[Federal Register: April 29, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 82)]
[Notices]               
[Page 20982-20984]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29ap02-85]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

 
Maternal and Child Health Federal Set-Aside Program; Special 
Projects of Regional and National Significance; Oral Health Program

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that approximately $350,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds is 
available to fund one competitive grant to establish a new National 
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (NMCOHRC). This new 
center is intended to continue, in part, activities carried out by an 
earlier oral health resource center funded by the Maternal and Child 
Health Bureau (MCHB). The purpose of the NMCOHRC is to collect maternal 
and child oral health information and materials that are not readily 
available elsewhere, and make them available to the public for easy 
reference and retrieval in a variety of print and media formats. 
Eligibility is open to any public or private entity, including an 
Indian tribe or tribal organization (as defined at 25 U.S.C. 450b). The 
award will be made under the program authority of section 501(a)(2) of 
the Social Security Act, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Federal 
Set-Aside Program (42 U.S.C. 701(a)(2)). Funds for this award were 
appropriated under Public Law 107-116. The award will be made for a 
project period of up to five years. Funding beyond the first year is 
subject to grantee performance and the availability of funds.

DATES: Applicants for this program are requested to notify MCHB of 
their intent by May 10, 2002. Notification of intent to apply can be 
made in one of three ways: telephone: 301-443-3449; email: 
mnehring@hrsa.gov or; mail: MCHB/HRSA; Division for Child, Adolescent 
and Family Health; Oral Health Program; Parklawn Building, Room 18A-39; 
5600 Fishers Lane; Rockville, MD 20857. The deadline for receipt of 
applications is June 14, 2002. Applications will be considered ``on 
time'' if they are either received at the Grants Application Center on 
or before the deadline date or postmarked on or before the deadline 
date. The projected award date is September 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: To receive a complete application kit, applicants may

[[Page 20983]]

telephone the HRSA Grants Application Center at 1-877-477-2123 (1-877-
HRSA-123) beginning April 29, 2002, or register on-line at: http://
www.hrsa.gov
/, or by accessing http://www.hrsa.gov/g__order3.htm directly. This 
program uses the standard Form PHS 5161-1 (rev. 7/00) for applications 
(approved under OMB No. 0920-0428). Applicants must use the appropriate 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 93.110AD when 
requesting application materials. The CFDA is a Government wide 
compendium of enumerated Federal programs, projects, services, and 
activities that provide assistance. All applications should be mailed 
or delivered to: Grants Management Officer (MCHB), HRSA Grants 
Application Center, 901 Russell Avenue, Suite 450, Gaithersburg, MD 
20879, telephone: 1-877-HRSA-123 (477-2123), e-mail: hrsagac@hrsa.gov.
    This application guidance and the required form for the Oral Health 
Program may also be downloaded in either WordPerfect 6.1 or Adobe 
Acrobat format (.pdf) from the MCHB Homepage at http://
www.mchb.hrsa.gov/. Please contact Joni Johns at 301-443-2088 or 
jjohns@hrsa.gov, if you need technical assistance in accessing the MCHB 
Home Page via the Internet.
    This announcement will appear on the HRSA Home Page at: http://
www.hrsa.gov/. Federal Register notices are found by following 
instructions at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark E. Nehring D.M.D., M.P.H., 301-
443-3449, e-mail: mnehring@hrsa.gov (for questions specific to project 
activities of the program, program objectives, or the Letter of Intent 
described above); and Mona Thompson, 301/443-3429; e-mail, 
mthompson@hrsa.gov (for grants policy, budgetary, and business 
questions).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Background and Objectives

    Oral health means more than just healthy teeth. In addition to 
dental caries and periodontal disease, oral diseases include oral and 
pharyngeal cancers, soft tissue lesions, birth defects such as cleft 
lip and palate, and other disfiguring or painful conditions that 
require professional treatment. Recent research also suggests that oral 
diseases may be associated with heart and lung disease, stroke, low 
birth weight, and prematurity.
    Despite considerable progress made over the last 50 years, oral 
diseases remain common in the U.S. Furthermore, the burden of oral 
disease is not uniformly distributed in the population. Minorities, 
lower income individuals, and those who are uninsured are 
disproportionately more likely to suffer from untreated oral disease. 
Untreated oral disease can affect economic productivity and compromise 
the ability to work. Pain and suffering due to untreated oral disease 
can also lead to problems eating, speaking, and learning.
    At a workshop on oral health of mothers and children sponsored by 
the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in September 1989, 
participants urged MCHB to play a greater leadership role in addressing 
the oral health needs of children and their families, and serve as the 
national leader for the transfer of information regarding children's 
oral needs and services between State MCH programs, communities, 
academia and the Nation in general.
    In particular, concerns were expressed that resource and 
information centers focusing on oral health were very limited in scope 
and number, and none were focused on the oral health of infants, 
children, adolescents and their families. There were also concerns that 
information and materials produced by oral health programs were not 
being collected in a central location for easy reference and retrieval, 
and were not widely available to help States, communities, MCH programs 
and professionals serving children to develop, implement, and evaluate 
programs and services.
    MCHB responded by funding an Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) in 
1996 to begin to address these concerns. The objectives of the OHRC 
were to: serve as a national resource focusing on improving the oral 
health status of infants, children, adolescents, and their families; 
collect information on oral health programs and materials produced by 
oral health programs (materials not readily available elsewhere) for 
easy reference and retrieval; research and produce oral health 
educational materials in print and electronic format; and widely 
disseminate information and materials in print and electronic format.
    The new NMCOHRC is intended to continue this work, and to assist 
States and communities by increasing awareness of oral health 
disparities that exist within States and our nation as a whole, and to 
help them develop programs to address disparities and reduce access 
barriers to oral health services for women and children.

Authorization

    Section 501(a)(2) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 701(a)(2).

Purpose

    The purpose of the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource 
Center is to serve the public through: Identification and collection of 
information about oral health programs and initiatives; and provision 
of gathered information and materials to health professionals, policy 
makers, consumers, and others to assist them in improving oral health 
services for children, adolescents and their families. To this end, it 
will be necessary for the center to provide information and educational 
resource services.
    Grantee activities are expected to include: Collecting and 
disseminating oral health program materials through print and 
electronic media, providing technical assistance to States and to other 
organizations, collaborating with other HRSA/MCHB-supported oral health 
grantees and oral health organizations, facilitating communication 
among oral health officials and consultants, and raising awareness of 
oral health services provided by other grantees to States, communities 
and the public in general.

Eligibility

    Under SPRANS project grant regulations at 42 CFR 51a.3, any public 
or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal organization (as 
defined at 25 U.S.C. 450(b)), is eligible to apply for grants and 
cooperative agreements covered by this announcement. Under the 
President's initiative, faith-based organizations that are otherwise 
eligible and believe they can contribute to HRSA's program objectives 
are urged to consider this initiative.

Funding Level/Project Period

    The project will be approved for a project period of up to five 
years. Up to $350,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds will be used to 
fund the first year of this grant. Funding after the initial year is 
contingent on performance and the availability of funds.

Review Criteria

    Applications that are complete and responsive to the guidance will 
be evaluated by an objective review panel specifically convened for 
this solicitation and in accordance with HRSA grants management 
policies and procedures.
    Grant applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:
    1. Estimated costs to the Government of the project are reasonable 
considering the level and complexity of activity and the anticipated 
results;
    2. Project personnel or prospective fellows are well qualified by 
training

[[Page 20984]]

and/or experience for the support sought, and the applicant 
organization has adequate facilities and manpower;
    3. In so far as practical, the proposed activities (scientific or 
other), if well executed, are capable of attaining project objectives;
    4. Project objectives are capable of achieving the specific program 
objectives defined in the program announcement and the proposed results 
are measurable;
    5. The method for evaluating proposed results includes criteria for 
determining the extent to which the program has achieved its stated 
objectives and the extent to which the accomplishment of objectives can 
be attributed to the program;
    6. In so far as practical, the proposed activities, when 
accomplished, include plans for broad dissemination.
    Additional criteria may be used to review and rank applications for 
this competition. Any such criteria will be identified in the program 
guidance included in the application kit. Applicants should pay strict 
attention to addressing these criteria, in addition to those referenced 
above. Also, to the extent that regulatory review criteria generally 
applicable to all Title V programs (at 42 CFR 51a) are relevant to this 
specific project, such factors will be taken into account.

Executive Order 12372

    The MCH Federal Set-Aside program has been determined to be a 
program which is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 
concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs.

    Dated: April 19, 2002.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-10428 Filed 4-26-02; 8:45 am]
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