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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 65 (Friday, April 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18912-18913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07562]

[[Page 18912]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Opportunity To Co-sponsor an AHRQ Research Conference

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to co-sponsor an AHRQ Conference.

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SUMMARY: AHRQ announces the opportunity for non-Federal public and 
private sector entities to co-sponsor an AHRQ conference in the 
Washington, DC area in early March, 2015. Potential co-sponsors must 
have a demonstrated interest and experience in health services 
research, implementation, and evaluation. Potential co-sponsors must 
also be capable of sponsoring and managing various discrete sessions or 
events associated with the conference and be willing to participate 
substantively in the co-sponsored activity.

DATES: To receive consideration for this opportunity, a proposal to 
participate as a co-sponsor must be received by AHRQ by 5 p.m. EDT May 
5, 2014 at the address listed below. Proposals will meet the deadline 
if they are either (1) received or (2) postmarked on or before the 
deadline. Privately metered postmarks will not be accepted as proof of 
timely mailing. Proposals received after the established deadline will 
not be considered.

ADDRESSES: Proposals for co-sponsorship should be sent to Ms. Jaime 
Zimmerman, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither 
Road, Room 3006, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Proposals may also be 
emailed to Jaime.zimmerman@ahrq.hhs.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jaime Zimmerman, Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland, 
20850; (301) 427-1456; Jaime.zimmerman@ahrq.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description

    AHRQ was originally created as the Agency for Health Care Policy 
and Research on December 19, 1989, under the Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1989, as a Public Health Service Agency in the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency was 
reauthorized on December 6, 1999, by the Healthcare Research and 
Quality Act of 1999, and re-named the Agency for Healthcare Research 
and Quality.
    AHRQ's mission is to produce evidence to make health care safer, 
higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable, and to work 
with HHS and other partners to make sure that the evidence is 
understood and used.
    AHRQ's priority areas of focus are:
     Improve health care quality by accelerating implementation 
of patient-centered outcomes research.
     Make health care safer and reduce the number of patients 
who experience preventable harm in the course of receiving care.
     Increase accessibility by providing evidence on the 
effects of expanding insurance coverage.
     Improve health care affordability, efficiency, and cost 
transparency.
    The purpose of the conference, consistent with AHRQ's mission, is 
to bring together grantees, contractors, and others who produce AHRQ-
supported research and products with stakeholders who can use those 
findings and products to achieve measurable improvements in the health 
care services patients receive. The conference provides additional 
opportunities to ensure that AHRQ-supported research is delivering the 
expected results--namely, independent, user-driven research that can 
help people and organizations at all levels of health care. The 
conference's goal is to focus on the results of AHRQ's research, share 
best practices, and demonstrate how these findings provide solutions 
for the challenges facing today's health care system. The conference 
also provides opportunities to interact with grantees, contractors, and 
users who can implement research-based solutions to improve care.
    The co-sponsors will assist with conference and agenda development, 
strategic messaging, coordination, financial management, and meeting 
logistics in conjunction with AHRQ staff. A co-sponsor can charge 
registration fees to recover costs associated with its sponsored 
events; however, a co-sponsor may not set registration fees at an 
amount higher than necessary to recover a co-sponsor's related 
conference expenses. Further, the co-sponsor is solely responsible for 
collecting, holding and disbursing any registration fees it collects.
    Eligibility for Co-Sponsorship: To be eligible, a potential co-
sponsor shall: (1) Have a demonstrated understanding, commitment, and 
experience in conducting and/or sponsoring health services research, 
especially as it relates to one or more of AHRQ's priority areas; (2) 
be knowledgeable about strategies for disseminating and implementing 
research findings, products, and tools and fostering changes in 
practice and health care policy; (3) have a track record in using a 
variety of methods for evaluating research impact; (4) participate 
substantively in the co-sponsored activity, not just provide funding or 
logistical support; and (5) have an organizational or corporate mission 
that is consistent with AHRQ and HHS.
    The selected co-sponsoring organization(s) shall furnish the 
necessary personnel, materials, services, and facilities to administer 
its responsibility for the conference. These duties will be outlined in 
a co-sponsorship agreement with AHRQ that will set forth the details of 
the co-sponsored activity, including the requirements that any fees 
collected by the co-sponsor shall be limited to the amount necessary to 
cover the co-sponsor's related conference expenses. A co-sponsorship 
agreement may include the following language:

Model Co-Sponsorship Agreement

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) [or name of 
subcomponent] and [name of co-sponsor] agree to co-sponsor [name of 
event], according to the terms expressed below:

1. Background

    [Provide the following information: (a) The nature and purpose of 
the event; (b) the identity and background of the co-sponsor(s); (c) 
the importance of the event to both HHS and the co-sponsor; (d) the 
substantive interest and special expertise of the co-sponsor in the 
subject matter of the event; (e) any other relevant background 
information that may explain the mutual interest of HHS and the co-
sponsor in working together on the event.]

