24376 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2001 / Notices

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

Provide CDC with original plus two

copies of:

1. Progress reports (semiannual);

2. Financial status report, no more

than 90 days after the end of the budget

period; and

3. Final financial and performance

reports, no more than 90 days after the

end of the project period.

Send all reports to the Grants

Management Specialist identified in the

‘‘Where to Obtain Additional

Information’’ section of this

announcement.

For descriptions of the following

Other Requirements, see Attachment I.

AR–1 Human Subjects Requirements

AR–2 Requirements for Inclusion of

Women and Racial and Ethnic

Minorities in Research

AR–7 Executive Order 12372 Review

AR–9 Paperwork Reduction Act

Requirements

AR–10 Smoke-Free Workplace

Requirements

AR–11 Healthy People 2010

AR–12 Lobbying Restrictions

AR–22 Research Integrity

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance Number

This program is authorized under

sections 301 and 317 of the Public

Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. sections

241 and 247b] as amended, and Section

102 of the Children’s Health Act of 2000

(Pub. L. 106–310). The Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance number is

93.283.

J. Where To Obtain Additional

Information

This and other CDC announcements

can be found on the CDC home page

Internet address—http://www.cdc.gov

Click on ‘‘Funding’’ then ‘‘Grants and

Cooperative Agreements.’’

To receive additional written

information and to request an

application kit, call 1–888–GRANTS4

(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.

If you have questions after reviewing

the contents of all the documents,

business management technical

assistance may be obtained from: Nancy

Pillar, Grants Management Specialist,

Grants Management Branch,

Procurement and Grants Office, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention,

2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000,

Atlanta, GA 30341–4146, Telephone

number: 770–488–2721, Email:

nfp6@cdc.gov.

For program technical assistance,

contact: Diana Schendel, Ph.D., National

Center on Birth Defects and

Developmental Disabilities, 4770 Buford

Highway, Mail Stop F–15, Atlanta,

Georgia 30341, Telephone number: 770–

488–7359, Email: dcs6@cdc.gov.

Dated: May 8, 2001.

John L. Williams,

Director, Procurement and Grants Office,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC).

[FR Doc. 01–11997 Filed 5–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

[Program Announcement 01095]

Building Quality Parent Components

for School-Based Health Programs in

Elementary and Middle Schools;

Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) announces the

availability of fiscal year (FY) 2001

funds for a cooperative agreement

program for Building Quality Parent

Components for School-Based Health

Programs in Elementary and Middle

Schools. This program addresses the

‘‘Healthy People 2010’’ focus areas of

Family Planning, HIV, Nutrition and

Over weight, Physical Activity and

Fitness, Sexually Transmitted Disease,

and Tobacco Use. A goal of this program

is to eliminate health disparities among

different segments of the population.

The purpose of this cooperative

agreement is to develop and evaluate

parent-focused intervention components

to be used as a supplement for schoolbased sexual risk reduction and chronic

disease risk factor prevention programs

in elementary and middle schools.

These intervention components would

be designed to assist parents in reducing

the risk behaviors of their children. The

risk factors among young people being

targeted by this program are sexual risk

behaviors and chronic disease risk

factors which include tobacco use,

physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and

being overweight or at risk of becoming

overweight. Interventions will target

parents (i.e., primary caregivers) of

elementary or middle school students.

For the purposes of this

announcement, parents are defined as

primary caregivers who are biological

parents or legal guardians (e.g., adoptive

parent, stepparent, grandparent) of

elementary and middle school students.

Primary caregivers are individuals who

take primary responsibility for

providing care for their children.

Parents (i.e., primary care-givers) are

eligible for the study if their elementary

or middle school children currently

reside with them and if they have lived

in the same residence with their

elementary or middle school children

for at least one year prior to the study.

Sexual risk reduction interventions

are programs that show promise of

success or have demonstrated evidence

of efficacy in delaying initiation of

sexual activity among young people,

increasing condom or contraceptive use

among sexually active young people, or

decreasing frequency of intercourse or

number of sexual partners among

sexually active young people. Chronic

disease risk factor prevention

interventions are programs that show

promise of success or have

demonstrated evidence of efficacy in

preventing initiation or promoting a

decrease of tobacco use among young

people, increasing physical activity,

increasing healthy eating, or decreasing

the number of children who are

overweight or at risk of becoming

overweight. Youth tobacco use

prevention programs are included in

this announcement, however, youth

tobacco cessation programs are not

within the scope of this announcement.

Please reference to Appendix 1 for

background information relevant to this

program announcement.

B. Eligible Applicants

Applications may be submitted by

public and private nonprofit

organizations and by governments and

their agencies; that is, universities,

colleges, research institutions, hospitals,

other public and private nonprofit

organizations, State, territorial, and

local governments or their bona fide

agents, and federally recognized Indian

tribal governments, Indian tribes, or

Indian tribal organizations.

Successful applicants shall

demonstrate a history of conducting

evaluation research in partnership with

interdisciplinary groups of health

researchers and local racial and ethnic

minority communities on applied social

and behavioral science projects.

Note: Title 2 of the United States Code,

Chapter 26, Section 1611 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.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2001 / Notices 24377

A. Availability of Funds

Approximately $300,000 is available

in FY 2001 to fund one award. It is

expected that the award will begin on or

about August 31, 2001, and will be

made for a 12-month budget period

within a project period of up to five

years. First year funding will be

approximately $300,000 because the

first year of the project is expected to be

a planning year.

Subsequent funding years are

expected to be funded at approximately

$700,000. Funding estimates may vary

and are subject to change.

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.

B. Program Requirements

In conducting activities to achieve the

purpose of this program, the recipient

will be responsible for the activities

under 1. (Recipient Activities), and CDC

will be responsible for the activities

listed under 2. (CDC Activities).

1. Recipient Activities

a. Establish and maintain appropriate

staff positions allocated to specific

responsibilities including a Research

Director and a Project Director with

research and training experience and

allocated time sufficient to achieve the

objectives of this program

announcement.

b. Lead an expert panel of individuals

with demonstrated experience in

conducting research on parental

influences on adolescent risk behaviors

or who have developed and

implemented parent-based

interventions. The purpose of the panel

should be to refine and further develop

the parent intervention components.

Develop final version of the parent

components.

c. Develop a quasi-experimental or

experimental evaluation design in

which sites or individual participants

(or some other justified unit) will be

randomized to the control or

comparison condition or the

experimental condition. An evaluation

plan should be developed to include

both process and outcome evaluation

components. Refine research questions,

conceptual frameworks, measurement

and analysis strategies, and intervention

protocols to meet program goals.

Develop strategies to maintain an

adequate response rate through the

follow-up period.

d. Collaborate and coordinate efforts

with appropriate school, parent, and

community organizations to identify

schools to participate in the study and

obtain approvals. Efforts should be

made to include members of the

targeted population in developing and

revising the research and intervention

activities whenever appropriate and

feasible. Plans to collaborate with

schools to sustain successful

interventions beyond the duration of the

project should be made.

e. Develop a research protocol for

local and CDC Institutional Review

Board review.

f. Recruit participants into the study.

Conduct intervention components

designed to assist parents in reducing

sexual risk behavior and preventing

chronic disease risk factors among

young people in elementary or middle

school.

g. Collect data from participants at

baseline (i.e., prior to the delivery of the

intervention), immediately following

the completion of the intervention, and

12 months following the completion of

the intervention.

h. Analyze data according to planned

strategies in order to measure the

success of interventions with targeted

populations in comparison to a control/

comparison group, which should

consist of the existing sexual risk

reduction and chronic disease risk

factor prevention programs without the

parent component supplements.

Behavioral outcomes (e.g., increasing

condom use, preventing tobacco

initiation, increasing healthy eating)

should be measured, on both parents

and children. Knowledge and attitude

assessment may be included, in

additional to behavioral outcomes.

Parental outcomes (e.g., measures of

parental monitoring, communication,

parental modeling) should be measured

with both parents and children.

i. Develop a plan for disseminating

results of the research to members of the

scientific, programmatic, and targeted

communities through scientific

publications, presentations and other

appropriate methods.

2. CDC Activities

a. Assist in selection of the student

interventions. Participate in an expert

panel to refine and further develop the

parent intervention components. Assist

with the development of the final

version of the parent components.

b. Assist in the development of

research and evaluation protocols for

the study and for IRB review by all

cooperating institutions participating in

the research project. The CDC IRB will

review the protocol initially and on at

least an annual basis until the research

project is completed.

c. Assist with the scientific and

technical coordination of the general

operation of the research project,

including data management support.

d. Assist in the analysis of data

gathered from program activities and the

reporting of results.

e. Collaborate in the dissemination of

evaluation findings through scientific

publications and presentations.

E. Application Content

Use the information in the Program

Requirements, Other Requirements, and

Evaluation Criteria sections and the

instructions and format provided below

to develop the application content. Your

application will be evaluated on the

criteria listed, so it is important to

follow them in laying out your program

plan. The narrative should be no more

than 30 double-spaced pages, printed on

one side, with one inch margins, and

unreduced font.

The application should include an

abstract and general introduction,

followed by one narrative subsection

per application content element (1–7) in

the order in which the elements appear

below. Each narrative subsection should

be labeled with the element title and

contain all of the information needed to

evaluate that element of the application

(except for curriculum vitae, references,

intervention descriptions and materials,

and letters of support). The referenced

exception materials should be placed in

the appendices section of the

application.

1. Specific Aims, Background and

Significance

a. List the broad, long-term objectives

and what the specific research proposed

in this application is intended to

accomplish. State the hypotheses to be

tested.

b. Provide a review of the relevant

literature to specify a theoretical and

empirical justification for the proposed

research, and clearly describe how the

proposed intervention will advance

efforts to reduce sexual risk behaviors

and prevent chronic disease risk factors

among young people in elementary or

middle school by intervening with

parents (i.e., primary caregivers) of

elementary or middle school young

people. Specifically, the application

should include explicit models (with

schematic drawings) that illustrate

factors to be modified through the

intervention and that explain the

mechanisms by which outcome effects

are produced.

2. Intervention Plan

a. Describe, in detail, the school-based

sexual risk reduction and chronic

24378 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2001 / Notices

disease risk factor prevention curricula

to which a parent component will be

added. Provide evidence that the

selected programs have been found to be

efficacious or promising with

elementary or middle school students.

Describe the proposed potential parent

components to be added to these

curricula and how these will fit into the

proposed interventions for young

people. Provide evidence justifying

inclusion of the proposed parent

components as promising strategies to

reduce risk behaviors.

b. Discuss why the planned parent

intervention components are promising.

Intervention descriptions should be

provided if possible. Discuss feasibility

and acceptability of the intervention in

a school setting and among parents and

why it is expected that the planned

intervention components will avoid the

problems of parent recruitment and

retention encountered by other parent

programs.

3. Research Plan

a. Describe all aspects of the study

design and methods, including the

evaluation design (both process and

outcome), and how threats to validity

will be handled; a detailed description

of the targeted population, including but

not limited to age, grade, sex, race,

socioeconomic status, and how the

population will be accessed;

instrumentation; the sampling strategy

(including a justification for the

sampling unit, sample size, power

analysis justifying the sample size, an

indication of expected effect sizes, and

the randomization strategy); and

training plans for individuals collecting

data, and data collection plans,

including but not limited to, linking

participants’ responses between

measurement periods.

b. Describe plans for recruitment and

retention of both parents and children

into the study, including expected

sample attrition during both

intervention and measurement phases.

Describe how study participants will be

tracked and what strategies will be used

to increase retention.

c. Describe how the intervention

implementation process will be

measured and how the findings will be

used to monitor implementation and

provide feedback to staff, and to

explicate other findings. Include plans

to maintain detailed records of the costs

involved in implementation such that

cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit

analyses can be performed.

d. Describe the plans and quality

assurance monitoring for data

management, plans for data analysis,

and interpretation.

e. Describe the potential limitations of

the results given the complexity of the

research focus, the targeted population,

and the applied nature of the

evaluation; to whom the findings will be

generalizeable; and how they can be

used to develop national

recommendations for including parents

in efforts to reduce sexual risk behaviors

and prevent chronic disease risk factors

among children in elementary and

middle schools.

f. Discuss how the proposed study

will meet the CDC Policy requirements

regarding the inclusion of women,

ethnic, and racial groups in the

proposed research. This includes:

1. The proposed plan for the inclusion

of both sexes and racial and ethnic

minority populations for appropriate

representation.

2. The proposed justification when

representation is limited or absent.

3. A statement as to whether the

design of the study is adequate to

measure differences when warranted.

4. A statement as to whether the plans

for recruitment and outreach for study

participants include the process of

establishing partnerships with

community(ies) and recognition of

mutual benefits.

4. Research and Intervention Capacity

a. Demonstrate the feasibility of the

proposed research by providing a

detailed time-line, with specific

products, specifying which staff person

will be responsible for which task.

b. Describe the research team and

show that the proposed research staff for

the project represents an

interdisciplinary team of behavioral and

social scientists with the scientific

training and the previous scientific and

practical experience needed to conduct

and complete high quality research

within the specified time-line, as

evidenced by the successful completion

of past research in the areas proposed in

this application. Describe previous

service or research conducted with this

population.

c. Demonstrate the adequacy of the

proposed staff, through curriculum vitae

and position descriptions that detail

responsibilities, to carry out all

proposed activities (i.e., sufficient in

number, percentage of time

commitments, behavioral or social

scientists in key project positions, and

qualifications).

d. Describe the facilities, data

processing and analysis capacity, and

systems for management of data security

and participant confidentiality.

5. Collaboration, Sustainability, and

Dissemination

a. Describe how academic, program,

and community partners will participate

in developing, conducting, and

evaluating the proposed research.

Specifically, describe the involvement

of appropriate key organizations and

members of the targeted population and

discuss previous work of the proposed

collaborators. Include letters of support

from proposed collaborating

organizations indicating willingness to

participate in the proposed research,

including but not limited to, evidence of

past successful collaboration,

willingness to be randomized to a

control/comparison or experimental

condition, and the number and

demographic characteristics of young

people served.

b. Define the responsibilities of

collaborating partners and identify a

primary contact within collaborating

organizations.

c. Discuss efforts to be made

throughout the project period to ensure

that the intervention will be sustained

once Federal funding ends.

d. Provide a clear dissemination plan

to include, but not limited to, the timely

sharing of findings with local partners;

and include a plan to work with other

sites to ensure that analysis and

production of scientific papers and

reports give priority to findings that can

be used to develop national prevention

recommendations for inclusion of

parents in efforts to reduce sexual risk

behavior and prevent chronic disease

risk factors among young people in

elementary or middle school. Describe

key dissemination products including

peer-reviewed publications and

presentations that can be used by

program planners, policy makers, and

other interested parties.

6. Budget with Justification

Provide a detailed budget with a lineitem justification that is consistent with

the proposed activities.

7. Human Subjects

Does the applicant adequately address

the requirements of Title 45 CFR Part 46

for the protection of human subjects?

F. Submission and Deadline

Application

Submit the original and five copies of

PHS 398 (OMB Number 0925–0001).

Forms are available at the following

Internet address: http://forms.psc.gov,

or in the application kit.

On or before June 22, 2001, submit the

application to the Grants Management

Specialist identified in the ‘‘Where to

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2001 / Notices 24379

Obtain Additional Information’’ section

of this announcement.

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 independent 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.)

Late Applications: Applications

which do not meet the criteria in (a) or

(b) above are considered late

applications, will not be considered,

and will be returned to the applicant.

G. Evaluation Criteria (Total 100

Points)

Each application will be evaluated

individually against the following

criteria by an independent review group

appointed by CDC:

1. Specific Aims, Background, and

Significance (10 points)

a. The extent to which the specific

aims and objectives of the proposed

research are clearly stated and justified

and the stated hypotheses are testable.

b. The extent to which a

comprehensive review of the relevant

literature and specification of a

theoretical and empirical justification

for the proposed research is provided.

2. Intervention Plan (25 points)

a. The extent to which the applicant

adequately describes the school-based

sexual risk reduction and chronic

disease risk factor prevention

intervention curricula to which a parent

component will be added and describes

the proposed parent components. The

extent to which evidence is provided

that the selected programs have been

found to be efficacious or promising

with elementary or middle school

students.

b. The extent to which the applicant

addresses the issues of feasibility and

acceptability of the intervention in a

school setting and among parents. The

extent to which the planned

intervention components can be

expected to avoid the problems of

parent recruitment and retention

encountered by other parent programs.

3. Research Plan (30 points; a–e, 25 pts.;

f, 5 pts.)

a. The extent to which the study and

evaluation design (both process and

outcome) and methods are scientifically

sound. Demonstrated ability to access

the target population. The adequacy of

the proposed instrumentation; the

sampling strategy; training plans for

individuals collecting data, and data

collection plans.

b. The adequacy with which study

participants will be tracked, and the

extent to which strategies presented are

likely to produce adequate recruitment

and retention of participants (includes

expected attrition).

c. The extent to which the

intervention implementation process

can be measured and findings used to

monitor implementation and provide

feedback to staff as well as to replicate

the intervention in other settings,

including the ability to perform costeffectiveness and cost-benefit analyses.

d. The extent to which the plans for

data management, data analysis, and

interpretation are clear, appropriate and

are monitored adequately for quality.

e. The extent to which the evaluation

will provide results that are

scientifically sound, generalizeable, and

useful for developing national

recommendations for the inclusion of

parent components in school programs.

f. The extent to which the applicant

has met the CDC Policy requirements

regarding the inclusion of women and

ethnic and racial groups in the proposed

research.

4. Research and Intervention Capacity

(20 points)

a. The feasibility of the proposed

research plan and the adequacy of the

time-line with specific products,

specifying which staff person will be

responsible for which task.

b. The extent to which the proposed

research staff represents an

interdisciplinary team of behavioral and

social scientists with the scientific

training and the previous experience

needed to conduct high quality research

within the specified time-line.

c. The adequacy of the proposed staff,

as evidenced by curriculum vitae and

position descriptions that detail

responsibilities, to conduct all proposed

activities (i.e., sufficient in number,

percentage of time commitments,

behavioral scientists in key project

positions, and qualifications).

d. The adequacy of facilities, data

processing and analysis capacity, and

systems for management of data security

and participant confidentiality.

5. Collaboration, Sustainability, and

Dissemination (15 points)

a. The extent to which the applicant

includes academic and community

partners in developing, conducting, and

evaluating the proposed research, and

includes the involvement of appropriate

key organizations and members of the

targeted population. Degree to which

applicant includes letters of support

from proposed collaborating

organizations. The extent to which the

responsibilities of collaborating partners

are defined.

b. The adequacy of efforts to be made

throughout the project period to ensure

that the intervention will be sustained

once Federal funding ends.

c. The extent to which the

dissemination plan is clearly articulated

and includes the timely sharing of

findings with local partners.

6. Budget (Not Scored)

Extent to which the budget is

reasonable, itemized, clearly justified,

and consistent with the intended use of

the funds.

7. Human Subjects (Not Scored)

Does the application adequately

address the requirements of Title 45

CFR Part 46 for the protection of human

subjects?

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

Provide CDC with original plus two

copies of

1. Progress reports (annual,

semiannual, or quarterly);

2. Financial status report, no more

than 90 days after the end of the budget

period; and

3. Final financial and performance

reports, no more than 90 days after the

end of the project period.

Send all reports to the Grants

Management Specialist identified in the

‘‘Where to Obtain Additional

Information’’ section of this

announcement.

For a description of the following

Other Requirements, see Attachment I

in the application kit.

AR–1 Human Subjects Requirements

AR–2 Requirements for Inclusion of

Women and Racial and Ethnic

Minorities in Research

AR–4 HIV/AIDS Confidentiality

Provisions

AR–5 HIV Program Review Panel

Requirements

AR–8 Public Health System Reporting

Requirements

AR–9 Paperwork Reduction Act

Requirements

AR–11 Healthy People 2010

AR–12 Lobbying Restrictions

AR–14 Accounting System

Requirements

AR–15 Proof of Non-Profit Status

AR–22 Research Integrity

24380 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 93 / Monday, May 14, 2001 / Notices

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance Number

This program is authorized under

Sections 301(a), 311(b) and (c) and

317(k)(2)[42 U.S.C. section 241(a),

243(b) and (c), and 247b(k)(2)], of the

Public Health Service Act, as amended.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance number is 93.938.

J. Where to Obtain Additional

Information

This and other CDC announcements

can be found on the CDC home page

Internet address—http://www.cdc.gov

Click on ‘‘Funding’’ then ‘‘Grants and

Cooperative Agreements.’’

For more information on effective

programs, visit the Department of

Justice website, http://www.usdoj.gov,

the Department of Education website,

http://www.ed.gov and CDC’s

‘‘Programs That Work’’ website, http://

www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/rtc/

index.htm.

Should you have questions after

reviewing the contents of all the

documents, business management

technical assistance may be obtained

from: Cynthia Collins, Grants

Management Specialist, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and

Grants Office, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, Announcement

01095, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room

3000, Atlanta, GA 30341–4146,

Telephone number: 770–488–2757, Email address: coc9@cdc.gov.

For program technical assistance,

contact: Patricia Dittus, Ph.D., Division

of Adolescent and School Health,

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE,

MS K–33, Atlanta, GA 30341,

Telephone number: 770–488–6196, EMail address: pdittus@cdc.gov.

Dated: May 08, 2001.

John L. Williams,

Director, Procurement and Grants Office,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC).

[FR Doc. 01–11998 Filed 5–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

[Program Announcement 01061]

Longitudinal Studies of Rodent

Reservoirs of Hantaviruses in the

Southwestern United States; Notice of

Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) announces the

availability of fiscal year (FY) 2001

funds for a cooperative agreement to

provide assistance for longitudinal

studies of rodent reservoirs of

hantaviruses in the Southwestern

United States. This program addresses

the ‘‘Healthy People 2010’’ focus area of

Immunization and Infectious Diseases.

The purpose of the program is to

continue to improve understanding of

the ecological dynamics of the

transmission cycle of hantaviruses in

their natural host populations and to

provide precise data linking

environmental changes to changes in

rodent population densities and

prevalence of infection. These data will

be used to parameterize mathematical

models that will use satellite-derived

environmental descriptors to predict

changes in risk of hantavirus disease at

precise times and places in North

America.

The preliminary success of the

current studies in identifying

environmental factors that lead to

increased risk of human disease has

illustrated that (1) more precise and

detailed measurements of

environmental variables are required as

input parameters and to calibrate

accurate, predictive, mathematical

models of disease risk; (2) mathematical

models must be calibrated using data

from many years and geographically

dispersed sites; and (3) fine-scale

remotely sensed (satellite) data must be

used in order to make predictive models

generalizable and applicable across

wide geographic areas.

B. Eligible Applicants

Assistance will be provided only to

the University of New Mexico (UNM),

Colorado State University (CSU), and

Yavapai College (YC).

Hantaviruses have been shown in the

United States to be responsible for

serious human disease, specifically,

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).

There have been over 280 identified

cases of HPS, the majority of which

have occurred in the Southwestern

United States. Other North American

species of Hantavirus have now been

described from various sigmodontine

rodent reservoirs, including Sigmodon

hispidus, Peromyscus leucopus,

Oryzomys palustris, Peromyscus boylii,

and Reithrodontomys megalotis. All of

these species, except O. palustris,

coexist in the Southwestern U.S.

A complete understanding of the

cycle of HPS in humans will require

knowledge of the dynamics of viral

infection in the rodent reservoir. Crosssectional studies have identified several

reservoir species, demonstrated the

widespread distribution of infection in

populations of these species and shown

that the prevalence of infection is highly

variable on a spacial scale. Long-term

studies of reservoir populations are

necessary to determine temporal

patterns of infection, incidence rates,

mechanisms of transmission, effects of

climate, habitat quality, and host

populations dynamics on the

transmission cycle, and effects of

infection on host movements, growth,

longevity and population dynamics.

Longitudinal mark-recapture studies

of reservoir populations have been

conducted at established trapping sites

in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico

since 1994 through separate cooperative

agreements with UNM, CSU, and YC.

These academic institutions established

the trapping sites, performed the

research, collected and interpreted the

data, and published the results in peerreviewed scientific literature. Due to the

inherent temporal variability in

environmental, climatological, and

population parameters at the sites,

comparative data must be collected over

a period of many years for the objectives

of long-term studies to be met.

The previous longitudinal studies

have greatly improved understanding of

hantivirus-host ecology and have

elucidated general patterns that

implicate environmental factors that are

associated with increased risk of human

hantaviral disease. Nevertheless, these

data have shown that discerned patterns

vary tremendously both spatially and

temporally. In addition, many

environmental changes are extremely

rare events and conditions that lead to

rodent population irruptions and

human epidemics are infrequent. Thus,

the ultimate usefulness of these studies

depends upon adequate replication in

time and space and their long-term

maintenance.

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