62060 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 224 / Thursday, November 20, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Notice of a Cooperative Agreement

With the American Indian Higher

Education Consortium

The Office of Minority Health (OMH),

Office of Public Health and Science

(OPHS) announces that it will enter into

an umbrella cooperative agreement with

the American Indian Higher Education

Consortium (AIHEC). This cooperative

agreement will establish the broad

framework in which specific projects

can be funded as they are identified

during the project period.

The purpose of this cooperative

agreement is to assist AIHEC in

expanding and enhancing its activities

relevant to the tribally controlled

community colleges affected by

executive order #13021. Further, this

agreement establishes mechanisms for

the 22 Operating and Staffing Divisions

of the DHHS to comply with the

mandates contained in the order. OMH,

as the lead agency for implementing the

executive order, will provide

consultation, including administrative

and technical assistance as needed for

the execution and evaluation of all

aspects of this cooperative agreement.

OMH will also participate and/or

collaborate with the awardee in any

workshops or symposia to exchange

information, opinions or activities that

will enhance the educational status of

the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/

AN) students attending the Tribal

Colleges. Further, OMH will coordinate

the Inter/Intra departmental activities as

directed in the executive order.

Authorizing Legislation

This cooperative agreement is

authorized under Title XVII, Section

1707(d)(1) of the Public Health Service

Act, as amended by Public Law 101–

527.

Background

Assistance will be provided only to

AIHEC. No other applications are

solicited. AIHEC is the only

organization capable of administering

this cooperative agreement because:

• AIHEC is the only national

organization that is comprised of and

represents the Tribal Colleges and

Universities. AIHEC signed or is in the

process of signing several cooperative

agreements and MOA’s with other

Federal Departments in compliance

with the directives of Executive Order

#13021. In order to assure continuity

with other Federal Departments, a cross

fertilization of efforts, and minimize any

redundancy of activities, AIHEC should

be the recipient of the cooperative

agreement;

• AIHEC, founded in 1972, has been

involved in the 20-year effort that

resulted in the President signing the

executive order. The organization’s

board of directors consists of Presidents

of each of the Tribal Colleges. Also, the

organization has well established

linkages with AI/AN Tribes, national

Indian organizations and other Federal

Departments that are actively involved

with the implementation of the

executive order;

• AIHEC has highly qualified

management staff with the background

and experience to develop, guide,

operate and evaluate the complex

elements of this cooperative agreement.

They have extensive experience in

mediation with Federal Departments

and tribal governments;

• AIHEC has demonstrated through

past activities its ability to assist the

Tribal Colleges in their development

and expansion. In 1972, AIHEC was

founded by the first six Tribally

Controlled Community Colleges and

began to develop and implement

programs that are consistent with the

inherent rights of tribal sovereignty and

self-determination; and

• AIHEC has assisted the Tribal

Colleges in the development and

maintenance of the highest standards of

quality education for AI/ANs by

improving the accessibility of

educational programs, significantly

increasing student enrollments and

assisting the tribal colleges in becoming

fully accredited institutions of higher

education.

This cooperative agreement will be

awarded in FY 1998 for a 12-month

budget period within a project period of

5 years. Continuation awards within the

project period will be made on the basis

of satisfactory progress and the

availability of funds.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before December 5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments shall be mailed

to CDR Robert J. Carson, Office of

Minority Health, 5515 Security Lane,

Suite 1000, Rockville, Maryland 20852,

telephone (301) 443–5084, fax (301)

594–0767, E-MAIL

rcarson@osophs.dhhs.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: CDR

Robert J. Carson, Office of Minority

Health, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1000,

Rockville, Maryland 20852, telephone

(301) 443–5084, fax (301) 594–0767, EMAIL rcarson@osophs.dhhs.gov.

Clay E. Simpson, Jr.,

Deputy Assistant Secretary Director for

Minority Health.

[FR Doc. 97–30566 Filed 11–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–17–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

[INFO–98–04]

Proposed Data Collections Submitted

for Public Comment and

Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement

of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for

opportunity for public comment on

proposed data collection projects, the

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic

summaries of proposed projects. To

request more information on the

proposed projects or to obtain a copy of

the data collection plans and

instruments, call the CDC Reports

Clearance Officer on (404) 639–7090.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

for other forms of information

technology. Send comments to Wilma

Johnson, CDC Reports Clearance Officer,

1600 Clifton Road, MS–D24, Atlanta,

GA 30333. Written comments should be

received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Projects

1. Defining Gulf War Illness; New

This study will characterize and

compare alternative classifications for

symptoms and functional disability

which remain medically unexplained in

Gulf War veterans. This will be

accomplished in three phases. Phase I

will assess persistence and stability of

symptoms over time, as well as compare

the performance of data-driven case

definitions derived from two samples:

(1) the New Jersey Center for

Environmental Hazards Research
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 224 / Thursday, November 20, 1997 / Notices 62061

sample of Gulf War veterans

participating in the Department of

Veterans Affairs Gulf War Registry; and

(2) a cohort of Air Force members from

a previous CDC study of Gulf War

veterans and Gulf War-era controls from

Pennsylvania and Florida. In addition to

assessing data-driven case definitions

for illness among Gulf War veterans,

existing definitions for medically

unexplained symptoms, such as chronic

fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical

sensitivity, and fibromyalgia will be

evaluated. Phase II will attempt to

assess the generalizability of both

derived and existing case definitions in

a random sample of deployed and nondeployed Gulf War era veterans. Phase

III will consist of a standardized

telephone interview for the assessment

of psychiatric conditions. This will be

administered to a sample of Phase I and

Phase II participants who are identified

through their responses to paper-andpencil questionnaires as having high

levels of psychologic distress. There is

no cost to respondents.

Respondents No. of

Respondents

No. of

Responses/

Respondent

Avg. Burden/

Response

(in hrs.)

Total Burden

(in hrs.)

Administer questionnaire to the New Jersey Center for Environmental Hazards Research sample of the Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf War

Registry veterans and the previous CDC Air Force Cohort (Phase) ........... 7,312 1 0.45 5,484

Administer questionnaire to new random sample of Gulf War veterans and

era controls (Phase II) .................................................................................. 3,000 1 .45 2,250

Telephone survey of Phase I and Phase II participants who screened positive for psychiatric conditions ........................................................................ 600 1 2 1,200

Total ........................................................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 8,934

Dated: November 13, 1997.

Wilma G. Johnson,

Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning

and Evaluation, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 97–30477 Filed 11–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

Citizens Advisory Committee on Public

Health Service (PHS) Activities and

Research at Department of Energy

(DOE) Sites: Idaho National

Engineering and Environmental

Laboratory Health Effects

Subcommittee; Meeting

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

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Pub. L. 92–463), the Agency for Toxic

Substances and Disease Registry

(ATSDR) and the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC) announce

the following meeting.

Name: Citizens Advisory Committee on

PHS Activities and Research at DOE Sites:

Idaho National Engineering and

Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Health

Effects Subcommittee.

Times and Dates: 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.,

December 11, 1997, 7 p.m.–9 p.m., December

11, 1997, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., December 12,

1997.

Place: Holiday Inn Westbank, 475 River

Parkway, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402, telephone

208/523–8000, FAX 208/529–9610.

Status: Open to the public, limited only by

the space available. The meeting room

accommodates approximately 50 people.

Background

Under a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) signed in

December 1990 with DOE and replaced

by an MOU signed in 1996, the

Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS) was given the

responsibility and resources for

conducting analytic epidemiologic

investigations of residents of

communities in the vicinity of DOE

facilities, workers at DOE facilities, and

other persons potentially exposed to

radiation or to potential hazards from

non-nuclear energy production use.

HHS delegated program responsibility

to CDC.

In addition, an MOU was signed in

October 1990 and renewed in November

1992 between ATSDR and DOE. The

MOU delineates the responsibilities and

procedures for ATSDR’s public health

activities at DOE sites required under

sections 104, 105, 107, and 120 of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act (CERCLA or ‘‘Superfund’’). These

activities include health consultations

and public health assessments at DOE

sites listed on, or proposed for, the

Superfund National Priorities List and

at sites that are the subject of petitions

from the public; and other healthrelated activities such as epidemiologic

studies, health surveillance, exposure

and disease registries, health education,

substance-specific applied research,

emergency response, and preparation of

toxicological profiles.

Purpose: This subcommittee is

charged with providing advice and

recommendations to the Director, CDC,

and the Administrator, ATSDR,

regarding community, American Indian

Tribes, and labor concerns pertaining to

CDC’s and ATSDR’s public health

activities and research at this DOE site.

The purpose of this meeting is to

provide a forum for community,

American Indian Tribal, and labor

interaction and serve as a vehicle for

community concern to be expressed as

advice and recommendations to CDC

and ATSDR.

Matters to be Discussed: Agenda items

include presentations from the National

Center for Environmental Health

(NCEH) regarding current activities, the

National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health and ATSDR will

provide updates on the progress of

current studies, and working group

discussions. On December 11, at 7 p.m.,

the meeting will continue in order to

allow more time for public input and

comment.

Agenda items are subject to change as

priorities dictate.

CONTACT PERSONS FOR MORE

INFORMATION: Arthur J. Robinson, Jr., or

Sharona Woodley, Radiation Studies

Branch, Division of Environmental

Hazards and Health Effects, NCEH, CDC,

4770 Buford Highway, NE, (F–35),

Atlanta, Georgia 30341–3724, telephone

770/488–7040, FAX 770/488–7044.