29966 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and

Families

[Program Announcement No. ACYF/CB–

2001–02]

Announcement of the Availability of

Financial Assistance and Request for

Applications To Support Development

and Delivery of the Infant Adoption

Awareness Training Program

AGENCY: Administration on Children,

Youth and Families, Administration for

Children and Families, Department of

Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Children’s Bureau (CB)

within the Administration on Children,

Youth and Families (ACYF),

Administration for Children and

Families (ACF) and the Health

Resources and Services Administration

(HRSA) of the Department of Health and

Human Services (DHHS) announce the

availability of financial assistance and

request for applications for the Infant

Adoption Awareness Training Program

(IAATP) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 under

section 330F of the Public Health

Service (PHS) Act, as amended by Title

XII, Subtitle A, of the Children’s Health

Act (CHA) of 2000, Public Law 106–310,

enacted October 17, 2000. The IAATP

projects are designed to provide Federal

financial assistance to adoption agencies

that will provide training to designated

staff of eligible health centers so that

they will be able to provide adoption

counseling and referrals to pregnant

women. Grantee adoption agencies must

agree to develop and implement

curricula and provide training-oftrainers (TOT) programs based on their

curricula, or grantees may employ

alternative approaches to ensure that

eligible health center designated staff

are trained during the course of the

cooperative agreement funded period.

CLOSING TIME AND DATE: The closing time

and date for RECEIPT of applications is

4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone) on July

20, 2001.

Mailed or hand-carried applications

received after 4:30 p.m. on the closing

date will be classified as late and not

considered in the current competition.

Deadline: Mailed or hand-carried

applications shall be considered as

meeting an announced deadline if they

are received on or before the deadline

time and date at:

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families (ACYF), Operations Center,

1815 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 300,

Arlington, Virginia 22209

The hours of operation are 8:00 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).

The phone number of the Operations

Center is 1–800–351–2293.

Applicants are responsible for mailing

applications well in advance to ensure

that the applications are received on or

before the deadline time and date.

Applicants are cautioned that express/

overnight mail services do not always

deliver as agreed.

Applications hand-carried by

applicants, applicant couriers, other

representatives of the applicant, or by

overnight/express mail couriers shall be

considered as meeting an announced

deadline if they are received on or

before the closing time and date.

ACF cannot accommodate

transmission of applications by fax or

through other electronic media.

Therefore, applications transmitted to

ACF electronically will not be accepted

regardless of date or time of submission

and time of receipt.

Late applications: Applications that

do not meet the above criteria are

considered late applications. ACF shall

notify each late applicant that its

application will not be considered in

the current competition.

Extension of deadlines: ACF may

extend application deadlines when

circumstances such as acts of God (e.g.,

floods or hurricanes) occur, or when

there are widespread disruptions of mail

service. Determinations to extend or

waive deadline requirements rest with

the Chief Grants Management Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

ACYF Operations Center is available to

answer questions regarding application

requirements and to refer you to the

appropriate contact person in ACYF for

programmatic questions. The telephone

number is 1–800–351–2293 or you may

contact them by e-mail at cb@lcgnet.com

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

program announcement consists of four

parts. Part I provides information on the

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families and Children’s Bureau’s

statutory authority and available funds

for the program covered in this

announcement. Part II lists the

programmatic priorities for which

applications are being requested and

provides general information. Part III

provides information on the application,

review, and funding process. The forms

and general guidance to be used for

submitting an application follow in Part

IV. Please copy the forms as single-sided

forms and use them in submitting an

application under this announcement.

No additional application materials are

available or needed to submit an

application.

This announcement package is also

available online at http://

www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/CB under

Policy and Funding Announcements on

the Children’s Bureau Web site. The

required Federal forms are available

online at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/

programs/ofs/grants/forms.htm 

Applicants should note that grants to

be awarded under this program

announcement are subject to the

availability of funds.

Outline of Announcement

Part I: Background

A. General Information on the

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families and the Children’s Bureau

B. Legislative Framework

C. Statutory Authority Covering

Discretionary Grant Programs in this

Announcement and the Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers

D. Structure of Priority Area Descriptions

E. Other Considerations

Part II: Priority Area

A. Priority Area List

B. Available Funds

C. Priority Area Description

Part III: The Application: Instructions,

Review, and Funding Process

A. Application Format

B. Application Content

C. State Single Point of Contact (E.O. 12372)

D. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Public Law 104–13)

E. The Screening, Review and Funding

Process

Part IV: Application Forms, Assurances, and

Certifications

A. Project Description Overview

B. Other Forms, Assurances, and

Certifications

Part I: Background

A. General Information on the

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families and the Children’s Bureau

The Administration on Children,

Youth and Families (ACYF) administers

national programs for children and

youth, works with States and local

communities to develop services that

support and strengthen family life, seeks

joint ventures with the private sector to

enhance the lives of children and their

families, and provides information and

other assistance to parents. The

concerns of ACYF extend to all children

from birth through adolescence. Many

of the programs administered by the

agency focus on children from lowincome families; abused and neglected

children; children and youth in need of

foster care, independent living,

adoption or other child welfare services;

preschool children; children with

disabilities; runaway and homeless

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices 29967

youth; and children from Native

American and migrant families.

Within ACYF, the Children’s Bureau

plans, manages, coordinates, and

supports child abuse and neglect

prevention and child welfare services

programs. It administers the Foster Care

and Adoption Assistance Program, the

Child Welfare Services State Grants

Program, Child Welfare Services

Training Programs, the Independent

Living Program, the Adoption

Opportunities Program, the Abandoned

Infants Assistance Program, programs

supported by the Promoting Safe and

Stable Families Act, the Court

Improvement Program, and programs

funded under the Child Abuse

Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA),

including Basic State grants, the child

abuse and neglect discretionary

program, the Community-Based Family

Resource and Support Program, and the

Children’s Justice Act Program.

The Children’s Bureau programs are

designed to promote the safety,

permanency, and well being of all

children. Training activities such as

these contribute to that effort.

B. Legislative Framework

This section provides an overview of

legislation applicable to the training

activity described in this program

announcement. It addresses the

Children’s Health Act. It also briefly

reviews other policies and rules

pertaining to improving services to and

outcomes for abused and neglected

children, children in foster care, and

children awaiting adoptive families.

Overview of the Children’s Health Act

With the passage of Public Law 106–

310, enacted October 17, 2000, the

Congress emphasized the need to

address children’s health services,

pediatric research, developmental

disabilities, birth defects prevention,

prenatal and postnatal care, and other

activities regarding children’s health

and well being. Title XII, Subtitle A—

Infant Adoption Awareness of the

Children’s Health Act (http://

frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/

getdoc.cgi?dbname=106_cong

_public_laws &docid=f:publ310.106.pdf)

authorized the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS) to

make grants available to national,

regional, or local adoption organizations

for the purpose of developing and

implementing programs to train the

designated staff of eligible health

centers in providing adoption

information and referrals to pregnant

women on an equal basis with all other

courses of action included in

nondirective counseling to pregnant

women. In compliance with the

legislation, HHS activities include the

following:

• Establish and supervise a process

through which adoption organizations

and public health entity representatives

collaborate to develop best-practice

guidelines on the provision of adoption

information and referrals to pregnant

women on an equal basis with all other

courses of action included in

nondirective counseling to women;

• Award grant funds to adoption

organizations to develop training

curricula, consistent with the bestpractice guidelines;

• Ensure that adoption organizations

conduct training for all eligible health

centers; and

• Report to the appropriate

committees of Congress evaluating the

extent to which adoption information

and referral, upon request, are provided

by eligible health centers in order to

determine the effectiveness of such

training and the extent to which the

training addresses the requirement to

provide information and referrals to

pregnant women on an equal basis with

all other courses of action included in

nondirective counseling to women.

