[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 224 (Monday, November 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67915-67930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25667]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Cooperative Agreement Program for the National Academic Centers 
of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention

    Announcement Type: New.
    Funding Opportunity Number: CE05-018.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.136.
    Key Dates:
    Letter of Intent Deadline: December 22, 2004.
    Application Deadline: February 10, 2005.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: This program is authorized under sections 301(a) [42 
U.S.C. 241(a)] and 391(a) [42 U.S.C. 280b(a)] of the Public Service 
Health Act, as amended.

    Purpose: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2005 cooperative 
agreement funds to establish up to ten National Academic Centers of 
Excellence (ACE) on Youth Violence Prevention, serving as national 
models for the prevention of youth violence. The purpose of the Centers 
is to help communities prevent youth interpersonal violence. As of 
2005, Centers will be supported for up to ten years to promote a 
stable, long term focus on the complex problem of youth violence, 
fostering multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral interactions that can 
stimulate scientific creativity, speed new developments in youth 
interpersonal violence research and practice, and hasten translation of 
knowledge into health and community practice. Centers are expected to 
actively foster an environment conducive to reciprocally beneficial 
collaborations among health scientists, social scientists and the 
affected communities with the common goal of reducing youth 
interpersonal violence.
    Youth violence is defined as: The intentional use of physical force 
or power, threatened or actual, exerted by or against children, 
adolescents or young adults, ages 10-24, which results in or has a high 
likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, 
maldevelopment, or deprivation. It includes violence between 
individuals or groups who may or may not know each other. It frequently 
takes place outside the home, in the streets, or in institutional 
settings, such as schools, workplaces, and prisons. Hereafter, youth 
violence and youth interpersonal violence will be used synonymously.
    This program addresses the ``Healthy People 2010'' focus area of 
Injury and Violence Prevention. For a copy of ``Healthy People 2010'' 
visit the Internet site: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one 
(or more) of the following performance goals for the National Center 
for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC):
    1. Increase the capacity of injury prevention and control programs 
to address the prevention of injuries and violence.
    2. Monitor and detect fatal and non-fatal injuries.
    3. Conduct a targeted program of research to reduce injury-related 
death and disability.
    Special Guidelines for Technical Assistance:
    Conference Call: Technical assistance will be available for 
potential applicants during one conference call.
    The call for eligible applicants will be held on December 9, 2005 
from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (eastern time). The conference can be accessed 
by calling 1-888-528-9061 and entering access code 18046.
    The purpose of the conference call is to help potential applicants:
    1. Understand the Request for Application Process for the RFA 
(CE05-018) for the National Academic Centers of Excellence on Youth 
Violence Prevention.
    2. Understand the scope and intent of the RFA (CE05-018) for the 
National Academic Centers of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention.
    3. Become familiar with the Public Health Services funding policies 
and application and review procedures. Participation in this conference 
call is not mandatory. At the time of the call, if you have problems 
accessing the conference call, please call 404-639-7550 for assistance.
    Program Objectives: The goal of this program is to reduce the 
incidence of youth violence in the defined community by achieving the 
following objectives:
    <bullet> Monitoring the magnitude and distribution of youth 
interpersonal violence.
    <bullet> Building the scientific infrastructure necessary to 
support the development and widespread application of effective youth 
violence prevention interventions.
    <bullet> Promoting interdisciplinary research strategies to address 
the problem of youth violence.
    <bullet> Fostering collaboration between academic researchers and 
communities.

[[Page 67916]]

    <bullet> Mobilizing and empowering communities to address the 
problem of youth violence.
    Activities: Awardee activities during the course of the five-year 
award for this program are listed below. Additional information on the 
program activities is provided in the application content of this 
announcement.
    <bullet> Apply and refine a logic model for the academic center of 
excellence adapted from the national ACE Program conceptual framework 
or logic model (See Appendix 1 for a description) to fit the specific 
inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed center.
    <bullet> Develop and implement a center evaluation plan and 
demonstrate how the center's evaluation contributes to CDC's national 
program evaluation, including the core performance indicators (see 
Appendix 2 for a list of the indicators.)
    <bullet> Develop, implement and evaluate center projects in 
conjunction with the center's ``defined community'', (whether 
geographic or a non-geographic sub-grouping) which the center's 
activities will serve. Community is defined as a group of people who 
share some or all of the following: geographic boundaries; a sense of 
membership; culture and language; common norms, interests, or values; 
and common health risks or conditions (CDC/ATSDR Principles of 
Community Engagement, IOM 2002). Community refers to a population that 
has a distinct identity. It can mean residents of a geographic area, be 
that a catchment's area, neighborhood, school district, city, county or 
region within a county. It can be used with a modifier or clause to 
describe a non-geographically based sub-grouping such as, but not 
exclusively: a community of youth violence prevention workers, a 
community of health professionals, or an ethnic or language community.
    <bullet> Establish or maintain a center community advisory 
committee to work with the defined community to achieve center goals. 
See Appendix 3, the glossary, for a definition and composition of the 
community committee.
    <bullet> Establish and maintain partnerships (e.g., state and local 
health departments, youth violence prevention and youth serving 
organizations, community groups and agencies, faith-based organizations 
and local businesses, and academic units), and include these partners, 
when applicable, in the center activities. See Appendix 3, the 
glossary, for a definition and composition of partnerships.
    <bullet> Establish and/or enhance surveillance systems to better 
measure the problem of youth violence and the impact of center 
activities and research in the defined community.
    <bullet> Identify youth violence prevention priorities within the 
defined community.
    <bullet> Carry out the center's participatory, community-based core 
youth interpersonal violence research project(s) and the center's five-
year research agenda. Each center is required to conduct at least one 
core research project consistent with both the NCIPC Research Agenda 
and NCIPC's mission.
    <bullet> Plan the core research project in collaboration with 
community partners.
    <bullet> Refine, carry out and evaluate the center's community 
mobilization plan in partnership with a community's individuals, 
groups, and organizations on a participatory and sustained basis. (See 
Appendix 3, the glossary, for a definition of community mobilization.)
    <bullet> When appropriate, collaborate with CDC, community 
partners, and other ACE centers to develop and finalize design for 
studies and activities, methodology, data collection measures, methods, 
and analyses and disseminate the results through presentations and 
publications to broad audiences, including public health.
    <bullet> Collect and report necessary data and information to CDC 
to assess progress toward centers' goals and objectives and monitor 
overall performance. This should include, but will not be limited to, 
information related to the ACE Performance Indicators. (See Appendix 2 
for list of indicators).
    <bullet> Develop an infrastructure of personnel and resources to 
support center functions and processes. This infrastructure should 
ensure that adequate personnel, facilities, technology, and university 
support exists to accomplish the goals and objectives of the center.
    <bullet> Provide training, technical assistance, and mentoring to 
health professionals, researchers, students, community members, and 
other partners, as appropriate, including other funded Academic Centers 
of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention.
    <bullet> Obtain approval of the study protocol by the recipient's 
local Institutional Review Board (IRB). Collaborate with CDC in the 
development of a research protocol for CDC Institutional Review Board 
(IRB) review, if appropriate.
    In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in 
the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring. CDC 
activities for this program are as follows:
    <bullet> Provide scientific input, serve as a scientific and 
professional resource, and collaborate with ACE staff on research, 
interpretation of findings, and the production of publications and 
presentations to disseminate study results.
    <bullet> Facilitate regular communication between CDC and the 
grantees to include, but not limited to conference calls and meetings, 
including the convening of annual ACE meetings to facilitate research 
collaboration and information sharing among centers.
    <bullet> Review, monitor, and evaluate scientific and operational 
accomplishments to assure progress toward program goals and objectives. 
The review will be based on the center's logic model and the critical 
components of the model that are related to the achievement of core 
performance indicators. The review process will include but not be 
limited to conference calls, site visits, annual meetings, and required 
reports.
    <bullet> Collect, organize and disseminate information on ACE 
activities, including research. Inform recipients about any CDC 
policies, laws, and regulations pertaining to public health research 
and programmatic activities, conduct inquiries concerning allegations 
of scientific misconduct, and take necessary steps to bring program 
into compliance.
    <bullet> When appropriate, assist in the development of a research 
protocol(s) for IRB review by all performance sites involved in the 
research project. If CDC researchers are significantly involved in the 
project, the CDC IRB will review and approve the protocol initially and 
on at least an annual basis until the research project is completed.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. CDC involvement in this 
program is listed in the Activities Section above.
    Mechanism of Support: U49.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2005.
    Approximate Total Funding: $6,800,000 (This amount is an estimate, 
and is subject to availability of funds).
    Approximate Number of Awards: 7-10.
    Approximate Average Award: $830,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $680,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $980,000 (Ceilings are for the first 12-
month budget period and include both indirect and direct costs).
    Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2005.
    Budget Period Length: 12 months.
    Project Period Length: Five years.
    Throughout the project period, CDC's commitment to continuation of 
awards

[[Page 67917]]

will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of 
satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required 
reports and site visits), and the determination that continued funding 
is in the best interest of the Federal Government.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants are academic institutions/centers with a focus 
on health, such as:

<bullet> Public and private nonprofit universities;
<bullet> Colleges;
<bullet> University-associated teaching hospitals.
    Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia 
agreements, as necessary to meet the requirements of the program and 
strengthen the overall application. A Bona Fide Agent is an agency/
organization identified by the academic institutions/centers as 
eligible to submit an application under the academic institutions/
centers eligibility in lieu of an academic institutions/centers 
application. If you are applying as a bona fide agent of academic 
institutions/centers, you must provide a letter from the academic 
institutions/centers as documentation of your status. Place this 
documentation behind the first page of your application form.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required for this program announcement.

