[Federal Register: February 7, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 26)]
[Notices]
[Page 6475-6479]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07fe03-76]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Program Announcement 03036]
Grants for Dissertation Awards for Doctoral Candidates for
Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research in Minority Communities;
Notice of Availability of Funds
A. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number
This program is authorized under section 301(a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)]
of the Public Health Service Act and section 391 (a) [42 U.S.C.
280b(a)] of the Public Service Health Act, as amended. The catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.
B. Purpose
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2003 funds for a grant program for
Dissertation Awards for Doctoral Candidates for Violence-Related Injury
Prevention Research in Minority Communities. This program addresses the
``Healthy People 2010'' focus area of Injury and Violence Prevention.
The purposes of the program are to:
1. Solicit research applications that address the priorities
reflected under the ``Programmatic Requirements.''
2. Build the scientific base for the prevention and control of
injuries, disabilities, and deaths disproportionately experienced in
minority communities.
3. Encourage doctoral candidates from a wide spectrum of
disciplines, including, epidemiology, medicine, biostatistics, public
health, law and criminal justice, behavioral and social sciences, to
perform research in order to prevent and control injuries more
effectively.
4. Assist students in the completion of their dissertation research
on a violence-related topic.
5. Encourage investigators to build research careers related to the
prevention of violence-related injuries, disabilities, and deaths in
minority communities.
A dissertation represents the most extensive research experience
formulated and carried out by a doctoral candidate, with the advice and
guidance of a mentor (the chair or another member of the dissertation
committee). Dissertation research involves a major investment of the
doctoral student's time, energy, and interest and its substance is
often the basis for launching a research career. This research
initiative is aimed at providing students with assistance to complete
their dissertation research on a violence-related topic and, thereby,
increasing representation of junior investigators in violence-related
injury research.
Deaths and injuries associated with interpersonal violence and
suicidal behavior are a major public health problem in the United
States and around the world. In 1999, more than 46,000 people died from
homicide and suicide in the United States. Among 15 to 24 year olds,
homicide ranked as the second and the third leading causes of death.
Violent deaths are the most visible consequence of violent behavior in
our society. Morbidity associated with physical and emotional injuries
and disabilities resulting from violence, however, also constitutes an
enormous public health problem. For every homicide that occurs each
year there are more than 100 non-fatal injuries resulting from
interpersonal violence. For every completed suicide it is estimated
that there are 20 to 25 suicide attempts. The mortality and morbidity
associated with violence are associated with a variety of types of
violence including child mistreatment, youth violence, intimate partner
violence, sexual violence, elder abuse, and self-directed violence or
suicidal behavior.
Violence has a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic
minorities. In 1999, homicide was the leading cause of death for
African Americans and the second leading cause of death for Hispanics
between the ages of 15 and 34. Suicide was the second leading cause of
death for American Indians and Alaskan Natives and Asian and Pacific
islanders 15 to 34 years of age. It is important to note that existing
research indicates that race or ethnicity, per se, is not a risk factor
for violent victimization or a cause of violent behavior. Rather,
racial or ethnic status is associated with many other factors that do
influence the risk of becoming a victim or behaving violently.
Nevertheless, racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are at
high risk for both violent victimization and perpetration. A better
understanding of the factors that contribute to this vulnerability or
protection from such risk is important to furthering effective violence
prevention programs that address racial and ethnic minorities.
There is a critical need for highly qualified scientists to carry
out research on violence that can help in the development,
implementation, and evaluation of effective violence prevention
programs. In particular, scientists are needed who bring an
understanding and sensitivity to the problems of violence as they
affect minority communities. The purpose of this extramural research
training grant program is to attract young scientists to the field of
violence prevention by encouraging doctoral candidates from a variety
of disciplines to conduct violence prevention research and hopefully
carry this focus on throughout their careers. The number of individuals
who are members of minority groups and who are engaged in violence-
related injury prevention research is currently small. This research
program should also attract young minority scientists to the field of
violence research.
Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the
following performance goal for the National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control (NCIPC): Develop new or improved approaches for
preventing and controlling death and disability due to injuries.
