Cooperative Agreement for National Organizations' HIV/AIDS Prevention and Health Communications Programs; Health Communications/ Behavioral and Social Science Evaluation; and Technical Assistance Efforts in Support of Social Marketing and Health Communications

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Announcement 502]

Cooperative Agreement for National Organizations' HIV/AIDS

Prevention and Health Communications Programs; Health Communications/

Behavioral and Social Science Evaluation; and Technical Assistance

Efforts in Support of Social Marketing and Health Communications

Introduction

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the

anticipated availability of fiscal year (FY) 1995 funds for a

cooperative agreement program with national organizations to support

HIV/AIDS prevention and health communications programs; health

communications/behavioral and social science evaluation; and technical

assistance efforts--all in support of social marketing and health

communications. These activities should be designed to increase the

reach, effectiveness, and impact of HIV prevention efforts.

This announcement continues the HIV/AIDS prevention collaboration

between CDC and national organizations that was initiated in 1989 under

Announcement 904, Cooperative Agreements for National Organizations and

Consortiums to Develop and Implement Effective AIDS Information,

Education, and Programs among Constituents.

A cooperative agreement is a legal agreement between CDC and the

recipient in which CDC provides financial and other assistance to, and

has significant Federal programmatic involvement with, the recipient

throughout the project.

For the Nation's HIV/AIDS prevention efforts to succeed, they must

be focused on preventing and reducing behaviors that place individuals

at risk for HIV infection. Among the significant behavioral objectives

necessary for preventing HIV transmission, CDC has adopted the

following three related to sexual behavior:

Young people who are not engaging in any form of sexual

activity will maintain this behavior.

Sexually active people who use condoms consistently and

correctly or are in a relationship with a mutually faithful

relationship with an uninfected partner will maintain these behaviors.

Sexually active people who are not in a mutually faithful

relationship with an uninfected partner will refrain from sexual

activity, choose nonpenetrative sex, or use condoms consistently and

correctly.

These objectives cannot be met without the understanding,

participation, and support of key sectors of the American public.

Coordination, collaboration, and communication between and among all

sectors are crucial for successful HIV prevention. These sectors

include:

1. Public (e.g., health, social services, and education agencies);

2. Voluntary (e.g., civic, social, health and health services, and

youth-serving organizations that deliver education and community

services to the public);

3. Professional and academic, the health communications/behavioral and

social science and social marketing disciplines that must provide a

scientific basis for developing, implementing, refining, and evaluating

HIV prevention efforts to ensure effective, behavior-focused HIV

interventions.

4. Religious;

5. Business and labor; and

6. Media, including print, radio, television, and entertainment media.

CDC has initiated a number of programs that are intended to focus

on, and assist in, the development and implementation of successful HIV

prevention strategies for promoting healthy behavior reducing or

eliminating individual risky behaviors, and strengthening social norms

that contribute to the prevention of HIV. These include the Prevention

Marketing Initiative (PMI) and the Business and Labor Workplace HIV/

AIDS Programs. Specific information regarding these two initiatives is

included within the application package. To support these and other

initiatives there is a need to build the capacity of the sectors

addressed in this program announcement to strengthen HIV prevention

efforts.

CDC has a number of other HIV-related grant programs. This

cooperative agreement targeting national organizations is intended to

complement these other programs and to include organizations essential

for the development of a comprehensive national HIV prevention program.

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the

health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People

2000, a PHS-led national activity to reduce morbidity and mortality and

improve the quality of life. This announcement is related to the

priority area of HIV infection. (To order a copy of Healthy People

2000, see the section entitled WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.)

Authority

This program is authorized under sections 301(a) and 317(a) of the

Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 241(a) and 247b(a), as amended.

Smoke-Free Workplace

The Public Health Service strongly encourages all grant recipients

to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all

tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect

and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are national organizations (NOs), including

national minority organizations (NMOs). All applicants must provide

documentation proving that they meet the following criteria:

A. Be an established national (defined by charter or bylaws to

operate nationally), nonprofit organization (a nongovernmental,

nonprofit corporation or association whose net earnings in no part

accrue to the benefit of private shareholders or individuals). Bylaws

and/or charter must be furnished with the application. The following is

acceptable evidence of nonprofit status:

*A copy of a currently valid Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax

exemption certificate.

