Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 66 / Friday, April 6, 2007 / Notices 17161 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Public Awareness of Embryo Donation 

and/or Adoption Public Awareness 

Campaign 

AGENCY: Office of Population Affairs, 

Office of Public Health and Science, 

Office of the Secretary, Department of 

Health and Human Services. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Announcement Type: This is the 

initial announcement of a competitive 

funding opportunity for cooperative 

agreement projects. 

Funding Opportunity Number: OPA–

2007–EA. 

CFDA Number: 93.007. 

DATES: To receive consideration, 

applications must be received no later 

than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on June 5, 

2007. The application due date 

requirement in this announcement 

supercedes the instructions in the 

OPHS–1 form. A Letter of Intent (LOI) 

is requested on or by May 7, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: To receive consideration, 

applications must be received in the 

Office of Grants Management, Office of 

Public Health and Science (OPHS), 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) c/o WilDon Solutions, 

Office of Grants Management 

Operations Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., 

Third Floor, Suite 310, Arlington, VA 

22209: Attention: Office of Population 

Affairs. LOIs should be sent to the same 

address. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Population Affairs (OPA), within the 

Office of Public Health and Science 

(OPHS) announces the availability of 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 funds to support 

a total of four to five new cooperative 

agreement projects, with the goal of 

increasing public awareness of embryo 

donation and/or adoption. OPA 

anticipates approximately $1,000,000 in 

funding will be available for four to five 

new cooperative agreements each in the 

range of $250,000 to $350,000 per year. 

Projects will be funded in annual 

increments (budget periods) and for a 

project period of two years. Funding for 

all budget periods beyond the first year 

of the cooperative agreement is 

contingent upon the availability of 

funds, satisfactory progress of the 

project, and adequate stewardship of 

Federal funds. Applicants must 

demonstrate experience with embryo 

donation and/or adoption programs that 

conform with professionally recognized 

standards governing embryo donation 

and/or adoption and other applicable 

Federal or State requirements. For the 

purposes of this announcement, embryo 

donation and/or adoption is defined as 

the donation of frozen embryo(s) from 

one party to a recipient who wishes to 

bear and raise a child or children. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

The OPA announces the availability 

of funds for FY 2007 and requests 

applications for cooperative agreement 

projects that will contribute to 

increasing public awareness of embryo 

donation and/or adoption. 

The OPA is under the direction of the 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Population Affairs (DASPA), who serves 

as the senior advisor to the Assistant 

Secretary for Health (ASH) on 

reproductive health science issues. The 

OPA established by PL 91–572 serves as 

the focal point on matters pertaining to 

population research and family 

planning, and is responsible for 

developing and making readily available 

information (including educational 

materials) on family planning and 

population growth to all persons 

desiring such information. 

The increasing success of assisted 

reproductive technologies (ART) has 

resulted in a situation in which an 

infertile couple typically creates several 

embryos through in-vitro fertilization 

(IVF). During IVF treatments, couples 

may produce many embryos in an 

attempt to conceive with several being 

cryopreserved (frozen) for future use. If 

a couple conceives without using all of 

the stored embryos, they may choose to 

release the remaining unused embryos 

for donation and adoption allowing 

other infertile couples the experience of 

pregnancy and birth. Embryo donation 

and/or adoption is a relatively new 

process in which individuals who have 

extra frozen embryos agree to release the 

embryos for transfer to the uterus of 

another woman, either known or 

anonymous to the donor(s) for the 

purpose of the recipient(s) attempting to 

bear a child and be that child’s parent. 

Legislative History 

On February 15, 2007, the President 

signed into law H.J. Res. 20, which 

provides fiscal year (FY) 2007 

appropriations through September 30, 

2007, for continuing projects and 

activities of the Federal Government. 

Public Law 110–5, the ‘‘Revised 

Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 

2007’’, which includes appropriations 

for DHHS. The bill does not include a 

statement addressing embryo adoption 

and/or donation public awareness 

campaign activities; however, the 

Revised Continuing Appropriations Bill 

for 2007 provides ‘‘ * * * such amounts 

as may be necessary, at the level 

specified in subsection (c) and under 

the authority and conditions provided 

in the applicable appropriations Act for 

fiscal year 2006, for projects or activities 

(includes the costs of direct loans and 

loan guarantees) that are not otherwise 

provided for and for which 

appropriations, funds, or other authority 

were made available in the following 

appropriations Acts: * * * (5) The 

Departments of Labor, Health and 

Human Services, and Education, and 

Related Appropriations Act, 2006.’’

Public Law 109–149, The Departments 

of Labor, Health and Human Services, 

and Education and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act, 2006, authorized 

the Secretary to a conduct public 

awareness campaign to educate 

Americans about the existence of frozen 

embryos available for donation and/or 

adoption. The Conference Report (H.R. 

Conf. Rep. 109–337) accompanying the 

FY 2006 Appropriations for the 

Departments of Labor, Health and 

Human Services, and Education and 

Related Agencies did not include a 

statement addressing embryo donation 

and/or adoption awareness activities; 

however, the budget table 

accompanying the conference report 

allocated $2 million. 

Review of Grant Materials 

Grantees shall submit all materials 

proposed for use in the funded project 

(including, but not limited to, Web sites, 

videos, training materials, brochures, 

fact sheets, press releases, agendas, 

curricula, reports, journal articles, 

promotional pieces, advertisements, 

Public Service Announcements (PSA’s), 

articles, mailings) to the OPA Project 

Officer for review and approval prior to 

use in the funded program. The review 

shall ensure that materials are 

consistent with the requirements of this 

announcement and other applicable 

grant requirements. 

Grant Attribution 

The OPA is interested in making 

available to the public the results and 

accomplishments of activities that it 

funds. Therefore, grantees will be 

required to place an acknowledgment of 

OPA grant support and a disclaimer, as 

appropriate, on any publication written 

or published with such support and, if 

feasible, on any publication reporting 

the results of or describing a grantsupported activity. 