Multi-Ethnic Placement Act

Grantees should be familiar with the

Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) as

amended by the Interethnic Placement

Act (Section 1808 of the Small Business

Job Protection Act of 1996) which

addresses the issue of race in foster care

and adoption placements. Specifically,

MEPA prohibits the delay or denial of

any adoption or placement in foster care

due to the race, color, or national origin

of the child or the foster or adoptive

parents and requires States to provide

for diligent recruitment of potential

foster and adoptive families that reflect

the ethnic and racial diversity of

children for whom homes are needed.

Section 1808 of Pub. L. 104–188 affirms

the prohibition against delaying or

denying the placement of a child for

adoption or foster care on the basis of

race, color, or national origin of the

foster or adoptive parents or the child

involved [42 U.S.C. 1996b]. Training

materials must encompass MEPA

requirements.

Additional Information

The Children’s Bureau’s Web site

(http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb)

provides a wide range of information

and links to other relevant Web sites.

Information readily available from the

Children’s Bureau Web site includes,

but is not limited to, Final Rules

published in the Federal Register,

describing the child welfare outcome

measures developed pursuant to the

Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997,

monitoring activities pertaining to the

Child and Family Services (CFS)

reviews and Title IV–E eligibility,

federally mandated information systems

(e.g., Adoption and Foster Care Analysis

and Reporting System), and other

publications and reports.

C. Statutory Authority Covering

Discretionary Grant Programs in This

Announcement and the Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

Numbers

Infant Adoption Awareness: Section

330F of the PHS Act, as amended by

Title XII, Subtitle A, of the Children’s

Health Act of 2000 [42 U.S.C. 201 note]

CFDA: 93.254

D. Structure of Priority Area

Descriptions

The priority area description found in

section D is composed of the following

sections:

Eligible Applicants: This section

specifies the types of agencies and

organizations eligible to apply under the

particular priority area. Eligibility to

compete in some priority areas is

limited to particular applicant

organizations. For this reason, and

because eligibility varies depending on

statutory provisions, it is critical that

the ‘Eligible Applicants’ section of the

priority area be reviewed carefully.

Only agencies and organizations, not

individuals, are eligible to apply. One

agency must be identified as the

applicant organization and will have

legal responsibility for the grant.

Additional agencies and organizations

can be included as co-participants,

subgrantees, subcontractors, or

collaborators if they will assist in

providing expertise and in helping to

meet the needs of the training

recipients. Faith-based and community

based organizations meeting the

eligibility requirements may apply to be

a grantee, or they may be included as

co-participants, subgrantees,

subcontractors, or collaborators if they

will assist in providing expertise and in

helping to meet the needs of the training

recipients. For-profit organizations, that

waive their profit, are eligible to

participate as subgrantees or

subcontractors with eligible nonprofit

organizations under all priority areas

where nonprofit organizations are the

eligible applicants.

Any nonprofit organization

submitting an application must submit

proof of its nonprofit status in its

application at the time of submission.

The nonprofit agency can accomplish

this by providing a copy of the

29968 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices

applicant’s listing in the Internal

Revenue Service’s (IRS) most recent list

of tax-exempt organizations described in

Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, or by

providing a copy of the current valid

IRS tax exemption certification, or by

providing a copy of the articles of

incorporation bearing the seal of the

State in which the corporation or

association is located.

Purpose: This section presents the

basic focus and/or broad goal(s) of the

priority area.

Background Information: This section

briefly discusses the background as well

as the current state-of-the-art and/or

current state-of-practice that supports

the need for the particular priority area

activity. Relevant information on

projects previously funded by ACYF is

noted, where applicable.

Evaluation: This section presents the

basic set of issues and specific

information that will be evaluated in

review of the application. Typically,

they relate to the need for assistance, the

results expected, project design,

evaluation, community involvement,

and organization and staff capabilities.

Project products and materials,

continuation of the project effort after

the Federal support ceases, and

dissemination/utilization activities, if

appropriate, also will be evaluated.

Inclusion and discussion of these items

is important because the reviewers will

use the information submitted by the

applicant to evaluate the application

against the criteria described in the

evaluation section. The appropriateness

of the budget to the goals of the project

and reasonableness of costs also will be

considered in the review process.

Project Duration: This section

specifies the maximum allowable length

of time for the project period. The term

‘project period’ refers to the total time

a project is approved for support. Where

appropriate, applicants may propose

project periods that are shorter but not

longer than the maximums specified in

the priority area. The term ‘budget

period’ refers to the interval of time

(usually 12 months) into which a

multiyear period of assistance is divided

for budgetary and funding purposes.

For multiyear projects, continued

Federal funding beyond the first budget

period is dependent upon satisfactory

performance by the grantee, availability

of funds from future appropriations, and

a determination that continued funding

is in the best interest of the Government.

Federal Share of Project Costs: This

section specifies the maximum amount

of Federal support for the project for

each budget period.

Matching or Cost Sharing

Requirement: This section specifies the

minimum non-Federal contribution

required in relation to the maximum

Federal funds requested for the project.

Grantees must provide the non-Federal

share, if required, of the total approved

cost of the project. The total approved

cost of the project is the sum of the

Federal share and the non-Federal

share. Cash or in-kind contributions

may be used to meet the non-Federal

share, although applicants are

encouraged to meet their match

requirements through cash

contributions. Non-Federal share

contributions may exceed the

minimums specified in the various

priority areas when the applicant is able

to do so. However, applicants should

propose only that non-Federal share

they can realistically provide because,

as a grantee, they must meet the

proposed level of match support before

the end of the project period. If

approved for funding, grantees will be

held accountable for the commitment of

non-Federal resources and failure to

provide the required amount will result

in a disallowance of unmatched Federal

funds.

Anticipated Number of Projects to be

Funded: This section specifies the

number of projects that ACYF

anticipates funding under the priority

area, subject to the availability of funds.

Length of Application: This section

specifies the maximum allowable

number of pages that will be reviewed.

Please be advised that only the

information within the specified page

limitation will be reviewed and

considered for funding.

CFDA Number: This number from the

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

must be used in each application in

Item 10 of the Standard Form 424

(Application for Federal Assistance).

E. Other Considerations

The Commissioner may give special

consideration to applications proposing

services of special interest to the

Government and to achieve geographic

distributions of awards. Applications of

special interest may include, but are not

limited to, applications focusing on

unserved or inadequately served clients

or service areas; programs addressing

diverse ethnic populations; and research

topics of particular importance. In

making award decisions, ACYF may

give preference to applications that

focus on: substantially innovative

strategies with the potential to improve

theory and/or practice in child welfare,

with an emphasis on adoption; a model

practice or set of procedures that holds

the potential for replication by

organizations that administer or deliver

foster care and/or adoption services

and/or child protective services;

substantial involvement (financial and/

or programmatic) of the private sector,

national, or State or community

foundations; a favorable balance

between Federal and non-Federal funds

for the proposed project; or the potential

for high benefit from low Federal

investment. ACYF may also elect not to

fund any applicants having known

management, fiscal, reporting,

programmatic, or other problems which

make it unlikely that they would be able

to provide effective services or

effectively complete the proposed

activity.

Part II: Priority Area

A. Priority Area List

2001E.1 Infant Adoption Awareness

Training Program

B. Available Funds

The Administration on Children,

Youth and Families proposes to award

approximately 2 new cooperative

agreements in fiscal year 2001 from the

competition resulting from this

announcement. The funding is

approximately $9 million.

The size of the actual awards will

vary. The Federal government may elect

to fund applications in FY 2002 out of

the pool of applications submitted

under this announcement, subject to the

availability of resources in FY 2002 and

the number and quality of applications

received.

C. Priority Area Description

2001E.1 Infant Adoption Awareness

Training Program

Eligible Applicants: Eligibility is

limited to private nonprofit national,

regional, or local organizations among

whose primary purpose is adoption and

that are knowledgeable in all elements

of the adoption process and on

providing adoption information and

referral to pregnant women.

Purpose: To award cooperative

agreements to adoption organizations

for the purpose of developing and

implementing Infant Adoption

Awareness Training Programs (IAATP)

to train the designated staff of eligible

health centers in providing adoption

information and referrals to pregnant

women on an equal basis with all other

courses of action included in

nondirective counseling to pregnant

women. Adoption organizations

(grantees) will be required to develop

and implement curricula that are

consistent with best-practices guidelines

that will be provided to recipients

pursuant to the award of the cooperative

agreement. Adoption organizations

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices 29969

funded under this priority area will be

required to develop and implement

curricula to train staff at eligible health

centers who provide or who, after

training, will provide pregnancy or

adoption information and referrals. The

grantees will need to provide

instruction on their curricula to trainers,

who will provide training to health

center staff. This instruction may be

conveyed using training-of-trainers

(TOT) courses or other mechanisms that

provide continuity and consistency in

the training for the instructors.

Note: A cooperative agreement is a specific

method of awarding Federal assistance in

which substantial Federal involvement is

anticipated. A cooperative agreement clearly

defines the respective responsibilities of the

Children’s Bureau and the grantee prior to

award. The Children’s Bureau anticipates

that agency involvement will produce

programmatic benefits to the recipient

otherwise unavailable to them for carrying

out the project. The involvement and

collaboration includes Children’s Bureau

review and approval of planning stages of the

activities before implementation phases may

begin and Children’s Bureau and recipient

joint collaboration in the performance of key

programmatic activities (i.e., strategic

planning, implementation, information

technology enhancements, training and

technical assistance, publications or

products, and evaluation). Close monitoring

by the Children’s Bureau of the requirements

stated in this announcement that limit the

grantee’s discretion with respect to scope of

services offered, organizational structure and

management processes, coupled with close

Children’s Bureau monitoring during

performance, in order to assure compliance

with the intent of this funding, exceed those

Federal stewardship responsibilities

customary for grant activities.

Background Information:

Definitions

Title XII of the Children’s Health Act

of 2000, which pertains to the IAATP,

defines the term ‘‘adoption

organization’’ as a ‘‘national, regional, or

local organization among whose

primary purposes are adoption; that is

knowledgeable in all elements of the

adoption process and on providing

adoption information and referrals to

pregnant women; and that is a nonprofit

private entity.’’

The term ‘‘designated staff’’ pertains

to staff at an eligible health center ‘‘who

provide pregnancy or adoption

information and referrals (or will

provide such information and referrals

after receiving training under a grant).’’

The term ‘‘eligible health centers’’ as

defined in the legislation refers to

‘‘public and nonprofit private entities

that provide health services to pregnant

women,’’ and these entities are targeted

for the receipt of training. These entities

are not eligible to submit applications

for funding under this program

announcement to provide the training.

There are approximately 3,000 entities

that fit the definition of ‘‘eligible health

centers’’ and are therefore eligible to

receive training under the IAATP.

Adoption organizations funded as

IAATP providers make reasonable

efforts to ensure that the eligible health

centers offered and provided IAAT

include those that receive grants under

Section 1001 of the Public Health

Services Act (PHSA) (relating to

voluntary family planning projects);

grants under Section 330 of the PHSA

(relating to community health centers,

migrant health centers, and centers

regarding homeless individuals and

residents of public housing); and grants

under the PHSA for the provision of

services in schools.

Specific Tasks To Be Performed by the

Adoption Organizations Providing

IAATP

The IAATP is designed to ensure that

counselors in health clinics and other

settings provide women who have

unplanned pregnancies with complete

and accurate information on adoption.

Applicants are required to submit a

program plan that clearly and concisely

describes a strategy for developing

IAATP curriculum, inviting designated

staff of eligible health centers (including

those funded under PHSA sections

specified above) to training, scheduling

training, planning and implementing

IAATP sessions, and completing posttraining activities (e.g., participant

reimbursement and evaluation). The

plan should indicate the number and

qualifications of trainers and anticipated

geographic areas in which health center

staff training will be conducted.

Adoption organizations funded under

this priority area will be required to

cooperate fully in any and all

evaluations of IAATP sponsored by the

Department of Health and Human

Services.

Travel for Conferences:

Approximately four weeks after the

award of the cooperative agreements,

the project director, the curriculum

designer and/or the training director for

each IAATP will be required to attend

a two-day conference in Washington,

DC, sponsored by the Children’s Bureau

for IAATP awardees funded under this

priority area. Attendees will become

part of the membership of the IAATP

Network. During this conference DHHS

staff will review the best practice

guidelines developed for the IAATP and

discuss the implications for developing

the curricula and related educational

materials. Scheduling matters and plans

for ensuring that the designated staffs of

eligible health centers receive training

during the three-year course of the

cooperative agreement will be outlined

and discussed. The Children’s Bureau

anticipates reconvening the IAATP

Network annually for a two-day meeting

in Washington, DC, at the beginning of

the second and third project years.

Each budget plan should include

funding for the three annual IAATP

Network meetings in Washington, DC.

Additionally, IAATP awardees will be

required to provide funding to send the

project director and the evaluator to an

annual Children’s Bureau grantees

meeting.

Geographic Region: In the project

narrative, applicants are required to

describe the specific geographic region

that will be served by the IAATP

adoption organization. This section

should include a justification for the

selection of the region, based on, for

example, geographic size or the number

and types of eligible health centers in

the area. The Children’s Bureau will

accept applications for projects of

national, regional, or local scope. The

rationale for the project scope must be

justified in detail.

Curriculum Development: As stated

above, applicants will be required to

develop and implement training

programs for the designated staff of the

eligible health centers that provide

adoption information and referrals to

pregnant women on an equal basis with

all other courses of action included in

nondirective counseling to pregnant

women.

Within four months of the award of

the cooperative agreement, grantees will

be required to submit to the Children’s

Bureau an IAATP curriculum for review

and approval that (a) Is competencybased, (b) conforms to professionallyrecognized standards for curriculum

format and style, (c) is consistent with

the best-practices guidelines, required

by the statute, (d) is pilot tested and

appropriately modified, as necessary,

before broad use, and (e) can be reliably

evaluated. After review of the submitted

curriculum, the Children’s Bureau may

require the grantee to make revisions

before implementing the training.

In the narrative section of the

application, applicants are advised to

describe the strategies and processes

that they will use to design a curriculum

that is consistent with the IAATP

guidelines. Because the IAATP

guidelines are not currently available, it

is not necessary for the applicant to

present a tentative curriculum outline

with descriptions of specific training

modules. Rather, applicants are

encouraged to present a description of

29970 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices

training approaches that may be used,

methods for addressing cultural

diversity, anticipated session length,

and supplemental materials (participant

handouts, visual aides, and other

resources). Moreover, applicants are

advised to demonstrate a familiarity

with and understanding of

professionally recognized standards and

best practices pertaining to pregnancy

counseling, supportive services and

adoption services for adolescents and

women with unplanned pregnancies.

Trainer Qualifications: CHA requires

that adoption organizations sponsoring

the IAATP agree to make reasonable

efforts to ensure that the individuals

who provide the program training are

individuals who are knowledgeable in

all elements of the adoption process and

are experienced in providing adoption

information and referrals in the

geographic areas in which the eligible

health centers are located.

As part of the project narrative,

applicants are advised to describe the

methods that they will use to recruit,

select, train and evaluate instructors

who will provide the training to the

designated staff of health centers. There

are no geographic restrictions on where

the prospective trainers may be trained

or constraints on how the training is to

be conducted. Therefore, applicants will

be accorded flexibility in developing

training programs for the instructors.

IAATP Implementation: Adoption

organizations will be required to begin

training of the designated staff of health

centers at the beginning of the seventh

month after the award of the cooperative

agreement. In the project narrative,

applicants are advised to specify the

proposed geographic region for training

of health center staff, the number of

training sessions anticipated during

each year of funding, and the number of

health centers and designated staff to be

trained.

To the extent possible, training of

designated staff of the health centers is

to be conducted in the geographic areas

in which the centers are located.

Adoption organizations will be required

to cooperate and coordinate with the

Children’s Bureau and the other

members of the IAATP Network in

selecting sites for health center staff

training and scheduling these events to

ensure that geographic regions are

neither over-served nor under-served. In

the project narrative, applicants are

encouraged to present a plan that may

be used for informing eligible health

centers of the availability and time and

place of training.

Applicants are also encouraged to

present a plan for the dissemination of

adoption information that may be used

in conjunction with the training or to

supplement the training.

Adoption organizations will be

required to provide reimbursement to

health centers that are grantees funded

under PHSA Sections 330 or 1001 for all

costs incurred in obtaining training for

the designated staff.

Applicants, in the project narrative,

are encouraged to present a plan for an

ongoing evaluation of the IAATP. The

evaluation plan should be two tiered to

address (1) Training processes,

including the planning, content and

quality of training and educational

materials provided to health center staff,

and methods for improving the program,

and (2) participant satisfaction and

training effectiveness, including how

and the extent to which adoption

information and referrals upon request

are provided by health center staff.

Applicants that do not have the inhouse capacity to conduct an objective,

large-scale evaluation are advised to

propose contracting with a third-party

social sciences evaluator or a university

or college to conduct the evaluation.

Evaluation: The following four

criteria will be used to review and

evaluate each application. The applicant

should address each criterion in the

project proposal. The point values

(summing up to 100) indicate the

maximum numerical weight each

criterion will be accorded in the review

process.

Criterion 1: Objectives and Need for

Assistance (20 Points)

Grantees under this priority area,

2001.E1, will design and field-test a

curriculum consistent with best

practices guidelines, required by the

statute, and provide training as part of

the Infant Adoption Awareness Training

Program (IAATP). Applicants will need

to understand the purpose of section

330F of Title XII: Adoption Awareness

of the Children’s Health Act of 2000 and

show how their approach to curriculum

design and training implementation will

contribute to achieving the legislative

goals. Applicants must also demonstrate

an understanding of the awareness,

information and skills needed by the

designated staff of eligible health

centers, including grantees under

Sections 330 and 1001 of the Public

Health Services Act (PHSA) and

grantees under the PHSA for the

provision of services in schools.

Applicants must also demonstrate an

understanding of the information and

service needs of adolescents and women

with unplanned pregnancies.

Applicants should provide letters of

commitment or Memoranda of

Understanding from organizations,

agencies and consultants that will be

partners or collaborators in the

proposed project. These documents

should describe the role of the agency,

organization or consultant and detail

specific tasks to be performed.

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the application

reflects an understanding of the goals

and objectives of IAATP and shows how

their approach to curriculum design and

training implementation will contribute

to achieving the legislative goals;

(2) Extent to which the application

clearly describes and documents the

training needs of the designated staff of

eligible health centers and demonstrates

an understanding of the need for

assistance to support and enhance

existing curriculum and training efforts

pertaining to adoption;

(3) Extent to which the application

reflects a knowledge and understanding

of the issues faced by adolescents and

women with unplanned pregnancies

and the importance of providing

adoption information and referrals to

pregnant women on an equal basis with

all other courses of action included in

nondirective counseling;

(4) Extent to which the application

reflects a knowledge and understanding

of the legal framework of adoption, and

adoption services and resources in the

geographic area in which the proposed

training will be conducted;

(5) Extent to which the application

describes the specific benefits that the

staff of the eligible health centers will

derive from the proposed training;

(6) Extent to which the application

clearly describes the benefits that clients

of the eligible health centers will derive;

(7) Extent to which the application

explains how the proposed curriculum

and training will contribute to increased

knowledge of the problems, issues, and

effective strategies and best practices in

the field;

(8) Extent to which the application

reflects a knowledge and understanding

of the challenges of developing IAATP

curriculum and providing training to

support and enhance the awareness,

knowledge and skills of the designated

staff of eligible health centers; and

(9) Extent to which the application

presents a vision of the training-delivery

systems to be developed, and discusses

broad contextual factors that will

facilitate or impede the implementation

of this system.

Criterion 2: Approach (40 Points)

In this section, applicants are

expected to define goals and specific,

measurable objectives for the project.

Goals and objectives should not be

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices 29971

confused. Goals are an end product of

an effective project. Objectives are

measurable steps for reaching goals.

Applicants are advised to describe a

preliminary, yet appropriate, feasible

plan of action pertaining to the scope of

the curriculum and training and provide

details on how the proposed training

will be accomplished. If the project

involves partnerships with other

agencies and organizations, then the

roles of each partner should be clearly

specified.

Applicants are required to describe

how IAATP will be evaluated to

determine the extent to which it has

achieved its stated goals and objectives.

Applicants are expected to present a

project design that includes detailed

procedures for documenting project

activities and results, including the

development of a data collection

infrastructure that is sufficient to

support a methodologically sound and

rigorous evaluation. The evaluation

design is expected to include process

and outcome analyses with qualitative

and quantitative components.

This criterion consists of four broad

topics: (1) Curriculum design, (2)

training of trainers and implementation,

(3) evaluation, and (4) dissemination.

Curriculum Design

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the application

reflects a familiarity with and

understanding of professionallyrecognized standards and best practices

pertaining to pregnancy counseling,

supportive services and adoption

services for adolescents and women

with unplanned pregnancies;

(2) Extent to which the proposed

training goals, objectives and outcomes

are clearly specified and measurable,

and reflect an understanding of the

characteristics of the training recipients

and their clients and the context in

which eligible health centers operate;

and

(3) Extent to which the application

presents an approach to the design of

IAATP curriculum that (a) is

competency based, (b) conforms to

professionally-recognized standards for

curriculum format and style, (c) is

consistent with the best-practices

guidelines, required by the statute, (d) is

culturally-responsive to the diverse

population of health center pregnancy

counselors and their clients, (e) is pilot

tested and appropriately modified, as

necessary, before broad use, and (f) can

be readily evaluated.

Training of Trainers and

Implementation

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the application

clearly describes and provides a

justification for the selection of the

geographic region that will be served by

the training, including the number and

types of eligible health centers in the

area;

(2) Extent to which the application

presents an appropriate, feasible and

realistic plan for scheduling and

conducting the training, including the

number of sessions anticipated during

each year of funding, and the number of

health centers and designated staff to be

trained;

(3) Extent to which the application

presents an appropriate, feasible and

realistic plan for recruiting, selecting,

and training individuals to provide

training to designated staff at eligible

health centers and ensuring that the

selected trainers are knowledgeable in

all elements of the adoption process and

experienced in providing adoption

information and referrals in the

geographic areas in which the eligible

health centers are located;

(4) Extent to which the application

provides an appropriate, feasible and

realistic plan for documenting project

activities and results, including the

collection of data that can be used to

describe and evaluate the training, the

process used to disseminate information

to eligible health centers about the

availability of training, contact

information, information on the number

of trainings held, the number of

participants by type of health center

(federal funding grantee status, section

1001, section 330, etc.), and participant

satisfaction with the training; and

(5) Extent to which the proposed

project will establish and coordinate

linkages with other appropriate agencies

and organizations on the local, State or

Federal level serving the target

population.

Evaluation

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the methods of

evaluation are feasible, comprehensive

and appropriate to the goals, objectives

and context of the training,

characteristics of training recipients and

health center clients;

(2) Extent to which the applicant

provides an appropriate, feasible and

realistic plan for evaluating IAATP,

including performance feedback and

periodic assessment of program progress

that can be used to modify the

curriculum, as necessary, and serve as a

basis for program adjustments;

(3) Extent to which the methods of

evaluation include process and outcome

analyses for assessing the effectiveness

of program strategies and the

implementation process;

(4) Extent to which the methods of

evaluation include the use of objective

performance measures that are clearly

related to the intended outcomes of the

program and will produce quantitative

and qualitative outcome data; and

(5) Extent to which the evaluation

plan is likely to yield findings or results

about effective strategies, and contribute

to and promote evaluation research and

evidence-based practices that may be

used to guide replication or testing in

other settings.

Dissemination

Applicants are required to describe

the products that they will develop

pursuant to IAATP. Products should

include curricula, but may also include

questionnaires, interview guides and

other data collection instruments,

software designed for the proposed

program, Internet applications (i.e., Web

postings, etc.), technical reports, journal

articles, and a final report describing the

target population, issues addressed,

program design, implementation,

outcomes and the results of the

evaluation. Applicants should discuss

the intended audiences for these

products (e.g., adoption agencies, clients

of eligible health centers, researchers,

policy makers, and practitioners) and

present a dissemination plan specifying

the venues for conveying the

information.

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the application

provides an appropriate, feasible and

realistic plan for dissemination of

curricula and related educational

materials;

(2) Extent to which the intended

audience is clearly identified and

defined and is appropriate to the goals

of the proposed program;

(3) Extent to which the program’s

products will be useful to each of these

audiences;

(4) Extent to which the application

presents a realistic schedule for

developing these products, and provides

a dissemination plan that is appropriate

in scope and budget to each of these

audiences; and

(5) Extent to which the products to be

developed during the program are

described clearly and will address the

goal of dissemination of information

and are designed to support evidencebased improvements of practices in the

field.

29972 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices

Criterion 3: Organizational Profiles (25

Points)

Applicants need to demonstrate that

they have the capacity to implement the

proposed program. Capacity includes (1)

experience with similar projects; (2)

experience with the target population;

(3) qualifications and experience of the

project leadership; (4) commitment to

developing and sustaining working

relationships among key stakeholders;

(5) experience and commitment of any

consultants and subcontractors; and, (6)

appropriateness of the organizational

structure, including the management

information system, to carry out the

program.

This criterion consists of three broad

topics: (1) Management plan, (2) staff

qualifications, and (3) organizational

capacity and resources.

Management Plan

Applicants are expected to present a

sound and feasible management plan for

implementing the proposed program.

This section should detail how the

program will be structured and

managed, how the timeliness of

activities will be ensured, how quality

control will be maintained, and how

costs will be controlled. The role and

responsibilities of the lead agency

should be clearly defined and, if

appropriate, applicants should discuss

the management and coordination of

activities carried out by any partners,

subcontractors and consultants.

Applicants should include a list of

organizations and consultants who will

work with the project, along with a

short description of the nature of their

contribution or effort.

Applicants are also expected to

produce a timeline that presents a

reasonable schedule of target dates,

accomplishments and deliverables. The

timeline should include the sequence

and timing of the major tasks and

subtasks, important milestones, reports,

and completion dates. The application

should also discuss factors that may

affect project implementation or the

outcomes and present realistic strategies

for the resolution of these difficulties.

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the management

plan presents a realistic approach to

achieving the objectives of the proposed

project on time and within budget,

including clearly defined

responsibilities, timelines and

milestones for accomplishing project

tasks;

(2) Extent to which the role and

responsibilities of the lead agency are

clearly defined and the time

commitments of the project director and

other key project personnel (including

consultants) are appropriate and

adequate to meet the objectives of the

proposed project;

(3) Extent to which the application

discusses factors that may affect the

development and implementation of

training and presents realistic strategies

for the resolution of these difficulties;

and

(4) Extent to which the applicant

presents an appropriate, feasible and

realistic plan for providing

reimbursement to health centers that are

grantees funded under PHSA Sections

330 or 1001 for all costs incurred in

obtaining the training for designated

staff.

Staff Qualifications

In this section, applicants must

provide evidence that project staff have

the requisite training, experience, and

expertise to carry out the proposed

curriculum development and training

on time, within budget, and with a high

degree of quality. Include information

on staff knowledge of curriculum

development, training implementation,

the adoption field, and experience

working with pregnancy counselors at

health centers and women with

unplanned pregnancies.

Brief resumes of current and proposed

staff, as well as job descriptions, should

be included. Resumes must indicate the

position that the individual will fill, and

each position description must

specifically describe the job as it relates

to the proposed project.

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the proposed

project director, key project staff and

consultants have the necessary technical

skill, knowledge and experience to

successfully carry out their

responsibilities; and

(2) Extent to which staffing is

adequate for the proposed project,

including administration, program

services, data processing and analysis,

evaluation, reporting and dissemination

of curriculum, related educational

materials and findings.

Organizational Capacity and Resources

Applicants must show that they have

the organizational capacity and

resources to successfully carry out the

project on time and to a high standard

of quality, including the capacity to

resolve a variety of technical and

management problems that may occur.

If the proposal involves partnering and/

or subcontracting with other agencies/

organizations, then the proposal should

include an organizational capability

statement for each participating

organization documenting the ability of

the partners and/or subcontractors to

fulfill their assigned roles and functions.

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which the applicant and

partnering organizations collectively

have experience in developing curricula

and implementing training on the local

and regional levels;

(2) Extent to which the applicant has

experience in developing curricula and

other educational materials

incorporating best-practice guidelines

on the provision of adoption

information; and

(3) Extent to which the applicant has

adequate organizational resources for

the proposed project, including

administration, program operations,

data processing and analysis,

evaluation, reporting and dissemination

of findings.

Criterion 4: Budget and Budget

Justification (15 Points)

Applicants are expected to present a

budget with reasonable project costs,

appropriately allocated across

component areas and sufficient to

accomplish the objectives.

Consideration shall be given to project

delays due to start-up when preparing

the budget.

Applicants are expected to allocate

sufficient funds in the budget to provide

for the project director, the curriculum

designer and/or the training director for

the IAATP to attend an annual two-day

IAATP Network conference in

Washington, D.C. sponsored by the

Children’s Bureau. Applicants are

expected to allocate sufficient funds in

the budget to provide for the project

director and evaluator to attend an

annual three-day grantees’ meeting in

Washington, D.C. Attendance at these

conferences is a grant requirement.

Specific Review Criteria

(1) Extent to which applicant

demonstrates that the project costs and

budget information submitted in

Standard Forms 424 and 424A for the

proposed program are reasonable and

justified in terms of the proposed tasks

and the anticipated results and benefits;

and,

(2) Extent to which the fiscal control

and accounting procedures are adequate

to ensure prudent use, proper and

timely disbursement and accurate

accounting of funds received under this

program announcement.

Project Duration: The projects will be

awarded for a project period of 36

months. The project period will be 9/30/

01–9/29/04. The initial grant award will

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices 29973

be for a 12-month budget period. The

initial budget period will be 9/30/01–9/

29/02. The award of continuation

funding beyond each 12-month budget

period will be subject to the availability

of funds, satisfactory progress on the

part of each grantee, and a

determination that continued funding

would be in the best interest of the

government.

Federal Share of Project Costs: The

maximum Federal share of the project is

dependent on the scope of the project

submitted. The Children’s Bureau will

accept applications for projects of

national, regional, or local scope.

Projects of national scope may not

exceed $7,000,000 per budget period

and smaller, regional projects may not

exceed $1,500,000 per budget period.

Regardless of scope, all applications

must include reasonable budgets with

proposed funding commensurate to the

scope of work described in the

application.

Matching or Cost Sharing

Requirement: There is no matching

requirement.

Anticipated Number of Projects to be

Funded: It is anticipated that two

projects will be funded.

Length of Proposal: The length of the

proposal is limited to 50 pages,

including all forms and attachments.

Any pages over this number will be

removed and will not be reviewed.

CFDA Number: 93.254.

Part III: The Application: Instructions,

Review, and Funding Process

A. Application Format

To be considered for funding, each

application must be submitted with the

forms provided at the end of this

announcement and in accordance with

the guidance provided. The application

must be signed by an individual

authorized to act for the applicant

agency and to assume responsibility for

the obligations imposed by the terms

and conditions of the grant award.

To be considered for funding, each

applicant must submit one signed

original and two additional copies of the

application, including all forms and

attachments, to the Application Receipt

Point as specified. The original copy of

the application must have original

signatures, signed in black ink.

The application must be typed,

double spaced, printed on only one

side, with at least 1⁄2 inch margins on

each side and 1 inch at the top and

bottom, using standard 12-point fonts

(such as Times Roman or Courier).

Pages must be numbered and each copy

must be stapled securely in the upper

left corner.

Pages over the page limit stated in

with the priority area will be removed

from the application and will not be

reviewed.

All copies of an application must be

submitted in a single package. The

package must be clearly labeled for the

specific priority area it is addressing.

Because each application will be

duplicated, do not use or include

separate covers, binders, clips, tabs,

plastic inserts, maps, brochures, or any

other items that cannot be processed

easily on a photocopy machine with an

automatic feed. Do not bind, clip, staple,

or fasten in any way separate

subsections of the application,

including supporting documentation.

Applicants are advised that the copies

of the application submitted, not the

original, will be reproduced by the

Federal government for review.

B. Application Content

Each application must contain the

following items in the order listed:

1. Application for Federal Assistance

(Standard Form 424). Follow the

instructions below and those that

accompany the form.

In Item 5 of Form 424, include name,

phone number, and, if available, email

and fax numbers of the contact person.

In Item 8 of Form 424, check ‘New.’

In Item 10 of Form 424, clearly

identify the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) program title and

number for the program for which funds

are being requested as stated at the end

of each priority area section.

In Item 11 of Form 424, identify the

single Priority Area the application

addresses.

In Item 12 of Form 424, identify the

specific geographic area to be served.

In Item 14 of Form 424, identify

Congressional districts of both the

applicant and project.

2. Budget Information NonConstruction Programs (Form 424A) and

Budget Justification. Follow the

instructions provided and those in the

Uniform Project Description. Note that

Federal funds provided to States and

services or other resources purchased

with Federal funds may not be used to

match project grants.

3. Certifications/Assurances.

Applicants requesting financial

assistance for nonconstruction projects

must file the Standard Form 424B,

‘Assurances: Non-Construction

Programs.’ Applicants must sign and

return the Standard Form 424B with

their applications. Applicants must

provide a certification regarding

lobbying when applying for an award in

excess of $100,000. Applicants must

sign and return the certification with

their applications.

Applicants must disclose lobbying

activities on the Standard Form LLL

when applying for an award in excess

of $100,000. Applicants who have used

non-Federal funds for lobbying

activities in connection with receiving

assistance under this announcement

shall complete a disclosure form to

report lobbying. Applicants must sign

and return the disclosure form, if

applicable, with their applications.

Applicants must make the appropriate

certification of their compliance with

the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988.

By signing and submitting the

application, the applicant is providing

the certification and need not mail back

the certification with the applications.

Applicants must make the appropriate

certification that they are not presently

debarred, suspended or otherwise

ineligible for an award. By signing and

submitting the application, the

applicant is providing the certification

need not mail back the certification with

the applications.

Applicants must make the appropriate

certification that they are not presently

debarred, suspended or otherwise

ineligible for award. By signing and

submitting the applications, applicants

are providing the certification and need

not mail back the certification with the

applications.

If applicable, applicants must include

a completed Form 310, Protection of

Human Subjects.

If applicable, applicants must include

a completed SPOC certification (Single

Point of Contact) with the date of the

SPOC contact entered in line 16, page 1

of the Form 424.

By signing the ‘‘Signature of

Authorized Representative’’ on the SF

424, the applicant is providing a

certification and need not mail

assurances for completing the following

grant and cooperative agreement

requirements:

a. Collection of data on individuals

served; types of services provided; types

and nature of needs identified and met

and any other such information as may

be required by ACYF;

b. Compliance with all HHS

regulations and procedures pertaining to

confidentiality and careful handling of

information on individuals, families and

evaluation data; and, obtaining

informed consent;

c. Participation in any evaluation

effort supported by HHS;

d. Submission of all required reports

in a timely manner, in recommended

formats (to be provided), and that the

final report will also be submitted on

29974 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices

disk or electronically using a standard

word-processing program; and,

e. Attendance of a key staff person

from the project at an annual 3-day

grantees’ meeting in Washington, DC.

4. Project Abstract/Summary (one

page maximum). Clearly mark this page

with the applicant name as shown on

item 5 of the Form 424, identify the

competitive grant Priority Area and the

title of the proposed project as shown in

item 11 and the service area as shown

in item 12 of the Form 424. The

summary description should not exceed

300 words.

Care should be taken to produce an

abstract/summary that accurately and

concisely reflects the proposed project.

It should describe the objectives of the

project, the approach to be used and the

results or benefits expected.

5. Project Description. Applicants

should organize their project

description by the evaluation criteria

listed in Part II under the priority area

description and provide specific

information that addresses all the

components of each evaluation

criterion.

Applicants should be mindful of the

importance of preparing and submitting

applications that are responsive to the

priority area description and that use

language, terms, concepts and

descriptions that are generally known to

and accepted by the field of child

welfare. Refer to the Uniform Project

Description in Part IV for general

guidance on preparing a project

description and budget justification.

C. State Single Point of Contact (E.O.

12372)

Applicants should contact the State

Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for

Federal Executive Order 12372 to

determine whether the application is

subject to the State intergovernmental

review process. The OMB list of SPOCs

is included in Part IV section B below

and available online. Submit a copy of

the SPOC response, if available, with

your application.

D. The Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995 (Public Law 104–13)

Public reporting burden for this

collection of information is estimated to

average 20 hours per response,

including the time for reviewing

instructions, gathering and maintaining

the data needed and reviewing the

collection information.

The project description is approved

under OMB control number 0970–0139

which expires 12/31/2003.

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information

unless it displays a currently valid OMB

control number.

For more information please contact:

PA content and usage related, Vardrine

Carter, OA/OFS/DGP, (202) 205–8398

OMB clearance related, Bob Sargis, OA/

OIS/IRM, (202) 690–7275

If you have any further questions,

please contact Larry Thompkins at (202)

260–5607.

E. The Screening, Review and Funding

Process

Before a panel review, each

application will be screened for

applicant organization eligibility as well

as to make sure the application contains

all essential elements. Applications

received from ineligible organizations

and applications that are received after

the deadline will be withdrawn from

further consideration. Applicants will

be notified if their applications are

screened out.

A panel of at least three reviewers

(primarily experts from outside the

Federal government) will use the

evaluation criteria included in the

priority area description to evaluate the

applications. The reviewers will

determine the strengths and weaknesses

of each application, provide comments

and assign numerical scores.

All applications will be reviewed and

evaluated using four major criteria: (1)

Objectives and need for assistance, (2)

approach, (3) organizational profiles,

and (4) budget and budget justification.

Each criterion has been assigned a point

value. The point values (summing up to

100) indicate the maximum numerical

weight each criterion will be accorded

in the review and evaluation process.

Within each criterion there is a listing

of the specific review criteria that will

be used to calculate the score for the

criterion. The applicant should address

each criterion and the specific review

criteria in the project application.

The results of the competitive review

are a primary factor in making funding

decisions. In addition, Federal staff will

conduct administrative reviews of the

applications and, in light of the results

of the competitive review, will

recommend applications for funding to

the ACYF Commissioner. ACYF

reserves the option of discussing

applications with other funding sources

when this is in the best interest of the

Federal government. ACYF may also

solicit and consider comments from

ACF Regional Office staff in making

funding decisions.

The Commissioner, Administration

on Children, Youth and Families, makes

final decisions regarding the

applications to be funded. Successful

applicants will be notified through the

issuance of a Financial Assistance

Award which will set forth the amount

of funds granted, the terms and

conditions of the grant or cooperative

agreement, the effective date of the

grant, the budget period for which

initial support will be given, the nonFederal share to be provided, if

applicable, and the total project period

for which support is contemplated.

The Commissioner will notify

organizations in writing when their

applications will not be funded. Every

effort will be made to notify all

unsuccessful applicants as soon as

possible after final decisions are made.

Grants will be reviewed in late

summer 2001. FY 2001 grant awards

will be made by the Department of

Health and Human Services no later

than September 30, 2001.

Part IV: Application Forms,

Assurances, and Certifications

A. Project Description Overview

The following ACF Uniform Project

Description has been approved under

OMB Control Number 0970–0139.

Applicants should prepare the project

description statement in accordance

with the following general instructions.

1. Project Summary/Abstract: Provide

a summary of the project description

(one page or less) with reference to the

funding request.

2. Objectives and Need for Assistance:

Clearly identify the physical, economic,

social, financial, institutional, and/or

other problem(s) requiring a solution.

The need for assistance must be

demonstrated and the principal and

subordinate objectives of the project

must be clearly stated; supporting

documentation, such as letters of

support and testimonials from

concerned interests other than the

applicant, may be included. Any

relevant data based on planning studies

should be included or referred to in the

endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate

demographic data and participant/

beneficiary information, as needed. In

developing the project description, the

applicant may volunteer or be requested

to provide information on the total

range of projects currently being

conducted and supported (or to be

initiated), some of which may be

outside the scope of the program

announcement.

3. Approach: Outline a plan of action,

which describes the scope, and detail of

how the proposed work will be

accomplished. Account for all functions

or activities identified in the

application. Cite factors, which might

accelerate or decelerate the work and

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices 29975

state your reason for taking the

proposed approach rather than others.

Describe any unusual features of the

project such as design or technological

innovations, reductions in cost or time,

or extraordinary social and community

involvement.

Provide quantitative monthly or

quarterly projections of the

accomplishments to be achieved for

each function or activity in such terms

as the number of people to be served

and the number of program activities to

be held, or appropriate measurable

outcomes. When accomplishments

cannot be quantified by activity or

function, list them in chronological

order to show the schedule of

accomplishments and their target dates.

If any data are to be collected,

maintained, and/or disseminated,

clearance may be required from the U.S.

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB). This clearance might be needed

prior to any ‘‘collection of information

that is conducted or sponsored by

ACF.’’ List organizations, cooperating

entities, consultants, or other key

individuals whom will work on the

project along with a short description of

the nature of their effort or contribution.

4. Evaluation: Provide a narrative

addressing how the results of the project

and the conduct of the project will be

evaluated. In addressing the evaluation

of results, state how you will determine

the extent to which the project has

achieved its stated objectives and the

extent to which the accomplishment of

objectives can be attributed to the

project. Discuss the criteria to be used

to evaluate results, and explain the

methodology that will be used to

determine if the needs identified and

discussed are being met and if the

project results and benefits are being

achieved. With respect to the conduct of

the project, define the procedures to be

employed to determine whether the

project is being conducted in a manner

consistent with the work plan presented

and discuss the impact of the project’s

various activities on the project’s

effectiveness.

5. Organizational Profiles: Provide

information on the applicant

organization(s) and cooperating partners

such as organizational charts, financial

statements, audit reports or statements

from CPAs/Licensed Public

Accountants, Employer Identification

Numbers, names of bond carriers,

contact persons and telephone numbers,

child care licenses and other

documentation of professional

accreditation, information on

compliance with Federal/State/local

government standards, documentation

of experience in the program area, and

other pertinent information. Any

nonprofit organization submitting an

application must submit proof of its

nonprofit status in its application at the

time of submission. The nonprofit

agency can accomplish this by

providing a copy of the applicant’s

listing in the Internal Revenue Service’s

(IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt

organizations described in Section

501(c)(3) of the IRS code, or by

providing a copy of the currently valid

IRS tax exemption certificate, or by

providing a copy of the articles of

incorporation bearing the seal of the

State in which the corporation or

association is domiciled.

6. Budget and Budget Justification:

Provide line item detail and detailed

calculations for each budget object class

identified on the Budget Information

form. Detailed calculations must

include estimation methods, quantities,

unit costs, and other similar quantitative

detail sufficient for the calculation to be

duplicated. The detailed budget must

also include a breakout by the funding

sources identified in Block 15 of the SF–

424. Provide a narrative budget

justification that describes how the

categorical costs are derived. Discuss

the necessity, reasonableness, and

allocability of the proposed costs.

6a. Personnel:

Description: Costs of employee

salaries and wages.

Justification: Identify the project

director or principal investigator, if

known. For each staff person, provide

the title, time commitment to the project

(in months), time commitment to the

project (as a percentage or full-time

equivalent), annual salary, grant salary,

and wage rates. Do not include the costs

of consultants or personnel costs of

delegate agencies or of specific

project(s) or businesses to be financed

by the applicant.

6b. Fringe Benefits:

Description: Costs of employee fringe

benefits unless treated as part of an

approved indirect cost rate.

Justification: Provide a breakdown of

the amounts and percentages that

comprise fringe benefit costs such as

health insurance, FICA, retirement

insurance, and taxes.

6c. Travel:

Description: Costs of project-related

travel by employees of the applicant

organization (does not include costs of

consultant travel).

Justification: For each trip, show the

total number of traveler(s), travel

destination, duration of trip, per diem,

mileage allowances, if privately owned

vehicles will be used, and other

transportation costs and subsistence

allowances. Travel costs for key staff to

attend ACF-sponsored workshops

should be detailed in the budget.

6d. Equipment:

Description: ‘‘Equipment’’ means an

article of nonexpendable, tangible

personal property having a useful life of

more than one year and an acquisition

cost which equals or exceeds the lesser

of (a) the capitalization level established

by the organization for the financial

statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. (Note:

Acquisition cost means the net invoice

unit price of an item of equipment,

including the cost of any modifications,

attachments, accessories, or auxiliary

apparatus necessary to make it usable

for the purpose for which it is acquired.

Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty,

protective in-transit insurance, freight,

and installation shall be included in or

excluded from acquisition cost in

accordance with the organization’s

regular written accounting practices.)

Justification: For each type of

equipment requested, provide a

description of the equipment, the cost

per unit, the number of units, the total

cost, and a plan for use on the project,

as well as use or disposal of the

equipment after the project ends. An

applicant organization that uses its own

definition for equipment should provide

a copy of its policy or section of its

policy which includes the equipment

definition.

6e. Supplies:

Description: Costs of all tangible

personal property other than that

included under the Equipment category.

Justification: Specify general

categories of supplies and their costs.

Show computations and provide other

information which supports the amount

requested.

6f. Contractual:

Description: Costs of all contracts for

services and goods except for those

which belong under other categories

such as equipment, supplies,

construction, etc. Third-party evaluation

contracts (if applicable) and contracts

with secondary recipient organizations,

including delegate agencies and specific

project(s) or businesses to be financed

by the applicant, should be included

under this category.

Justification: All procurement

transactions shall be conducted in a

manner to provide, to the maximum

extent practical, open and free

competition. Recipients and

subrecipients, other than States that are

required to use part 92 procedures, must

justify any anticipated procurement

action that is expected to be awarded

without competition and exceed the

simplified acquisition threshold fixed at

41 U.S.C. 403(11) (currently set at

$100,000). Recipients might be required

29976 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices

to make available to ACF pre-award

review and procurement documents,

such as request for proposals or

invitations for bids, independent cost

estimates, etc.

Note: Whenever the applicant intends to

delegate part of the project to another agency,

the applicant must provide a detailed budget

and budget narrative for each delegate

agency, by agency title, along with the

required supporting information referred to

in these instructions.

6g. Other:

Enter the total of all other costs. Such

costs, where applicable and appropriate,

may include but are not limited to

insurance, food, medical and dental

costs (noncontractual), professional

services costs, space and equipment

rentals, printing and publication,

computer use, training costs, such as

tuition and stipends, staff development

costs, and administrative costs.

Justification: Provide computations, a

narrative description and a justification

for each cost under this category.

6h. Indirect Charges:

Description: Total amount of indirect

costs. This category should be used only

when the applicant currently has an

indirect cost rate approved by the

Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS) or another cognizant

Federal agency.

Justification: An applicant that will

charge indirect costs to the grant must

enclose a copy of the current rate

agreement. If the applicant organization

is in the process of initially developing

or renegotiating a rate, it should

immediately upon notification that an

award will be made, develop a tentative

indirect cost rate application based on

its most recently completed fiscal year

in accordance with the principles set

forth in the cognizant agency’s

guidelines for establishing indirect cost

rates, and submit it to the cognizant

agency. Applicants awaiting approval of

their indirect cost applications may also

request indirect costs. It should be noted

that when an indirect cost rate is

requested, those costs included in the

indirect cost pool should not also be

charged as direct costs to the grant.

Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate

which is less than what is allowed

under the program, the authorized

representative of the applicant

organization must submit a signed

acknowledgement that the applicant is

accepting a lower rate than allowed.

6i. Program Income:

Description: The estimated amount of

income, if any, expected to be generated

from this project.

Justification: Describe the nature,

source and anticipated use of program

income in the budget or refer to the

pages in the application which contain

this information.

B. Other Forms, Assurances, and

Certifications

Standard Form 424: Application for

Federal Assistance

Standard Form 424A: Budget

Information

Standard Form 424B: Assurances—NonConstruction Programs

Certification Regarding Debarment

Certification Regarding Drug-Free

Workplace

Form LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying

Certification Regarding Environmental

Tobacco Smoke

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

Listing

All forms are available online at:

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ofs/

grants/form.htm.

The SPOC listing is available on line

at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

grants/spoc.html.

Dated: May 29, 2001.

James A. Harrell,

Acting Commissioner, Administration on

Children, Youth and Families.

[FR Doc. 01–13921 Filed 6–1–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services

Administration

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection:

Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement

for opportunity for public comment on

proposed data collection projects

(section 3506(c)(2)(A) of Title 44, United

States Code, as amended by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13), the Health

Resources and Services Administration

(HRSA) publishes periodic summaries

of proposed projects being developed

for submission to OMB under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To

request more information on the

proposed project or to obtain a copy of

the data collection plans and draft

instruments, call the HRSA Reports

Clearance Officer on (301) 443–1129.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Proposed Project: The Health

Education Assistance Loan (HEAL)

Program: Refinancing Loan Application/

Promissory Note (OMB No. 0915–

0227)—Revision—The HEAL Program

allows borrowers who graduated or

separated from school to refinance all of

their HEAL loans into one new HEAL

loan, often at better rates and terms than

their original HEAL loans. The HEAL

program originally provided new

federally-insured loans to students in

schools of allopathic medicine,

osteopathic medicine, dentistry,

veterinary medicine, optometry,

podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public

health, graduate students in health

administration or clinical psychology

through September 30, 1998. Eligible

lenders, such as banks, savings and loan

associations, credit unions, pension

funds, insurance companies, State

agencies, and HEAL schools are insured

by the Federal Government against loss

due to the borrower’s death, disability,

bankruptcy, and default. The basic

purpose of the program was to assure

the availability of funds for loans to

eligible students who needed to borrow

money to pay for their educational

costs.

The HEAL refinancing loan

application/promissory note is being

used by lenders to refinance borrower’s

original HEAL loans into one new

refinanced loan. Due to the success of

this form and desire to reduce

application processing time, many

lenders have automated this form by

and taking pertinent application

information over the telephone and

sending the completed form to the

borrower for their review and signature.

The estimate of burden for the

refinancing loan application/promissory

note form per year is as follows: