[Federal Register: October 21, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 203)]
[Notices]
[Page 61846-61853]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21oc04-88]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Environmental Health Specialist Network
Announcement Type: New.
Funding Opportunity Number: RFA EH 05013.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.283.
Key Dates:
Letter of Intent Deadline: November 22, 2004.
Application Deadline: December 20, 2004.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: Section 301 (42 U.S.C. 241) and section 317(k)(2) [42
U.S.C. 247b(k)(2)] of the Public Health Services Act, as amended.
Purpose: The purpose of this program is to help State health
departments improve the practice of environmental health service
programs by establishing a network of environmental health specialists
(EHSs) who collaborate with epidemiologists and laboratorians to
identify and prevent environmental factors contributing to foodborne
and/or waterborne illness and disease outbreaks. This announcement
expands the EHS Network (EHS-Net) from a project of FoodNet, a
component of CDC's Emerging Infections Program, to an independent
program that includes drinking water safety (see Appendix A, as posted
on the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/EHSNet/default.htm).
This announcement covers:
1. Food Safety (i.e., retail food safety)
2. Water Safety (i.e., private and small drinking water systems not
regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act [SDWA])
Guiding principles for the EHS-Net can be found in Appendix B, as
posted on the CDC Web site.
This program addresses ``Healthy People 2010'' focus areas of
Environmental Health, Food Safety, and Public Health Infrastructure.
The program also addresses all goals of CDC's ``Strategy To Revitalize
Environmental Public Health Services in the United States'', located at
http: //http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/default.htm.
Measurable outcomes of the program will align with the following
performance goal for the National Center for Environmental Health
(NCEH): Increase the capacity of State and local health departments to
deliver environmental health services in the community.
Research Objectives:
Research objectives of the network are to: (1) Monitor risk factors
and prevention policies in foodborne and/or waterborne outbreaks and
during routine (non-outbreak) environmental evaluations (i.e.,
inspections); (2) conduct applied behavioral, environmental
epidemiologic, and laboratory research on factors contributing to
disease transmission; (3) evaluate food safety and/or drinking water
safety service programs and their activities; (4) implement and
evaluate pilot prevention and intervention projects; and (5) develop
and disseminate the results of network activities and projects to the
environmental and public health communities.
Activities:
Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
Staffing
1. Establish and maintain a full-time senior staff position in the
agency's food safety and/or drinking water safety program (i.e., one
full-time equivalent per program), with full responsibility for
implementation and coordination of activities of the EHS-Net related to
food safety and/or drinking water safety (non-SDWA regulated systems).
The person in this position must report directly to a senior
environmental health service program official who has agency (State
and/or local) authority to participate in EHS-Net activities. The
person in this position also must have demonstrated leadership skills;
technical knowledge and program experience with the food safety and/or
drinking water safety program; knowledge and understanding of the
appropriate State environmental health program (food safety and/or
drinking water safety); and communication skills necessary to
effectively promote and facilitate network activities. The person will
be involved in study design, data analysis and interpretation, and
publication of results. The person also will be responsible for the
accuracy, quality, and timely reporting of all data submitted to CDC's
EHS-Net Web-based information system (See Appendix A, as posted on the
CDC Web site).
2. Identify an existing staff position in the health agency's
program with responsibilities and organizational authority for
foodborne and/or
[[Page 61847]]
waterborne disease surveillance. The individual should know and
understand the epidemiology and surveillance of foodborne and/or
waterborne disease; demonstrate the leadership ability to inform and
guide decisions concerning specific activities of the network; have the
ability to lead and coordinate proposed activities; and possess a
knowledge of the agency's environmental service program (food and/or
drinking water). The individual should be active in study design, data
analysis and interpretation, and publication of results.
3. Existing staff position(s) in State and/or local agencies with
responsibility for carrying out specific EHS-Net activities also may be
identified. These persons should have the technical program experience
needed to implement proposed activities; an understanding of the State
food and/or drinking water program; and the communication skills
necessary to effectively implement proposed activities.
State Agency Collaboration and Planning
1. Strengthen the partnership between the health agency and other
State agencies responsible for food safety and/or drinking water safety
(i.e., departments of agriculture; agencies for institutional care,
education, and environmental protection; etc.) by establishing an
interagency plan that identifies complementary responsibilities and
support functions to carry out planned EHS-Net activities. The
interagency plan should address policies and programs, technical
assistance, and resources; and identify participating local agencies.
2. Establish the EHS-Net in a defined area, which could include
either an entire State or a geographically defined area (or areas)
within a State that represents both rural and urban communities.
