Hepatitis Education for Inmates and Correctional Staff; Notice of Availability of Funds

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 99145]

Hepatitis Education for Inmates and Correctional Staff; Notice of

Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

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

availability of fiscal year (FY) 1999 funds for a cooperative agreement

with one or more national voluntary organizations involved with

correctional facilities to develop and distribute materials to educate

inmates and correctional staff about the risks of transmission and

acquisition of viral hepatitis, as well as prevention, counseling,

testing, and treatment of viral hepatitis, with an emphasis on

hepatitis A, B, and C prevention and counseling. This program addresses

the ``Healthy People 2000'' priority area of Immunization and

Infectious Diseases.

The purpose of the program is to provide assistance for the

development of educational materials that address the prevention,

testing, counseling, and treatment of viral hepatitis (focus on the

prevention of hepatitis A, B, and C virus infection including hepatitis

B vaccination) in correctional settings in the United States.

Specifically, applications are solicited for projects aimed at

developing and distributing educational materials on viral hepatitis to

inmates, and correctional staff.

B. Eligible Applicants

Applications may be provided only to organizations currently

providing health education materials to correctional populations and

health related training materials to staff of correctional institutions

at a national or regional level.

Since the purpose of the program is to provide assistance for the

development of educational materials that address the prevention,

testing, counseling, and treatment of viral hepatitis in correctional

settings in the United States, only applications from organizations

that develop and distribute educational materials on viral hepatitis to

inmates and correctional staff are solicited.

Note: Public Law 104-65 states that an organization described in

section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages

in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive Federal funds

constituting an award, grant, cooperative agreement, contract, loan,

or any other form.

C. Availability of Funds

Approximately $100,000 is available in FY 1999 to fund up to 3

awards. It is expected that the average award will be $35,000, ranging

from $25,000 to $40,000. It is expected that the award(s) will begin on

or about September 30, 1999, and will be made for a 12-month budget

period within a project period of up to three years. Funding estimates

may change.

Continuation awards within an approved project period will be made

on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports

and the availability of funds.

Funding Preference

A preference will be given to applicants with access to inmates and

corrections staff at local, state, and/or federal (public and private)

corrections programs with a demonstrated high concentration of inmates

and corrections staff at high risk for viral hepatitis infection.

D. Program Requirements

In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program,

the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1. below,

and CDC will be

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responsible for the activities listed under 2. below:

1. Recipient Activities.

a. Conduct a needs assessment to demonstrate a genuine and

compelling need for educational materials for inmates and correctional

staff. At the conclusion of the needs assessment, begin to develop

appropriate educational materials.

b. Develop educational materials on prevention, testing,

counseling, and treatment for inmates in all types of correctional

settings. The applicant may include formative research and focus group

testing of materials. The central focus of these educational materials

should be the prevention of hepatitis A, B, and C virus infection

including hepatitis B vaccination.

c. Develop appropriate materials specific to the needs of this

inmate and correctional staff population and correlate with the needs

assessment done in the first year.

d. Develop an inmate education curriculum emphasizing risk-

reduction, specific to the prevention of viral hepatitis.

e. Evaluate the program established to determine pre- and post-

education knowledge about the prevention of hepatitis.

2. CDC Activities.

a. Provide technical information for all forms of viral hepatitis

including information about current testing, modes of transmission,

treatment, vaccinations, and complications.

b. Provide assistance in the development and distribution of the

educational materials for both inmates and correctional staff.

c. Provide the source of information for these educational

materials.

d. Assist in the development of a research protocol for IRB review

by all cooperating institutions participating in the research project.

The CDC IRB will review and approve the protocol initially an or at

least on an annual basis until the research project is completed.

E. Application Content

Use the information in the Program Requirements, Other

Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the

application content. Your application will be evaluated on the criteria

listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program

plan. The narrative should be no more than 20 double-spaced pages,

printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced 12 cpi font.

Include the following in the narrative section of your application:

1. Program objectives that respond to the program requirements

outlined in this announcement.

2. An operational plan that describes how the objectives will be

achieved.

