[Federal Register: July 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 146)]
[Notices]
[Page 45717-45720]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jy04-108]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary; Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Research
Grants
Funding Opportunity Title: Announcement of Availability of Funds
for Grants for Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Research.
Announcement Type: This announcement is a modification of the
program announcement for AFL research grants published in the Federal
Register on June 20, 2003 (68 FR 36992). It is being reissued as a
standing announcement to remain in effect through September 15, 2006,
unless it is withdrawn, with an annual application receipt date of
September 15.
Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-04-185.
CFDA Number: 93.111.
Authority: Section 2008 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.
DATES: This standing program announcement will remain in effect through
September 15, 2006, unless it is withdrawn. To receive consideration, a
package containing a signed typewritten application, including the
checklist, and two photocopies of the application must be received at
the address below no later than September 15 of each year the program
announcement remains in effect. Letters of intent should be received by
August 15 of the year in which an application will be submitted.
SUMMARY: The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) requests applications
for grants for applied research addressing Adolescent Family Life (AFL)
program goals related to adolescent sexual relations, pregnancy, and
parenthood: helping adolescents avoid health risk behaviors; ensuring
that adolescents have the supports necessary to pursue healthy and
productive lives; and strengthening families. Grant awards will be made
to investigate one or more of the following seven areas: (1) Parent
involvement and communication; (2) youth development/developmental
assets; (3) pro-social risk behaviors; (4) adoption; (5) adolescent
parents; (6) long term impact of adolescent childbearing on family
structure; and (7) influences on adolescent premarital sexual behavior.
Title XX of the Public Health Service Act, in section 2008 (42
U.S.C. 300z-7), authorizes research concerning the societal causes and
consequences of adolescent premarital sexual relations, pregnancy and
child rearing. The statute also provides authority for research to
identify effective services which alleviate, eliminate, or resolve any
negative consequences of adolescent premarital sexual relations and
adolescent childbearing for the parents, the child, and their families.
Regulations pertaining to grants for research projects are set out at
42 CFR part 52.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
This announcement seeks proposals for grants for applied research
addressing AFL program goals related to adolescent premarital sexual
relations, pregnancy, and parenthood: helping adolescents avoid health
risk behaviors; ensuring that adolescents have the supports necessary
to pursue healthy and productive lives; and strengthening families.
Background
The Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Program was enacted in 1981 as
Title XX of the Public Health Service Act. The program supports two
types of demonstration projects: (1) prevention demonstration projects
to develop, implement, and evaluate programs that provide sexuality
education designed to prevent adolescent premarital sexual relations
and other health risk behaviors; and (2) care demonstration projects to
develop, implement and evaluate interventions (including presenting
adoption as an option) with pregnant and parenting adolescents,
including fathers, their infants, and other family members in an effort
to alleviate the negative consequences of adolescent childbearing. The
program is also authorized to conduct both basic and applied research
on the causes and consequences of adolescent premarital sexual
relations, adolescent pregnancy and parenting.
Purposes of the Grant
The purpose of this grant is to expand the research base in a
number of areas
[[Page 45718]]
that are directly applicable to prevention and care program
interventions for adolescents. To that end, this announcement invites
applications in one or more of the following areas:
1. Parent Involvement and Communication. Research has shown the
importance of parents' involvement with their children and open
communication between parent and child in the prevention of adolescent
premarital sexual activity, pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infection, as well as other adolescent risk behaviors. Many
interventions designed to reduce these risks have thus added specific
components for parents. Unfortunately, efforts to enroll and retain
parents in these programs have too often been unsuccessful. Careful
examination of recruitment strategies, and the interventions
themselves, should provide insights on how to more effectively
implement these program components. Research questions of interest
include, but are not limited to:
(a) Factors that affect recruitment and retention of parents in
prevention programs for adolescents;
(b) Evaluations of strategies or interventions designed to assist
parents in effectively communicating with their children about
sexuality issues; and
(c) Mechanisms and/or venues for educating parents on adolescent
development, the importance of parental expectations and boundary
setting, and sexuality issues.
2. Youth Development/Developmental Assets. The Youth Development or
Developmental Assets approach, either by itself or in combination with
sexuality education, is increasingly used in programs designed to
prevent adolescent sexual activity, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted
infection or other risk behaviors and negative outcomes. Strategies
encompass strengthening families, fostering lasting relationships with
adult mentors, involving youth in community service, promoting
connectedness with school, providing opportunities to engage in sports
and cultural activities, building confidence and self-efficacy; all are
designed to strengthen supports, either internal or external, for youth
as they transition to adulthood. Research questions of interest
include, but are not limited to:
(a) Incorporating youth development concepts into risk avoidance
interventions for adolescents;
(b) Impact of youth development strategies on adolescent premarital
sexual relations and other health risk behaviors; and
(c) Impact of youth development strategies (e.g., education,
vocational training, employment) on transition to self-sufficiency and
other positive outcomes for adolescent parents.
3. Pro-Social Risk Behaviors. It is well established that some
amount of risk taking in adolescence is normative in that it helps
define and develop identity. While risk taking is part of the normal
developmental spectrum for adolescents, risk behaviors fall into two
broad categories: those that are associated with negative consequences
such as drug, tobacco and alcohol use, sexual activity and violence as
opposed to those that are associated with more positive outcomes--pro-
social risk behaviors such as athletics, academic endeavors, or
community service. Research questions of interest include, but are not
limited to:
(a) The impact on adolescent sexual behavior of programs offering
pro-social risk behavior activities;
(b) Whether adolescents actively reject taking negative health
risks when offered appealing pro-social risk behavior activities; and
(c) Whether offering pro-social risk behavior activities can
reverse established negative risk behaviors.
4. Adoption. Adoption is a positive option for unmarried pregnant
adolescents who are unable to care for their infants, yet available
data indicate this option is seldom chosen. Prior research suggests
that attitudes about adoption--by family members, the father of the
infant, the pregnant adolescent herself, or the professional providing
counseling--can often have great influence on the young mother's
decision-making. Other factors of importance include the costs and
benefits of the adoption decision for all involved, as well as the
implications of the various types of adoption that are available. Areas
of inquiry include, but are not limited to:
(a) Social, psychological, legal, and service dimensions of
adoption decision-making;
(b) Social, economic, and/or psychological effects of adoption on
the adolescent mother, the child, and/or the adoptive family; and
(c) Usage and differential outcomes for the adolescent mother, the
child, and/or the adoptive family among formal, informal, closed and
open adoption arrangements.
5. Adolescent Parents. The consequences of adolescent pregnancy and
parenthood are well documented. Adolescent parents are less likely to
complete their schooling, their employment prospects and income are
concomitantly reduced, and they are more likely to be single parents.
In addition, their children are more likely to have poor health status,
poor educational outcomes, behavior problems, and to become adolescent
parents themselves than are children born to older parents. Appropriate
and adequate services for these adolescent parents and their children,
however, do hold some promise for ameliorating these disadvantages.
Research questions of interest include, but are not limited to:
(a) Preparation for building committed adult relationships and
strong marriages;
(b) Evaluation of strategies or interventions to provide necessary
support services (e.g., health, education, social) to adolescent
parents and their children;
(c) Factors influencing continuation of schooling for adolescent
parents and/or evaluation of strategies to promote school retention or
return for adolescent parents; and
(d) Factors influencing successful parenting by adolescents and/or
evaluation of strategies to promote successful parenting by
adolescents.
6. Long Term Impact of Adolescent Childbearing on Family Structure.
The negative impact of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing on
schooling, employment, income and health are well documented in the
research literature. Another important area of inquiry, not as well
studied, is the effect of adolescent parenthood on the structure and
function of the young families created by this early, and most often,
out-of-wedlock childbearing. Research topics of interest include, but
are not limited to:
(a) The impact of adolescent out-of-wedlock childbearing on the
likelihood of marriage and the stability of marriage;
(b) Types of support systems and their viability, other than
marriage, for adolescent parents; and
(c) The level of satisfaction with parenting, over time,
experienced by adolescent parents.
7. Influences on Adolescent Premarital Sexual Behavior. An
important component in developing effective interventions to prevent
adolescent premarital sexual activity, pregnancy and sexually
transmitted infection is an understanding of the factors that influence
adolescent sexual behavior. While research over the past few decades
has contributed substantially to this understanding, the complexity and
variability of these factors--and the interplay among them--still
warrants continued study. Qualitative studies and exploration of
understudied topics with the potential
[[Page 45719]]
of suggesting effective interventions are encouraged. For the purposes
of this announcement, factors to explore include, but are not limited
to:
(a) Demographic, economic, social and psychological characteristics
of the adolescent;
(b) Family, peers, media, and other social factors; and
(c) Community, neighborhood, school, faith-based organizations and
other social institutions.
Data Resources
When appropriate to the proposed topics, applicants may wish to
consider using nationally-representative data sets such as the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and the National
Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). (Whether this type of data set is used
or not used is completely at the discretion of the applicant and will
not influence funding decisions on applications submitted under this
announcement.)
The Add Health survey used a longitudinal design to collect data on
possible causes of health-related behaviors of adolescents in grades 7-
12 and their outcomes in young adulthood. Data were collected to focus
on how social contexts (families, friends, peers, schools,
neighborhoods and communities) influence adolescents' health and risk
behaviors. Three waves of data collection took place between 1994 and
2002, with multiple data sets available for study. See http://www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth
for more information about the Add Health
survey.
NSFG is a cross-sectional survey of family formation and
reproductive health conducted at various points over many years by the
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Each round has consisted of personal interviews with a
national sample of women 15-44 years of age in the United States, but
with the latest round, Cycle 6, it will include data collected from men
ages 15-49 as well. NSFG is a source of data for national estimates of
such variables as: rates of adolescent sexual activity; incidence of
unintended pregnancy; trends in marriage, divorce, and cohabitation;
and non-marital childbearing. More information on NSFG is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg.htm.
II. Award Information
The OPA, subject to the availability of funds, intends to make
available approximately $500,000 each year (fiscal years 2005, 2006,
and 2007) to support an estimated 2 to 3 new research grants, up to a
maximum of $250,000 each per year--including both direct and indirect
costs. Section 2008(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act stipulates
that a grant for any one year period may not exceed $100,000 for the
direct costs of conducting research activities. However, this
limitation may be waived if we determine that exceptional circumstances
warrant such waiver and that the project will have national impact.
(Although section 2008(a)(3) also allows for waiver of this limitation
where limited demonstration projects are conducted in order to provide
data for research, the OPA does not intend to fund such projects under
this announcement.) OPA intends to fund research under this
announcement only if it will have national impact. Therefore,
applications will be reviewed for research that will have national
impact and, in cases where direct costs exceed the $100,000 limit,
whether the applicant has established that those costs constitute an
exceptional circumstance because they are necessary to carry out the
research project.
Grants will be funded in annual increments (budget periods) and may
be funded for a project period of up to three years. Funding for all
approved budget periods beyond the first year is contingent upon the
availability of funds, satisfactory progress on the project, and
adequate stewardship of Federal funds.
Earliest anticipated start date: 4 months after application receipt
date.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Any public agency or private non-profit or for-profit organization
or institution of higher education which may be located in any State,
the District of Columbia, or any United States territory, commonwealth,
or possession, is eligible to apply for a grant under this announcement
Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for these Adolescent
Family Life research grants.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
There is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
Applications must be submitted on the research application form PHS
398 (revised 5/01), which is available online at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm.
For additional information about
obtaining the research application form PHS 398, please call (301) 594-
4001.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applicants are encouraged to read all PHS Form 398 instructions
prior to preparing an application in response to this announcement. The
instructions given are a useful guide to application preparation. Pay
close attention to font size, page limits and other format
specifications. However, OPA is not using the Modular Grant Application
and Award Process. Applicants for OPA funding should ignore
instructions concerning the Modular Grant Application and Award
Process, following budget instructions otherwise provided in PHS Form
398.
When submitting the application, check ``yes'' in Block 2 of the
face page and provide PAR-04-185'' for the number and ``Adolescent
Family Life (AFL) Research'' as the title.
This notice seeks applications for applied research addressing
Adolescent Family Life program goals. Applications should include the
following:
(1) A well-organized statement of the problem to be addressed;
(2) A detailed description of the research design;
(3) The conceptual framework within which the design has been
developed;
(4) The methodology to be employed;
(5) The evidence upon which the analysis will rely; and
(6) The manner in which the evidence will be analyzed.
Applications should also clearly address how findings from the
proposed study will have direct application for programs designed to
prevent premarital adolescent sexual activity and promote adolescent
and family health and well being.
3. Submission Dates and Times
To receive consideration, applications must be received by the
Center for Scientific Review, NIH, by the deadline listed in the
``Dates'' section of this announcement. Applications submitted via U.S.
Postal Service will be considered as meeting the deadline if they are
postmarked no later than 1 week prior to the deadline date given in the
``Dates'' section. A legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or
U.S. Postal Service will be accepted in lieu of a postmark. Private
metered postmarks will not be accepted as proof of timely mailing. As
soon as possible after the receipt date, usually within 6 weeks, the
principal investigator/program director and the applicant organization
will receive by electronic notification the application assignment
[[Page 45720]]
number and the name, address, and telephone number of the Scientific
Review Administrator (SRA) who will be directing the review group to
which the application has been assigned. The SRA is located at the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) which is serving as
the review organization for these applications. Applications that do
not meet the deadline will not be accepted for review, and will be
returned. Applications sent via facsimile or by electronic mail will
not be accepted for review.
The application package must be submitted to: Center for Scientific
Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040-
MSC 7710, Bethesda, MD 29892-7710 (20817 for express/courier service).
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that
includes a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name,
address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, and the
title of this Program Announcement. Although a letter of intent is not
required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a
subsequent application, the information that it contains allows OPA
staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
The letter of intent should be sent to Barbara Cohen, at the address
listed under the ``Agency Contacts'' section below and received by the
date in the ``Dates'' section of this announcement.
Applicants are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the Federal government. The DUNS number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities.
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a
Duns number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711. For more information, see the OPA Web site at: http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov/duns.html.4.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is not subject to the review requirements of Executive
Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
5. Funding Restrictions
The allowability, allocability, reasonableness and necessity of
direct and indirect costs that may be charged to 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 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_circulars.html
.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Eligible applications in response to this announcement will be
reviewed according to the following criteria:
(1) Scientific Merit. Are the conceptual framework, design,
methods, and analyses adequately developed and appropriate to the goals
of the project?
(2) Significance. Will a scientific advance result if the project
is carried out? Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches, or
methods?
(3) Feasibility and Likelihood of Producing Meaningful Results. Are
the plans for organizing and carrying out the project, including the
responsibilities of key staff, the time line, and the proposed project
period, adequately specified and appropriate?
(4) Competency of Staff. Are the principal investigator, and other
key research staff, appropriately trained and well suited to carry out
this project?
(5) Adequacy of Facilities and Resources. Are the facilities and
resources of the applicant institution and other study sites adequate?
(6) Adequacy of Budget. Is the budget reasonable and adequate in
relation to the proposed project?
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed, in competition with other submitted
applications, by a panel of independent peer reviewers. Each of the
above criteria will be addressed and considered by the reviewers in
assigning the overall score. Final grant award decisions will be made
by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs on the basis
of priority score, program relevance, and availability of funds.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notice
OPA does not release information about individual applications
during the review process until final funding decisions have been made.
When these decisions have been made, applicants will be notified by
letter regarding the outcome of their applications. The official
document notifying an applicant that an application has been approved
and granted funding is the Notice of Grant Award, which specifies to
the grantee the amount of money awarded, the purpose of the grant, and
the terms and conditions of the grant award.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
In accepting this award, the recipient 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 the grant.
The Buy American Act of 1933, as amended (41 U.S.C. 10a-10d),
requires that Government agencies give priority to domestic products
when making purchasing decisions. Therefore, to the greatest extent
practicable, all equipment and products purchased with grant funds
should be American-made.
A Notice providing information and guidance regarding the
``Government-wide Implementation of the President's Welfare-to-Work
Initiative for Federal Grant Programs'' was published in the Federal
Register on May 16, 1997. This initiative was designated to facilitate
and encourage grant recipients and their sub-recipients to hire welfare
recipients and to provide additional needed training and/or mentoring
as needed. The text of the Notice is available electronically on the
OMB home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb.
3. Reporting
Applicants must submit all required reports in a timely manner, in
recommended format (to be provided), and submit a final report on the
project at the completion of the project period. Submissions of all
required reports may be either electronic or in hard copy.
VII. Agency Contacts
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Barbara Cohen,
Office of Population Affairs, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 700,
Rockville, MD 20852; (301) 594-4001; or via E-mail at
bcohen@osophs.dhhs.gov.
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal and administrative matters to:
Karen Campbell, Office of Grants Management, Office of Public Health
and Science, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852;
(301) 594-0758; or via E-mail at kcampbell@osophs.dhhs.gov.
Dated: July 26, 2004.
Alma L. Golden,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs.
[FR Doc. 04-17357 Filed 7-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-30-P