20208 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 78 /Thursday, April 23, 1998 / Notices

Place: 6100 Executive Boulevard, 6100

Building, Room 5E01, Rockville, Maryland

20852.

Contact Person: Edgar E. Hanna, Ph.D.,

Scientific Review Administrator, NICHD,

6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E01,

Rockville, MD 20852, Telephone: 301–496–

1485.

Name of SEP: A Non-Intrusive Fiber Optic

Lead Sensor (Teleconference).

Date: April 27, 1998.

Time: 1:30 p.m.—adjournment.

Place: 6100 Executive Boulevard, 6100

Building, Room 5E01, Rockville, Maryland

20852.

Contact Person: Gopal Bhatnagar, Ph.D.,

Scientific Review Administrator, NICHD,

6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E01,

Rockville, MD 20852, Telephone: 301–496–

1485.

Purpose/Agenda: To evaluate and review

research grant applications.

These meetings will be closed in

accordance with the provisions set forth in

sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5

U.S.C. The discussion of these applications

could reveal confidential trade secrets or

commercial property such as patentable

material and personal information

concerning individuals associated with these

applications, the disclosure of which would

constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of

personal privacy.

This notice is being published less than 15

days prior to the meeting due to the urgent

need to meet timing limitations imposed by

the review and funding cycle.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Nos. [93.864, Population Research

and No. 93.865, Research for Mothers and

Children], National Institutes of Health, HHS)

Dated: April 16, 1998.

LaVerne Y. Stringfield,

Committee Management Officer, NIH.

[FR Doc. 98–10880 Filed 4–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development; Notice of Closed

Meeting

Pursuant to Section 10(d) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as

amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice

is hereby given of the following

National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development Special Emphasis

Panel (SEP) meeting:

Name of SEP: Pediatric Pharmacology

Research Unit (PPRU), Data Coordinating

Center.

Date: May 18, 1998.

Time: 9:00 a.m.—adjournment.

Place: 6100 Executive Boulevard, 5th Floor

Conference Room, Rockville, Maryland

20852.

Contact Person: Hameed Khan, Ph.D.,

Scientific Review Administrator, NICHD,

6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E01,

Rockville, MD 20582, Telephone: 301–496–

1485.

Purpose/Agenda: To evaluate and review

contract grant proposal.

This meeting will be closed in accordance

with the provisions set forth in sections

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C. The

discussion of these contract proposals could

reveal confidential trade secrets or

commercial property such as patentable

material and personal information

concerning individuals associated with these

applications, the disclosure of which would

constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of

personal privacy.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Nos. [93.864, Population Research

and No. 93.865, Research for Mothers and

Children], National Institute of Health, HHS)

Dated: April 16, 1998.

LaVerne Y. Stringfield,

Committee Management Officer, NIH.

[FR Doc. 98–10881 Filed 4–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service

National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development Contraception

and Infertility Research Loan

Repayment Program

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health,

Public Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Notice

SUMMARY: The Center for Population

Research of the National Institute of

Child Health and Human Development

(NICHD), the National Institutes of

Health (NIH), announces the availability

of educational loan repayment under

the NICHD Contraception and Infertility

Research Loan Repayment Program

(CIR–LRP or the Program). The CIR–

LRP, which is authorized by Section

487B of the Public Health Service (PHS)

Act (42 U.S.C. 288–2) as added by the

NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Pub. L.

103–43). provides for the repayment of

the educational loan debt of qualified

health professionals (including graduate

students) who agree to commit to a

period of obligated service of not less

than two years conducting research with

respect to contraception and/or

infertility. The CIR–LRP will pay up to

$20,000 of the principal and interest of

such individual’s educational loans for

each year of obligated service. In

addition to the loan repayments, the

CIR–LRP will pay participants an

amount equal to 39 percent of the total

amount of the loan repayments made for

the taxable year in order to provide

reimbursement for tax liability caused

by the Program’s loan repayments. The

purpose of the CIR–LRP is the

recruitment and retention of highly

qualified health professionals

conducting contraception and/or

infertility research. Through this notice,

the NICHD, NIH, announces changes in

the eligibility criteria for participation

in the CIR–LRP, and invites health

professionals who meet the prescribed

eligibility criteria to apply.

DATES: Interested persons who meet the

eligibility requirements may request

information about the CIR–LRP

beginning on March 1, 1998.

