National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC); Notice of Availability of Funds

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23839-23842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11098]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Announcement Number 99049]


National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC); Notice of 
Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces that 
grant applications are being accepted to establish a National Sexual 
Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) for fiscal year (FY) 1999. This 
program addresses the priority area of Violent and Abusive Behavior.
    The purposes of the program are to:
    1. Strengthen the existing support system serving sexual assault 
survivors;
    2. Provide leadership in the prevention of sexual violence;
    3. Provide comprehensive information and resources, policy analysis 
and development; and
    4. Provide technical assistance and professional consultation to 
sexual assault programs, national, State and local organizations, 
community volunteers, and the media designed to enhance community 
response to and prevention of sexual violence.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by National sexual assault coalitions 
and State sexual assault coalitions. National sexual assault coalitions 
are membership organizations of state sexual assault coalitions which 
work to end sexual violence through public awareness, education, and 
public policy advocacy. State sexual assault coalitions are State level 
organizations that represent and are supported by the majority of the 
rape crisis centers and sexual assault programs in a given state. 
National and State coalitions both have a 501 (c) (3) designation and 
work with State and national systems (e.g. criminal justice, health, 
etc.) for sexual assault survivors.
    Competition is limited to National and State sexual assault 
coalitions because:
    1. The resource center will provide an infrastructure that supports 
the field of prevention of sexual violence that has been characterized 
by a lack of resources to adequately address the issue;
    2. The resource center will provide immediate access to information 
and resources needed by people who work with women who are victims of 
violence;
    3. The Senate appropriation committee encourages CDC to supplement 
state sexual assault coalitions' rape prevention and education efforts 
and to support state sexual assault coalitions focused on ending sexual 
violence; and
    4. State sexual assault coalitions have a long history of providing 
victim services, educating students, training various groups including 
professionals and increasing public awareness of sexual violence.

    Note: Pub. L. 104-65 states that an organization described in 
section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages 
in lobbying activities shall not be eligible to receive Federal 
funds constituting an award, grant, cooperative agreement, contract, 
loan, or any other form.

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $700,000 is available in FY 1999 to fund one award. 
It is expected that the award will begin on or about September 1, 1999 
and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period 
of up to five (5) 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.
    Applications with year 1 annual budgets that exceed $700,000 (total 
direct and indirect costs) will be determined as ineligible and 
returned to the applicant.

Use of Funds

    a. Allowable Uses of Funds:
    Funds may be used for planning, developing, implementing, and 
evaluating projects. Accordingly, funds can be used to support 
personnel, purchase furniture appropriate to the establishment of this 
center, and to purchase hardware and software required to implement the 
project. Applicants may enter into contractual agreements to purchase 
goods and services, or to support collaborative activities, but the 
applicant must retain proper stewardship over funds and responsibility 
for tasks associated with the project.
    b. Prohibited Uses of Funds:
    Funds for this project may not be used for construction, 
renovation, the lease of passenger vehicles, or supplanting current 
applicant expenditures.

D. Program Requirements

    The applicant requirements:
    1. Provide technical assistance and training to assist 
organizations, programs and communities to adapt available resources to 
meet local needs.
    2. Establish and maintain (for public use) a central resource of 
materials that addresses a wide range of sexual violence issues.
    3. Develop systems for providing an assortment of information 
relative to sexual violence prevention.
    4. Establish and maintain a full working partnership with an 
academic institution, research institution, or a consultant with 
demonstrated scientific expertise in the area of sexual violence 
programs.
    5. Establish and maintain a full working partnership with 
appropriate National/State Sexual Assault Coalitions.
    6. Provide a full-time manager and other staff as appropriate.
    7. Develop and implement a mechanism(s) for assessing the 
informational and data needs of the diverse populations working in the 
field of sexual violence prevention.
    8. Provide a detailed evaluation plan that will document program 
process, effectiveness, impact, or outcomes.

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 40 pages, excluding the 
abstract, budget justification, and attachments

[[Page 23840]]

(i.e., letters of support, data collections forms, resumes, etc.) All 
material must be typewritten, double-spaced, with type NO SMALLER THAN 
12 CPI, on 8.5'' x 11'' paper, with at least 1'' margins, headings and 
footers, unbound, and printed on one side only. Do not include any 
pamphlets, spiral or bound materials.
    Applicants must explain in detail how the proposal will accomplish 
the goals of this announcement within a project period not to exceed 
five years and must include the following sections:
1. Abstract
    A one-page summary of the proposed National Sexual Violence 
Resource Center, outlining the goals and objectives, the working 
partners and collaborators, resources to be provided, the desired 
outcomes, and program evaluation plan.
2. Background and Need
    a. The applicant should clearly describe the need for a National 
Sexual Violence Resource Center. This description should include the 
applicants' vision for this resource center, their understanding of, 
access to, and the exchange of information and resources, technical 
assistance and professional consultation to sexual assault programs, 
national, State, and local organizations, community volunteers, the 
media, geographically and culturally diverse communities, racial and 
ethnic communities, as well as those communities in which English is 
not the primary language to enhance community response to and 
prevention of sexual violence.
    b. Include in this section the background and need for information 
regarding racial/ethnic, and cultural communities, people with 
disabilities, etc. who have experienced sexual violence.
3. Goals and Objectives
    a. The goals and objectives should be specific, time-phased, 
measurable and achievable.
    b. The goals and objectives should describe the program activities 
that are consistent with accomplishing the Center's goals and 
objectives, and specifically who among the core staff is responsible 
for doing what and when.
    c. A detailed time line should be provided illustrating concurrent 
activities.
    d. The applicant should clearly describe short term objectives 
(year 1)and long-term objectives (years 2 through 5) related to the 
establishment of the national sexual violence resource center.
4. Project Management and Staffing
    a. The applicant should provide a description of the key staff, 
their qualifications and experience in the sexual violence field, and 
the role each person will play in designing, implementing, and 
assessing the NSVRC. The applicant must include a plan for continued 
contact with the field.
    b. The applicant should clearly describe the proposed and or 
existing relationship of the working partnership with an academic, 
research institution, or consultant with documented scientific 
expertise.
    c. The applicant should provide resumes or curriculum vitae of key 
staff, an organizational chart that shows the Center's proposed 
structure.
    d. The applicant should demonstrate that the facilities and 
resources are sufficient to conduct the Center's activities.
5. Plan of Operation
    a. The applicant should demonstrate the ability to identify, 
document and develop materials for specific program needs.
    b. The applicant must demonstrate the ability to provide technical 
assistance, training, and consultation to improve program 
administration, service delivery, and to promote the utilization of 
resources and techniques for program implementation and evaluation.
    c. The applicant must demonstrate the ability to develop, and 
disseminate proposed materials and identify additional areas of 
research needed to address issues relevant to sexual violence.
    d. The applicant should clearly demonstrate a full working 
partnership with an academic institution, a research institution, or 
consultant capable of providing the organization with sexual violence 
prevention expertise.
    e. The applicant must demonstrate the ability or experience to 
deliver highly individualized technical assistance which enables a user 
to solve a specific problem.
6. Evaluation Plan
    a. The applicant should provide a detailed description of the 
proposed evaluation plan to document program progress and how the 
proposed plan will measure success in developing a national resource 
center. The evaluation plan should include progress in meeting program 
objectives.
    b. The applicant should document staff availability, expertise, 
experience, and capacity to perform the evaluation.
    c. The applicant should include a plan for reporting evaluation 
results and using evaluation information for programmatic decisions. 
Indicate willingness to participate in a process of continuous 
improvement which may require frequent reviews of progress and 
processes utilized, remediation of identified barriers, and adoption of 
modified methods and measures.
7. Collaboration
    The applicant must show evidence of collaboration with National/
State sexual assault coalitions. Include letters of support or 
memoranda of understanding that precisely state the nature of past and 
proposed collaboration and the specific contribution the collaborator 
intends to make to the Center should be fully described.
8. Proposed Budget
    The applicant must provide a detailed proposed first-year budget 
and narrative justification. The budget should include cost for travel 
for 2 project staff to attend at least 2 meetings in Atlanta with CDC 
staff in the first year of the program. The budget request should be 
reasonable and consistent with the intended use of cooperative 
agreement funds.

F. Submission and Deadline

    Submit one original and two copies of PHS 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-
0189). Forms are in the application kit.
    On or before June 28, 1999, submit the application to the Grants 
Management Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional 
Information'' section of this announcement.
1. Deadline
    Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they 
are either:
    a. Received at the above address on or before the deadline date; or
    b. Sent on or before the deadline date, and received in time for 
orderly review and processing. (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 shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
2. Late Applications
    Applications which do not meet the criteria in F.1.a. or F.1.b. 
above, are considered late applications, will not be considered, and 
will be returned to the applicant.

[[Page 23841]]

G. Evaluation Criteria

    Each application will be evaluated individually against the 
following criteria (maximum 100 total Points):
1. Background and Need (10 Points)
    The extent to which the applicant clearly describes the need for a 
National Sexual Violence Resource Center, demonstrates an understanding 
of, access to, and the exchange of information and resources, technical 
assistance and professional consultation to sexual assault programs, 
national, state, and local organizations, community volunteers, the 
media, racial ethnic and language minority communities to enhance 
community response to and prevention of sexual violence and its 
sequelae.
2. Goals and Objectives (15 Points)
    a. The extent to which the applicant's goals are clearly documented 
and objectives are time-phased, specific, measurable, and achievable.
    b. The extent to which the objectives demonstrate a results-
oriented program with specific activities that are consistent with and 
appropriate to the stated outcome.
    c. The quality and specificity of the applicant's proposed plan to 
establish and maintain a resource center for sexual violence.
    d. The ability of the applicant to achieve the stated program 
objectives and for successfully operating the resource center.
    e. The extent to which the applicant can meet the information needs 
identified by center staff, collaborators, and consumers.
    f. The extent to which the proposed activities are realistic and 
meet the intended purposes of the funding, the description of the 
program components, the evidence of applicability to potential 
consumers, an explanation of the center's capacity for producing the 
desired outcomes.
    g. The availability of the staff and facilities to carry out the 
described program plan.
3. Project Management and Staffing (20 Points)
    a. The extent to which the project staff are clearly described, 
appropriately assigned, and have appropriate skills and experiences.
    b. The extent to which the applicant has the capacity and 
facilities to maintain a national sexual violence resource center.
    c. The extent to which the applicant provides details regarding the 
level of effort and allocation of time for each staff position.
4. Plan of Operation (20 Points)
    a. The quality and specificity of the applicant's proposed plan to 
establish the center; the ability of the applicant to achieve stated 
program goals and objectives, and the extent to which the proposed 
activities are realistic and meet the intended purposes of the funding.
    b. The extent to which the applicant documents a full working 
relationship with a academic, research institution, or consultant to 
provide scientific expertise around the synthesis of literature 
reviews, research findings and evaluation, and documented experience to 
draw conclusions from research findings.
    c. The extent to which the academic institution or research 
institution staff, or consultant are clearly described, appropriately 
assigned, and have appropriate skills and experiences.
5. Evaluation Plan (20 Points)
    a. The extent to which the applicant provides a detailed 
description of the methods to be used to evaluate program 
effectiveness, including what will be evaluated, data to be collected 
and analyzed, who will perform the evaluation and the time-frame.
    b. The extent to which the applicant documents staff availability, 
expertise, and capacity to evaluate program activities and 
effectiveness.
6. Collaboration (15 Points)
    a. The extent to which the applicant documents evidence of 
collaboration with organizations such as National/ State sexual assault 
coalitions.
    b. The extent to which the applicant documents experience in the 
management and delivery of resources through various mediums around 
sexual violence issues.
    c. The applicants expertise and capacity to collaborate among a 
wide spectrum of individuals, representatives of local and State 
organizations, underserved racial and ethnic communities, and special 
populations.
7. Proposed Budget (Not scored)
    The extent to which the budget is clearly explained, adequately 
justified, reasonable, sufficient for the proposed project activities, 
and consistent with the intended use of the cooperative agreement 
funds.

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    Provide CDC with the original plus two (2) copies of
    1. Progress reports (semi-annually).
    2. Financial status report (FSR), no more than 90 days after the 
end of each budget period.
    3. Final financial status report and performance report, no more 
than 90 days after the end of the project period.
    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 Addendum 1 in the 
application package.

AR-7  Executive Order 12372 Review
AR-8  Public Health System Reporting Requirements
AR-9  Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirement
AR-11  Healthy People 2000
AR-12  Lobbying Restrictions
AR-13  Prohibition on Use of CDC funds for Certain Gun Control 
Activities
AR-14  Accounting System Requirements
AR-15  Proof of Non-Profit Status

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program announcement is authorized under Sections 301, 393 and 
394 of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. sections 241, 280b-1a, 
and 280b-2], as amended. The catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
number is 93.136.

J. Where to Obtain Additional Information

    This and all other CDC Announcements may be found and downloaded 
from the CDC homepage. Internet address: www.cdc.gov (click on 
funding).
    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 your 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: Ricky Willis, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Announcement 99049, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Suite 3000, 
Mailstop E-13, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone:(770) 488-2719, E-mail 
address: rqw0@cdc.gov.
    For program technical assistance contact: Denise Johnson, Team 
Leader, or Joyce McCurdy, Acting Assistant Team Leader, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, National Center

[[Page 23842]]

for Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K-
60, Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone:, (770) 488-4277 (Denise Johnson), 
(770) 488-4266 (Joyce McCurdy), E-mail addresses: dxj@cdc.gov (Denise 
Johnson), Jmm6@cdc.gov (Joyce McCurdy).

    Dated: April 28, 1999.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 99-11098 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P