Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 16 / Thursday, January 24, 2008 / Notices 4235 

Dated: January 9, 2008. 

Jeffrey Shuren, 

Assistant Commissioner for Policy. 

[FR Doc. E8–1200 Filed 1–23–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–01–S 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Indian Health Service 

Native American Research Centers for 

Health (NARCH) Grants 

Announcement Type: New and 

Competing Continuations. 

Funding Announcement Number: 

HHS–2009–IHS–NARCHV–0001. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number(s): 93.933. 

Key Dates: Letter of Intent Deadline: 

March 15, 2008. 

Application Deadline Date: May 16, 

2008. 

Review Date: October, 2008. 

Earliest Anticipated Start Date: June 

1, 2009. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

The Indian Health Service (IHS), in 

conjunction with the National Institute 

of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) 

and other institutes of the National 

Institutes of Health (NIH) announces 

competitive grant applications for 

Native American Research Centers for 

Health (NARCH), an initiative to 

support new and/or continuing centers 

or projects funded under the NARCH 

grant program. This funding mechanism 

will develop further opportunities for 

conducting research and research 

training to meet the needs of American 

Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) 

communities. This program is 

authorized under the Snyder Act, 25 

U.S.C. 13, the Public Health Service Act, 

42 U.S.C. 241 as amended, and the 

Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 

U.S.C. 1602(a)(b)(16). This program is 

described at 93.933 in the Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance. 

Background Information: TheAI/AN 

Tribal nations and communities have 

long experienced health status worse 

than that of other Americans. Although 

major gains in reducing health 

disparities were made during the last 

half of the twentieth century, most gains 

stopped by the mid-1980s (Trends in 

Indian Health 1998–99) and a few 

diseases, e.g., diabetes, worsened. ‘‘All 

Indian’’ rates contain marked variation 

among the IHS Areas or regions 

(Regional Differences in Indian Health 

1998–99); and variation by Tribe exists 

within Areas as well. The Trends and 

Regional Differences reference can be 

found at the IHS Web site at: http:// 

www.ihs.gov/NonMedicalPrograms/ 

IHS_Stats. Although the AI/AN 

mortality rates for all cancers are about 

20 percent lower than the U.S. rates for 

all races, there is variation among IHS 

Areas for specific cancers. Moreover, the 

favorable AI/AN mortality rates for 

some cancers may be due to markedly 

lower incidence rates partly offset by 

higher case-fatality rates. Unfamiliarity 

with modern health care may adversely 

influence health status among the 

elderly, the low-income elderly, and 

Tribes, and also may reduce the 

acceptability of health research among 

them. The daunting tasks confronting 

Tribes, researchers, and health care and 

public health programs in the beginning 

of the twenty-first century are to resume 

the reduction of health disparities that 

had occurred through the 1980s, to 

reverse the worsening in a few diseases, 

to maintain and strengthen the favorable 

status, and to reduce the disparities 

among and within Areas and Tribes. 

Factors known to contribute to health 

status and disparities are complex, and 

include underlying biology, physiology, 

and genetics, as well as ethnicity, 

culture, socioeconomic status, gender/ 

sex, age, geographical access to care, 

and levels of insurance. Additional 

factors known to contribute to health 

status and dispariteis include: 

1. Family, home, and work 

environments; 

2. General or culturally specific health 

practices; 

3. Social support systems; 

4. Lack of access to culturallyappropriate health care; and 

5. Attitudes toward health. 

Yet none of these along or in 

combination accounts for all 

documented differences. Health 

disparities of AI/ANs may also reflect a 

lack of in-depth research relevant to 

improving their health status. Many AI/ 

ANs distrust research for historical 

reasons. One approach that combats this 

distrust is to ensure that Tribes are the 

managing partners in training and 

research that involves them, as for 

example, in community-based 

participatory research (CBPR) (i.e., a 

collaborative research process between 

researchers and community 

representatives). This approach is 

especially helpful to design both 

training relevant to researchers from 

Tribal communities, and research 

relevant to the health needs of the 

communities. 

Research Objectives: The NARCH 

initiative will support partnerships 

between Federally Recognized AI/AN 

Tribes Organizations (including national 

and area Indian Health Boards, and 

Tribal colleges meeting the definition of 

a Tribal organization as defined by 25 

U.S.C. 1603(e)) and institutions that 

conduct intensive academic-level 

biomedical, behavioral and health 

services research. These partnerships 

are called Native American Research 

Centers for Health (NARCH). Due to the 

complexity of factors contributing to the 

health and disease of AI/ANs, and to 

their health disparities compared with 

other Americans, the collaborative 

efforts of the agencies of the Department 

of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

and the collaboration of researchers and 

AI/AN communities are needed to 

achieve significant improvements in the 

health status of AI/AN people. To 

accomplish this goal, in addition to 

objectives set by the Tribe, Tribal 

Organization or Indian Health Boards, 

the IHS NARCH program will pursue 

the following program objectives: 

• To develop a cadre of AI/AN 

scientists and Health Professionals—

Opportunities are needed to develop 

more AI/AN scientists and health 

professionals engaged in research, and 

to conduct biomedical, clinical, 

behavioral and health services research 

that is responsive to the needs of the AI/ 

AN community and the goals of this 

initiative. Faculty/researchers and 

students at each proposed NARCH will 

develop investigator-initiated, 

scientifically meritorious research 

projects, including pilot research 

projects, and will be supported through 

science education projects designed to 

increase the numbers of, and to improve 

the research skills of, AI/AN 

investigators and investigators involved 

with AI/ANs. 

• To enhance Partnerships and 

reduce distrust of research by AI/AN 

communities—Recent community-based 

participatory research suggests that AI/ 

AN communities can work 

collaboratively in partnership with 

health researchers to further the 

research needs of AI/ANs. Fully 

utilizing all cultural and scientific 

knowledge, strengths, and 

competencies, such partnerships can 

lead to better understanding of the 

biological, genetic, behavioral, 

psychological, cultural, social, and 

economic factors either promoting or 

hindering improved health status of AI/ 

ANs, and generate the development and 

evaluation of interventions to improve 

their health status. Community distrust 

of research and researchers will be 

reduced by offering the Tribe greater 

control over the research process. 

• To Reduce Health Disparities—In 

the Indian Health Care Improvement 

Act, Pub. L. 94–437 (as amended), IHS 

was legislatively mandated to improve 


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the delivery of effective health care to 

AI/ANs. In the NIH Revitalization Act of 

1993, NIH was encouraged to increase 

the number of under-represented 

minorities participating in biomedical, 

clinical, and behavioral research, 

including studies on drug abuse and 

alcoholism, and the examination of the 

role of resiliency in the prevention and 

treatment of those conditions. Also, the 

‘‘Initiative to Eliminate Racial and 

Ethnic Disparities in Health’’ by HHS 

(http://www.omhrc.gov/rah) encouraged 

NIH to help reduce health disparities. In 

response to these priorities, the IHS and 

NIH have established a collaboration to 

support the NARCH. 

Reducing health disparities among 

AI/AN communities and individuals 

may be fostered by greater 

understanding of how to enhance their 

strengths and resilience. While AI/AN 

communities have relied on health 

research and medical science to reduce 

health disparities, they have also relied 

on their own psychological, 

organizational, and cultural assets and 

strengths to survive major harms and 

disruptions over the centuries, and to 

rebound from insults to health. 

The mission of NIH is to acquire new 

knowledge that will lead to better health 

by understanding the processes 

underlying health and disease that in 

turn will help prevent, detect, diagnose, 

and treat disease and disability. The 

NARCH initiative works toward the NIH 

mission by supporting research that 

discovers the interrelationships among 

the many factors that contribute to 

health and disease, and by helping to 

train and promote AI/AN researchers 

and researchers concerned with AI/AN 

health. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Awards: Grant. 

Estimated Funds Available: The 

estimated funds (total costs) available 

for the first year of support for the entire 

initiative is expected to be at least $3.0 

million in Fiscal Year 2009. The actual 

amount may vary, depending on the 

response to the request for applications 

(RFA) and availability of funds. An 

applicant may request a project period 

not to exceed four years of support, and 

direct costs not to exceed $1,000,000 per 

center or $500,000 per project (research 

or training) in the first year of each 

award. Direct costs to the applicant 

include the total cost of each 

subcontract (subcontractor direct plus 

subcontractor indirect costs). 

Anticipated Number of Awards: An 

estimated five to fifteen awards will be 

made under the program. 

Award Amount: $100,000–$1,000,000 

per year. 

III. Eligibility Information 

The new or existing NARCH must be 

a working partnership of the eligible AI/ 

AN organization and of the researchintensive institution. Applicants eligible 

to receive the NARCH award are 

Federally recognized Tribes and Tribal 

organizations as defined under the 

Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 

U.S.C. 1603(d) and (3), including 

eligible Indian Health Boards or Tribal 

Colleges applying on behalf of eligible 

Federally recognized Tribes or Tribal 

organizations. As the grantee, the 

eligible AI/AN organization will define 

criteria and eligibility for participation 

in all aspects of the partnership, 

consistent with this announcement. A 

minimum of 30 percent of the grant 

funds must be budgeted in the 

application to remain with the eligible 

AI/AN organization(s); that is, no more 

than 70 percent of the application’s total 

budget may be contained in subcontract 

budgets of the non-eligible 

subcontracting partner institutions or 

organization. 

1. Eligible Applicants—The AI/AN 

applicant must be one of the following: 

• A federally-recognized AI/AN 

Tribe, as defined under 25 U.S.C. 

1603(d); or 

• A Tribal organization, as defined 

under 25 USC 1603(e), including Tribal 

Colleges or health boards meeting this 

definition; or 

• A consortium of two or more of 

those Tribes or Tribal organizations. 

Applicants other than Tribes must 

provide proof of non-profit status. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching—The 

NARCH program does not require 

matching funds or cost sharing. 

3. The Research-Intensive Partner: 

The Research-Intensive Partner must be 

an accredited public or private 

nonprofit university or other institution 

that has an established record of 

conducting research into the health 

problems of AI/AN; has demonstrated a 

commitment to enhancing the capability 

of AI/AN faculty/researchers, students, 

investigators, and communities to 

engage in biomedical, behavioral, 

clinical and health services research; 

and has demonstrated a commitment to 

mentoring AI/AN faculty/researchers, 

students, and investigators. 

4. Principal Investigator: The 

Principal Investigator, the individual 

responsible for the administration 

(including fiscal management) of the 

overall project, must have his/her 

primary appointment with the AI/AN 

applicant organization. Special 

arrangements of employment, such as 

inter-organizational personnel 

agreements, are permissible. The 

Principal Investigator may be, but is not 

required to be, the NARCH Program 

Director or a Research Project 

Investigator. The NARCH Principal 

Investigator may or may not have formal 

academic/research credentials, but if 

not, then the NARCH Program Director 

must be so qualified. 