Geographically defined areas may be represented as cities, counties,
townships, parishes, or districts as defined by the public health
agency or other partnering agency. Within this geographically defined
area, local health agencies and/or other local agencies with regulatory
responsibility for food safety and/or drinking water safety must be
identified as partners.
3. Within the geographically defined area, develop partnerships
with local agencies and others to provide in-kind assistance or other
cost-sharing support to complement the basic assistance obtained from
CDC to support network activities.
4. Establish and/or sustain effective partnerships with other
public or private organizations interested in addressing environmental
health services issues related to their effectiveness in preventing
disease (e.g., universities, schools of public health, standard-setting
organizations, multi-jurisdictional commissions with environmental
responsibilities, community-based organizations, other Federal and
State government agencies, research organizations, non-governmental
organizations and foundations).
Organize the network to:
1. Maintain the ability to accommodate changes in specific
activities and priorities as the public health system's need for
information changes, or as new and/or reemerging health problems or
environmental issues emerge.
2. Include both rural and urban populations.
3. Have the capacity to conduct multiple, concurrent projects.
4. Enlist participation of local public health departments and
other public or private organizations with a role in protecting the
public's health.
Operate the network to function effectively as part of a
national network of EHSs. Collaborate with CDC and other EHS sites,
through the EHS-Net steering committee and EHS working groups, to
establish priorities, coordinate and monitor projects, and ensure that
projects address existing and emerging infections issues.
Propose and conduct activities in collaboration with CDC
and appropriate partner agencies or organizations. Collaborate with CDC
and other network sites to finalize protocols for network activities.
Collaborate with CDC and other network sites to develop mutually agreed
upon standardized protocols.
1. Categories of food safety activities:
(a) Monitoring of risk factors and prevention policies for
foodborne disease in outbreak investigations and during routine (non-
outbreak) environmental evaluations (i.e., inspections). This involves
improving the data collection instrument and actual data collection and
reporting data collected to CDC through the EHS-Net Web-based
information system (see Appendix A, as posted on the CDC Web site).
This also may involve collection of food and/or environmental surface
samples and submission to State, CDC, or other laboratories.
(b) Applied behavioral, environmental epidemiologic, and laboratory
research. Examples of potential behavioral projects include development
of projects to evaluate barriers and facilitators for implementation of
intervention strategies by food workers or managers; barriers and
facilitators for EHSs as risk communicators and risk managers; barriers
and facilitators for food safety programs in enforcing regulatory
requirements; and development and evaluation of training materials or
prevention messages for EHSs, industry, or the public. Examples of
potential environmental epidemiologic projects include descriptive
epidemiology projects to determine the level of control of risk factors
and status of food safety policies, and other studies to determine what
factors and policies or combination prevent outbreaks of foodborne
disease. Examples of potential laboratory research may include
development or evaluation of environmental sampling techniques for
norovirus or other pathogens of interest; development or evaluation of
pathogen-specific environmental sampling techniques or policies for
investigations of foodborne outbreaks, or for use during routine
evaluations to establish baseline levels of pathogen-specific
contamination; or projects to assess the route of pathogen-specific
cross-contamination.
(c) Evaluation of food safety programs and their activities.
Potential projects would attempt to assess the effectiveness of food
safety programs and/or specific activities in reducing disease in the
population served. Implementation and evaluation of pilot prevention
and intervention projects (i.e., evaluation of integrated communication
projects designed to increase hand washing by food workers in
restaurants, or evaluation of hand washing behaviors and the impact on
infectious diseases in institutional food service). Potential projects
could include evaluation of the effects of food workers' or managers'
food safety training programs on active manager control of risk factors
to foodborne outbreaks.
2. Propose and conduct these specific network activities for food
safety:
(a) Ongoing EHS-Net data collection activity in restaurants, and
propose implementation of a similar activity in institutional
foodservice settings (e.g., nursing homes, schools, day care centers,
prisons) and in retail grocery stores (see Appendix A, as posted on the
CDC website).
(b) Ongoing activity to establish a denominator number of
restaurants, day care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, State or local
prisons, jails, schools, retail grocery stores, and other food service
establishments in the State or designated geographic area.
(c) Improved reporting of contributing factors to foodborne
outbreaks through CDC's Electronic Foodborne Outbreak Reporting System.
[[Page 61848]]
3. Categories of drinking water safety activities:
(a) Monitoring risk factors and prevention policies for waterborne
disease in outbreak investigations and during routine (non-outbreak)
environmental evaluations (i.e., inspections), especially for small,
non-SDWA systems. This may involve development of data collection
instruments, actual data collection, and reporting data collected to
CDC through the EHS-Net web-based information system (see Appendix A,
as posted on the CDC Web site). This activity also may involve
collection of water samples for submission to State, CDC, or other
laboratories.
(b) Applied behavioral, environmental epidemiologic, and laboratory
research. Examples of potential behavioral projects may include
evaluation of the barriers and facilitators to private well testing
programs, either by owners or through other means, or evaluation of
programs designed to introduce private well testing during property
transfers. Examples of potential environmental epidemiologic projects
include defining the actual public health impacts of drinking water
from largely unregulated sources by linking water quality to levels of
exposure or illness or by linking other factors (such as extreme storm
events) to health outcomes. Examples of potential laboratory research
may include development or evaluation of sampling techniques for
norovirus or other pathogens of interest in drinking water.
(c) Evaluation of drinking water programs and their activities,
especially as related to small systems not regulated under the SDWA.
Potential projects could include evaluation of barriers or facilitators
to improving drinking water from non-SDWA sources (such as lack of
laboratory capacity to evaluate drinking water quality; lack of
standards and guidelines for construction, maintenance, and monitoring
of small systems, especially private wells; and fragmented
responsibility and insufficient resources for oversight of small
systems). Potential projects could include evaluation of existing or
new programs to improve drinking water quality from small systems
through testing or other monitoring; public awareness campaigns;
implementation of standards and guidelines related to small systems; or
development and implementation of targeted training and education for
private well owners and operators of small drinking water systems.
As part of network activities, collect and submit samples
(i.e., food, water, or environmental samples) to designated
laboratories for evaluation. Laboratories may include State, Federal,
or academic facilities, as appropriate for the study proposed and
approved by the EHS-Net.
Manage, analyze, and interpret data from network
activities; and publish and disseminate results.
In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in
the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring. CDC
Activities for this program are as follows:
Provide general coordination for the EHS-Net.
Serve as the primary contact for and seek input from the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
other Federal agencies with expertise in food safety and drinking water
safety program areas and interest in EHS-Net activities.
Seek input from participating food and drinking water
programs to determine training needs of EHSs. Identify existing
training resources. Develop unique training opportunities through
partnerships within CDC, with other Federal agencies, and within the
EHS-Net. Work with participating environmental health service programs
to develop methods for effectively communicating the role of the EHS in
protecting the health of their communities.
Provide technical assistance by participating in outbreak
evaluations as requested by participating States.
Provide consultation, and scientific and technical
assistance in the operation of the EHS-Net, and in designing,
implementing, and evaluating individual EHS-Net projects.
Assist with analysis and interpretation of data from EHS-
Net projects.
Participate in the dissemination of findings and
information stemming from EHS-Net projects.
Assist in monitoring and evaluation of scientific and
operational accomplishments of the EHS-Net and progress in achieving
the purpose and overall goals of this program by conducting conference
calls, site visits, hosting meetings of participants and conducting a
process evaluation of the EHS-Net.
If needed, perform laboratory evaluation of samples
collected in conjunction with EHS-Net projects and integrate results
with data from other EHS-Net projects.
Assist in the development of research protocols for
Institutional Review Board (IRB) review by all institutions
participating in any research project involving human subjects and CDC
scientists as co-investigators. CDC project managers will ensure that
all relevant organizational IRBs have given their written approval. The
CDC IRB will review and approve the protocol initially and at least
annually until the research project is completed.
II. Award Information
Type of Award:
This award is a Cooperative Agreement. CDC involvement in this
program is listed in the Activities Section above.
Mechanism of Support: U01.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2005.
Approximate Total Funding: Up to $2,100,000 will be available in
2005.
Approximate Number of Awards: 14.
Food Safety will involve a total number of 10 awards, eight of
which will be targeted to existing awardees and two to new applicants.
A total of four awards for Drinking Water Safety will be targeted
exclusively for existing awardees.
Approximate Average Award: $100,000 (This amount is for the first
12-month budget period, and includes both direct and indirect costs.)
Floor of Award Range: $75,000.
Ceiling of Award Range: $150,000 per program (food program/drinking
water program).
Anticipated Award Date: March 30, 2005.
Budget Period Length: 12 Months.
Project Period Length: 5 years.
