Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices 25483

term of the agreement continues to run

through March 31, 1999.

Agreement No.: 224–201050.

Title: NY–NJ/Ecuadorian

Containerized Banana Volume Incentive

Agreement.

Parties: Port Authority of New York

and New Jersey; South Pacific Shipping

Company Ltd. d/b/a; Ecuadorian Line.

Synopsis: The proposed agreement

concerns the terms and conditions of a

banana import incentive program. The

term of the agreement runs through

April 28, 1999.

Dated: May 4, 1998.

By Order of the Federal Maritime

Commission.

Joseph C. Polking,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–12193 Filed 5–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6730–01–M

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

Sunshine Act Meeting

TIME AND DATE: 10:00 a.m., Wednesday,

May 13, 1998.

PLACE: Marriner S. Eccles Federal

Reserve Board Building, 20th and C

Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20551.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

1. Personnel actions (appointments,

promotions, assignments,

reassignments, and salary actions)

involving individual Federal Reserve

System employees.

2. Any matters carried forward from a

previously announced meeting.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Joseph R. Coyne, Assistant to the Board;

202–452–3204.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: You may

call 202–452–3206 beginning at

approximately 5 p.m. two business days

before the meeting for a recorded

announcement of bank and bank

holding company applications

scheduled for the meeting; or you may

contact the Board’s Web site at http://

www.bog.frb.fed.us for an electronic

announcement that not only lists

applications, but also indicates

procedural and other information about

the meeting.

Dated: May 6, 1998.

Jennifer J. Johnson,

Deputy Secretary of the Board.

[FR Doc. 98–12385 Filed 5–6–98; 10:50 am]

BILLING CODE 6210–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

[Announcement Number 98039]

Programs To Prevent the Emergence

and Spread of Antimicrobial

Resistance; Notice of Availability of

Fiscal Year 1998 Funds

Introduction

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) is implementing a

multifaceted effort to address the

problem of antimicrobial resistance. As

part of this, CDC announces the

availability of fiscal year (FY) 1998

funds for a cooperative agreement

program to provide assistance for the

development and evaluation of

demonstration projects to prevent and

control the emergence and spread of

antimicrobial resistance.

The CDC is committed to achieving

the health promotion and disease

prevention objectives of Healthy People

2000, a national activity to reduce

morbidity and mortality and improve

the quality of life. This announcement

is related to the priority area of

Immunization and Infectious Diseases.

(For ordering a copy of Healthy People

2000, see the section WHERE TO

OBTAIN ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION.)

Authority

This program is authorized under

sections 301(a), 317(k)(1), and 317(k)(2)

of the Public Health Service Act, as

amended (42 U.S.C. 241(a), 247b(k)(1),

and 247b(k)(2)).

Smoke-Free Workplace

CDC strongly encourages all grant

recipients to provide a smoke-free

workplace and to promote the non-use

of all tobacco products, and Pub. L.

103–227, the Pro-Children’s Act of 1994,

prohibits smoking in certain facilities

that receive Federal funds in which

education, library, day care, health care

and early childhood development

services are provided to children.

Eligible Applicants

Applications may be submitted by

public and private nonprofit

organizations and governments and

their agencies in the United States

(U.S.). Thus, universities, colleges,

research institutions, hospitals, other

public and private nonprofit

organizations, including State and local

governments or their bona fide agents,

federally recognized Indian tribal

governments, Indian tribes or Indian

tribal organizations, and small,

minority- and/or women-owned

businesses are eligible to apply.

Note: An organization described in Section

501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of

1986 which engages in lobbying activities

shall not be eligible to receive Federal funds

constituting an award, grant, contract, loan,

or any other form.

Also, only one application will be

accepted from any single applicant.

Availability of Funds

Approximately $1.2 million is

available in FY 1998 to fund

approximately 2 to 3 awards. It is

expected that awards will begin on or

about August 15, 1998, and will be

made for a 12-month budget period

within a project period of up to 5 years.

It is expected that the average annual

award for the first 3 years of the project

period will be $450,000 (direct costs

and indirect costs), ranging from

$300,000 to $600,000. The last 2 years

will involve data collection and analysis

only for purposes of evaluating the

program; therefore, it is anticipated that

lesser amounts of funding will be

needed in these years.

