[Federal Register: June 24, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 121)]
[Notices]               
[Page 42567-42570]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jn02-64]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 02206]

 
Cooperative Agreement for International Emerging Infections 
Program Surveillance in Thailand; Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2002 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program for International Emerging Infections Surveillance in Thailand.
    The purpose of the program is to provide assistance to the Thailand 
Ministry of Public Health to conduct population-based surveillance for 
emerging infections in Thailand in collaboration with the International 
Emerging Infections Program (IEIP).
    The objectives of this program are to (1) establish an active, 
populations-based surveillance network that uses standardized data 
collection instruments, operational definitions, and laboratory 
diagnostic tests to enhance surveillance for severe pneumonia in Sa 
Kaeo Province; (2) use the experience gained from the first six months 
of surveillance in Sa Kaeo to expand the surveillance system to include 
one additional province and two additional syndromes; (3)improve local 
laboratory diagnostic capabilities by supporting and enhancing those 
local laboratories that participate in IEIP surveillance; (4) develop 
educational and training opportunities for local public health 
practitioners as part of broader efforts to improve public health 
infrastructure in the region; and (5) improve communications and data 
exchange between public health officials by electronically linking IEIP 
surveillance sites, laboratories, and provincial and national 
epidemiologists.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one or 
more of the following performance goals for the National Center for 
Infectious Diseases: (1) Apply scientific findings to prevent and 
control infectious diseases and (2) Strengthen epidemiologic and 
laboratory capacity to recognize, respond to, and monitor infectious 
diseases.

B. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 301 and 307 of the Public 
Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 241 and 242l], as

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amended. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.283.

A. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to the Ministry of Public Health, 
Thailand. No other applications are solicited.
    The Thai Ministry of Public Health is the only qualified agency to 
conduct the activities specified under this cooperative agreement 
because:
    1. The Ministry of Public Health is the governmental agency in 
Thailand legally responsible for disease surveillance activities and 
provides norms for provincial health department and local jurisdiction 
surveillance and disease investigation.
    2. Within the Thai Ministry of Public Health are the Department of 
Communicable Disease Control (Thai CDC), the Department of Medical 
Sciences (including the Thai National Institute of Health), and the 
office of the Permanent Secretary (including the Division of 
Epidemiology), organizations responsible for national epidemiologic 
surveillance and national public health reference laboratory testing 
and training.
    3. The IEIP Thailand has established a working group which includes 
representatives of the Thai CDC, the Thai NIH, and the Division of 
Epidemiology. This working group reports to a Steering Committee, which 
derives its authority from the Executive Committee for the Thai MOPH-US 
CDC Collaboration (TUC). The IEIP working group will be the principal 
collaborative mechanism for directing the surveillance system.

D. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $200,000 is available in FY 2002 to fund one award. 
It is expected that the award will begin on or about September 30, 
2002, and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project 
period of up to five years. The funding estimate 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.
Use of Funds
    1. All requests for funds, including the budget contained in the 
application, shall be stated in U.S. dollars. Once an award is made, 
the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will not compensate 
foreign grantees for currency exchange fluctuations through the 
issuance of supplemental awards.
    2. Funds may be spent for reasonable program purposes, including 
personnel, travel, supplies, and services. Equipment may be purchased 
if deemed necessary to accomplish program objectives, however, the IEIP 
working group must be notified in advance of such purchases.
    3. The costs that are generally allowable in grants to domestic 
organizations are likewise allowable to foreign institutions and 
international organizations, with the following exceptions:
    Indirect Costs: With the exception of the American University, 
Beirut, the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and the World Health 
Organization, indirect costs will not be paid (either directly or 
through a sub-award) to organizations located outside the territorial 
limits of the United States or to international organizations 
regardless of their location, major alteration and renovation, customs 
and import duties, and, with limited exception, patient care.
    4. The majority of funds are expected to directly support costs 
associated with strengthening the quality of the IEIP program, 
epidemiologist and laboratory staff salaries. Remaining funds are 
expected to support a coordinated approach to monitoring and 
evaluation, and integration of IEIP into the national surveillance 
program.

E. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1. Recipient 
Activities, and CDC will be responsible for the activities listed under 
2. CDC Activities.
1. Recipient Activities
    a. Identify staff at the national level to work on an active, 
population-based surveillance system in collaboration with IEIP U.S. 
staff.
    (1) The Division of Epidemiology will identify an epidemiologist to 
act as the National Epidemiology Coordinator for the active, 
population-based surveillance system. This person will work closely 
with the Chief of Epidemiology, IEIP.
    (2) The Division of Epidemiology will support one Foreign 
Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) fellow whose primary role will be 
to assist with the active, population-based surveillance system.
    b. In collaboration with Sa Kaeo Province, expand active, 
population-based surveillance for radiologically-confirmed pneumonia to 
include surveillance for two additional syndromes.
    (1) Coordinate with provincial staff to assure that appropriate 
staff are hired as surveillance officers.
    (2) Coordinate with provincial staff to assure that appropriate 
laboratory equipment is purchased.
    c. Expand the active, population-based surveillance system to a 
second province. Collaborate via the IEIP working group to confirm site 
selection.
    (1) Provide transportation costs for site visits during the 
selection process.
    (2) Coordinate with provincial staff to assure that appropriate 
equipment is purchased (e.g., computers and laboratory equipment).
    (3) Coordinate with provincial staff to assure that appropriate 
staff are hired to coordinate and run the surveillance system.
    (4) Coordinate with provincial staff to assure that appropriate 
office space and support is available for surveillance personnel.
    (5) Coordinate with provincial staff to provide transportation of 
personnel and clinical specimens when necessary.
    d. Provide administrative support to assure that the personnel 
employed to work on the surveillance system are paid promptly according 
to a standard pay schedule.
    e. Provide in-kind support for the following activities:
    (1) Travel within Thailand of the national coordinator and the 
provincial staff to assist with surveillance activities.
    (2) Perform and support the cost of reference diagnostic testing 
for specimens from the surveillance system.
    (3) Office space and telephones for the national coordinator and 
the provincial surveillance officers.
    f. Collaborate with all organizations in the context of the 
surveillance activities to broaden the exchange of infectious disease 
epidemiologic data between the United States and Thailand to improve 
the global prevention and control of infectious diseases.
    g. Collaborate with all organizations in the context of the 
surveillance activities to foster binational collaboration in the 
investigation of disease outbreaks which affect communities in the 
provinces under surveillance. Such collaboration may involve binational 
teams working according to agreed-upon protocols.
2. CDC Activities
    a. Provide assistance and technical consultation on all aspects of 
program planning, implementation, and evaluation methods, as needed.
    b. Provide scientific support and training, and participate in 
study protocol development, epidemiological

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and laboratory studies, data management and analysis, writing, and 
dissemination of information by relevant means.
    c. Provide scientific support, as needed, in the development and 
support of a research agenda.
    d. Provide special reagents or other materials, as needed to 
conduct surveillance and research.
    e. Assist in the development of a research protocol for 
Institutional Review Board (IRB) review by all cooperating institutions 
participating in the research project. The CDC IRB will review and 
approve the protocol initially and on at least an annual basis until 
the research project is completed.

F. Content

    The Program Announcement title and number must appear in the 
application. 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 twenty pages, double-spaced, 
printed on one side, with one-inch margins, and unreduced font.
    The narrative should consist of:
1. Plan
2. Documented Results
3. Capacity
4. Proposed Program Plan
    (a) Goals
    (b) Objectives
    (c) Operational Plan
    (d) Evaluation Plan
    (e) Collaborations
5. Budget, with Staffing Breakdown and Justification Provide a line-
item budget and narrative justification for all requested costs, and 
separate line-item budgets for each research area. Budgets should be 
consistent with the purpose, objectives and research activities and 
include:
    a. Line-item breakdown and justification for all personnel, i.e., 
name, position title, annual salary, percentage of time and effort, and 
amount requested.
    b. For each contract: (1) Name of proposed contractor; (2) 
breakdown and justification for estimated costs; (3) description and 
scope of activities to be performed by contractor; (4) period of 
performance; (5) method of contractor selection (e.g., sole-source of 
competitive solicitation); and (6) methods of accountability.
    Activities for all priority research areas should be clearly 
identified in a distinct portion of the Operational Plan. Although the 
activities proposed may address distinct issues and needs, they may be 
implemented in an integrated manner such that staff members work on 
more than one activity, or supplies and equipment are shared.

G. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of PHS-398 (OMB Number 0925-
0001) (adhere to the instructions on the Errata Instruction Sheet for 
PHS 398). Forms are available in the application kit and at the 
following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm
    Application forms must be submitted in the following order:

Cover Letter
Table of Contents
Application
Budget Information Form
Budget Justification
Checklist
Assurances
Certifications
Disclosure Form
HIV Assurance Form (if applicable)
Human Subjects Certification (if applicable)
Narrative

    The application must be received on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Time 
August 1, 2002. Submit the application to the Grants Management 
Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional Information'' 
section of this announcement.
    Deadline: Letters of intent and applications shall be considered as 
meeting the deadline if they are received before 5 p.m. Eastern Time on 
the deadline date. Applicants sending applications by commercial 
delivery services must ensure that the carrier will be able to 
guarantee delivery of the application by the closing date and time. If 
an application is received after closing due to (1) carrier error, when 
the carrier accepted the package with a guarantee for delivery by the 
closing date and time, or (2) significant weather delays or natural 
disasters, CDC will upon receipt of proper documentation, consider the 
application as having been received by the deadline.
    An application which does not meet the above criteria will not be 
eligible for competition and will be discarded. Applicant will be 
notified of their failure to meet the submission requirements.