II. Award Information 

Funding Instrument Type: 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Anticipated Total Funding: 

$1,000,000. 


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Anticipated Number of Awards: A 

total of 4–5. OPA anticipates funding 

four to five new projects. 

Expected Amounts of Individual 

Awards: $250,000–$350,000. 

Floor of Award Range: None. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $350,000 for 

the first 12 month budget period. OPA 

will not accept and review applications 

with budgets greater than the ceiling of 

the award range. 

Project Periods for Awards: 24 

months. The projects will be awarded 

for a project period of 24 months. The 

initial grant award will be for a 12- 

month budget period. The award of 

continuation funding beyond each 12- 

month budget period will be subject to 

the availability of funds, satisfactory 

progress on the part of the grantee, and 

a determination that continued funding 

would be in the best interest of the 

government. 

Applications are encouraged from 

organizations which are currently 

operating programs that have the 

capability of expanding and enhancing 

public awareness of embryo donation 

and/or adoption, and that have the 

capability to conduct a rigorous 

evaluation of the funded project. 

A cooperative agreement is a grant 

award instrument establishing an 

‘‘assistance’’ relationship between OPA 

and a recipient, in which substantial 

programmatic involvement with the 

recipient is anticipated during the 

performance of the activity. The 

recipient will have lead responsibilities 

in all aspects of the project, including 

any modifications to the project, 

conduct of the project, and preparation 

of any publications. The OPA project 

officer will collaborate with the 

recipients, as appropriate, and provide 

consultation, assistance, and support in 

planning, implementing, and evaluating 

all aspects of the proposed project plan. 

OPA will have substantial programmatic 

involvement during conduct of the 

project, through technical assistance, 

advice and coordination. Substantial 

involvement as a partner would include, 

for example, assisting in planning an 

agenda, selecting speakers, organizing a 

symposium, determining the content of 

training curricula and related 

educational materials, determining the 

topics or data to be reviewed as part of 

an assessment, and determining the 

acceptability of articles or reports. OPA 

will provide assistance in the 

preparation and review of any reports 

that may be disseminated as part of a 

funded project. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Eligible applicants must demonstrate 

previous experience with embryo 

donation and/or adoption and be 

knowledgeable in all elements of the 

process of embryo donation and/or 

adoption. Only agencies and 

organizations, not individuals, are 

eligible to apply. Eligible applicants 

include public agencies, non-profit 

organizations, and for-profit 

organizations. One agency must be 

identified as the applicant organization 

and will have legal responsibility for the 

project. Additional agencies and 

organizations can be included as coparticipants, subgrantees, 

subcontractors, or collaborators if they 

will assist in providing expertise and in 

helping to meet the needs of the 

recipients. 

Any public or private nonprofit 

organization or agency is eligible to 

apply for a cooperative agreement grant. 

However, only those organizations or 

agencies which demonstrate the 

capability of providing the proposed 

services and meet the requirements of 

this announcement are considered for 

awards. Faith-based and communitybased organizations that meet the 

eligibility requirements are encouraged 

to apply for these embryo donation and/ 

or adoption public awareness 

cooperative agreement projects. Please 

note, however, that cooperative 

agreement funds may not be used for 

inherently religious activities, such as 

worship, religious instruction, and 

proselytization. If an organization 

engages in such activities, they must be 

offered separately in time or location 

from the cooperative agreement program 

and participation must be voluntary for 

program beneficiaries. A cooperative 

agreement program, in providing 

services and outreach related to program 

services, cannot discriminate against 

current or prospective program 

beneficiaries on the basis of religion, a 

religious belief, a refusal to hold a 

religious belief, or a refusal to actively 

participate in a religious practice. 

Applicants should note that section 

74.81 of the DHHS grants administration 

regulations (45 CFR part 74) indicates 

that except for awards under certain 

small business programs, no grant funds 

may be paid as profit to any recipient 

even if the recipient is a commercial 

organization. Profit is any amount in 

excess of allowable direct and indirect 

costs. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

None. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application Kit 

Application kits may be obtained by 

accessing Grants.gov at http:// 

www.grants.gov or the GrantSolutions 

system at GrantSolution.gov. To obtain 

a hard copy of the application kit, 

contact WilDon Solutions at 1–888–

203–6161. Applicants may fax a written 

request to WilDon Solutions at (240) 

453–8823 or e-mail the request to 

OPHSgrantinfo@teamwildon.com. 

Applications must be prepared using 

Form OPHS–1, which can be obtained at 

the Web sites noted above. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

The OPA requests that you send a 

Letter of Intent (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, estimate the potential review 

workload, and allow OPA to plan the 

review process. The information will be 

used to determine the number of expert 

reviewers needed to evaluate the 

applications. The narrative should be 

not more than two double-spaced pages, 

printed on one side, with one-inch 

margins, and in 12-point font, 

unreduced. The LOI should include the 

following information: ‘‘Attention: 

Embryo Adoption Public Awareness 

Campaign Letter of Intent,’’ name and 

address of the applicant institution; 

name, address and telephone number of 

the contact person; and specific 

objectives to be addressed by the 

proposed project. 

Applications must be prepared on the 

forms supplied (OPHS–1) and in the 

manner prescribed in the application 

kits provided by the OPA. The 

application must be signed by an 

individual authorized to act for the 

applicant agency and to assume 

responsibility for the obligations 

imposed by the terms and conditions of 

the grant award. 

To be considered for funding, 

applicants must submit one signed 

original of the application and two 

photocopies in one package, including 

all forms and attachments. Please label 

the application envelope: ‘‘Attention: 

Embryo Adoption Public Awareness 

Campaign.’’ The application should be 

typed and should be no more than 50 

double-spaced pages (excluding 

attachments), printed on one side, with 

one-inch margins, and in 12-point font, 

unreduced. All pages, including 

appendices should be numbered 


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sequentially and stapled, or otherwise 

secured, in the upper left corner. 

Applications must include a one-page 

abstract of the proposed project. The 

abstract will be used to provide 

reviewers with an overview of the 

application, and will form the basis for 

the applications summary in grants 

management documents. 

