Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention; Fiscal Year 1999 Funding Opportunity

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and Center for Substance

Abuse Prevention; Fiscal Year 1999 Funding Opportunity

AGENCIES: Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse

Treatment (CSAT), and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds for grants to support the

development of community-based practice/research collaboratives.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for

Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Substance Abuse

Prevention (CSAP), announce the availability of FY 1999 funds for

grants for the following activity. This activity is discussed in more

detail under section 4 of this notice. This notice is not a complete

description of the activity; potential applicants must obtain a copy of

the Guidance for Applicants (GFA) before preparing an application.

Note: SAMHSA also published notices of available funding

opportunities for FY 1999 in previous issues of the Federal

Register.

[[Page 33898]]

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Estimated

Activity Application Estimated funds available Number of Project period

deadline awards

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Practice/Research Collaboratives.. 08/11/99 $2.5 Million................... 8-10 1 year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The actual amount available for awards and their allocation may

vary, depending on unanticipated program requirements and the number

and quality of applications received. FY 1999 funds for the activity

discussed in this announcement were appropriated by the Congress under

Public Law No. 105-277. SAMHSA's policies and procedures for peer

review and Advisory Council review of grant and cooperative agreement

applications were published in the Federal Register (Vol. 58, No. 126)

on July 2, 1993.

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

SAMHSA Centers' substance abuse and mental health services activities

address issues related to Healthy People 2000 objectives of Mental

Health and Mental Disorders; Alcohol and Other Drugs; Clinical

Preventive Services; HIV Infection; and Surveillance and Data Systems.

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

Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or Summary Report: Stock No. 017-

001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government

Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (Telephone: 202-512-1800).

General Instructions: Applicants must use application form PHS

5161-1 (Rev. 5/96; OMB No. 0937-0189). The application kit contains the

GFA (complete programmatic guidance and instructions for preparing and

submitting applications), the PHS 5161-1 which includes Standard Form

424 (Face Page), and other documentation and forms. Application kits

may be obtained from the organization specified for the activity

covered by this notice (see Section 4).

When requesting an application kit, the applicant must specify the

particular activity for which detailed information is desired. This is

to ensure receipt of all necessary forms and information, including any

specific program review and award criteria.

The PHS 5161-1 application form and the full text of the activity

(i.e., the GFA) described in section 4 are available electronically via

SAMHSA's World Wide Web Home Page (address: http://www.samhsa.gov).

Application Submission: Applications must be submitted to: SAMHSA

Programs, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health,

Suite 1040, 6701 Rockledge Drive MSC-7710, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-

7710.

(Applicants who wish to use express mail or courier service should

change the zip code to 20817.)

Application Deadlines: The deadline for receipt of applications is

listed in the table above.

Competing applications must be received by the indicated receipt

date to be accepted for review. An application received after the

deadline may only be accepted if it carries a legible proof-of-mailing

date assigned by the carrier and that date is not later than one week

prior to the deadline date. Private metered postmarks are not

acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

Applications received after the deadline date and those sent to an

address other than the address specified above will be returned to the

applicant without review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for activity-specific

technical information should be directed to the program contact person

identified for the activity covered by this notice (see section 4).

Requests for information concerning business management issues

should be directed to the grants management contact person identified

for the activity covered by this notice (see section 4).

1. Program Background and Objectives

SAMHSA's mission within the Nation's health system is to improve

the quality and availability of prevention, early intervention,

treatment, and rehabilitation services for substance abuse and mental

illnesses, including co-occurring disorders, in order to improve health

and reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society.

Reinventing government, with its emphases on redefining the role of

Federal agencies and on improving customer service, has provided SAMHSA

with a welcome opportunity to examine carefully its programs and

activities. As a result of that process, SAMHSA moved assertively to

create a renewed and strategic emphasis on using its resources to

generate knowledge about ways to improve the prevention and treatment

of substance abuse and mental illness and to work with State and local

governments as well as providers, families, and consumers to

effectively use that knowledge in everyday practice.

SAMHSA's FY 1999 Knowledge Development and Application (KD&A)

agenda is the outcome of a process whereby providers, services

researchers, consumers, National Advisory Council members and other

interested persons participated in special meetings or responded to

calls for suggestions and reactions. From this input, each SAMHSA

Center developed a ``menu'' of suggested topics. The topics were

discussed jointly and an agency agenda of critical topics was agreed

to. The selection of topics depended heavily on policy importance and

on the existence of adequate research and practitioner experience on

which to base studies. While SAMHSA's FY 1999 KD&A programs will

sometimes involve the evaluation of some delivery of services, they are

services studies and application activities, not merely evaluation,

since they are aimed at answering policy-relevant questions and putting

that knowledge to use.

SAMHSA differs from other agencies in focusing on needed

information at the services delivery level, and in its question-focus.

Dissemination and application are integral, major features of the

programs. SAMHSA believes that it is important to get the information

into the hands of the public, providers, and systems administrators as

effectively as possible. Technical assistance, training, preparation of

special materials will be used, in addition to normal communications

means.

SAMHSA also continues to fund legislatively-mandated services

programs for which funds are appropriated.

2. Special Concerns

SAMHSA's legislatively-mandated services programs do provide funds

for mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and prevention

services. However, SAMHSA's KD&A activities do not provide funds for

mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and prevention services

except sometimes for costs required by the particular activity's study

design. Applicants are required to propose true knowledge application

or knowledge development

[[Page 33899]]

and application projects. Applications seeking funding for services

projects under a KD&A activity will be considered nonresponsive.