C. Eligible Applicants
Assistance will be provided to any United States public or private
institution. The institution must support an accredited doctoral level
training program. The performance site must be domestic.
Applicants must be students in good standing enrolled in an
accredited doctoral degree program. The applicant must have the
authority and responsibility to carry out the proposed project.
Applicants must be conducting or intending to conduct research in one
of the areas described under the ``Research Objectives'' in the Program
Requirement's section of this announcement. To receive this funding,
applicants must have successfully defended their dissertation proposal.
This must be verified in a letter of certification from the mentor (the
chair or another member of the dissertation committee). CDC requests
that, if available, the letter of certification be submitted with the
grant application, or before the negotiation and award.
Applications that are incomplete or non-responsive to the below
requirements will be returned to the applicant without further
consideration. The following are applicant requirements:
[[Page 6476]]
1. A principal investigator who has the skill and academic training
to conduct the proposed research, and the specific authority to carry
out the proposed project.
2. Effective and well-defined working relationships within the
performing organization and with outside entities, which will ensure
implementation of the proposed activities.
3. The ability to carry out injury-control research projects as
defined under Attachment 2 (1.a-c) as posted on the CDC web site at
www.cdc.gov.
4. The overall match between the applicant's proposed theme and
research objectives and the program priorities as described under the
heading, ``Program Requirements''.
Note: Title 2 of the United States Code section 1611 states that
an organization described in section 501c(4) of the Internal Revenue
Code that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive
Federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.
D. Funds
Availability of Funds
Approximately $100,000 is expected to be available in FY 2003 to
five fund approximately five dissertation awards for doctoral
candidates. It is expected that the average awards will begin on or
about September 1, 2003, and will be made for a 12-month budget and
project period. The project period may be extended without additional
funds for up to a total of 24 months. The maximum funding level will
not exceed $20,000 (including both direct and indirect costs).
Applications that exceed the funding caps noted above will be excluded
from the competition and returned to the applicant. The availability of
Federal funding may vary and is subject to change.
Use of Funds
Training grant funds will not be made available to support the
provision of direct patient care including medical and/or psychiatric
care. Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia
agreements, as necessary to meet the requirements of the program and
strengthen the overall application.
Allowable costs include direct research project expenses, such as
interviewer expenses, data processing, participant incentives,
statistical consultant services, supplies, dissertation printing costs,
and travel to one scientific meeting, if adequately justified.
Applicants should include travel costs for one two-day trip to CDC in
Atlanta to present research findings. No tuition support is allowed.
Recipient Financial Participation
Matching funds are not required for this program.
E. Program Requirements
In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program,
the recipient will be responsible for the following activities:
1. Evaluating strategies for disseminating and implementing
evidence-based interventions or policies for the prevention of intimate
partner violence, sexual violence, youth violence, suicide, and child
maltreatment.
2. Evaluating the efficacy, effectiveness, and cost effectiveness
of interventions, programs, and policies to prevent intimate partner
violence, sexual violence, youth violence, suicide, and child
maltreatment.
3. Identifying shared and unique risk and protective factors for
the perpetration of intimate partner violence and sexual violence and
examine the relationships among these forms of violence and others such
as child maltreatment, youth violence, or suicidal behavior.
Other Special Conditions for Dissertation Research Grants
1. The doctoral candidate must be the designated principal
investigator. The principal investigator will be responsible for
planning, directing, and executing the proposed project with the advice
and consultation of the mentor and dissertation committee.
2. The responsible program official for CDC must be informed if
there is a change of a mentor. A biographical sketch of the new mentor
must be provided for approval by the CDC program official.
3. A dissertation research training grant may not be transferred to
another institution, except under unusual and compelling circumstances
(such as if the mentor moves to a new institution and both the mentor
and the applicant wish to move together).
4. Two copies of the completed dissertation, including abstract,
must be submitted to the CDC program official and will constitute the
final report of the grant. The dissertation must be officially accepted
by the dissertation committee or university official responsible for
the candidate's dissertation and must be signed by the responsible
university official.
5. Any publications directly resulting from the grant should be
reported to the CDC program official. The grantee also should cite
receiving support from the NCIPC and CDC, both in the dissertation and
any publications directly resulting from the dissertation training
grant.
F. Content
Letter of Intent (LOI)
A LOI is optional for this program. The Program Announcement title
and number must appear in the LOI. The narrative should be no more than
two pages, single-spaced, printed on one side, with one inch margins,
and unreduced 12-point font. Your letter of intent will be used to
enable CDC to plan the review more effectively and efficiently, and
should include the following information: A brief description of the
scope and intent of the proposed research work.
Applications
The Program Announcement title and number must appear in the
application. Use the information in the Program Requirements, Other
Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the
application content. The application will be evaluated on the criteria
listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program
plan. The narrative should be no more than 15 pages, single-spaced,
printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced 12-point
font.
Applications should follow the PHS-398 (Rev. 5/2001) application
and Errata sheet (See attachment 3 of this announcement as posted on
the CDC Web site). The narrative should consist of the following
information:
1. The project's focus that justifies the research needs and
describes the scientific basis for the research, the expected outcome,
and the relevance of the findings to reduce injury morbidity,
mortality, disability, and economic losses. This focus should be based
on recommendations in ``Healthy People 2010'' and the ``CDC Injury
Research Agenda'' and should seek creative approaches that will
contribute to a national program for injury control.
2. Specific, measurable, and time-framed objectives.
3. A detailed plan describing the methods by which the objectives
will be achieved, including their sequence. A comprehensive evaluation
plan is an essential component of the application.
4. A description of the principal investigator's role and
responsibilities.
5. A description of all the project staff regardless of their
funding source. It should include their title, qualifications,
experience, percentage of time each will devote to the project, as well
as that portion of their salary to be paid by the grant.
[[Page 6477]]
6. A description of those activities related to, but not supported
by the grant.
7. A description of the involvement of other entities that will
relate to the proposed project, if applicable. It should include
commitments of support and a clear statement of their roles.
8. A detailed budget for the grant.
9. An explanation of how the research findings will contribute to
the national effort to reduce the morbidity, mortality and disability
caused by violence-related injuries within three-five years from
project start-up.
Additional Required Materials
The applicant must also submit the following materials, attached to
the application as appendices:
1. A letter from the applicant's mentor which:
a. Fully identifies the members of the dissertation committee.
b. Certifies that the mentor has read the application and believes
that it reflects the work to be completed in the dissertation. (Letters
certifying approval of the dissertation proposal must be received
before negotiation and award of the grant.)
c. Certification that the institution's facilities and general
environment are adequate to conduct the proposed research.
2. A tentative time line for completion of the research, the
dissertation, and the dissertation defense.
3. An official transcript of the applicant's graduate school record
showing that the applicant has completed all required course work for
the degree with the exception of the dissertation.
4. A statement of the applicant's career goals and intended career
trajectory.
5. A biography of the mentor, limited to two pages (use the
Biographical Sketch page in application form PHS 398).
G. Submission and Deadline
Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission
The LOI must be received by March 4, 2003. Submit the LOI to the
Grants Management Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain
Additional Information'' section of this announcement.
Application Forms
Submit the signed original and two copies of PHS 398 (OMB Number
0925-0001)(adhere to the instructions on the Errata Instruction Sheet
for PHS 398). Forms are available at the following Internet address:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm.
If you do not have access to the Internet, or if you have
difficulty accessing the forms on-line, you may contact the CDC
Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section
(PGO-TIM) at: 770-488-2700. Application forms can be mailed to you.
Submission, Date, Time and Address
The application must be received by 4 p.m. Eastern Time May 8,
2003. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management--PA
03036, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.
Applications may not be sent electronically.
CDC Acknowledgment of Application Receipt
A postcard will be mailed by PGO-TIM, notifying you that CDC has
received your application.
Deadline
Letters of intent and applications shall be considered as meeting
the deadline if they are received before 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the
deadline date. Any applicant who sends their application by the United
States Postal Service or commercial delivery services must ensure that
the carrier will be able to guarantee delivery of the application by
the closing date and time. If an application is received after closing
due to (1) carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a
guarantee for delivery by the closing date and time, or (2) significant
weather delays or natural disasters, CDC will upon receipt of proper
documentation, consider the application as having been received by the
deadline.
Any application that does not meet the above criteria will not be
eligible for competition, and will be discarded. The applicant will be
notified of their failure to meet the submission requirements.
H. Evaluation Criteria
Application
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by CDC staff for
completeness and responsiveness as outlined under the ``Eligible
Applicants'' Section (Items one through four). Incomplete applications
and applications that are not responsive will be returned to the
applicant without further consideration. It is especially important
that the applicant's narrative reflects the project's focus, because
the narrative will be used to help determine the responsiveness of the
application.
Applications which are complete and responsive may be subjected to
a preliminary evaluation (streamline review) by a peer review
committee, the Injury Research Grant Review Committee (IRGRC), to
determine if the application is of sufficient technical and scientific
merit to warrant further review by the IRGRC; CDC will withdraw from
further consideration applications judged to be noncompetitive and
promptly notify the principal investigator/program director and the
official signing for the applicant organization. Those applications
judged to be competitive will be further evaluated by a dual review
process.
Competing supplemental grant awards may be made, when funds are
available, to support research work or activities not previously
approved by the IRGRC. Applications should be clearly labeled to denote
their status as requesting supplemental funding support. These
applications will be reviewed by the IRGRC and the secondary review
group.
All awards will be determined by the Director of the NCIPC based on
priority scores assigned to applications by the primary review
committee IRGRC, recommendations by the secondary review committee of
the Science and Program Review Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee
for Injury Prevention and Control (ACIPC), consultation with NCIPC
senior staff, and the availability of funds. All categories are of
equal importance, however, the application does not need to be strong
in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific
impact.
1. The primary review will be a peer review conducted by the IRGRC.
All applications will be reviewed for scientific merit using current
National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria (a scoring system of 100-
500 points) to evaluate the methods and scientific quality of the
application. Factors to be considered will include:
a. Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If
the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge
be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts
or methods that drive this field?
b. Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and
analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the
aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem
areas and consider alternative tactics? Does the project include plans
to measure progress toward achieving the stated objectives? Is there an
appropriate work plan included?
[[Page 6478]]
c. Innovation. Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches
or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project
challenge or advance existing paradigms, or develop new methodologies
or technologies?
d. Investigator. Is the principal investigator appropriately
trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the proposed work
appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and
other significant investigator participants? Is there a prior history
of conducting violence-related research?
e. Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work
will be done contribute to the probability of success? Does the
proposed research take advantage of unique features of the scientific
environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there
evidence of institutional support? Is there an appropriate degree of
commitment and cooperation of other interested parties as evidenced by
letters detailing the nature and extent of the involvement?
f. Ethical Issues. What provisions have been made for the
protection of human subjects and the safety of the research
environments? How does the applicant plan to handle issues of
confidentiality and compliance with mandated reporting requirements,
e.g., suspected child abuse? Does the application adequately address
the requirements of 45 CFR part 46 for the protection of human
subjects? (An application can be disapproved if the research risks are
sufficiently serious and protection against risks is so inadequate as
to make the entire application unacceptable.) The degree to which the
applicant has met the CDC Policy requirements regarding the inclusion
of women, ethnic, and racial groups in the proposed research (See
Attachment 1, AR-2).
This includes:
(1) The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial
and ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.
(2) The proposed justification when representation is limited or
absent.
(3) A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate
to measure differences if the proposed research is an intervention
study.
(4) A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and
outreach for study participants include the process of establishing
partnerships with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.
g. Study Samples. Are the samples sufficiently rigorously defined
to permit complete independent replication at another site? Have the
referral sources been described, including the definitions and
criteria? What plans have been made to include women and minorities and
their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research? How will the applicant deal with recruitment and retention of
subjects?
h. Dissemination. What plans have been articulated for
disseminating findings?
i. Measures of Effectiveness. The Peer Review Panel shall assure
that measures set forth in the application are in accordance with CDC's
performance plans. How adequately has the applicant addressed these
measures?
The IRGRC will also examine the appropriateness of the proposed
project budget and duration in relation to the proposed research and
the availability of data required for the project.
2. The secondary review will be conducted by the Science and
Program Review Subcommittee (SPRS)of the ACIPC. The ACIPC Federal
agency experts will be invited to attend the secondary review, and will
receive modified briefing books (i.e., project narratives, strengths
and weaknesses from summary statements, and project officer's briefing
materials). The ACIPC Federal agency experts will be encouraged to
participate in deliberations when applications address overlapping
areas of research interest so that unwarranted duplication in
federally-funded research can be avoided and special subject area
expertise can be shared. The NCIPC Division Associate Directors for
Science (ADS) or their designees will attend the secondary review in a
similar capacity as the ACIPC Federal agency experts to assure that
research priorities of the announcement are understood and to provide
background regarding current research activities. Only SPRS members
will vote on funding recommendations, and their recommendations will be
carried to the entire ACIPC for voting by the ACIPC members in closed
session. If any further review is needed by the ACIPC, regarding the
recommendations of the SPRS, the factors considered will be the same as
those considered by the SPRS.
The committee's responsibility is to develop funding
recommendations for the NCIPC Director based on the results of the
primary review, the relevance and balance of proposed research relative
to the NCIPC programs and priorities, and to assure that unwarranted
duplication of federally-funded research does not occur. The secondary
review committee has the latitude to recommend to the NCIPC Director,
to reach over better ranked proposals in order to assure maximal impact
and balance of proposed research. The factors to be considered will
include:
a. The results of the primary review including the application's
priority score as the primary factor in the selection process.
b. The relevance and balance of proposed research relative to the
NCIPC programs and priorities.
c. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the
priorities and objectives stated in ``Healthy People 2010,'' the
Institute of Medicine report, ``Reducing the Burden of Injury,'' and
the ``CDC Injury Research Agenda.''
d. Budgetary considerations.
I. Other Requirements
Technical Reporting Requirements
Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:
1. The dissertation, including abstract that will constitute the
final Interim Progress Report of the grant.
2. A financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of
the budget period.
3. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days
after the end of the project period.
4. At the completion of the project, the grant recipient will
submit a short (2,500 to 4,000 words written in non-scientific
[laymen's] terms) summary highlighting the findings and their
implications for injury prevention programs, policies, environmental
changes, etc. The grant recipient will also include a description of
the dissemination plan for research findings. This plan will include
publications in peer-reviewed journals and ways in which research
findings will be made available to stakeholders outside of academia,
(e.g., state injury prevention program staff, community groups, public
health injury prevention practitioners, and others). CDC will place the
summary report and each grant recipient's final report with the
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to further the agency's
efforts to make the information more available and accessible to the
public.
Send all reports to the Grants Management Specialist identified in
the Where To Obtain Additional Information section of this
announcement.
Additional Requirements:
The following additional requirements are applicable to this
program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment 1 of this
[[Page 6479]]
announcement as posted on the CDC web site.
AR-1 Human Subjects Certification
AR-2 Requirements for inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in Research
AR-3 Animal Subjects Requirement
AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Requirements
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirement
AR-11 Healthy People 2010
AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC funds for Certain Gun Control
Activities
AR-21 Small, Minority, and Women-owned Business
AR-22 Research Integrity
Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.
J. Where To Obtain Additional Information
This and other CDC announcements, the necessary applications, and
associated forms can be found on the CDC home page Internet address:
http://www.cdc.gov. Click on ``Funding,'' then ``Grants and Cooperative
Agreements''.
For general questions about this announcement, contact: Technical
Information Management, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920
Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: 770-488-2700.
For business management assistance, contact: Nancy Pillar, Grants
Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000,
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2721, E-mail address:
nfp6@cdc.gov.
For program technical assistance, contact: Tom Voglesonger, Program
Manager, Office of the Director, National Center for Injury Prevention
and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770
Buford Highway, NE., Mail Stop K-02, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, Telephone:
(770) 488-4823, E-mail address: TVoglesonger@cdc.gov.
Dated: February 1, 2003.
Sandra R. Manning,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-3033 Filed 2-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P