Applications for participation in the

CIR–LRP can be submitted at any time

after April 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Information regarding the

CIR–LRP may be obtained by contacting:

Dr. Louis V. DePaolo, Coordinator,

Contraception and Infertility Research

Loan Repayment Program, Center for

Population Research, National Institute

of Child Health and Human

Development, NIH, Building 61E, Rm.

8B01, Bethesda, Maryland 20892–7510

(Voice: 301/496–6515; FAX: 301/496–

0692; E-Mail: 1d38p@nih.gov).

Applications can be submitted at any

time after April 1, 1998 to:

Contraception and Infertility Research

Loan Repayment Program, Center for

Population Research, National Institute

of Child Health and Human

Development, NIH, Building 61E, Rm.

8B01, Bethesda, Maryland 20892–7510.

For courier deliveries, the following

address should be used: Contraception

and Infertility Research Loan

Repayment Program, Center for

Population Research, National Institute

of Child Health and Human

Development, NIH, 6100 Executive

Boulevard, Room 8B01, Rockville,

Maryland 20851.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NIH

Revitalization Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103–

43) was enacted on June 10, 1993,

adding section 487B of the PHS Act (42

U.S.C. 288–2). Section 487B authorizes

the Secretary of Health and Human

Services in consultation with the

Director of NICHD to establish a

program of entering into contracts with

qualified professionals under which

such health professionals agree to

conduct contraception and/or infertility

research in consideration of the Federal

Government agreeing to repay, for each

year of such service, not more than

$20,000 of the principal and interest of

their outstanding graduate and/or

undergraduate educational loans. The

Secretary, in consultation with the

Director of NICHD, has established a

program to provide such loan

repayments. This program is known as
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 78 /Thursday, April 23, 1998 / Notices 20209

the Contraception and Infertility

Research Loan Repayment Program

(CIR–LRP). In return for these loan

repayments, applicants must agree to

participate in contraception and/or

infertility research for a period of

obligated service of not less than two

years. Selected applicants become

participants in the CIR–LRP only upon

the signing of a written contract by the

Director, NICHD, the Secretary’s

designate.

On March 24, 1997, the NICHD, NIH

published a notice in the Federal

Register announcing the availability of

educational loan repayment under the

CIR–LRP (62 FR 13892). In that notice,

the NICHD, NIH announced the initial

implementation of the program would

be limited to employees of the three

NICHD Contraception Research Centers

and two NICHD Infertility Research

Centers due to limited availability of

funds. The NICHD, NIH is modifying

that original eligibility criteria to read as

follows:

Eligibility Criteria

Qualified health and allied health

professionals including, but not limited

to, physicians, Ph.D.-level scientists,

nurses and physician assistants, as well

as graduate students and postgraduate

research fellows training in the health

professions are eligible to apply

provided that they will be or are

engaged, at the time of participation in

the CIR–LRP, in employment/training at

an NICHD intramural laboratory or one

of the following NICHD-supported

extramural sites: (1) A Cooperative

Specialized Contraception or Infertility

Research Center; (2) a Cooperative

Specialized Research Center in

Reproduction Research; (3) a Women’s

Reproductive Health Research Career

Development Center; or (4) a

Reproductive Medicine Unit identified

as a clinical site for the National

Cooperative Reproductive Medicine

Network. As such, applicants will be

expected to participate in research

relating to infertility and/or

contraception. For purposes of the CIR–

LRP, infertility research is defined as

research whose long-range objective is

to evaluate, treat or ameliorate

conditions which result in the failure of

couples to either conceive or bear

young, and contraception development

is defined as research whose ultimate

goal is to provide new or improved

methods of preventing pregnancy.

In order to be considered for selection

into the CIR–LRP, an applicant meeting

the above eligibility requirements must

submit a completed and signed

application form. In addition, the

individual must: (1) Sign and submit a

CIR–LRP contract by which he/she

agrees to serve the obligated minimum

period of two years conducting

contraception or infertility research at

an NICHD intramural laboratory or an

eligible NICHD-supported extramural

site approved by the Director, NICHD;

(2) have completely satisfied any other

service obligation for health

professional service which is owed

under an agreement with the Federal

Government, State Government or other

entity prior to beginning the period of

service under the CIR–LRP, and (3)

certify that he/she is not delinquent on

any amounts which are owed to the

Federal Government.

Participants must be U.S. citizens,

nationals or permanent residents.

Individuals who are fulfilling

internship, residency or other advanced

primary-care training requirements are

not eligible to participate.

