ps11-1110 final 02.15.11.doc

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Addressing TB Control and Lung Health Activities through the Vietnam National Lung Hospital/National TB Program (NLH/NTP)

I. AUTHORIZATION AND INTENT

Announcement Type: New Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-PS11-1110

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.947

Key Dates:

Application Deadline Date: April 15, 2011, 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time Authority:

Public Health Service Act, Section 317(e), 42 U.S.C. 247(b), as amended.

Background:

Vietnam is ranked 12th of the 22 tuberculosis (TB) high-burden countries as defined by the World Health Organization. According to the latest global estimate (Global Tuberculosis Control: A short update to the 2009 report, December 2009, WHO), the estimated prevalence of all forms of TB is 281 per 100,000 population; the estimated incidence is 200 per 100,000 population and the estimated TB mortality is 34 per 100,000. Since the Government declared TB a national priority in 1995, Vietnam’s TB program expanded the WHO-recommended Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course (DOTS) strategy to all districts and communes, reaching 100% of the population by 1998.

Although Vietnam was one of the first high burden countries to announce reaching both the global targets of 70% case detection and 85% cure, this achievement did not result in any decline in TB case notification. Findings of the 2007 National TB Prevalence Survey showed that TB prevalence was significantly higher than previously estimated, resulting in a revised estimate of the WHO case detection rates to just 56%. Successive five-year development plans for the National TB Program have been implemented since 1994. Major funding and technical support partners include the Government of the Netherlands (KNCV), World Bank, World Health Organization; and more recently the United States Government (USG) through PEPFAR, and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). A large GFATM Round 9 proposal has been approved and will support significant expansion of Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) activities and public-private mix activities. In 2010, a national Stop TB Partnership was launched and includes representation from a broader group of government and non-government organizations in Vietnam. The United States Government has provided technical assistance to the Vietnam National TB Program since 1997. In the early years CDC’s Division of TB Elimination provided technical support for management training, laboratory quality assurance for sputum smears, and operational research training. Since 2004 both funding and technical support have been provided to the Vietnam NTP and other partners through the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This support has focused on persons with both TB and HIV. In accordance with health priorities and disease burden in Vietnam, the priorities outlined by the US Global Health Initiative and in line with PEPFAR’s intensified focus on health systems, the emphasis has broadened to include a number of systems issues related to TB prevention and control.

Purpose:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2011 funds for a cooperative agreement to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control and lung health programs in Vietnam. The purpose of the program is to reduce tuberculosis and lung health related morbidity, mortality, transmission, and to prevent the development of TB drug resistance in Vietnam.

Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the following performance goal for the NCHHSTP: Increase quality and years of healthy life.

This announcement is only for non-research activities. If research is proposed, the application will not be reviewed.

II. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

Recipient Activities:

The grantee will focus on one or more of the following activities:

1. Address one or more of the key challenges identified by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Stop TB Partnership in the Global Plan to Stop TB: 2006 to 2015.

2. Develop programs to ensure access to and provision of equitable, high quality basic DOTS services at all levels of health service delivery

3. Develop programs and activities to reduce the burden of TB-HIV, prevent and manage drug-resistant TB, and prevent and manage TB in prisons and closed settings (e.g. detention centers)

4. Support the development of lab capacity and service networks for diagnosis of smear-negative TB and MDR-TB.

5. Development of programmatic activities focused on health system strengthening

6. Develop programmatic activities related to increased (early) case finding, reduction of TB patients going unreported, and ensuring that patients are managed in accordance with National Lung Hospital/National TB Program (NLH/NTP) guidance and the Vietnam government in public and private health facilities

7. Develop programs for engaging people with TB and the affected community in TB control efforts

8. Strengthen the staff capacity of NLH/NTP and the government of Vietnam to address related lung health issues.

9. Support TB and lung health related surveillance activities to monitor and evaluate performance and impact of programs

10. Subcontract activities, where applicable, to regional and/or provincial entities

11. Coordinate with other existing programs to reduce duplication of activities In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff are substantially involved in the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.

CDC Activities:

1. Collaborate with the grantee to establish priorities for the development, implementation and evaluation of activities, both among and within each of the areas listed above, through regular meetings and communication.

2. Collaborate with the grantee in the development of goals and objectives that advocate effective and innovative strategies and methodologies for the diagnosis and treatment of TB and other lung health related issues.

3. When necessary, provide consultation, guidance and technical assistance in support of activities implemented under this agreement.

4. Assist the grantee in reporting and disseminating results, recommendations, and relevant TB diagnostic and treatment and lung health related information at international conferences and meetings.

III. AWARD INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement.

CDC substantial involvement in this program appears in the Activities Section above

Award Mechanism: U01 Cooperative Agreement. The Recipient Organization retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project, and HHS/CDC is substantially involved as a partner with the Recipient Organization, as described in Section VI.2.A., "Cooperative Agreement.”

Fiscal Year Funds: 2011

Approximate Current Fiscal Year Funding: $200,000

Approximate Total Project Period Funding: $15,000,000

This amount is subject to availability of funds, and includes direct costs

Approximate Number of Awards: 1

Approximate Average Award: $200,000 (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes direct costs). This is subject to the availability of funds.

Floor of Individual Award Range: None

Ceiling of Individual Award Range: None

Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2011

Budget Period Length: 12 months

Project Period Length: 5 years

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.

IV. ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicant that can apply for this funding opportunity is listed below:

Vietnam National Lung Hospital/National TB Program (NLH/NTP)

This FOA is open to one foreign applicant. HHS/CDC will only provide funding under this FOA to the Vietnam National Lung Hospital (NLH), of the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MOH), which houses Vietnam’s National Tuberculosis Program (NTP).

HHS/CDC will not solicit any other applications.

The Vietnam National Lung Hospital/National TB Program (NLH/NTP) is the only appropriate and qualified organization to fulfill the requirements set forth in this announcement for the following reasons:

1.

Activities to be conducted under this announcement will address questions of improving operational and programmatic implementation of Vietnam’s national TB control and lung health program, including questions that may be applicable to similar high burden settings. It must therefore be conducted within the setting of national TB and lung health program delivery.

2. The NLH/NTP is directly and solely responsible for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all TB control policies and services in Vietnam.

3.

The NLH/NTP is uniquely positioned in terms of constitutional and regulatory authority, mandate and ability to oversee and safeguard public health, and to collect and analyze surveillance and health system performance information related to the prevalence and incidence of TB and related lung health issues.

4. The NLH/NTP reference laboratory serves as the national reference laboratory for TB in Vietnam. Responsibilities of the reference laboratory include ensuring the quality of TB diagnosis throughout the country and monitoring for TB drug resistance. Operational research regarding diagnostic assays will need to be conducted within the NLH/NTP reference laboratory system to include the regional, provincial, and district laboratory network that it supervises, and where relevant in cooperation with other government laboratories or in the private sector.

5.

The NLH/NTP has in place the central, provincial and district-based structures in which operational research projects will need to be conducted and evaluated.

SPECIAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Licensing/Credential/Permits

Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching funds are not required for this program.

Maintenance of Effort

Maintenance of Effort is not required for this program.

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.

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.

Intergovernmental Review of Applications

Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

V. Application Content

Other Requirements

A letter of intent is not applicable to this funding opportunity announcement.

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.

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: 40. 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

· Double spaced

· Page margin size: One inch

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

The narrative should address activities to be conducted over the entire project period and must include the following items in the order listed:

Purpose/Objectives

Description of need

Workplan/activities/methods

Timeline

Performance Measures

Description of staff who will implement the activities

The budget and budget justification will be included as a separate attachment, not to be counted in the narrative page limit.

Additional information may be included in the application appendices. The appendices will not be counted toward the narrative page limit. This additional information includes:

· Curriculum Vitas, Resumes, Organizational Charts, Letters of Support

Additional information submitted via Grants.gov should be uploaded in a PDF file format, and should be named:

· “Curriculum Vitas”, “Resumes”, “Organizational Charts”, “Letters of Support”

No more than 20 electronic attachments should be uploaded per application.

Additional requirements for additional documentation with the application are listed in Section VII. Award Administration Information, subsection entitled “Administrative and National Policy Requirements.”

APPLICATION 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.

International organizations also require a NATO CAGE Code (NCAGE). The NCAGE request may take from two business days to two weeks to complete. NCAGE is needed before registering with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). After registering with CCR, the applicant can proceed to register with Grants.gov (See “Other Submission Requirements” session below for more information).

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 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.

Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number (DUNS)

The applicant is required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) identifier to apply for grants or cooperative agreements from the Federal government. The DUNS is a nine-digit number which uniquely identifies business entities. There is no charge associated with obtaining a DUNS number. Applicants may obtain a DUNS number by accessing the Dun and Bradstreet website or by calling 1-866-705-5711. International registrants can confirm by sending an e-mail to ccrhelp@dnb.com, including Company Name, D-U-N-S Number, and Physical Address, and Country.

Electronic Submission of Application:

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.

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.

Application Deadline Date: April 15, 2011, 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time

VI. Application Review Information

Eligible applicants are required to provide measures of effectiveness that will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified objectives of the CDC-RFA-PS11-1110. 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 of the submitted application.

Evaluation Criteria Eligible applications will be evaluated against the following criteria:

Plan (30 Points) Is the plan adequate to carry out the proposed objectives? How complete and comprehensive is the plan for the entire project period? Does the plan include quantitative process and outcome measures? Does the plan reference that the Vietnam National Lung Hospital/National TB Program would subcontract to regional and/or provincial entities?

Methods (30 Points) Are the proposed methods feasible? To what extent will they accomplish the program goals?

Personnel (20 Points) Do the staff members have appropriate experience? Are the staff roles clearly defined? As described, will the staff be sufficient to accomplish the program goals?

Need (20 Points) To what extent does the applicant justify the need for this program within the target community?

Budget (SF 424A) and Budget Narrative (Reviewed, but not scored). Although the budget is not scored applicants should consider the following in development of their budget. Is the itemized budget for conducting the project, and justification reasonable and consistent with stated objectives and planned program activities?

Funding Restrictions

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

· Recipients may not use funds for research.

· Recipients may not use funds for clinical care.

· Recipients may only expend funds for reasonable program purposes, including personnel, travel, supplies, and services, such as contractual.

· Awardees may not generally use HHS/CDC/ATSDR funding for the purchase of furniture or equipment. Any such proposed spending must be identified in the budget.

· The direct and primary recipient in a cooperative agreement program must perform a substantial role in carrying out project objectives and not merely serve as a conduit for an award to another party or provider who is ineligible.

· Reimbursement of pre-award costs is not allowed.

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.

Application Review Process

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 NCHHSTP 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 VI. Application Review Information, subsection entitled “Evaluation Criteria”.

Applications Selection Process

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

VII. 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. A hard copy of the NoA will be mailed to the recipient fiscal officer identified in the application.

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-4

HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Provisions

· AR-5

HIV Program Review Panel Requirements

· AR-6

Patient Care

· AR-7

Executive Order 12372

· AR-8

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

· AR-11

Healthy People 2020

· AR-12

Lobbying Restrictions

· AR-14

Accounting System Requirements

· AR-25

Release and Sharing of Data

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.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Reporting Requirements

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:

2. Semi-annual progress report, due 60 before the end of the budget period.

The progress report will serve as the non-competing continuation application, and must contain the following elements:

a. Activities and Objectives for the Current Budget Period;

b. Financial Progress for the Current Budget Period;

c. Proposed Activity and Objectives for the New Budget Period Program;

d. Budget;

e. Measures of Effectiveness

f. Additional Requested Information;

2. Annual progress report, due 90 days after the end of the budget period.

3. Financial status report, due no more than 90 days after the end of the budget period;

4. Final financial status and progress reports, due no more than 90 days after the end of the project period. Recipients must mail the reports to the Grants Management or Contract Specialist listed in the 'Agency Contacts' section of this announcement.

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

VIII. Agency Contacts

CDC encourages inquiries concerning this announcement.

For programmatic technical assistance, contact:

Dr. Sara Whitehead, Project Officer

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Thailand MOPH-U.S. CDC Collaboration

5th Floor Building 7

Dept. of Disease Control

Ministry of Public Health

Tiwanond Road, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000

THAILAND

Phone: 66 2580 0669 ext. 555

Email: svw7@th.cdc.gov For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact:

Randolph B. Williams, Grants Management Specialist

CDC Procurement and Grants Office

2920 Brandywine Road, MS K-75

Atlanta, GA 30341

Telephone: 770-488-8382

E-mail: gur2@cdc.gov For assistance with submission difficulties (also see page 14), 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 application submission questions, contact:

Technical Information Management Section

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

Other Information

Other CDC funding opportunity announcements can be found at www.grants.gov.