Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 110 /Tuesday, June 9, 1998 / Notices 31483

relevant information should contact Ms.

Jenny Griffith, Committee Management

Officer, Office of Scientific Affairs, Agency

for Health Care Policy and Research, 2101

East Jefferson Street, Suite 400, Rockville,

Maryland 20852, Telephone (301) 594–1455

x 1036.

Agenda items for these meetings are

subject to change as priorities dictate.

Dated: June 2, 1998.

John M. Eisenberg,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–15270 Filed 6–8–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and

Disease Registry

[Program Announcement 98074]

The Great Lakes Human Health Effects

Research Program Notice of

Availability of Funds for Fiscal Year

1998

Introduction

The Agency for Toxic Substances and

Disease Registry (ATSDR) announces

the availability of fiscal year (FY) 1998

funds for the continuation of a grant

program to conduct research on the

impact on human health of fish

consumption from the Great Lakes.

Congressionally mandated funds are

provided to the ATSDR to conduct

studies of the human health impact of

consuming contaminated fish from the

Great Lakes, as amended and authorized

by the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act

of 1990. ATSDR’s mission includes the

prevention of adverse health effects

resulting from human exposure to

hazardous substances in the

environment. The ATSDR Great Lakes

Human Health Effects Research Program

will focus on identified populations that

have a potentially higher risk of longterm adverse health effects from

exposure to contaminants in Great Lakes

fish, i.e., Native Americans, sport

anglers, urban poor, the elderly, Asian

Americans and other non-English

speaking populations, and fetuses and

nursing infants of mothers who

consume contaminated Great Lakes fish.

ATSDR 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

Environmental Health. (For ordering a

copy of Healthy People 2000, see the

Section WHERE TO OBTAIN

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.)

Authority

This program is authorized in

Sections 104(i)(5)(A) and (15) of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by

the Superfund Amendments and

Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) [42

U.S.C. 9604(i)(5)(A) and (15)]; and

section 106, subsection 118(e) of the

Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of

1990 [33 U.S.C. 1268(e)].

Smoke-Free Workplace

ATSDR strongly encourages all grant

recipients to provide a smoke-free

workplace and to promote the non-use

of all tobacco products, and Public Law

103–227, the Pro-Children 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

Eligible applicants are the Great Lake

States and political subdivisions

thereof, including federally recognized

Indian tribal governments. State

organizations, including State

universities, State colleges, and State

research institutions, must affirmatively

establish that they meet their respective

State’s legislative definition of a State

entity or political subdivision to be

considered an eligible applicant. The

Great Lake States include Illinois,

Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio,

Pennsylvania, New York, and

Wisconsin, consistent with Section 106,

subsection 118(e) of the Great Lakes

Critical Programs Act of 1990 [33 U.S.C.

1268(e)]. ATSDR encourages

collaborative efforts among these

potential applicants.

Availability of Funds

Approximately $2.4 million is

available in FY 1998 to fund

approximately 10 re-competing awards.

It is expected that the average award

will be $250,000, ranging from $200,000

to $300,000. It is expected that the recompeting awards will be made on or

about September 30, 1998, for a 12-

month budget period and a project

period of up to 3 years. Funding

estimates may vary and are subject to

change. This program is available only

to the ten currently funded grantees.

Continuation awards within the project

period will be made on the basis of

satisfactory progress and the availability

of funds.

Use of Funds

Funds may be expended for

reasonable program purposes, such as

personnel, travel, supplies and services.

Funds for contractual services may be

requested; however, the grantee, as the

direct and primary recipient of ATSDR

grant funds, must perform a substantive

role in carrying out project activities

and not merely serve as a conduit for an

award to another party or provide funds

to an ineligible party. Equipment may

be purchased with grant funds.

However, the equipment proposed

should be appropriate and reasonable

for the research activity to be

conducted. Property may be acquired

only when authorized in the grant. The

grantee, as part of the application

process, should provide a justification

of need to acquire property, the

description, and the cost of purchase

versus lease.