B. A national minority organization must furnish a written

statement that more than 50 percent of the board of directors of said

organization are racial or ethnic minority members. Groups recognized

as racial and ethnic populations are: African Americans, Alaskan

Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Caribbean Americans,

Latinos/Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders.

Proof of nonprofit and organizational status and other eligibility

criteria must be submitted with the application for determination of

eligibility. No application will be accepted without proof of nonprofit

status.

Assistance will be provided only to national organizations and

national minority organizations as described above. To help prevent the

spread of HIV infection, CDC proposes to support such organizations

which have existing networks and constituents and the capacity to serve

communities across the nation. This ensures that all communities--

urban, suburban, and rural--have both public and private sector

resources to assist them in their prevention efforts.

Availability of Funds

Approximately $5 million is expected to be available in FY 1995 to

fund approximately 20 awards. It is expected that the average award

will be $125,000 per year, ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 per year.

Awards to fund programs planned for national minority organizations may

range between $250,000 and $300,000 per year. In addition, one award of

up to $1,000,000 can be made to support a local condom availability

social marketing demonstration project in three communities. It is

expected that the awards will begin on or about March 1, 1995. Funding

estimates may vary and are subject to change.

Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the

basis of satisfactory progress and the availability of funds. Grantees

will be asked to submit yearly continuation applications, including

verification of eligibility requirements.

Programmatic and budget justification are required for all

applications. Applicants requesting funding as national minority

organizations will be considered separately from non-minority

applicants.

Subject to the availability of funds and the receipt of technically

acceptable, fundable applications, at least twelve awards are expected

to be made to national organizations that target business, and labor,

religious, voluntary, media and other appropriate sectors (ranging from

2-5 awards per sector); at least two awards are expected to be made to

national professional or academic organizations, specific to health

communications and/or behavior and social sciences evaluation; at least

one award is expected to be made to a national organization

representing public health; at least one award to a national

organization that is qualified to effectively reach and impact gay,

bisexual, and lesbian audiences; at least two awards to national

minority organizations for health communications; and at least one

award to a national organization to develop and implement a condom

accessibility demonstration project in at least three communities.

Awards will be made for a 12-month budget period within a 3-year

project period. (Budget period is the interval of time into which the

project period is divided for funding and reporting purposes. Project

period is the total time for which a project has been programmatically

approved.) Continuation awards for years 2 and 3 within an approved

project period are made on the basis of satisfactory performance and

the availability of funds.

These funds may not supplant or duplicate existing funding from any

other public or private source. Although contracts with other

organizations are allowable under these cooperative agreement awards,

applicants themselves must perform a substantial portion of the

activities for which funds are requested.

No funds will be provided for patient medical care or purchase of

drugs or vaccines.

Purpose

The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to develop

partnerships with and among national organizations to effectively

extend the reach of CDC's HIV Prevention strategies (Prevention

Marketing Initiative and the Business and Labor Workplace HIV/AIDS

Program) into communities to strengthen social norms that contribute to

the prevention of HIV.

Program Requirements

In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program,

the recipient will be responsible for the activities under A.

(Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for the activities

under B. (CDC Activities).

A. Recipient Activities

Applicant must develop a program plan based on realistic, specific,

time-phased, and measurable objectives for proposed activities and

services, including technical assistance, for their affiliates,

constituents or members.

The most successful comprehensive social marketing/health

communications programs make individual-level behaviors the central

communications focus while addressing both the individual and the

social systems and networks that influence (predispose, enable, and

reinforce) the behaviors of individuals. Applicant may choose to

conduct one, several, or all of the three Priority Activities listed

below.