The traditional NIH research project 

grant consists of a single Principal 

Investigator (PI) working with a small 

group of subordinates on an 

independent research project. Although 

this model clearly continues to work 

well and encourages creativity and 

productivity, it does not always work 

well for multidisciplinary efforts and 

collaboration. Increasingly, healthrelated research involves teams that 

vary in terms of size, hierarchy, location 

of participants, goals, disciplines, and 

structure. There is growing consensus 

that team science would be encouraged 

if more than one PI could be recognized 

on individual awards. The NIH has 

adopted a multiple-PI model, as recently 

directed by the Office of Science and 

Technology Policy. All agencies that 

have research and research-related 

programs must offer the multiple-PI 

model as an option. Note, it is only an 

option, not a requirement. The 

traditional NARCH division of roles 

between Principal Investigator and 

Project Director will usually address 

these issues to a satisfactory degree. For 

additional information regarding the 

new multiple-PI model, please click on 

the following Web site: http:// 

grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi/ 

index.htm. 

5. NARCH Program Director: The 

NARCH Program Director is the 

individual responsible for the day-today leadersip and management of the 

research and training programs within 

the proposed NARCH. The Program 

Director may be, but is not required to 

be, the Student and Faculty/Researcher 

Development Director or a Research 

Project Investigator. The NARCH 

Program Director may or may not have 

formal academic/research credentials, 

but if not, then the Principal 

Investigator must be so qualified. 

6. Student and Faculty/Researcher 

Development Director and Participants: 

The NARCH initiative is an institutional 

developmental grant mechanism that 

places an emphasis on the continual 

development of students and faculty/ 

researchers. If a new Student and/or 

Faculty/Researcher Development 

Program is proposed in the current 

application, then the Principal 

Investigator of that project is expected to 

be the NARCH Student and Faculty 

Development Director. In order to be 

included as the Student and Faculty 


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Development Director, the prospective 

director must have a faculty/researcher 

appointment at the research-intensive 

institution (or equivalent appointment 

at the AI/AN organization or other 

consortium partner) and must 

demonstrate that he/she has the 

knowledge, skills, and capabilities to 

mentor students and faculty/researchers 

and to generate and direct development 

and mentoring programs. 

The Student and Faculty 

Development Director may be the 

NARCH Program Director. Faculty/ 

researchers and students should be 

supported in research education 

activities that improve their skills and 

abilities to be successful at the next 

stage of their professional development. 

To be included as a participant for 

faculty/researcher development in the 

proposed NARCH, the individual must 

have a faculty/researcher appointment 

at the research-intensive institution or 

equivalent appointment at the AI/AN 

organization or consortium partner. 

7. Research Project Investigators: The 

NARCH initiative is an institutional 

developmental grant mechanism that 

places an emphasis on continual 

improvement of the research 

competitiveness of the research 

investigators. In order to be included as 

a research project investigator in the 

NARCH, a prospective investigator must 

have a faculty appointment at the 

research-intensive institution or 

equivalent appointment at the AI/AN 

organization or other consortium 

partner, and must show that he/she has 

the need, based on institutional, 

departmental, and professional 

development plans, to enhance his/her 

research knowledge, skills, and 

capabilities by engaging in the proposed 

research program and associated 

activities. 

8. Tribal Approval of the Application: 

It is the policy of the IHS that all 

research involving AI/AN Tribes be 

approved by the Tribal governments 

with jurisdiction. Therefore, the 

following documentation is required as 

part of the application for new or 

continuing centers or additional 

NARCH projects: 

• Tribal Resolution: If the applicant is 

an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, 

a resolution from the Tribal government 

of all Tribes to be served supporting the 

project must accompany the application 

submission. Applications by Tribal 

organizations will not require 

resolutions if the current Tribal 

resolutions under which they operate 

would encompass the proposed 

activities. In this instance a copy of the 

current resolution must accompany the 

application. The listed Tribes to be 

served by the project in the proposal 

must match the set of appended 

resolutions. If a resolution from an 

appropriate representative of each Tribe 

to be served is not submitted prior to 

November 1, 2008, the application will 

be considered incomplete and will not 

be considered for funding. 

An official signed resolution must be 

received by November 1, 2008 to the 

Division of Grants Operation by (DGO), 

IHS, at the Reyes Building, 801 

Thompson Avenue, TMP 360, Rockville, 

MD 20852. A grant will not be awarded 

unless the signed resolution is received. 

Please include the funding opportunity 

number, as a reference to this 

announcement, if the resolutions are 

submitted as a separate mailing. 

9. Mechanism of Support: Awards 

under this initiative will be 

administered using the competing 

institutional grant mechanism of the 

IHS, and will be reviewed using the NIH 

S06 mechanism. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package: NARCH Program Official, 

Reyes Building, 801 Thompson Avenue, 

Rockville, MD 20852 or by e-mail to 

narch@ihs.gov. Applicants are strongly 

encouraged to establish eligibility of 

their proposed applications prior to 

submission. Inquiries about eligibility 

should be addressed to Alan 

Trachtenberg, MD, MPH, at (301) 443–

0578 or by E-mail to narch@ihs.gov. The 

application package, including 

supplemental instructions will be 

posted on the IHS Research Program 

Web site, at: http://www.ihs.gov/ 

MedicalPrograms/Research/narch.cfm. 

The NIH PHS 398 application 

instructions are available in an 

interactive format at: http:// 

grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/ 

phs398.html. Applicants must use the 

currently approved version of the PHS 

398. For further assistance contact 

GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435–0714, 

E-mail: GrantsInfo@nih.gov, 

Telecommunications for the hearing 

impaired: TTY 301–451–0088. 

Submit a typed and signed original 

application, including the Checklist, 

and one (1) single-sided photocopy of 

the entire application (including 

Appendices and supporting documents) 

in one package to: Division of Grants 

Operations, Indian Health Service, 

Reyes Building, 801 Thompson Avenue, 

TMP 360, Rockville, MD 20852–1627 

(zip code is unchanged for express/ 

courier services), Telephone: (301) 443–

5204. 

At the time of submission, applicants 

must also send four (4) additional 

single-sided photocopied and signed 

applications, including the Checklist, 

Appendices, and supporting 

documentation to: Center for Scientific 

Review (CSR), National Institutes of 

Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 

6160—MSC 7892, Bethesda, MD 20892–

7720, Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express 

or courier service). Telephone: (301) 

435–0715. The CSR no longer accepts 

hand delivered applications. 

The RFA label available at http:// 

grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/ 

label-bk.pdf in the PDF format, must be 

affixed to the bottom-face page of the 

application. Type this RFA number: 

‘‘NOT GM–08–115’’ on the label. Failure 

to use this label could delay processing 

the application and it may not reach the 

review committee in time for review. In 

addition, the ‘‘Native American 

Research Centers for Health’’ and the 

RFA number must be typed on line 2 of 

the face page of the application form 

and the YES box must be marked. Email or other electronic applications 

will not be accepted under this 

announcement. 

Specific supplementary instructions 

for the PHS 398 application and budget 

preparation for the NARCH program 

may be obtained from the initiative 

contacts listed under VII. Agency 

Contacts, and will be posted at: http:// 

www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/ 

Research/narch.cfm. There will be no 

acknowledgment of receipt of the 

application. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission: A proposed NARCH may 

include any or all of the following 

components: student development 

projects; faculty/researcher 

development projects; research projects 

(including pilot projects); and ‘‘core’’

administrative facilities. 

The content of the application should 

explain the components of the 

application, and how they help meet the 

purpose of the NARCH initiative. A 

description should be provided of the 

current state of the research and 

research training enterprise at the 

proposed NARCH and its institutional 

and community partners, including 

faculty/researcher and student profiles. 

A clear statement should be presented 

of the overall goals, specific measurable 

objectives, and anticipated milestones. 

These elements should be presented in 

the context of needed improvements in 

the partners’ organizational 

infrastructure and environment for 

research. Documentation should be 

provided to establish that the researchintensive partner is an institution with 

a record of conducting research into the 

health of AI/ANs, and that it has a 

demonstrated commitment to the 


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special encouragement of, and 

assistance to, AI/AN faculty/researchers, 

students, investigators, and 

communities for enhancing their 

capacity to engage in biomedical, 

behavioral and health services research. 

Documentation about the nature of the 

partnership itself should be included, 

such as: the process to develop the 

application and proposed NARCH itself, 

the past and future efforts to increase 

the capacity of the partners to improve 

their partnership, and efforts to 

contribute to the success of the NARCH. 

A plan for assessment of the benefits 

of the activities by the proposed NARCH 

on specific, measurable outcomes 

identified in the application should be 

provided. IHS and NIGMS recognize 

that Tribes, Tribally-based 

organizations, and research-intensive 

institutions are diverse in their 

missions, their health and economic 

status, and their cultures. Such an 

assessment could include a self-study 

by the proposed NARCH and its 

partners, which focuses on fact-finding, 

program evaluation, and 

recommendations for improvement in 

key areas. 

Strategies for determining the initial 

and ongoing success of their efforts for 

organizational development should also 

be presented. It is expected that each 

proposed NARCH will develop its own 

set of strategies that best match its 

circumstances. Guidance and 

suggestions for program evaluation of a 

proposed NARCH can be obtained from 

http://www.the-aps.org/education/ 

promote/promote.html. 

Applications are strongly urged to 

contact NARCH initiative staff at an 

early stage to request the specific 

supplementary instructions for the PHS 

398 for the NARCH grants. 

Supplementary instructions may be 

obtained from the initiative contacts 

listed under VII. Agency Contacts, and 

will be posted at: http://www.ihs.gov/ 

MedicalPrograms/Research/narch.cfm. 

If Student Development Projects are 

proposed, the NARCH application 

should describe new programs of 

modifications or additions to existing 

programs of the partners that encourage 

and facilitate AI/AN students to enter, 

advance, and remain in research careers. 

Such projects might include, but are not 

limited to, providing employment as 

research assistants in research projects 

of research-active mentors with an 

explicit mentoring plan, providing other 

mentoring with an explicit mentoring 

plan, providing workshops to improve 

technical or communication skills, 

providing motivating seminars or 

journal clubs highlighting problems of 

interest to students, providing contact 

with role models, and providing 

opportunities to travel to present results 

at national scientific meetings. If 

research mentorships or apprenticeships 

are proposed, the application should 

clearly document the experience, 

proposed commitment, and quality of 

the mentors in providing guidance and 

advice to students (including 

responsible conduct of research and 

research integrity, teaching, and 

protection of human subjects), and in 

fostering the development of academic 

and/or community based AI/AN 

researchers. 

The application should describe how 

the development plans for the student 

will meet both the individual’s 

professional development goals, and 

one purpose for the NARCH initiative: 

to develop a cadre of AI/AN scientists 

and health professionals. The 

application must have an evaluation 

plan for the project(s) that indicates the 

anticipated outcomes relative to the 

current baseline data. For example, one 

outcome might be the improved 

retention of AI/AN students in science 

majors. The application should indicate 

the anticipated (quantitative) 

improvement relative to the current 

retention rate. 

A student in a NARCH Student 

Development Project must be a full-time 

or part-time student officially enrolled 

in an educational program leading to an 

undergraduate or graduate degree, or in 

a post-doctoral educational program, or 

(if well justified) in a late high school. 

A helpful book about mentoring science 

students is found at http:// 

book.nap.edu/catalog/5789.html. 