III.3. Other

    CDC will not accept and review applications with budgets greater 
than the ceiling of the award range. Applications with budgets that 
exceed the ceiling of the award, which includes both direct and 
indirect costs, will be considered non-responsive, and will not be 
entered into the review process. You will be notified that your 
application did not meet the submission requirements.
    Special requirements: If your application is incomplete or non-
responsive to the requirements listed in this section, it will not be 
entered into the review process. You will be notified that your 
application did not meet submission requirements.
    <bullet> Late applications will be considered non-responsive. See 
section ``IV.3 Submission Dates and Times'' for more information on 
deadlines.
    A National Academic Center of Excellence on Youth Violence 
Prevention is expected to have the following core components which 
together address the objectives of a center: (1) Administrative and 
Infrastructure Core, (2) Surveillance and Research Core and (3) 
Outreach and Education Core. The essential characteristics of a 
National Academic Center of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention are 
as follows:
    <bullet> A core faculty in fields such as public health, 
epidemiology, biostatistics, social sciences, behavioral and 
environmental sciences, health and youth policy, economics, evaluation, 
and health administration.
    <bullet> Established working relationships with multidisciplinary 
faculty in the fields listed above and in other disciplines, such as, 
but not limited to, medicine, psychology, nursing, social work, 
education, urban planning, youth development and business.
    <bullet> Graduate training programs relevant to youth violence 
prevention.
    <bullet> Demonstrated relationships with a broad range of community 
partners and expertise in developing, implementing and evaluating 
community-based youth participatory research and mobilization 
activities.
    <bullet> Demonstrated experience on the applicant's project team in 
conducting, evaluating, and publishing community-based participatory 
research (CPBR) in peer-reviewed journals. (See Appendix 3, the 
glossary, for a definition of Community-based participatory research).
    <bullet> Effective and well-defined working relationships within 
the performing organization and with outside entities (as evidenced by 
letters of support and in memoranda of understanding).
    <bullet> An overall match between the applicant's proposed research 
objectives and the program objectives as described under the heading, 
``Program Objectives''.
    Only one application per institution will be accepted.

    Note: Title 2 of the United States Code section 1611 states that 
an organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to 
receive Federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.

Individuals Eligible To Become Principal Investigators
    Principal Investigator qualifications are as follows:
    <bullet> A principal investigator who has conducted community-based 
youth violence prevention research, published the findings in peer-
reviewed journals, and has specific authority and responsibility to 
carry out the proposed project.
    Applications that do not meet the above requirements will be 
considered non-responsive.
    Individuals with the above-listed skills, knowledge, and resources 
necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to work with 
their institution to develop an application for support. Individuals 
from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals 
with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for CDC programs. Each 
institution may submit only one application per round of competition.

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV. 1. Address To Request Application Package

    To apply for this funding opportunity, use application form PHS 398 
(OMB number 0925-0001 rev. 5/2001). Forms, attachments and instructions 
are available in an interactive format on the CDC Web site, at the 
following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm.
    Forms and instructions are also available in an interactive format 
on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Web site at the following 
Internet address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html.
    If you do not have access to the Internet, or if you have 
difficulty accessing the forms on-line, you may contact the CDC 
Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section 
(PGO-TIM) staff at: 770-488-2700. Application forms can be mailed to 
you.

IV. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Letter of Intent (LOI): Prospective applicants are asked to submit 
a Letter of Intent (LOI) that includes the following information and 
written in the following format:

    <bullet> Maximum Number of Pages: Three.
    <bullet> Font Size: 12-point unreduced.
    <bullet> Paper Size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
    <bullet> Page Margin Size: One inch.
    <bullet> Printed only on one side of page.
    <bullet> Single spaced.
    <bullet> Written in plain language, avoid jargon.

    Your LOI must contain the following information:

    <bullet> Descriptive title of the proposed Center.
    <bullet> Name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, and 
facsimile number of the Principal Investigator.
    <bullet> Names of other key personnel.
    <bullet> Participating institutions.
    <bullet> Number and title of this RFA.

[[Page 67918]]

    <bullet> Brief description of the proposed center's research focus 
(a three to four line description).
    <bullet> Brief description of the scope and intent of the proposed 
center work (maximum one paragraph).

    Note: Attachments, booklets, or other documents will not be 
accepted with the LOI.

    Application: Follow the PHS 398 application instructions for 
content and formatting of your application. If the instructions in this 
announcement differ in any way from the PHS 398 instructions, follow 
the instructions in this announcement. For further assistance with the 
PHS 398 application form, contact PGO-TIM staff at 770-488-2700, or 
contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435-0714, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#652217040b11162c0b030a250b0c0d4b020a13"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ffb88d9e918b8cb6919990bf919697d1989089">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Your application should address activities to be conducted over the 
entire five-year project period.
    For more information, see the CDC Web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/funding.htm.
    This announcement uses just-in-time concepts. This announcement 
uses the non-modular budgeting format. The application narrative should 
consist of the following information:
    (1) Administrative and Infrastructure Core: To ensure that 
applicants have the administrative and infrastructure capacity to 
achieve the program objectives, applicants should describe the 
following:
    (a) Defined Community: Applicants need to define and describe the 
center's mission and the primary community (whether geographic or a 
non-geographic sub-grouping) that the center's activities will serve. 
(See Appendix 3, Glossary of Terms, for a definition of community). 
Applicants should, at a minimum, address the following characteristics 
of the defined community, as they pertain to the type of community 
chosen: the size of the community; the demographic make up, 
socioeconomic and cultural characteristics; levels of youth violence 
and the prevalent risk and protective factors of, or encountered by, 
the defined community; the youth violence prevention infrastructure, 
levels of organization and support for interpersonal youth violence 
prevention interventions in the defined community; and the existence of 
health, education, justice, and other policies related to youth 
violence prevention in the defined community. Applicants should 
describe the linkages between the center and the defined community and 
document appropriate levels of engagement and collaboration that 
reflects the ability to carry out proposed center activities.
    (b) Evaluation: Applicants need to describe how they will develop a 
plan for evaluating the progress of the center in achieving its goals 
and the national performance indicators. Applicants should describe 
their capacity to: establish a five-year evaluation plan; conduct 
center-level evaluation; and collect data to determine the performance 
of the center using the national performance indicators. (See Appendix 
2 for a description of Developing an Evaluation Framework: National 
Academic Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention.) To assure 
that applicants have this capacity, applicants should, at a minimum:
    (i) Describe their center-level logic model specifying the center's 
youth violence prevention priorities and expected outcomes. Within the 
logic model, applicants should define the inputs, activities, outputs, 
outcomes, evaluation, and contextual conditions for the center. The 
logic model should be adapted from the national ACE Program conceptual 
framework (See Appendix 2.) In addition to the logic model, a narrative 
description of each component must be included. Please include the 
center's mission within the narrative, limiting the mission statement 
to one to two sentences. Further, within this narrative briefly 
describe how the center's model is related to the national ACE Program 
conceptual framework.
    (ii) Document experiences of center faculty in conducting process, 
outcomes, and impact evaluations in the past five years and address how 
the center will continue or enhance its evaluation expertise as it 
relates to the center-level evaluation.
    (iii) Describe how they will create a five-year plan for evaluating 
the critical components of the center's logic model. The plan should be 
developed in collaboration with the center's community committee and 
center partners and include: a description of how the plan will be 
developed; identification of resources and staff responsible for 
evaluation; specific evaluation questions, goals and objectives; 
quantitative and qualitative assessment of the centers activities to 
demonstrate program accomplishments and challenges; and a plan for 
identifying emerging challenges.
    (c) Infrastructure: Applicants should describe an infrastructure of 
personnel and resources required to develop center functions and 
processes. Applicants should have the capacity to recruit, hire, and 
retain faculty and staff with the expertise to implement center 
projects and activities; acquire, manage, and maintain the 
communications and information systems necessary to operate an ACE; and 
acquire and maintain university support for the center. To assure that 
applicants have this capacity, applicants should, at a minimum:
    (i) Provide an organizational chart for the center showing all 
organizational units and functions. The chart should also reflect the 
activities articulated in the center's logic model.
    (ii) Describe the center's staffing and management plan. Describe 
each proposed position and discuss how the position provides the 
scientific and technical expertise needed to carry out both research 
and non-research activities. Describe the minimum criteria and the 
required expertise for each position. Describe the qualifications of 
the proposed staff, how the proposed staff will interact with each 
other, with other faculty outside the center, and with the university's 
leaders to accomplish the center's goals and objectives. This 
discussion should highlight the following center staff: leadership; 
research; evaluation; communication and dissemination; training; 
information management; and fiscal and administration staff.
    (iii) Describe how your center will be integrated within the 
university structure. Describe the facilities in which staff will work 
and how these facilities enhance the center's ability to complete the 
proposed activities. Describe the center's plan to enhance its core 
capacity over the five-year period, including the commitment and 
capability to obtain the communication, information systems, and other 
tools necessary to accomplish goals and objectives (i.e., computer 
equipment, telephones, facsimile machines, scanners, scientific 
software, etc.).
    (iv) Describe plans for cross-disciplinary training of new and 
established investigators, including: adequacy of facilities for 
workshops, seminars and other educational activities; capacity to train 
predoctoral and/or postdoctoral students in multi-disciplinary 
interpersonal youth violence prevention research; and experience in 
effectively conducting mentoring and career development activities.
    (d) Collaborations/Partnerships: Applicants need to develop and 
describe the nature and range of partnerships needed to carry out 
center activities. An infrastructure of resources and personnel is 
required to support collaboration with partners and joint community 
mobilization efforts. (See Appendix 3, Glossary of Terms, for an