Program Requirements/Application 

Content 

Applicants will be required to 

develop and implement programs for a 

public awareness campaign on embryo 

adoption. Applicants are required to 

submit a plan and time line that 

demonstrate that the proposed public 

awareness campaign: (a) Will be 

competency-based, (b) has experience 

with embryo adoption programs that 

conform to professionally-recognized 

guidelines and other relevant Federal or 

State requirements, (c) will be pilot 

tested and appropriately modified, as 

necessary, before use, and (d) can be 

reliably evaluated. In the narrative 

section of the application, applicants are 

advised to describe the strategies and 

processes that they will use to design a 

public awareness campaign. The 

applicant should document its capacity 

to undertake a public awareness 

campaign focused on potential donors 

and/or recipients. Applicants are 

encouraged to present a description of 

approaches that may be used, as well as 

any supplemental materials (brochures, 

handouts, visual aids, and other 

resources). Moreover, applicants are 

advised to demonstrate a familiarity 

with and understanding of 

professionally recognized standards or 

practices (both medical and legal issues) 

pertaining to embryo adoption, as well 

as supportive services for potential 

donor or recipient couples. The 

applicant organization should clearly 

demonstrate its professional knowledge 

and experience in embryo adoption 

whether with potential donor or 

recipient populations. 

Applicants must make reasonable 

efforts to ensure that the individuals 

who design and implement the public 

awareness campaign are knowledgeable 

in all elements of the embryo adoption 

process and are experienced in 

providing such information. Applicant 

organizations should demonstrate that 

they have access to frozen embryos for 

adoption either directly or through 

partnership arrangements. Applicants 

should include information about the 

number of frozen embryos to which they 

have access, their history in working 

with either potential donor or recipient 

couples, and the organization’s capacity 

to facilitate an embryo adoption public 

awareness campaign. In the project 

narrative, applicants are encouraged to 

present a plan that may be used for 

working with potential donors and/or 

recipients under the proposed public 

awareness campaign. 

Application Narrative 

In the narrative section of the 

application, applicants are advised to 

describe the strategies and processes 

that they will use. The applicant should 

document its capacity to undertake a 

project that is focused on increasing 

public awareness of embryo donation 

and/or adoption. Applicants are 

encouraged to present a description of 

approaches that may be used, as well as 

any supplemental materials. Moreover, 

applicants are advised to demonstrate a 

familiarity with and understanding of 

professionally recognized standards or 

practices (both medical and legal issues) 

pertaining to embryo donation and/or 

adoption, as well as supportive services 

for potential donor or recipient couples. 

The applicant organization should 

clearly demonstrate its professional 

knowledge and experience in embryo 

donation and/or adoption. 

Applicants should include 

information about their history in 

working with embryo donation and/or 

adoption, and the organization’s 

capacity to further the goal of increasing 

public awareness of embryo donation 

and/or adoption. As part of the project 

narrative, applicants are advised to 

describe the methods they will use to 

recruit, select, train and evaluate 

individuals who will implement the 

project. 

Applicants, in the project narrative, 

are encouraged to present a plan for 

evaluation of the project. The evaluation 

plan should be two tiered to address: (1) 

Process, including the planning, 

content, and quality of the products 

(e.g., videos, pamphlets, journal articles, 

presentations, survey instruments, focus 

groups projects, pilot test reports, 

conference proceedings, etc.) produced 

and (2) participant satisfaction and/or 

project effectiveness, as appropriate. 

Applicants that do not have the inhouse capacity to conduct an evaluation 

are advised to propose contracting with 

a third party evaluator to conduct the 

evaluation. 

Applicants should prepare a project 

description statement in accordance 

with the following general instructions 

and use the information provided in this 

section and the evaluation criteria 

section to develop the application 

content. Applications will be evaluated 

on the criteria listed, so it is important 

to follow them in describing your 

program plan. The narrative should 

contain the following sections in the 

order presented below: 

1. Project Summary/Abstract: Provide 

a summary of the project description not 

to exceed one page. Care should be 

taken to produce an abstract/summary 

that accurately and concisely reflects 

the proposed project since the abstract 

will be used to provide reviewers with 

an overview of the application, will 

form the basis for an application 

summary in official documents, and it 

may be posted on the OPA web site. It 

should describe the objectives of the 

project, the approach to be used, and the 

results or benefits expected. 

2. Objectives and Need for Assistance: 

Clearly identify the physical, economic, 

social, legal, financial, institutional, 

and/or other problem(s) requiring a 

solution. The need for assistance must 

be demonstrated and the principal and 

subordinate objectives of the project 

must be clearly stated; supporting 

documentation, such as letters of 

support and testimonials from 

concerned interests other than the 

applicant, may be included. Describe 

the rationale for use of the proposed 

approach based upon previous practice 

and review of the literature and/or 

evaluation findings. Any relevant data 

based on studies should be included or 

referred to in the endnotes/footnotes. In 

developing the project description, the 

applicant may volunteer to provide 

information on the total range of related 

projects being conducted or supported 

(or to be initiated), some of which may 

be outside the scope of the program 

announcement. 

Describe the specific geographic 

region that will be served by the 

organization. This section should 

include a justification for the selection 

of the region, based on, for example, 

geographic size or the number and types 

of ART centers in the area. There are no 

geographic restrictions on where the 

prospective projects may be conducted. 

The OPA will accept applications for 

projects of national, regional, or local 

scope. The rationale for the project 

scope must be justified in detail. 

3. Approach: Provide a detailed work 

plan and timetable for both the first and 

second year of the proposed project. 

Outline a plan of action, which 

describes the scope and detail of how 

the proposed work will be 

accomplished. Account for all functions 

or activities identified in the 

application. Cite factors that might 

accelerate or decelerate the work, and 

state your reason for taking the 

proposed approach rather than others. 