Applicaiton Procedure and Selection

Process

Submission of applications for

participation in the CIR–LRP by eligible

individuals will be made to NICHD on

behalf of the applicant by the

extramural grantee institution or the

NICHD for intramural employees/

affiliates. The application will include:

(1) Institutional assurance of future

employment/affiliation with the NICHD

intramural laboratory or eligible NICHDsupported extramural site (e.g., contract

between individual and institution) of

not less than two years from the

anticipated effective date of the CIR–

LRP contract between the individual

and NICHD; (2) a description of the

applicant’s proposed role in the

scientific research on contraception

and/or infertility being conducted in the

NICHD intramural laboratory or eligible

NICHD-supported extramural site, and

(3) a brief statement addressing the

applicant’s long-range career plan for

engaging in contraception or infertility

research. The application will be

reviewed by the CIR–LRP Panel (Panel),

chaired by the Deputy Director, NICHD,

and comprised of representatives of the

NICHD’s Office of Administrative

Management, the respective Program

Officers of the Center for Population

Research, and special consultants as

required. The Panel will review and

select applications for approval based

upon the credentials of the applicant

and other criteria the Secretary deems

appropriate such as the scientific merit

of the research and the nature of the

applicant’s career plan focus. Priority

will be given to applicants with a clear

career focus in the specialized areas of

contraception and/or infertility research

over those engaging in general

reproductive sciences research. In

addition to this review, the CIR–LRP

will determine whether the educational

loan debt qualifies for loan repayment

assistance under this Program (see

below). All selections are subject to final

approval by the Director, NICHD. The

NICHD will notify the applicant of the

outcome of the review. It is anticipated

that the selection process will take

approximately six to eight weeks

following receipt of the application.

Program Administration

The applicant is required to submit:

(1) a completed and signed CIR–LRP

contract, and (2) a copy of an

institutional assurance of employment/

affiliation with an NICHD intramural

laboratory or eligible NICHD-supported

extramural site for no less than a twoyear period from the anticipated

effective date of the CIR–LRP contract.

Neither the applicant nor the Federal

Government is bound by this contract

until: (1) the applicant has submitted

and had approved by the Director,

NICHD, a complete, accurate

application as required by this program

announcement, (2) the contract is signed

by the Director, NICHD, and (3)

authorized funds are available to the

NICHD to carry out the contract.

The effective date of the contract will

be the date it is signed by the Director

or the date employment/training begins

at the NICHD intramural laboratory or

eligible NICHD-supported extramural

site, whichever is later. Initial contracts

will be executed to cover a two-year

service period. Following conclusion of

this initial contract, participants may be

considered for one-year renewal

contracts, subject to approval of the

Panel, for up to two additional years.

Graduate students must maintain fulltime enrollment (as determined by the

academic institution of study), and be in

good academic standing (as determined

by the academic institution of study)

while participating in the CIR–LRP.

Program Benefits for Participants

The CIR–LRP will pay up to $20,000

of the principal and interest of a

participant’s preexisting, nondelinquent

qualified (see below) educational

(graduate and/or undergraduate) loan

balance for each year of obligated

service that is fulfilled by the applicant.

The CIR–LRP’s payments to lenders

on behalf of the participants represent

taxable income to the participant. The

CIR–LRP reports each year to the

Internal Revenue Service the payments

it makes to all participants. Section

338B of the Public Health Service Act

(42 U.S.C. 2541–1), incorporated by

reference in section 487B, provides,
20210 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 78 /Thursday, April 23, 1998 / Notices

however, that in addition to the loan

payments made to lenders, the CIR–LRP

will also pay to the participants an

amount equal to 39 percent of the total

amount of the loan repayments made for

the taxable year. Participants should

note that this payment is also

considered taxable income by the

Internal Revenue Service and many

State and local taxing authorities.

The CIR–LRP will make quarterly

payments to the lenders. Payment is

made by a U.S. Treasury check shortly

after the end of each full quarter of

satisfactory service. Since the first

payment to lenders will not be made

until after the end of the first quarter of

obligated service, participants should

continue to make monthly loan

payments for the first three months of

his/her service to avoid defaulting on

his/her loans and affecting his/her

credit ratings.