Throughout the project period, CDC's commitment to continuation of
awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of
satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required
reports), and the determination that continued funding is in the best
interest of the Federal Government.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible Applicants
Existing EHS-Net awardees may apply for both food safety and
drinking water safety awards; new applicants may apply only for food
safety awards.
Existing EHS-Net awardees are State infectious disease programs
currently funded by CDC through the Emerging Infection Program (EIP),
program announcement number 00011, and participating in the existing
EHS-Net project under the EIP's FoodNet program with a current EHS-Net
project period that expires December 31, 2004. Those states are
California, Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, New York,
Oregon, and Tennessee.
[[Page 61849]]
New applicants are State infectious disease programs located in
public health agencies in the 50 States.
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Matching funds are not required. Applicants must demonstrate in-
kind or other cost-sharing arrangements with partnering State and local
agencies and with other partnering agencies or organizations as a
demonstration of the capacity to carry out program activities. See V.1.
Criteria.
III.3. Other
If you request a funding amount greater than the ceiling of the
award range, your application will be considered non-responsive, and
will not be entered into the review process. You will be notified that
your application did not meet the submission requirements.
Special Requirements:
If your application is incomplete or non-responsive to the
requirements listed in this section, it will not be entered into the
review process. You will be notified that your application did not meet
submission requirements.
Late applications will be considered non-responsive. See
section ``IV.3. Submission Dates and Times'' for more information on
deadlines.
CDC requires that you submit a LOI if you intend to apply
for this program. The LOI will be used to gauge the level of interest
in this program, and allow CDC to plan the application review. Although
the LOI will not be evaluated, and does not enter into review of your
subsequent application, failure to submit a timely LOI will preclude
you from submitting an application.
Funding preferences for existing EHS-Net awardees will be
for those sites that: demonstrate, through their application, success
in implementing EHS-Net activities related to food safety while part of
the EHS-Net project under CDC's FoodNet project; demonstrate future in-
kind or other cost-sharing arrangements with local agencies identified
as partners; demonstrate leveraging of existing funding received from
CDC or other Federal agencies for food safety and/or drinking water
safety-related projects; and apply to expand their activities to
include drinking water safety.
For drinking water safety, funding preference will be
given to applicants who have the capacity to address water safety
issues related to small water systems (including private wells) that
are not regulated under the SDWA.
Funding preferences for new applicants will be given to
applicants who: demonstrate leveraging of existing funding received
from CDC or other Federal agencies for food-related projects;
demonstrate in-kind or other cost-sharing arrangements with local
agencies or organizations to support this project; and demonstrate
existing successful working relationships between the infectious
disease program and the environmental health service program (food
safety).
Note: Title 2 of the United States Code Section 1611 states that
an organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal
Revenue Code that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to
receive Federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.
Individuals Eligible To Become Principal Investigators: Any
individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry
out the proposed research is invited to work with their institution to
develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented
racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are
always encouraged to apply for CDC programs.
IV. Application and Submission Information
IV.1. Address To Request Application Package
To apply for this funding opportunity, use application form PHS 398
(OMB number 0925-0001 rev. 5/2001). Forms and instructions are
available in an interactive format on the CDC Web site, at the
following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm.
Forms and instructions also are available in an interactive format
on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Web site at the following
Internet address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html
.
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) staff
at: 770-488-2700. Application forms can be mailed to you.
IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Letter of Intent (LOI): Your LOI must be written in the following
format:
Maximum number of pages: Five pages.
Font size: 12-point unreduced.
Double-spaced.
Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
Page margin size: One inch.
Printed only on one side of page.
Written in plain language; avoid jargon.
Your LOI must contain the following information:
Descriptive title of the proposed research
Name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the
Principal Investigator.
Names of other key personnel.
Participating institutions.
Number and title of this announcement.
Application: Follow the PHS 398 application instructions for
content and formatting of your application. If the instructions in this
announcement differ in any way from the PHS 398 instructions, follow
the instructions in this announcement. For further assistance with the
PHS 398 application form, contact PGO-TIM staff at 770-488-2700, or
contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435-0714, e-mail:
GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
Your research plan should address activities to be conducted over
the entire project period.
You 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 CDC Web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/pubcommt.htm.
If your application form does
not have a DUNS number field, please write your DUNS number at the top
of the first page of your application, and/or include your DUNS number
in your application cover.
This announcement uses the modular budgeting as well as non-modular
budgeting formats. See: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm
for additional guidance on modular budgets. Specifically,
if you are submitting an application with direct costs in each year of
$250,000 or less, use the modular budget format. Otherwise, follow the
instructions for the non-modular budget research grant applications.
You must submit a project narrative with your application forms.
Each narrative must be submitted in the following format:
Maximum number of pages:
36--If applying for both food and water safety. If your narrative
exceeds the page limit, only the first 36 pages which are within the
page limit will be reviewed.
18--If applying for only food safety. If your narrative exceeds the
page limit,
[[Page 61850]]
only the first 18 pages which are within the page limit will be
reviewed.
Font size: 12 point unreduced
Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches
Page margin size: One inch
Printed only on one side of page
Held together only by rubber bands or metal clips, not
bound in any other way
The application should include only one section for each item
listed below. If applying for both food and drinking water safety,
provide separate staffing plans and budgets. The application must
include the following items in the order listed:
(1) Background (not more than 6 pages if applying for food and
water safety; not more than 3 pages if applying for food safety):
Describe the background and objectives of this cooperative
agreement. Describe the responsibilities, problems, constraints, and
complexities that may be encountered in establishing and operating the
EHS-Net. Describe the roles and responsibilities of participants in the
EHS-Net. Describe the designated geographic area for this cooperative
agreement and its population.
(2) Capacity (not more than 10 pages if applying for food and water
safety; not more than 5 pages if applying for food safety):
(1) Describe your agency's authority to conduct food and/or
waterborne disease surveillance activities. Describe your agency's
authority, and the authority of other partners, to conduct outbreak
investigations and routine environmental evaluations (i.e., inspections
or surveys). Describe the food and/or water safety program's authority
to evaluate the effectiveness of regulatory requirements, programs, and
activities in preventing disease and developing new disease prevention
strategies.
(2) Describe the organizational structure of the health agency's
disease surveillance programs (foodborne and/or waterborne disease),
and how that structure supports environmental health service programs
(food safety and/or drinking water safety). Describe the organizational
structure of the food and/or water safety program.
(3) For food safety programs, identify the State or local agency
with responsibility for restaurants, retail grocery stores, schools,
day care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, mobile food units, State
and local prisons, and other food service establishments, and the way
they will participate in this cooperative agreement.
(4) For drinking water safety programs, identify the State or local
agency or organization(s) with responsibility for private and small
drinking water systems and describe how these various agencies or
organizations will participate in this cooperative agreement.
(5) Characterize your agency's and your significant partner's
relationship with local environmental health service programs (food
safety and/or drinking water safety).
(6) Characterize the role of the specific local environmental
health services programs (food and/or drinking water), or other public
health-related programs or agencies, that will be participating as
active partners in this cooperative agreement.
(7) Describe how the health agency's disease surveillance program
uses existing CDC or other Federal, State, or local funds to support
foodborne or waterborne disease surveillance, and how this program
announcement can be synergistically linked to existing activities.
(8) Describe any current or past activities of the health agency's
disease surveillance program to assist an environmental health service
program(s) to improve or assess prevention efforts.
(3) Operational Plan (not more than 10 pages if applying for food
and water safety; not more than 5 pages if applying for food safety):
Using the examples of activities described above as a guide,
describe the operational plan for the EHS-Net in the State.
(1) For food safety, propose the three specific activities
identified under the previously listed awardee activities.
(2) Propose optional activities on the basis of local interest,
concern, or expertise, and in keeping with the guiding principles of
the EHS-Net.
Project Management and Staffing Plan (not more than 10
pages if applying for food and water safety; not more than 5 if
applying for food safety):
Provide a separate, clearly labeled project management and staffing
plan for food safety and/or drinking water safety. Indicate staff
credentials, training, and skills to ensure staff can carry out
recipient activities.
Coordination between all participating programs should be fully
described in the project management and staffing plans. All applicants
should describe communication with staff working in related programs in
other agencies. Each project management and staffing plan should
include the following supporting documents in an application appendix:
(1) For organizational structure provide:
(a) A description of the proposed program management and control
systems. Include an organizational chart that indicates placement of
the proposed full-time senior staff position in the agency and show
lines of authority, communication, accountability, and reporting.
(b) A description of proposed staffing for network activities and
job descriptions for existing and proposed positions that illustrate
the staff's level of responsibility for implementing activities.
(c) A description of the business office responsible for monitoring
Federal funds and how the office will work with proposed program
management and staff. Identify the business staff person who will carry
out these responsibilities.
(2) Include curriculum vitae (limited to two pages per person) for
existing staff.
(3) Provide letters from all outside agencies or partners
identified in the operational plan that describe their expertise,
capacity, and commitment to fulfill their proposed responsibilities.