3. An evaluation plan that includes qualitative and quantitative

measures to assess the effectiveness of the program in accomplishing

your program objectives.

4. A projected time line for conducting the proposed program and

evaluation activities.

5. A description of personnel that includes current and proposed

staff with position titles, position descriptions, and percentage of

time staff person will devote to assigned project responsibilities.

Also, include a curriculum vitae of new staff.

6. A detailed, line-item budget for the project and a budget

narrative that justifies each line-item.

F. Submission and Deadline

Submit the original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-

0189). Forms are available in the application kit. On or before July

23, 1999, submit the application to the Grants Management Specialist

identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of

this announcement.

Deadline: Applications shall be considered as meeting 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 prior

to the submission to the review panel. (Applicants must request a

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

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

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

Late Applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria in

(a) or (b) above are considered late applications, will not be

considered, and will be returned to the applicant.

G. Evaluation Criteria

Each application will be evaluated individually against the

following criteria by an independent review group appointed by CDC.

1. Objectives

The degree to which the project objectives are capable of achieving

the specific requirements defined in the program announcement. (25

points)

2. Plan

The degree to which the proposed activities described in the plan

of operation, if well executed, are capable of attaining project

objectives. The degree to which the applicant has met the CDC Policy

requirements regarding the inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial

groups in the proposed research. This includes: (a) The proposed plan

for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and ethnic minority

populations for appropriate representation, (b) the proposed

justification when representation is limited or absent, (c) a statement

as to whether the design of the study is adequate to measure

differences when warranted, and (d) a statement as to whether the plans

for recruitment and outreach for study participants include the process

of establishing partnerships with community(ies) and recognition of

mutual benefits. (25 points)

3. Evaluation

The degree to which the proposed plan of evaluation will adequately

measure the objectives. (10 points)

4. Staff

The degree to which the current and proposed staff are appropriate

for executing the project activities. (10 points)

5. Capacity

a. The degree to which organization demonstrates expertise in

representing both the security and health aspects of a broad range of

correctional facilities and activities (e.g., pre-release). (15 points)

b. Evidence of experience/history working with corrections in

health, security, education, and training of inmates and staff. (15

points)

6. Budget

The degree to which the budget is reasonable, clearly justified,

and consistent with the intended use of funds. (Not scored)

7 . Human Subjects

Does the application adequately address the requirements of 45 CFR

part 46 for the protection of human subjects? (Not Scored)

____ YES ____ NO

Comments:--------------------------------------------------------------

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

Provide CDC with original plus two copies of

1. Quarterly Progress reports;

2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of

the budget period; and

3. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days

after the end of the project period.

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Send all reports to the Grants Management Specialist identified in

the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' section of this

announcement.

The following additional requirements are applicable to this

program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment I in the

application kit.

AR-1 Human Subjects Requirement

AR-2 Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic

Minorities in Research

AR-7 Executive Order 12372 Review

AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements

AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements

AR-11 Healthy People 2000

AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions

AR-15 Proof of Non-Profit Status

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number

This program is authorized under sections 301(a) and 317(k)(1)of

the Public Health Service Act, (42 U.S.C. sections 247b(k)(1) and

247b(k)(2)), as amended. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA) number is 93.283.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

To receive additional written information and to request an

application kit, call 1-888-GRANTS4 (1-888-472-6874). You will be asked

to leave you name and address and will be instructed to identify the

Announcement number of interest.

If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the

documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained

from: Locke Thompson, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management

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

Prevention (CDC), Room 3000, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-

4146, Telephone: (404) 842-2749, Email address: [email protected].

See also the CDC homepage on the Internet to obtain a copy of this

announcement: http://www.cdc.gov

For program technical assistance, contact: Linda Moyer, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious

Diseases, Division of Rickettsial Diseases, Hepatitis Branch, 1600

Clifton Rd, NE., Atlanta, GA 30333, Telephone: (404) 639-2709, E-mail

address: [email protected].

Dated: June 4, 1999.

John L. Williams,

Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 99-14700 Filed 6-9-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163-18-P