Continuation awards within the

project period will be made on the basis

of satisfactory progress and availability

of funds.

Note: Approximately 50 percent of the

available funds are allocated for projects

focusing on community-based projects.

Approximately 50 percent of the available

funds are allocated for projects focusing on

integrated health care delivery systems.

Applicants should indicate clearly whether

they consider their application to be

primarily directed at community-based

interventions or interventions in integrated

health care delivery systems. (Applications

addressing both are encouraged. However, for

purposes of the evaluation process, the

application must clearly state whether it is

primarily addressing community-based

interventions or interventions in integrated

health care delivery systems.)

Use of Funds

Restrictions on Lobbying

Applicants should be aware of

restrictions on the use of HHS funds for

lobbying of Federal or State legislative

bodies. Under the provisions of 31

U.S.C. section 1352 (which has been in

effect since December 23, 1989),

recipients (and their subtier contractors)

are prohibited from using appropriated

Federal funds (other than profits from a

Federal contract) for lobbying Congress

or any Federal agency in connection

with the award of a particular contract,

grant, cooperative agreement, or loan.

This includes grants/cooperative

agreements that, in whole or in part,
25484 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices

involve conferences for which Federal

funds cannot be used directly or

indirectly to encourage participants to

lobby or to instruct participants on how

to lobby.

In addition, the FY 1998 Department

of Labor, Health and Human Services,

and Education, and Related Agencies

Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 105–78)

states in section 503(a) and (b) that no

part of any appropriation contained in

this Act shall be used, other than for

normal and recognized executivelegislative relations, for publicity or

propaganda purposes, for the

preparation, distribution, or use of any

kit, pamphlet, booklet, publication,

radio, television, or video presentation

designed to support or defeat legislation

pending before the Congress or any

State legislature, except in presentation

to the Congress or any State legislature

itself. No part of any appropriation

contained in this Act shall be used to

pay the salary or expenses of any grant

or contract recipient, or agent acting for

such recipient, related to any activity

designed to influence legislation or

appropriations pending before the

Congress or any State legislature.

Background

The introduction of antibacterial drug

therapy in the 1940s led to a dramatic

reduction in illness and death from

infectious diseases over the past 50

years. Worldwide, antimicrobial drugs

have spared the lives of millions of

people for whom premature death or

crippling complications would have

been unavoidable. However, this

situation is changing rapidly.

Emergence of drug resistance in

bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses is

swiftly reversing the miracles of the past

50 years and threatens to create an era

where antimicrobial agents are no

longer useful for many common

diseases. The identification this year of

Staphylococcus aureus with reduced

susceptibility to vancomycin in both

Japan and the United States (U.S.) is

particular cause for concern. At least 70

percent of the bacteria-causing, hospitalacquired infections are resistant to at

least one antimicrobial agent commonly

used for treatment. Among communityacquired pathogens, drug resistance

among respiratory tract pathogens,

particularly pneumococci, represents a

growing problem. Pneumococcal strains

have been identified that are not

susceptible to any of the oral agents

commonly used as therapy, and

combination therapy with vancomycin

now is recommended for life

threatening pneumococcal infections

due to increasing resistance among

extended spectrum cephalosporins. The

spread of resistance means that more

toxic, more difficult to administer, more

costly, or experimental antimicrobial

agents must be used for therapy.

Factors that promote the spread of

resistance differ between pathogens. In

the community, transmission within

families and in other settings where

close contact may occur (e.g., child care

facilities); rates of antibiotic therapy, the

agents used and their dose; and the

impact of resistance on the fitness of a

pathogen, all may affect the spread of

resistance. For pathogens that cause

nosocomial infections, health-careassociated transmission involving acutecare hospitals, long-term-care

institutions, such as nursing homes, and

non-institutionalized persons in the

community receiving health care in

their homes and/or ambulatory clinical

settings also may be important. Few

programs to reduce the development

and spread of antimicrobial resistance

have been implemented in whole

communities. Strategies to prevent the

spread of resistance among nosocomial

pathogens which have proven

successful within a single institution or

a limited population of patients include

the implementation of infection control

guidelines and controls on antibiotics to

limit inappropriate use. Antibiotic use

has been controlled with formulary

restrictions, intervention by infectious

disease consultants and/or clinical

pharmacologists, clinical practice

guidelines for physicians, computerassisted prescribing, and physician and

patient educational programs.

Infection control guidelines include

the use of barrier precautions, preadmission and discharge screening,

environmental controls, and cohorting.

In the community, successful

interventions have included education

of physicians and patients, the

development of clinical practice

guidelines and their promotion by peer

educators and opinion leaders, feedback

to clinicians comparing their practices

with those of their peers, decreasing

availability of antibiotics, and changing

the agents used, their dose, and the

duration of therapy.

Purpose

This program is intended to evaluate

the effectiveness and impact of

strategies to control the spread of

antimicrobial resistance within a larger

population, such as a geographically

defined community, the catchment area

of large health-care delivery

organization, or the population of one or

more integrated health-care delivery

systems.

Another purpose of this program is to

conduct research which develop,

implement, and evaluate programs

designed to reduce the emergence and

spread of antimicrobial resistance. It is

anticipated that these programs will be

effective and that they could

subsequently be replicated widely in

order to reduce antimicrobial resistance

throughout the U.S. Applicants may

submit applications that focus primarily

on either (1) communities or (2)

integrated networks of health facilities.

This program is not intended to support

an infection control program at an

individual health-care facility or

evaluation of a single intervention in a

community or health-care setting.

Programs will address the problem of

antimicrobial resistance through

interventions potentially including, but

not limited to:

1. Promoting more judicious

antimicrobial use (e.g., using

antimicrobials only when needed, using

appropriate doses of antimicrobial

agents, etc.).

2. Reducing transmission of

antimicrobial resistant microorganisms.

3. Preventing colonization and

infection through the use of vaccines.

4. Improving the ability to provide

effective narrow spectrum therapy by

rapidly and accurately diagnosing

resistant microorgansims through the

use of improved laboratory testing

procedures and improved quality and

flow of laboratory data.

5. Using improved means of

communication with health-care

providers to improve their use of

antimicrobials, such as through the use

of information management systems and

Internet-based technology.

It is envisioned that funded projects

will use a combination of approaches to

achieve judicious antimicrobial use and

other changes that will result in

decreased appearance and spread of

resistance. Funded projects will also be

expected to conduct a multifaceted

evaluation of many aspects of the

program. An essential part of such an

evaluation will be assessing the costs

and cost savings associated with any

proposed intervention.

Program Requirements

In conducting activities to achieve the

purpose of this program, the recipient

will be responsible for the activities

under A, (Recipient Activities), and

CDC will be responsible for conducting

activities under B (CDC Activities).

A. Recipient Activities

1. Select Community or Health Facility

Focus and Define Pathogens of Interest

Identify whether the primary focus of

activities will be on decreasing spread
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices 25485

of resistance among community-or

health-care-associated pathogens and

define the pathogen/resistance patterns

that will be evaluated in the project.

2. Select Study Population

Identify a population of adequate size

for study purposes.

a. If the primary focus of the

application is to address antimicrobial

resistance in community settings, the

population should be defined by a

geographic area and should include a

variety of health-care providers and

health-care provider organizations. (One

example of an appropriate approach

would be to define the population to be

addressed as metropolitan area or part

of a State in which case the project

might involve, at a minimum, public

health entities and providers of

outpatient health care in this area.)

b. If the primary focus of the

application is on integrated health care

delivery systems or networks, the

population should be defined such that

interventions could be conducted in

multiple settings in which antimicrobial

resistance among the target pathogens

can develop or be spread (for example,

inpatient hospital settings, emergency

rooms, ambulatory care facilities, home

health settings, long term care facilities,

etc.). One example of an appropriate

approach would be to define the

population as those receiving hospital,

long-term care services, and ambulatory

care services through a network of

related organizations, in which case the

project might involve the targeted health

facilities, as well as public health

authorities in the area.

3. Define, Collect, and Analyze Baseline

Data

Collect baseline data so that

evaluation of the interventions can be

done. This includes, at a minimum,

collecting incidence and/or prevalence

data on antimicrobial resistance among

the target pathogens and measuring

indicators of prescribing practices of

providers serving the population under

study.

4. Design and Implement an

Intervention Promoting Judicious

Antimicrobial Use and Other

Approaches to Reducing Antimicrobial

Resistance

It is anticipated that this will involve

developing coalitions among public

health agencies, health-care providers,

professional societies, and others, as

well as implementing specific strategies.

These strategies may include peer

education of physicians, public

education campaigns, clinical practice

guidelines, formulary guidelines,

prescribing restrictions, pre-admission

and pre-discharge screening and the

implementation of admission and

discharge guidelines, cohorting, barrier

precautions, isolation precautions, and

other strategies which are likely to be

efficacious. The choice of strategies

should be justified based on the nature

of the study population and the

structure of the health care delivery

system(s) within which the study

population receives health care.

5. Measure Effect of the Intervention

a. Measure the change in rates of

antimicrobial resistance of the

organisms over time. Changes in rates of

resistance among organisms that are

carried (e.g., in the nasopharynx) may

be evaluated in addition to changes in

rates of resistant infections.

Measurement of antimicrobial resistance

should be by a laboratory with proven

ability to do these measurements well.

b. As decreases in resistance as a

result of the program may take several

months to years to manifest themselves,

measure outcomes related to how well

the interventions have been

implemented and whether they have

resulted in behavior change.

c. Measure cost implications of the

intervention. This should include

impact of the intervention on direct

costs (e.g., costs of antibiotics, medical

care visits, duration of hospitalization,

etc.) and indirect costs (e.g., time lost

from work or child care). Costs should

be differentiated from charges, and the

perspective of the costs should be

defined (e.g., societal, payer, patient,

provider). Costs of the intervention

program must be differentiated from

those of the evaluation.

d. Other possible outcomes that could

be measured include changes in parent

or provider knowledge and attitudes

regarding antimicrobial use.

6. Disseminate Research Findings

Disseminate research results by

appropriate methods such as

publication in journals, presentation at

meetings, conferences, etc.

B. CDC Activities

CDC will provide technical assistance

in the design and conduct of the

research. This may include:

1. Provide technical assistance in the

design and conduct of the project,

including intervention methods and

analytic approach.

2. Upon recipient’s request, perform

selected laboratory tests as appropriate.

3. Participate in data management, the

analysis of research data, and the

interpretation and dissemination of

research findings as appropriate.

4. Assist in the design of the

evaluation, in particular, in the

identification of outcome measures that

will allow for later analysis of economic

benefits.

5. Provide educational materials,

including working with grantees to

develop new materials that might be

needed at multiple sites.

6. Facilitate exchange of information

between recipients.

Technical Reporting Requirements

Narrative progress reports are

required semiannually. The first

semiannual report is required with each

year’s noncompeting continuation

application and should cover program

activities from date of the previous

report (or date of award for reporting in

the first year of the project). The second

semiannual report is due 90 days after

the end of each budget period and

should cover activities from the date of

previous report. Progress reports should

address the status of progress toward

specific project objectives and should

include copies of any publications

resulting from the project.

An original and two copies of a

Financial Status Report (FSR) are

required no later than 90 days after the

end of each budget period. A final

performance report and FSR are due no

later than 90 days after the end of the

project period. All reports are submitted

to the Grants Management Branch, CDC.

Application

1. Pre-application Letter of Intent

In order to assist CDC in planning and

executing the evaluation of applications

submitted under this program

announcement, all parties intending to

submit application(s) are requested to

submit a non-binding letter of intent.

Notification should be provided as soon

as possible but not later than 30

business days prior to the application

due date. Notification should include:

(1) Name and address of institution, (2)

name, address, and telephone number of

contact person, and (3) whether the

application will primarily address

community-based interventions or

interventions in integrated health care

delivery systems. Notification can be

provided by facsimile, postal mail, or

electronic mail (E-mail) to Suzanne

Binder, M.D., National Center for

Infectious Diseases, Mailstop F–22, 1600

Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia

30333, Facsimile (770) 488–7794,

Internet scb1@cdc.gov.

2. Application Content

Applicants are required to submit an

original and two copies of the
25486 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices

application and must develop their

application in accordance with the PHS

Form 5161–1 (Revised 7/92, OMB

Control number 0937–0189),

information contained in this program

announcement, and the instructions

outlined below. In order to ensure an

objective, impartial, and prompt review,

applications which do not conform to

these instructions may be disqualified.

All pages must be clearly numbered,

and a complete index to the application

and its appendixes must be included.

The application must be submitted

unstapled and unbound. Bound

materials (e.g., pamphlets, booklets, etc.)

will not be accepted in the narrative or

appendices. To submit such materials,

copy them onto 81⁄2′′ x 11′′ white paper,

one-side only. All materials must be

typewritten, single spaced, and in

unreduced type (no smaller than font

size 12) with at least 1′′ margins,

headers, and footers.

The application narrative must not

exceed 20 pages (excluding budget and

appendixes). Unless indicated

otherwise, all information requested

below must appear in the narrative.

Materials or information that should be

part of the narrative will not be accepted

if placed in the appendices. The

application narrative must contain the

following sections in the order

presented below.

a. Abstract

Provide a brief (two pages maximum)

abstract of the project. State the length

of the project period for which

assistance is being requested (see

AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS Section for

additional information regarding project

period). Indicate clearly whether this

project primarily addresses

antimicrobial resistance in communities

or in integrated health-care networks.

b. Background and Need

Discuss the background and need for

the proposed project. Illustrate and

justify the need for the proposed project

that is consistent with the purpose and

objectives of this cooperative agreement

program.

c. Capacity and Personnel

Describe applicant’s past experience

in conducting projects/studies similar to

that being proposed. Describe

applicant’s resources, laboratory and

other facilities, and professional

personnel that will be involved in

conducting the project. Include in an

appendix curriculum vitae for all

professional personnel involved with

the project. Describe plans for

administration of the project and

identify administrative resources that

will be assigned to the project. Provide

in an appendix letters of support from

all key participating non-applicant

organizations, individuals, etc., which

clearly indicate their commitment to

participate as described in the

operational plan. (Do not include letters

of support from CDC personnel—they

will not be accepted in the application.)

d. Objectives and Technical Approach

Describe specific objectives for the

proposed project which are measurable

and time-phased and are consistent with

the purpose and goals of this

cooperative agreement program. Include

a detailed timeline for completion of

key activities. Provide a detailed

operational plan for initiating and

conducting the project which clearly

and appropriately addresses all

recipient activities. Include a clear

description of applicant’s technical

approach/methods which are directly

relevant to the study objectives. Clearly

identify specific assigned

responsibilities/tasks for all key

professional personnel. Describe the

nature and extent of collaboration with

CDC and/or others during various

phases of the project. If the applicant is

not a health department, describe plans

for involving local and State health

departments. Clearly describe the

population to be studied. Describe in

detail a plan for evaluating study results

(including how data on prescribing

practices, costs, and charges will be

obtained) and for evaluating progress

toward achieving project objectives.

Justify the choice of organisms and

antimicrobial susceptibility that will be

used for evaluation, and include a

description about how quality of

laboratory measurements will be

assured. Clearly state the proposed

length of the project period.

e. Budget

Provide in an appendix a budget and

accompanying detailed justification for

the first year of the project that is

consistent with the purpose and

objectives of this program. Provide

estimated total budgets for subsequent

years. If requesting funds for any

contracts, provide the following

information for each proposed contract:

(1) Name of proposed contractor, (2)

breakdown and justification for

estimated costs, (3) description and

scope of activities to be performed by

contractor, (4) period of performance,

and (5) method of contractor selection

(e.g., sole-source or competitive

solicitation). (See sample budget

included in application package.)

Note: If indirect costs are requested, a copy

of the applicant organization’s current

negotiated Federal indirect cost rate

agreement or cost allocation plan must be

provided.

f. Human Subjects

Whether or not exempt from DHHS

regulations, if the proposed project

involves human subjects, describe in an

appendix adequate procedures for the

protection of human subjects. Also,

ensure that women, racial and ethnic

minority populations are appropriately

represented in applications for research

involving human subjects (see OTHER

REQUIREMENTS Section for additional

information).

Evaluation Criteria

The applications will be reviewed and

evaluated according to the following

criteria:

1. Background and Need (10 points):

Extent to which applicant’s discussion

of the background for the proposed

project demonstrates a clear

understanding of the purpose and

objectives of this cooperative agreement

program. Extent to which applicant

illustrates and justifies the need for the

proposed project that is consistent with

the purpose and objectives of this

program.

2. Capacity (30 points total):

a. Extent to which applicant describes

adequate resources and facilities (both

technical and administrative) for

conducting the project. This includes

the capacity to conduct quality

laboratory measurements. (10 points)

b. Extent to which applicant

documents that professional personnel

involved in the project are qualified and

have past experience and achievements

in research and programs related to that

proposed as evidenced by curriculum

vitae, publications, etc. (15 points)

c. Extent to which applicant includes

letters of support from non-applicant

organizations, individuals, etc. Extent to

which the letters clearly indicate the

author’s commitment to participate as

described in the operational plan. (5

points)

3. Objectives and Technical Approach

(60 points total):

a. Extent to which applicant describes

specific objectives of the proposed

project which are consistent with the

purpose and goals of this program and

which are measurable and time-phased.

(10 points)

b. Extent to which the applicant

identifies an appropriate population for

study, including whether the results of

a study in this population will be

generalizable to other populations in the

U.S. Extent to which adequate

procedures are described for the

protection of human subjects. Extent to
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices 25487

which the applicant identifies microbes/

resistance patterns for study that are of

public health importance. (10 points)

c. Extent to which applicant presents

a detailed operational plan for initiating

and conducting the project, which

clearly and appropriately addresses all

recipient activities. Extent to which

applicant clearly identifies specific

assigned responsibilities for all key

professional personnel. Extent to which

the plan clearly describes applicant’s

technical approach/methods for

developing and conducting the

proposed program and evaluation and

extent to which the plan is adequate to

accomplish the study objectives. The

degree to which the applicant has met

the CDC Policy requirements regarding

the inclusion of women, ethnic, and

racial groups in the proposed research.

The extent to which applicant describes

the existence of or plans to establish

partnerships. (20 points)

d. Extent to which applicant describes

adequate and appropriate collaboration

with CDC and/or others during various

phases of the project. (10 points)

e. Extent to which applicant provides

a detailed and adequate plan for

evaluating study results (including

laboratory data and data on prescribing

practices), as well as plans for

evaluating progress toward achieving

project objectives. (10 points)

4. Budget (not scored): Extent to

which the proposed budget is

reasonable, clearly justifiable, and

consistent with the intended use of

cooperative agreement funds.

Executive Order 12372 Review

This program is not subject to

Executive Order 12372 Review,

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.

Public Health System Reporting

Requirements

This program is not subject to the

Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number

The Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number is 93.283.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

Projects that involve the collection of

information from ten or more

individuals and funded by the

cooperative agreement will be subject to

review and approval by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) under

the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Human Subjects

If the proposed project involves

research on human subjects, the

applicant must comply with the

Department of Health and Human

Services Regulations (45 CFR part 46)

regarding the protection of human

subjects. Assurance must be provided to

demonstrate that the project will be

subject to initial and continuing review

by an appropriate institutional review

committee. The applicant will be

responsible for providing evidence of

this assurance in accordance with the

appropriate guidelines and form

provided in the application kit.

Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities

It is the policy of the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

and the Agency for Toxic Substances

and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to ensure

that individuals of both sexes and the

various racial and ethnic groups will be

included in CDC/ATSDR-supported

research projects involving human

subjects, whenever feasible and

appropriate. Racial and ethnic groups

are those defined in OMB Directive No.

15 and include American Indian or

Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African

American, Hispanic or Latino, Native

Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

Applicants shall ensure that women,

racial and ethnic minority populations

are appropriately represented in

applications for research involving

human subjects. Where clear and

compelling rationale exist that inclusion

is inappropriate or not feasible, this

situation must be explained as part of

the application. This policy does not

apply to research studies when the

investigator cannot control the race,

ethnicity, and/or sex of subjects. Further

guidance to this policy is contained in

the Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 179,

pages 47947–47951, and dated Friday,

September 15, 1995.

Application Submission and Deadline

The original and two copies of the

application PHS Form 5161–1 (Revised

7/92, OMB Control number 0937–0189),

must be submitted to Sharron P. Orum,

Grants Management Officer, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and

Grants Office, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), Room

300, Mailstop E–18, 255 East Paces

Ferry Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30305,

on or before June 29, 1998.

1. Deadline: Applications shall be

considered as meeting the deadline if

they are either:

a. Received on or before the deadline

date; or

b. Sent on or before the deadline date

and received in time for submission to

the objective review group. (Applicants

must request a legibly dated U.S. Postal

Service postmark or obtain a legibly

dated receipt from a commercial carrier

or U.S. Postal Service. Private metered

postmarks shall not be acceptable as

proof of timely mailing.)

2. Late Applications: Applications

which do not meet the criteria in 1.a. or

1.b. above are considered late

applications. Late applications will not

be considered and will be returned to

the applicant.

Where To Obtain Additional

Information

To receive additional written

information and to request an

application kit, call 1–888–GRANTS (1–

888–472–6874). You will be asked to

leave your name and address and will

be instructed to identify the

Announcement number of interest.

(Please refer to Announcement Number

98039.) You will receive a complete

program description, information on

application procedures and application

forms. If you have questions after

reviewing the contents of all the

documents, business management

technical assistance may be obtained

from Oppie M. Byrd, Grants

Management Specialist, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and

Grants Office, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), Room

314, Mailstop E–18, 255 East Paces

Ferry Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30305,

telephone (404) 842–6546, Facsimile

(404) 842–6513, Internet oxb3@cdc.gov.

Programmatic technical assistance

may be obtained from David Bell,

telephone (404) 639–2603 or Suzanne

Binder, M.D., National Center for

Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), Mailstop

F–22, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta,

Georgia 30333, telephone (770) 488–

7793, Facsimile (770) 488–7794,

Internet scb1@cdc.gov.

Please refer to Announcement

Number 98039 when requesting

information regarding this program.

You may obtain this announcement

from one of two Internet sites on the

actual publication date: CDC’s

homepage at http://www.cdc.gov or at

the Government Printing Office

homepage (including free on-line access

to the Federal Register at http://

www.access.gpo.gov).

Potential applicants may obtain a

copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full

Report, Stock No. 017–001–00474–0) or

Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report,

Stock No. 017–001–00473–1) referenced

in the INTRODUCTION through the

Superintendent of Documents,

Government Printing Office,
25488 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 1998 / Notices

Washington, DC 20402–9325, telephone:

(202) 512–1800.

Dated: May 4, 1998.

Joseph R. Carter,

Acting Associate Director for Management

and Operations, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 98–12236 Filed 5–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health

[Program Announcement 98056]

Mining Occupational Safety and Health

Research Grants; Availability of Funds

for FY 1998

A. Purpose

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH), announces the availability of

fiscal year (FY) 1998 funds for a

research grant program for Mining

Occupational Safety and Health

Research Grants. This program

addresses the ‘‘Healthy People 2000’’

priority area of Occupational Safety and

Health. The purpose of the program is

to develop knowledge that can be used

to prevent occupational diseases and

injuries to miners. NIOSH will support

hypothesis-testing research projects to

identify and quantify occupational

health and safety hazards to miners,

develop methods and technologies to

measure and control these hazards, and

translate research findings so that they

can be applied to solve health and safety

problems in mines.

B. Eligible Applicants

Applications may be submitted by

public and private nonprofit and forprofit organizations and by governments

and their agencies; that is, universities,

colleges, research institutions, hospitals,

other public and private nonprofit and

for-profit organizations, State and local

governments or their bona fide agents,

and federally recognized Indian tribal

governments, Indian tribes, or Indian

tribal organizations.

Note: Pub. L. 104–65 states that an

organization described in section 501(c)(4) of

the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that

engages in lobbying activities is not eligible

to receive Federal funds constituting an

award, grant, cooperative agreement,

contract, loan, or any other form.

C. Availability of Funds

Approximately $700,000 is expected

to be available in FY 1998 to fund 4–8

research project grants. This money is in

addition to the funds available for the

previous RFA 807 announced in August

1997. Organizations that submitted

applications for RFA 807 may revise

and resubmit under this announcement.

The amount of funding available may

vary and is subject to change. Awards

will range from $50,000 to $200,000 in

total costs (direct and indirect) per year.

It is expected that the awards will begin

on or about September 30, 1998, and

will be made for a 12-month budget

period within a project period of up to

3 years.

Continuation awards within an

approved project period will be made

on the basis of satisfactory progress as

evidenced by required reports and the

availability of funds.

D. Programmatic Interest

The Mine Safety and Health Research

Program has been fully coordinated

with the National Occupational

Research Agenda (NORA) plans and

recommendations. The NORA

document is available through the

NIOSH homepage at http://

www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora.html. The

focus of grants should emphasize

research in the following topical areas

which are in priority order:

(1) Hearing Loss Prevention

Conduct laboratory and field research

on noise-induced hearing loss in

miners; Conduct field dosimetric and

audiometric surveys to assess the extent

and severity of the problem and to

identify those mining segments in

greatest need of attention and to

objectively track progress in meeting

loss prevention goals; Conduct field and

laboratory research to identify noise

generation sources and to identify those

areas most amenable to intervention

activities; Develop, test, and

demonstrate new control technologies

for noise reduction; Develop strategies

and methods to improve the

effectiveness of hearing protectors for

miners; Assess the effect of using

hearing protectors on miner safety;

Evaluate technical and economic

feasibility of controls; Develop,

evaluate, and recommend

implementation strategies to promote

the adoption and use of noise reduction

technology.

(2) Mining Injury Prevention

Conduct laboratory, field, and

computer modeling research to focus on

human physiological capabilities and

limitations and their interactions with

mining jobs, tasks, equipment and the

mine work environment; Research on

causes and prevention of low back

disorders, slips and falls, and materials

handling injuries in miners; Study

effects of human behavior on mining

injuries; Design and conduct

epidemiological research studies to

identify and classify risk factors that are

causing or may be causing traumatic

injuries to miners; Evaluate and

recommend implementation strategies

for injury prevention and control

technologies; Research to improve

response to mine emergencies, and to

enhance the effectiveness of mine

rescue teams; Identify and evaluate

research opportunities using a systems

approach for intervention and

prevention; and Develop cost analysis

methodologies to evaluate performance

and engineering control strategies.

(3) Dust and Toxic Substance Control

Research to develop or improve

personal and area direct reading

instruments for measuring mining

contaminants, including but not limited

to respirable dust, silica, diesel engine

emissions, and other toxic substances

and mixtures; Conduct field tests,

experiments, and demonstrations of

new technology for monitoring and

assessing mine air quality; Conduct

laboratory and field research to develop

airborne hazard reduction control

technologies; Carry out field surveys in

mines to identify work organization

strategies that could result in reduced

dust or toxic substance exposure;

Evaluate the performance, economics,

and technical feasibility of engineering

control strategies, novel approaches,

and the application of new or emerging

technologies for underground and

surface mine dust and toxic substance

control systems; Develop and evaluate

implementation strategies for using

newly developed monitors and control

technology for exposure reduction or

prevention.

(4) Social and Economic Consequences

of Mining Illness and Injury

Analyze all effects of mining illness

and injury on miners, their families,

communities and States; Assess the

effectiveness of health services provided

to miners for prevention and care of

occupational illness and injury; Assess

the economic burden of mining illnesses

and injuries and potential economic

benefits of their prevention.

(5) Surveillance

Develop and evaluate new

surveillance methods for mining-related

illnesses and fatal and nonfatal injuries

to improve collection and analysis of