[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 20, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-23198] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: September 20, 1994] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Announcement Number 506] Grants For Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research; Notice of Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year 1995 Introduction The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces applications are being accepted for Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research Grants for fiscal year (FY) 1995. 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 to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of life. This announcement is related to the 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 is authorized under Sections 301, 391-394 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241, 280b-280b-3). Program regulations are set forth in Title 42 CFR Part 52. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants include all non-profit and for-profit organizations. Thus State, and local health departments, other State and local governmental agencies, universities, colleges, research institutions, and other public and private organizations, including small, minority and/or woman-owned businesses are eligible for these research grants. Current holders of CDC injury control research projects are eligible to apply. Smoke-Free Workplace The Public Health Service strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people. Availability of Funds Approximately $1.0 million may be available in FY 1995 to fund approximately 3 to 5 grants. The amount of funding actually available may vary and is subject to change. New grant awards will not exceed $300,000 per year (including both direct and indirect costs). Grant applications that exceed the $300,000 per year cap will be returned to the investigator as non-responsive. Research grant supplements will generally be no more than $75,000 (including both direct and indirect costs). New awards are expected to begin on or about September 1, 1995. Awards will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period not to exceed 3 years. Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the basis of satisfactory progress demonstrated by investigators at work-in-progress monitoring workshops, the achievement of workplan milestones reflected in the continuation application, and the availability of Federal funds. In addition, continuation awards will be eligible for increased funding to offset inflationary costs depending upon the availability of funds. Purpose The purposes of this program are to: A. Build the scientific base for the prevention of injuries and deaths due to violence in the following three priority areas: interpersonal youth violence, youth suicide, and firearm injuries as delineated in Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and Healthy People 2000; B. Identify effective strategies to prevent violence-related injuries; C. Expand the development and evaluation of current and new intervention methods and strategies for the primary prevention of violence-related injuries; D. Encourage professionals from a wide spectrum of disciplines such as medicine, health care, public health, criminal justice, and behavioral and social sciences, to undertake research to prevent and control injuries from interpersonal violence and suicidal behavior. Program Requirements The following are applicant requirements: A. A principal investigator who has conducted research, published the findings, and has specific authority and responsibility to carry out the proposed project. B. Demonstrated experience in conducting, evaluating, and publishing injury control research on the applicant's project team. C. Effective and well-defined working relationships within the performing organization and with outside entities which will ensure implementation of the proposed activities. D. An explanation of how research findings could lead to the development of injury control interventions within 3-5 years of project start-up. Furthermore, how the research findings might be disseminated and implemented through organizations (such as public health agencies) or systems, both public and private. E. The ability to carry out injury control research projects. F. The overall match between the applicant's proposed theme and research objectives, and the program priorities as described under the heading ``Programmatic Interests'' and in Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993, and Healthy People 2000. Note: Grant funds will not be made available to support the provision of direct care services. Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia agreements (as set forth in the PHS Grants Policy Statement) as necessary to meet the requirements of the program and strengthen the overall application. Programmatic Interests The grants should concentrate on the need to prevent the morbidity, mortality, and disability which results from interpersonal violence and suicidal behavior, in order to reduce their devastating social and economic impact on the nation. Applicants are encouraged to propose research which either: (1) Rigorously evaluates the outcomes of violence prevention strategies currently in use, or (2) identifies modifiable risk factors which can lead to the development of effective interventions. Examples of possible projects listed under the priority areas below are by no means exhaustive, and innovative approaches are encouraged. Because of time constraints, comments were not solicited from the general public regarding funding priorities and special considerations. (1) Evaluating the outcomes of violence prevention strategies: In prevention, there is specific interest in research which evaluates the effectiveness of interventions in preventing violent injuries or reducing their impact and develops the basic sciences of injury (i.e., social and behavioral science, biomechanics, and epidemiology). This research might evaluate one or more different approaches to implementing a specific intervention strategy. In addition, there is a need to examine intervention strategies for which evidence of effectiveness is either sparse or totally lacking. Interventions chosen for evaluation should have a significant potential for reduction in violent injury morbidity, mortality, disability, or cost. Special consideration will be given to grants which target populations at high risk for violence-related injuries and their consequences, including adolescents, women, and children, racial and ethnic minorities, urban residents, and people with low incomes. Prevention strategies for youth suicide whose effectiveness should be assessed include:school or community ``gatekeeper'' training; screening for high-risk youth; peer support programs; suicide education of the general population; crisis centers and hotlines; limiting access to lethal means of suicide, such as firearms, prescription drugs, and high places; intervention after a suicide or attempted suicide to prevent imitation due to the effects of ``contagion''. Interventions which should be evaluated for their effectiveness in preventing firearm injuries are listed below: firearm design modifications to reduce the lethality of firearms and ammunition, loading indicators, and safety mechanisms to prevent accidental discharge; statutory interventions (e.g., prohibiting carrying firearms in public, increasing sentences for felony gun use, or owner liability for firearm injury); imposing waiting periods and limits on the number of guns which can be purchased within a specified time period; taxing firearm and/or ammunition purchases; increased gun dealer fees and restrictions; metal detectors in schools; firearm licensure system (e.g., restricting youth access to firearms, owner-registration regulations, etc.); storage containers which limit unauthorized access to weapons and ammunition; disrupting illegal gun markets through localized street- level tactics currently used against illegal drug markets, and neighborhood-oriented police coordination with residents and community- based organizations; public education campaigns to change weapon storage practices. Examples of interpersonal youth violence interventions which deserve further evaluation include: mentoring programs which provide positive adult role models for high-risk youth; public information campaigns which dramatize the unacceptability and enormous social and economic cost of violence, while promoting alternatives to violence as a means of conflict resolution; environmental changes such as improved lighting, protective landscaping, or closed-circuit television monitoring; legal sanctions restricting youth access to alcohol; job training and work experiences; sports and recreational activities which offer young people opportunities to spend time in a structured and purposeful environment; parent training to increase parental support for non- violent behavior by youths. (2) Identifying modifiable risk factors: In epidemiology, there is programmatic interest in analytic research that identifies mechanisms, causes, or risks of injury which might lead to new or more effective interventions against the four types of violence highlighted in this announcement. Examples of potentially modifiable risk factors which should be examined for each area are listed below: Youth Suicide impact of acute exposure to alcohol and chronic alcohol abuse on suicidal behavior among youth; possible relationship between sexual orientation and suicidal behavior among youth; impact of accessibility to lethal means (e.g., guns, medications) upon youth suicide; relationship between a history of physical and/or sexual abuse and suicidal behavior among youth; Firearm Injuries risk of firearm injury vs. the protective value of firearms; motives and sources of gun acquisition by adolescents; role of firearms in protecting people from injuries; Interpersonal Youth Violence role of social and economic factors (e.g., unemployment, poverty, family dysfunction, and racism) in contributing to violent behavior; early childhood experiences of violence, as a victim or witness, related to later development of violent behavior patterns; link between television and media portrayals of violence and the development of attitudes which lead to violent behavior as an acceptable method of settling conflict; influence of alcohol or other drug use upon victimization and perpetration of violent behavior; role of academic performance, athletics or other extracurricular activities as a protective factor for violent behavior; history of prior victimization as a predictor of risk for future homicide/assault perpetration or victimization. Also of interest is research that more accurately defines the cost of violent injuries and the cost effectiveness or prevention effectiveness of interventions. Cost analysis should be included in the plans, where appropriate, to evaluate an intervention(s) that addresses one of the three priority areas of violence-related injury research previously outlined, (i.e., youth suicide, firearm injuries, and interpersonal youth violence). A more complete discussion of methodologies for assessing cost analysis is presented in, A Framework for Assessing the Effectiveness of Disease and Injury Prevention, (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 27, 1992, Volume 41, Number RR-3, pages 5-11). (To receive information on these reports see the section WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.) Evaluation Criteria Upon receipt, applications will be screened by CDC staff for completeness and responsiveness as outlined under the previous heading, Program Requirements (A-F). Incomplete applications and applications that are not responsive will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications which are complete and responsive may be subjected to a preliminary evaluation by a peer review group to determine if the application is of sufficient technical and scientific merit to warrant further review (triage); the CDC will withdraw from further consideration applications judged to be noncompetitive and promptly notify the principal investigator/program director and the official signing for the applicant organization. Those applications judged to be competitive will be further evaluated by a dual review process. Awards will be made based on priority score ranking by the Injury Research Grants Review Committee (IRGRC), programmatic priorities and needs by the Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and Control, and the availability of funds. A. The first review will be a peer review to be conducted on all applications. Factors to be considered will include: 1. The specific aims of the research project, i.e., the broad long- term objectives, the intended accomplishment of the specific research proposal, and the hypothesis to be tested; 2. The background of the proposal, i.e., the basis for the present proposal, the critical evaluation of existing knowledge, and specific identification of the injury control knowledge gaps which the proposal is intended to fill; 3. The significance and originality from a scientific or technical standpoint of the specific aims of the proposed research, including the adequacy of the theoretical and conceptual framework for the research; 4. For competitive renewal and supplemental applications, the progress made during the prior project period. For new applications, (optional) the progress of preliminary studies pertinent to the application; 5. The adequacy of the proposed research design, approaches, and methodology to carry out the research, including quality assurance procedures, plan for data management, and statistical analysis plan; 6. The extent to which the evaluation plan will allow for the measurement of progress toward the achievement of the stated objectives; 7. Qualifications, adequacy, and appropriateness of personnel to accomplish the proposed activities; 8. The degree of commitment and cooperation of other interested parties (as evidenced by letters detailing the nature and extent of the involvement); 9. The reasonableness of the proposed budget to the proposed research and demonstration program; 10. Adequacy of existing and proposed facilities and resources. B. The second review will be conducted by the Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and Control. The factors to be considered will include: 1. The results of the peer review; 2. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the objectives stated in Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and Healthy People 2000; 3. National needs; 4. Overall distribution among: the three priority areas of violence-related injury research: youth suicide, firearm injuries, and interpersonal youth violence; the major disciplines of violence-related injury prevention: social and behavioral science, biomechanics, and epidemiology; populations addressed (e.g., adolescents, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, children, urban, rural); 5. Budgetary considerations (e.g., preference may be given to applicants who submit proposals requesting funding for research projects of one to two year's duration); 6. Additional consideration may be given to those applicants who provide evidence of an active training program or mentoring program for inexperienced minority injury researchers (``junior investigators''). C. Continued Funding: Continuation awards made after FY 1995, but within the project period, will be made on the basis of the availability of funds and the following criteria: 1. The accomplishments reflected in the progress report of the continuation application indicate that the applicant is meeting previously stated objectives or milestones contained in the project's annual workplan and satisfactory progress has been demonstrated through monitoring presentations or work-in-progress workshops; 2. The objectives for the new budget period are realistic, specific, and measurable; 3. The methods described will clearly lead to achievement of these objectives; 4. The evaluation plan will allow management to monitor whether the methods are effective; and 5. The budget request is clearly explained, adequately justified, reasonable and consistent with the intended use of grant funds. D. Supplementary Funding: Competing Supplemental grant awards may be made when funds are available, to support research work or activities not previously approved by the Injury Research Grants Review Committee (IRGRC). Applications should be clearly labelled to denote their status as requesting supplemental funding support. These applications will be reviewed by the IRGRC and the secondary review group. Executive Order 12372 Review Applications are not subject to the review requirements of Executive Order 12372, entitled Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. Public Health System Reporting Requirement This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting Requirements. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136. Application Submission and Deadlines A. Preapplication Letter of Intent Although not a prerequisite of application, a non-binding letter of intent-to-apply is requested from potential applicants. The letter should be submitted to the Grants Management Officer (whose address is reflected in section B, ``Applications''). It should be postmarked no later than two months prior to the planned submission deadline, (e.g., December 13 for January 13 submission). The letter should identify the announcement number, name the principal investigator, and specify the priority area of violence-related injury research (i.e., youth suicide, firearm injuries, and interpersonal youth violence) addressed by the proposed project. The letter of intent does not influence review or funding decisions, but it will enable CDC to plan the review more efficiently, and will ensure that each applicant receives timely and relevant information prior to application submission. B. Applications Applicants should use Form PHS-398 and adhere to the ERRATA Instruction Sheet for Form PHS-398 contained in the Grant Application Kit. Please submit an original and five copies, on or before January 13, 1995 to: Henry S. Cassell, III, 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, Atlanta, Georgia 30305. C. Deadlines 1. Applications shall be considered as meeting a 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 to the above address, and received in time for the review process. Applicants should 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 mailings. 2. Applications which do not meet the criteria above are considered late applications 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 Number 506. You will receive a complete program description, information on application procedures, and application forms. If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the documents, business management technical information may be obtained from Lisa Tamaroff, Grants Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Mailstop E-13, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, telephone (404) 842-6796. Programmatic technical assistance may be obtained from Ted Jones, Project Officer, Extramural Research Grants Branch, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mailstop K-58, 4770 Buford Highway, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, telephone (404) 488-4824. Please refer to Announcement 506 when requesting information or submitting an application. 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) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone (202) 783-3238. Copies of Injury Control in the 1990s: A National Plan for Action. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1993 and A Framework for Assessing the Effectiveness of Disease and Injury Prevention, (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 27, 1992, Volume 41, Number RR-3, pages 5-11) may be obtained by calling (404) 488-4334. Information for obtaining the suggested readings, Violence and the Public's Health, Understanding and Preventing Violence, and Violence in America: A Public Health Approach, is included on a separate sheet with the application kit. Dated: September 14, 1994. Deborah L. Jones, Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mary Ellen Bloodworth, Certifying Officer. [FR Doc. 94-23198 Filed 9-19-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163-18-P