[[Page 67919]]

operational definition). Applicants should have the capacity to: 
Establish and maintain relationships with partners; facilitate the 
establishment and maintenance of the center's community committee(s); 
and collaborate with partners on the planning and implementation of 
core research, dissemination, training, and mobilization efforts. To 
assure that applicants have this capacity, applicants should:
    (i) Describe the plan for establishing or maintaining the center's 
community committee(s). (See Appendix 3, Glossary of Terms for 
additional information regarding the center community committee.) This 
plan should include, at a minimum, the following: The intended 
composition and membership of the committee and how the constituents 
reflect the defined community; the proposed mission and role for the 
committee in the center's planning and activities, consistent with the 
logic model; a process for developing or refining guidelines for the 
community committee over the first year of the funding period; a plan 
for communication between the community committee and the center staff. 
Applicants must provide evidence of commitment and cooperation of 
current and potential members of the center's community committee 
(e.g., letters of support, memorandums of understanding, or examples of 
prior collaboration.)
    (ii) Identify and describe other partners such as local and state 
health departments, youth violence prevention organizations, community 
groups and agencies, youth organizations, and academic units. At a 
minimum, applicants need to briefly describe: Past partners, new 
partners, and proposed partners; the proposed methods for establishing 
and maintaining these partnerships, including how the lessons learned 
from previous partnerships will be applied to the proposed methods; and 
the partners' involvement in the center's proposed activities. In this 
section, applicants should specifically address the partners' role in 
developing this proposal and partners' expectations about their roles 
in the planning and implementation of the center's activities.
    (iii) Provide evidence of commitment and cooperation of current and 
potential partners (e.g., letters of support, memorandums of 
understanding, and examples of prior collaborations).
    2. Surveillance and Research Core: Applicants need to describe and 
develop the infrastructure of resources and personnel required to 
support surveillance and research in the center.
    Applicants need to enhance surveillance efforts and conduct 
research, as described below:
    (a) Surveillance: Applicants should document experience in 
successfully developing, implementing and evaluating community level 
surveillance efforts in the last five years and describe plans to 
develop and/or enhance surveillance systems to be able to measure the 
problem of youth violence as well as determine impact of Center 
activities and research in the defined community. Applicants should 
address how your system will: Measure youth violence patterns in the 
defined community; be used to guide planning and evaluation of youth 
violence programs (e.g., determine in what components and areas where 
prevention efforts are making a difference); and advance the public 
health research related to youth violence. All proposed surveillance 
activities should include an appropriate translation and dissemination 
plan. To assure that applicants have this capacity, applicants should, 
at a minimum: Document experience in successfully developing, 
implementing and evaluating community level surveillance efforts in the 
last five years.
    (b) Research: Applicants should describe center capacity to: 
Establish a five-year research agenda; conduct core research and other 
prevention research as described in the research agenda; and 
effectively collaborate with partners in the identification, planning, 
implementation, and dissemination of core research. To assure that 
applicants have this capacity, applicants should, at a minimum: 
Document experience in successfully conducting, evaluating, and 
publishing youth interpersonal violence prevention research in the past 
five years; and describe community-based youth interpersonal violence 
prevention research activities and provide evidence of community 
involvement in those activities; and describe experience in conducting 
community-based participatory research in the past five years.
    Applicants should describe (the core elements of) a five year 
research agenda, including a description of the core youth 
interpersonal violence prevention research project(s), and smaller 
studies and seed projects, as described below. The research projects 
and the agenda should reflect the potential for a center with a clear 
mission that promotes multidisciplinary collaboration and career 
development. The research agenda must represent more than an 
interesting collection of projects. Research projects must be 
interdependent (materials, results, data, or methodologies are shared 
among the projects), interrelated (each project must have goals and 
objectives that focus on the common theme), and multidisciplinary 
(representing different scientific backgrounds, training and 
expertise). Centers must develop research projects on youth 
interpersonal violence prevention with a conceptual focus on the 
defined community and that provide evidence of the potential for 
meaningful inter-disciplinary collaboration, and that respond to the 
NCIPC Research Agenda. Clear definitions of procedures used to select 
proposed and future projects are required.
    The core research project should address the following types of 
applied interpersonal youth violence prevention research articulated in 
the NCIPC Research Agenda and that furthers the center's work in the 
defined community: intervention research, which examines the efficacy, 
effectiveness, economic efficiency of strategies, programs and policies 
in reducing or preventing youth interpersonal violence; and 
dissemination and dissemination implementation research (which includes 
research on the targeted distribution of information to a specific 
audience; and research on the use of strategies to introduce or change 
evidence-based youth interpersonal violence prevention interventions in 
specific settings).
    Applicants should also demonstrate the links to the community 
within which the research is framed, documenting appropriate levels of 
support and collaboration. If the research agenda is also supported by 
non-ACE Program funding sources, identify the other funders.
    The types of research projects centers are expected to carry out 
are listed below:
    (i) Core research projects are the larger scale projects with 
annual budgets exceeding 150,000 a year, including direct and indirect 
costs, and lasting up to five years. These projects typically will test 
hypotheses and employ more sophisticated methodologies and/or larger 
sample sizes than small studies. Core research projects require an RO1 
level summary as described in PHS 398 (Revised 5/01 and updated 6/28/
02) guidelines.
    (ii) Small studies of 25,000-150,000 a year, including direct and 
indirect costs, for one to three years duration, might be extensions of 
seed projects, either further developing methods or hypotheses in 
preparation for a larger investigation, or might be stand alone 
investigations sufficient to yield results

[[Page 67920]]

worthy of publication in a peer-reviewed journal and/or a technical 
report for a legislative body, governmental agency or youth violence 
prevention organizations.
    (iii) Seed projects, under 25,000 require a short write-up 
describing the youth interpersonal violence prevention context of the 
study, the objective, the design, the setting and participants, the 
intervention being addressed, main outcome measurements, expected 
results, timelines, costs.
    The applicant should use the following template to describe each 
proposed research project:
    <bullet> Title of the project.
    <bullet> Project Director/Lead Investigator for the project.
    <bullet> Institution(s)/partners involved in the project.
    <bullet> Categorization of the type of research (such as, but not 
exclusively, intervention, dissemination, and dissemination-
implementation research).
    <bullet> Relationship of the project to the center's mission and 
health priorities.
    <bullet> Relationship of the project to local youth interpersonal 
violence prevention priorities, HHS objectives (e.g., Healthy People 
2010), and NCIPC Research Agenda.
    <bullet> Indication of whether the project is new or ongoing. (If 
ongoing, describe the prior work on this project.)
    <bullet> Evidence of community participation in the planning, 
implementation, and evaluation of the project. Describe how the center 
will collaborate with partners on refining and developing the research 
methodology, recruiting of research participants, and reporting and 
disseminating research findings.
    <bullet> Summary of the research project:

(i) Background
(ii) Importance
(iii) Relevance to the defined community.
(iv) Integration into 5 year research agenda
(v) Goals and objectives
(vi) Proposed timeframe for the project
(vii) Setting and context
(viii) Methods and measures
(ix) Study participants and recruitment strategy. Provide evidence that 
the recipient (or a collaborating partner) has access to the study 
population and that the participation by the study population will be 
adequate to test hypotheses.
(x) Expected outcomes
(xi) Communication and dissemination
    Data Sharing and Release: Describe plans for the sharing and 
release of data, if applicable (See AR-25 for additional information).
    3. Outreach and Education Core: To ensure that applicants have the 
capacity to achieve the outreach and education program objectives, 
applicants should describe the following:
    (a) Community Mobilization: Applicants need to describe a draft 
plan for community mobilization. Applicants should describe the 
infrastructure of resources and personnel to support community 
mobilization activities in the center and to develop and implement a 
community mobilization plan involving the primary community the 
center's activities will serve. For a definition of Community 
Mobilization and Community Mobilization Plan (CMP), see Appendix 3, 
Glossary of Terms. The two overriding goals of a community mobilization 
plan should be to: enhance the community's capacity to address the 
problem of youth violence and prevent or reduce youth violence. (For 
additional Guidance on how to develop a CMP, see: http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/dphsdr/documents/MAPPone_pager.doc and http://mapp.naccho.org/mapp_introduction.asp).
    Applicants should have the capacity to: establish a five-year 
community mobilization plan (CMP); conduct community mobilization 
activities as required in the CMP; and effectively collaborate with 
partners in the identification, planning, implementation, and 
evaluation of the CMP. In addition, the CMP should provide evidence 
that applicant or their collaborating partners have access to the 
defined community population, and that the participation by the defined 
community population will be adequate to develop, implement and 
evaluate the plan.
    To assure that applicants have this capacity, applicants should at 
a minimum:
    (i) Provide evidence of having identified youth interpersonal 
violence prevention priorities, including disparities, within the 
defined community and of having identified them in collaboration with 
community partners.
    (ii) Document experience in successfully developing, conducting, 
and evaluating community mobilization activities in the past five 
years.
    (iii) Describe how the CMP helps fulfill the center's mission. If 
the community mobilization efforts are also supported by non-ACE 
Program collaborations, identify the other funders.
    (iv) Describe the center's draft five-year CMP, including the goals 
and objectives. The applicant should use the following template and 
provide information to describe the community mobilization plan:

    <bullet> Title of the plan;
    <bullet> Core staff and community partners;
    <bullet> Institution(s)/partners involved in the project;
    <bullet> Indication of whether the community mobilization plan is 
new or ongoing. (If ongoing, describe the prior work on this plan.)
    <bullet> Describe how the center will collaborate with partners: In 
the refinement of the CMP, in the development of the community 
mobilization methodology, for community recruitment, to report and 
disseminating information and activities, and to evaluate CMP outcomes.
    <bullet> Summary of the Community Mobilization Plan.
    This should include:
    (i) Background;
    (ii) How the plan furthers the defined community youth violence 
prevention needs, and priorities;
    (iii) Describe how the CMP is integrated into the center's five-
year research agenda and the centers mission;
    (iv) Goals and objectives;
    (v) Proposed timeframe for the plan;
    (vi) Setting and context;
    (vii) Methods and measures;
    (viii) Community definition, participation and recruitment 
strategy;
    (ix) Expected outcomes;
    (x) Communication, dissemination, and evaluation.
    (b) Communication and Dissemination Activities: Applicants should 
outline how they will develop a communication plan and describe the 
communication and dissemination infrastructure and activities to be 
carried out to further the program goals. Applicants should have the 
capacity to: disseminate research by making its findings, methods, and 
tools available; keep stakeholders (i.e., researchers, practitioners, 
community members, and policymakers) abreast of the center's 
accomplishments; produce products that reflect research progress and 
results, and participate in coordinated activities with other ACEs and 
their collaborating partners (e.g., state/local health departments, 
community groups, and youth violence prevention research and practice 
organizations) to facilitate linkages among ACEs and national/state/
local partners to ensure National Program objectives are being 
achieved. To assure that applicants have this capacity, applicants 
should, at a minimum:
    (i) Outline how a communication plan will be developed that defines 
and

[[Page 67921]]

describes how the center's communication and dissemination activities 
will be integrated into the center's activities, including the research 
agenda.
    (ii) Address how the center will work with collaborators and other 
partners to extend the center's reach; how the center's activities and 
research will affect youth violence prevention policies impacting their 
community; and how other potential outcomes through communication and 
dissemination efforts will be identified.
    (iii) Describe the methods the center will use to translate, 
communicate, and disseminate its products and other information. 
Address how the center will produce, translate and distribute 
publications and materials such as scientific papers, conference 
reports, newsletters, and educational and training materials; plan 
proposed meetings, personal interactions, and sharing of information 
with collaborators for the development of long-term partnerships; 
provide electronic dissemination of products and other information 
through websites and any other means; and develop media releases and 
statements, or pursue opportunities for media coverage.
    (iv) Describe the center's infrastructure of resources and 
personnel that will support the identified communication and 
dissemination activities. At a minimum, describe the center's ability 
to: disseminate community-based youth violence prevention research in 
public health, allied disciplines and the constituent communities/
stakeholders; translate the content of the center's activities for 
different audiences; develop a plan that reflects the community's youth 
demographic and cultural profile; and access personnel and resources, 
as applicable for layout and design, web site construction, 
photography, proofreading, and other development and production 
activities.
    (c) Training, Technical Assistance and Mentoring: Applicants should 
describe the center's draft plan for providing training, technical 
assistance, and mentoring, and the infrastructure of resources and 
personnel required to support training, technical assistance, and 
mentoring of practitioners, researchers, students, community members, 
and other partners, as applicable. Applicants should have the capacity 
to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate training, technical 
assistance, or mentoring activities. Applicants, at a minimum, should 
address the following:
    (i) Describe the center's assets or needs assessment (past, 
current, or proposed) for training, technical assistance, and 
mentoring. Explain collaboration with partners in the assets and needs 
assessment.
    (ii) Describe the center's draft plan for providing training, 
technical assistance, and mentoring. This plan should include: goals 
and objectives; partner collaboration; and how the plan reflects the 
mission of the center and the assets and needs assessment described 
above. Describe how any lessons learned from prior training; technical 
assistance and mentoring activities during the past five years will be 
applied to the proposed plan. Additionally, describe training 
facilities and resources (e.g., ability to print materials, use video 
and computer equipment, and develop Web sites).
    (iii) Describe the opportunities and quality of the career 
development and mentoring plan for the junior investigators in the 
center. Applicants should describe the feasibility and potential for 
junior investigators to gain research experience in youth violence 
affecting at-risk populations.
    The narrative should be no more than 100 pages (8.5'' x 11''), 
double-spaced, and printed on one side only, with one-inch margins on 
all sides and unreduced 12-point font. Appendices must be hard copy 
documents (i.e., no audiovisual materials or posters).
    In order to facilitate the preparation and review of the 
application, the application components should be organized according 
to the Table of Contents listed below. The table of contents below 
supersedes the instructions contained in the PHS 398.
    <bullet> Detailed Budget for the Initial Budget for the Entire 
Proposed Period for Each Project.
    <bullet> Budget for the Entire Proposed Period of Support for the 
Entire Proposed Center.
    <bullet> Detailed Budget Justification for Each Proposed Project/
Activity for the Initial Budget Period.
    <bullet> Biographical Sketch-Principal Investigator/Program 
Director.
    <bullet> Other Biographical Sketches.
    <bullet> Other Research Support.
    <bullet> Executive Summary with Overall Goals and Objectives of the 
Center.
    <bullet> Center Logic Model.
    <bullet> Application Narrative:
    Overall Description of the Proposed Center.
    Statement on the Institutional Commitment to the Proposed Center.
    Performance/Accomplishments in Last Project Period (Current 
Centers).
    Past Performance/Accomplishments Relevant to Proposed Center.
    Administrative and Infrastructure Core: Defined Community; 
Evaluation; Infrastructure; Collaborations/Partnerships.
    Surveillance and Research Core: Surveillance Projects; Core 
Research Projects; Seed Projects.
    Outreach and Education Core: Community Mobilization; Communication 
and Dissemination Activities: Training, Technical Assistance, and 
Mentoring.
    The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001) application 
form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the application.

IV.3. Submission Dates and Times

    LOI Deadline Date: December 22, 2004.
    CDC requests that you send a LOI if you intend to apply for this 
program. Although the LOI is not required, not binding, and does not 
enter into the review of your subsequent application, the LOI will be 
used to gauge the level of interest in this program, and to allow CDC 
to plan the application review.
    Application Deadline Date: February 10, 2005.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be received in the CDC 
Procurement and Grants Office by 4 p.m. eastern time on the deadline 
date. If you send your application by the United States Postal Service 
or commercial delivery service, you must ensure that the carrier will 
be able to guarantee delivery of the application by the closing date 
and time. If CDC receives your application 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, you will be given the opportunity to 
submit documentation of the carriers guarantee. If the documentation 
verifies a carrier problem, CDC will consider the application as having 
been received by the deadline.
    This announcement is the definitive guide on application submission 
address and deadline. It supersedes information provided in the PHS 398 
application instructions. If your application is not received in the 
CDC Procurement and Grants office by the deadline above, it will not be 
eligible for review, and will be discarded. You will be notified that 
you did not meet the submission requirements.
    CDC will not notify you upon receipt of your application. If you 
have a question about the receipt of your application, first contact 
your courier. CDC will not notify you by mail upon receipt of your 
application, but if you still have any questions, contact the PGO-TIM 
staff at: 770-488-2700. Before

[[Page 67922]]

calling, please wait two to three days after the application deadline. 
This will allow time for applications to be processed and logged.

IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications

    Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

IV.5. Funding Restrictions

    Restrictions, which must be taken into account while writing your 
budget, are as follows:
    <bullet> Funds relating to the conduct of research will not be 
released until the appropriate assurances and Institutional Review 
Board approvals are in place.
    If you are requesting indirect costs in your budget, you must 
include a copy of your indirect cost rate agreement. If your indirect 
cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement must be less than 12 
months of age.

IV.6. Other Submission Requirements

    LOI Submission Address: Submit your LOI by express mail, delivery 
service, fax or e-mail to:
    Address for Express Mail or Delivery Service: NCIPC Extramural 
Resources Team, CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 
2945 Flowers Road, Yale Building, Room 2054, Atlanta, Georgia 30341.
    Address for U.S. Postal Service Mail: NCIPC Extramural Resources 
Team, CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 
Buford Hwy, NE., Mailstop K-62, Atlanta, GA 30341, telephone: 770-488-
4037, fax: 770-488-1662, e-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0b68627b6e797f4b686f68256c647d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bfdcd6cfdacdcbffdcdbdc91d8d0c9">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Application Submission Address: Submit the original and one copy of 
your application by mail or express delivery service to: Technical 
Information Management CE05-018, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 
2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341.
    At the time of submission, four additional copies of the 
application, and four copies of all appendices must be sent to:
    Address for Express Mail or Delivery Service: NCIPC Extramural 
Resources Team, CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 
2945 Flowers Road, Yale Building, Room 2054, Atlanta, Georgia 30341.
    Address for U.S. Postal Service Mail: NCIPC Extramural Resources 
Team, CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 
Buford Hwy, NE., Mailstop K-62, Atlanta, GA 30341.
    Applications may not be submitted electronically at this time.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

    Applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that 
will demonstrate the accomplishment of the objectives identified in the 
cooperative agreement. Measures of effectiveness must relate to the 
performance goals stated in the ``Purpose'' section 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 goals of CDC-supported research are to advance the 
understanding of biological systems, improve the control and prevention 
of disease and injury, and enhance health. In the written comments, 
reviewers will be asked to evaluate the application in order to judge 
the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial 
impact on the pursuit of these goals.
    The scientific review group will address and consider the following 
items in the determination of scientific merit.
    1. Administrative and Infrastructure Core (Total: 150 points)
    (a) Defined Community (25 points). To what extent does the 
applicant adequately define and describe the primary community that the 
center's activities serve, such as: (i) The size of the defined 
geographic or non-geographic community, (ii) characteristics such as 
demographic make up, socioeconomic, and cultural characteristics, (iii) 
levels of youth violence and a description of the prevalent risk and 
protective factors, (iv) the youth violence prevention and public 
health infrastructure, including levels of organization and support for 
interpersonal youth violence prevention and community health 
interventions, (v) community assets and history of ``community 
participation, (vi) existing health, education, community, justice and 
other local policies related to youth violence prevention. How well 
does the applicant describe the center links to the defined community 
and document appropriate levels of engagement and collaboration?
    (b) Program Evaluation (50 points). To what extent does the 
applicant: (i) Appropriately describe the center-level logic model and 
provide a narrative description of components of the logic model, (ii) 
sufficiently describe and justify how each component of the center's 
logic model relates to or differentiates from the national ACE Program 
conceptual framework, (iii) describe relevant evaluation experiences 
and expertise as it relates to conducting an evaluation of the 
applicant's center, (iv) articulate a five-year evaluation plan for 
evaluating the critical components of the center's logic model, 
including the goals and objectives, and (v) illustrate how the center's 
evaluation plan is related to the national ACE Program evaluation 
activities, which includes annual reporting on national performance 
indicators.
    (c) Infrastructure (25 points). To what extent does the applicant: 
(i) Provide a detailed organizational chart that represents the 
center's activities, (ii) describe how the organizational structure 
facilitate the center's activities, (iii) describe the positions needed 
to accomplish the center's goals and objectives, (iv) propose a 
staffing plan with the required experience, expertise, and percentage 
of effort among the center's leadership, research, evaluation, 
communications, training, information management, and fiscal 
administration staff to accomplish its proposed goals and objectives, 
(v) explain how it will increase its capacity over time, (vi) 
demonstrated the applicant's commitment to the center (e.g., 
facilities, technological resources, etc.)and adequate university 
commitment to establish and maintain an identity for the proposed 
center.
    Is sufficient documentation of institutional endorsement of the 
proposed five-year research and community mobilization plans offered, 
including: (i) Letters of commitment from senior institutional 
officials from both collaborating institutions, (ii) letters of support 
that fully address and support the priorities and objectives of the 
center.
    (d) Collaborations/Partnerships (50 points). To what extent does 
the applicant: (i) Describe the center's community advisory committee, 
particularly its initial mission, roles, composition, and plans for 
developing or refining guidelines, (ii) provide letters of support or 
other evidence from these partners of active participation in this 
collaboration that fully address and support the priorities and 
objectives of the center, (iii) outline the past and newly established 
partnerships, the roles of these partners, and the methods for 
establishing and maintaining the partnerships, and (iv) articulate the 
proposed activities with the identified partners?
    2. Surveillance and Research Core (Total: 200 Points)
    (a) Surveillance (50 points). To what extent does the applicant: 
(i) Describe the establishment and/or enhancement of surveillance 
system(s) to be able to measure the problem of youth violence

[[Page 67923]]

in the chosen community, (ii) address how these efforts will lead to a 
better understanding of factors influencing youth violence prevention, 
and (iii) include an appropriate translation and dissemination plan for 
the proposed surveillance activities?
    (b) Research (150 points). To what extent does the applicant:
    (i) Describe the research project(s) linkage to the center's 
mission and priorities identified in the logic model and the NCIPC 
Research Agenda? Outline a conceptual research framework, design, 
methods, and analyses that are well integrated, and appropriate to the 
aims of the center? Propose research project(s) that address an 
important research objective related to youth interpersonal violence 
prevention and disparities in the defined community? Explain how this 
research will lead to a better understanding of factors influencing 
youth violence prevention in the defined community?
    (ii) Articulate the significance of the proposed research, and 
describe the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that 
drive the youth violence prevention field? Employ novel concepts, 
approaches or methods in youth violence prevention research? Explain 
how the research challenges existing paradigms or develops new 
methodologies or technologies? Propose research of sufficient 
originality, novelty, and innovation to make it highly relevant to the 
overall goals and objectives of the national ACE Program? Acknowledge 
potential problem areas and consider alternative interdisciplinary 
approaches? Offer clear evidence of significant interdisciplinary 
interactions in the conception, design, and proposed implementation of 
the research?
    (iii) Document collaboration with the community, providing clear 
evidence of community participation in developing and conducting the 
project? Demonstrate community support and liaison, and evidence of 
interaction with, and participation of community members and community 
leaders in the development and conduct of the research? Propose a 
design that demonstrates sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic 
factors in the community?
    (iv) Demonstrate success in conducting, evaluating, and publishing 
previous community-based youth violence prevention research in the past 
five years? Demonstrate a reasonable degree of community-based 
participatory research, and being trained and well-suited to carry out 
this work? Propose work appropriate to the experience level of center 
researchers?
    (v) Describe a scientific environment conducive to the probability 
of success of the research to be conducted? Propose studies that take 
advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ 
useful collaborative arrangements? Provide evidence of adequate 
institutional and community support?
    (vi) Provide sufficient evidence regarding the development and 
implementation of effective communication channels between researchers 
and community members? Address plans for useful and successful 
practical dissemination of project activities and findings within the 
defined community?
    3. Outreach and Education Core (Total: 150 Points)
    (a) Community Mobilization Plan (50 points). To what extent does 
the applicant's draft plan:
    (i) Enhance the community's capacity to address the problem of 
youth violence and improve the health of the community, by preventing 
or reducing youth violence, particularly among those most affected?
    (ii) Present clear goals, objectives and activities that address 
the youth violence problem in the defined community? Address and take 
into account community contextual factors (i.e. socioeconomic and 
cultural context, level of youth violence, public health and youth 
violence prevention infrastructure, history of community participation 
and existing support for the issue)?
    (iii) Offer adequate evidence of center experience in successfully 
developing, conducting, evaluating, and publishing on community 
mobilization activities in the past five years? Delineate community 
involvement in the development of the CMP?
    (iv) Address the development and review of the plan (i.e. describe 
external review and critique mechanisms)?
    (b) Communications and Dissemination (50 points). To what extent 
does the applicant: (i) Address the diversity or special needs of the 
community or subgroups, (ii) describe communications and dissemination 
activities that are integrated into the center's goals and objectives, 
(iii) anticipate how these activities will have an effect on local 
policies, and other potential outcomes, (iv) describe how the proposed 
methods for the center's communication and dissemination activities to 
help accomplish the center's goals and objectives, and (v) describe an 
adequate infrastructure of resources and personnel to support the 
center's communication and dissemination activities?
    (c) Training, Technical Assistance and Mentoring (50 points). To 
what extent does the applicant: (i) Describe and justify the center's 
assets or needs assessments for training, technical assistance, or 
mentoring activities, (ii) outline a suitable training, technical 
assistance, and mentoring plan that reflects the mission of the center 
and the assets or needs assessment described above, (iii) describe the 
opportunities and quality of the career development and mentoring plan 
for the junior investigators in the center.
    Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risks: Does the 
applicant adequately address the requirements of Title 45 CFR part 46 
for the protection of human subjects? This will not be 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.
    Inclusion of Women, Minorities in Research: Does the applicant 
adequately address the CDC Policy requirements regarding the inclusion 
of women, ethnic, and racial groups in the proposed research? (See 
Attachment 1, AR-2 for more information). 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 the study 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.
    Inclusion of Children as Participants in Research Involving Human 
Subjects. The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals 
under the age of 21) must be included in all human subjects research, 
conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and 
ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all initial 
(Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 
1998. NCIPC has adopted this policy for this announcement.
    All investigators proposing research involving human subjects 
should read the ``NIH Policy and Guidelines'' on the inclusion of 
children as participants in research involving human subjects that is 
available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm.

[[Page 67924]]

    Budget: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested 
period of support in relation to the proposed research.

