eh12-1201 foa final 12.16.11.doc

Table of Contents Part 1. Overview Information Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement Section I. Funding Opportunity Description Section II. Award Information Section III. Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Information Section V. Application Review Information Section VI. Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII. Other Information

PART 1. OVERVIEW INFORMATION

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

Federal Agency Name: Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Funding Opportunity Title: Public Health Conference Support Program Announcement Type: New – Type 1 Agency Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-EH12-1201 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH): 93.070; The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): 93.161

Key Dates:

Letter of Intent Deadline Date January 18, 2012 Application Deadline Date February 2, 2012, 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time

PART 2. FULL TEXT

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Statutory Authority

This program is authorized under Section 317(k)(2) of the Public Health Service Act, [42 U.S.C. Section 247b(k)(2)], as amended; Section 104(i)(14) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), [42 U.S.C. Section 9604(i)(14)].

Purpose

The CDC/ATSDR announces the pending availability of appropriated fiscal year (FY) 2012 funds for the CDC/ATSDR Public Health Conference Support Program. This program addresses the "Healthy People 2020" focus areas of Environmental Health.

This announcement is only for conferences planned to occur within the date range of May 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013. Beyond the April 30, 2013 date, requires a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

Applicants can only submit an application for a single conference for a one-year project period.

Each application can only be submitted for one topic area selected from those listed in Attachment I, i.e., a single application cannot be submitted for several topic areas, nor can an application be submitted for funding in a current year, whether for one year or a series, if an application for a series containing the same information was awarded in a prior year and the award project period has not yet completed.

Because conference support by CDC/ATSDR creates the appearance of CDC co-sponsorship, where there will be active participation by CDC/ATSDR in the development and approval of the conference agenda to ensure there are no subjects that would be contradictory to the goals of the Federal Government or be an improper use of funds, including portions that are not funded by CDC/ATSDR. CDC/ATSDR funds will be expended only for approved portions of the conference. Co-sponsorship agreements, developed in accordance with current HHS guidance, will be executed between CDC/ATSDR, grantees, and if necessary, between other grantee conference partners, when CDC/ATSDR funds will be expended for approved conference portions.

The mission of CDC is to protect people’s health, through health promotion, prevention of injury, disability, and disease, and emergency preparedness.

CDC is meeting its overall goal of dissemination and implementation of new cost-effective intervention strategies through conference support funding. The purpose of conference support funding is to provide partial support for specific non-Federal conferences in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention, education programs, and applied research.

The NCEH/ATSDR vision is “Safer, healthier people in a safer, healthier environment”. The NCEH/ATSDR mission is to serve the public through responsive public health actions to promote healthy and safe environments and prevent harmful exposures. NCEH/ATSDR believes that conferences and similar meetings are critical for the development and implementation of effective programs to promote healthy environments and prevent adverse health effects from hazardous substances.

Conferences supported under this program announcement must be specific to one of the topic areas listed in Attachment I, and measurable outcomes of the conferences must be in alignment with one or more of the following performance goals and/or performance measures:

1. Protect the public from environmental hazards and toxic exposures

Investigate and prevent health effects related to human exposures to environmental hazards.

Prepare for and respond to emergencies, man-made disasters, and natural disasters.

Investigate and respond to acute hazards and exposures.

Promote prevention, control and elimination of long-term hazardous exposures.

2. Promote healthy environments

Promote safe and healthy environments in homes, schools, communities, and transportation means, through best practices, technical assistance, education, partnerships, and other approaches.

Promote safe air, water, food, waste management, and energy production to improve human health.

3. Advance the science of environmental public health

Collect, analyze, and summarize data on environmental exposures and health.

Develop analytical methods that identify, monitor and address environmental public health threats.

Conduct research to identify associations between environmental exposures and health risks.

Undertake translational research to study the effectiveness of interventions to minimize hazardous exposures and promote healthy environments.

4. Support environmental public health practice

Develop, implement, and evaluate environmental public health programs.

Expand collaborations to build environmental public health capacity nationwide.

Provide technical assistance to state and local health departments, communities and other partners.

Strengthen the environmental public health workforce through training and other capacity building efforts.

5. Educate communities, partners, and policy makers about environmental health risks and protective measures

Develop proactive communication and education products to reach a variety of audiences.

Respond to inquiries on environmental health topics from the public, partners, the media, and policy makers.

Promote behaviors and practices that enhance healthy environments and reduce environmental health risks.