Background

The Great Lakes basin comprises onefifth of the total freshwater on the

earth’s surface and is the historical

heartland for American industrial and

agricultural activity. The physical

nature of the basin and the long

retention time of the chemicals in the

Lakes combine to make this huge

freshwater resource a repository for

chemical byproducts of these

production activities. Through the

process of bioaccumulation, these

pollutants are taken up by aquatic life

and become especially concentrated in

Great Lakes game fish, and other

wildlife. The presence of toxic

substances in the Great Lakes continues

to be a significant concern in the 1990s.

Eleven of the most persistent and

widespread toxic substances were

identified as ‘‘critical Great Lakes

pollutants’’ by the International Joint

Commission (IJC). The critical

pollutants are polychlorinated

biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyl

trichloroethane (DDT and its

metabolites), dieldrin, toxaphene,

mirex, methylmercury, benzo[a]pyrene,

hexachlorobenzene, furans, dioxins, and

alkylated lead. Associations between the

consumption of contaminated Great

Lakes fish and long-term adverse health

effects have been demonstrated in

certain susceptible populations.

Research conducted as part of this

program may also serve to fill priority

data needs identified in ATSDR’s

Substance-Specific Applied Research

Program. PCB’s, DDT, dieldrin, mercury,

PAHs and lead are members of the first

set of 38 substances selected by ATSDR

for initiation of this Superfund

mandated program (56 FR 52178). This

research may also provide information

for the assessment of human risk from

simultaneous exposure to chemical

mixtures in the Great Lakes basin; and
31484 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 110 /Tuesday, June 9, 1998 / Notices

extend the knowledge of the effects of

Great Lakes contaminants on human

reproductive/developmental,

behavioral, neurologic, endocrinologic,

and immunologic health effects. Finally,

ATSDR anticipates that the findings

generated from this research program

can be utilized on a national level by

providing a ‘‘model’’ for other

ecosystem level studies intended to

determine potential human health

impacts of hazardous wastes.

Purpose

The purpose of this announcement is

to solicit scientific proposals designed

to investigate and characterize the

association between the consumption of

contaminated Great Lakes fish and

potential long-term adverse health

effects. The research objectives of this

program are to: (1) build upon and

amplify the results from past and ongoing research in the Great Lakes basin;

(2) develop information, databases and

research methodology that will provide

long-term benefit to human health

effects research in the Great Lakes basin;

(3) provide direction for future health

effects research; (4) provide health

information to State and local health

officials, the concerned public and their

medical health care professionals; and

(5) in concert with State and local

health officials, increase the public

awareness regarding the potential health

implications of toxic pollution in the

Great Lakes basin; and (6) coordinate as

necessary with relevant research

programs and activities of other

agencies, including those of the Food

and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), National Institutes of Health

(NIH), and the Indian Health Service

(IHS), as well as the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), and State and

local health departments, to ameliorate

adverse public health impacts of

persistent toxic substances in the Great

Lakes basin.

Program Requirements

ATSDR will provide financial

assistance to applicants in conducting

studies on potential human health

effects which result from human

consumption of contaminated fish from

the Great Lakes basin, particularly in the

31 areas of concern within the U.S.

boundaries identified by the

International Joint Commission. ATSDR

encourages the submission of

applications that emphasize research

that will extend existing studies.

ATSDR is also interested in funding

applicant programs that identify

populations which have a higher risk of

short- and long-term adverse health

effects from exposure to Great Lakes

contaminants in fish, i.e., Native

Americans, sport anglers, urban poor,

the elderly, Asian Americans and other

non-English speaking populations, and

fetuses and nursing infants of mothers

who consume contaminated Great Lakes

fish. Priority areas of research for this

program include:

1. Characterizing exposure and

determining the profiles and levels of

Great Lakes contaminants in biological

tissues and fluids in high risk

populations;

2. Identifying sensitive and specific

human health endpoints, i.e.,

reproductive/developmental,

behavioral, endocrinologic, and

immunologic effects and correlating

them to exposure to Great Lakes

contaminants (several of these

contaminants have been identified as

endocrine disruptors); and

3. Determining the short- and longterm risk(s) of adverse health effects in

children which result from parental

exposure to Great Lakes contaminants.

All applicants should also participate

in the ATSDR Great Lakes research

quality assurance and quality control

(QA/QC) and tissue bank programs.

Proposed projects covering these

priority areas should include strategies

(risk communication and health

intervention) to inform susceptible

populations about the potential human

health impact of consuming

contaminated fish from the Great Lakes.