V.2. Review and Selection Process

    Applications will be reviewed by the Procurement and Grants Office 
(PGO) staff for completeness, and for responsiveness by the National 
Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Incomplete applications and 
applications that are non-responsive will not advance through the 
review process. Applicants will be notified that their application did 
not meet submission requirements.
    Applications that are complete and responsive to the announcement 
will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate 
peer review group or charter study section convened by the National 
Center for Injury Prevention and Control in accordance with the review 
criteria listed above. As part of the initial merit review, all 
applications may:
    <bullet> Undergo a process in which only those applications deemed 
to have the highest scientific merit by the review group, generally the 
top half of the applications under review, will be discussed and 
assigned a priority score.
    <bullet> Receive a written critique.
    <bullet> Receive, if deemed to have the highest scientific merit, a 
second programmatic level review by the Science and Program Review 
Subcommittee (SPRS) of the Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and 
Control (ACIPC).
    Applications which are complete and responsive may be subjected to 
a preliminary evaluation (streamline review) by an external peer review 
committee, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 
Initial Review Group (IRG), to determine if the application is of 
sufficient technical and scientific merit to warrant further review by 
the IRG. 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 
shall be further evaluated by a dual review process.
    All awards will be determined by the Director of the NCIPC based on 
priority scores assigned to applications by the primary review 
committee IRG, recommendations by the secondary review committee of the 
Science and Program Review Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for 
Injury Prevention and Control (ACIPC), consultation with NCIPC senior 
staff, and the availability of funds.
    The primary review will be a peer review conducted by the IRG. All 
applications will be reviewed for scientific merit in accordance with 
the review criteria listed above. Applications will be assigned a score 
based on a scoring system of 100-500 points, in which the strongest 
applications will receive a higher point score, and the weakest 
applications a lower point score.
    The Science and Program Review Subcommittee (SPRS) of NCIPC's 
Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and Control (ACIPC) will 
conduct the secondary review. The ACIPC Federal agency experts will be 
invited to attend the secondary review, and will receive modified 
briefing books (i.e., abstracts, strengths and weaknesses from summary 
statements, and project officer's briefing materials). ACIPC Federal 
agency experts will be encouraged to participate in deliberations when 
applications address overlapping areas of research interest, so that 
unwarranted duplication in federally funded research can be avoided and 
special subject area expertise can be shared. The NCIPC Division 
Associate Director for Science (ADS) or their designees will attend the 
secondary review in a similar capacity as the ACIPC Federal agency 
experts to assure that research priorities of the announcement are 
understood and to provide background regarding current research 
activities. Only SPRS members will vote on funding recommendations, and 
their recommendations will be carried to the entire ACIPC for voting by 
the ACIPC members in closed session. If any further review is needed by 
the ACIPC, regarding the recommendations of the SPRS, the factors 
considered would be the same as those considered by the SPRS.
    The secondary review committee's responsibility is to develop 
funding recommendations for the NCIPC Director based on the results of 
the primary review, the relevance and balance of proposed research 
relative to the NCIPC programs and priorities, and to assure that 
unwarranted duplication of federally-funded research does not occur. 
The secondary review committee has the latitude to recommend to the 
NCIPC Director, to reach over better-ranked proposals in order to 
assure maximal impact and balance of proposed research. The factors to 
be considered will include:
    a. The results of the primary review including the application's 
priority score as the primary factor in the selection process.
    b. The relevance and balance of proposed research relative to the 
NCIPC programs and priorities.
    c. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the 
priorities and objectives stated in ``Healthy People 2010,'' the 
Institute of Medicine report, ``Reducing the Burden of Injury,'' and 
the ``CDC Injury Research Agenda.''
    d. Budgetary considerations.
    Award Criteria: Criteria that will be used to make award decisions 
during the programmatic review include:

<bullet> Merit (as determined by peer review)
<bullet> Availability of funds
<bullet> Geographic diversity
<bullet> Consistency with research priorities in CDC's Injury Research 
Agenda

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    September 1, 2005.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1. Award Notices

    Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Grant Award (NGA) 
from the CDC Procurement and Grants Office. The NGA shall be the only 
binding, authorizing document between the recipient and CDC. The NGA 
will be signed by an authorized Grants Management Officer, and mailed 
to the recipient fiscal officer identified in the application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review by mail.

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 45 CFR Part 74 
and Part 92

    For more information on the Code of Federal Regulations, see the 
National Archives and Records Administration at the following Internet 
address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html.
    The following additional requirements apply to this project:

<bullet> AR-1 Human Subjects Requirements.
<bullet> AR-2 Requirements for Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic 
Minorities in Research.
<bullet> AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements. Projects that 
involve the collection of information from ten or more persons and that 
are funded by cooperative agreements will be subject to review and 
approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
<bullet> AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements.
<bullet> AR-11 Healthy People 2010.
<bullet> AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions.

[[Page 67925]]

<bullet> AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control 
Activities.
<bullet> AR-21 Small, Minority, Women-Owned Businesses.
<bullet> AR-22 Research Integrity.
<bullet> AR-23 States and Faith-Based Organizations.
<bullet> AR-24 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 
Requirements.

    Additional information on AR-1 through AR-24 can be found on the 
CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/ARs.htm.

<bullet> AR-25 Release and Sharing of Data.

    Starting with the December 1, 2004 receipt date, all ``Requests for 
Applications (RFA)/Program Announcements (PA)'' soliciting proposals 
for individual research projects of $500,000 or more in total (direct 
and indirect) costs per year require the applicant to include a plan 
describing how the final research data will be shared/released or 
explain why data sharing is not possible. Details on data sharing and 
release, including information on the timeliness of the data and the 
name of the project data steward, should be included in a brief 
paragraph immediately following the Research Plan Section of the PHS 
398 form. References to data sharing and release may also be 
appropriate in other sections of the application (e.g. background and 
significance, or human subjects requirements). The content of the data 
sharing and release plan will vary, depending on the data being 
collected and how the investigator is planning to share the data. The 
data sharing and release plan will not count towards the application 
page limit and will not factor into the determining scientific merit or 
the priority scoring. Investigators should seek guidance from their 
institutions on issues related to institutional policies, and local IRB 
rules, as well as local, state and federal laws and regulations, 
including the Privacy Rule.
    Further detail on the requirements for addressing data sharing in 
applications for NCIPC funding may be obtained by contacting NCIPC 
program staff or by visiting the NCIPC Internet Web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/osp/sharing_policy.htm.

VI.3. Reporting

    You must provide the CDC with original, plus two hard copies of the 
following reports:
    1. Interim progress report (PHS 2590, OMB Number 0925-0001, rev. 5/
2001) no less than 90 days before the end of the budget period. The 
progress report will serve as your non-competing continuation 
application, and must contain the following elements:
    a. Current Budget Period Activities Objectives.
    b. Current Budget Period Financial Progress.
    c. New Budget Period Program Proposed Activity Objectives.
    d. Detailed Line-Item Budget and Justification.
    e. Measures of Effectiveness.
    f. Additional Requested Information.
    2. Financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of 
the budget period.
    3. Final financial status and final performance reports, no more 
than 90 days after the end of the project period.
    4. Additional requested information: The applicant will be 
responsible for submitting information on program performance. This 
will include, but is not limited to the following: providing 
information on all projects (i.e., core projects, special interest 
projects, and other funded projects) and products (i.e., publications, 
presentations, surveys, etc.); providing semi-annual updates on 
information requested by the program and provided in the application; 
and collaborating with the national ACE Program on the continued 
development and improvement of a reporting system.
    These reports must be mailed to the Grants Management Specialist 
listed in the ``Agency Contract'' section of this announcement.

VII. Agency Contacts

    We encourage inquiries concerning this announcement. For general 
questions about this announcement, contact: Technical Information 
Management Section, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine 
Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, telephone: (770) 488-2700.
    For questions about scientific/research program technical issues 
contact: Thomas Vogelsonger, National Center for Injury Prevention and 
Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford 
Highway, NE. MS K-02, Atlanta, GA 30341, telephone: (770) 488-4823, 
FAX: (770) 488-1662, e-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#491d1f262e252c3a26272e2c3b092a2d2a672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2c787a434b40495f43424b495e6c4f484f024b435a">[email protected]</span></a>.
    For questions about peer review issues, contact: Gwen Cattledge, 
Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for 
Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE., Mailstop K-02, 
Atlanta, GA 30341, telephone: 770-488-1430, e-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fbbca3b8c3bb989f98d59c948d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f2b5aab1cab2919691dc959d84">[email protected]</span></a>.
    For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact: 
James Masone, Contracts Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 
2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, telephone: 770-488-2736, 
FAX: 770-488-2671, e-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d8829e8cea98bbbcbbf6bfb7ae"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ecb6aab8deac8f888fc28b839a">[email protected]</span></a>.

VIII. Other Information

    This and other CDC funding opportunity announcements can be found 
on the CDC Web site, Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov. Click on 
``Funding'' then ``Grants and Cooperative Agreements.''
    To locate the following attachments/appendices for this program 
announcement go to CDC Web site.

    Dated: November 10, 2004.
William P. Nichols,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.

[[Page 67926]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN22NO04.004

Narrative Description of the Conceptual Framework for the National 
Academic Centers of Excellence for Youth Violence Prevention (ACE) 
Program

    The conceptual framework for the National Academic Centers of 
Excellence for Youth Violence Prevention (ACE) Program was developed to 
describe the future orientation of the program, its activities and the 
outcomes it expects to achieve. The national framework or logic model 
was created through a participatory process involving a diverse set of 
national, state, and local stakeholders and ACE grantees, and draws 
heavily from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Prevention Research 
Centers (PRC) model. The elements of the framework and its linkages are 
consistent with the Congressional language authorizing the 
establishment of the program, and CDC research policies.
    This model serves as a planning mechanism for center in guiding 
their activities during the 5-year grant period. The framework 
identifies the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes common to all 
ACE's and shows the expected relationships among these components. The 
diagram of the framework summarizes how the program is presumed to 
work. Although the boxes of the framework are shown in a linear 
fashion, the relationships among them are expected to be complex, 
interactive, and recursive over time.
    The national framework does not imply that one size fits all. To 
reflect uniqueness, each ACE should create their own logic model by 
tailoring the national framework or logic model to the center's 
specific activities and goals. The national framework cannot show the 
emphasis an individual ACE may place on one type of activity over 
another. The time required to achieve different outputs may vary among 
ACEs and depends on many factors, such as the type of research 
conducted and other activities undertaken, the amount of resources 
devoted to activities such as dissemination, and contextual factors. 
Thus, the framework does not specify the time it may take to achieve 
outputs or outcomes.

    Diagram Note: The size of the boxes in the diagram depends on 
the amount of text in each box and does not denote the relative 
importance of a specific element.