2. Responsibilities for Developing the Event

    [Provide the following information: (a) The respective 
responsibilities of HHS and the co-sponsor for developing the 
substantive aspects of the event, such as the agenda and speakers; (b) 
the respective responsibilities of HHS and the co-sponsor for logistics 
and finances, such as arranging and paying for conference facilities, 
advertising, food, and any other event expenses. Note: This is the core 
paragraph of the co-sponsorship agreement, and it should reflect as 
much detail as HHS and the co-sponsor reasonably can provide.]

3. Registration Fees and Other Charges

    [Provide the following information: (a) State whether the co-
sponsor intends

[[Page 18913]]

to charge registration fees, and, if so, state that the co-sponsor 
agrees to set a fee no higher than necessary to recover its share of 
the costs of the event; (b) state whether HHS and the co-sponsor agree 
that HHS employees will be allowed free attendance at the event; (c) 
state whether the co-sponsor intends to sell educational materials 
pertaining to the event or transcripts or recordings of the event, and, 
if so, state that the co-sponsor agrees to sell such items at cost.]

4. Independently Sponsored Portions of Event

    [Provide the following information: (a) State whether either HHS or 
the co-sponsor intends to sponsor any discrete portion of the event 
independently; (b) describe any separately sponsored portion; (c) state 
that HHS resources, including staff, will not be used to develop, 
promote or otherwise support a portion of the event that is 
independently sponsored by the co-sponsor, although official 
announcements and brochures may contain factual references to the 
schedule of the entire event, including portions sponsored solely by 
the co-sponsor.]

5. Fundraising

    [Name of co-sponsor] will make clear, in any solicitation for funds 
to cover its share of the event costs, that it, not HHS, is asking for 
the funds. [Name of co-sponsor] will not imply that HHS endorses any 
fundraising activities in connection with the event. [Name of co-
sponsor] will make clear to donors that any gift will go solely toward 
defraying the expenses of [name of co-sponsor], not HHS.

6. Promotional Activity

    [Name of co-sponsor] will not use the event primarily as a vehicle 
to sell or promote products or services. [Name of co-sponsor] will 
ensure that any incidental promotional activity does not imply that HHS 
endorses any products or services. [Name of co-sponsor] will make 
reasonable efforts, subject to HHS review, to segregate any incidental 
promotional activity from the main activities of the event.

7. Event Publicity and Endorsements

    [Name of co-sponsor] will not use the name of HHS or any of its 
components, except in factual publicity for the specific event. Factual 
publicity includes dates, times, locations, purposes, agendas, fees, 
and speakers involved with the event. Such factual publicity shall not 
imply that the involvement of HHS in the event serves as an endorsement 
of the general policies, activities, or products of [name of co-
sponsor]; where confusion could result, publicity should be accompanied 
by a disclaimer to the effect that no endorsement is intended. [Name of 
co-sponsor] will clear all publicity materials for the event with HHS 
to ensure compliance with this paragraph.

8. Records

    Records concerning the event shall account fully and accurately for 
the financial commitments and expenditures of HHS and [name of co-
sponsor]. Such records shall reflect, at a minimum, the amounts, 
sources, and uses of all funds.

9. Public Availability

    This co-sponsorship agreement, as well as the financial records 
described in paragraph 8, shall be publicly available.

10. Co-Sponsorship Guidance

    HHS and [name of co-sponsor] will abide by the legal memorandum of 
August 8, 2002, entitled ``Co-Sponsorship Guidance,'' issued by the HHS 
Designated Agency Ethics Official. Co-Sponsorship Proposal: Each co-
sponsorship proposal shall contain a description of: (1) The entity or 
organization's background and history, (2) its ability to satisfy the 
co-sponsorship criteria detailed above, and (3) its proposed 
involvement in the co-sponsored activity.
    Evaluation Criteria: After engaging in exploratory discussions with 
potential co-sponsors that respond to this notice, AHRQ will select the 
co-sponsor or co-sponsors using the following evaluation criteria:
    (1) Qualifications and capability to fulfill co-sponsorship 
responsibilities;
    (2) Creativity related to enhancing the conference, including 
options for interactive sessions and ideas for improving the event 
based on the 2012 conference offerings;
    (3) Potential for reaching and generating attendees from among key 
stakeholders, including Federal, State and local policymakers, health 
care providers, consumers and patients, purchasers and payers, and 
other health officials and underserved/special populations;
    (4) Experience administering conferences;
    (5) Past or current work specific to health services research;
    (6) Personnel names, professional qualifications, and specific 
expertise with conference planning;
    (7) Availability and description of facilities needed to 
participate in and support the conference planning process, including 
office space, information technology, and telecommunication resources;
    (8) Description of financial management expertise, including 
demonstration of experience in developing a budget and collecting and 
managing monies from organizations and individuals; and,
    (9) Proposed plan for managing a conference with AHRQ.

    Dated: March 28, 2014.
Richard Kronick,
Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
[FR Doc. 2014-07562 Filed 4-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P
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