Loan Documentation and Qualification

A copy of the promissory note for

each outstanding loan must be

submitted with the application. (This

usually may be obtained upon request to

the lenders.) the CIR–LRP will

determine if the loans were reasonably

necessary to meet the costs of education,

in terms of each individual loan and in

terms of each applicant’s total

educational loan debts. Loans qualifying

for repayment include preexisting loans

obtained by the participant for:

(1) Undergraduate and graduate

tuition expenses;

(2) All other reasonable educational

expenses including fees, books,

supplies, educational equipment and

materials required by the school, and

laboratory expenses; and

(3) Reasonable living expenses

including the costs of room and board,

transportation, commuting and other

costs incurred during an individual’s

attendance at school as determined by

the Secretary.

Applicants must complete a lender

verification form for each loan. The

most current balance of each loan—

principal plus interest plus loan

expenses (such as the required

insurance premiums on the unpaid

balances of some loans)—should be

determined as accurately as possible

and reported by the applicant on each

form. This enables the CIR–LRP to

reserve adequate funds for loan

repayments under the contract should

the applicant become a CIR–LRP

participant. The CIR–LRP will send the

loan verification forms to each lender

for verification. If the CIR–LRP is unable

to obtain adequate loan verification

from the lender, the applicant may be

asked to submit other document, such

as copies of the original loan

application, to document that the loan

(or a stated portion of the loan) was

obtained for the education purposes

stated previously.

Financial obligations not qualifying

for repayment include:

(1) Physician Shortage Area

Scholarship Program;

(2) Public Health Service and National

Health Service Corps Scholarship

Programs;

(3) Armed Forces (Army, Navy or Air

Force) Health Professions Scholarship

Programs;

(4) Indian Health Service Scholarship

Program;

(5) National Research Service Award

Program;

(6) Loans for which contemporaneous

documentation is not available;

(7) Loans or ‘‘scholarship’’

arrangements which impose financial

obligations upon the applicant if service

is not performed;

(8) Loans without a promissory note

made when the loan was given;

(9) Loans that are delinquent,

defaulted, or in any manner not in a

current payment status as determined

by the lender;

(10) Loans, or those parts of loans,

obtained for educational or living

expenses while at school, which exceed

the ‘‘reasonable’’ level, as determined by

a review of the school’s standard school

budget or additional contemporaneous

documentation for the year in which the

loan was made, as determined by the

CIR–LRP;

(11) Loans which have been paid in

full;

(12) Loans not obtained from a

Government entity or commercial or

other charter lending institution, such

as loans from friends and relatives or

other private individuals;

(13) Loans for graduate studies

obtained following entry into the CIR–

LRP.

Breach of the Loan Repayment

Agreement

In the event that the participant fails

to begin or complete the two-year

minimum period of obligatory

participation in contraception or

infertility research at an NICHD

intramural laboratory or eligible NICHDsupported extramural site as set forth in

the contract, and payments have been

rendered to the lenders on behalf of the

individual, he/she is in breach of the

contractual agreement, and is liable to

pay monetary damages to the United

States Government. Participants who

leave during the first year of the initial

contract are liable for amounts already

paid by the Program plus an amount

equal to $1,000 multiplied by the

number of months of the original

obligation. Participants who leave

during the second year of the contract

are liable for (a) the total of the amounts

the Program paid the lenders, plus (b)

an ‘‘unserved obligation penalty’’ of

$1,000 for each month unserved. If a

participant completed the two-year

minimum obligatory period, but cannot

complete additional obligatory periods,

no obligation penalties will be levied,

but the participant will owe the United

States for any payments the CIR–LRP

made to the lenders for which service by

the participant was not performed

unless, in the opinion of the CIR–LRP

Panel, they continue to participate in

contraception and/or infertility research

during the additional obligatory periods.

If a participant must terminate

employment/training at an NICHD

intramural laboratory of NICHDsupported extramural site for reasons

beyond his/her control, and transfers to

a site other than an NICHD intramural

laboratory or eligible NICHD-supported

extramural site, payments will cease

upon transfer. He/she may not be liable

for monetary damages as described

above, if, in the judgement of the CIR–

LRP Panel, he/she continues to

participate in contraception and/or

infertility research. However, if he/she

transfers to another NICHD intramural

laboratory or eligible NICHD-supported

extramural site and participates in

contraception and/or infertility research

with the approval of the Director,

NICHD, the contract will be amended

and the participant will still be

considered bound by the ongoing

contract obligations, and the lenders

will continue to receive payments on

behalf of the participant according to

schedule.