    Inputs. The first column of the conceptual framework, inputs, 
refers to the assumptions underlying a program and the infrastructure 
that must be in place before a program can be implemented. The four 
inputs the framework captures are described below.
    Youth Prevention Priorities. Each ACE is established to address 
youth interpersonal violence prevention priorities and enhance 
knowledge of effective youth violence prevention in a defined 
community. Community is defined as a group of people who share some or 
all of the following: geographic boundaries; a sense of membership; 
culture and language; common norms, interests, or values; and common 
health risks or conditions. [IOM 2002] [CDC/ATSDR Principles of 
Community Engagement] It refers to a population

[[Page 67927]]

that has a distinct identity. It can mean residents of a geographic 
area, be that a catchement area, neighborhood, school district, city, 
county or region within a county. It can be used with a modifier or 
clause to describe a non-geographically based subgrouping such as, but 
not exclusively: a community of youth violence prevention workers, a 
community of health professionals, or an ethnic or language community. 
The ACE program focuses its research activities on the violence 
prevention issues of high priority to the defined community and that 
address state or national youth violence prevention priorities, and 
such gaps identified in the Research Agenda of CDC's National Center 
for Injury Prevention and Control and those stated in Healthy People 
2010.

    Diagram Note: Two-way arrows connect the youth violence 
prevention priorities and box and the next three combined input 
boxes.

    ACE Community Committee. CDC will require each ACE to form or work 
with an existing ACE Community Committee. This group comprises members 
of the ACE's defined community and adult and youth representatives of 
agencies and organizations that serve the Center's designated 
community. The Community Committee participates in the Center's 
organization, research, or other activities. Committee members 
typically represent an identified group or population and participate 
in the committee in order to provide the perspective and knowledge of a 
designated population or group to the activities of the Center.
    The inputs provided by an ACE Community Committee to the ACE 
include guidance, advice on ACE agendas and plans, expertise, contacts, 
essential information about the designated community as well as 
intangible benefits. Some ACE's may wish to form additional advisory 
groups, as needed, such as a policy board, a youth advisory board, or 
advisory committees for individual research projects. The decision to 
form these additional groups depends on the needs of the ACE and the 
community.
    ACE Infrastructure. Before conducting specific youth violence 
prevention research, projects, and health promotion activities, an ACE 
must have the necessary internal infrastructure. This infrastructure 
includes the necessary human resources capacity to recruit faculty with 
the necessary core expertise, diversity and sensitivity. It also 
includes the necessary evaluation expertise as well as faculty and 
staff who have the requisite multidisciplinary expertise to implement 
ACE projects and activities and experience working with the community, 
and expertise for evaluating the implementation of the ACE's activities 
and to assess the ACE's outcomes and accomplishments. The Centers are 
mandated to create an infrastructure that facilitates initiatives that 
involve researchers and practitioners from varied disciplines, and 
collaboration across university centers. Finally, ACE capacity requires 
communication and data systems that enable and facilitate work, and 
administrative capacity (e.g., financial resources).
    Relationships with Center Partners. Each ACE is also expected to 
establish and maintain center partnerships with institutions such as 
state and local health, education, justice departments, other 
university partners, other ACEs, Injury Control Research Centers 
(ICRCs), Prevention Research Centers, national youth violence 
prevention organizations, and CDC. Partnerships are intended to 
strengthen the ACE's surveillance, research, training, mentoring, 
community mobilizing and dissemination activities in its identified 
community. Partners can collaborate with the ACE in designing and 
conducting research and other ACE projects and in disseminating 
research findings, which are expected to help facilitate the 
translation of public health research and related activities to 
practice and policy.

    Diagram Note: A dotted box around these three inputs indicates 
that the ACE, its community, and its external partners are the major 
stakeholders; they collaborate with each other to implement the ACE 
Program. The inputs for Community Committee, Infrastructure, and 
Relationships with Partners also have two-way arrows touching each 
other. A two-way arrow connects the combined boxes for these inputs 
with that for the next input. One-way arrows also connect the three 
boxes to the first two program activities.

    Motivating Conditions for Developing and Maintaining Relationships. 
The conceptual framework also recognizes the conditions motivating the 
development and maintenance of relationships with community partners 
and others. These conditions may include trust and tangible or 
intangible benefits (such as access to expertise or acceptance by a 
community) and sharing of resources gained from the partnership. These 
conditions may influence a partner's willingness to form a relationship 
with the ACE, the nature and strength of the relationship, and an ACE's 
ability to sustain the relationship over time.
    Activities. The second and third columns of the conceptual 
framework capture the activities that include: developing a research 
agenda; developing a community mobilization plan; conducting 
surveillance, research, building capacity and implementing the 
community mobilization plan. (Multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary 
collaboration and dissemination are inputs and outputs, respectively.)
    Research Agenda. An ACE is encouraged to engage stakeholders within 
its defined community in developing an overall research plan, 
identifying research priorities, selecting research projects, 
recruiting research participants, refining research methods, developing 
interventions, conducting research, and reporting and disseminating 
research findings. ACE Centers are charged with establishing a five-
year research agenda with tied to one or more HHS objectives, Healthy 
People 2010, NCIPC Research Agenda, Guide to Community Prevention 
Services and local youth violence prevention research priorities.
    Community Mobilization Plan. ACEs are charged with the development 
and implementation of a five-year community mobilization or action plan 
(in collaboration with the Community Committee). Further, the 
development of a Community Mobilization Plan should be tied to the 
Research Agenda with an identified relationship to one or more youth 
violence prevention priorities.

    Diagram Note: A two-way arrow connects the boxes for the 
development of the research agenda and the development of the 
community mobilization plan. One-way arrows connect the boxes for 
the mobilization plan and the research agenda to the next set of 
activities. A two-way arrow connects the research agenda and the 
mobilization plan as these processes should inform one another.

    Conduct Core Activities:
    <bullet> Surveillance. This core area includes the gathering, 
analysis and interpretation of surveillance data to enable the defined 
community with whom the ACE is working to better measure the problem of 
youth violence, and accurately reflect trends in the target community 
and the greater community. All Surveillance activities proposed should 
include an appropriate translation and dissemination plan.
    <bullet> Research. The research conducted should be informed by 
local priorities, the NCIPC Research Agenda, and contribute to new 
methods of study, understandings of, or ways to prevent youth 
interpersonal violence. In addition, ACEs may conduct research funded 
by other federal agencies and by state agencies, community-based

[[Page 67928]]

organizations, and foundations. All research is expected to be 
conducted using sound research methods that further the field of youth 
interpersonal prevention research. All research proposed under the ACE 
program should include an appropriate dissemination plan.
    <bullet> Build Capacity. ACEs are also charged with developing a 
five-year plan to train, provide technical assistance to, or mentor 
health professionals, researchers, practitioners, students, community 
members, and others. These activities, which are expected to be 
developed in collaboration with the recipients, may cover a range of 
topics, including youth violence prevention best practices, community 
building, research, and evaluation as well as other needs identified by 
ACE partners. ACEs may also train and provide technical assistance to 
community partners on implementing specific prevention and health 
promotion interventions, including effective practices.
    <bullet> Implement the Community Mobilization Plan. ACE's are 
expected to form, nurture and advance partnerships with the community 
designed to implement evidence-based strategies or promising programs. 
Community implementation efforts can include convening stakeholders--
including the most affected--helping to organize across different 
sectors, fostering strategic alliances, and strengthening community 
bonds; assessing community resources; mapping community assets; and 
enabling a fuller understanding of and response to the nature and 
dynamics of local violence.

    Diagram Note: Two-way arrows connect these four core activities 
to one another. One-way arrows connect surveillance, research, 
capacity building, and community implementation to the three outputs 
(intervention implementation, communication and dissemination, and 
training and technical assistance).

    Outputs. The fourth column captures outputs generated or produced 
as a result of program activities. Through the process of planning, 
carrying out public health-related youth violence prevention 
activities, and the promotion of collective action, it is expected that 
the professionals and community residents will gain increased skills 
and confidence (or a greater sense of ``efficacy'') enhancing its 
capacity for prevention. Enhanced capacity includes an improved ability 
on the part of agencies and organizations to implement and make well-
reasoned decisions about effective violence prevention programs and 
services. It also includes enhanced academic infrastructure in service-
learning, student practicum opportunities. This capacity combines a 
community's and a university's commitment, resources, and skills to 
respond to public health needs and priorities. Another aspect of 
enhanced capacity is the development of skilled ``violence 
preventers.'' This term includes not only professionals--both 
developing new skills for those entering the field as young 
researchers/practitioners and improving existing skills of current 
violence prevention workers--but also providing skills to youth, 
parents, and volunteers. Community stakeholders who collaborate with 
the ACE's in implementing research projects and who participate in ACE-
sponsored training and technical assistance improve their skills as a 
result. The selected measurable products, or outputs, of these 
activities and processes are described below.
    Communication and Dissemination. The communication and 
dissemination of research and evaluation findings are another type of 
output. These findings are typically published in peer-reviewed 
journals, books, and technical reports. They also may be presented to 
various audiences at professional conferences, community meetings, or 
other settings, and reported to the media. Findings from research 
conducted with a community should be shared with community partners and 
with other ACE's.
    Intervention Implementation. Many ACEs develop, implement and test 
violence prevention strategies, programs and interventions in a 
community, encouraging the implementation of evidence-based strategies 
or promising programs. A program may rely on a curriculum, a manual, or 
a particular prevention strategy or health promotion tool, which is 
packaged and made available to interested organizations or individuals.
    Training, Technical Assistance. ACE's training or technical 
assistance activities can include an assessment of the skills acquired, 
number of trainees and recipients of technical assistance, the number 
and duration of training or technical assistance events, and the 
satisfaction of participants with the training or technical assistance 
they received.

    Diagram Note: Together, all the output boxes connect to a 
combined set of two outcome boxes through a one-way arrow. These two 
outcomes connect to each other by two-way arrows.