Based upon research findings, longer

term priority areas may include, but are

not limited to:

1. Establishing the chemical etiology

between exposure, body burden levels,

and adverse health effects;

2. Investigating the feasibility of, or

establishing, registries and/or

surveillance cohorts in the Great Lakes

region; and

3. Establishing a chemical mixtures

database with emphasis on tissue and

blood levels in order to identify new

cohorts, conduct surveillance and

health effects studies, and establish

registries and/or surveillance cohorts.

In awarding grants pursuant to the

ATSDR Great Lakes Human Health

Effects Research Program, ATSDR shall

consider proposed projects that will

help fill information gaps and address

research needs regarding the human

health impact of consumption of

contaminated fish from the Great Lakes.

ATSDR encourages collaborative efforts

among potential applicants in pursuing

these research needs.

Technical Reporting Requirements

1. Progress and Financial Reports

An original and two copies of an

annual progress report and financial

status report are required no later than

90 days after the end of the budget

period. Final financial and performance

reports are required no later than 90

days after the end of the project period.

All reports are submitted to Ron Van

Duyne, Grants Management Officer,

Grants Management Branch, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

255 East Paces Ferry Road, Mailstop E–

13, Atlanta, GA 30305.

The progress report must include the

following for the program, function, or

activity involved: (1) a comparison of

actual accomplishments to the goals

established for the period; (2) the

reasons for slippage if established goals

are not met; and (3) other pertinent

information.

2. Peer and Technical Reviews

A. CERCLA, as amended by SARA,

Section 104(i)(13), and [42 U.S.C. 9604

(I)] requires all studies and results of

research (other than public health

assessments) that ATSDR carries out or

funds in whole or in part will be peer

reviewed by ATSDR. The ATSDR peer

review process for final reports requires

that:

1. Studies must be reported or

adopted only after appropriate peer

review.

2. Studies shall be peer reviewed

within a period of 60 days to the

maximum extent practical.

3. Studies shall be reviewed by no

fewer than three or more than seven

reviewers who (1) are selected by the

Administrator, ATSDR; (2) are

disinterested Scientific experts; (3) have

a reputation for scientific objectivity;

and (4) who lack institutional ties with

any person involved in the conduct of

the study or research under review.

B. ATSDR encourages the rapid

reporting and interpretation of

laboratory results and references back to

individual participants. However, if

summary tables or distribution of

laboratory results are prepared using the

study data, this is considered a

preliminary finding and will require

ATSDR technical and peer review prior

to release.

C. When, in the opinion of the

investigator(s), a public health concern

exists requiring the release of summary

study statistics prior to the completion

of the study, the investigator must

obtain concurrence from ATSDR prior

to releasing the summary statistics. A

request for ATSDR concurrence for the

release of information must be
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 110 /Tuesday, June 9, 1998 / Notices 31485

documented in a letter to ATSDR and

should outline the public health

concern, and recommended response,

and the draft document proposed for

release by the investigator. ATSDR will

provide a technical review and peer

review within ten (10) working days to

the maximum extent possible. Summary

statistics may be released only after peer

review. The release of summary

statistics does not preclude the

requirement for a final report.

D. By statute, the reporting of

preliminary studies and preliminary

research results to the public is not

acceptable without prior review by

ATSDR. This includes manuscripts

prepared for publication, presentations

at scientific meetings, and reporting of

preliminary findings to the community

or the media.

E. The final report for every study

should include a detailed description of

the problem, hypothesis, methods,

results, conclusions, and

recommendations that constitute a

complete performance record of the

study.

F. ATSDR is responsible for the

technical and peer review of draft final

reports of any study that it funds prior

to the submission of the final report.

This will allow for the recipient to

incorporate all technical and peer

review comments into the final report.

Responses to all ATSDR required

technical and peer review comments

should be summarized in a letter to

ATSDR. This letter should also include

the investigator’s response to each

comment and a rationale for those

responses. Based upon the comments of

the technical and peer reviewers,

modifications in the study report may

result. The modified study report

should accompany the letter to ATSDR.

G. ATSDR will make available

assistance to investigators in formatting

and copy editing draft final reports,

should the investigator request this

assistance. Editing will be conducted by

ATSDR staff and an edited copy of the

draft final report will be supplied to the

investigator for review and concurrence.

Editing will occur DURING the conduct

of the peer review. It is requested that

the report be furnished in WordPerfect

5.1 on a disk with the hard copy doublespaced, with clearly numbered pages,

unbound and unstapled, and printed on

one side only. All appendices, including

maps and reproduced forms used in this

study, should be furnished to ATSDR by

the investigator.

H. Following the steps outlined

above, a final report of all studies and

results of research carried out or

supported by ATSDR must be submitted

to the Procurement and Grants Office

with a copy furnished to ATSDR.

I. If assistance in printing the final

report is needed, the Principal

Investigator can submit a hard copy of

the final report to the Procurement and

Grants Office with a copy furnished to

the Division of Toxicology, ATSDR.

Application Content

The application must be developed in

accordance with PHS Form 5161–1

(OMB) Number 0937–0189) information.

In a narrative form, the application

should include a discussion of areas

listed under the ‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’

section of this announcement as they

relate to the proposed program. Because

these criteria serve as the basis for

evaluating the application, omissions or

incomplete information may affect the

rating of the application. Although this

program does not require in-kind

support or matching funds, the

applicant should describe any in-kind

support in the application. For example,

if the in-kind support includes

personnel, the applicant should provide

the qualifying experience of the

personnel and clearly state the type of

activity to be performed.

An original application and two

copies should be submitted. The

application pages must be clearly

numbered, and a complete index to the

application and its appendices must be

included. The original and each copy of

the application must be submitted

unstapled and unbound. All material

must be typed single-spaced, with unreduced type on a 8 1⁄20′′ by 11′′ paper,

with at least 1′′ margins, and printed on

one side only.

Evaluation Criteria

Re-Competing applications will be

reviewed and evaluated according to the

following criteria:

1. Scientific and Technical Review

Criteria of New Applications

A. Proposed Program—60 %

The extent to which the applicant’s

proposal addresses:

(1) The scientific merit of the

hypothesis of the proposed project,

including the originality of the approach

and the feasibility, adequacy, and

rationale of the design (the design of the

study should ensure statistical validity

for comparison with other research

projects;

(2) The technical merit of the methods

and procedures (analytic procedures

should be state of the art, including

participation in a quality assurance and

quality control program for comparison

with other research projects) for the

proposed project, including the degree

to which the project can be expected to

yield results that meet the program

objective as described in the PURPOSE

section of this announcement;

(3) The proposed project schedule,

including clearly established and

obtainable project objectives for which

progress toward attainment can and will

be measured;

(4) The proposed mechanism to be

utilized as a resource to address

community concerns and opinion, and

create lines of communication; and

(5) The proposed method to

disseminate the study results to State

and local public health officials, tribal

governments, Indian Health Service,

community residents, and to other

concerned individuals and

organizations.

B. Program Personnel—30%

The extent to which the proposal has

described:

(1) The qualifications, experience, and

commitment of the Principal

Investigator, and his/her ability to

devote adequate time and effort to

provide effective leadership; and

(2) The competence of associate

investigators to accomplish the

proposed study, their commitment, and

time devoted to the study.

C. Applicant Capability—10%

Description of the adequacy and

commitment of the institutional

resources to administer the program and

the adequacy of the facilities as they

impact on performance of the proposed

study.

D. Program Budget—(Not Scored)

The extent to which the budget is

reasonable, clearly justified, and

consistent with intended use of grant

funds. Budget should reflect funds for

participation in the QA/QC program.

E. Human Subjects—(Not Scored)

The extent to which the applicant

complies with the Department of Health

and Human Services Regulations (45

CFR Part 46) regarding the protection of

human subjects.

2. Review of Continuation Applications

Continuation awards within the

project period will be made on the basis

of the following criteria:

A. Satisfactory progress has been

made in meeting project objectives;

B. Objectives for the new budget

period are realistic, specific, and

measurable;

C. Proposed changes in described

long-term objectives, methods of

operation, need for grant support, and/
31486 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 110 /Tuesday, June 9, 1998 / Notices

or evaluation procedures will lead to

achievement of project objectives; and

D. Budget request is clearly justified

and consistent with the intended use of

grant funds.

Executive Order 12372

The applications submitted under this

announcement are not subject to the

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs as governed by Executive

Order 12372.

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 93.161.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

Projects that involve the collection of

information from 10 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

The applicant must comply with the

Department of Health and Human

Services Regulations, 45 CFR Part 46,

regarding the protection of human

subjects. Assurances 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 assurance in

accordance with the appropriate

guidelines and forms provided in the

application kit.

Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities

It is the policy of the CDC to ensure

that individuals of both sexes and the

various racial and ethnic groups will be

included in CDC-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, and

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 exists that

inclusion is inappropriate or not

reasonable, 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, Friday, September 15,

1995, pages 47947–47951 (a copy is

included in the application kit).

Cost Recovery

The Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by

the Superfund Amendments and

Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA),

provides for the recovery of costs

incurred for health-related activities at

each Superfund site from potentially

responsible parties. The recipient would

agree to maintain an accounting system

that will keep an accurate, complete,

and current accounting of all financial

transactions on a site-specific basis, i.e.,

individual time, travel, and associated

costs including indirect cost, as

appropriate for the site. The recipient

will retain the documents and records to

support these financial transactions, for

possible use in a cost recovery case, for

a minimum of ten (10) years after

submission of a final financial status

report, unless there is a litigation, claim,

negotiation, audit, or other action

involving the specific site; then the

records will be maintained until

resolution of all issues on the specific

site. Note: Recipients of awards must

maintain all records for 10 years

following submission of the final

Financial Status Report unless

otherwise directed by the Cost Recovery

Activity, OPOM, ATSDR, and must

obtain written approval from the Cost

Recovery Activity Official before

destroying any records.

Third Party Agreements

Project activities which are approved

for contracting pursuant to the prior

approval provisions shall be formalized

in a written agreement that clearly

establishes the relationship between the

grantee and the third party.

The written agreement shall at a

minimum:

(A) State or incorporate by reference

all applicable requirements imposed on

the contractors under the grant by the

terms of the grant, including

requirements concerning peer review

(ATSDR selected peer reviewers),

ownership of data, and the arrangement

for copyright when publications, data,

or other copyrightable works are

developed under or in the course of

work under a PHS grant supported

project or activity;

(B) State that any copyrighted or

copyrightable works shall be subject to

a royalty-fee, nonexclusive, and

irrevocable license to the Government to

reproduce, publish, or otherwise use

them, and to authorize others to do so

for Federal Government purposes;

(C) State that whenever any work

subject to this copyright policy may be

developed in the course of a grant by a

contractor under grant, the written

agreement (contract) must require the

contractor to comply with these

requirements and can in no way

diminish the Government’s right in that

work; and

(D) State the activities to be

performed, the time schedule for those

activities, the policies and procedures to

be followed in carrying out the

agreement, and the maximum amount of

money for which the grantee may

become liable to the third party under

the agreement.

The written agreement shall not

relieve the grantee of any part of its

responsibility or accountability to

ATSDR under the grant. The agreement

shall therefore retain sufficient rights

and control to the grantee to enable it

to fulfill this responsibility and

accountability.

Application Submission and Deadline

Dates

The original and two copies of the

application PHS Form 5161–1 (OMB

Number 0937–0189) must be submitted

to Ron Van Duyne, Grants Management

Officer, Attn: Patrick A. Smith, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and

Grants Office, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East

Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300,

Mailstop E–13, Atlanta, Georgia, 30305

on or before July 31, 1998. (By formal

agreement, the CDC Procurement and

Grants Office will act for and on behalf

of ATSDR on this matter.)

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

should 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.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 110 /Tuesday, June 9, 1998 / Notices 31487

Where To Obtain Additional

Information

To receive additional written

information call 1–888–GRANTS4. You

will be asked to leave your name,

address, and phone number and will

need to refer to ATSDR Announcement

Number 98074. You will receive a

complete program description,

information on application procedures,

and application forms. CDC will not

send application kits by facsimile or

express mail.

If you have questions after reviewing

the contents of all the documents,

business management technical

assistance may be obtained from Patrick

A. Smith, Grants Management

Specialist, Grants Management Branch,

Procurement and Grants Office, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE.,

Room 300, Mail Stop E–13, Atlanta,

Georgia 30305, telephone (404) 842–

6803, Internet: phs3@cdc.gov.

Programmatic technical assistance

may be obtained from Dr. Heraline

Hicks, Research Implementation

Branch, or Michael Youson, Office of

the Director, Division of Toxicology,

Agency for Toxic Substances and

Disease Registry, 1600 Clifton Road,

NE., Mail Stop E–29, Atlanta, Georgia

30333 or by calling (404) 639–6306 or

6300, Internet:heh2@cdc.gov.

PLEASE REFER TO

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 98074

WHEN REQUESTING INFORMATION

AND SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION.

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,

Washington, D.C. 20402–9325

(Telephone 202–512–1800).

This and other CDC announcements

are available through the CDC homepage

on the Internet. The address for the CDC

homepage is: http://www.cdc.gov.

Dated: June 3, 1998.

Georgi Jones,

Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs,

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease

Registry.

[FR Doc. 98–15257 Filed 6–8–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–70–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and

Disease Registry

[Program Announcement 98027]

Research Program for Exposure-Dose

Reconstruction

Introduction

The Agency for Toxic Substances and

Disease Registry (ATSDR) announces

the availability of fiscal year (FY) 1998

funds for a continuation of a cooperative

agreement research program for

exposure-dose reconstruction. The

purpose of the program is to reconstruct,

estimate, predict, and evaluate

exposures to widely varying

contaminant concentrations, exposure

frequencies, and exposure durations,

with widely varying emission

characteristics that can be found at

National Priorities List (NPL) sites,

Resource Conservation and Recovery

Act (RCRA) facilities, and other sites or

facilities where a hazardous substance

has been released into the environment.

ATSDR 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

Environmental Health. (For ordering a

copy of Healthy People 2000, see the

section Where to Obtain Additional

Information.)

Authority

This program is authorized under

section 104(i)(1)(E) of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended by

the Superfund Amendments and

Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 [42

U.S.C. 9604(i)(1)(E)] and section 3019

(b) (c) of the Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended

(Hazardous and Solid Waste

Amendments of 1984) [42 U.S.C.

6939a(b) and (c)].

Smoke-Free Workplace

ATSDR strongly encourages all grant

and cooperative agreement recipients to

provide a smoke-free workplace and

promote the non-use of all tobacco

products, and Public Law 103–227, the

Pro Children 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

Eligible applicants are the official

public health agencies of the States or

their bona fide agents or

instrumentalities. This includes the

District of Columbia, American Samoa,

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the

Virgin Islands, the Federated States of

Micronesia, Guam, the Northern

Mariana Islands, the Republic of the

Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau,

and federally recognized Indian Tribal

governments. State organizations,

including State universities, State

colleges, and State research institutions,

must affirmatively establish that they

meet their respective State’s legislative

definition of a State entity or political

subdivision to be considered an eligible

applicant.

Availability of Funds

Approximately $300,000 is available

in FY 1998 to fund one award. It is

expected that the award will begin on or

about September 30, 1998, for a 12-

month budget period and a project

period of up to 5 years. The funding

estimate may vary and is subject to

change.

Continuation awards within the

project period will be made on the basis

of satisfactory progress and the

availability of funds.

Use of Funds

Funds may be expended for

reasonable program purposes, such as

personnel, travel, supplies and services.

Funds for contractual services may be

requested. However, the awardee, as the

direct and primary recipient of ATSDR

cooperative agreement funds, must

perform a substantive role in carrying

out project activities and not merely

serve as a conduit for an award to

another party or provide funds to an

ineligible party. If contractors are

proposed, justification must be provided

along with the following: (1) Name of

contractor, (2) method of selection, (3)

period of performance, (4) detailed

budget, (5) justification for use of

contractor, and (6) assurance of nonconflict of interest.

Equipment may be purchased with

cooperative agreement funds. However,

the equipment proposed should be

appropriate and reasonable for the

activity to be conducted. The applicant,

as part of the application process,

should provide: (1) a justification for the

need to acquire the equipment, (2) the

description of the equipment, (3) the

intended use of the equipment, and (4)

the advantages/disadvantages of

purchase versus lease of the equipment

(if applicable). Requests for equipment