If Faculty/Researcher Development 

Projected are proposed, the NARCH 

application should describe the need, 

proposed activity, and anticipated 

outcomes. Faculty/researcher 

development projects might include, but 

are not limited to, short-term mentored 

research experiences in the lab of an 

active NIH-extramurally-funded 

researcher with an explicit mentoring 

plan, long-term general mentoring under 

an explicit mentoring plan, or 

attendance at workshops or courses or 

national meetings needed for acquiring 

specific skills or methodologies needed 

for prospective research. As with 

student development projects, the 

application should document the 

experience, proposed commitment, and 

quality of the mentors, teachers, or 

experience in providing guidance and 

advice to faculty/researchers, and in 

fostering the development of academic 

and community-based AI/AN research. 

The application must also describe the 

evaluation plan for the faculty/ 

researcher development project. The 

application must clearly describe how 

the development plans for faculty/ 

researchers will meet both the 

individual’s professional development 

goals, and two purposes of the NARCH 

initiative: 

• To develop a cadre of AI/AN 

scientists and health professionals, and 

• To enhance the partnership of the 

proposed NARCH. 

NARCH applications may include a 

maximum of five (5) regular Research 

Projects and a maximum of five (5) Pilot 

Research Projects. Unlike regular 

research projects, a pilot research 

project is limited in scope and is not 

expected to have preliminary data. It is 

also limited to a budget of no more then 

$50,000 direct costs per year for four 

years. The pilot research project is 

intended for faculty/researchers without 

current federal research support. 

Support for faculty/researchers 

participating in pilot research projects is 

preparatory to seeking more substantial 

funding from NIH research grant 

programs (e.g., Academic Research 

Enhancement Award, K and R01 

awards), as well as funding from other 

agencies and private sources. Funds 

received from the proposed NARCH to 

support pilot research projects may not 

be used to supplement ongoing research 

projects. A NARCH application need not 

include both research projects and pilot 

research projects. Applications for only 

pilot research projects or for only 

research projects may be submitted. 

Individual project investigators may 

propose either a research project or a 

pilot research project, but not both. 

Each research project or pilot research 

project should follow the instructions 

provided in PHS 398 (Revised 9/2004, 

Interim Revision 4/2006) for preparing 

research grant applications. The 

professional development goals must 

clearly describe specific objectives and 

milestones which should include, but 

are not limited to, improving 

competitiveness in acquiring grant 

support. The applicant should described 

how successful completion of the 

proposed research project will improve 

the research skills and will help develop 

the students and faculty/researchers, 

thus contributing to the overall goals 

and specific measurable objectives of 

the proposed NARCH. 

Each research project or pilot research 

project must follow the IHS policy 

concerning Tribal approval, that all 

research involving AI/AN Tribes be 

approved by the Tribal governments 

with jurisdiction. That is, each grantee 

must include a resolution of approval 

from the Tribal government(s), or (if 

applicable) a letter of support signed by 

the director of the eligible AI/AN 


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organization, or both (if applicable) for 

projects that involve people or 

community(ies) of an AI/AN Tribe, or 

an eligible Tribal organization. 

Research projects (including pilot 

research projects) proposed under this 

initiative must be in research areas 

normally funded by any of the NIH or 

other research agencies in the HHS. 

Research projects addressing health 

disparities and the health priorities of 

the AI/AN partner are especially 

encouraged. 

A listing of grants recently funded by 

NIH may be found at Computer 

Retrieval of Information on Scientific 

Projects (CRISP), a searchable database 

of Federally funded biomedical research 

projects conducted at universities, 

hospitals, and other research 

institutions. It may be accessed at 

http://ott.od.nih.gov/crisp.html. 

The following agencies, institutes, 

offices and centers have stated 

particular interests in supporting 

research under the NARCH Program as 

follows: 

National Institute of Dental and 

Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) 

Oral Health Research 

NIDCR is committed to reducing the 

disproportionate burden of oral diseases 

experienced by AI/ANs. The focus of 

NIDCR’s health disparities research is 

on improving oral health status and 

quality of life by understanding and 

addressing oral diseases that are 

prevalent in AI/AN communities, 

specifically caries (including early 

childhood caries), oral and pharyngeal 

cancer, and periodontal disease. 

Interdisciplinary research teams and the 

full participation of communities are 

viewed by NIDCR as essential 

components of any health disparities 

research. 

Data that document oral disease 

prevalence are readily available for 

some populations, but not for others. 

Homogeneity in subgroups of 

populations cannot be assumed. For 

instance, there are national data for 

Mexican Americans, but not for the 

numerous other Hispanic subgroups. 

Similarly, data regarding the oral health 

status of various AI/AN Tribes are 

unavailable. Moreover, available data 

provide little insight into the etiology or 

determinants of oral disease and oral 

health. The paucity of quality data and 

conceptual models concerning the broad 

array of potential determinants and riskfactors inhibits progress toward 

preventing disease, and improving oral 

health status and quality of life. The 

NIDCR invites applications that, in 

preparation for intervention research, 

explore the complex array of social, 

behavioral, psychological, contextual, 

environmental and biological factors 

and their interactions that may 

contribute to oral health disparities 

within AI/AN communities. Including 

oral health status measures within 

broader epidemiologic studies is 

encouraged. However, applications that 

are limited to the assessment of disease 

prevalence and that explore a very 

limited range of potential determinants 

will be considered non-responsive. 

The NIDCR has particular interest in 

intervention research that will provide 

clinically meaningful outcomes and 

essential information needed to inform 

clinical practice, public health policy, 

health care provision, community and/ 

or individual action. Intervention 

studies that are grounded in theory are 

needed. Both basic and applied 

intervention research applications are 

invited. Studies may need to intervene 

at multiple levels within communities. 

The NIDCR encourages the use of the 

strongest research design possible and 

recognizes that not all intervention 

research is amenable to randomized 

clinical trials. Examples of health 

disparities intervention research of 

interest to the NIDCR includes but are 

not limited to: 

• Effectiveness studies that tailor/ 

target preventive approaches to 

communities/individuals; 

• Research that intervenes in novel 

ways on macro- or intermediate level 

determinants of oral health status; 

• Health services research that 

explores alternative approaches to 

delivering preventive oral health care; 

• Studies that intervene on common 

risk factors or that take a systems 

approach; 

• Studies that explore multifaceted 

strategies to intervene at several levels 

within society; 

• Dissemination and implementation 

research at multiple organizational 

levels; and 

• Research that uses appropriate 

technology for translation, 

implementation, adoption, adherence 

and acceptance of oral disease 

prevention programs in defined 

populations, clinics, and communities. 

Intervention research should be 

reasonably applicable to a specific AI/ 

AN population. To facilitate adequate 

enrollment and generalizability, 

intervention studies may need to be 

conducted at multiple sites. While small 

clinical trials are not permitted, studies 

may be conducted at a single site if 

enrollment is adequate and if sufficient 

numbers of participants are available to 

allow extrapolation of clinically 

meaningful results to the specific AI/AN 

population of interest. 

Pilot research projects that are 

designed to lead to larger research 

projects funded as part of a center or as 

free-standing NIH grants may be 

proposed. 

For additional information about oral 

health research contact: 

Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, M.P.H., Ph.D., 

Director, Health Disparities Research 

Program, National Institute of Dental 

and Craniofacial Research, 45 Center 

Drive, Room 4AS–43F, Bethesda, MD 

20892–6401, Phone: (301) 594–5394, 

Fax: (301) 480–8322, E-mail: 

nowjackr@mail.nih.gov. 

National Institute on Drug Abuse 

(NIDA) 

Neuroscience and Drug Abuse Research 

AI/ANs demonstrate higher rates of 

drug abuse, particularly 

methamphetamine, tobacco and alcohol 

abuse, relative to other racial subgroups. 

According to 2002–2006 National 

Survey on Drug Use and Health 

(NSDUH) data, AI/AN past year 

methamphetamine use was 1.4% 

compared to 0.1% for African 

Americans, 0.6% for Hispanics or 

Latinos and 0.7% for Whites. Prevalence 

of use is high in both men and women. 

Drug abuse patterns among AI/AN are 

complex and can vary by factors such as 

Tribe and geographic location. While 

some datasets are available that can 

provide general epidemiological data 

regarding use and abuse rates in this 

group, data are needed that better clarify 

where use rates are highest, among 

which Tribes, age and gender groups 

and the factors that predict drug abuse 

in these locales and groups. These data 

will assist in developing more targeted 

interventions and in identifying 

mechanisms related to drug abuse 

which can then serve as focal points for 

intervention. 

In addition to scarce data on patterns 

of use, limited data are available 

assessing drug abuse prevention and 

treatment interventions for AI/AN. The 

matrix model has been proposed in 

particular to address methamphetamine 

abuse, but few data are available to 

assess the efficacy of this approach with 

this population. Several preventive 

interventions have been designed 

particularly for this population and 

results from them indicate their value, 

but more research is needed to clarify 

why these sometimes don’t work in 

expected ways and whether the 

interventions that are being used but 

have not been evaluated are working to 

reduce drug use. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
4240 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 16 / Thursday, January 24, 2008 / Notices 

The NIDA is committed to reducing 

health disparities in drug abuse and 

related health and social consequences 

among AI/AN. Further, the Institute 

supports methodologies required by the 

NARCH, expecting that studies be 

developed and implemented using 

community participatory approaches. 

Research topics of interest include but 

are not limited to: 

• Studies that explore a range of 

behavioral, cultural, environmental and 

individual factors that contribute to 

drug abuse; 

• Studies that explore the 

consequences of drug abuse among AI/ 

AN; 

• Studies that consider the full 

context of drug abuse, including 

poverty, family factors, school factors, 

intergenerational trauma, etc.; 

• Studies that explore the role of 

traditional practices and spirituality in 

protecting against drug abuse; 

• Studies that explore other factors 

that protect against use in those groups 

for whom use rates are lower; 

• Studies that explore the efficacy 

and/or effectiveness of culturally 

relevant preventive interventions; 

• Studies that explore the efficacy 

and/or effectiveness of culturally 

relevant treatment interventions; 

• Studies that assess factors related to 

service utilization, including use rates 

and access to services, either in 

reservation or urban settings; and 

• Studies that explore the 

organization, management and delivery 

of interventions. 

For additional information about 

neuroscience or drug abuse research 

contact: Kathy Etz, PhD, National 

Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001 Executive 

Blvd., Room 5153 MSC 9589, Bethesda, 

MD 20852, Phone: (301) 402–1749, Fax: 

(301) 480–2543. 

National Cancer Institute (NCI) 

Tobacco Control Research 

AI/ANs have been documented to 

have the highest smoking rate of any 

major racial/ethnic group in the U.S. 

According to the 2005 National Health 

Interview Survey of adults 18 and over, 

32% of AI/AN are current smokers, 

compared with 21.9% of non-Hispanic 

whites, 21.5% of non-Hispanic Blacks, 

13.3% of Asians and 16.2% of 

Hispanics. Prevalence of smoking is 

high among both men (37.5%) and 

women (26.8%).1 A similar pattern can 

be seen among youth, where AI/AN 

youth have substantially higher smoking 

prevalence (23.1%) than non-Hispanic 

whites (14.9%), Hispanics (9.3%), nonHispanics blacks (6.5%), and Asians 

(4.3%), according to data from the 

National Survey on Drug Use and 

Health. These data also show that nonsmoking AI/AN youth demonstrated 

higher susceptibility to experimenting 

with smoking than most other racial/ 

ethnic groups.2

At the same time, however, tobacco 

use patterns among the AI/AN 

population are complex and can vary 

substantially among subgroups of this 

population. Smoking rates among AI/ 

ANs vary widely by region, being 

highest in the northwestern United 

States, in Canada, and in Alaska. 