Applications that are incomplete or nonresponsive to the GFA will

be returned to the applicant without further consideration.

3. Criteria for Review and Funding

Consistent with the statutory mandate for SAMHSA to support

activities that will improve the provision of treatment, prevention and

related services, including the development of national mental health

and substance abuse goals and model programs, competing applications

requesting funding under the specific project activity in Section 4

will be reviewed for technical merit in accordance with established

PHS/SAMHSA peer review procedures.

3.1 General Review Criteria

As published in the Federal Register on July 2, 1993 (Vol. 58, No.

126), SAMHSA's ``Peer Review and Advisory Council Review of Grant and

Cooperative Agreement Applications and Contract Proposals,'' peer

review groups will take into account, among other factors as may be

specified in the application guidance materials, the following general

criteria:

Potential significance of the proposed project;

Appropriateness of the applicant's proposed objectives to

the goals of the specific program;

Adequacy and appropriateness of the proposed approach and

activities;

Adequacy of available resources, such as facilities and

equipment;

Qualifications and experience of the applicant

organization, the project director, and other key personnel; and

Reasonableness of the proposed budget.

3.2 Funding Criteria for Scored Applications

Applications will be considered for funding on the basis of their

overall technical merit as determined through the peer review group and

the appropriate National Advisory Council review process.

Other funding criteria may include:

Availability of funds.

4. Special FY 1999 SAMHSA Activity

4.1. Bridging the Gap: Developing Community-Based Practice/Research

Collaboratives (Short Title: Practice/Research Collaboratives, TI 99-

006)

Application Deadline: August 11, 1999.

Purpose: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)

announces the availability of grants to support the development of

Practice/Research Collaboratives hereinafter referred to as PRCs. The

purpose of this program is to improve the quality of substance abuse

clinical preventive and treatment services by increasing interaction

and knowledge exchange among key community based stakeholders,

including substance abuse treatment providers, community-based

organizations providing support services to substance abusers,

researchers, and policy makers, including health plan managers and

purchasers of substance abuse treatment. It is expected that the PRCs

will develop the necessary infrastructure and capacity to further

knowledge development and to be able to participate effectively in

federally-funded knowledge development and applications projects.

Through these efforts, the PRCs will be able, over time, to make

significant contributions to the field's knowledge and understanding

about substance abuse treatment and related clinical preventive

practices. SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention is

participating with CSAT in this initiative.

This program is eventually expected to have two types of grants:

Development Grants and Implementation Grants. This announcement (GFA

No. TI99-006) provides guidelines for Development Grant applications

only.

Priorities: None.

Eligible Applicants: Applications for Development Grants

may be submitted by domestic public and private nonprofit and for-

profit entities, such as community-based organizations, public or

private universities, colleges, and hospitals, and units of State or

local government.

Grants/Amount: It is estimated that $2.5 million will be

available to support approximately 8-10 Development awards under this

program in FY 1999. Awards are not expected to exceed $250,000 in total

costs (direct+indirect). CSAT anticipates that next fiscal year there

will be funds to support both Development and Implementation Grants.

Period of Support: Support will be available for a period

of 12 months to develop full network membership, establish the

operational model proposed for the PRC, and develop research and

knowledge application plans in preparation for submitting a separate

application for an Implementation Grant.

Catalog of Domestic Federal Assistance: 93.230.

Program Contact: For programmatic or technical assistance

(not for application kits) contact:

Fran Cotter, Office of Managed Care, Center for Substance Abuse

Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,

Rockwall II, Suite 740, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301)

443-8796,

or

Ed Craft, Ph.D., Office of Evaluation, Scientific Analysis and

Synthesis, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration, Rockwall II, Suite 840, 5600

Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-3953

For grants management assistance, contact: Peggy Jones,

Division of Grants Management, OPS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration, Rockwall II, Suite 614, 5600 Fishers Lane,

Rockville, Maryland 20857, (301) 443-9666.

Application kits are available from: National

Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, PO Box 2345, Rockville,

MD 20847-2345, (1-800) 729-6686.

5. Public Health System Reporting Requirements

This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

6. PHS Non-use of Tobacco Policy Statement

The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to

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

products. In addition, Pub. L. 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994,

prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion

of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day

care, health care, or early childhood development services are provided

to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and

advance the physical and mental health of the American people.

7. Executive Order 12372

Applications submitted in response to the FY 1999 activity listed

above are subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of

Executive Order 12372, as implemented through DHHS regulations at 45

CFR Part 100. E.O. 12372 sets up a system for State and local

government review of applications for Federal financial assistance.

Applicants (other than Federally

[[Page 33900]]

recognized Indian tribal governments) should contact the State's Single

Point of Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert them to the

prospective application(s) and to receive any necessary instructions on

the State's review process. For proposed projects serving more than one

State, the applicant is advised to contact the SPOC of each affected

State. A current listing of SPOCs is included in the application

guidance materials. The SPOC should send any State review process

recommendations directly to: Office of Extramural Activities, Policy

and Review, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,

Parklawn Building, Room 17-89, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland

20857.

The due date for State review process recommendations is no later

than 60 days after the specified deadline date for the receipt of

applications. SAMHSA does not guarantee to accommodate or explain SPOC

comments that are received after the 60-day cut-off.

Dated: June 18, 1999.

Richard Kopanda,

Executive Officer, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration.

[FR Doc. 99-16141 Filed 6-23-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4162-20-P