Describe any unusual features of the 

project such as design or technological 

innovations, reductions in cost or time, 


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or extraordinary social and community 

involvement. Provide quantitative 

monthly or quarterly projections of the 

accomplishments to be achieved for 

each function or activity in such terms 

as the number of program activities to 

be held, or appropriate measurable 

outcomes. When accomplishments 

cannot be quantified by activity or 

function, list them in chronological 

order to show the schedule of 

accomplishments and their target dates. 

4. Evaluation: Provide a narrative 

addressing how the results of the project 

and the conduct of the project will be 

evaluated. In addressing the evaluation 

of results, state how you will determine 

the extent to which the project has 

achieved its stated objectives and the 

extent to which the accomplishment of 

objectives can be attributed to the 

project. Discuss the criteria to be used 

to evaluate results, and explain the 

methodology that will be used to 

determine if the needs identified and 

discussed are being met and if the 

project results and benefits are being 

achieved. With respect to the conduct of 

the project, define the procedures to be 

employed to determine whether the 

project is being conducted in a manner 

consistent with the work plan presented 

and discuss the impact of the project’s 

various activities on the project’s 

effectiveness. 

5. Organizational Profiles: Provide 

information on the applicant 

organization and cooperating partners 

such as organizational charts, financial 

statements, audit reports or statements 

from CPAs/Licensed Public 

Accountants, Employer Identification 

Numbers, names of bond carriers, 

contact persons and telephone numbers, 

and other documentation of professional 

accreditation, information on 

compliance with Federal/State/local 

government standards, documentation 

of experience in the program area, and 

other pertinent information. 

6. Budget and Budget Justification: 

Provide a narrative budget justification 

that describes how the categorical costs 

are derived. Discuss the necessity, 

reasonableness, and allocability of the 

proposed costs. Identify the project 

director or principal investigator, if 

known. For each staff person, provide 

the title, time commitment to the project 

(in months), time commitment to the 

project (as a percentage or full-time 

equivalent), annual salary, grant salary, 

and wage rates. Do not include the costs 

of consultants or personnel costs of 

delegate agencies or of specific 

project(s) or businesses to be financed 

by the applicant. Provide a breakdown 

of the amounts and percentages that 

comprise fringe benefit costs such as 

health insurance, FICA, retirement 

insurance, and taxes, unless treated as 

part of an approved indirect cost rate. 

Include information on the costs of 

project-related travel by employees of 

the applicant organization (does not 

include costs of consultant travel). For 

each trip, show the total number of 

traveler(s), travel destination, duration 

of trip, per diem, mileage allowances, if 

privately owned vehicles will be used, 

and other transportation costs and 

subsistence allowances. For each type of 

equipment requested, provide a 

description of the equipment, the cost 

per unit, the number of units, the total 

cost, and a plan for use on the project, 

as well as use or disposal of the 

equipment after the project ends. An 

applicant organization that uses its own 

definition for equipment should provide 

a copy of its policy or section of its 

policy which includes the equipment 

definition. Specify general categories of 

supplies and their costs. Show 

computations and provide other 

information, which supports the amount 

requested. Include information on the 

costs of all contracts for services and 

goods except for those, which belong 

under other categories such as 

equipment, supplies, construction, etc. 

Third-party evaluation contracts (if 

applicable) and contracts with 

secondary recipient organizations, 

including delegate agencies and specific 

project(s) or businesses to be financed 

by the applicant, should be included 

under this category. Whenever the 

applicant intends to delegate part of the 

project to another agency, the applicant 

must provide a detailed budget and 

budget narrative for each delegate 

agency, by agency title, along with the 

required supporting information. 

3. Submission Dates and Times 

To be considered for review, 

applications must be received by the 

Office of Public Health and Science, 

Office of Grants Management, c/o 

WilDon Solutions, by 5 p.m. Eastern 

Time on June 5, 2007. Applications will 

be considered as meeting the deadline if 

they are received on or before the 

deadline date. The application due date 

requirement in this announcement 

supercedes the instructions in the 

OPHS–1 form. 

Submission Mechanisms 

The Office of Public Health and 

Science (OPHS) provides multiple 

mechanisms for the submission of 

applications, as described in the 

following sections. Applicants will 

receive notification via mail from the 

OPHS Office of Grants Management 

confirming the receipt of applications 

submitted using any of these 

mechanisms. Applications submitted to 

the OPHS Office of Grants Management 

after the deadlines described below will 

not be accepted for review. Applications 

which do not conform to the 

requirements of the grant announcement 

will not be accepted for review and will 

be returned to the applicant. 

While applications are accepted in 

hard copy, the use of the electronic 

application submission capabilities 

provided by the GrantSolutions system 

or the Grants.gov Website Portal is 

encouraged. Applications may only be 

submitted electronically via the 

electronic submission mechanisms 

specified below. Any applications 

submitted via any other means of 

electronic communication, including 

facsimile or electronic mail, will not be 

accepted for review. 

In order to apply for new funding 

opportunities which are open to the 

public for competition, you may access 

the Grants.gov website portal. All OPHS 

funding opportunities and application 

kits are made available on Grants.gov. If 

your organization has/had a grantee 

business relationship with a grant 

program serviced by the OPHS Office of 

Grants Management, and you are 

applying as part of ongoing grantee 

related activities, please access 

GrantSolutions.gov. 

Electronic grant application 

submissions must be submitted no later 

than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the 

deadline date specified in the DATES

section of the announcement using one 

of the electronic submission 

mechanisms specified below. All 

required hardcopy original signatures 

and mail-in items must be received by 

the OPHS Office of Grants Management 

no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the 

next business day after the deadline 

date specified in the DATES section of 

the announcement. 

Applications will not be considered 

valid until all electronic application 

components, hardcopy original 

signatures, and mail-in items are 

received by the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management according to the deadlines 

specified above. Application 

submissions that do not adhere to the 

due date requirements will be 

considered late and will be deemed 

ineligible. Applicants are encouraged to 

initiate electronic applications early in 

the application development process, 

and to submit early on the due date or 

before. This will aid in addressing any 

problems with submissions prior to the 

application deadline. 


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Electronic Submissions via the 

Grants.gov Website Portal 

The Grants.gov Website Portal 

provides organizations with the ability 

to submit applications for OPHS grant 

opportunities. Organizations must 

successfully complete the necessary 

registration processes in order to submit 

an application. Information about this 

system is available on the Grants.gov 

Web site, http://www.grants.gov. 

In addition to electronically 

submitted materials, applicants may be 

required to submit hard copy signatures 

for certain Program related forms, or 

original materials as required by the 

announcement. It is imperative that the 

applicant review both the grant 

announcement, as well as the 

application guidance provided within 

the Grants.gov application package, to 

determine such requirements. Any 

required hard copy materials, or 

documents that require a signature, 

must be submitted separately via mail to 

the OPHS Office of Grants Management, 

and, if required, must contain the 

original signature of an individual 

authorized to act for the applicant 

agency and the obligations imposed by 

the terms and conditions of the grant 

award. When submitting the required 

forms, do not send the entire 

application. Complete hard copy 

applications submitted after the 

electronic submission will not be 

considered for review. 

Electronic applications submitted via 

the Grants.gov Website Portal must 

contain all completed online forms 

required by the application kit, the 

Program Narrative, Budget Narrative 

and any appendices or exhibits. All 

required mail-in items must be received 

by the due date requirements specified 

above. Mail-In items may only include 

publications, resumes, or organizational 

documentation. When submitting the 

required forms, do not send the entire 

application. Complete hard copy 

applications submitted after the 

electronic submission will not be 

considered for review. 

Upon completion of a successful 

electronic application submission via 

the Grants.gov Website Portal, the 

applicant will be provided with a 

confirmation page from Grants.gov 

indicating the date and time (Eastern 

Time) of the electronic application 

submission, as well as the Grants.gov 

Receipt Number. It is critical that the 

applicant print and retain this 

confirmation for their records, as well as 

a copy of the entire application package. 

All applications submitted via the 

Grants.gov Website Portal will be 

validated by Grants.gov. Any 

applications deemed ‘‘Invalid’’ by the 

Grants.gov Website Portal will not be 

transferred to the GrantSolutions 

system, and OPHS has no responsibility 

for any application that is not validated 

and transferred to OPHS from the 

Grants.gov Website Portal. Grants.gov 

will notify the applicant regarding the 

application validation status. Once the 

application is successfully validated by 

the Grants.gov Website Portal, 

applicants should immediately mail all 

required hard copy materials to the 

OPHS Office of Grants Management to 

be received by the deadlines specified 

above. It is critical that the applicant 

clearly identify the organization name 

and Grants.gov Application Receipt 

Number on all hard copy materials. 

Once the application is validated by 

Grants.gov, it will be electronically 

transferred to the GrantSolutions system 

for processing. Upon receipt of both the 

electronic application from the 

Grants.gov Website Portal, and the 

required hardcopy mail-in items, 

applicants will receive notification via 

mail from the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management confirming the receipt of 

the application submitted using the 

Grants.gov Website Portal. 

Applicants should contact Grants.gov 

regarding any questions or concerns 

regarding the electronic application 

process conducted through the 

Grants.gov Website Portal. 

Electronic Submissions via the 

GrantSolutions System 

The electronic grants management 

system, GrantSolutions.gov, provides for 

applications to be submitted 

electronically. When submitting 

applications via the GrantSolutions 

system, applicants are required to 

submit a hard copy of the application 

face page (Standard Form 424) with the 

original signature of an individual 

authorized to act for the applicant 

agency and assume the obligations 

imposed by the terms and conditions of 

the grant award. If required, applicants 

will also need to submit a hard copy of 

the Standard Form LLL and/or certain 

Program related forms (e.g., Program 

Certifications) with the original 

signature of an individual authorized to 

act for the applicant agency. When 

submitting the required forms, do not 

send the entire application. Complete 

hard copy applications submitted after 

the electronic submission will not be 

considered for review. 

Electronic applications submitted via 

the GrantSolutions system must contain 

all completed online forms required by 

the application kit, the Program 

Narrative, Budget Narrative and any 

appendices or exhibits. The applicant 

may identify specific mail-in items to be 

sent to the Office of Grants Management 

separate from the electronic submission; 

however, these mail-in items must be 

entered on the GrantSolutions 

Application Checklist at the time of 

electronic submission, and must be 

received by the due date requirements 

specified above. Mail-In items may only 

include publications, resumes, or 

organizational documentation. When 

submitting the required forms, do not 

send the entire application. Complete 

hard copy applications submitted after 

the electronic submission will not be 

considered for review. 

Upon completion of a successful 

electronic application submission, the 

GrantSolutions system will provide the 

applicant with a confirmation page 

indicating the date and time (Eastern 

Time) of the electronic application 

submission. This confirmation page will 

also provide a listing of all items that 

constitute the final application 

submission including all electronic 

application components, required 

hardcopy original signatures, and mailin items, as well as the mailing address 

of the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management where all required hard 

copy materials must be submitted. 

As items are received by the OPHS 

Office of Grants Management, the 

electronic application status will be 

updated to reflect the receipt of mail-in 

items. It is recommended that the 

applicant monitor the status of their 

application in the GrantSolutions 

system to ensure that all signatures and 

mail-in items are received. 

Mailed or Hand-Delivered Hard Copy 

Applications 

Applicants who submit applications 

in hard copy (via mail or handdelivered) are required to submit an 

original and two copies of the 

application. The original application 

must be signed by an individual 

authorized to act for the applicant 

agency or organization and to assume 

for the organization the obligations 

imposed by the terms and conditions of 

the grant award. 

Mailed or hand-delivered applications 

will be considered as meeting the 

deadline if they are received by the 

OPHS Office of Grant Management on or 

before 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the 

deadline date specified in the DATES

section of the announcement. The 

application deadline date requirement 

specified in this announcement 

supersedes the instructions in the 

OPHS–1. Applications that do not meet 

the deadline will be returned to the 

applicant unread. 


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4. Intergovernmental Review 

This program is not subject to the 

intergovernmental review requirements 

of Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs,’’ as implemented by 45 CFR 

part 100. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

The allowability, allocability, 

reasonableness, and necessity of direct 

and indirect costs that may be charged 

to OPHS grants are outlined in the 

following documents: OMB Circular A–

21 (Institutions of Higher Education); 

OMB Circular A–87 (State and Local 

Governments); OMB Circular A–122 

(Nonprofit Organizations); and 45 CFR 

part 74, Appendix E (Hospitals). Copies 

of the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) Circulars are available on the 

Internet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ 

omb/grants/grants_circulars.html. 

Applicants for cooperative agreements 

are expected to anticipate and justify 

their funding needs and the activities to 

be carried out with those funds in 

preparing the budget and accompanying 

narrative portions of their applications. 

If applicants are uncertain whether a 

particular cost is allowable, they should 

contact the OPHS Office of Grants 

Management at 240–453–8822 for 

further information. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria 

Each application for a cooperative 

agreement grant project will be 

evaluated individually according to the 

following criteria by a panel of 

independent reviewers appointed by the 

OPHS. Before the review panel 

convenes, each application will be 

screened for applicant organization 

eligibility, as well as to make sure the 

application contains all of the essential 

elements. 

Applicants that meet the requirements 

of this program announcement will be 

notified by the Office of Grants 

Management. A panel of at least three 

reviewers will use the evaluation 

criteria listed below to determine the 

strengths and weaknesses of each 

application, provide comments and 

assign numerical scores. Applicants 

should address each criterion in the 

project application. The point values 

(summing up to 100) indicate the 

maximum numerical weight each 

criterion will be accorded in the review 

process. 

Criterion 1: Objectives and Need for 

Assistance (30 Points) 

Applicants must demonstrate a clear 

understanding of the legislative goals 

and demonstrate how their approach to 

the project design will contribute to 

achieve the legislative goals. Applicants 

must also demonstrate an understanding 

of the information and skills needed by 

the designated staff, as well as of the 

intended audience. Applicants should 

provide letters of commitment or 

Memoranda of Understanding from 

organizations, agencies, and consultants 

that will be partners or collaborators in 

the proposed project. These documents 

should describe the role of the agency, 

organization, or consultant and detail 

specific tasks to be performed. Specific 

review criteria include: 

(1) Extent to which the application 

reflects an understanding of the 

legislative goals of the public awareness 

campaign for embryo donation and/or 

adoption, and implementation will 

contribute to achieving the legislative 

goals; 

(2) Extent to which the application 

clearly describes and documents an 

understanding of the need for assistance 

to support and/or enhance existing 

efforts regarding public awareness of 

embryo donation and/or adoption; 

(3) Extent to which the application 

reflects a knowledge and understanding 

of the challenges involved with embryo 

donation and/or adoption, and in 

increasing public awareness about 

embryo donation and/or adoption; 

(4) Extent to which the application 

reflects a knowledge and understanding 

of the medical and legal framework of 

embryo donation and/or adoption, and 

the services and resources in the 

geographic area in which the proposed 

project will be conducted; 

(5) Extent to which the application 

explains how the proposed project will 

contribute to increased knowledge of 

the problems, issues, and effective 

strategies and best practices in the field 

of embryo donation and/or adoption; 

and, 

(6) Extent to which the application 

presents a vision of how the project will 

advance embryo donation and/or 

adoption public awareness, and 

discusses broad contextual factors that 

will facilitate or impede increasing 

public awareness of embryo donation 

and/or adoption. 

Criterion 2: Approach (30 Points) 

In this section, applicants are 

expected to define goals and specific, 

measurable objectives for the project. 

Goals are an end product of an effective 

project. Objectives are measurable steps 

for reaching goals. Applicants are 

advised to describe a preliminary, yet 

appropriate and feasible plan of action 

pertaining to the scope of the proposed 

project and provide details on how the 

proposed project will be accomplished. 

If the project involves partnerships with 

other agencies and organizations, then 

the roles of each partner should be 

clearly specified. Applicants are 

required to describe how the project 

will be evaluated to determine the 

extent to which it has achieved its 

stated goals and objectives. Applicants 

are expected to present a project design 

that includes detailed procedures for 

documenting project activities that is 

sufficient to implement the goals and 

provide for an evaluation. The 

evaluation design is expected to include 

process and outcome analyses, if 

feasible. Applicants are expected to 

report on their evaluation results in 

their final report to the OPHS upon 

completion of the project period. 

Applicants are required to describe the 

activities that they will develop 

pursuant to the project. Applicants 

should discuss the intended audiences 

for these activities (e.g., ART centers, 

adoption organizations, practitioners, 

professional organizations that work 

with infertile couples, potential 

recipients, or donors) and present a 

dissemination plan specifying the 

venues for conveying the information. 

This criterion consists of four broad 

topics: (A) project design, (B) 

implementation, (C) evaluation, and (D) 

dissemination. Specific review criteria 

include: 

(A) Design of the Project. (1) Extent to 

which the application reflects a 

familiarity with and understanding of 

professionally recognized standards 

and/or other relevant Federal or State 

requirements pertaining to embryo 

donation and/or adoption. 

(2) Extent to which the proposed 

project goals, objectives, and outcomes 

are clearly specified and measurable, 

and reflect an understanding of the 

context in which embryo donation and/ 

or adoption operates; and, 

(3) Extent to which the application 

presents an approach that is: (a) 

Competency based, (b) consistent with 

the nationally recognized guidelines, 

and (c) can be evaluated. 

(B) Implementation. (1) Extent to 

which the application clearly describes 

and provides a justification for the 

selection of the geographic region that 

will be served by the project; 

(2) Extent to which the application 

presents an appropriate, feasible, and 

realistic plan for conducting the project; 

(3) Extent to which the application 

presents an appropriate, feasible and 

realistic plan for recruiting, selecting, 

and training individuals to conduct the 

project; 

(4) Extent to which the application 

provides an appropriate, feasible and 


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realistic plan for documenting project 

activities and results, that can be used 

to describe and evaluate the project, and 

participant satisfaction; and, 

(5) Extent to which the proposed 

project will establish and coordinate 

linkages with other appropriate agencies 

and organizations. 

