Violence Prevention Programs (Longitudinal Evaluations)

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31137-31140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15569]



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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[Announcement 634]


Violence Prevention Programs (Longitudinal Evaluations)

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 1996 funds for cooperative agreements 
for Violence Prevention Programs (Longitudinal Evaluations). These 
projects will evaluate injury prevention programs designed to reduce 
the incidence of injuries, disabilities, and deaths due to 
interpersonal violence among youth. The cooperative agreements will 
extend and build upon the work begun in the group of cooperative 
agreements funded under CDC's Program Announcement 329, which began in 
fiscal year (FY) 1993. The cooperative agreements funded under Program 
Announcement 329 supported the continuing development of applied 
research to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and programs 
designed to prevent violence-related injuries, disabilities, and deaths 
among children, adolescents, and young adults.
    CDC is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease 
prevention objectives described in ``Healthy People 2000,'' a national 
activity to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of 
life. This announcement is related to the priority area of Violent and 
Abusive Behavior (to order a copy of ``Healthy People 2000,'' see the 
Section Where to Obtain Additional Information).

Authority

    This program announcement is authorized under Sections 301, 317, 
and 391-394 (42 U.S.C. 241, 247b, and 280b-280b-3) of the Public Health 
Service Act, as amended.

Smoke-Free Workplace

    CDC strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products, and 
Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in 
certain facilities that receive Federal funds in which education, 
library, day care, health care, and early childhood development 
services are provided to children.

Eligible Applicants

    Applications will be accepted from public and private, non-profit 
and for-profit organizations and governments and their agencies. Thus, 
community-based organizations, other public and private organizations, 
State, territorial, and local governments or their bona fide agents, 
federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Indian tribes, or 
Indian tribal organizations, hospitals, and small, minority- and/or 
women-owned businesses, universities, colleges, and other research 
institutions, are eligible to apply.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $500,000 is available in FY 1996 to fund up to four 
follow-up evaluations of previously implemented and evaluated violence 
prevention programs that targeted youth below the age of 19 years. 
Institutions may request funds for more than one project as long as the 
proposed projects are submitted separately and are distinctly 
different. Awards are expected to range from $100,000 to $166,000 with 
an average award of $125,000 for each 12-month budget period.
    It is expected that the new awards will begin on or about September 
30, 1996, and will be made for a 12-month budget period. Programs 
funded under this announcement will have a 3-year project period. 
Funding estimates may vary and are subject to change.
    Continuation funds within the project periods will be awarded on 
the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports and 
the availability of funds. The estimates outlined above may vary, based 
on the quality of the applications received within each project period.

Purpose

    The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to support extended 
assessments of the impact of previously implemented and evaluated 
violence prevention programs that targeted youth below the age of 19 
years which demonstrated promising outcomes. Specifically, this 
announcement seeks applications to assess the residual effects of 
previously evaluated interventions that initially exhibited significant 
effects in reducing violent behavior, violence-related injuries, or 
intermediate indicators (e.g. aggressiveness).
    Of particular interest are: (1) assessing whether the effects of 
the initial intervention persist, and (2) assessing the effects of 
continued long-term intervention such as efforts to reinforce gains 
made in the initial intervention against both those who receive no 
significant additional reinforcement and those who received no 
significant intervention.

Program Requirements

    Successful completion of the project will require a close working 
relationship between the recipient and CDC. Recipient and CDC 
Activities are listed below:

A. Recipient Activities

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will:
    1. Collect, compile, and analyze information relevant to the 
proposed project.
    2. Develop a final written protocol for a comprehensive 
longitudinal evaluation of the intervention's impact.
    This protocol must contain the following elements:
    a. Statement of the questions to be answered (hypotheses to be 
tested);
    b. Description of the intervention to be evaluated;
    c. Specific monitoring data that has been collected and analyzed;