6. Promote environmental justice and reduce health disparities associated with environmental exposures.

Identify populations that are particularly vulnerable to environmental exposures.

Ensure that environmental public health programs address environmental justice principles.

Build partnerships with organizations focused on reduction of health disparities.

7. Provide unique scientific and technical expertise to advance public health science and practice.

Conduct collaborative laboratory research that yields critical population-level data, contributes to greater understanding of adverse health outcomes, and provides information to evaluate public health interventions.

Assure quality laboratory analyses for priority public health programs.

This announcement is only for non-research activities supported by CDC, NCEH, and ATSDR. If research is proposed, the application will not be reviewed. For the definition of research, please see the CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/policies/misconduct.htm#CONDUCTINQUIRY Program Implementation

Recipient Activities:

· Manage all activities related to program content (e.g., objectives, topics, attendees, session design, workshops, special exhibits, speaker’s fees, agenda composition, and printing). Many of these items may be developed in concert with assigned CDC project personnel.

· Provide draft copies of the agenda and proposed secondary activities to CDC/ATSDR for approval. Because conference support by CDC/ATSDR creates the appearance of CDC/ATSDR co-sponsorship, there will be active participation by CDC/ATSDR in the development and approval of those portions of the agenda supported by CDC funds. CDC/ATSDR funds will not be expended for non-approved portions of meetings. In addition, CDC/ATSDR will reserve the right to approve or reject the content of the full agenda, press events, promotional materials (including press releases), speaker selection, and site selection, Including for those portions of the event not financially supported by CDC/ATSDR. CDC/ATSDR reserves the right to terminate co-sponsorship if it does not concur with the final agenda.

· Determine and manage all promotional activities (e.g., title, logo, announcements, mailers, press, etc.). CDC must review and approve any materials with reference to CDC/ATSDR involvement or support, or that use the CDC/ATSDR or HHS logos.

· Manage all registration processes with participants, invitees, and registrants (e.g., travel, reservations, correspondence, conference materials and handouts, badges, registration procedures, etc.).

· Plan, negotiate, and manage conference site arrangements, including all audio-visual needs.

· Develop an assessment plan that will determine the benefits of conference attendance by participants. This should include, but not be limited to, what test instruments/questionnaires will be constructed so as to determine whether participants benefited from attending the conference, enhanced their knowledge of the subject matter of the conference, that conference subject matter reinforced information they had been exposed to previously, whether they would use information from the conference in conducting the day to day activities in their workplace, whether they would mentor co-workers with the information they obtained at the conference to more effectively accomplish the public health objectives of their respective organizational programs, or whether they would mentor co-workers with conference information to address public health issues that may be part of the co-worker daily activities. The assessment plan should be provided to CDC/ATSDR along with the application and required evaluation plan as described in section V. Application Review Information.

Administer the assessment plan to participants during their attendance at the conference, evaluate the information, and include evaluated information as part of the reporting requirements described in section VI. Award Administration Information.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

Type of Award: Grant Award Mechanism: H13

Fiscal Year Funds: FY2012 Approximate Current Fiscal Year Funding: $5,000 - $200,000 dollars per award (This amount is an estimate, and is subject to availability of funds.) (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period only.) Funding source may be CDC or ATSDR or both.

Approximate Total Project Period Funding: $5,000-$200,000 dollars per award (This amount is an estimate, and is subject to availability of funds.) (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes direct.)

Approximate Number of Awards: 1 to 8 per year Approximate Average Award: It is expected that the average award range for a one-year project period will be $5,000 to $200,000 for CDC and ATSDR. (This amount is an estimate, and is subject to availability of funds.) (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes direct.)

Floor of Individual Award Range: None.

Ceiling of Individual Award Range: $200,000 (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes total cost.)

Anticipated Award Date: Approximately 30 - 60 days before the date of the conference.

Budget Period Length: 12-month budget period.

Project Period Length: CDC Conference Support awards will be a one-year project period. Throughout the project period, CDC’s commitment to continuation of awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports), and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants that can apply for this funding opportunity are listed below:

· Nonprofit with 501C3 IRS status (other than institutions of higher education)

· Nonprofit without 501C3 IRS status (other than institutions of higher education) Small, minority, and women-owned businesses

· Universities

· Colleges

· Research institutions

· Hospitals

· Community-based organizations

· Faith-based organizations

· Federally recognized or state-recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribal governments

· American Indian/Alaska native tribally designated organizations

· Alaska Native health corporations

· Urban Indian health organizations

· Tribal epidemiology centers

· State and local governments or their Bona Fide Agents (this includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau)

· Political subdivisions of States (in consultation with States) A Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by the state as eligible to submit an application under the state eligibility in lieu of a state application. If applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government, a legal, binding agreement from the state or local government as documentation of the status is required. Attach with “Other Attachment Forms” when submitting via www.grants.gov.

Required Registrations

Registering your organization through www.Grants.gov, the official agency-wide E-grant website, is the first step in submitting an application online. Registration information is located on the “Get Registered” screen of www.Grants.gov. Please visit www.Grants.gov at least 30 days prior to submitting your application to familiarize yourself with the registration and submission processes. The “one-time” registration process will take three to five days to complete. However, the Grants.gov registration process also requires that you register your organization with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and DUN and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) which will require up to at least four weeks to complete registration in its entirety. The CCR registration can require an additional two weeks to complete. You are required to maintain a current registration in CCR. CCR registration must be renewed annually.

Central Contractor Registration and Universal Identifier Requirements

All applicant organizations must obtain a DUN and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the Universal Identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. The DUNS number is a nine-digit number assigned by Dun and Bradstreet Information Services. An Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) should be consulted to determine the appropriate number. If the organization does not have a DUNS number, an AOR should complete the US D&B D-U-N-S Number Request Form or contact Dun and Bradstreet by telephone directly at 1-866-705-5711 (toll-free) to obtain one. A DUNS number will be provided immediately by telephone at no charge. Note this is an organizational number. Individual Program Directors/Principal Investigators do not need to register for a DUNS number.

Additionally, all applicant organizations must register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and maintain the registration with current information at all times during which it has an application under consideration for funding by CDC and, if an award is made, until a final financial report is submitted or the final payment is received, whichever is later. CCR is the primary registrant database for the Federal government and is the repository into which an entity must provide information required for the conduct of business as a recipient. Additional information about registration procedures may be found at the CCR internet site at www.ccr.gov.

If an award is granted, the grantee organization must notify potential sub-recipients that no organization may receive a sub-award under the grant unless the organization has provided its DUNS number to the grantee organization.

Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing or Matching funds are not required for this program.

Other At least 1% of the funds must come from non Federal sources. This amount can include donated facilities and donated time by the applicant. However, it is preferred that an applicant show its ability to build partnerships with other organizations that can donate funds to the conference. Applicants should be able to demonstrate the ability to track and account for external funding sources, separate from those funds received from CDC/ATSDR.

If a funding amount greater than the ceiling of the award range is requested, the application will be considered non-responsive and will not be entered into the review process. The applicant will be notified that the application did not meet the eligibility requirements.

Special Requirements:

If the application is incomplete or non-responsive to the special requirements listed in this section, it will not be entered into the review process. The applicant will be notified the application did not meet submission requirements.

· The applicant must propose a conference that matches only one topic area identified in the "Topic Areas of Programmatic Interest" as listed in Attachment I of this program announcement, i.e., a single application cannot be submitted under several topic areas, nor can an application be submitted for funding in a current year, whether for one year or a series, if an application for a series containing the same information was awarded in a prior year and the award project period has not yet completed. Each application must address one specific topic area for the first 12-month budget. A separate application must be submitted to address different topic areas of focus. Applications that do not comply with this requirement will be determined to be non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

· Both the topic area number and the title of the topic area must be listed on the application for the application to be considered. Otherwise, the application will be determined to be non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Provide this information on the application cover sheet and in Block 15, “Description Title” of the SF-424. [ 100.9 Environmental Public Health Surveillance and Tracking]

· A Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is required in order to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the Federal government. See section “III. Eligibility Information, Required Registrations” for information on how to obtain this number.

· Late applications will be considered non-responsive. See section "IV. Application and Submission Information, Submission Dates and Times" for more information on deadlines.

· Conference organizers may use CDC/ATSDR's name only in accurate, factual public relations for the conference; meaning information that is true, factual, and non-commercial in nature. CDC/ATSDR involvement in the conference does not necessarily indicate support for endorsement of, the organizer’s general policies, activities, products, or the content of speakers’ presentations.

· All conferences co-sponsored under this announcement shall be held in facilities that are fully accessible to the public as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).

Note: Title 2 of the United States Code Section 1611 states that an organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive Federal funds constituting a grant, loan, or an award.

IV. Application and Submission Information Submission Dates and Times This announcement is the definitive guide on LOI and application content, submission, and deadline. It supersedes information provided in the application instructions. If the application submission does not meet the deadline published herein, it will not be eligible for review and the applicant will be notified the application did not meet the submission requirements.

Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline Date:

January 18, 2012 Application Deadline Date:

February 2, 2012, 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time The applicant must meet the posted deadline dates in the program announcement to be eligible for funding in FY 2012.

Applicants must download the SF424 application package associated with this funding opportunity from Grants.gov. If access to the Internet is not available or if the applicant encounters difficulty in accessing the forms on-line, contact the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grant Office Technical Information Management Section (PGO TIMS) staff at (770) 488-2700 email:pgotim@cdc.gov Monday-Friday 7:00am – 4:30pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time for further instruction. CDC Telecommunications for the hearing impaired or disabled is available at: TTY 1-888-232-6348.

If the applicant encounters technical difficulties with Grants.gov, the applicant should contact Grants.gov Customer Service. The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the exception of all Federal Holidays. The Contact Center provides customer service to the applicant community. The extended hours will provide applicants support around the clock, ensuring the best possible customer service is received any time it’s needed. You can reach the Grants.gov Support Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email at support@grants.gov. Submissions sent by e-mail, fax, CD’s or thumb drives of applications will not be accepted.

Content and Form of Application Submission

Unless specifically indicated, this announcement requires submission of the following information: A one-page cover sheet is required containing the same information as described below for the LOI, with the exception of intended audience and brief overview. Those two items shall be covered in detail as part of the Project Narrative. Submit the cover sheet as “Other Mandatory Documents” in PDF file format and name it “Cover Letter”. (The cover sheet will not be counted toward the narrative page limit.)

The application must contain the topic area number and the title of the topic area of programmatic interest to be considered (see Attachment I for the specific topic areas). If the application does not contain this information, it will be considered non-responsive and will not be entered into the review process. Provide this information on the application cover sheet and on the SF-424 in Block 15, under “Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project.”

All applicants are required to sign and submit CDC Assurances and Certifications that can be found on the CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/foamain.shtm Print, scan and upload as an additional attachment into the application package.

Letter of Intent (LOI):

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 CDC Program staff to estimate and plan the review of submitted applications.

It is recommended that applicants send an LOI if they intend to apply for this funding opportunity. If the optional LOI is submitted, it must be written in the following format:

· Maximum number of pages: Two typed pages

· Font size: 12-point unreduced, Times New Roman

· Double spaced

· Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches

· Page margin size: One inch

· Written in plain English language, avoid jargon

The optional LOI must contain the following information:

· Both the project topic area number and title of the topic area of programmatic interest (only one topic area per application)

· Name of the organization

· Primary contact person's name

· Mailing address

· Telephone number and, if available, fax and e-mail

· Title of the proposed conference-include the term "conference", "symposium", or similar designation

· Date(s) of conference-inclusive dates of the conference (A conference series would be a conference with the same topic title conducted annually more than one time over subsequent years.)

· Location of city, state, and physical facilities required for the conduct of the meeting

· Total conference cost and total requested from CDC (must be less than 100 percent)

· Intended audience, approximate number, and profession of persons expected to attend

· Brief overview of the proposed conference content

LOIs must be received not later than the date indicated in the Part I entitled “Overview Information”.

LOI Submission Address: Submit the LOI by Email only to OFASEXTRAMURAL@cdc.gov.

A Project Abstract must be completed in the Grants.gov application forms. The Project Abstract must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable for dissemination to the public. It should be a self-contained description of the project and should contain a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and insofar as possible understandable to a technically literate lay reader. This abstract must not include any proprietary/confidential information. (The Project Abstract will not be counted toward the narrative page limit.)

The abstract must be submitted in the following format:

· Maximum of one page

· Font size: 12-point unreduced, Times New Roman

· Single Spaced

· Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches

· Page margin size: One inch

A Project Narrative must be submitted with the application forms. The project narrative must be uploaded in a PDF file format when submitting via Grants.gov. The narrative must be submitted in the following format:

· Maximum number of pages: 10 pages for a one-year application. If your narrative exceeds the page limit, only the first pages which are within the page limit will be reviewed.

