Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Notice Inviting Applications for New Award for Fiscal Year 1997

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Notice Inviting

Applications for New Award for Fiscal Year 1997

AGENCY: The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and

Evaluation (ASPE) and the Administration for Children and Families

(ACF) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Announcement of the availability of funds and request for

applications to research and analyze the economic and health status of

immigrants, their communities and the organizations that serve them.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this project is to describe the economic and

health status of immigrants, their communities and the organizations

that serve them. Given the recent change in law related to immigrants,

(to the extent possible) the project should seek to describe the

effects of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) on low-income immigrants, their communities

and the organizations that serve them, and describe how each of these

groups or organizations have adapted to the new law. Eligible projects

should focus on at least two communities with a high concentration of

immigrants.

ASPE and ACF with support from the Health Care Financing

Administration and the Food and Consumer Service intend to fund this

project for a period of three years. We anticipate total funding of

approximately $2.5 million over the three-year funding period. This

project will be funded through a cooperative agreement with the

Awardee. Cooperative agreements allow for more involvement and

collaboration by the government in the affairs of the project than

other grants but it provides less direction of project activities than

a contract. Although we will entertain either a new community level

study or an add-on to an existing study in which the Department's funds

are utilized for the specific purposes outlined in this Announcement,

we anticipate that it is more likely that we will add-on to an existing

study. The Terms of Award are in addition to, not in lieu of, otherwise

applicable guidelines and procedures.

DATES: The deadline for submission of applications under this

announcement is July 22, 1997.

MAILING ADDRESS: Application instructions and forms should be requested

from and submitted to: Grants Officer, Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human

Services, 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 405F, Hubert H. Humphrey

Building, Washington, D.C. 20201, Telephone: (202) 690-8794. Requests

for forms and questions (administrative and technical) will be accepted

and responded to up to 30 days prior to closing date of receipt of

Applications. Application submissions may not be faxed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical questions should be directed

to Jason Cohen, DHHS, ASPE, Telephone, 202-690-5880. Questions may also

be faxed to 202-690-6562. Written technical questions should be

addressed to Mr. Cohen at the following address. Office of the

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health

and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 404E, Hubert H.

Humphrey Building, Washinton, D.C. 20201, Telephone (202) 690-5880.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Part I

Legislative Authority

This cooperative agreement is authorized by the Head Start Act, the

Older Americans Act of 1965, Section 241 of the Public Health Services

Act and Section 1110 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1310) and

awards will be made from funds appropriated under Public Law 104-208

Omnibus Consolidated Appropriation Act for FY 1997.

Eligible Applicants

Pursuant to section 1110 of the Social Security Act, any public or

private nonprofit organizations including universities and other

institutions of higher education, may apply. Applications may also be

submitted by private for-profit organizations. However, for-profit

organizations are advised that cooperative agreement funds may not be

paid as profit to any recipient of a grant or subgrant. Profit is any

amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs of the

recipient.

[[Page 28707]]

Available Funds

1. ASPE and ACF anticipate providing $2.5 million over three years

pursuant to this announcement.

2. Applications are to include separate estimates for each of the

three years, if funding levels are expected to be substantially

different in subsequent years.

3. Funding for the second and third years of this project is

subject to future appropriations and approval of the Assistant

Secretary. ASPE and ACF expect, however, that this project will be

supported during future fiscal years so that the total award is

approximately $2.5 million. Although a single award is anticipated,

nothing in this announcement restricts the ability of the Assistant

Secretary for Planning and Evaluation to make more than one award or to

make an award for less money.

Background

There is a critical need for better information regarding

immigrants' use of benefits and services, especially better data on the

economic and health status of immigrant families with children and

their communities. This project will establish new data and analysis on

the economic and health conditions of immigrants and their communities,

and will begin to evaluate the effects of recent changes in legal

immigrant eligibility for assistance.