Programs developed under any Priority Activity area must be

implemented at the national level, and must be designed to have an

impact, ultimately, at the local level. All programs must be

coordinated with CDC, national, regional, State, and existing social

marketing/health communications programs to prevent duplication of

efforts, i.e., the Prevention Marketing Initiative and the Business and

Labor Workplace HIV/AIDS Program. In addition CDC is currently working

with its national, State, and local HIV prevention partners to

implement the HIV Prevention Community Planning Initiative. An outcome

of this initiative is that each health department recipient of an HIV

prevention cooperative agreement is to develop a comprehensive HIV

prevention plan for its jurisdiction. Programs funded under

Announcement 502 should be consistent with these State and local

comprehensive HIV prevention plans.

This announcement includes provisions to fund national minority

organizations to develop, produce, disseminate, and market health

communications messages on HIV prevention. All such efforts must be

culturally competent and linguistically appropriate for the intended

audience segments.

Priority Activity 1

Participate in a comprehensive prevention marketing program

targeted initially to persons 18 to 25 years of age designed to

decrease HIV risk behaviors, and/or to the social systems and networks,

including communities, that influence, support, and reinforce their

sexual behaviors. Such efforts, including training and technical

assistance, must be undertaken in direct support of, and coordinated

with, CDC's existing Prevention Marketing Initiative.

Program activities may include the creation or utilization of

systems, activities, and interventions that directly influence

individual behavior (these behaviors are those that place individuals

at risk for HIV transmission). They may also include activities

designed to change or sustain individual behaviors by influencing

social systems and networks in relevant sectors of society that will

affect individual behavior. These programs should strengthen the

abilities of public and private national, regional, State, and local

organizations and consortia to provide information, training, and/or

technical assistance to their members, affiliates, or constituencies,

and to apply available resources creatively and effectively to reduce

risk behaviors which contribute to the further spread of HIV.

A national program to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of

an established social marketing program relevant to CDC's Prevention

Marketing Initiative may be undertaken. This program, must be

undertaken in not less than three communities across the country and

must be based upon an already established, on-going, or recently

completed social marketing program.

An example of such a program would be one that uses proven methods

for community engagement and collaboration to involve critical social/

civic community leaders in promoting awareness of condom effectiveness

in preventing disease.

Priority Activity 2

Build the capacity within relevant social systems and/or networks

within a sector of society, and ultimately coordinate with these

systems, to participate in HIV prevention efforts. This can be done by

providing technical assistance, training, and/or information to

organizations representing key sectors of society addressed in this

program announcement (e.g., business and labor, religious, voluntary,

and media).

Execution of this activity would involve the development and

operation of HIV/AIDS technical assistance and training programs to

assist national, regional, State, and/or local organizations within

defined social systems to implement comprehensive, effective HIV

prevention efforts.

Examples of Priority 2 activities would be participation in one or

more of the following programs: (1) the Business and Labor Workplace

HIV/AIDS Program, designed to assist the business and labor sector in

developing and implementing comprehensive workplace HIV/AIDS programs

and to assist business and labor leaders in supporting and

participating in community HIV prevention efforts; (2) a broad effort

to engage and develop the capacity of religious institutions to

participate in HIV prevention and services at the community level; or

(3) a broad effort by a national voluntary or media organization to

educate its constituents, affiliates, and volunteers to participate in

local HIV community planning, education, and service activities.

Priority Activity 3

Support national professional and academic organizations in

transferring technology and information specific to health

communications, social, and behavioral science research and evaluation

to assist governmental and nongovernmental organizations in effective

HIV prevention planning, intervention design, or evaluation.

Priority consideration will be given to applications which propose

to collect, ``translate,'' and disseminate research and evaluation

findings for organizations and constituencies involved in HIV

prevention efforts, including HIV Prevention Community Planning, social

marketing, changing or influencing behaviors or social norms, and other

types of HIV prevention interventions.

Examples of this type of program would include those which (a)

systematically retrieve, analyze, and ``translate'' relevant (published

and/or unpublished) research and evaluation findings for persons

involved in planning programs and designing interventions; or (b)

develop and implement systems for providing technical assistance and

training on behavioral and communications science, and on programmatic

interventions conducted by national, State, and community organizations

(public and private); or (c) is an effort by a national professional

organization of behavioral and social scientists to train and mobilize

its membership to assist local organizations or communities in planning

for HIV prevention and evaluating their local HIV community

interventions.