· Font size: 12 point unreduced, Times New Roman

· Single Spaced

· Page margin size: One inch

· Number all narrative pages; not to exceed the maximum number of pages.

· Written in plain English language, avoid jargon The narrative should address activities to be conducted over the entire project period and must include the following items in the order listed:

· A brief background of the organization - include the organizational history, purpose, and previous experience related to the proposed conference topic. Provide information on your last three conferences that address when and where each conference was held.

· A clear statement of the need for and purpose of the conference. This statement should also describe any problems the conference will address or seek to solve, and the action items or resolutions it may stimulate.

· An elaboration on the conference objectives and target audience. A list should be included of the principal areas or topics to be addressed.

· An agenda clearly marked proposed or final.

· A step-by-step timeline and detailed operation plan of major conference planning activities necessary to attain specified objectives.

· A clear description of the evaluation plan and how it will assess the accomplishments of the conference objectives - include in the appendices a sample of the evaluation instrument that will be used.

· Budget plan and justification - A detailed and clearly justified budget narrative that is consistent with the purpose, objectives, and operation plan of the conference for the fiscal year. Include the share requested from this grant as well as those funds from other sources, including organizations, institutions, conference income, and/or registration fees. (The budget plan, budget narrative, and budget forms will not be counted toward the narrative page limit. Do not sequentially number this section.)

· Guidance for completing a detailed, justified budget can be found on the CDC web site at http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/budgetguide.htm Additional information may be included in the application appendices. The appendices will not be counted toward the narrative page limit. This additional information includes:

· Biographical sketches for the individuals responsible for planning and implementing the conference. Experience and training related to conference planning and implementation as it relates to the proposed topic should be noted. (Limit biographical sketches to a maximum of four pages per individual.)

· Letters of endorsement or support for the sponsoring organization and its capability to perform the proposed conference activity.

· Sample of the conference Evaluation Instrument(s).

Additional information submitted via Grants.gov should be uploaded in a PDF file format, and should be named “Other Attachments”.

Submission of brochures, pamphlets, booklets, or videos as appendices should be avoided.

Executive summaries are not required for this program announcement.

No more than 10 attachments should be uploaded per application.

Additional requirements for additional documentation with the application are listed in Section V. Application Review Information; subsection entitled “Administrative and National Policy Requirements.”

Funding Restrictions

Restrictions, which must be taken into account while writing the budget, are as follows:

· Funds may be used for direct cost expenditures: Salaries; speaker fees (for services rendered); rental of necessary conference-related equipment; registration fees; and transportation costs (not to exceed economy class fare) for non-Federal individuals.

· Funds may not be used for travel cost or payment of a Federal employee. Travel for Federal employees will be supported by the employees’ Federal agency.

· Funds may not be used for the purchase of equipment; payments of honoraria (for conferring distinction); alterations or renovations; organizational dues; novelty items or souvenirs; entertainment or personal expenses; food or snack breaks; or per diem or expenses for local participants (other than local mileage).

· Funds may not be used for reimbursement of indirect costs.

· Funds may be used for only those parts of the conference specifically supported by CDC/ATSDR as documented in the grant award.

· CDC/ATSDR will not fund 100 percent of any conference proposed under this announcement. Part of the cost of the proposed conference must be supported with funds other than Federal funds. Applicants should be able to demonstrate the ability to track and account for external funding sources, separate from those funds received from CDC/ATSDR.

· CDC/ATSDR will not fund a conference after it has taken place.

· The applicant may contract with other organizations under this program; however, the applicant must perform a substantial portion of the activities, including program management and operations.

Additional Submission Requirements Electronic Submission Registering your organization through www.Grants.gov, the official agency-wide E-grant website, is the first step in submitting an application online. Registration information is located on the “Get Registered” screen of www.Grants.gov. Please visit www.Grants.gov at least 30 days prior to submitting your application to familiarize yourself with the registration and submission processes. The “one-time” registration process will take three to five days to complete. However, the Grants.gov registration process also requires that you register your organization with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) annually. The CCR registration can require an additional one to two days to complete.

Submit the application electronically by using the forms and instructions posted for this funding opportunity on www.Grants.gov. If access to the Internet is not available or if the applicant encounters difficulty in accessing the forms on-line, contact the HHS/CDC, Procurement and Grant Office, Technical Information Management Section (PGO TIMS) staff at (770) 488-2700 Email:pgotim@cdc.gov Monday-Friday 7:30am -4:30pm for further instruction.

Note: Application submission is not concluded until successful completion of the validation process. After submission of your application package, applicants will receive a “submission receipt” email generated by Grants.gov. Grants.gov will then generate a second e-mail message to applicants which will either validate or reject their submitted application package. This validation process may take as long as two (2) business days. Applicants are strongly encouraged check the status of their application to ensure submission of their application package is complete and no submission errors exists. To guarantee that you comply with the application deadline published in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, applicants are also strongly encouraged to allocate additional days prior to the published deadline to file their application. Non-validated applications will not be accepted after the published application deadline date.

In the event that you do not receive a “validation” email within two (2) business days of application submission, please contact Grants.gov. Refer to the email message generated at the time of application submission for instructions on how to track your application or the Application User Guide, Version 3.0 page 57.

Applications must be submitted electronically at www.Grants.gov. Electronic applications will be considered as having met the deadline if the application has been successfully made available to CDC for processing from Grants.gov on the deadline date. The application package can be downloaded from www.Grants.gov. Applicants can complete the application package off-line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov Web site. The applicant must submit all application attachments using a PDF file format when submitting via Grants.gov. Directions for creating PDF files can be found on the Grants.gov Web site. Use of file formats other than PDF may result in the file being unreadable by staff.

Applications submitted through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), are electronically time/date stamped and assigned a tracking number. The AOR will receive an e-mail notice of receipt when Grants.gov receives the application. The tracking number serves to document submission and initiate the electronic validation process before the application is made available to CDC for processing.

If the applicant encounters technical difficulties with Grants.gov, the applicant should contact Grants.gov Customer Service. The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the exception of all Federal Holidays. The Contact Center provides customer service to the applicant community. The extended hours will provide applicants support around the clock, ensuring the best possible customer service is received any time it’s needed. You can reach the Grants.gov Support Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email at support@grants.gov. Submissions sent by e-mail, fax, CD’s or thumb drives of applications will not be accepted.

Organizations that encounter technical difficulties in using www.Grants.gov to submit their application must attempt to overcome those difficulties by contacting the Grants.gov Support Center (1-800-518-4726, support@grants.gov). After consulting with the Grants.gov Support Center, if the technical difficulties remain unresolved and electronic submission is not possible to meet the established deadline, organizations may submit a request prior to the application deadline by email to GMO/GMS for permission to submit a paper application. An organization's request for permission must: (a) include the Grants.gov case number assigned to the inquiry, (b) describe the difficulties that prevent electronic submission and the efforts taken with the Grants.gov Support Center (c) be submitted to the GMO/GMS at least 3 calendar days prior to the application deadline. Paper applications submitted without prior approval will not be considered.

If a paper application is authorized, the applicant will receive instructions from PGO TIMS to submit the original and two hard copies of the application by mail or express delivery service.

Intergovernmental Review of Applications

The application is subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, as governed by Executive Order (EO) 12372. This order sets up a system for state and local governmental review of proposed federal assistance applications. Contact the state single point of contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert the SPOC to prospective applications and to receive instructions on the State’s process. Visit the following Web address to get the current SPOC list: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/.

V. Application Review Information Eligible applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified objectives of the EH12-1201, Public Health Conference Support Program. Measures of effectiveness must relate to the performance goals stated in the “Purpose” section of this announcement. Measures of effectiveness must be objective, quantitative and measure the intended outcome of the proposed program. The measures of effectiveness must be included in the application and will be an element of the evaluation and scoring of the submitted application.

Evaluation Criteria

Conferences must be specific to the Topic Area selected from Attachment I and measurable conference outcomes in alignment with one or more of the relevant performance goals or performance measures listed under Part II Full Text of the Announcement, Section I Funding Opportunity Description.

Applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified objectives of the grant. Measures of effectiveness must relate to the performance goals stated in the "Purpose" section of this announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative and must measure the intended outcome. These measures of effectiveness must be submitted with the application and will be an element of evaluation.

Eligible applicants will be evaluated against the following criteria:

· Proposed Program and Technical Approach (25 Points)

a. The public health significance of the proposed conference, including the degree to which the conference can be expected to influence the promotion of healthy environments or the prevention of exposures and adverse human health effects associated with exposure to toxic substances.

b. The applicant’s description of conference objectives in terms of quality, specificity, and the feasibility of the conference based on the operational plan.

· Conference Objectives (25 points)

a. The overall quality, reasonableness, feasibility, and logic of the designed conference objectives, including the overall work plan and timeline for accomplishment.

b. The likelihood of accomplishing conference objectives as they relate to disease prevention and health performance goals (see pages 4-5), and the feasibility of the project in terms of the operational plan.

· Qualifications of Program Personnel (20 points)

Evaluation will be based on the extent to which the application has described:

a. The extent to which the application provides evidence of the qualifications, experience, and commitment of the principal staff person, and his/her ability to devote adequate time and effort to provide effective leadership.

b. The extent to which the application provides evidence of the competence of associate staff persons, discussion leaders, speakers, and presenters to accomplish conference objectives.

c. The extent to which the application demonstrates the knowledge of nationwide and educational efforts currently underway which may affect, and be affected by, the proposed conference.

· Evaluation Methods (20 points)

Evaluation instrument(s) for the conference should adequately assess increased knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the target audience.

· Applicant's Capability (10 points)

a. The applicant’s capability includes the adequacy of the applicant's resources (additional sources of funding, organization's strengths, staff time, proposed physical facilities, etc.) available for conducting conference activities.

b. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a history (at least three years) of managing conferences.

· Budget Justification and Adequacy of Facilities (not scored)

The proposed budget will be evaluated on the basis of its reasonableness, concise and clear justification, and consistency with the intended use of grant funds. The application will also be reviewed as to the adequacy of existing or proposed facilities and resources for conducting conference activities. The applicant can obtain guidance for completing a detailed justified budget on the CDC website, at the following Internet address http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/budgetguide.htm.

Review and Selection Process

Review

All eligible applications will be initially reviewed for completeness by the Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) staff. In addition, eligible applications will be jointly reviewed for responsiveness by NCEH/ATSDR and PGO. Incomplete applications and applications that are non-responsive to the eligibility criteria will not advance through the review process. Applicants will be notified the application did not meet eligibility and/or published submission requirements.

An objective review panel will evaluate complete and responsive applications according to the criteria listed in Section V. Application Review Information, subsection entitled “Evaluation Criteria”. Findings will be presented by three reviewers, all of whom will be Department of Health and Human Services employees from outside the funding program division. The panel votes to approve or disapprove based on the information presented and each application is scored and ranked.

Selection

Applications will be funded in order by score and rank determined by the review panel.

In addition, the following factors may affect the funding decision:

· Availability of funds

· Relevance to program priorities listed within the topic areas.

· Nationwide conference over local conference

CDC will provide justification for any decision to fund out of rank order and will apply a preference to select applicants that most closely align with the applicable NCEH/ATSDR topic areas of programmatic interest.

VI. Award Administration Information Award Notices

Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA) from the CDC Procurement and Grants Office. The NoA shall be the only binding, authorizing document between the recipient and CDC. The NoA will be signed by an authorized Grants Management Officer and e-mailed to the program director.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, CCR Registration and Transparency Act requirements.

Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review by mail.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Successful applicants must comply with the administrative requirements outlined in 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 74 or Part 92, as appropriate. The following additional requirements apply to this project:

· AR-7

Executive Order 12372

· AR-8

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

· AR-9

Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements

· AR-10

Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements

· AR-11

Healthy People 2020

· AR-12

Lobbying Restrictions

· AR-14

Accounting System Requirements

· AR-15

Proof of Non-Profit Status

· AR-20

Conference Support

· AR-21

Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business

· AR-23

States and Faith-Based Organizations

· AR-26

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

(Public Law 89-665, 80 Stat. 915)

· AR-27

Conference Disclaimer and Use of Logos

· AR-29

Compliance with E.O. 13513 Federal Leadership on Reducing

Text Messaging While Driving, October 1, 2009.

Additional information on the requirements can be found on the CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/Addtl_Reqmnts.htm.

For more information on the Code of Federal Regulations, see the National Archives and Records Administration at the following Internet address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html Reporting

Federal Funding Accountability And Transparency Act Of 2006 (FFATA): Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 as amended (FFATA), requires full disclosure of all entities and organizations receiving Federal funds including grants, contracts, loans and other assistance and payments through a single publicly accessible Web site, www.USASpending.gov. The Web site includes information on each Federal financial assistance award and contract over $25,000, including such information as:

1. The name of the entity receiving the award

2. The amount of the award

3. Information on the award including transaction type, funding agency, etc.

4. The location of the entity receiving the award

5. A unique identifier of the entity receiving the award; and

6. Names and compensation of highly-compensated officers (as applicable)

Compliance with this law is primarily the responsibility of the Federal agency. However, two elements of the law require information to be collected and reported by recipients: 1) information on executive compensation when not already reported through the Central Contractor Registry; and 2) similar information on all sub-awards/subcontracts/consortiums over $25,000.

For the full text of the requirements under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, please review the following website:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:s2590enr.txt.pdf .

Each funded applicant must provide CDC with an annual Interim Progress Report submitted via www.grants.gov:

1. The interim progress report is due no less than 90 days before the end of the budget period. The Interim Progress Report will serve as the non-competing continuation application, and must contain the following elements:

a. Standard Form (“SF”) 424S Form.

b. SF-424A Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs.

c. Budget Narrative.

d. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

e. Project Narrative.

Additionally, funded applicants must provide CDC with an original, plus two hard copies of the following reports:

1. Final performance and Financial Status Reports*, no more than 90 days after the end of the project period.

*Disclaimer: As of February 1, 2011, current Financial Status Report (FSR) requirements will be obsolete. Existing practices will be updated to reflect changes for implementation of the new Federal Financial Reporting (FFR) requirements.

These reports must be submitted to the attention of the Grants Management Specialist listed in the Section VII below entitled “Agency Contacts”.

VII. Agency Contacts CDC encourages inquiries concerning this announcement.

However, the following personnel cannot assist with determinations as to whether proposed conference subjects are in alignment with the program announcement goals, nor with Topic Area selection or suggestions regarding the narrative writing of applications. To do so would provide undo advantage prior to objective review competition. Other inquiries are welcome.

For programmatic technical assistance, contact:

Adam Brush, Project Officer

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS F61

Atlanta, GA 30341-3717

Telephone: 770-488-3961

E-mail: Cbrush@cdc.gov

For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact:

Hoda Kirbah, Grants Management Specialist

Department of Health and Human Services

CDC Procurement and Grants Office

2920 Brandywine Road, MS K-70

Atlanta, GA 30341

Telephone: 770-488-2061

E-mail: VJF3@cdc.gov For assistance with electronic submission difficulties contact:

Grants.gov Contact Center Phone: 1-800-518-4726.

Hours of Operation: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Closed on federal holidays.

For submission questions, contact:

Technical Information Management Section

Department of Health and Human Services

CDC Procurement and Grants Office

2920 Brandywine Road, MS E-14

Atlanta, GA 30341

Telephone: 770-488-2700

Email:

pgotim@cdc.gov

CDC Telecommunications for the hearing impaired or disabled is available at:

TTY 1-888-232-6348

VIII. Other Information A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section related to this program announcement is available at the bottom of Attachment I.

ATTACHMENT I for Program Announcement

CDC-RFA-EH12-1201

LETTERS OF INTENT:

Letters of intent can be sent to by E-mail to OFASEXTRAMURAL@cdc.gov

TOPIC AREAS OF PROGRAMMATIC INTEREST AND CONTACT INFORMATION:

Proposed conferences must be specific to the selected Topic Area, and measurable conference outcomes must be in alignment with one or more of the relevant performance goals or performance measures listed under Section I Funding Opportunity Description, Purpose. Applicants must independently make determinations regarding conference subject suitability based on careful study of the information provided in this program announcement.

100.1 Health effects of hazardous substances in the environment and other environmental hazards (e.g., radiation, algal blooms)

100.2 Disease and toxic substance exposure registries

100.3 Preventing and mitigating exposures to hazardous substances

100.4 Lead Poisoning Prevention/Healthy Homes

100.5 Environmental Health Services Capacity Building

100.6 Built Environment/Healthy Community Design

100.7 Brownfields and Land Reuse

100.8 Air Pollution, Respiratory Health, Asthma

100.9 Environmental Public Health Surveillance and Tracking

100.10 Laboratory Sciences (e.g., newborn screening, clinical chemistry, organic and inorganic analytical toxicology, nutritional biochemistry, air toxicants, molecular biology)

100.11 Emergency Preparedness and Response (e.g., chemical, environmental, radiological, or natural disasters; climate change)

100.12 Environmental Health Communication, Marketing, Risk Communication, and Health Education

100.13 Environmental Health Policy

100.14 Environmental Health Workforce Development

Fr…