    Outcomes. The last column of the conceptual framework shows the 
outcomes, or the intended effects of cumulative program activities over 
time.
    Improved Practice and Policy. One expected outcome of the ACE 
Centers' activities is the uptake of interventions and improved youth 
interpersonal violence prevention practice and policies. Surveillance, 
research, capacity building, and community implementation activities 
conducted by the ACEs are expected to be translated into community 
practice or policies adopted by local and state health departments, 
schools, other public agencies (e.g., recreation departments, housing 
authorities), and community-based organizations. Over time, these 
interventions and policies may be disseminated beyond an ACE's defined 
community and receive widespread use.
    Reduction of Risk Factors/Increase in Protective Factors. Another 
expected outcome of the ACE Centers' activities is the reduction of 
risk factors/increase of protective factors in the community, a result 
of the uptake of improved violence prevention practice and policies.
    Expanded Resources and Recognition. An ACE may be able to expand 
its resources beyond the core funding, research faculty, and initial 
organizational and agency partnerships that were formed when it first 
received CDC funding. An ACE may also gain recognition within a 
community and the nation for expertise in a particular field or area of 
youth interpersonal violence prevention, and for its partnerships.

    Diagram Note: One set of dotted lines surrounds the boxes for 
the two outcomes. A second set surrounds the two additional boxes 
below it (expanded resources and recognition). These groupings show 
the potential relationships with other components of the framework 
with which they are logically connected or which they are likely to 
influence or be influenced by. The outcomes flow back through 
motivating conditions and up the input column. They also connect to 
youth violence prevention agendas and down the input column. A one-
way feedback arrow also extends from the outcomes back to the inputs 
of youth violence prevention priorities and motivating conditions 
for developing and maintaining relationships.

    Contextual Conditions. The box across the bottom of the conceptual 
framework is for contextual conditions, which are socioeconomic, 
political, and cultural factors external to the ACE Program that may 
not be within its control but which may influence the implementation of 
activities and achievement of outcomes. Note that these conditions may 
relate to all components of the framework.
    Evaluation. Evaluation is a part of the ACE Program (noted at the 
top of the

[[Page 67929]]

framework) that extends across all the inputs, activities, outputs, and 
outcomes, except for the ultimate outcome. The arrow to each column 
signifies that the ACE Program will evaluate aspects of each component, 
guided by performance monitoring and evaluation questions. Many factors 
can contribute to the final outcome, and empirical data demonstrating a 
causal link between proposed program activities and improvements in 
community health are lacking. Therefore, the ACE Program will not 
evaluate the ACEs' effect on violence-induced death, disability and 
injury among adolescents, but will evaluate program effect on improved 
practice and policy, and reduction of risk factors/increase in 
protective factors.
    The ACE Program evaluation will collect data that may include 
information about how inputs are being used to shape the ACE Program, 
which activities are undertaken by the collective program, the quality 
of the activities, and the specific outcomes the program is 
accomplishing. CDC, ACEs, and other stakeholders can use evaluation 
findings for many purposes, including modifying program activities or 
enhancing and strengthening relationships with community partners. 
Evaluation findings also provide information that can be shared with 
external stakeholders, can help document the program's value, and may 
provide justification for continuing or increasing program funding.

Appendix 2.--List of Indicators for the National Academic Center of 
Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention Program

    1. Evidence of ACE Community Committee participation in the 
determination of ACE violence prevention priorities.
    2. Level of ACE Community Committee members satisfaction with 
participation.
    3. Evidence of establishment of partnerships and maintenance of 
partnerships.
    4. Establishment of a Community Mobilization Plan.
    5. Establishment of a Research Agenda.
    6. Evidence of community improvements in the ability to monitor and 
describe youth violence.
    7. Extent to which the research portfolio is contributing to new 
methods of study, understandings of, or ways to prevent youth violence.
    8. Evidence that the ACE Center is mobilizing the community to 
implement evidence-based strategies or promising programs.
    9. Evidence of a communication and dissemination plan, developed 
with input from key partners.
    10. Evidence of producing and disseminating research findings 
through peer-reviewed publications, and educational or technical 
materials.
    11. Evidence of a plan for training researchers, practitioners and 
community members.
    12. Extent to which center activities and evidence-based strategies 
have been translated into the outcomes listed.
    13. Extent to which researchers, practitioners, and community 
members have been trained, mentored, or provided technical assistance 
in youth violence prevention.
    14. Evidence of new grants, contracts or other resources awarded to 
the ACE Center or its partners.

Appendix 3.--Glossary of Terms

Youth Interpersonal Violence

    Youth interpersonal violence is defined as: The intentional use of 
physical force or power, threatened or actual, exerted by or against 
children, adolescents or young adults, ages 10-24, which results in or 
has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological 
harm, maldevelopment or deprivation. Youth interpersonal violence 
encompasses peer and community violence between individuals or groups 
who may or may not know each other. This form of violence frequently 
takes place outside the home, in the streets, or in institutional 
settings, such as schools, workplaces, and prisons. Youth violence also 
encompasses violence that occurs between youth and family members and 
other intimate relations. The nature of violence can be physical, 
sexual, and psychological. (Adapted from WHO Report on Violence and 
Health, 2002). [Adapted from WHO Report on Violence and Health. To 
access the Report go to: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/en/ ].

Community

    Community is defined as a group of people who share some or all of 
the following: geographic boundaries; a sense of membership; culture 
and language; common norms, interests, or values; and common health 
risks or conditions. [IOM 2002] [CDC/ATSDR Principles of Community 
Engagement].--It refers to a population that has a distinct identity. 
It can mean residents of a geographic area, such as a catchment area, 
neighborhood, school district, city, county or region within a county. 
It can be used with a modifier or clause to describe a non-
geographically based sub-grouping such as, but not exclusively: A 
community of youth violence prevention workers, a community of health 
professionals, or an ethnic or language community.

Community Mobilization

    Community mobilization is a process through which action is 
stimulated by a community itself or by others, that is planned, carried 
out, and evaluated by a community's individuals, groups, and 
organizations on a participatory and sustained basis to reduce or 
prevent youth violence, and improves health. [Save the Children/Health 
Communication Partnership]

Community Mobilization Plan (CMP)

    The plan is a general description of how you and your partners 
intend work with a particular community to mobilize around youth 
violence prevention. A mobilization plan defines the overall goals and 
objectives and identifies a process that will help interested 
communities achieve them, not to determine specific community actions 
or activities. The two overriding goals of community mobilization are 
to: 1. Enhance the community's capacity to address the problem of youth 
violence; 2. Prevent or reduce youth violence, thereby improving the 
health of the community.
    The goal of a community mobilization plan must be related to local 
youth violence prevention priorities. Where communities perceive a 
pressing youth violence prevention need, communities themselves may 
define the goal. Alternatively, ACEs and their stakeholders may 
identify a goal based on an analysis of community health indicators 
(e.g., frequency and severity of specific health problems and 
feasibility to address them). [Health Communication Partnership]

Community Participation

    The active involvement of the members of a community in the 
planning, creation, operation, evaluation, dissemination and oversight 
of an initiative or project.
Community Committee
    A group of individuals that represent groups and organizations 
within the Center's designated community. The Community Committee 
participates in the Center's organization, research, or other 
activities. Committee members typically represent an identified group 
or population and participate in the committee in order to provide the 
perspective and knowledge of a

[[Page 67930]]

designated population or group to the activities of the Center.
    CDC will require each ACE to form an ACE Community Committee. This 
group should comprise members of the ACE's defined community and adult 
and youth representatives of agencies and organizations serving that 
community. The inputs provided by an ACE Community Committee to the ACE 
include guidance, advice on ACE agendas and plans, expertise, contacts, 
essential information about the designated community as well as 
intangible benefits. Some ACE's may wish to form additional advisory 
groups, as needed, such as a policy board, a youth advisory board, or 
advisory committees for individual research projects. The decision to 
form these additional groups depends on the needs of the ACE and the 
community.
Center Partnerships
    Each ACE is also expected to establish and maintain center 
partnerships with institutions such as state and local health, 
education justice departments, other university partners, other ACEs, 
Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs), Prevention Research Centers, 
national youth violence prevention organizations, and CDC. Partnerships 
are intended to make the ACE's surveillance, research, training and 
mentoring, community mobilizing and dissemination activities relevant 
to its identified community. Partners can collaborate with the ACE in 
designing and conducting research and other ACE projects and in 
disseminating research findings, which are expected to help facilitate 
the translation of public health research and related activities to 
practice and policy.
Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)
    Scientific inquiry conducted in communities in which community 
members, persons affected by condition or issue under study and other 
key stakeholders in the community's health have the opportunity to be 
full participants in each phase of the work (from conception--design--
conduct--analysis--interpretation--conclusions--communication of 
results).
Definition Developed by Inter Agency Working Group for CBPR, Convened 
by NIEHS, NIH, August 2, 2002
    According to the CARE-CDC Health Initiative, A Model for Global 
Participatory Research, in community-based participatory research, the 
definition of scientific rigor is broadened to encompass community 
participation in decisionmaking at every phase of the research process: 
defining the problem, setting goals, selecting methods, interpreting 
data, and recommending policy. Essential to this philosophical 
construct is the assurance of quality decision making throughout the 
research process. In the document Building Community Partnerships in 
Research, participatory research is described as the gold standard 
toward which all federally funded research should aspire. (5)(p7). 
[Building Community Partnerships in Research: Recommendations and 
Strategies. Executive Summary. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept of Health and 
Human Services; April 7, 1998.]

[FR Doc. 04-25667 Filed 11-19-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P


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