission, as well as a Grants.gov Receipt 
Number. Applicants must print and retain this confirmation for their 
records, as well as a copy of the entire application package.
    Grants.gov will validate all applications submitted via the 
Grants.gov Web site Portal. Any applications deemed ``invalid'' by the 
Grants.gov Web site Portal will not transfer to the Grant Solutions 
system, and HHS/OPHS has no responsibility for any application not 
validated and transferred to HHS/OPHS from the Grants.gov Web site 
Portal. Grants.gov will notify applicants regarding the validation 
status of applications. Once the Grants.gov Web site Portal has 
successfully validated an application, applicants should immediately 
mail all required, hard-copy materials to the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants 
Management, c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, 
Arlington, VA 22209, by the deadlines specified above. Applicants must 
clearly identify their organization's name and Grants.gov Application 
Receipt Number on all hard-copy materials.
    Once Grants.gov has validated an application, it will 
electronically transfer it to the Grant Solutions system for 
processing. Upon receipt of both the electronic application from the 
Grants.gov Web site Portal, and the required, hard-copy mail-in items, 
applicants will receive notification via mail from the HHS/OPHS Office 
of Grants Management to confirm the receipt of the application 
submitted through 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 Grant Solutions System
    HHS/OPHS is a managing partner of the GrantSolutions.gov system. 
Grant Solutions is a full life-cycle grants-management system operated 
by the HHS Administration for Children and Families, designated by OMB 
as one of the three, Government-wide grants management systems under 
the Grants-Management Line-of-Business Initiative (GMLoB). HHS/OPHS 
uses Grant Solutions for the electronic processing of all grant 
applications, as well as the electronic management of its entire grant 
portfolio.
    When submitting applications via the Grant Solutions system, 
applicants must still submit a hard copy of the face page of the 
application (Standard Form 424), with the original signature of an 
individual authorized to act for the applicant 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. When submitting the required hard-copy forms, 
do not send the entire application. HHS will not consider for review 
complete, hard-copy applications submitted after the electronic 
submission. Applicants should submit hard-copy materials to the HHS/
OPHS Office of Grants Management at the address specified above.
    Electronic applications submitted via the Grant Solutions system 
must contain all completed, on-line forms required by the application 
kit, the Program

[[Page 38220]]

Narrative, Budget Narrative, and any appendices or exhibits. Applicants 
may identify specific, mail-in items to send to the HHS/OPHS Office of 
Grants Management (see mailing address above) separate from the 
electronic submission; however, applicants must enter these mail-in 
items on the Grant Solutions Application Checklist at the time of 
electronic submission, which HHS/OPHS must receive by the due date 
specified above. Mail-in items only include publications, resumes, or 
organizational documentation.
    Upon completion of a successful, electronic submission, the Grant 
Solutions system will provide applicants with a confirmation page to 
indicate the date and time (Eastern Time) of the submission. This 
confirmation page will also provide a listing of all items that 
constitute the final application submission, including all components 
of the electronic application, required, hard-copy original signatures; 
and mail-in items.
    As the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants Management receives items, it will 
update the electronic application status to reflect the receipt of 
mail-in items. HHS recommends that applicants monitor the status of 
their applications in the Grant Solutions system to ensure the receipt 
of all signatures and mail-in items.
Mailed or Hand-Delivered, Hard-Copy Applications
    Applicants who submit applications in hard copy (via mail or hand-
delivered) must submit an original, and two copies of the application. 
An individual authorized to act for the applicant, and to assume for 
the organization the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of 
the grant award, must sign the original application.
    HHS will consider mailed or hand-delivered applications having met 
the deadline if the HHS/OPHS Office of Grants Management receives them 
c/o Grant Application Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 100, Arlington, 
VA 22209, on or before 5 p.m., Eastern Time, on the deadline date 
specified in the Dates Section of this announcement. The application 
deadline specified in this announcement supersedes the instructions in 
the OPHS-1. HHS/OPHS will return, unread to the applicant any 
application that does not meet the deadline.

4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications

    Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

5. Funding Restrictions

    The following cost principles of allowability, allocability, 
accountability reasonableness, and necessity of direct and indirect 
costs awardees may charge appear in the following documents, based on 
entity type: OMB Circular A-21 (Institutes of Higher Education); OMB 
Circular A-122 (Nonprofit Organizations) and 45 CFR part 74, Appendix E 
(Hospitals). Copies of these circulars are available on the Internet, 
at the following address: https://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/
leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb.
    Restrictions, which applicants must take into account while 
preparing the budget, are as follows:
    [cir] Alterations and renovations (A&R) are prohibited under 
grants/cooperative agreements to foreign recipients. This is an HHS 
Policy. ``Alterations and renovations'' are defined as work that 
changes the interior arrangements or other physical characteristics of 
an existing facility or of installed equipment so that it can be used 
more effectively for its currently designated purpose or adapted to an 
alternative use to meet a programmatic requirement. Recipients may not 
use funds for A&R (including modernization, remodeling, or improvement) 
of an existing building.
    [cir] Reimbursement of pre-award costs is not allowed.
    [cir] Recipients may not use funds awarded under this cooperative 
agreement to support any activity that duplicates another activity 
supported by any component of HHS.
    Recipients may spend funds for reasonable program purposes, 
including personnel, travel, supplies, and services. Recipients may 
purchase equipment if deemed necessary to accomplish program 
objectives; however, they must request prior approval in an e-mail that 
explicitly notes the costs, and notes HHS/ASPR's approval of the 
explicit items for any equipment whose purchase price exceeds $10,000 
USD.
    The costs generally allowable in grants/cooperative agreements to 
domestic organizations are allowable to foreign institutions and 
international organizations, with the following exception: With the 
exception of the American University in Beirut and the WHO Secretariat, 
HHS will not pay indirect costs (either directly or through sub-award) 
to organizations located outside the territorial limits of the United 
States, or to international organizations, regardless of their 
location.
    Recipients may contract with other organizations under this 
program; however, the applicant must perform a substantial portion of 
the project activities (including program management and operations) 
for which it is requesting funds. Contracts will require prior approval 
in writing from HHS/ASPR.
    Applicants shall state all requests for funds in the budget in U.S. 
dollars. Once HHS makes an award, HHS will not compensate foreign 
recipients for currency-exchange fluctuations through the issuance of 
supplemental awards.
    The funding recipient must obtain an audit of these funds (program-
specific audit) by a U.S.-based audit firm with international branches 
and current licensure/authority in-country, and in accordance with 
International Accounting Standards or equivalent standard(s) approved 
in writing by HHS/ASPR.
    A fiscal Recipient Capability Assessment may be required, prior to 
or post award, to review the applicant's business-management and fiscal 
capabilities regarding the handling of U.S. Federal funds.

6. Other Submission Requirements

    None.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    HHS/ASPR will evaluate applications against the following factors:
Factor 1: Project Plan (30 Points)
    HHS/ASPR will evaluate the extent to which the proposal 
demonstrates that the organization has the technical and institutional 
expertise to carry out the work/task requirements described in this 
announcement.
    HHS/ASPR will evaluate the applicant's project plan to determine 
the extent to which it provides a clear, logical and feasible technical 
approach to meeting the goals of this announcement in terms of 
workflow, resources, communications and reporting requirements for 
accomplishing work in each of the operational task areas.
Factor 2: Staffing and Management Plan (40 Points)
    (a) Personnel. HHS/ASPR will evaluate the relevant educational, 
work experience and local-language qualifications of key personnel, 
senior project staff, and subject-matter specialists to determine the 
extent to which they meet the requirements listed in this announcement.
    (b) Staffing Plan. HHS/ASPR will evaluate the staffing plan to 
determine the extent to which the applicant's proposed organizational 
chart reflects

[[Page 38221]]

proper staffing to accomplish the work described in this announcement, 
and the extent of the applicant's ability to recruit, retain, or 
replace personnel who have the knowledge, experience, local-language 
skills, training and technical expertise to meet requirements of the 
positions.
    (c) Management Plan. HHS/ASPR will evaluate the proposed plans for 
managing the continued development and institutionalization of the 
Regional Training Center, and all its associated functions, and also 
the plans for accomplishing each of the other ``measurable outcomes'' 
specified in this RFA.
Factor 3: Performance Measures (15 Points)
    HHS/ASPR will evaluate the applicant's description of performance 
measures, including measures of effectiveness, to determine the extent 
to which the applicant proposes objective and quantitative measures 
that relate to the performance goals stated in the ``Purpose'' Section 
of this announcement, and whether the proposed measures will accurately 
measure the intended outcomes.
Factor 4: Understanding of the Requirements (15 Points)
    HHS/ASPR will evaluate the extent of the applicant's understanding 
of the operational tasks identified in this announcement to ensure 
successful performance of the work in this project. Because the focus 
of the work will include interaction with other countries in Central 
and South America and the Caribbean, the applicant must demonstrate an 
understanding of the cultural, ethnic, political, and economic factors 
that could affect successful implementation of this cooperative 
agreement.
    The applicant's proposal must also demonstrate understanding of the 
functions, capabilities and operating procedures of U.S. educational 
institutions, as well as U.S., Latin American, Caribbean and 
International NGOs, and describe the applicant's ability to work with 
and within those organizations.

2. Review and Selection Process

    HHS/ASPR will review applications for completeness. An incomplete 
application or an application that is non-responsive to the eligibility 
criteria will not advance through the review process. HHS/ASPR will 
notify applicants if their applications did not meet submission 
requirements.
    An objective review panel will evaluate complete and responsive 
applications according to the criteria listed in the AV.1. ``Criteria'' 
section above; the panel could include both federal and non-federal 
personnel.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    The successful applicant will receive a Notice of Award (NoA). The 
NoA shall be the only binding, authorizing document between the 
recipient and HHS. An authorized Grants Management Officer will sign 
the NoA, and mail it to the recipient fiscal officer identified in the 
application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review by mail.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    A successful applicant must comply with the administrative 
requirements outlined in 45 CFR Part 74 and Part 92, as appropriate. 
Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2008, Public Law 110-161, Division 
G, Title V, ``General Provisions,'' Section 506, 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, the issuance shall 
clearly state the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of 
the program or project to be financed with Federal money and the 
percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or 
program to be financed by non-governmental sources.

3. Reporting Requirements

    The applicant must provide HHS/ASPR with a hard copy, as well as an 
electronic copy of the following reports in English:
    1. A quarterly progress report, due no later than 10 calendar days 
after the end of each quarter of the budget period. The quarterly 
progress report must contain the following elements:
    a. A listing of all of the ``Activities'' and ``Measurable 
Outcomes'' of the Cooperative Agreement, and a summary of the actual 
activities and progress made with each and everyone of these activities 
and measurable outcomes during the quarter;
    b. Disbursements requested during the quarter, and actual spending 
during the quarter:
    c. Proposed objectives and activities for the next quarterly 
reporting period;
    d. An update on the grant's budget, noting allocations by line 
item, draw down to date on each of the line items through the end of 
the quarter being reported upon, and the funds that remain in each line 
item, and overall;
    e. Any additional information that may be requested by HHS/ASPR.
    2. For every training course or module that is conducted, the 
awardee must provide the HHS/ASPR Project Officer with copies of the 
pre- and post-test results administered to every participant of every 
training class/module. The awardee should provide these pre- and post-
training test results in both an aggregated (i.e., summarized) format, 
and in a disaggregated (i.e., individual) format. The awardee should 
remove participants' personal information from these reports before 
sharing them with HHS, to protect the privacy and anonymity of the 
participants. The awardee should provide these results to HHS no later 
than 21 calendar days after the final day of the course for which they 
apply.
    3. An annual progress report, due no later than 15 calendar days 
after the end of the budget period, which must contain a detailed 
summary of all the elements required in the quarterly progress report 
described above;
    4. A final performance report, due no later than 30 days after the 
end of the project period; and
    5. A Financial Status Report (FSR) SF-269 is due 90 days after the 
close of the 12-month budget period.
    Recipients must mail/e-mail the reports to the ASPR Project Officer 
listed in the ``Agency Contacts'' Section of this announcement.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For program technical assistance, contact Craig Carlson, Office of 
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services; telephone: 1-202-205-5228, e-
mail: craig.carlson@hhs.gov.
    For financial, grants-management, or budget assistance, contact Ms. 
Karen Campbell, Grants Management Officer, Office of Grants Management, 
Office of Public Health and Science, U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services, 1101 Wootten Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852; 
telephone: 1-240-453-8822, e-mail Address: karen.campbell@hhs.gov.

    Dated: June 26, 2008.
RADM William C. Vanderwagen,
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. E8-15120 Filed 7-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-37-P