[[Page 31138]]

    d. Specific impact assessment data that will be collected and 
analyzed;
    e. A description of methods (both scientific and operational) for 
collecting impact assessment data;
    f. A description of how data will be maintained (i.e., in what 
format and databases, and how subjects' confidentiality will be 
protected); and,
    g. A description of statistical techniques that will be used to 
analyze the data.
    3. Obtain the necessary clearances and agreements to proceed with 
all aspects of the proposed violence prevention project. These shall 
include appropriate human subjects clearances and agreements with other 
organizations and individuals needed to complete the project.
    4. Identify or develop, and pilot test data collection instruments.
    5. Establish baseline rates for pertinent outcomes within the 
target group.
    6. Monitor progress toward achievement of project goals through the 
use of realistic, measurable, time-oriented objectives for all phases 
of the project.
    7. Evaluate the longitudinal impact of the intervention.
    8. Develop collaborative relationships with voluntary, community-
based public and private organizations and agencies already involved in 
preventing violence.

B. CDC Activities

    As required for the proper direction of these cooperative 
agreements, CDC will:
    1. Provide technical consultation on determining the impact of the 
evaluation; and on designing the scientific protocols;
    2. Collaborate in the design of all phases of the project;
    3. Advise the awardee on data collection instruments and 
procedures;
    4. Monitor implementation of collection and analysis of impact 
assessment data;
    5. Arrange for information sharing among the various evaluation 
projects;
    6. Provide up-to-date scientific information about youth violence 
prevention; and
    7. Assist in the transfer of information and methods developed in 
these projects to other prevention programs.

Evaluation Criteria

    Applications will be reviewed and evaluated according to the 
following criteria (maximum 100 total points):

A. Intervention Description, Initial Evaluation Results (25%)

    The extent to which the applicant describes in detail the 
intervention to be evaluated, including the theoretical and scientific 
bases for the intervention's potential effectiveness in reducing 
violent behavior or injury among youth.
    1. The extent to which the influence of gender, ethnicity, life 
experiences, and social setting on pertinent risk and protective 
factors are addressed.
    2. The extent to which the applicant provides quantitative evidence 
that the initial intervention achieved significant behavioral 
improvement in the target group exposed to the intervention.

B. Goals and Objectives (10%)

    1. The extent to which the applicant has included goals which are 
relevant to the purpose of the application and feasible to be 
accomplished during the project period, and the extent to which these 
goals are specific and measurable.
    2. The extent to which the applicant has included objectives which 
are feasible to be accomplished during the budget period, and which 
address all activities necessary to achieve the stated goals of the 
application.
    3. The extent to which the objectives are specific, time-framed, 
and measurable.

C. Evaluation (30%)

    1. The extent to which the applicant provides a comprehensive plan 
for evaluating the long-term effects of the intervention that includes:
    a. A detailed description of the evaluation design and methods, and 
the analysis plan to be used to answer research questions and to 
evaluate the previously implemented intervention.
    b. A discussion of the feasibility and ethical considerations 
relevant to the selected evaluation method.
    c. A reasonable and complete schedule for implementing all project 
activities.
    d. A detailed data management plan which describes how monitoring 
and impact assessment data will be collected, processed, and maintained 
for analysis.
    2. The extent to which barriers to validity are described and 
addressed.
    3. The extent to which the sample population is described, 
including:
    a. Selection methods for assignment to treatment or control groups;
    b. A description of the community in which the target group lives;
    c. A discussion that demonstrates that the target group is of 
sufficient size to yield an adequate sample for testing the proposed 
evaluation questions; and
    d. A detailed discussion of the effect of attrition on sample size, 
and the applicant's plan for preserving access to the target group in 
spite of this threat.

D. Project Management (20%)

    1. The extent to which roles of each unit, organization, or agency 
are described, and coordination and supervision of staff, organizations 
and agencies involved in activities is apparent.
    2. The extent to which documentation of program organizational 
location is clear, and shows a coordinated relationship among staff and 
collaborators in the applicant's evaluation effort.
    3. The extent to which position descriptions, CV's, and lines of 
command are appropriate to accomplishment of program goals and 
objectives.
    4. The extent to which concurrence with the applicant's plans by 
all other involved parties, including consultants, is specific and 
documented.
    In addition, 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 appropriateness of the proposed justification when 
representation is limited or absent.
    c. Whether the design of the study is adequate to measure 
differences when warranted.
    d. Whether the plans for recruitment and outreach for study 
participants include the process of establishing partnerships with 
community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.