Each of the major data sources is currently inadequate to fully

estimate the economic and health status of immigrants, or to analyze

immigrants' utilization of benefits and services. For example, most

survey based data--including the 1990 Decennial Census, Current

Population Survey (CPS), the Survey on Income and Program Participation

(SIPP), and the Panel Survey on Income Dynamics (PSID)--do not provide

enough detail regarding noncitizen status to differentiate among

immigrant categories (e.g., legal permanent residents, refugees/

asylees, parolees, illegal immigrants, temporary residents, etc.).

Information that differentiates immigrants by their immigration or

citizenship status is critical. For example, under PRWORA certain

noncitizens such as refugees and asylees retain some eligibility for

federal and state benefits while other non-citizens including illegal

immigrants have never been eligible for most benefits.

Another limitation of the CPS, SIPP, and PSID surveys are that due

to sample size they can only provide reliable national level estimates

that do not permit subgroup analysis for different categories of

immigrants. While both the Census and CPS gather health insurance

information that distinguish between Medicare, Medicaid, and state

health insurance program participation comparisons with Administrative

data suggest that there are some limitations to these health coverage

estimates. The SIPP and PSID longitudinal surveys contain detailed and

useful information on individual and family income and program

participation. However, both surveys provide only national estimates.

The CPS, SIPP and PSID have recently added additional questions that

should provide better estimates of types of noncitizens in the near

future.

While the 1990 Decennial Census has noncitizen sample sizes

sufficient to generate state and local level estimates, its measurement

of cash ``public assistance'' combines Aid to Families with Dependent

Children (AFDC), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and state/local

general assistance. Moreover, the 1990 Decennial Census data lack

information on non-cash assistance, including food stamp benefits.

Finally, major health-related surveys such as the National Health

Interview Survey (NHIS) and the new Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

(MEPS) do not include citizenship and immigration status variables.

In contrast to these survey-based data sources, there are some

administrative data sources that provide information about immigrant

benefit utilization. The principal advantages of these data sets are

that they provide a more reliable estimate of individuals receiving

benefits compared to survey data, and they differentiate among

different types of immigrants. In particular, SSI administrative data

are useful in estimating the receipt of SSI by different immigrants

(i.e., naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, refugees,

asylees, parolees, etc.). Similarly, AFDC and Food Stamp Quality

Control (QC) administrative data provide estimates of different types

of immigrants. However, AFDC and Food Stamps data are not as reliable

as SSI data since they are based on smaller samples of administrative

data collected by states. All of these administrative data sets do not

account accurately for changes in immigrants' status--either to another

immigration status, or to naturalized citizen. In addition, they only

yield reliable state level immigrant estimates for states with a large

number of immigrants receiving benefits. Also, administrative data

sources only provide data on program participants. Information

regarding non-citizens that become ineligible for benefits will not

longer be captured by administrative data.

While documenting the economic and health status of immigrants

would prove valuable even in the absence of recent legislation, the new

welfare law makes additional data collection and analysis describing

the condition of this population imperative. In the past, immigration

legislation has regulated immigration by limiting the types and number

of immigrants allowed entry; PRWORA however, marks a new direction in

modern U.S. immigrant policies by establishing a federal policy that

excludes many newcomers from major assistance programs based solely on

their immigrant status.

The immigrant eligibility provisions within PRWORA are very

complex. After August 1997, legal permanent resident aliens currently

receiving SSI and food stamp benefits residing in the U.S. prior to

passage of PRWORA on August 22, 1996 will lose eligibility unless they

become U.S. citizens, can show proof that they were admitted as a

refugee or an asylee within the past five years, have worked for 10

years in this country (or were married to a worker or the minor child

of a worker) or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. New applicants

lost eligibility for SSI and food stamps in September 1996, unless they

met one of the criteria listed above. Legal immigrants admitted after

September 1996 are barred from a variety of other Federal and State

benefits. States also have the option of barring legal permanent

resident aliens from TANF and Medicaid.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that nearly

one-half of the savings, or $23.8 billion, from welfare reform will be

due to the immigrant eligibility restrictions. While the numbers of

immigrants losing benefits from TANF and Medicaid are uncertain because

it is not known which States will provide these benefits to legal

resident aliens, CBO estimated that by August 22, 1997 half a million

elderly and disabled beneficiaries will be terminated from the SSI

program; almost a million immigrants will lose food stamps.

At the time of this writing, a tentative budget agreement has been

reached that would restore benefits to some immigrants. While the

particular policy details have not yet been totally resolved, it

appears that at a minimum, current recipients, children and those with

old affidavits of support who are disabled after entry will remain

eligible to receive SSI and Medicaid. In addition, refugees and asylees

will remain eligible for SSI and Medicaid for seven years. While this

agreement would restore benefits for some immigrants, there would

remain many

[[Page 28708]]

immigrants whose eligibility for benefits would be in jeopardy.

The limitations of both administrative and survey data described

above indicate the critical need for additional information on

immigrants and their communities, particularly information which can

differentiate among different types of immigrants, describe their

health and economic status, and provide estimates of benefit

utilization and health insurance status. This project would provide

useful data for researchers to conduct secondary analysis and critical

information to policy makers as they consider policies regarding this

population in the future. The significant change in law with respect to

immigrants makes it even more important that this information be

gathered and analyzed quickly. As noted above, many of the provisions

related to immigrants are already in effect making it even more

important to gather information regarding immigrants' economic and

health status as the law becomes fully implemented and to examine how

conditions change as a result of the new law.

This project should also measure the food security of immigrants.

For many immigrants, the loss of cash assistance and food stamps may

lead to increased hardship in meeting their economic and food needs.

The Food and Consumer Service has coordinated the development of a

standardized national survey instrument for measuring the prevalence

and severity of food insecurity and hunger in U.S. households. These

concepts have evolved into widely accepted definitions within the

scientific and food policy communities in recent years and these

questions are now being used in the national surveys described above.

It is also important to describe how immigrant families interact

with community organizations and service providers. Many of these

organizations currently play a vital role in providing support to

immigrant families and may be called upon for additional support in the

aftermath of the new welfare law. For example, since many legal

immigrants may no longer be eligible for regular Medicaid health

coverage it will be important to understand the impact on hospitals and

other service providers, how they react in response to the change in

law and how it affects the health of immigrants themselves. Similarly,

community organizations (e.g., mutual assistance associations) and

religious institutions often play an important role in the lives of

immigrant families. This project will seek to improve our understanding

of that role and how it is affected by the change in law.

Part II--Purpose and Responsibilities

Purpose

The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to fund a research

project that will describe the economic and health status of

immigrants, their communities and the organizations that serve them.

The project should also (to the extent possible) describe the effects

of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

(PRWORA) on low-income immigrant families with children, their

communities, and the health and human service organizations serving

them and describe how each is adapting to welfare reform.

Grantee Responsibilities

1. The Grantee should propose a project that will be able to

describe conditions within the topic areas underlined below. The

project should explore the relationships among immigrant families

(including children and the elderly), service providers, and community

organizations within each topic. Questions listed next to each topic

suggest the type of information in which ASPE and ACF have particular

interest. To the extent possible, the project should also examine

PRWORA's impact on each of these areas.

Employment: More specific research questions could include

the following: What type of jobs do immigrants hold? How long do they

stay in their jobs? What level of wages do they receive and how much do

they receive in total earnings? What fringe benefits do they receive

from their employers? What are the child care arrangements for employed

immigrants?

Immigrants' Income/Assistance: What are their sources of

income and how much do they receive from each source? What means-tested

and other public benefits and assistance do they receive? What is the

ratio of assistance to total income? What types of assistance and

services are received and from whom (public or private service

providers, friends, family, etc.)?

Immigrant Service Provider Financing: How has service

provider financing been affected by changes in immigrants' eligibility

for services, such as Medicaid, and has this affected service delivery

and if so, how?

Health Status: What is the health status of immigrants

within each community? How do adult and child immigrants fare on the

major health indicators? What types of health insurance coverage are

available to and accessed by immigrants and their families?

Access to Services: Do immigrants have adequate access to

health and human services? Are there any unmet needs due to access

limitations? To what extent is access to services determined by

eligibility for benefits?

Food Security: What is the level of food insecurity and

hunger among immigrants? What is the demand for community-based food

assistance? What sources do immigrants turn to in order to meet their

food needs?

Role of Community Organizations: What type and how much

assistance do immigrants receive from community organizations including

religious institutions? How have these organizations helped immigrants

adapt to the new welfare law?

There is reason to believe that PRWORA may significantly affect

immigrants' economic and health status making it even more important to

examine how their conditions change as the law becomes fully

implemented. Special consideration will be given to projects that

demonstrate that they will make a concerted effort to examine the

impact of the new law on immigrants and their service providers. ASPE

and ACF are particularly interested in immigrant households that

received SSI, Medicaid, and/or food stamps prior to enactment of PRWORA

but have since become ineligible for benefits due to the new law.

Eligible projects should focus on at least two communities with

high densities of immigrants. It is desirable to understand the

conditions and adaptation to the new law of as many different immigrant

groups as possible given the constraints of available funds. Selecting

sites with different local welfare reform policies regarding immigrants

is encouraged.

The project should attempt to describe conditions for all members

of the immigrants' household and should distinguish household members'

conditions by immigration and citizenship status as well as length of

stay in this country. To the extent possible, information on

immigration status should include information on the immigrant's

sponsors, if applicable.

The project should also answer the relevant research questions

above from the standpoint of service providers and community

organizations. This could be accomplished either through an

ethnographic study, conducting interviews or by examining

administrative records. These organizations could include, but are not

limited to, hospitals, clinics, Head Start centers, social service

providers, child

[[Page 28709]]

care facilities, Mutual Assistance Associations and public health

authorities. Information from these organizations should describe the

relationship between immigrant families and the community, the types of

support community organizations provide to immigrant families, and, to

the extent possible, how these organizations respond to PRWORA

including outreach efforts to explain changes in law to beneficiaries.

2. In the spirit of the cooperative agreement, the Grantee should

provide monthly updates to inform the Federal Project Officer of

research developments and the status of project activities.

3. With input from the Federal Project Officer, the Grantee should

select an Advisory Panel to provide guidance in project development.

The Advisory Panel may participate in subsequent meetings between the

Federal Project Officer and the Grantee. The Grantee may be responsible

for the Advisory Board's travel and related expenses, if any.

4. Prior to completion of the work plan (analysis plan), the

Grantee should meet with relevant federal personnel in Washington, D.C.

to discuss the preliminary methodology and design of the research

project including what research questions will be answered and what

methodology the Grantee will employ to answer the questions. Federal

personnel will have the opportunity to provide input and suggestions in

these areas. If this project is an add-on to an existing project, the

Federal Project Officer should be invited to participate in other

meetings in which the Grantee is involved in discussions regarding

critical aspects of the project with other funders.

5. After consultation, the Grantee should submit a final work plan

that is based on and updates the work plan submitted in the original

application. The plan should include the following:

(a) Complete list of research questions the project will answer and

the variables that will be used to answer each question. These

variables could include (but are not limited to) immigration status and

demographic information for all members of the household including

family structure; income level and source; benefit eligibility and

history, employment history; health status, health insurance.

(b) Identify and describe the methodology used to gather

information on immigrants and communities with respect to these

variables and the analysis to be performed.

(c) Identify how the proposed variables and data sets will be used

by the Grantee to answer the research questions described in the work

plan.

(d) Identify the methodology the Grantee will use to analyze the

effect of local economic, demographic and programmatic changes on

immigrants' economic and health conditions.

(e) Identify important questions/issues for which data currently

are not available, and strategies for dealing with this lack of data

when it pertains to the research questions in the work plan.

(f) Describe the results that will be produced and construct table

shells illustrating how these results will be presented.

6. Once initial data analyses have been conducted, the Grantee

should meet with relevant federal personnel in Washington, D.C. to

discuss preliminary findings and the format for the final report. In

the spirit of a cooperative agreement, the Grantee should work with

Federal personnel to determine the need for additional data collection

or analysis.

7. After completing their analysis, the Grantee will prepare a

final report describing the procedures used to conduct the analysis,

barriers encountered in completing the project and the results of their

analysis. A draft of this report should be delivered to the Federal

project officer before the completion of the project. The Federal

Project Officer will return comments on the draft report to the Grantee

and a final report that reflects the comments of the Federal Project

Officer should be delivered to the Grants Officer before the completion

of the project. The report should be provided to the Grants Officer

both in hard copy and on 3.5'' floppy disk in a format that is agreed

upon by both parties.

8. Following the completion of the final report, the Grantee should

conduct a briefing in Washington, D.C. for Federal personnel regarding

the results of the analyses. The Grantee should be responsible for

assembling and copying any necessary briefing materials. The briefing

should take place before the completion of the project.

9. The Grantee will make data and analysis completed as a result of

this project available to the research community and the government

through a public-use data file.

ASPE Responsibilities

1. Provide input into the final work plan, including methodology,

design, and dissemination plan.

2. Provide consultation and technical assistance in planning, and

operating program activities.

3. Work with the Grantee to determine appropriate data analysis.

4. Assist in the transfer of information to appropriate Federal,

state and local entities.

5. Review Grantee activities and provide feedback to ensure that

objectives and award conditions are being met. ASPE retains the right

to withhold future year funding if technical performance requirements

are not met.

Part III--Application Preparation and Evaluation Criteria

This section contains information on the preparation of

applications for submission under this announcement, on the forms

necessary for submission, and on the evaluation criteria under which

the applications will be reviewed. Potential applicants should read

this section carefully in conjunction with the information provided

above. The application must contain the required Federal forms, title

page, table of contents, and the sections listed below. All pages of

the narrative should be numbered.

The application should include the following elements:

1. Abstract: A one page summary of the proposed project.

2. Goals and objective of the project: An overview that describes

(1) the project, (2) the specific research questions to be

investigated, (3) proposed accomplishments, and (4) knowledge and

information to be gained from the project by the applicant, the

government, and the research community.

3. Methodology and Design: Provide a description and justification

of how the proposed research project will be implemented, including

methodologies, chosen approach, data, expected legal and immigrant

status of the population studied, and proposed research and analytic

plans. Describe how the design will distinguish information by

immigrant and citizenship status.

Identify theoretical or empirical basis for the methodology and

approach proposed. Explain how results will be compared across sites

and to the overall population. Specify how the study will protect the

confidentiality of subjects (including legal and illegal) and the

information they provide. Describe how the project will address

potential difficulties in studying the immigrant population such as

recruitment challenges and language and cultural differences, if

applicable.

4. Experience, capacity, qualifications, and use of staff: Briefly

describe the applicant's organizational capabilities and experience in

conducting pertinent research projects. Identify the key staff who are

expected

[[Page 28710]]

to carry out the research project and provide a curriculum vitae for

each person. Provide a discussion of how key staff will contribute to

the success of the project. Demonstrate an ability to address language

and cultural issues that may arise in working with nonnative

populations.

Applicants may also choose to work with other researchers with a

particular desired expertise such as health services researchers. If

the applicant plans to contract for outside staff for this project, the

relationship and commitment of these people to the applicant

organization should be demonstrated.

Applicants should demonstrate access to computer hardware and

software for storing and analyzing the data necessary to complete this

project.

5. Work plan: A work plan should be included which describes the

start and end dates of the project, the responsibilities of each of the

key staff, and a time line which indicates the sequence of tasks

necessary for the completion of the project. It should identify other

time commitments of key staff members such as other projects and/or

teaching or managerial responsibilities. The work plan should include a

discussion of plans for dissemination of the results of the study,

e.g., articles in journals and presentations at conferences.

6. Budget: Applicants must submit a request for federal funds using

Standard Form 424A and include a detailed breakdown of all Federal line

items. A narrative explanation of the budget should be included which

explains fund usage in more detail. The applicant should clearly state

how the funds associated with this announcement will be used and

describe the extent to which these funds will be used for purposes that

would not otherwise be incorporated within the project. The applicant

should also document the level of funding from other sources and

describe how these funds will be utilized.

Review Process and Funding Information

A Federal panel will review and score all applications that are

submitted by the deadline date and which meet the screening criteria

(all information and documents as required by this Announcement.) The

panel will review the applications using the evaluation criteria listed

below to score each application. These review results will be the

primary element used by the ASPE in making funding decisions. The

Department reserves the option to discuss applications with other

Federal or State staff, specialists, experts and the general public.

Comments from these sources, along with those of the reviewers, will be

kept from inappropriate disclosure and may be considered in making an

award decision.

State Single Point of Contact (E.O. No. 12372)

DHHS has determined that this program is not subject to Executive

Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

Applicants are not required to seek intergovernmental review of their

applications within the constraints of E.O. 12372.

Deadline for Submission of Applications

The closing date for submittal of applications under this

announcement is July 22, 1997. Hand-delivered applications will be

accepted Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays during the

working hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Hubert H.

Humphrey building located at 200 Independence Avenue, SW. in

Washington, DC. When hand-delivering an application, call (202) 690-

8794 from the lobby for pick up. A staff person will be available to

receive applications. Faxed applications will not be accepted.

An application will be considered as meeting the deadline if it is

either (1) received at, or hand-delivered to, the mailing address on or

before July 22, 1997, or (2) postmarked before midnight July 22, 1997

and received in time to be considered during the competitive review

process (within two weeks of the deadline date).

When mailing applications, applicants are strongly advised to

obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier (such as UPS,

Federal Express, etc.) or from the U.S. Postal Service as proof of

mailing by the deadline date. If there is a question as to when an

application was mailed, applicants will be asked to provide proof of

mailing by the deadline date. When proof is not provided, an

application will not be considered for funding. Private metered

postmarks are not acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

Applications which do not meet the deadline are considered late

applications and will not be considered or reviewed in the current

competition. DHHS will send a letter to this effect to each late

applicant.

DHHS reserves the right to extend the deadline for all proposals

due to natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes;

or if there is a widespread disruption of the mail; or if DHHS

determines a deadline extension to be in the best interest of the

government. However, DHHS will not waive or extend the deadline for any

applicant unless the deadline is waived or extended for all applicants.

Application Forms

Copies of applications should be requested from and submitted to:

Grants Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and

Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence

Avenue, SW., Room 405F, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Washington, D.C.

20201, Telephone: (202) 690-8794. Requests for forms and questions

(administrative and technical) will be accepted and responded to up to

30 days prior to closing date of receipt of applications. Applications

will not be faxed.

Also see section entitled ``Components of a Complete Application.''

All of these documents must accompany the application package.

Length of Application

Applications should be as brief as possible but should assure

successful communication of the applicant's proposal to the reviewers.

In no case shall an application (excluding the resumes, appendix and

other appropriate attachments) be longer than 30 single spaced pages.

Applications should be neither unduly elaborate nor contain voluminous

supporting documentation.

Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

Selection of the successful applicant will be based on the

technical and financial criteria described in this announcement.

Reviewers will determine the strengths and weaknesses of each

application in terms of the evaluation criteria listed below, provide

comments and assign numerical scores. The review panel will prepare a

summary of all applicant scores and strengths/weaknesses and

recommendations and submit it to the ASPE for final decisions on the

award.

The point value following each criterion heading indicates the

maximum numerical weight that each section will be given in the review

process. An unacceptable rating on any individual criterion may render

the application unacceptable. Consequently, applicants should take care

to ensure that all criteria are fully addressed in the applications.

Applications will be reviewed as follows:

Three (3) copies of each application are required. Applicants are

encouraged to send an additional seven (7) copies of

[[Page 28711]]

their application to ease processing, but applicants will not be

penalized if these extra copies are not included.

Applications will be judged according to the criteria set forth

below:

1. Goals, Objectives, and Potential Usefulness of the Analyses (20

points). The potential usefulness of the objectives and how the

anticipated results of the proposed project will advance policy

knowledge and development. Applicants will be judged on the extent to

which the proposed research questions address the required topics

listed in this announcement and whether answers to these questions will

effectively describe the economic and health status of immigrants,

their communities and the organizations that serve them. Special

consideration will be given to projects that demonstrate that they will

make a concerted effort to describe economic and health status changes,

if any, in the aftermath of the new law.

2. Quality and Soundness of Methodology and Design (40 points). The

appropriateness, soundness, and cost-effectiveness of the methodology,

including the research design, statistical techniques, analytical

strategies, selection of existing data sets, and other procedures.

Reviewers will evaluate the sites selected for the study on the basis

of the concentration of immigrants living there, the diversity of the

immigrant population both in country of origin and their immigration

status, and in diversity between sites in terms of local welfare reform

policies. Special consideration will be granted to proposals that seek

to examine more sites with a greater diversity of immigrants and

greater variation in local policy parameters without compromising the

research questions to be answered or the methodology to be employed.

Reviewers will also judge whether the proposed methodology is

likely to accurately describe immigrants' status as suggested by the

topics listed in Part II of this announcement and provide descriptions

by immigrant and citizenship status. Reviewers will rate the extent to

which the methodology employs standard definitions and variables for

answering our research questions that are comparable to definitions and

variables used in nationally recognized assessment tools such as the

CPS, SIPP, NHIS, and MEPS. Reviewers will also examine whether the

proposed methodology will accurately describe the interaction between

immigrants, their communities and service providers. To the extent that

projects seek to examine the effects of PRWORA, reviewers will also

judge the ability of the applicant's proposed methodology to reliably

attribute impacts.

3. Qualifications of Personnel and Organizational Capability. (20

points). The qualifications of the project personnel for conducting the

proposed research as evidenced by professional training and experience,

and the capacity of the organization to provide the infrastructure and

support necessary for the project. Reviewers will evaluate the

applicant's principal investigator and staff on research experience and

demonstrated research skills. Ratings may consider references on prior

research projects. Principal investigator and staff time commitments

also will be a factor in the evaluation. Special consideration will be

given to applicants that collaborate with organizations that frequently

work with immigrant populations. Reviewers will rate the applicant's

pledge and ability to work in collaboration with other scholars or

organizations in search of similar goals. Reviewers also will evaluate

the applicant's demonstrated capacity to work with a range of

government agencies.

4. Ability of the Work Plan and Budget to Successfully Achieve the

Project's Objectives. (20 points). Reviewers will examine if the work

plan and budget are reasonable and sufficient to ensure timely

implementation and completion of the study and whether the applicant

demonstrates an adequate level of understanding by the applicant of the

practical problems of conducting such a project. Reviewers will judge

whether there is an ``added benefit'' from providing these funds. In

other words, is the applicant using federal funds for purposes that

would not otherwise be funded. Reviewers will also consider whether the

budget assures an efficient and effective allocation of funds to

achieve the objectives of this solicitation and whether the application

has additional funding from other sources. Eligible projects must have

at least $500,000 from other sources and document the source(s) of

these funds (certification, letter of intent, etc.). Applicants without

these funds or the documentation that certifies these funds will be

ineligible to receive any points in this category.

Disposition of Applications

1. Approval, Disapproval, or Deferral

On the basis of the review of the application, the Assistant

Secretary will either (a) approve the application as a whole or in

part; (b) disapprove the application; or (c) defer action on the

application for such reasons as lack of funds or a need for further

review.

2. Notification of Disposition

The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation will notify the

applicants of the disposition of their applications. If approved, a

signed notification of the award will be sent to the business office

named in the ASPE checklist.

Components of a Complete Application

A complete application consists of the following items in this

order:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424);

2. Budget Information--Non-construction Programs (Standard Form

424A);

3. Assurances--Non-construction Programs (Standard Form 424B);

4. Table of Contents;

5. Budget Justification for Section B Budget Categories;

6. Proof of Non-profit Status, if appropriate;

7. Copy of the applicant's Approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement,

if necessary;

8. Project Narrative Statement;

9. Any appendices or attachments;

10. Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace;

11. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, or other

Responsibility Matters;

12. Certification and, if necessary, Disclosure Regarding Lobbying;

13. Supplement to Section II--Key Personnel;

14. Application for Federal Assistance Checklist.

Dated: May 20, 1997.

David F. Garrison,

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 97-13771 Filed 5-23-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4151-04-P