(C) Evaluation. (1) Extent to which the 

methods of evaluation are feasible, 

comprehensive, and appropriate to the 

goals, objective, and context of the 

project; 

(2) Extent to which the applicant 

provides an appropriate, feasible, and 

realistic plan for evaluating the project, 

including performance feedback and 

assessment of program progress that can 

be used as a basis for program 

adjustments; 

(3) Extent to which the methods of 

evaluation include process and outcome 

analyses, as appropriate, for assessing 

the effectiveness of program strategies 

and the implementation process; and, 

(4) Extent to which the methods of 

evaluation include the use of objective 

performance measures that are clearly 

related to the intended outcomes of the 

program and will produce quantitative 

and qualitative results. 

(D) Dissemination. (1) Extent to which 

the application provides an appropriate, 

feasible and realistic plan for 

dissemination of information and 

related educational materials; 

(2) Extent to which the intended 

audience is clearly identified and 

defined and is appropriate to the goals 

of the proposed program; 

(3) Extent to which the program’s 

products will be useful to the respective 

audiences; 

(4) Extent to which the applicant 

presents a realistic schedule for 

developing these products, and provides 

a dissemination plan that is appropriate 

in scope and budget to each of the 

audiences; and, 

(5) Extent to which the products to be 

developed during the program are 

described clearly and will address the 

goal of dissemination of information 

and are designed to support evidencebased improvements of practices in the 

field. 

Criterion 3: Organizational Profile (20 

Points) 

Applicants need to demonstrate that 

they have the capacity to implement the 

proposed program. Capacity includes: 

(1) Previous experience with similar 

projects; (2) experience with the target 

audience; (3) qualifications and 

experience of the project leadership; (4) 

experience and commitment of any 

consultants and subcontractors; and, (5) 

appropriateness of the organizational 

structure. This criterion consists of three 

broad topics: (A) management plan, (B) 

staff qualifications, and (C) 

organizational capacity and resources. 

Applicants are expected to present a 

sound and feasible management plan for 

implementing the proposed program. 

This section should detail how the 

program will be structured and 

managed, how the timeliness of 

activities will be ensured, how quality 

control will be maintained, and how 

costs will be controlled. The role and 

responsibilities of the lead agency 

should be clearly defined and, if 

appropriate, applicants should discuss 

the management and coordination of 

activities carried out by any partners, 

subcontractors, and consultants. 

Applicants should include a list of 

organizations and consultants who will 

work with the project, along with a 

short description of the nature of their 

contribution or effort. Applicants are 

also expected to produce a time line that 

presents a reasonable schedule of target 

dates, and accomplishments. The time 

line should include the sequence and 

timing of the major tasks and subtasks, 

important milestones, reports, and 

completion dates. The application 

should also discuss factors that may 

affect project implementation or the 

outcomes and present realistic strategies 

for the resolution of these difficulties. 

Applicants must provide evidence 

that project staff have the requisite 

experience, and expertise to carry out 

the proposed project on time, within 

budget, and with a high degree of 

quality. Include information on staff 

knowledge of the medical and legal 

issues concerning embryo donation and/ 

or adoption, and experience working in 

this area. Brief resumes of current and 

proposed staff, as well as job 

descriptions, should be included. 

Resumes must indicate the position that 

the individual will fill, and each 

position description must specifically 

describe the job as it relates to the 

proposed project. 

Applicants must show that they have 

the organizational capacity and 

resources to successfully carry out the 

project on time and to a high standard 

of quality, including the capacity to 

resolve a variety of technical and 

management problems that may occur. 

If the proposed project involves 

partnering and/or subcontracting with 

other agencies/organizations, then the 

application should include an 

organizational capability statement for 

each participating organization 

documenting the ability of the partners 

and/or subcontractors to fulfill their 

assigned roles and functions. Specific 

review criteria include: 

(A) Management Plan. (1) Extent to 

which the management plan presents a 

realistic approach to achieving the 

objectives of the proposed project on 

time and within budget, including 

clearly defined responsibilities, time 

lines, and milestones for accomplishing 

project tasks; 

(2) Extent to which the role and 

responsibilities of the lead agency are 

clearly defined and the time 

commitments of the project director and 

other key project personnel (including 

consultants) are appropriate and 

adequate to meet the objectives of the 

proposed project; and, 

(3) Extent to which the applicant 

discusses factors that may affect the 

development and implementation of the 

project and presents realistic strategies 

for the resolution of these difficulties. 

(B) Staff Qualifications. (1) Extent to 

which the proposed project director, key 

project staff, and consultants have the 

necessary technical skill, knowledge, 

and experience to successfully carry out 

their responsibilities; and, 

(2) Extent to which staffing is 

adequate for the proposed project, 

including administration, program 

services, data processing and analysis, 

evaluation, reporting and 

implementation of the project. 

(C) Organizational Capacity and 

Resources. (1) Extent to which the 

applicant and partnering organizations 

collectively have experience in embryo 

donation and/or adoption consistent 

with professionally recognized 

guidelines; 

(2) Extent to which the applicant has 

experience in developing and 

implementing similar projects; and, 

(3) Extent to which the applicant has 

adequate organizational resources for 

the proposed project, including 

administration, program operations, 

data processing and analysis, and 

evaluation. 

Criterion 4: Budget and Budget 

Justification (20 Points) 

Applicants are expected to present a 

detailed budget for both the first and 

second year budget periods. The budget 

should present reasonable project costs, 

appropriately allocated across 

component areas and sufficient to 

accomplish the objectives. 

Consideration shall be given to project 

delays due to start-up when preparing 

the budget. Applicants are expected to 

allocate sufficient funds in the budget to 

provide for two meetings each year with 

the Project Officer in Rockville, 

Maryland, and regular conference calls 

for programmatic collaboration during 

the performance of the project. Specific 

review criteria include: 


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(1) Extent to which applicant 

demonstrates that the project costs and 

budget information submitted for the 

proposed program are reasonable and 

justified in terms of the proposed tasks 

and the anticipated results and benefits; 

and, 

(2) Extent to which the fiscal control 

and accounting procedures are adequate 

to ensure prudent use, proper and 

timely disbursement, and an accurate 

accounting of funds received under this 

announcement. 

Review and Selection Process 

Each application submitted to the 

OPHS Office of Grants Management will 

be screened to determine whether it was 

received by the closing date and time. 

The results of a competitive review 

are a primary factor in making funding 

decisions. In addition, Federal staff will 

conduct administrative reviews of the 

applications and, in light of the results 

of the competitive review, will 

recommend applications for funding to 

the Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Population Affairs (DASPA). The 

DASPA may also solicit and consider 

comments from others within DHHS in 

making funding decisions. Final grant 

awards decisions will be made by the 

DASPA. The DASPA will fund those 

projects which will, in his/her 

judgment, best promote the purposes of 

this program, within the limits of funds 

available for such projects. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices 

The OPA does not release information 

about individual applications during the 

review process. When final decisions 

have been made, successful applicants 

will be notified by letter of the outcome 

of the final funding decisions. The 

official document notifying an applicant 

that a project as been approved for 

funding is the Notice of Grant Award 

(NGA), signed by the OPHS Grants 

Management Officer, which sets forth 

the amount of funds granted, the terms 

and conditions of the award, the 

effective date of the grant, the budget 

period for which initial support will be 

given, and the total project period for 

which support is contemplated. Every 

effort will be made to notify all 

unsuccessful applicants as soon as 

possible after final decisions are made. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

In accepting this award, the grantee 

stipulates that the award and any 

activities thereunder are subject to all 

provisions in 45 CFR parts 74 (nongovernmental) and 92 (governmental) 

currently in effect or implemented 

during the period of the grant. 

The DHHS Appropriations Act 

requires that when issuing statements, 

press releases, requests for proposals, 

bid solicitations, and other documents 

describing projects or programs funded 

in whole or in part with Federal money, 

grantees shall clearly state the 

percentage and dollar amount of the 

total costs of the program or project 

which will be financed with Federal 

money and the percentage and dollar 

amount of the total costs of the project 

or program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources. 

3. Reporting Requirements 

A successful applicant under this 

notice will submit: (a) Progress reports; 

(b) annual Financial Status Reports; and 

(c) a final performance report, including 

an evaluation report, and Financial 

Status Report. Reporting formats are 

established in accordance with 

provisions of the general regulations 

which apply under 45 CFR parts 74 and 

92. Applicants must submit all required 

reports in a timely manner, in 

recommended formats, and submit a 

final report on the project, including 

any information on evaluation results, at 

the completion of the project period. 

The final performance report should 

contain an overview of the program 

from start to finish, including 

information on: (a) Summary of the 

project, (b) state of the major goals and 

objectives of the project, (c) list of 

significant accomplishments, (d) 

description of innovative features, (e) 

statement of significant problems 

encountered and solutions developed, 

(f) a complete written disclosure of any 

invention, curriculum, publication, 

video, pamphlet conceived or produced 

as part of the grant funded project, (g) 

a copy of any products developed in 

association with the project. The final 

evaluation report should reflect an 

assessment of the program. It should 

describe factors contributing to both 

program success and problem areas. The 

report should include a description of 

the project’s objectives, interventions, 

evaluation model and hypotheses, 

findings, and conclusions. The report 

should include a summary of the 

program statistics and findings. It 

should discuss the implications of 

project findings as they relate to the 

project objectives, as well as a set of 

recommendations based on the findings 

(where appropriate). The appendices to 

the evaluation report should include 

any data collection instruments and 

relevant references. Copies of any 

published articles, based on the project 

or project evaluation findings are also 

requested. 

Agencies receiving $500,000 or more 

in total Federal funds are required to 

undergo an annual audit as described in 

OMB Circular A–133, ‘‘Audits of States, 

Local Governments, and Non-Profit 

Organizations.’’

VII. Agency Contacts 

For application kits, submission of 

applications, and information on budget 

and business aspects of the application, 

please contact: WilDon Solutions, Office 

of Grants Management Operations 

Center, 1515 Wilson Blvd., Third Floor 

Suite 310, Arlington, VA 22209 at 

1–888–203–6161, e-mail 

OPHSgrantinfo@teamwildon.com, or fax 

703–351–1138. 

Program Office Contact: Evelyn 

Kappeler, Department of Health and 

Human Services, Office of Public Health 

and Science, Office of Population 

Affairs, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 

700, Rockville, Maryland 20852. E-mail: 

Evelyn.Kappeler@hhs.gov; telephone: 

240–453–2837. 

Dated: April 2, 2007. 

Evelyn M. Kappeler, 

Acting Director, Office of Population Affairs. 

[FR Doc. E7–6433 Filed 4–5–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4150–28–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

Disease, Disability, and Injury 

Prevention and Control Special 

Emphasis Panel (SEP): Research 

Cooperative Agreement To Promote 

the Health of People With Intellectual 

Disabilities, Request for Application 

(RFA) DD07–012 

In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(Pub. L. 92–463), the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC) 

announces the following meeting of the 

aforementioned SEP: 

Time and Date: 12 p.m.–4 p.m., May 31, 

2007 (Closed). 

Place: Teleconference. 

Status: The meeting will be closed to the 

public in accordance with provisions set 

forth in Section 552b(c)(4) and (6), Title 5 

U.S.C., and the Determination of the Director, 

Management Analysis and Services Office, 

CDC, pursuant to Public Law 92–463. 

Matters to be Discussed: The meeting will 

include the review, discussion, and 

evaluation of applications received in 

response to RFA DD07–012, ‘‘Research 

Cooperative Agreement to Promote the 


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