E. Collaboration (15%)

    The extent to which the applicant:
    1. Describes current and proposed collaborations with appropriate 
government, health, youth agencies, community-based organizations, 
minority organizations, and other researchers working with the 
specified target group;
    2. Documents collaborative relationships with letters of support 
and memoranda of understanding which precisely specify the nature of 
past, present, and proposed collaborations, and the data products or 
services to be provided to the applicant through the project period.

F. Budget and Justification (Not Weighted)

    The extent to which the applicant provides a detailed budget and 
narrative justification consistent with stated objectives and planned 
program activities.

[[Page 31139]]

G. Human Subjects (Not Weighted)

    The extent to which the applicant describes the review process 
which will govern the participation of human subjects in order to 
insure their protection and privacy.

Executive Order 12372 Review

    Applications are subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs as governed by Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. E.O. 12372 sets 
up a system for State and local government review of proposed Federal 
assistance applications. Applicants (other than federally recognized 
Indian tribal governments) should contact their State Single Point of 
Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert them to the prospective 
applications and receive any necessary instructions on the State 
process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, applicants 
are advised to contact the SPOC of each affected State. A current list 
of SPOCs is included in the application kit. If SPOCs have any State 
process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they should 
send them to Ronald S. Van Duyne, Grants Management Officer, Grants 
Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300, 
Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, no later than 30 days after the 
application deadline. (The appropriation for this financial assistance 
program was received late in the fiscal year and would not allow for 
the application receipt date which would accommodate the 60-day State 
recommendation process period.) The Announcement Number and Program 
Title should be referenced on the document. The granting agency does 
not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for State process 
recommendations it receives after that date.
    Indian tribes are strongly encouraged to request tribal government 
review of the proposed application. If tribal governments have any 
tribal process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they 
should forward them to Ronald S. Van Duyne, Grants Management Officer, 
Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., 
Room 300, Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, no later than 30 days after 
the application deadline. The Announcement Number and Program Title 
should be referenced on the document. The granting agency does not 
guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for tribal process 
recommendations it receives after that date.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

    This program subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements. Under these requirements, all community-based 
nongovernmental applicants must prepare and submit the items identified 
below to the head of the appropriate State and/or local health 
agency(s) in the program area(s) that may be impacted by the proposed 
project no later than the receipt date of the Federal application. The 
appropriate State and/or local health agency is determined by the 
applicant. The following information must be provided:
    A. A copy of the face page of the application.
    B. A summary of the project that should be titled ``Public Health 
System Impact Statement'' (PHSIS), not exceed one page, and include the 
following:
    1. A description of the population to be served;
    2. A summary of the services to be provided; and
    3. A description of the coordination plans with the appropriate 
State and/or local health agencies.
    If the State and/or local health official should desire a copy of 
the entire application, it may be obtained from the State Single Point 
of Contact (SPOC) or directly from the applicant.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 93.136.

Other Requirements

A. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Projects that involve the collection of information from 10 or more 
individuals and funded by cooperative agreement will be subject to 
review by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act.

B. Protection of Human Subjects

    If the proposed project involves research on human subjects, the 
applicant must comply with the Department of Health and Human Services 
Regulations (45 CFR Part 46) regarding the protection of human 
subjects. Assurance must be provided (in accordance with the 
appropriate guidelines and form provided in the application kit) to 
demonstrate that the project will be subject to initial and continuing 
review by an appropriate institutional review committee. In addition to 
other applicable committees, Indian Health Service (IHS) institutional 
review committees also must review the project if any component of IHS 
will be involved or will support the research. If any American Indian 
community is involved, its tribal government must also approve that 
portion of the project applicable to it. The applicant will be 
responsible for providing assurance in accordance with the appropriate 
guidelines and form provided in the application kit.