H. Evaluation Criteria

    The applicant is required to provide measures of effectiveness that 
will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified 
objectives of the cooperative agreement. Measures of effectiveness must 
relate to the performance goals as stated in section ``A. Purpose'' of 
this announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative and must 
measure the intended outcome. These Measures of effectiveness shall be 
submitted with the application and shall be an element of evaluation.
    The application will be evaluated individually against the 
following criteria by an independent review group appointed by CDC:
    1. Objectives and Technical Approach (50 points total):
    a. Extent to which applicant describes specific objectives of the 
proposed program that are consistent with the purpose and goals of this 
announcement and which are measurable and time-phased. (10 points)
    b. Extent to which the applicant identifies appropriate populations 
for study, with an adequate size to perform the proposed studies. (10 
points)
    c. Extent to which applicant presents a detailed operational plan 
for initiating and conducting the program, which clearly and 
appropriately addresses all recipient activities. Extent to which 
applicant clearly identifies specific assigned responsibilities for all 
key professional personnel. Extent to which the plan clearly describes 
applicant's technical approach/methods for developing and conducting 
the proposed program and evaluation and extent to which the plan is 
adequate to accomplish the study objectives. If research involving 
human subjects is proposed, 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: (1) The 
proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and ethnic 
minority populations for appropriate representation; (2) the proposed 
justification when representation is limited or absent; (3) a statement 
as to whether the design of proposed studies is adequate to measure 
differences when warranted; and (4) a statement as to whether the plans 
for recruitment and outreach for study participants include the process 
of establishing partnerships with community/ies and recognition of 
mutual benefits. The extent to which applicant describes the existence 
of or plans to establish partnerships. (10 points)
    d. Extent to which applicant describes adequate and appropriate 
collaborations with other health agencies during various phases of the 
project. (10 points)
    e. Extent to which applicant provides a detailed and adequate plan 
for evaluating program results. This

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includes plans for evaluating specific projects as well as plans for 
evaluating other aspects of the collaboration (e.g., training). (10 
points)
    2. Capacity (35 points total):
    a. Extent to which applicant describes adequate resources and 
facilities (both technical and administrative) for conducting the 
project. This includes the capacity to conduct quality laboratory 
measurements. (20 points)
    b. Extent to which applicant documents that professional personnel 
involved in the project are qualified and have past experience and 
achievements in research and programs related to the program as 
evidenced by curriculum vitae, publications, etc. (15 points)
    3. Background and Need (10 points):
    Extent to which applicant's discussion of the background for the 
proposed project demonstrates a clear understanding of the purpose and 
objectives of this cooperative agreement program. Extent to which 
applicant illustrates and justifies the need for the proposed project 
that is consistent with the purpose and objectives of this program.
    4. Measures of Effectiveness (5 points):
    The extent to which the applicant provides Measures of 
Effectiveness that will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various 
identified objectives of the grant. The degree to which the measures 
are objective/quantitative and adequately measure the intended outcome.
    5. Budget and Justification (not scored): Extent to which the 
proposed budget is reasonable, clearly justifiable, and consistent with 
the intended use of cooperative agreement funds.
    6. Protection of Human Subjects (Not scored) The extent to which 
the application adequately addresses the requirements of Title 45 CFR 
Part 46 for the protection of human subjects. (Not scored; however, an 
application can be disapproved if the research risks are sufficiently 
serious and protection against risks is so inadequate as to make the 
entire application unacceptable.)

VII. Other Requirements

    Technical Reporting Requirements Provide CDC with original plus two 
copies of:
    1. Semi-annual progress reports. The progress report will include a 
data requirement that demonstrates measures of effectiveness.
    2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period.
    3. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days 
after the end of the project period.
    Awardee is required to obtain an annual audit of these CDC funds 
(program specific audit) by a U.S. based audit firm with international 
branches and current license/authority in-country, and in accordance 
with International Accounting Standards or equivalent.
    A fiscal Recipient Capability Assessment may be required, pre or 
post award, with the potential Awardee in order to review their 
business management and fiscal capabilities regarding the handling of 
U.S. Federal funds.
    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 Attachment I of the 
application kit.

AR-1  Human Subjects Requirements
AR-2  Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research
AR-9  Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements
AR-10  Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements
AR-14  Accounting Systems Requirement
AR-22  Research Integrity

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements, the necessary applications, and 
associated forms can be found on the CDC home page Internet address--
http://www.cdc.gov. Click on ``Funding'' then ``Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements.''
    For business management assistance, contact: Cynthia Collins, 
Grants Management Specialist, International and Territories Acquisition 
and Assistance Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, 
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone number: 770-488-2757, E-mail address: 
coc9@cdc.gov
    For program technical assistance, contact: Sonja Olsen, Ph.D., 
Epidemiology Section Chief, International Emerging Infections Program, 
National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC), DMS building 6, Ministry of Public Health, Thanon 
Tivanon, Nonthaburi, Thailand, Telephone number: +66-2-591-8358, E-mail 
address: sco2@cdc.gov

    Dated: June 18, 2002.
Edward Schultz,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-15829 Filed 6-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P