Additional Program Information

This Program is not subject to the

provisions of Executive Order 12372,

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.

This Program is subject to OMB

clearance under the requirements of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. A

Request for OMB Review and Approval

of information collection associated

with the Program is being prepared by

the NIH and will be sent to OMB for

review and approval prior to

implementation of the CIR–LRP.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance number for the CIR–LRP is

93.209.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 78 /Thursday, April 23, 1998 / Notices 20211

Dated: April 7, 1998.

Ruth L. Kirschstein,

Deputy Director, NIH.

[FR Doc. 98–10872 Filed 4–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request

Periodically, the Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA) will publish a list of

information collection requests under

OMB review, in compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35). To request a copy of these

documents, call the SAMHSA Reports

Clearance Officer on (301) 443–7978.

Evaluation of the Methadone/LAAM

Treatment Program Accreditation

Project—New—SAMHSA’s Center for

Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), in

conjunction with other Federal

Agencies, is involved in planning and

developing accreditation processes for

methadone/LAAM treatment programs

(MTPs). This project will evaluate the

process, costs, and administrative and

clinical impacts of the accreditation

process, and will estimate the costs of

national implementation of an

accreditation system. In collaboration

with accreditation and technical

assistance contractors, evaluation

activities will be conducted at a sample

of treatment sites, with a control group

of treatment sites. Measures will include

program structure and operation, costs,

clinical practice, staff appraisal, patient

satisfaction and treatment outcomes.

The estimated annualized burden for

the three-year data collection period is

summarized below.

Instrument Number of

respondents

Number of

responses

per respondent

Average burden per response

(hours)

Total burden

hours

Annualized

burden hours

Site Survey ......................................................................................... 180 2 1.5 540 180

Cost Survey 1 ...................................................................................... (180) 2 3.5 1,260 420

Activity Log 1 ....................................................................................... (135) 13 0.5 877.5 292.5

Treatment Staff Questionnaires .......................................................... 1,800 2 0.33 1,188 399

Treatment Staff 2 (Focus Groups) ...................................................... (1,080) 1 1.5 1,620 540

Patient Questionnaire ......................................................................... 14,400 1 0.25 3,600 1,200

Total ......................................................................................... 16,380 .................... ...................... 9,085.5 3,031.5

1Site level response by participating sites.

2Focus group respondents are a subset of the treatment staff.

Written comments and

recommendations concerning the

proposed information collection should

be sent within 30 days of this notice to:

Daniel Chenok, Human Resources and

Housing Branch, Office of Management

and Budget, New Executive Office

Building, Room 10235, Washington,

D.C. 20503.

Dated: April 16, 1998.

Richard Kopanda,

Executive Officer, SAMHSA.

[FR Doc. 98–10786 Filed 4–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4162–20–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request

Periodically, the Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA) will publish a list of

information collection requests under

OMB review, in compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35). To request a copy of these

documents, call the SAMHSA Reports

Clearance Officer on (301) 443–7978.

State Treatment Needs Assessment

Studies—New—SAMHSA’s Center for

Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), as

part of its State Treatment and Needs

Assessment Program (STNAP), awards

contracts to States to conduct studies for

the purpose of determining the need

and demand for substance abuse

treatment within each State. In order to

receive funds from the Substance Abuse

Prevention and Treatment Block Grant,

States must submit in their annual block

grant applications an assessment of

service needs Statewide, at the sub-state

level, and for specified population

groups (as required by Section 1929 of

the Public Health Service Act). Most

States plan to conduct an adult

telephone household survey to collect

information on needed treatment for

substance abuse/dependence. In

addition, many States plan to conduct a

variety of more focused studies which

will collect data on treatment need in

special populations, including

adolescents, pregnant women, injecting

drug users, American Indians, arrestees

and other criminal justice populations.

The estimated annualized burden for

the State needs assessment studies over

the next three years is presented below.

Total Number of respondentsNumber of

responses/

respondent

Hours/responseTotal burden hours

Annualized

burden

hours1

Adult Household Telephone Surveys ..................................................... 92,499 1 0.51 48,177 16,059

Adolescent Surveys ................................................................................ 99,500 1 0.52 51,391 17,130

Criminal justice populations .................................................................... 10,800 1 .84 8,425 2,808

Medicaid recipients ................................................................................. 10,460 1 0.72 7,252 2,417

Other population groups ......................................................................... 13,050 1 .66 7,649 2,550