C. Confidentiality of Records

    All identifying information obtained in connection with the 
provision of services to any person in any program that is being 
carried out with a cooperative agreement made under this announcement 
shall not be disclosed unless required by a law of a State or political 
subdivision thereof unless written, voluntary informed consent is 
provided by persons who received services.

D. Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities

    It is the policy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) to ensure that individuals of both sexes and the various racial 
and ethnic groups will be included in CDC-supported research projects 
involving human subjects, whenever feasible and appropriate. Racial and 
ethnic groups are those defined in OMB Directive No.15 and include 
American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black and 
Hispanic. Applicants shall ensure that women racial and ethnic minority 
populations are appropriately represented in applications for research 
involving human subjects. Where a clear and compelling rationale exists 
that inclusion is inappropriate or not feasible, this situation must be 
explained as part of the application. This policy does not apply to 
research studies when the investigator cannot control the race, 
ethnicity, and/or sex of subjects. Further guidance to this policy is 
contained in the Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 179, pages 47947-47951, 
dated Friday, September 15, 1995.

E. Accounting Systems

    The services of a certified public accountant licensed by the State 
Board of Accountancy or equivalent must be retained throughout the 
budget period as a part of the recipient's staff, or as a consultant to 
the recipient's accounting personnel. These services may include the 
design, implementation, and maintenance of an accounting system that 
will record receipts and expenditures of Federal funds in accordance 
with accounting principles,

[[Page 31140]]

Federal regulations, and terms of the cooperative agreement.

F. Audits

    Funds claimed for reimbursement under this cooperative agreement 
must be audited annually by an independent certified public accountant 
(separate and independent of the consultant referenced above or 
recipient's staff certified public accountant). This audit must be 
performed within 60 days after the end of the budget period, or at the 
close of an organization's fiscal year. The audit must be performed in 
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards (established by 
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA)), 
governmental auditing standards (established by the General Accounting 
Office (GAO)), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-
133.

Application Submission and Deadline

    The original and two copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB 
Number 0937-0189) must be submitted to Joanne A. Wojcik, Grants 
Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East 
Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300, Mailstop E13, Atlanta, GA 30305, on or 
before August 15, 1996.

A. Deadlines

    Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they 
are either:
    1. Received on or before the deadline date; or
    2. Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
submission to the independent review committee. For proof of timely 
mailing, applicants must request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 
postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or 
the U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks will not be 
acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

Late Applications

    Applications that do not meet the criteria in A.1. or A.2. above 
are considered late. Late applications will not be considered in the 
current competition and will be returned to the applicant.

Where To Obtain Additional Information

    To receive additional information call (404) 332-4561. You will be 
asked to leave your name, address and phone number and will need to 
refer to Announcement 634. You will receive a complete program 
description, information on application procedures and application 
forms. The announcement is also available through the CDC home page on 
the Internet. The address for the CDC home page is www.cdc.gov.
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all 
documents, business management assistance may be obtained from Joanne 
A. Wojcik, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management Branch, 
Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 255 E. Paces Ferry Road, NE., Mailstop E13, Atlanta, 
GA 30305, telephone (404) 842-6535, or INTERNET address 
jcw6@opspgo1.em.cdc.gov.
    Programmatic assistance may be obtained from Mark S. Long, Division 
of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and 
Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford 
Highway, NE., Mailstop K60, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, telephone: (770) 
488-4224, E-mail: msl1@cipcod1.em.cdc.gov.

    Note: Please refer to announcement number 634 when requesting 
information and submitting an application.

    There may be delays in mail delivery as well as difficulty in 
reaching the CDC Atlanta offices during the 1996 Summer Olympics (July 
19 - August 4). Therefore, in order to receive more timely response to 
questions please use INTERNET/E-Mail, follow all instructions in this 
announcement and leave messages on the contact person's voice mail.
    Potential applicants may obtain a copy of ``Healthy People 2000'' 
(Full Report, Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or ``Healthy People 2000'' 
(Summary Report, Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) referenced in the 
Introduction through the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone, (202) 512-1800.

    Dated: June 11, 1996.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-15569 Filed 6-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P