Additionally, use of smokeless tobacco 

is higher among AI/AN adults compared 

with other racial/ethnic groups. Some 

studies have found particularly high 

rates of smokeless tobacco use (greater 

than 50%) among AN populations, 

including pregnant women, due to the 

use of Iqmik, a traditional form of 

smokeless tobacco.3

Understanding tobacco use among 

Native American populations is also 

complicated by the fact that tobacco has 

had a substantial role in Native 

American culture and tradition. 

Historically, tobacco has been used in 

medicinal and healing rituals and in 

ceremonial and religious practices. It is 

important to distinguish the traditional, 

ceremonial uses of tobacco, which are 

limited to specific occasions, from 

addictive use of tobacco products. 

However, the relationship between 

these different contexts of tobacco use 

and their impact on behavior has not 

received sufficient scientific study. 

Moreover, limited data are available 

on the effectiveness of tobacco use 

cessation interventions targeted to AI/ 

ANs. Preliminary focus group studies 

suggest that Native American smokers 

are more likely to have negative 

attitudes towards pharmacotherapies, 

such as concerns about side effects and 

lack of trust in conventional medicine.4

Thus, there is a need to develop 

culturally-appropriate interventions 

targeted to this population. 

The NCI Tobacco Control Research 

Branch is committed to supporting 

transdisciplinary research aimed at 

reducing disparities in tobacco use and 

related health outcomes. The NARCH 

provides a unique mechanism to 

support collaborative research involving 

researchers from multiple disciplines to 

address a complex scientific and public 

health challenge. 

Sample research areas of interest 

include but are not limited to the 

following: 

• Studies to understand the role of a 

range of behavioral, cultural and 

environmental factors that lead to 

initiation of tobacco use among AI/AN 

populations. 

• Development and evaluation of 

culturally appropriate interventions for 

tobacco use prevention and cessation 

targeted to AI/AN populations; 

• Studies of how tobacco related 

attitudes and behaviors in youth and 

adults are influenced by ceremonial 

tobacco use and other cultural factors; 

• Studies of tobacco use behavior in 

relation to different products, including 

dual use of cigarettes and smokeless 

tobacco; 

• Research on the characteristics, use 

and health effects of traditional tobacco 

products, such as Iqmik; 

• Research to understand disparities 

in tobacco use within AI/AN 

populations given substantial variations 

by region and other factors; and 

• Studies to identify and address 

barriers to treatment among AI/ANs. 

References 

1. Tobacco Use Among Adults—

United States, 2005. MMWR. October 

27, 2006; 55: 1145–1148. 

2. Racial/Ethnic Differences Among 

Youths in Cigarette Smoking and 

Susceptibility to Start Smoking—United 

States, 2002–2004. MMWR. December 1, 

2006; 55; 1275 1277. 

3. Renner CC, Pattern CA, Day GE, 

Enoch CC, Schroeder DR, Offord KP, 

Hurt RD, Gasheen A, Gill L. Tobacco use 

during pregnancy among Alaska Natives 

in western Alaska. Alaska Med. 

2005;47:12–6. 

4. Burgess D, Fu SS, Joseph AM, 

Hatsukami DK, Solomon J, van Ryn M. 

Beliefs and experiences regarding 

smoking cessation among American 

Indians. Nicotine Tob Res. 2007; 9 

Suppl 1: S19–28. 

For additional information about NCI 

tobacco research contact: Mark 

Parascandola, PhD, Epidemiologist, 

Tobacco Control Research Branch, 

National Cancer Institute, 6130 

Executive Blvd. MSC 7337, Executive 

Plaza North, Room 4039, Bethesda, MD 

20892, Phone: 301–451–4587, Fax: 301–

496–8675, paramark@mail.nih.gov. 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute (NHLBI) 

Cardiovascular and Respiratory 

Research 

The NHLBI has a strong history of 

supporting research to document and 

intervene on health disparities among 

AI/ANs, including the Strong Heart 

Study, Pathways, Genetics of Coronary 

Artery Disease in Alaska Natives 

(GOCADAN), the Stop Atherosclerosis 

in Native Diabetics Study (SANDS), and 

Community-Responsive Interventions to 

Reduce Cardiovascular Risks in AI/ANs. 

The Strong Heart Study showed that 

many AI/AN communities bear a heavy 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 16 / Thursday, January 24, 2008 / Notices 4241 

burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) 

and cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., 

obesity, diabetes) that could be reduced 

through effective interventions on 

modifiable risk factors. The high burden 

of disease will worsen unless behaviors 

and lifestyles affecting CVD risk can be 

changed. Prevalence of obesity in AI/AN 

communities is about 50% higher than 

in the U.S. general population in which 

obesity is often described as being of 

epidemic proportions. In some AI/AN 

communities, cigarette smoking, 

sedentary lifestyle, and stress augment 

the adverse effects of obesity. AI/AN are 

particularly vulnerable to Type II 

diabetes, a problem exacerbated by high 

rates of obesity. Diabetes prevalence is 

3–20 fold higher among AI/AN than in 

the general U.S. population. It is an 

important cause of coronary heart 

disease, cardiomyopathy, end-stage 

renal disease, non-traumatic 

amputation, and vision impairment. 

Lipid abnormalities also are common in 

Type II diabetics,, particularly high 

triglycerides and low HDL-cholesterol 

levels. Dyslipidemia and blood pressure 

can be improved by appropriate changes 

in diet and by increased exercise. CVD 

risk is also substantially improved by 

smoking cessation. In addition, 

attention to high stress levels, untreated 

sleep disordered breathing, short sleep 

duration, and depression may be 

warranted because of evidence that they 

may influence the health behaviors of 

interest. For example, poorer diet, 

higher smoking rates, and physical 

inactivity are more prominent in those 

with high stress, sleep disorders, or 

depression. These psychosocial factors 

also are associated with CVD 

progression in observational 

epidemiologic studies, and there is 

evidence from smaller clinical studies 

they may affect mechanisms leading to 

CVD. NHLBI is interested in supporting 

research in AI/AN communities that 

promote the adoption of healthy 

lifestyles and/or improve behaviors 

related to cardiovascular (CV) risk, such 

as weight reduction, regular physical 

activity, and smoking cessation. These 

behaviors and lifestyles are known to 

affect biological cardiovascular risk 

factors, such as hypertension, 

dyslipidemia, obesity, glucose 

intolerance, and diabetes. In addition, 

control of these risk factors by 

guideline-based use of antihypertensive, 

lipid lowering, and hypoglycemic drugs 

can reduce their adverse consequences. 

However, these pharmacological 

interventions are often suboptimally 

utilized in AI/AN communities. The 

NHLBI is interested in reducing 

cardiovascular disease mortality and 

morbidity in AI/AN, whether by 

lifestyle changes, drug interventions, or 

combinations thereof. 

Lifestyles characterized by sleeping 

less than 5–6 hours per night are 

associated with increased risk of CVD, 

obesity, and diabetes. Insufficient sleep 

as a behavioral stressor is associated 

with risk of new onset substance abuse 

and relapse, and depression risk and 

relapse. Intervention studies to assess 

the efficacy of improving sleep as part 

of a healthy lifestyle or assessing how 

improving sleep disorders could 

improve CVD outcomes would be of 

interest to NHLBI. 

AI/AN also have been documented to 

exhibit high rates of chronic respiratory 

disease. AI/AN adults have the highest 

asthma rate among single-race groups. 

Recent evidence suggests that 11.6 

percent of AI/AN suffer from asthma. 

This is significantly higher than the 

national average of 7.5 percent, and 

much higher than every other single 

racial or ethnic group. Chronic 

obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 

which includes emphysema and chronic 

bronchitis, is the eighth leading cause of 

death from chronic disease for AI/AN 

men and the sixth leading cause of 

death for women. AI/AN have the 

second highest rates of cystic fibrosis 

following whites. One in 10,500 AI/AN 

has cystic fibrosis compared with one in 

3,500 whites. Pueblo Indians and Zuni 

Indians have higher incidence than 

among other AI/AN Tribes. Sleep 

disordered breathing appears to be 30–

60% more common among American 

Indians than other racial and ethnic 

groups. NHLBI is interested in 

supporting research in AI/AN 

communities that includes studies of 

approaches to improve clinical delivery 

of efficacious treatments of chronic lung 

disease and their risk factors, improved 

methods of chronic lung disease selfmanagement, studies to promote or 

maintain respiratory health or improved 

methods of rehabilitation for diseases of 

the lungs and airways, such as asthma, 

emphysema, cystic fibrosis; sleep 

disordered breathing, occupational lung 

diseases, pulmonary vascular disease or 

pulmonary complications of Acquired 

Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). 

In addition to these areas of research, 

the NHLBI recognizes a unique and 

compelling need to promote diversity in 

the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and 

social sciences research workforce. The 

NHLBI expects efforts to diversify the 

workforce to lead to: 

• The recruitment of the most 

talented researchers from all groups; 

• An improvement in the quality of 

the educational and training 

environment; 

• A more balanced perspective in the 

determination of research priorities; 

• A improved capacity to recruit 

subjects from diverse backgrounds into 

clinical research protocols; and 

• An improved capacity to address 

and eliminate health disparities. 

For more information, please contact: 

Jared B. Jobe, Ph.D. (Cherokee), Program 

Director, Clinical Applications and 

Prevention Branch, Division of 

Prevention and Population Sciences, 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Suite 

10018, MSC 7936, Bethesda, Maryland 

20892–7936 (20817 express), Phone: 

(301) 435–0407, Fax: (301) 480–5158, 

JobeJ@mail.nih.gov (e-mail). 

National Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 

(NIAMS) 

Research in Osteoporosis and Other 

Bone Diseases, Osteoarthritis, 

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Skin Disease 

Within the NIAMS Mission 

The NIAMS supports efforts to 

conduct research into the causes, 

treatment, and prevention of arthritis 

and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; 

the training of basic and clinical 

scientists to carry out this research; and 

the dissemination of research progress 

to improve the public health. Goals 

specific to the AI/AN communities 

involve research addressing the training 

of underrepresented minority AI/AN 

researchers and ensuring inclusion of 

Native communities in clinical research 

studies. NIAMS actively monitors the 

inclusion of minority populations in 

clinical research and will highlight any 

grants that specifically target AI/AN 

populations. The mission of the NIAMS 

is to support research into the causes, 

treatment, and prevention of arthritis 

and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, 

the training of basic and clinical 

scientists to carry out this research, and 

the dissemination of information on 

research progress in these diseases. 

Studies in these mission areas as they 

relate to the AI/AN population may be 

proposed. 

For additional information about 

research in these areas contact: 

Madeline Turkeltaub, CRNP, Ph.D., 

Deputy Director, Extramural Program, 

National Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 

6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 800, 

Bethesda, MD 20912, Phone: (301) 594–

2463, Fax: (301) 480–4543, E-mail: 

mturkeltaub@mail.nih.gov. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
4242 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 16 / Thursday, January 24, 2008 / Notices 

National Center for Complementary 

and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) 

Research on Traditional Healing 

Practices 

Many AI/AN communities use 

traditional healing practices to prevent 

and/or treat diseases and to maintain 

health. NCCAM is interested in 

supporting research on traditional 

healing practices with these goals in 

mind. NCCAM is also interested in 

research on the safe and effective 

integration of conventional care with 

traditional healing practices for AI/AN 

communities. The methodological 

feasibility for integration has yet to be 

addressed for many traditional healing 

practices. Consequently, NCCAM is 

interested in supporting developmental 

studies to identify and address difficult 

methodological and design issues 

particular to traditional healing 

practices, as well as to allow for the 

development of contextually and 

culturally sensitive research mirroring 

the values of AI/AN communities. 

