[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 88 (Monday, May 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20257-20260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11214]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
[Announcement Number 616]


Sexually Transmitted Diseases Faculty Expansion Program

Introduction

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
expected availability of fiscal year (FY) 1996 funds for a cooperative 
agreement program to provide resources to support faculty positions 
specializing in sexually transmitted diseases (STD) to schools of 
medicine in the United States. The Department of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and 
disease prevention objectives of ``Healthy People 2000,'' a national 
activity to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of 
life. This announcement is related to the priority area of STD and HIV 
Infection. (For ordering a copy of ``Healthy People 2000,'' see the 
section WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.)

Authority

    This program is authorized under section 318 of the Public Health 
Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 247c-1, as amended. Regulations governing Grants 
for STD Research Demonstrations and Public and Professional Education 
are codified in Part 51b, Subparts A and F of Title 42, Code of Federal 
Regulations.

Smoke-Free Workplace

    The CDC strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a 
smoke-free workplace and to promote the non-use of all tobacco 
products, and Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, 
prohibits smoking in certain facilities that receive Federal funds in 
which education, library, day care, health care, and early childhood 
development services are provided to children.

Eligible Applicants

    Competition for these funds is limited to clinical departments of 
schools of medicine in the United States where CDC is not currently 
funding STD Prevention/Training Centers or where the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) is not currently funding Sexually 
Transmitted Diseases Cooperative Research Centers or STD institutional 
training programs. The rationale for this limited competition is that 
those areas where STD Prevention/Training Centers and NIH STD 
Cooperative Research Centers or STD Institutional Training Programs are 
located already have expertise in STDs and have established training 
and collaborations similar to those described as goals of this 
announcement.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $650,000 is expected to be available in FY 1996 to 
fund approximately five awards for a 12-month budget period within a 5-
year project period. It is expected that the awards will begin on or 
about September 30, 1996. It is estimated that the average award 
(including direct and indirect cost) for the first year will be 
$130,000, ranging between $120,000 and $140,000. Continuation awards 
within the project period will depend on satisfactory progress and the 
availability of funds. It is anticipated that the awards for the second 
year will be level with those of the first year.
    In the third year, CDC will provide 50 percent of the original 
award, and the remainder, summing to at least the same level as the 
original award, will be provided as a guaranteed salary shared by the 
medical school and the collaborating health department. In the fourth 
and fifth years, CDC will contribute a maximum of 25 percent of the 
original award, with the remainder of the funds documented through a 
collaborating effort between the medical school and the health 
department (which cannot be reduced below the level of the original 
award). Computation of the salary should include cost-of-living and 
merit increases, if applicable. In-kind contributions, such as space 
and equipment may not be considered in the total program costs. Total 
program costs for the purposes of determining contributions consist of 
the five items listed under the USE OF FUNDS section.

Use of Funds

    Cooperative agreement funds may be used to support:
    <bullet> The salary and benefits of a faculty member,
    <bullet> Travel to three project-related meetings during budget 
period,
    <bullet> Supplies necessary for professional training activities,
    <bullet> Not more than $15,000 annually to support relevant 
research by faculty member,
    <bullet> Indirect cost.
    Funds may not be used to lease space; to provide diagnostic and 
treatment facilities or services; or to pay other expenses normally 
supported by the applicant or the collaborating health department. 
Funds may not be used for renovation of facilities. Federal funds may 
not be used to replace training support. The purpose of this 
cooperative agreement is to enable the school of medicine to provide 
STD training and education by establishing a faculty position in 
sexually transmitted diseases in a clinical department and not to 
supplant existing sources of funding for a current faculty member.
    Any materials developed in whole or in part with CDC funds shall be 
subject to a nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license to the 
government to reproduce, translate, publish, or otherwise use and 
authorize others to use for government purposes.

Purpose

    The general purpose of this cooperative agreement is:
    1. To enable the awardee institutions to provide training and 
education in STDs by developing a faculty position dedicated to the 
area of sexually transmitted diseases in schools of medicine where such 
clinical and research expertise does not currently exist.
    2. To support the development of linkages between health 
departments and medical schools in the area of STD prevention through 
jointly appointed staff who strengthen the scientific basis of 
programmatic activities by undertaking research, clinical care, and 
teaching responsibilities.
    Specifically, the recipient supported under the STD Faculty 
Expansion Program will be expected to establish a faculty member to 
provide to medical students, house staff, and fellows:
    1. Preclinical, didactic instruction in the pathogenesis, natural 
history, epidemiology, and management of STDs sufficient to produce a 
sound educational basis for subsequent clinical instruction, and
    2. Clinical instruction in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment 
of STDs.
    The recipient will establish a faculty member who will also be 
expected to:
    1. Care for STD patients at one or more clinics supported by the 
State or local health department, and
    2. Develop STD research programs, preferably in collaboration with 
local or state health departments.

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Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under A. 
(Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for the activities 
listed under B. (CDC Activities), as listed below:

A. Recipient Activities

    1. Establish a full-time faculty position in STDs in a clinical 
department (e.g., internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and 
gynecology, preventive or community medicine, or family practice) with 
the authority and responsibility to carry out the requirements of this 
program.
    2. Maintain an agreement with a State or local health department 
and the medical school for a jointly appointed position that would 
include the potential for use of the health department's clinical 
facilities by the faculty member for clinical teaching and research in 
STDs. The faculty member will be either a permanent, part-time employee 
or a contractor of the health department.
    3. Based on the experiences of other successful medical school 
programs, participating schools are required to modify the medical 
school curriculum to include a minimum of 4 hours of lectures on 
clinical and epidemiologic aspects of STDs during the 2nd year and a 
minimum of 20 hours of lectures and clinical instruction to be required 
of all medical students in the 3rd or 4th year. A minimum of 25 hours 
of lectures and clinical instruction must be provided for all residents 
in primary care specialties. Clinical instruction of medical students 
and residents will take place at the health department facility 
described in section 2, above.
    4. Provide opportunities for the faculty member for research 
through the medical school, the health department, or both. Clinical or 
prevention-oriented research should be particularly encouraged. The 
research involvement of the faculty member requires the approval of 
CDC.
    5. Structure the faculty position to maximize the likelihood of 
long-term financial support after the termination of CDC support.
    6. Arrange for semiannual meetings with the CDC project officer 
during the first two years and annual meetings during the last three 
years of the project period to review progress, observe training, and 
review evaluation.
    7. Develop and carry out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the 
STD Faculty Expansion Program through analysis and interpretation of 
data on medical student and resident performance and on the overall 
impact on State and local STD prevention goals, and report this data in 
appropriate format to CDC.

B. CDC Activities

    1. Be available to provide technical assistance to facilitate the 
planning and implementation of curriculum changes, the linkages with 
local or State health departments, and the clinical or prevention-
oriented research program.
    2. Be available to provide assistance in the design of an 
evaluation of the effectiveness of the STD Faculty Expansion Program 
through analysis and interpretation of data on medical student and 
resident performance and the overall impact on state and local STD 
prevention goals.
    3. Arrange an annual meeting of CDC-supported faculty members to 
review accomplishments, discuss any problems and propose modifications.

Evaluation Criteria

    The applications will be evaluated according to the following 
criteria:
    1. The need for faculty expertise in STDs in the school and 
geographic area: The strength of the documentation of the need for a 
faculty member with clinical and research expertise in STDs expertise 
and the STD prevalence or incidence in the area where the medical 
school is located. (20 points)
    2. The strength of the agreement with the health department: The 
quality of the documentation of a commitment from the State or local 
health department to provide clinical facilities, part-time employment 
and financial support for the faculty member in clinic facilities that 
routinely examine and treat a sufficient number of STD clients to 
provide adequate training for medical students and members of the house 
staff. The degree to which the applicant demonstrates innovative 
approaches to the medical school/health department collaboration that 
will contribute to locally relevant STD prevention research and 
programmatic activities. (20 points)
    3. The quality of the assurances to continue support: The extent to 
which the department submitting the application demonstrates a 
commitment to assuring research opportunities and financial support for 
the faculty member during the grant period. (15 points)
    4. The commitment to curriculum changes: The extent to which the 
applicant documents commitments from the school of medicine to 
implement the curriculum changes described under program requirements. 
Consideration will be given to those schools which demonstrate the 
largest commitment of additional hours for high quality instruction to 
the largest percentage of students and residents over the life of the 
project. Consideration will also be given to institutions that propose 
to collaborate on similar training with other medical schools or 
residency training programs in their geographic area. (15 points)
    5. Qualifications for faculty member: The quality of the 
documentation of proposed qualifications for the faculty member, 
including infectious disease training, significant clinical experience 
with STDs, evidence of STD research productivity, and training in 
public health and/or epidemiology. A description of the selection or 
search process, including a proposed timeframe. (15 points)
    6. Evaluation plan: The quality of the plan for evaluation of the 
effectiveness (cost) and usefulness of the training in terms of 
improved services, prevention research, or achievement of prevention 
goals. (10 points)
    7. Strong commitment and assurances that the faculty position and 
the training will be continued after CDC support is diminished and 
terminated. (5 points)
    8. Budget: The budget will be evaluated for the extent to which it 
is reasonable, clearly justified, and consistent with the intended use 
of the funds. The level of support will depend on the availability of 
funds. (not scored)

Executive Order 12372 Review

    Applications are subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs as governed by Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. E.O. 12372 sets 
up a system for State and local government review of proposed Federal 
assistance applications. Applicants should contact their State Single 
Point of Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert them to the 
prospective applications, and receive any necessary instructions on the 
State process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, the 
applicant is advised to contact the SPOC for each affected State. A 
current list of SPOCs is included in the application kit. If SPOCs have 
any State process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, 
they should send them to Van Malone, Grants Management Officer, Grants 
Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., Room 300, 
Mailstop E-14, Atlanta, GA 30305, not later than 60 days after due date 
for receipt of applications. The Program Announcement Number and 
Program Title should be referenced on the

[[Page 20259]]

document. CDC does not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' State 
process recommendations it receives after that date.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

    This program is subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements. Under these requirements, all community-based 
nongovernmental applicants must prepare and submit the items identified 
below to the head of the appropriate State and/or local health 
agency(s) in the program area(s) that may be impacted by the proposed 
project no later than the receipt date of the Federal application. The 
appropriate State and/or local health agency is determined by the 
applicant. The following must be provided:
    A. A copy of the face page of the application (SF424).
    B. A summary of the project that should be titled ``Public Health 
System Impact Statement'' (PHSIS), not to exceed one page, and include 
the following:
    1. A description of the population to be served;
    2. A summary of the services to be provided; and
    3. A description of the coordination plans with the appropriate 
State and/or local health agencies.
    If the State and/or local health official should desire a copy of 
the entire application, it may be obtained from the State Single Point 
of Contact (SPOC) or directly from the applicant.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers are 93.978, 
Sexually Transmitted Disease Research, Demonstrations, and Public 
Information and Education Grants, and 93.941, HIV Demonstration, 
Research, Public and Professional Education Projects.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Projects that involve the collection of information from 10 or more 
individuals and funded by the cooperative agreement will be subject to 
review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act.

Confidentiality

    Applicants must have in place systems to ensure the confidentiality 
of patient records.

Human Subjects

    If the proposed project involves research on human subjects, the 
applicant must comply with the Department of Health and Human Services 
Regulations, 45 CFR Part 46, regarding the protection of human 
subjects. Assurance must be provided to demonstrate that the project 
will be subject to initial and continuing review by an appropriate 
institutional review committee. The applicant will be responsible for 
providing assurance in accordance with the appropriate guidelines and 
form provided in the application kit.

Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities

    It is the policy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 
to ensure that individuals of both sexes and the various racial and 
ethnic groups will be included in CDC/ATSDR-supported research projects 
involving human subjects, whenever feasible and appropriate. Racial and 
ethnic groups are those defined in OMB Directive No. 15 and include 
American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black and 
Hispanic. Applicants shall ensure that women, racial and ethnic 
minority populations are appropriately represented in applications for 
research involving human subjects. Where clear and compelling rationale 
exist that inclusion is inappropriate or not feasible, this situation 
must be explained as part of the application. This policy does not 
apply to research studies when the investigator cannot control the 
race, ethnicity and/or sex of the subjects. Further guidance to this 
policy is contained in the Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 179, pages 
47947-47951, and dated Friday, September 15, 1995.

HIV/AIDS Requirements

    Recipients must comply with the document entitled, Content of AIDS-
Related Written Materials, Pictorials, Audiovisuals, Questionnaires, 
Survey Instruments, and Educational Sessions (June 1992) (a copy is in 
the application kit). To meet the requirements for a program review 
panel, recipients are encouraged to use an existing program review 
panel, such as the one created by the State health department's HIV/
AIDS Prevention Program. If the recipient forms its own program review 
panel, at least one member must also be an employee (or a designated 
representative) of a State or local health department. The names of the 
review panel members must be listed on the Assurance of Compliance form 
CDC 0.1113, which is also included in the application kit. The 
recipient must submit the program review panel's report that indicates 
all materials have been reviewed and approved.
    Before funds can be used to develop HIV/AIDS-related materials, 
determine whether suitable materials are already available at the CDC 
National AIDS Clearinghouse.

Application Submission and Deadline

    Applications lacking required documentation as requested in the 
Application Content section of the Program Announcement will be 
considered incomplete and returned without review. The original and two 
copies of the application PHS Form 5161-1 (OMB Number 0937-0189) and 
one electronic copy on disk must be submitted to Van Malone, Grants 
Management Officer, Attention: Kimberly Boyd, Grants Management 
Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, 
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry 
Road, NE., Room 300, Mailstop E-15, Atlanta, GA 30305, on or before 
July 1, 1996.
    1. Deadline: Applications shall be considered as meeting the 
deadline if they are:
    A. Received on or before the deadline or
    B. Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
submission to the independent review committee. (Applicants must 
request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a 
legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. 
Privately metered postmarks will not be acceptable proof of timely 
mailing.)
    2. Late Applications: Applications that do not meet the criteria in 
1.A. or 1.B. are considered late applications and will not be 
considered in the current competition and will be returned to the 
applicant.

Where to Obtain Additional Information

    A complete program description, information on application 
procedures, an application package, and business management technical 
assistance may be obtained from Kimberly Boyd, Grants Management 
Specialist, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry 
Road, NE., Room 300, Mailstop E-15, Atlanta, GA 30305, telephone (404) 
842-6592, facsimile (404) 842-6513, or via Internet 
<KPT0@OPSPGO1.em.cdc.gov>. Programmatic technical assistance may be 
obtained from H. Trent MacKay, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Epidemiologist, 
Training and Health Communications

[[Page 20260]]

Branch, Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and 
TB Prevention (NCHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC), 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E-02, Atlanta, GA 30333, 
telephone (404) 639-8370, facsimile (404) 639-8609, or via Internet 
<TXM3@CPSSTD1.em.cdc.gov>.
    Please refer to Announcement 616 ``STD Faculty Expansion Program'' 
when requesting information or submitting an application.
    Potential applicants may obtain a copy of ``Healthy People 2000'' 
(Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or ``Healthy People 2000'' 
(Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) referenced in the 
INTRODUCTION through the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone (202) 512-1800.

    Dated: April 30, 1996.
Joseph R. Carter,
Acting Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-11214 Filed 5-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P