Special Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements; Maternal and Child Health Services; Federal Set-Aside Program

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[PN #2187]

RIN 0905-ZA10

Special Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements; Maternal and

Child Health Services; Federal Set-Aside Program

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), PHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), HRSA, announces

that fiscal year (FY) 1994 funds are available for grants and

cooperative agreements for the following activities: Maternal and Child

Health (MCH) Special Projects of Regional and National Significance

(SPRANS), including special MCH improvement projects which contribute

to the health of mothers, children, and children with special health

care needs (CSHCN); MCH research and training; and genetic disease

testing, counseling and information services. Awards will be made under

the program authority of section 502(a) of the Social Security Act, the

MCH Federal Set-Aside Program.

Of the approximately $101.4 million available for SPRANS activities

in FY 1994, about $29.6 million will be available to support

approximately 146 new and competing renewal projects at an average of

$202,700 per award for one year under the MCH SPRANS Federal Set-Aside

Program. The remaining funds will be used to support continuation of

existing SPRANS activities. The actual amounts available for awards and

their allocation may vary, depending on unanticipated program

requirements and the volume and quality of applications. Awards are

made for grant periods which generally run from 1 up to 5 years in

duration. Funds for the MCH Federal Set-Aside Program are appropriated

by Public Law 103-112. The regulation implementing the Federal Set-

Aside Program was published in the March 5, 1986, issue of the Federal

Register at 51 FR 7726 (42 CFR part 51a).

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 for setting priority areas. The MCH

Block Grant Federal Set-Aside Program addresses issues related to the

Healthy People 2000 objectives of improving maternal, infant, child and

adolescent health and developing service systems for children with

special health care needs. 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) through the

Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office Washington, DC

20402-9325 (telephone: 202 783-3238).

ADDRESSES: Grant applications for the MCH SPRANS Federal Set-Aside

Program must be obtained from and submitted to: Chief, Grants

Management Branch, Office of Program Support, Maternal and Child Health

Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Room 18-12,

Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, (301)

443-1440. Applicants for research projects will use Form PHS 398,

approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under control

number 0925-0001. Applicants for training projects will use Form PHS

6025-1, approved by OMB under control number 0915-0060. Applicants for

all other projects will use application Form PHS 5161-1 with revised

face page DHHS Form 424, approved by OMB under control number 0937-

0189. Requests should specify the category or categories of activities

for which an application is requested so that the appropriate forms,

information and materials may be provided.

DATES: Potential applicants are invited to request application packages

for the particular program category in which they are interested, and

to submit their applications for funding consideration. Deadlines for

receipt of applications differ for the several categories of grants and

cooperative agreements. These deadlines are as follows:

MCH Federal Set-Aside Competitive Grant and Cooperative Agreements Anticipated Deadline, Award, Funding, and

Project Period Information, by Category, FY 1994

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Funding source Estimated number of Estimated amounts

category Application deadline awards available Project period

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(1) Grants in the

following areas:

1.1Research....... Cycle 1: March 1, 1994 Up to 20............ $2.5 million........ Up to 5 years.

1.2Training....... Cycle 2: August 1,

1994..

1.2.1Long term.... April 15, 1994........ Up to 28............ $13.4 million....... Up to 5 years.

1.2.2Continuing July 1, 1994.......... Up to 16*........... $750,000............ Up to 3 years.

education.

1.3Genetic Disease April 25, 1994........ Up to 18............ $3 million.......... 3 years.

Testing,

Counseling and

Information.

1.4Special MCH

Improvement

Projects (MCHIP)

of Regional and

National

Significance in

the following

areas:

1.4.1Maternal, May 19, 1994*......... Up to 12*........... $1.25 million*...... Up to 4 years.*

infant, child,

and adolescent

health.

1.4.1.1School (Date to be announced) Up to 10............ $2.5 million........ Up to 2 years.

Health Program.

1.4.2Health Care May 10, 1994.......... Up to 24*........... $3.5 million........ 4 years.

Reform for CSHCN.

1.4.3Data June 15, 1994......... 3*.................. $500,000............ Up to 3 years.

Utilization

(cooperative

agreements).

1.4.4Healthy May 2................. Up to 10............ $500,000............ 5 years.

Tomorrows

Partnership for

Children.

1.4.5Field- April 1 , 1994, August Up to 10............ Up to $500,000...... Up to 5 years.

Initiated 15, 1994.

Projects.

(2) Cooperative

Agreements (MCHIPs)

in the following

areas:

2.1CSHCN Child and May 10, 1994.......... 1................... $1.5 million........ Up to 5 years.

Adolescent

Service System

Program (CASSP).

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* This is a change from information in an Advance Notice of Application Dates published in the Federal Register

on February 2 at 59 FR 4925.

Applications will be considered to have met the deadline if they

are either: (1) Received on or before the deadline date, or (2)

postmarked on or before the deadline date and received in time for

orderly processing. Applicants should request a legibly dated receipt

from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service, or obtain a

legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. Private metered postmarks

will not be accepted as proof of timely mailing. Late applications or

those sent to an address other than specified in the ADDRESSES section

will be returned to the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for technical or programmatic

information should be directed to: Audrey H. Nora, M.D., M.P.H.,

Director, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA, Room 18-05, Parklawn

Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Requests for

category-specific technical information should be directed to the

contact persons identified below for each category covered by this

notice. Requests for information concerning business management issues

should be directed to: John Gallicchio, Grants Management Officer

(GMO), Maternal and Child Health Bureau, at the address specified in

the ADDRESSES section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To facilitate the use of this announcement,

information in this section has been organized, as outlined in the

Table of Contents below, into a discussion of: Program Background,

Special Concerns, Overall Review Criteria, SPRANS Program, and Eligible

Applicants. In addition, discussion of the SPRANS program is divided

into specific funding categories and sub-categories and for each

category and sub-category, information is presented under the following

headings:

Application Deadline

Purpose

Priorities/Special Concerns

Grants/Amounts

Contact

Table of Contents

1. Program Background and Objectives

2. Special Concerns

3. Project Review and Funding

3.1. Criteria for Review

3.2. Funding of Approved Applications

4. Special Projects of Regional and National Significance

4.1. Grants

4.1.1. Research

4.1.2. Training

4.1.2.1. Long Term Training

4.1.2.2. Continuing Education

4.1.3. Genetic Disease Testing, Counseling and Information

4.1.4. Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects

4.1.4.1. Maternal, Infant, Child, and Adolescent Health

4.1.4.1.1 School Health Program

4.1.4.2. Health Care Reform for Children with Special Health Care

Needs

4.1.4.3. Data Utilization and Enhancement

4.1.4.4. Healthy Tomorrows Partnerships for Children

4.1.4.5. Field-Initiated Projects

4.2. Cooperative Agreements

4.2.1 Children with Special Health Care Needs Child and Adolescent

Service System Program (CASSP)

5. Eligible Applicants

6. Public Health System Reporting Requirements

7. Executive Order 12372

1. Program Background and Objectives

Under Section 502 of the Social Security Act, as amended by the

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1989, 12.75 percent of

amounts appropriated for the Maternal and Child Health Services Block

Grant in excess of $600 million are set aside by the Secretary of

Health and Human Services (HHS) for special Community Integrated

Service Systems projects under Section 501(a)(3) of the Act. Of the

remainder of the total appropriation, 15 percent of the funds are to be

retained by the Secretary to support (through grants, contracts, or

otherwise) special projects of regional and national significance,

research, and training with respect to maternal and child health and

children with special health care needs (including early intervention

training and services development); for genetic disease testing,

counseling, and information development and dissemination programs; for

grants (including funding for comprehensive hemophilia diagnostic

treatment centers) relating to hemophilia without regard to age; and

for the screening of newborns for sickle cell anemia, and other genetic

disorders and follow-up services. The MCH SPRANS set-aside was

established in 1981. Support for projects covered by this announcement

will come from the SPRANS set-aside.

2. Special Concerns

In its administration of the MCH Services Block Grant, the MCHB

places special emphasis on improving service delivery to women and

children from culturally identifiable populations who have been

disproportionately affected by barriers to accessible care. This means

that SPRANS projects are expected to serve and appropriately involve in

project activities members of ethnoculturally distinct groups, unless

there are compelling programmatic or other justifications for not doing

so. The MCHBs intent is to ensure that project outcomes are of benefit

to culturally distinct populations and to ensure that the broadest

possible representation of culturally distinct and historically

underserved groups is supported through programs and projects sponsored

by the MCHB.

Projects supported under SPRANS are expected to be part of

community-wide, comprehensive initiatives, to reflect appropriate

coordination of primary care and public health activities, and to

target HRSA resources effectively to fill gaps in the Nation's health

system for at-risk mothers and children. This applies especially to

projects in the 15 communities in the Nation which have received grants

from HRSA under the Healthy Start initiative. Grantees in these

communities providing services related to activities of a Healthy Start

program are expected to coordinate their projects with the Healthy

Start program efforts. Healthy Start communities include: Aberdeen Area

Indian Nations, NE/ND/SD; Baltimore, MD; Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA;

Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Lake County, IN; New Orleans,

LA; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; PeeDee

Region, SC; Washington, DC.

3. Project Review and Funding

The Secretary will review applications for funds under the specific

project categories in section 4 below as competing applications and

will fund those which, in the Secretary's judgement, are consistent

with the statutory mandate, with special emphasis on improving service

delivery to women and children from culturally distinct populations;

and which best address achievement of the Healthy People 2000

objectives related to maternal, infant, child and adolescent health and

service systems for children at risk of chronic and disabling

conditions, and otherwise best promote improvements in maternal and

child health.

3.1 Criteria for Review

The following criteria are used, as pertinent, to review and

evaluate applications for awards under all SPRANS grants and

cooperative agreement project categories announced in this notice.

Further guidance in this regard is supplied in application guidance

materials, which may specify variations in these criteria.

--The quality of the project plan or methodology.

--The need for the services, research, training or technical

assistance.

--The cost-effectiveness of the proposed project relative to the number

of persons proposed to be benefitted, served or trained, considering,

where relevant, any special circumstances associated with providing

care or training in various areas.

--The extent to which the project will contribute to the advancement of

MCH and/or CSHCN services.

--The extent to which rapid and effective use of grant funds will be

made by the project.

--The effectiveness of procedures to collect the cost of care and

service from third-party payment sources (including government

agencies) which are authorized or under legal obligation to make such

payment for any service (including diagnostic, preventive and treatment

services).

--The extent to which the project will be integrated with the

administration of the Maternal and Child Health Services block grants,

State primary care plans, public health, and prevention programs, and

other related programs in the respective State(s).

--The soundness of the project's management, considering the

qualifications of the staff of the proposed project and the applicant's

facilities and resources.

--The extent to which the project gives special emphasis to improving

service delivery to women and children from culturally identifiable

populations who have been disproportionately affected by barriers to

accessible care and ensures that members of culturally distinct groups

are appropriately represented in the activities of approved grants and

cooperative agreements.

--In communities with Healthy Start projects, a commitment by

applicants whose projects are related to activities of a Healthy Start

program to coordinate their projects with Healthy Start program

efforts.

--The strength of the project's plans for evaluation.

--The extent to which the application is responsive to special concerns

and program priorities specified in this notice.

3.2 Funding of Approved Applications

Final funding decisions for SPRANS grants are the responsibility of

the Director, MCHB. In considering scores for the ranking of approved

applications for funding, preferences may be exercised for groups of

applications, e.g., competing continuations may be funded ahead of new

projects. Within any category of approved projects, the score of an

individual project may be favorably adjusted if the project addresses

specific priorities identified in this notice. In addition, special

consideration in assigning scores may be given by reviewers to

individual applications that address areas identified in this notice as

special concerns.

4. Special Projects of Regional and National Significance

Project categories for SPRANS awards are grouped in this notice

under two sections: Grants and Cooperative Agreements.

4.1. Grants

Four major categories of SPRANS grants\1\ are discussed below:

Research; Training; Genetic Disease Testing, Counseling and

Information; and Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects (in 5

sub-categories):

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\1\This year, hemophilia treatment centers will all be funded as

noncompeting continuation grants, subject to evaluation for proper

performance.

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4.1.1. Category: Research

Application Deadline: March 1 and August 1, 1994.

Purpose: To encourage research in maternal and child

health which has the potential for ready transfer of findings to health

care delivery programs.

Priorities/Special Concerns: Special consideration will be

given to projects which address the factors and processes that lead to

disparities in health status and use of services among minority and

other disadvantaged groups.

Research grants may be made only to public or nonprofit

institutions of higher learning and public or nonprofit private

agencies and organizations engaged in research or in maternal and child

health or programs for CSHCN.

Grants/Amounts: Approximately $2.5 million will be

available to support up to 20 new or competing renewal research

projects at an average of $125,000 per award for one year. Project

periods are up to 5 years.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact: Gontran Lamberty, Dr. P.H., telephone: 301 443-2190.

4.1.2. Training

Training projects are announced in two sub-categories: Long Term

Training and Continuing Education.

4.1.2.1. Long Term Training

Application Deadline: April 15, 1994.

Purpose: Awards to institutions of higher learning to

support and strengthen MCH programs through long term training of

health professionals at the graduate and postgraduate levels, with a

special focus on family-centered, community-based care. The programs

are designed to develop leadership personnel to provide for

comprehensive health, including health promotion and disease

prevention, and related services to mothers and children and to address

special issues, such as HIV; injury; minority health concerns; and

substance abuse. Training is provided to a wide range of health

professionals who serve mothers and children.

Priorities/Special Concerns: The following categories have

been identified for competition under the MCH long term training

program in FY 1994:

--MCH Training in Schools of Public Health.

--University Affiliated Programs.

Training grants may be made only to public or nonprofit private

institutions of higher learning.

Grants/Amounts: About $13.4 million will be available to

support up to 28 new or competing renewal long term training projects

in the listed priority areas. Grant awards in different priority areas

vary between $178,000 and $895,000 for one year. Project periods are up

to 5 years.

Contact: For programmatic and technical information,

contact Elizabeth Brannon, M.S., R.D., telephone: 301 443-2190.

4.1.2.2. Continuing Education

Application Deadline: July 1, 1994.

Purpose: To support and strengthen MCH programs through

short term, non-degree related training of health professionals and

others providing health and related services for mothers and children;

workshops; seminars; institutes; and other related activities intended

to develop or improve standards, practices or delivery of health care

for the MCH population.

Priorities/Special Concerns: Funding preference in this

category will be given to directed continuing education projects (i.e.,

those in solicited formats) in the following areas:

--MCH Leadership Skills Training Institute.

--Maternal Nutrition.

--Pediatric Emergency Care Systems.

--Genetics.

Funding priority, in the form of a favorable priority score

adjustment of 0.5 points in a 4 point range, will be given to

nondirected projects (i.e., those whose formats are unspecified) in one

or more of the following areas, although projects on other topics are

acceptable:

--Adolescent Development.

--Curriculum Development.

In addition, a funding priority will also be placed on projects

from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). An approved

proposal from an HBCU will receive a 0.5 point favorable adjustment of

the priority score in a 4 point range before funding decisions are

made.

Training grants may be made only to public or nonprofit private

institutions of higher learning.

Grants/Amounts: Approximately $750,000 will be available

to support up to 16 new or competing renewal continuing education

training projects. This is a change from information in an Advance

Notice of Application Deadline Dates published in the Federal Register

on February 2 at 59 FR 4925. Of this amount, $275,000 will fund one MCH

Leadership Skills Training Institute, $75,000 will fund one Maternal

Nutrition project, $50,000 will fund up to 2 Pediatric Emergency Care

Systems projects and $75,000 will fund up to 4 genetics projects.

Approximately $275,000 will be available to support up to 10 new or

competing renewal nondirected continuing education training projects,

at about $25,000 per award for one year. Project periods are up to 3

years.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact Elizabeth Brannon, M.S., R.D., telephone: 301 443-2190.

4.1.3. Genetic Disease Testing, Counseling and Information.

Application Deadline: April 25, 1994

Purpose: To increase access to effective genetic

information, education, testing and counseling services.

Priorities/Special Concerns: Applicants in the genetic

services program are invited to submit proposals in the areas of:

--Genetics in primary care.

--Ethnocultural barriers.

--Regional genetic services networks.

--Cooley's Anemia/Thalassemia.

--Comprehensive care for children with Sickle Cell Disease.

--Transition from pediatric to adult care.

Grants/Amounts: About $3 million will be available to

support up to 6 competing renewal projects and up to 12 new projects.

An average of about $166,500 per award for one year is anticipated.

Project periods are up to 3 years.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact: Jane S. Lin-Fu, M.D., telephone: 301 443-1080.

4.1.4. Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects

Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects (MCHIP) are divided

into 5 sub-categories: Maternal, Infant, Child, and Adolescent Health;

Health Care Reform for Children with Special Health Care Needs; Data

Utilization and Enhancement; Healthy Tomorrows Partnerships for

Children; and Field-Initiated Projects.

4.1.4.1. Maternal, Infant, Child, and Adolescent Health

Application Deadline: May 19, 1994 (Revised deadline).

Purpose: To improve the health of all mothers, infants,

children, and adolescents. Demonstration projects in this category will

focus on developing preventive intervention strategies to improve

reproductive health, promote infant health, and reduce infant mortality

and morbidity in rural areas and smaller urban communities.

Priorities/Special Concerns: A funding priority will be

placed on projects from historically Black colleges and universities

(HBCUs). An approved proposal from an HBCU will receive a 0.5 point

favorable adjustment of the priority score in a 4 point range before

funding decisions are made.

Grants/Amounts: About $1.25 million will be available to

support up to a total of 12 new projects, at an average of about

$100,000 per award for one year. Project periods are up to 4 years

except where otherwise noted. This is a change from information in an

Advance Notice of Application Deadline Dates published in the Federal

Register on February 2 at 59 FR 4925.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact David Heppel, M.D., telephone: 301 443-2250. 4.1.4.1.1 School

Health Program

Application Deadline: Date to be announced

Purpose: To address critical health problems and health-

damaging behaviors of the school age population, including children

with special health care needs. This initiative, a demonstration of

concepts currently under consideration as a health care reform measure,

is designed to improve accessibility and increase utilization of

comprehensive health and health-related services geared to

developmental needs; and to assist States to develop full

service schools which meet communities need for provision of

comprehensive, culturally competent and integrated health,

psychosocial, and education services to all children and adolescents.

Coordination and collaboration among State MCH programs, local health

departments, community and migrant health centers, State and local

education agencies, and community-based organizations will be

emphasized. Projects will be supported in staff development, service

demonstrations, and consumer health education and promotion

demonstrations.

This activity is a joint program initiative with the Bureau of

Primary Health Care (BPHC), HRSA, and will shortly be announced in

greater detail in a separate Federal Register notice, with a separate

due date.

Priorities/Special Concerns: Priorities and special

concerns have yet to be determined.

Grants/Amounts: About $1.5 million will be available to

support up to 10 school health staff development projects, at an

average of $150,000. An additional $1.0 million, together with funds to

be made available by BPHC, will be available for combined projects to

address service demonstrations and consumer health education and

promotion demonstrations. Additional details will be announced.

Contact: Contact(s) to be announced.

4.1.4.2. Health Care Reform for Children With Special Health Care Needs

Application Deadline: May 10, 1994.

Purpose: To address issues in the current environment of

cost containment, managed care, and the anticipated movement toward

universal, basic health insurance coverage that relate to children with

special health care needs, their families and providers, and the public

health system's role in their care. The focus is on elimination of

barriers to adequate, appropriate and high quality care that may not be

overcome through assurance of universal coverage.

Priorities/Special Concerns: Applicants in this MCHIP

category are invited to submit proposals in the following program

areas:

--Personnel preparation and assistance.

--Quality assurance.

--Cost and utilization.

--Promotion of public/consumer education.

A funding priority will be placed on projects from historically

Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). An approved proposal from an

HBCU will receive a 0.5 point favorable adjustment of the priority

score in a 4 point range before funding decisions are made.

Grants/Amounts: About $3.5 million will be available for

this MCHIP category, to support up to 24 new projects. This is a change

from information in an Advance Notice of Application Deadline Dates

published in the Federal Register on February 2 at 59 FR 4925. The

project period is up to 4 years.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact Merle McPherson, M.D., Director, Division of Services for

Children With Special Health Care Needs; telephone: 301 443-2350.

4.1.4.3. Data Utilization and Enhancement

Application Deadline: June 15, 1994.

Purpose: To enable Federal, State, and local MCH/CSHCN

agencies, in collaboration with State primary care planning, to develop

data and data systems required under Title V that facilitate needs

assessment, planning, monitoring or evaluation of maternal and child

agencies and comprehensive health services.

Priorities/Special Concerns: Applicants in this MCHIP

category are invited to submit proposals in the following program

areas:

--Enhancement of data collection and analysis capabilities of State and

local health agencies.

--Compilation of new data and development and application of analytic

techniques regarding the health status of and delivery of comprehensive

health care to mothers and children.

--Networking, coordination, and integration of existing and proposed

resources and data and analysis systems developed in other States or

organizations.

--Increasing State and local entities capacity to respond to and

implement changes in the organization of health care resources.

Special consideration will be given to applications which

demonstrate capabilities in a range of data and analysis areas relevant

to MCH training and information model development.

Grants/Amounts: An estimated $500,000 will be available to

support three cooperative agreements. This is a change from information

in an Advance Notice of Application Deadline Dates published in the

Federal Register on February 2 at 59 FR 4925. Project periods are up to

3 years.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact Russ Scarato, telephone: 301 443-2340.

4.1.4.4. Healthy Tomorrows Partnerships for Children

Application Deadline: May 2, 1994.

Purpose: To support projects for children that improve

access to health services and utilize preventive strategies. The

initiative encourages additional support from the private sector and

from foundations to form community-based partnerships to coordinate

health resources for pregnant women, infants and children.

Priorities/Special Concerns: Special consideration will be

given by the reviewers to proposals in this MCHIP category which

address particularly well both of the areas identified below:

--Local initiatives that are community-based, family-centered,

comprehensive and culturally relevant and improve access to health

services for infants, children, adolescents, or CSHCN.

--Evidence of a capability to meet cost participation targets by

securing funds required for the second and sequential years in an

amount not less than 66.7 percent of the total budget.

In the interest of equitable geographic distribution, funding

priority, in the form of a 1.0 point favorable adjustment in the

priority score in a 4 point range, will be given to projects from

States without a currently funded project in this category. These

States are listed in the application guidance.

Grants/Amounts: About $500,000 will be available to

support up to 10 new Healthy Tomorrows projects, at an average of

$50,000 per award for one year. The project period is 5 years.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact Latricia Robertson, M.S.N., M.P.H., telephone: 301 443-3163.

4.1.4.5. Field-Initiated Projects

Application Deadlines: April 1 and August 15, 1994.

Purpose: To support projects of high priority that are so

time sensitive that they cannot be delayed for submission against

normal MCHB category deadlines. Applications must be preceded by

contact with an appropriate program official to justify why the

proposed project is so time sensitive that the application cannot be

submitted against normal MCHB category deadlines. Wherever possible,

prospective applicants are urged to submit their proposals in other

announced categories. Applications submitted in this category may not

be under consideration under any other category during FY 1994.

Research applications are not supportable under this sub-category. The

Director of MCHB will be the final arbiter of the acceptability of

special project applications for review. Prospective applicants are

urged to make contact with a program official listed below well in

advance of submitting a formal application, so that the work of

proposal development can be avoided if the proposed project is judged

as inappropriate for submission under this category.

Grants/Amounts: About $500,000 will be available to

support up to 10 new or competing renewal field-initiated projects.

Project periods are up to 5 years.

Contact: Potential applicants for field-initiated grants

should contact: Chief, Grants Management Branch, or the MCHB Division

Director responsible for the area of project interest: Director,

Division of Maternal, Infant, Child and Adolescent Health, telephone:

301 443-2251; Director, Division of Services for CSHCN, telephone: 301

443-2350; or Director, Division of Systems, Education, and Science,

telephone: 301 443-2340. The address for each of them is: Maternal and

Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration,

Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

4.2. Cooperative Agreements

A cooperative agreement will be awarded in one category: Children

with Special Health Care Needs Child and Adolescent Service System

Program (CASSP). It is anticipated that substantive Federal

programmatic involvement will be required in this cooperative

agreement. Federal involvement may include planning, guidance,

coordination and participation in programmatic activities. Periodic

meetings, conferences, and/or communications with the award recipient

are held to review mutually agreed upon goals and objectives and to

assess progress. Additional details on the degree of Federal

programmatic involvement will be included in the application guidance

for this cooperative agreement.

4.2.1. Children With Special Health Care Needs Child and Adolescent

Service System Program (CASSP)

Application Deadline: May 10, 1994.

Purpose: To support the development of a network of

community-based, family-focused, and culturally competent systems of

care for children with special health care needs. This network will:

(1) Link the public and private sectors within the context of current

efforts to reform the Nation's health and mental health care delivery

systems and related reform efforts in education, child welfare, and

juvenile justice; (2) within the broader context, establish a Child and

Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) Technical Assistance Center

to focus on the needs of children and adolescents with serious

emotional disturbances and their families and to address the

psychosocial needs of all children with special health care needs and

their families; and (3) work with critical State and local agencies

serving children and Native American reservations to ensure support for

integrated service delivery systems for children at all levels.

This cooperative agreement will be jointly funded by the MCHB and

the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), SAMHSA. Preference for

funding will be given to public or private non-profit organizations

with prior experience in the areas described above, especially those

which can show: (1) The extent to which technical assistance efforts

have focused on the needs of children and adolescents with serious

emotional disorders; and (2) the degree to which prior networking

efforts have been designed to link together health, mental health,

education and other human services to address the psychosocial needs of

all children with special health care needs and their families.

Amount: Up to $1.5 million per year will be available to

support one project. The award will be made for a project period of up

to 5 years.

Contact: For programmatic or technical information,

contact John Shwab, telephone: 301 443-2370.

The categories, priorities, special considerations and preferences

described above are not being proposed for public comment this year. In

July 1993, following publication of the Department's Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking to revise the MCH special project grant regulations at 42

CFR 51a, the public was invited for a 60-day period to submit comments

regarding all aspects of the SPRANS application and review process.

Public comments regarding SPRANS priorities received during the comment

period were considered in developing this announcement. In responding

to these comments, the Department noted the practical limits on

Secretarial discretion in establishing SPRANS categories and priorities

owing to the extensive prescription in both the statute and annual

Congressional directives. Comments on this SPRANS notice which members

of the public wish to make are welcome at any time and may be submitted

to: Director, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, at the address listed

in the ADDRESS section. Suggestions will be considered when priorities

are developed for the next solicitation.

5. Eligible Applicants

Any public or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal

organization (as defined at 25 U.S.C. 450b), is eligible to apply for

grants or cooperative agreements for MCHIP demonstration project

categories. Training grants may be made only to public or nonprofit

private institutions of higher learning. Research grants may be made

only to public or nonprofit private institutions of higher learning and

public or nonprofit private agencies and organizations engaged in

research in maternal and child health or programs for CSHCN.

6. Public Health System Reporting Requirements

This program is subject to the Public Health System Reporting

Requirements (approved under OMB No. 0937-0195). Under these

requirements, the community-based nongovernmental applicant must

prepare and submit a Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS). The

PHSIS is intended to provide information to State and local health

officials to keep them apprised of proposed health services grant

applications submitted by community-based nongovernmental organizations

within their jurisdictions.

Community-based nongovernmental applicants are required to submit

the following information to the head of the appropriate State and

local health agencies in the area(s) to be impacted no later than the

Federal application receipt due date:

(a) A copy of the face page of the application (SF 424).

(b) A summary of the project (PHSIS), not to exceed one page, which

provides:

(1) A description of the population to be served.

(2) A summary of the services to be provided.

(3) A description of the coordination planned with the appropriate

State and local health agencies.

7. Executive Order 12372

The MCH Federal set-aside program has been determined to be a

program which is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372

concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs.

The OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.110.

Dated: February 7, 1994.

William A. Robinson,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-6693 Filed 3-22-94; 8:45 am]

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