Examples of study areas of interest 

include, but are not limited to: 

• Qualitative research to characterize 

and document healing practices and 

diagnostic approaches of indigenous 

peoples, and study the feasibility of 

research on those practices and 

approaches in future clinical studies; 

• Observational studies to explore 

patient and care provider preferences, 

beliefs, attitudes, and patient-provider 

interactions; 

• Case-control, observational, and 

other studies to understand traditional 

healing strategies from multiples 

perspectives, including: (a) Optimal 

dosing, duration, and frequency of 

treatment; (b) type of treatment; (c) 

examinations of different healing 

practices to treat a particular disease/ 

condition; (d) comparisons of complex 

versus simple interventions; (e) 

evaluation of adherence among patient 

populations to interventions with 

varying levels of complexity; and (f) 

examination of potentially important 

individual differences that mediate or 

moderate treatment outcome; 

• Studies to determine if traditional 

healing practices can be translated into 

a broader clinical setting, in terms of: 

Reliability, responsiveness, and utility; 

assessment procedures, instruments, 

and tools in psychosocial, functional, 

and physiological domains; 

• Studies to construct and validate 

culturally sensitive data collection 

instruments; to design and pilot 

outcome measures consistent with the 

tenets of traditional, indigenous systems 

of medicine and comparisons of these 

outcome measures to those commonly 

used by conventional biomedicine; and 

• Health services research of 

established AI/AN traditional healing 

practices to explore the factors that 

influence access to and use of such 

therapies; the nature, cost effectiveness, 

and quality of such care; and ultimately 

the effects on health and well-being. 

For additional information on 

NCCAM-supported research topics, 

contact: Peter J. Kozel, Ph.D., National 

Center of Complementary and 

Alternative Medicine, 6707 Democracy 

Boulevard, Suite 401, MSC 5475, 

Bethesda, MD 20892–5475, Phone: (301) 

496–8004, Fax: (301) 480–3621, 

kozelp@mail.nih.gov. 

Office of Research on Women’s Health 

(ORWH) 

Women’s Health Research 

The ORWH at the NIH supports 

research related to women’s health and 

the study of sex and gender differences. 

Detailed information about the NIH 

Research Priorities for Women’s Health, 

can be found at http://orwh.od.nih.gov/ 

research.html. 

For additional information on 

women’s health research, contact: Lisa 

Begg, DrPH., RN, Director of Research 

Programs, NIH Office of Research on 

Women’s Health, 6707 Democracy 

Blvd., Suite 400, Bethesda, MD 20892–

5484, Phone: (301) 496–7853, Fax: (301) 

402–1798, beggl@od.nih.gov. 

National Institute of Mental Health 

(NIMH) 

Research projects aimed at 

understanding the burden, treatment or 

prevention of mental disorders and 

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/ 

AIDS in AI/AN populations. 

Indigenous people in the United 

States are disproportionately affected by 

mental illness and HIV infection, as are 

the larger racial and ethnic populations 

such as African Americans and Latinos. 

AI/ANs are highly underrepresented in 

the physician workforce and as 

researchers in health research in 

general, numbering fewer than one 

hundred. 

Other factors that contribute to 

disparities that affect these communities 

include geographic isolation, poor 

access to health services, 

underutilization of health services, 

insufficient screening and partner 

management services, unique social 

norms, stigma and gender dynamics. 

Research is needed to identify and 

address the impact as well as the 

specific and unique aspects of mental 

disorders and HIV infection upon 

Native American communities. A 

critical component of response to 

mental health and HIV infection in 

Native American communities will be to 

identify, train, mentor, and develop 

Native American investigators. Towards 

these ends, a promising model is 

community-based participatory research 

together with community capacity 

building. 

Some NIMH research areas that can 

contribute to scientific knowledge about 

mental health and HIV interventions in 

Native Americans includes: 

• Research methods/community 

assessment; 

• Studies of the impact of traumatic 

stressors, studies of patient, provider 

and contextual factors; 

• Intervention research to evaluate 

the effectiveness of pharmacologic, 

psychosocial (psychotherapeutic and 

behavioral), somatic, rehabilitative and 

combination interventions on mental 

and behavior disorders-including acute 

and longer-term therapeutic effects on 

functioning for children, adolescents, 

and adults; 

• Studies of services organization, 

delivery (process and receipt of care), 

and related health economics at the 

individual, clinical, program, 

community and systems levels in 

specialty mental health, general health, 

and other delivery settings (such as the 

workplace); 

• Interventions to improve the quality 

and outcomes of care (including 

diagnostic, treatment, preventive, and 

rehabilitation services); 

• Studies to enhance the research 

infrastructure for conducting services 

research; studies of clinical 

epidemiology of mental disorders across 

all clinical and service settings; 

• Scientifically rigorous investigation 

of culturally appropriate prevention and 

control strategies; 

• Adaptation, evaluation, safety and 

costs of proven interventions; 

• Dissemination and implementation 

strategies; and, 

• The role of community stakeholders 

in the research process, especially 

readiness for change. 

For additional information on NIMH 

NonAIDS Applications contact: Carmen 

P. Moten, Ph.D., Chief, Primary Care, 

Socio Cultural and Disparities Research 

Programs, Division of Services and 

Intervention Research, National Institute 

of Mental Health, 6001 Executive 

Boulevard, Room 7131, MSC 9631, 

Bethesda, MD 20892–9631, Telephone: 

(301) 443–3725, FAX: (301) 443–4045, 

E-mail: cmoten@mail.nih.gov. 

For additional information on NIMH 

HIV/AIDS-related applications contact: 

David M. Stoff, Ph.D., Chief: HIV/AIDS 

Neuropsychiatry Program, AIDS 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 16 / Thursday, January 24, 2008 / Notices 4243 

Research Training and HIV/AIDS, 

Disparities Program, Division of AIDS 

and Health and Behavior Research, 

National Institute of Mental Health, 

6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6210, 

MSC 9619, Bethesda, MD 20892–9619, 

Telephone: (301) 443–4625, FAX: (301) 

443–9719, E-mail: dstoff@mai1.nih.gov. 

National Library of Medicine (NLM) 

Biomedical Informatics and Knowledge 

Management 

NLM supports research into how 

computers and networks can best be 

used to capture, represent, store, 

retrieve, manipulate, manage, and 

disseminate information for use in 

health care and public health, health 

education, and biomedical research. 

These informatics research projects 

must be user-centered, aimed at meeting 

needs of health care providers, 

consumers, students, researchers, and 

policy makers. To be user centered, 

information systems must be usable and 

useful, and information must be 

understandable to the audience for 

whom it is intended, accurate, and 

timely. The knowledge people need to 

participate in their own health care and 

the care of others is complex and comes 

from many sources. Important research 

questions remain to be answered about 

the most effective ways to bring these 

different sources together when and 

where they are needed. Informatics is by 

nature an interdisciplinary field, and 

the training of researchers for 

informatics careers involves coursework 

in the concepts and practices of 

information and computer science as 

well as in domains of health and 

biomedicine. NLM offers training 

programs at 18 academic organizations, 

for pre and post-doctoral trainees who 

wish to pursue a career in informatics. 

Many of these organizations offer 

special short-term traineeships of three 

months that provide a trainee with an 

introduction to informatics research. 

For additional information about 

NLM programs contact: Valerie 

Florance, Ph.D., Deputy Director, NLM 

Extramural Programs, Rockledge 1, 

Suite 301, 6705 Rockledge Drive, 

Bethesda, MD 20892, Phone: (301) 594–

4882, Fax: (301) 402–2952, Web site: 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep NLM/NIH/ 

DHHS. 

National Institute of Biomedical 

Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB ) 

Research in Technology for Health 

The National Institute of Biomedical 

Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) is 

committed to reducing health 

disparities through the development of 

new and affordable biomedical 

technologies. To this end, the NIBIB is 

interested in supporting the translation 

of biomedical technologies that target 

the health needs of AI/AN communities. 

Specifically, the NIBIB is interested in 

supporting the development of 

technologies that have broad therapeutic 

and interventional applications as well 

as technologies that complement 

technology development in all program 

areas of the NIBIB, http:// 

www.nibib.nih.gov/Research/ 

ProgramAreas. 

For additional information about 

NIBIB programs contact: John W. Haller, 

PhD., National Institute of Biomedical 

Imaging and Bioengineering, NIH/ 

DHHS, 6707 Democracy Blvd. Suite 200, 

Bethesda, MD 20892–5649, E-mail: 

hallerj@mail.nih.gov, Phone: (301) 451–

4780, Fax: (301) 480–1614. 

National Eye Institute (NEI) 

Vision Research 

The NEI supports research and health 

information dissemination with the goal 

of protecting and prolonging the vision 

of the American people. Examples of 

such activity that may be of interest 

include, but are not limited to: 

• Epidemiological studies to 

determine the prevalence and possible 

risk factors of eye diseases and disorders 

among AI/AN populations; 

• Basic research studies into the 

causes and mechanisms of eye diseases 

and visual impairments in AI/AN, 

research into disparities in access to 

ophthalmic/optometric health services; 

and, 

• Development and evaluation of 

culturally appropriate health education 

and intervention. 

For additional information on vision 

research topics contact: Jerome R. 

Wujek, Ph.D., National Eye Institute, 

2020 Vision Place, Bethesda, MD 

20892–3655, Phone: (301) 451–2020, 

Fax: (301) 402–0528, E-mail: 

wujekjer@nei.nih.gov. 

The omission above of any NIH 

institute, center, office, or research area 

should not be taken as a lack of 

availability of support for proiects in 

those areas. NARCH is an NIH-wide 

partnership, led at NIH by the National 

Institute of General Medical Sciences 

(NIGMS). General research priorities for 

all of the individual NIH Institutes, 

Centers, Divisions and Offices can be 

found on their respective Web sites at: 

http://www.nih.gov/icd/index.html. 

However, applicants and potential 

academic partners are reminded that 

that the NARCH program is focused on 

the research needs of the Tribes and not 

those of the Federal or academic 

partners. 

Public Policy Requirements: All 

Federal-wide public policies apply to 

IHS grants with exception of Lobbying 

and Discrimination public policy. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

A. Letter of Intent Deadline: March 15, 

2008. 

Prospective applicants are asked to 

submit a letter of intent that includes 

the title of the new project(s) proposed, 

the name, address, and telephone 

number of the project Principal 

Investigator(s), the identities of the 

partners and of key personnel, and the 

number and title of this RFA. The letter 

of intent should be received before 5 

p.m. Eastem Standard Time on March 

15, 2008, by Mushtaq A. Khan, D.V.M., 

Ph.D., Chief, Digestive and Respiratory 

Sciences IRGs, Center for Scientific 

Review, MSC 7818, Room 2176; 6701 

Rockledge Drive; Bethesda, MD 20892 

(20817 for Fed Ex) Phone: (301) 435–

1778; Fax (301) 451–2043; E-Mail: 

KHANM@CSR.NIH.GOV. 