B. CDC Activities

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shall

undertake the following activities in support of this announcement:

1. Provide information to, and collaborate with, funded

organizations in developing and implementing short- and long-term plans

for social marketing and health communications for HIV prevention.

2. Provide consultation, assistance, and guidance in planning and

implementing program activities under this announcement including

promotion and publicity related to the project.

3. Assist in identifying, acquiring, or developing appropriate

educational materials to be used in programs.

4. To the extent that CDC has this information, provide up-to-date

scientific information on the following:

Risk factors for HIV/STD transmission

Current HIV infection trends and behavioral practices,

including trends among populations of a specific age, sex, or race/

ethnicity

Prevention and program strategies that have been shown to

be successful in preventing HIV infection

Current knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors

related to HIV transmission

Documented determinants of behavior and underlying factors

influencing determinants

5. Provide technical assistance in developing and implementing

evaluation strategies for the program.

6. Facilitate collaboration with other public and private sector

agencies involved in HIV prevention efforts at the national, regional,

State, and community levels.

7. Facilitate the exchange of program information and technical

assistance among other public and private agencies at all levels.

8. Monitor the successful applicants' program activities and

compliance with all programmatic, administrative, and budgetary

requirements.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated according to the

following criteria:

I. Review and Evaluation of Application

A. Organizational Capability (30%)

The extent to which the applicant documents: (1) recent experience

of at least 12 months in operating and centrally administering a

coordinated health, health-related, or community-related program which

is national in scope; (2) expertise about social marketing and health

communications, and/or social and behavioral science and/or the extent

to which the applicant documents other relevant expertise in conducting

these types of programs; and (3) ability to access and influence a

particular sector (public, voluntary, religious, business, labor,

media) through a network of affiliates, chapters or constituents/

members to provide HIV-related technical assistance and training on

public health, or related social issues other than HIV, on a national

level (throughout the U.S.) to appropriate target audiences (e.g.,

racial and ethnic minority populations, gay men, sexual partners of

intravenous drug users, and youth).

B. Understanding of the Problem (15%)

The extent to which the applicant demonstrates and documents its

understanding of the types, magnitude, and priority of the unmet

prevention needs of the target audiences, organizations, and agencies

that the proposed program will address.

C. Program Objectives (10%)

The extent to which the proposed objectives are specific,

measurable, time-phased, and consistent with the program purpose, the

proposed activities, and the applicant organization's overall mission.

D. Quality of Plan (25%)

The quality of the applicant's plan for conducting program

activities and the likelihood that the proposed methods will be

successful in achieving proposed objectives.

E. Organizational Experience (10%)

The extent to which the applicant demonstrates support of, and

intended collaboration on, the program plan and activities from

Community Based Organizations (CBOs), health or education agencies, and

other organizations and agencies serving target populations.

F. Evaluation Plan (10%)

The extent to which the evaluation plan measures the achievement of

program objectives and monitors the implementation of proposed

activities or the commitment to implement a collaboratively developed

evaluation plan.

G. Budget Justification and Adequacy of Facilities (not scored)

The budget will be evaluated for the extent to which it is

reasonable, clearly justified, and consistent with the intended use of

cooperative agreement funds.

II. Pre-decisional Site Visits

A. Site visits may be conducted before CDC makes final funding

decisions. Only the organizations with high-ranking applications may be

visited. During the visit, CDC staff will meet with project staff, a

representative of the board of directors, and other applicant

principals to assess the applicant's ability to implement the proposed

program, review the application and program plans for current or

planned activities, and determine the special programmatic conditions

and technical assistance requirements of the applicant.

B. Site visits may also include a recipient capability assessment

by CDC staff, the HHS Inspector General, or an outside CPA audit firm

to ascertain whether existing financial and management systems and

controls are adequate to receive and administer Federal funds.

Funding Priorities

Priority consideration will be given to applications supporting

CDC's HIV/AIDS initiatives in social marketing (i.e., prevention

marketing); health communications; health education/risk reduction;

business and labor, religious, voluntary, and media sector capacity

building and technical assistance programs. These programs are intended

to increase the effectiveness of HIV prevention efforts delivered by

national, State, and local organizations to change the behavior of

specific segments of target audiences.

Public comments are not being solicited regarding the funding

priority because time does not permit solicitation and review prior to

the funding date.

Executive Order 12372 Review

This program is not subject to the Executive Order 12372 review.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 93.939, HIV

Prevention Activities--Non-governmental Organization Based.

Other Requirements

A. Recipients must comply with the document entitled Content of

AIDS-Related Written Materials, Pictorials, Audiovisuals,

Questionnaires, Survey Instruments, and Educational Sessions in Centers

for Disease Control (CDC) Assistance Programs (June 1992). To meet the

requirements for a program review panel, recipients are encouraged to

use an existing program review panel, such as the one created by the

State health department's HIV/AIDS prevention program. If the recipient

forms its own program review panel, at least one member must be an

employee (or a designated representative) of a State or local health

department. The names of review panel members must be listed on the

Assurance of Compliance Form CDC 0.1113, which is also included in the

application kit. The recipient must submit the program review panel's

report that indicates all materials have been reviewed and approved.

B. Requirement for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA): The

services of a CPA licensed by the State Board of Accountancy or

equivalent must be retained throughout the budget period as a part of

the recipient's staff or as a consultant to the recipient's accounting

personnel. These services may include the design, implementation, and

maintenance of an accounting system to record receipts and expenditures

of Federal funds, in accordance with accounting principles, Federal

regulations, and cooperative agreement terms.

Funds claimed by the recipient for reimbursement under this

cooperative agreement must be audited by an independent CPA. This CPA

for audit must be separate and independent of the consulting CPA in the

above paragraph. This audit must be performed within 90 days after the

budget period, or at the close of an organization's fiscal year. The

audit must be performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing

standards (established by the American Institute of Certified Public

Accountants), governmental auditing standards (established by the

General Accounting Office), applicable Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) Circulars, and any other applicable Federal requirements.

C. Confidentiality of Records: All identifying information obtained

in connection with the provision of services to any person in any

program that is being carried out through a cooperative agreement made

under this announcement shall not be disclosed unless required by a law

of a State or political subdivision or unless written, voluntary

informed consent is provided by persons who receive services.

D. OMB Review: Projects that involve the collection of information

from 10 or more individuals and funded by the cooperative agreement

will be subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under

the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Application and Submission Deadline

The original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 must

be submitted to Clara M. Jenkins, Grants Management Officer, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 320,

Mailstop E-15, Atlanta, GA 30305, on or before December 22, 1994.

1. Deadline: Applications meet the deadline if they are either:

(a) Received on or before the deadline date; or

(b) Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for

submission to the objective review group. (Applicants must request a

legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated

receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private

metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)

2. Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria

in 1.(a) or 1.(b) above are considered late applications. Late

applications will not be considered in the current competition and will

be returned to the applicant.

Where to Obtain Additional Information

To receive additional written information call (404) 332-4561. You

will be asked to leave your name, address, and phone number and will

need to refer to Announcement Number 502. You will receive a complete

program description, information on application procedures, and

application forms.

If you have questions after reviewing the contents of the

documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained

from Ron Van Duyne, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management

Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 320, Mailstop E-

15, Atlanta, GA 30305, telephone (404) 842-6575. Programmatic technical

assistance may be obtained from Pom Sinnock or Bob Kohmescher, Office

of the Associate Director for HIV/AIDS, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), CDC Headquarters, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E-

25, Atlanta, GA 30333, telephone (404) 639-0975.

Please refer to Announcement Number 502 when requesting information

and submitting an application.

Potential applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full

Report, Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary

Report, Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) referenced in the INTRODUCTION

through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,

Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone (202) 783-3238.

Dated: September 26, 1994.

Deborah L. Jones,

Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 94-24192 Filed 9-29-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163-18-P