Budget and Budget Justification (not included in narrative
page limit):
Provide a separate, detailed budget and budget justification for
food safety and/or drinking water safety. Each budget and justification
should immediately follow its corresponding staffing plan described
under Project Management and Staffing Plan above. All applicants
applying for both food safety and drinking water safety should provide
a budget summary page that displays each separate program budget, as
well as a total budget by object class category. Each budget and budget
justification should include the following:
(1) A detailed line-item budget for food safety and/or drinking
water safety. The budget justification should describe and justify
individual budget items that make up the total amount of funds
requested in each object class category for the first 12-month budget
period (January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005).
(2) Travel: Participation is essential in the EHS-Net steering
committee and CDC-sponsored training workshops for the EHS-Net. Travel
for network implementation should be justified and related to
implementation of activities. The annual travel budget should include
travel funds for appropriate EHS-Net participants (including, at least,
the senior EHS from the food and/or drinking water program and one
appropriate infectious disease program representative) to participate
in a one-week CDC-sponsored orientation meeting for FY2005 and one two-
three day CDC-sponsored EHS-Net steering
[[Page 61851]]
committee meeting each year. Participation in non-CDC-sponsored
professional meetings (e.g., Conference for Food Protection,
International Association of Food Protection educational conference,
National Rural Water Association, National Environmental Health
Association) may be requested, but must be directly relevant to EHS-Net
activities. Participation may include the presentation of papers,
poster sessions, or exhibits on EHS-Net activities.
(3) Indirect Costs: If indirect costs are requested, include a copy
of your agency's current negotiated Federal Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement.
(4) Any cost sharing or in-kind support must be presented as a
percentage of total requested costs and an amount.
Evaluation Plan (not included in narrative page limit):
Include in the evaluation plan a process evaluation of the network to
determine the effectiveness of participation by outside agencies and
other partners.
Additional information may be included in the application
appendices. The appendices will not count toward the narrative page
limit. This additional information includes:
Curricula Vitaes.
Resumes.
Organizational Charts.
Letters of Support.
Additional requirements that may require you to submit additional
documentation with your application are listed in section ``VI.2.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements.''
IV.3. Submission Dates and Times
LOI Deadline Date: November 22, 2004.
CDC requires that you submit a LOI if you intend to apply for this
program. The LOI will be used to gauge the level of interest in this
program, and allow CDC to plan the application review. Although the LOI
will not be evaluated, and does not enter into review of your
subsequent application, failure to submit a timely LOI will preclude
you from submitting an application.
Application Deadline Date: December 20, 2004.
Explanation of Deadlines: LOIs and Applications must be received in
the CDC Procurement and Grants Office by 4 p.m. eastern time on the
deadline date. If you send your application by the United States Postal
Service or commercial delivery service, you must ensure the carrier
will be able to guarantee delivery of the application by the closing
date and time. If CDC receives your application 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, you will be given the opportunity
to submit documentation of the carriers guarantee. If the documentation
verifies a carrier problem, CDC will consider the application as having
been received by the deadline.
This announcement is the definitive guide on LOI and application
submission address and deadline. It supersedes information provided in
the application instructions. If your application does not meet the
deadline above, it will not be eligible for review, and will be
discarded. You will be notified that your application did not meet the
submission requirements.
CDC will not notify you upon receipt of your application. If you
have a question about receipt of your application, first contact your
courier. If you still have a question, contact the PGO-TIM staff at:
770-488-2700. Before calling, please wait two to three days after the
application deadline to allow time for applications to be processed and
logged.
IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
Your application is subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs, as governed by Executive Order (EO) 12372. This order sets up
a system for state and local governmental review of proposed federal
assistance applications. You should contact your state single point of
contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert the SPOC to prospective
applications, and to receive instructions on your state's process.
Click on the following link to get the current SPOC list: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html
.
IV.5. Funding Restrictions
Restrictions, which must be taken into account while writing your
budget, are as follows:
CDC will assist applicants in the development of research
protocols for Institutional Review Board (IRB) review by all
institutions participating in any research project involving human
subjects and CDC scientists as co-investigators. CDC project managers
will ensure that all relevant organizational IRBs have given their
written approval. The CDC IRB will review and approve the protocol
initially and at least annually until the research project is
completed.
Funds may not be used for data entry personnel because
data collection activities are to be carried out by State and/or local
EHSs and entered into the CDC EHS-Net Web-based information system.
Federal funds awarded under this program announcement may
not be used to supplant State or local funds.
Awards will not allow reimbursement of preaward costs.
If you are requesting indirect costs in your budget, you must
include a copy of your indirect cost rate agreement. If your indirect
cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement should be less than 12
months old.
Guidance for completing your budget can be found on the CDC web
site, at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/budgetguide.htm
.
IV.6. Other Submission Requirements
LOI Submission Address: Submit your LOI by express mail or delivery
service to: Technical Information Management--PA 05013, CDC
Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Rd., Atlanta, GA 30341.
LOIs may not be submitted electronically at this time.
Application Submission Address: Submit the original and one hard
copy of your application by mail or express delivery service to:
Technical Information Management--PA 05013, CDC Procurement
and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Rd., Atlanta, GA 30341.
At the time of submission, four additional copies of the
application, and all appendices must be sent to: Mildred Williams-
Johnson, CDC, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, NCEH/ATSDR, MS E-28, 1600 Clifton Road,
NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
Applications may not be submitted electronically at this time.
V. Application Review Information
V.1. Criteria
Applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that
will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified
objectives of the cooperative agreement. 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 outcome. These measures of effectiveness must
be submitted with the application and will be an element of evaluation.
The goals of CDC-supported research are to advance the
understanding of biological systems, improve the control
[[Page 61852]]
and prevention of disease and injury, and enhance health. In the
written comments, reviewers will be asked to evaluate the application
in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a
substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.
Each application will be individually reviewed and scored. Each
application will be allocated a total of 100 points, according to the
following criteria:
Staffing (25 points)
1. Has the applicant identified key professional personnel for
assignment to the EHS-Net and network projects? Has the applicant
identified key professional personnel from other participating or
collaborating institutions, agencies, and organizations outside the
applicant's agency that will be assigned to EHS-Net activities? Is a
curriculum vitae provided for each in the appendix? Does the applicant
clearly state participants' roles in the management and operation of
the EHS-Net? Does the applicant provide descriptions of participants'
experience in conducting work similar to that proposed in this
announcement?
2. Does the applicant describe all support staff and services to be
assigned to the EHS-Net?
Capacity (25 points)
1. Does the applicant succeed in describing how they will implement
multisite EHS-Net activities?
2. Does the applicant describe the agency's structure, and support
from partnering programs and/or agencies?
3. Is the level of commitment from, and capacity of, the local
agencies identified as partners demonstrated by: (a) In-kind or other
cost-sharing arrangements described in the application to assist in
supporting network activities; (b) technical knowledge and experience
of local EHSs identified as potential sources of support for EHS-Net
activities; and (c) capacity to electronically submit data to CDC
through a Web-based information system?
4. Does the applicant describe the ability to develop and maintain
cooperative relationships with public and private, local and regional,
public health, laboratory, academic or other organizations that protect
public health?
5. Is support from partnering agencies, institutions,
organizations, laboratories, and individuals included in the
operational plan? Does the applicant provide (in an appendix) letters
of support indicating collaborators' commitments to participate in the
EHS-Net, and describing their anticipated role?
6. Does the applicant describe the ability to participate in a
multi-state collaborative network?
Operational plan (20 points)
1. Does the applicant describe their plan for establishing and
operating the EHS-Net? Does the applicant clearly identify the proposed
organizational and operating structure and procedures? Does the
applicant describe the roles and responsibilities of all participating
agencies, organizations, institutions, and individuals?
2. Does the applicant describe plans to collaborate with CDC and
other EHS-Net sites in the establishment and operation of the EHS-Net
and individual EHS-Net projects, including project design and
development (e.g., protocols), management and analysis of data, and
synthesis and dissemination of findings?
3. Does the applicant describe partnerships with necessary and
appropriate organizations to establish and operate the proposed EHS-
Net?
4. Does the applicant describe plans to provide training
opportunities for one or more of the following individuals, groups, or
agencies: (a) Persons in professional training, such as environmental
health specialists, infectious disease fellows, laboratory fellows,
public health students; or (b) partner organizations within the EHS-
Net, such as EHSs, infection-control practitioners or local health
department personnel? Does the applicant propose to act as a resource
for States that are not participating in the EHS-Net, for example, by
providing information, training, or recommendations about emerging
public health issues and evolving public health practices?
5. Does the applicant describe proposed projects consistent with
the guiding principles of the network and the public health needs?
6. Does the applicant describe how the EHS-Net organizational
structure in the State will facilitate a swift response to new public
health challenges in infectious diseases? Does the applicant describe
how the proposed structure can facilitate the preparation of EHSs to
recognize or respond to acts of terror?
Leveraging of resources and in-kind support (20 points)
1. Does the applicant describe existing funds from CDC or other
Federal agencies that are used to support foodborne and/or waterborne
disease surveillance and food safety and/or drinking water safety
programs? Does the applicant describe how these existing projects will
be synergistically linked to this proposal?
2. Does the applicant describe in-kind or other forms of support
from local agencies or organizations that will be used to supplement
CDC funding to carry out network activities?
3. Does the applicant describe a plan to solicit and secure
financial and/or technical assistance from other public and private
organizations (e.g., schools of public health, university medical
schools, public health laboratories, community-based organizations,
other Federal and State government agencies, research organizations,
foundations) to supplement the core funding from CDC?
Understanding the objectives of the EHS-Net (10 points)
Does the applicant:
1. Understand the objectives of this cooperative agreement program?
2. Describe the requirements, responsibilities, problems,
constraints, and complexities that may be encountered in establishing
and operating the EHS-Net?
3. Understand the roles and responsibilities of participation in
the EHS-Net?
Recipient performance will be measured by:
Quality of collaboration between the appropriate
environmental health service program (food safety and/or drinking water
safety), and the appropriate disease surveillance program (foodborne or
waterborne) as evidenced by their ability to identify projects that
provide environmental health service programs with information
assisting them with control of risk factors to illness and outbreaks.
Establishment of an interagency plan between State health
and food safety and/or drinking water programs, and, when appropriate,
their active participation in EHS-Net projects as evidenced by
collection and submission of data or specimens, or evidence of other
specific contributions to EHS-Net projects.
Collection and submission to agreed-upon recipients (e.g.,
CDC Web-based information system; CDC or State laboratories) of at
least 95 percent of all data or specimens for those projects in which
the State has agreed to participate.
Active participation of local environmental health service
programs as evidenced by data or specimen collection or evidence of
other specific contributions to EHS-Net projects.
Publication of articles and at least one formal
presentation at a national conference during this cooperative
agreement, as lead or supporting author.
V.2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Procurement
and Grants Office (PGO) staff, and for responsiveness by NCEH.
Incomplete applications and applications that are nonresponsive to the
eligibility criteria
[[Page 61853]]
will not advance through the review process. Applicants will be
notified that their application did not meet submission requirements.
A Special Emphasis Panel will evaluate complete and responsive
applications according to the criteria listed in the ``V.1. Criteria''
section above.
V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Awards anticipated to be effective March 30, 2005.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Grant Award (NGA)
from the CDC Procurement and Grants Office. The NGA shall be the only
binding, authorizing document between the recipient and CDC. The NGA
will be signed by an authorized Grants Management Officer, and mailed
to the recipient fiscal officer identified in the application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of
the application review by mail.
VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
45 CFR Part 74 and Part 92
For more information about the Code of Federal Regulations, see the
National Archives and Records Administration at the following Internet
address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html.
The following additional requirements apply to this project:
AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements
AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-11 Healthy People 2010
AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions
AR-14 Accounting System Requirements
Additional information on these requirements can be found on the
CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/ARs.htm
.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide CDC with an original, plus two hard copies, of the
following reports:
1. Interim progress report no less than 90 days before the end of
the budget period. The progress report will serve as your non-competing
continuation application, and must contain the following elements:
a. Current Budget Period Activities Objectives.
b. Current Budget Period Financial Progress.
c. New Budget Period Program Proposed Activity Objectives.
d. Budget.
e. Additional Requested Information.
f. Measures of Effectiveness.
2. 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.
These reports must be mailed to the Grants Management Specialist
listed in the ``Agency Contacts'' section of this announcement.
VII. Agency Contacts
For general questions about this announcement, contact: Technical
Information Management Section, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920
Brandywine Rd., Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone: 770-488-2700.
For scientific/research issues, contact: Extramural Project
Officer, Carol A. Selman, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, (F28), Chamblee, GA
30341, Telephone: 770-488-4352, E-mail: cselman@cdc.gov.
For financial, grants management or budget assistance, contact:
Vivian F. Walker, Contract Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants
Office, 2920 Brandywine Rd., Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone: 770-488-
2724, E-mail: vwalker@cdc.gov.
VIII. Other Information
Background information concerning EHS-Net can be found on the CDC
web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/EHSNet/default.htm
.
Dated: October 15, 2004.
William P. Nichols,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-23618 Filed 10-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P