Letters may be submitted by mail, fax 

or e-mail. Although a letter of intent is 

not required, is not binding, and does 

not enter into the review of a 

subsequent application, the information 

that it contains allows the IHS and NIH 

Center for Scientific Review (CSR) staffs 

to estimate the potential review 

workload and avoid conflict of interest 

in the review. 

B. Application Deadline: May 16, 

2008. 

The applications must be received 

before 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 

May 16, 2009 at the Center for Scientific 

Review (CSR, National Institutes of 

Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 

6160—MSC 7892, Bethesda, MD 20892–

7720, Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express 

or courier service). Telephone: (301) 

435–0715.) and at the IHS Division of 

Grants Operations (DGO, Indian Health 

Service, Reyes Building, 801 Thompson 

Avenue, TMP Suite 360, Rockville, MD 

20852–1627 [zip code is unchanged for 

express/courier services], Telephone: 

(301) 443–5204). Applications received 

after this date will be returned to the 

applicant. Competing applications not 

meeting the deadline date specified in 

the announcement are considered late 

applications and will not be considered 

for funding under this announcement. 

The CSR will not accept any application 

in response to this RFA that is 

essentially the same as one currently 

pending initial review, unless the 

applicant withdraws the pending 

application. The CSR will not accept 

any application that is essentially the 

same as one already reviewed. This does 

not preclude the submission of 

substantial revisions of applications 

already reviewed, but such applications 


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must include an introductory letter 

addressing the previous critique. 

4. Intergovernmental Review: This 

funding opportunity is not subject to 

Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.’’ A State approval is not 

required. 

5. Funding Restrictions: 

• Pre-award costs are allowable 

pending prior approval from the 

awarding agency. However, in 

accordance with 45 CFR Part 74 all preaward costs are incurred at the 

recipient’s risk. The awarding office is 

under no obligation to reimburse such 

costs if for any reason the applicant 

does not receive an award or if the 

award to the recipient is less than 

anticipated. 

• The available funds are inclusive of 

direct and appropriate indirect costs. 

• Only one grant/cooperative 

agreement will be awarded per 

applicant under this announcement. . 

• IHS will not acknowledge receipt of 

applications. . 

• Grantees are allowed a reasonable 

period of time in which to submit 

required financial and performance 

reports. Failure to submit required 

reports within the time allowed may 

result in suspension or termination of 

an active grant, withholding of 

additional awards for the project, or 

other enforcement actions such as 

withholding of payments or converting 

to the reimbursement method of 

payment. Continued failure to submit 

required reports may result in the 

imposition of special award provisions, 

or cause other eligible projects or 

activities involving that grantee 

organization, or the individual 

responsible for the delinquency to not 

be funded. Failure to obtain prior 

approval for change in Scope, Principal 

Investigator, Grantee Institutions, 

Successor in Interest, or Recipient 

Institute Name, undertaking any 

activities disapproved or restricted as a 

condition of the award, may result in 

fund restrictions. 

6. Other Submission Requirements: 

Each submitted research project 

(including pilot research projects) 

should be budgeted so that it could 

stand on its own. That is, each project 

should be fundable under its own 

budget so that it could be completed 

even if the rest of the NARCH is not 

funded. All things vital to each project 

should be included in the budget of that 

project and not included in the core. 

The 49 NARCH core should include 

only administrative, training or other 

items that are non-essential to the 

research projects. Each subcontractor 

participating in each project should 

submit its budget as part of that project’s 

budget, using appropriate form pages 

from the PHS 398. Each project 

submission should include a set of 

budget pages from each of the 

institutional partners participating in 

that project. Each research project 

budget should explicitly include that 

portion of the grantee’s indirect costs 

that are associated with activities under 

that project. 

Submit a typed and signed original 

application, including the Checklist, 

and one single-sided photocopy of the 

entire application (including 

Appendices and supporting documents) 

in one package to: Division of Grants 

Operations, Indian Health Service, 

Reyes Building, 801 Thompson Avenue, 

TMP Suite 360, Rockville, MD 20852–

1627 (zip code is unchanged for 

express/courier services), Telephone: 

(301) 443–5204. 

At the time of submission, applicants 

must also send four additional singlesided photocopied and signed 

applications, including the Checklist, 

Appendices, and supporting 

documentation to: Center for Scientific 

Review, National Institutes of Health, 

6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6160–MSC 

7892, Bethesda, MD 20892–7720, 

Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express or 

courier service). Telephone: (301) 435–

0715. The Center for Scientific Review 

no longer accepts hand delivered 

applications. E-mail or other electronic 

applications will not be accepted under 

this announcement. 

Specific supplementary instructions 

for the PHS 398 application and budget 

preparation for the NARCH program 

may be obtained from the initiative 

contacts listed under VII. Agency 

Contacts, and will be posted at http:// 

www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/ 

Research/narch.cfm. 

DUNS Number 

Applicants are required to have a Dun 

and Bradstreet (DUNS) number to apply 

for a grant or cooperative agreement 

from the Federal Government. The 

DUNS number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 

1–866–705–5711. Interested parties may 

wish to obtain their DUNS number by 

phone to expedite the process. 

A DUNS number is required before 

Central Contractor Registry (CCR) 

registration can be completed. Many 

organizations may already have a DUNS 

number. Please use the number listed 

above to investigate whether or not your 

organization has a DUNS number. 

Registration with the CCR is free of 

charge. 

Applicants may register by calling 

1–888–227–2423. Please review and 

complete the CCR Registration 

Worksheet located at http:// 

www.grants.gov/CCRRegister. 

More detailed information regarding 

these registration processes can be 

found at http://www.grants.gov. 

Application Review Information 

Upon receipt, IHS and NIH staff will 

administratively review applications for 

completeness and responsiveness. 

Applications that are incomplete, nonresponsive to this RFA, not from 

existing NARCH programs, or do not 

follow the guidelines of the PHS form 

398 (revised 9/2004) or of the 

supplementary instructions for NARCH 

grants (available at: http://www.ihs.gov/ 

MedicalPrograms/Research/narch.cfm), 

may be returned to the applicant 

without further consideration. 

Applications will be evaluated in 

accordance with the criteria stated 

below for scientific and technical merit 

by appropriate peer review groups 

convened by the CSR. The National 

Advisory General Medical Sciences 

Council will conduct the second level of 

review. 

Criteria 

Priorities for funding will be based on 

the scientific and technical merit of the 

application, the assessed potential of 

investigators in the developmental 

stages of their careers, and the 

likelihood that the proposed project(s) 

can further the purposes of the NARCH 

initiative. Awards will be made only to 

organizations with financial 

management systems and management 

capabilities that are acceptable under 

HHS policy. Awards will be 

administered under the HHS Grants 

Policy Statement, January 2007. 

A. Review of Student and Faculty/ 

Researcher Development Plans: The 

anticipated effectiveness of the 

proposed NARCH in making a 

difference relative to the current baseline data (based in part on previous 

experience of the NARCH) will be 

assessed. Factors to be considered 

include: 

• The appropriateness of the content, 

phasing, quality, and duration of the 

student or faculty/researcher 

development plans in the NARCH 

application to achieve the scientific 

development of the faculty/researcher, 

post-doctoral, pre-doctoral, 

undergraduate, and (if well justified) 

high school students; and 


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• The research experience and 

expertise, proposed commitment, and 

quality of the mentoring plan and of 

individual mentors of the partners in 

providing mentoring, guidance, and 

advice to candidates (including training 

in responsible conduct of research and 

research integrity, teaching, and 

protection of human subjects), and in 

fostering the development of academic 

and community-based AI/AN 

researchers. 

B. Review of Research Projects: The 

NIH has announced procedures to be 

used for the review of research grant 

applications (NIH Guide, Volume 26, 

Number 22, June 27, 1997, or see http:// 

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/ 

not97-010.html and http:// 

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/ 

NOT–OD–05–002.html for additional 

updated information. For NARCH 

applications, the five criteria listed in 

this announcement will be used for the 

scientific review of research projects 

and pilot research projects. The review 

of research projects and pilot research 

projects will be the same except that 

applications for pilot studies may be 

smaller in scope and would not be 

expected to have preliminary data. 

In the written comments, reviewers 

will be asked to discuss the following 

aspects of the application in order to 

judge the likelihood that the proposed 

research will have a substantial impact 

on the pursuit of these purposes. Each 

of these criteria will be addressed and 

considered in assigning the overall 

score, weighting them as appropriate for 

each application. 

• Significance: Does this study 

address an important problem? If the 

aims of the application are achieved, 

how will scientific knowledge or 

clinical practice be advanced? What will 

be the effect of these studies on the 

concepts, methods, technologies, 

treatments, services, or preventative 

interventions that drive this field? 

• Approach: Are the conceptual or 

clinical framework, design, methods, 

and analyses adequately developed, 

well integrated, well reasoned, and 

appropriate to the aims of the project? 

Does the applicant acknowledge 

potential problem areas and consider 

alternative tactics? 

• Innovation: Is the project original 

and innovative? For example: Does the 

project challenge existing paradigms or 

clinical practice; address an innovative 

hypothesis or critical barrier to progress 

in the field? Does the project develop or 

employ novel concepts, approaches, 

methodologies, tools, or technologies for 

this area? 

• Investigators: Are the investigators 

appropriately trained and well suited to 

carry out this work? Is the work 

proposed appropriate to the experience 

level of the principal investigator and 

other researchers? Does the investigative 

team bring complementary and 

integrated expertise to the project (if 

applicable)? 

• Environment: Does the scientific 

environment in which the work will be 

done contribute to the probability of 

success? Do the proposed studies 

benefit from unique features of the 

scientific environment, or subject 

populations, or employ useful 

collaborative arrangements? Is there 

evidence of institutional support? 

In addition to the above criteria, in 

accordance with NIH policy, all 

applications will also be reviewed with 

respect to the following: 

• The adequacy of plans, if research 

on human subjects is involved, to 

include both genders and children as 

appropriate for the scientific goals of the 

research. Plans for the recruitment and 

retention of subjects will also be 

evaluated. 

• The reasonableness of the proposed 

budget and duration in relation to the 

proposed research. 

• The adequacy of the proposed 

protection for humans, animals or the 

environment, to the extent they may be 

adversely affected by the project 

proposed in the application. 

• The adequacy of the proposed plan 

to share data, if appropriate. 

VI Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices 

The Notice of Award (NoA) will be 

initiated by the IHS Division of Grants 

Operations (DGO) and will be mailed 

via postal mail to each entity that is 

approved for funding under this 

announcement. The NoA will be signed 

by the Grants Management Officer and 

this is the authorizing document for 

which funds are dispersed to the 

approved entities. The NoA will serve 

as the official notification of the grant 

award and will reflect the amount of 

Federal funds awarded, the purpose of 

the grant, the terms and conditions of 

the award, the effective date of the 

award, and the budget/project period. 

The NoA is a legally binding document. 

Applicants who are approved but 

unfunded or disapproved based on their 

objective review score will receive a 

copy of the Executive Summary which 

identifies the weaknesses and strengths 

of the application submitted. 

2. Administrative and Policy 

Requirements 

A. Grants are administrated in 

accordance with the following 

documents: 

• This Announcement. 

• Administrative Requirements: 45 

CFR part 92, (Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for Grants and 

Cooperative Agreements to State, Local 

and Tribal Governments), or 45 CFR 

part 74, (Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for Awards to Institutions 

of Higher Education, Hospitals, Other 

Non-Profit Organizations, and 

Commercial Organizations). 

• Grants Policy Guidance: HHS 

Grants Policy Statement, January 2007. 

• Cost Principles: OMB Circular A–

87, (State, Local, and Indian Title 2 Part 

225). 

• Cost Principles: OMB Circular A–

122, (Non-profit Organizations Title 2 

Part 230). 

• Audit Requirements: OMB Circular 

A–133, (Audits of States, Local 

Governments, and Non-profit 

Organizations). 

B. Inclusion of Women and Minorities 

in Research Involving Human Subjects: 

It is the policy of the NIH that women 

and members of minority groups and 

their subpopulations must be included 

in all NIH-supported biomedical, 

clinical, behavioral and health services 

research projects involving human 

subjects; unless a clear and compelling 

rationale and justification is provided 

that inclusion is inappropriate with 

respect to the health of the subjects or 

the purpose of the research. This policy 

results from the NIH Revitalization Act 

of 1993 (Section 492B of Pub. L. 103–

43). Because the NARCH initiative 

targets AI/AN people and communities, 

a minority population, only the policy 

of inclusion of women applies to this 

RFA. The IHS has fully accepted the 

Office for Human Research Protections 

(OHRP) policy regarding human 

subjects. The OHRP Web site is http:// 

www.hhs.gov/ohrp/. All investigators 

proposing research involving human 

subjects should read the Updated NIH 

Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and 

Minorities as Subjects in Clinical 

Research, published in the NIH Guide 

for Grants and Contracts on August 2, 

2000. 

• (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/ 

notice-files/NOT-OD-00-048.html). The 

complete Guidelines are available at: 

http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/ 

women_min/ 

guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm. The 

revisions relate to NIH defined Phase III 

clinical trials and require: 

• All applications or proposals and/or 

protocols to provide a description of 

plans to conduct analyses, as 

appropriate, to address differences by 

sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups, 

including subgroups if applicable; and 


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• All investigators to report accrual, 

and to conduct and report analyses, as 

appropriate, by sex/gender and/or 

racial/ethnic group differences. 

C. Inclusion of Children as 

Participants in Research Involving 

Human Subjects: It is the policy of NIH 

that children (i.e., individuals under the 

age of 21) must be included in all 

human subjects research, conducted or 

supported by the NIH, unless there are 

scientific or ethical reasons not to 

include them. This policy applies to all 

initial (Type 1) applications submitted. 

All investigators proposing research 

involving human subjects should read 

the NIH Policy and Guidelines on the 

Inclusion of Children as Participants in 

Research Involving Human Subjects that 

was published in the NIH Guide for 

Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, 

and is available at the following URL 

address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ 

guide/notice-files/not98–024.html. 

Investigators may obtain copies of these 

policies from the initiative staff listed 

under VII. Agency Contacts. Initiative 

staff may also provide additional 

relevant information concerning the 

policy. 

D. URLS in NIH Grant Applications or 

Appendices: All applications and 

proposals for NIH funding must be selfcontained within specified page 

limitations. Unless otherwise specified 

in an NIH solicitation, Internet 

addresses (URLs) should not be used to 

provide information necessary to the 

review because reviewers are under no 

obligation to view the Internet sites. 

Reviewers are cautioned that their 

anonymity may be compromised when 

they directly access an Internet site. 

E. Allowable Administrative Costs: 

Certain administrative costs for 

managing a comprehensive program are 

allowable and may vary, depending 

upon the size and complexity of the 

program’s activities. The costs budgeted 

for NARCH grants and subcontracts may 

not duplicate items already budgeted in 

other cost centers of the AI/AN, 

research-intensive, and subcontracted 

organizations and institutions, such as 

accounts which make up the Facilities 

and Administration (F&A) cost pool. 

The grantee organization receiving the 

award must be prepared to provide 

documentation showing the direct 

relationship of proposed costs to the 

program, and that costs of this type are 

charged in a uniform manner to all other 

grants at all institutions and 

organizations participating in the award. 

Limited salary support for secretarial 

or clerical help is allowable only when 

in direct support of the proposed 

NARCH project. For guidance, 

applicants should refer to the OMB 

Circular appropriate for them, A–87 

(Cost Principles for State, local, and 

Indian Tribal Governments), at http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars or 

A–122 (Cost Principles for Non-Profit 

Organizations), at http://

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

leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.

html&log=linklog&fxsp0;&to=http:// 

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

circulars, or should contact the grants 

management officer listed under VII. 

Agency Contacts. 

Costs for evaluation activities are 

allowable, as are costs for the 

Community and Scientific Advisory 

Council. All applications must include 

costs associated with one annual 

meeting per year in Rockville, MD, of 

the project Principal Investigator(s) and 

their key scientific personnel. 

Applications should also include costs 

associated with attendance at the annual 

Indian Health Research Conference for 

key personnel and trainees. 

Student Development Costs: Student 

(graduate, undergraduate, and high 

school if well justified) remuneration 

through salary/wages for participation 

in research experiences may be 

requested, provided all the following 

conditions are met: 

I. The student is performing necessary 

work involved in the research; 

II. There is an employer-employee 

relationship between the student and 

the proposed NARCH or its partners; 

III. The total compensation is 

reasonable for the work performed; and 

IV. It is the practice of the proposed 

NARCH or its partners to provide 

compensation for all students in similar 

circumstances, regardless of the source 

of support for the activity. 

Graduate students, but not 

undergraduate students, are allowed 

tuition costs as part of a compensation 

package. When requesting support for a 

graduate student, the NARCH 

application should provide, in the 

budget justification section of the 

application, the basis for the 

compensation level. The IHS staff will 

review the requested compensation 

level and, if it is reasonable and 

justified, will provide compensation up 

to a maximum of $45,000 (http://

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/

not98–168.html). Post-doctoral students 

should be compensated at a rate 

commensurate with that of other postdoctoral employees with similar degrees 

and experience at the research-intensive 

institution. It is the expectation of the 

IHS and NIGMS that students who are 

enrolled in a accredited graduate 

program, as part of a proposed NARCH, 

will not be excluded from support from 

other non-Federal or Federal graduate 

training sources (such as loans and 

assistance under the Veterans’

Adjustment Benefit Act or Pell Grants) 

for which they are eligible. 

Graduate and post-doctoral students 

cannot concurrently hold other 

Federally-sponsored stipends or 

fellowship or any other Federal award 

that duplicates the NARCH support. 

Faculty/Researcher Development 

Costs: 

Faculty/Researcher Development 

Costs: Costs to support faculty/ 

researcher development activities, such 

as workshops or courses, national 

meetings, or short-term research 

experiences in the laboratory of an 

active NIH-extramurally-funded 

researcher needed for acquiring specific 

skills or methodologies needed for 

prospective research, are allowable. 

Such costs might include tuition, travel 

and per diem costs, as well as salary 

support appropriate to the percent effort 

needed for the activity. 

Research Project Costs: Direct costs 

associated with research and pilot 

research projects are allowable when 

adequate justification is provided. These 

include faculty/researcher salaries, 

reimbursed according to percent effort. 

Summer salary support can be paid 

provided the institution’s academic 

schedule permits such release and when 

the institution approves. The maximum 

summer-salary support provided by the 

program cannot exceed the equivalent of 

three months at 100 percent effort, or 

time specified by the institution as its 

policy. Grant funds may not be used to 

increase or supplement faculty/ 

researcher academic year salaries. 

Salary support for technical assistance 

and costs for consultants, if justified, are 

allowable. Costs for equipment to be 

used to carry out the proposed research 

are allowable. 

Cost for Supplies: Costs for supplies, 

including costs for animals necessary to 

carry out the proposed research, may be 

included. Travel costs for the 

investigator(s) are permitted when 

direct benefits to the program are 

expected, and when adequate 

justification is provided. Alterations and 

renovations costs (up to $40,000) are 

allowable only when essential for 

conduct of the proposed research. Other 

permitted costs include animal 

maintenance (unit care costs and 

number of care days), donor fees, 

publication costs, computer charges, 

rentals and leases, equipment 

maintenance, and service contracts. 

Consortium and Contract 

Arrangements: Consortium 

arrangements that may involve 

personnel costs, supplies, and other 

allowable costs, including F&A costs; 


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contractual costs for support services, 

such as the laboratory testing of 

biological materials, clinical services, 

data processing, or core administrative 

services, are allowable expenses. 

Consortia and contractual costs with 

Native health organizations, Tribes and/ 

or research institutions in Canada or 

Mexico are allowable expenses. 

Pilot Research Projects: The intent of 

pilot research projects is to lead to 

regular research projects funded as part 

of the center grant or as freestanding 

grants. For pilot research projects, 

applications may request support for up 

to $50,000 (direct costs) per year for up 

to four years. This pilot research 

support is non-renewable. However, 

NARCH research projects based on prior 

NARCH pilot research projects are 

encouraged. 

Subcontracts: The grant recipient may 

issue subcontracts to other organizations 

(such as the research-intensive 

institution of the partnership), as long as 

a minimum of 30 percent of the grant 

funds are budgeted in the application to 

remain with the eligible AI/AN 

organization(s); that is, no more than 70 

percent of the application’s total budget 

may be contained in subcontract 

budgets of the non-eligible 

subcontracting partner institutions or 

organizations. 

F. Unallowable Costs: Unallowable 

costs for research projects (including for 

pilot projects) include costs for student 

development, textbooks, journals, 

memberships, and Internet subscription 

costs, as well as other costs prohibited 

by OMB Circulars A–87 or A–122 as 

applicable. Employees of the applicant 

organization may not serve as paid 

consultants but may be paid. The pilot 

research project is intended for faculty/ 

researcher without current Federal 

research support. Therefore, 

investigators with significant current. 

support from other mechanisms such as 

the RO1 and research funding from 

other extramural sources are not 

eligible, and the costs therefore are not 

allowable. Release time for preparing 

proposals or mini-research projects, not 

submitted as pilot projects, is not 

allowed. 

G. Research Subjects Protection: 

Under governing policy, Federal funds 

administered by the HHS shall not be 

expended for research involving live 

vertebrate animals without prior 

approval by the NIH Office of 

Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), of 

an assurance to comply with the Public 

Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane 

Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. 

This restriction applies to all 

performance sites (e.g., collaborating 

institutions, subcontractors, 

subgrantees) without OLAW-approved 

assurances, whether domestic or 

foreign. Funds included in this award 

may not be used to support studies 

using live vertebrate animals until 

approval from the Institutional Animal 

Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has 

been received by the IHS Grants 

Management Officer (GMO). 

Federal Regulations (45 CFR, Pt. 46) 

require that applications and proposals 

involving human subjects must be 

evaluated with reference to the risks to 

the subjects, the adequacy of protection 

against these risks, the potential benefits 

of the research to the subjects and 

others, and the importance of the 

knowledge gained or to be gained. 

Under governing regulations 45 CFR 

Part 46, found at http://www.hhs.gov/ 

ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/ 

45cfr46.htm. Federal funds 

administered by HHS shall not be 

expended for research involving human 

subjects, and individuals shall not be 

enrolled in such research, without prior 

approval by the Office for Human 

Research Protections (OHRP), of an 

appropriate Federal Wide Assurance 

(FWA) and prior approval by an 

Institutional Review Board (IRB) 

recognized and listed by the OHRP. 

Funds included in this award may not 

be used to support studies using human 

subjects until evidence of IRB approval 

has been received by the IHS GMO. 

Applicants are expected to provide their 

own institutional FWA. 

H. Research Integrity—Grantees shall 

comply with Public Health Service 

Policies on Research Misconduct (42 

CFR Part 93) which require grantees to 

have procedures for responding to 

allegations of research misconduct that 

comply with those policies, to submit 

their procedures to the Office of 

Research Integrity (ORI) (http:// 

ori.hhs.gov) upon request for review, 

and revise their procedures in 

accordance with ORI comments. In 

addition, grantees shall file the Annual 

Report on Possible Research Misconduct 

with ORI at http://www.ori.dhhs.gov/ 

assurance/electronic_submission.shtml. 

Grantees shall file documentation of 

their Annual Reports with the IHS 

GMO. 

1. Healthy People 2010: The Public 

Health Service (PHS) is committed to 

achieving the health promotion and 

disease prevention objectives of Healthy 

People 2010, a PHS led national activity 

for setting priority areas. This RFA 

announcement is related to one or more 

of the priority areas. Potential 

applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy 

People 2010 at: http:// 

www.healthypeople.gov. 

3. Indirect Costs: This section applies 

to all grant recipients that request 

reimbursement of indirect costs in their 

grant application, but not to the indirect 

costs that may be negotiated by the 

grantees with their subcontractors 

(which become direct costs to the 

grantee). In accordance with HHS 

Grants Policy Statement, Part II–27, IHS 

requires applicants to have a current 

indirect cost rate agreement in place 

prior to award. The rate agreement must 

be prepared in accordance with the 

applicable cost principles and guidance 

as provided by the cognizant agency or 

office. A current rate means the rate 

covering the applicable activities and 

the award budget period. If the current 

rate is not on file with the DGO at the 

time of award, the indirect cost portion 

of the budget will be restricted and not 

available to the recipient until the 

current rate is provided to DGO. 

Generally, indirect costs rates for IHS 

grantees are negotiated with the 

Division of Cost Allocation (DCA) 

http://rates.psc.gov/ and the Department 

of Interior (National Business Center) 

http://www.nbc.gov/acquisition/ics/ 

icshome.html. If your organization has 

questions regarding the indirect cost 

policy, please contact the DGO at (301) 

443–5204. 

4. Reporting 

A. Progress Report. Program progress 

reports are required semi annually. 

These reports will include a brief 

comparison of actual accomplishments 

to the goals established for the period, 

or, if applicable, provide sound 

justification for the lack of progress, and 

other pertinent information as required. 

A final progress report, cumulative from 

the beginning of the project period, 

must be submitted within 90 days of 

expiration of each budget period. 

B. Financial Status Report. Quarterly 

financial status reports must be 

submitted within 30 days of the end of 

each quarter. Final financial status 

reports are due within 90 days of 

expiration of the budget/project period. 

Standard Form 269 (long form) will be 

used for financial reporting. 

C. Reports. Grantees are responsible 

and accountable for accurate reporting 

of the Progress Reports and Financial 

Status Reports. Financial Status Reports 

(SF–269) are due 90 days after each 

budget period and the final SF–269 

must be verified from the grantee 

records on how the value was derived. 

Grantees must submit reports in a 

reasonable period of time. 

Failure to submit required reports 

within the time allowed may result in 

suspension or termination of an active 

grant, withholding of additional awards 

for the project, or other enforcement 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
4248 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 16 / Thursday, January 24, 2008 / Notices 

actions such as withholding of 

payments or converting to the 

reimbursement method of payment. 

Continued failure to submit required 

reports may result in one or both of the 

following: (1) The imposition of special 

award provisions; and (2) the nonfunding or non-award of other eligible 

projects or activities. This applies 

whether the delinquency is attributable 

to the failure of the grantee organization 

or the individual responsible for 

preparation of the reports. 

5. Telecommunication for the hearing 

impaired is available at: TTY (301) 443–

6394. 

Agency Contact(s) 

1. Questions on the initiative, 

regarding IHS NARCH issues and 

policies, may be directed to: Alan 

Trachtenberg, MD, MPH, Division of 

Planning, Evaluation and Research, 

Indian Health Service, 801 Thompson 

Avenue, TMP Suite 450, Rockville, MD 

20852, Telephone: (301) 443–4700, Fax: 

(301) 443–0114, e-mail: narch@ihs.gov. 

2. Questions on grants management 

and fiscal matters may be directed to: 

Sylvia Ryan, Division of Grants 

Operations, Indian Health Service, 

Reyes Building, 801 Thompson Avenue, 

TMP Suite 350, Rockville, MD 20852, 

Telephone: (301) 443–5204, Fax: (301) 

443–9602, e-mail: narch@ihs.gov. 

3. Questions on NIGMS issues and 

policies, may be directed to: Clifton A. 

Poodry, Ph.D., Minority Opportunities 

in Research Division, National Institute 

of General Medical Sciences, 45 Center 

Drive, Suite 2AS.37, MSC 6200, 

Bethesda, MD 20892, Telephone: (301) 

594–3900, Fax: (301) 480–2753, e-mail: 

poodryc@nigms.nih.gov. 

4. Questions on the review of 

applications may be directed to: 

Mushtaq A. Khan, D.V.M., Ph.D., Chief, 

Digestive and Respiratory Sciences 

IRGs, Center for Scientific Review, MSC 

7818, Room 2176; 6701 Rockledge 

Drive; Bethesda, MD 20892 (20817 for 

courier or express service) Telephone: 

(301) 435–1778; Fax: (301) 451–2043; email: khanm@csr,nih.gov. 

Other required documents 

If the applicant is a Federallyrecognized Tribe, Tribal organization, or 

a Tribal college letters of support from 

the Chairman, President, Governor or 

Tribal Health Director is required of all 

Tribes to be served to show their 

support of the grant project. Letters of 

support are intended to document that 

applicants have Tribal support for the 

specific grant for which they are 

applying. All letters of support must 

accompany the grant application. 

Other Information 

References for Background 

Information: 

Anderson, N.B. Levels of analysis in health 

science: A framework for integrating 

sociobehavioral and biomedical research. 

Annals of the New York Academy of 

Sciences, 1998, 840, 563–576. 

Ballantine, B., Ballantine, I. (Eds.), 

Thomas, D.H., Miller, J., White, R., Nabokov, 

P., Deloria, P.J. (Text by), Joseph, A.M. 

(Intro.) The Native Americans: An Illustrated 

History. Turner Publishing, Inc. Atlanta, GA, 

1993. 

Freeman, W.L. The role of community in 

research with stored tissue samples. Weir R 

(Ed.) Stored tissue samples: Ethical, legal, 

and public policy implications. University 

Iowa Press. Iowa City, lA, 1998, 267–301. 

Gazmararian, J.A., Baker, D.W., Williams, 

M.V., Parker, R.M., Scott, T.L., Green, D.C., 

Fehrenbach, S.N., Ren, J. & Koplan, J.P. 

Health literacy among Medicare enrollees in 

a managed care organization. Journal of the 

American Medical Association, 1999, 281, 

545–551. 

Haynes, M.A. & Smedley, B.D. (Eds.) The 

Unequal Burden of Cancer: An Assessment of 

NIH Programs for Ethnic Minorities and the 

Medically Underserved. Institute of 

Medicine. National Academy Press. 

Washington, DC, 1999. 

Macaulay, A.C., Commanda, L.E., Freeman, 

W.L., Gibson, N., McCabe, M.L., Robbins, 

C.M., & Twohig, P.L., (for the) North 

American Primary Care Research Group. 

Participatory research maximizes community 

and lay involvement. British Medical Journal, 

1999, 319, 774–778. 

Minority Economic Profiles. U.S. Bureau of 

the Census, Population Division. Issued July 

24, 1992. (Tables 1990 CPH–L–92, 93, 94 and 

95). 

NIH Publication 98–4247. Women of Color 

Health Data Book. Office of Research On 

Women’s Health, Office of the Director, 

National Institutes of Health, 1998. 

Trends in Indian Health 1998–99. Program 

Statistics Team, Office of Public Health, 

Indian Health Service, 2001. 

Regional Differences in Indian Health 

1998–99. Program Statistics Team, Office of 

Public Health, Indian Health Service, 2000. 

Weiss, B.D., Reed, R.L., & Kligman, E.W. 

Literary skills and communication methods 

of low-income older persons. Patient 

Education and Counseling, 1995, 25, 109–

119. 

Williams, D.R. & Collins, C. U.S. 

Socioeconomic and Racial Differences in 

Health: Patterns and Explanations. Annual 

Review of Sociology, 1995, 21, 349–386. 

Williams, M.V., Parker, R.M., Baker, D.W., 

Parikh, N.S., Pitkin, K., Coates, W.C., & 

Nurss, J.R. Inadequate functional health 

literacy among patients at two public 

hospitals. Journal of the American Medical 

Association, 1995, 274, 1677–1682. 

Dated: January 16, 2008. 

Robert G. McSwain, 

Acting Director, Indian Health Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–243 Filed 01–23–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4165–16–M 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Office of Inspector General 

Solicitation of Information and 

Recommendations for Revising the 

Compliance Program Guidance for 

Nursing Facilities 

AGENCY: Office of Inspector General 

(OIG), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This Federal Register notice 

seeks the input and recommendations of 

interested parties as OIG revises the 

compliance program guidance (CPG) for 

nursing facilities, especially those 

serving Medicare, Medicaid, and other 

Federal health care program 

beneficiaries. The nursing home 

industry has experienced a number of 

changes since OIG first published a CPG 

in this area (65 FR 14289; March 16, 

2000). Additionally, the subsequent 

years of enforcement and compliance 

activity in the nursing home industry 

has allowed OIG to address more fully 

the various risk areas in nursing home 

compliance. In evaluating the contents 

of the nursing facility CPG, OIG is 

soliciting comments, recommendations, 

and other suggestions from concerned 

parties and organizations on how best to 

revise the nursing facility CPG to 

address relevant compliance issues. 

Specifically, OIG seeks comments 

addressing any changes to existing risk 

areas and introducing any new risk 

areas. 

DATES: To assure consideration, 

comments must be delivered to the 

address provided below by no later than 

5 p.m. on February 25, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer 

to file code OIG–126–N. Because of staff 

and resource limitations, we cannot 

accept comments by facsimile (FAX) 

transmission. 

You may submit comments in one of 

three ways (no duplicates, please): 

1. Electronically. You may submit 

electronic comments on specific 

recommendations and suggestions 

through the Federal eRulemaking Portal 

at http://www.regulations.gov. 

(Attachments should be in Microsoft 

Word, if possible.) 

2. By regular, express, or overnight 

mail. You may send written comments 

to the following address: Office of 

Inspector General, Department of Health 

and Human Services, Attention: OIG–

126–N, Room 5246, Cohen Building, 

330 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20201. Please allow 

sufficient time for mailed comments to 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES