ps12-1204 final 12.09.11.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

Federal Agency Name: Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Funding Opportunity Title: National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Tuberculosis Prevention, Public Health Conference Support Announcement Type: New Agency Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-PS12-1204 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.339 Key Dates:

Letter of Intent Deadline Date: January 9, 2012, 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time Application Deadline Date: February 10, 2012, 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time Executive Summary:

Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one (or more) of the following performance goal(s) for the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention:

· Decrease the annual HIV incidence rate

· Decrease the rate of HIV transmission

· Increase the percentage of people with HIV who know their serostatus.

· Reduce the rates of viral hepatitis in the United States.

· Reduce the rates of non-HIV sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States.

· Decrease the rate of cases of TB among U.S.-born persons in the United States.

This announcement is only for non-research activities supported by CDC. 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/integrity/docs/cdc-policy-distinguishing-public-health-research-nonresearch.pdf.

PART 2. FULL TEXT

I.FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Statutory Authority

This program is authorized under the Public Health Service Act, section 301(a), 42 U.S.C. 241(a), as amended and section 317(a), 42 U.S.C. 247b (a), as amended.

Purpose

The purpose of the program is to announce the availability of appropriated fiscal year (FY) 2012 funds for the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Tuberculosis Prevention, Public Health Conference Support. This program addresses the “Healthy People 2020” focus area(s) of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This announcement is only for non-research activities supported by CDC/NCHHSTP. If research is proposed, the application will not be reviewed and the applicant will be notified. For the definition of research, visit the CDC web site at http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/integrity/docs/cdc-policy-distinguishing-public-health-research-nonresearch.pdf.

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 information and education programs, and applied research.

This funding is only for conferences planned to occur within the date range of the project period for which funding is awarded. Applicants may submit applications for a single conference for a one-year project period.

Conference support by CDC/NCHHSTP creates the appearance of CDC co-sponsorship, therefore, there will be active participation by CDC/NCHHSTP in the development and approval of the conference agenda to ensure there are no subjects that would be contradictory to the goals of the Government or be an improper use of funds, including portions that are not funded by CDC/NCHHSTP. CDC/NCHHSTP funds will be expended only for approved portions of the conference.

The mission of CDC is to protect people’s health, through health promotion, prevention of injury, disability, and disease, and preparedness. CDC is meeting its overall goal of dissemination and implementation of new cost-effective intervention strategies through conference support funding.

Conferences supported under this program announcement must be specific to one or more of the following focus areas; HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB. Measurable outcomes of the conference must be in alignment with one or more of the following overarching NCHHSTP goals and/or performance goals measures:

Goal 1: Prevention through Healthcare NCHHSTP will develop, implement, and evaluate policies and practices that leverage the healthcare system to improve health through prevention.

Goal 2: Program Collaboration and Service Integration NCHHSTP will support and promote a syndemic approach to prevention by promoting better collaboration between programs and supporting appropriate service integration at point of access.

Goal 3: Health Equity NCHHSTP will reduce health disparities in HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB by promoting health equity.

Goal 4: Partnerships NCHHSTP will create and strengthen mutually beneficial strategic relationships with other individuals, organizations, and networks that strengthen HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD, and TB prevention and control, producing solutions that no individual entity working independently can accomplish.

Goal 5: Workforce Development and Capacity Building NCHHSTP will attract, maintain, develop, and utilize NCHHSTP’s professional workforce to effectively promote health and prevention activities.

Performance Goals: Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one (or more) of the following performance goal(s) for the National Center for HIV/AIDS, STD, Viral Hepatitis and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP):

· Strengthen the capacity nationwide to monitor the HIV epidemic, develop and implement effective HIV prevention interventions, and evaluate prevention programs.

· Decrease the number of persons at high risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV infection.

· Increase the proportion of HIV-infected persons who know they are infected.

· Increase the proportion of HIV-infected persons who are linked to appropriate prevention, care, and treatment services.

· Strengthen the capacity nationwide to monitor the epidemic, and develop and implement effective HIV prevention services.

· Reduce STD rates by providing Chlamydia and gonorrhea screening, treatment, and partner treatment to 50 percent of women in publicly funded family planning and STD clinics nationally.

· Reduce the incidence of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis.

· Reduce the incidence of congenital syphilis.

· Decrease the rate of cases of TB among U.S. born persons (per 100,000 population) in the United States

· Increase the percentage of TB patients who complete a course of curative TB treatment within 12 months of initiation of treatment

· Increase the percentage of TB patients with initial positive cultures who also have drug susceptibility results

· Increase the percentage of contacts of infectious Acid-Fast Bacillus (AFB) cases that are placed on treatment for latent TB infection and complete a treatment regimen

· Protect vulnerable populations from new infections that cause viral hepatitis

· Prevent disease, disability and death from acute hepatitis A, B and C and chronic hepatitis B and C

· Collect, analyze and disseminate strategic data to guide disease prevention

· Act globally to disseminate effective interventions and detect emerging threats.

Measurable outcomes of the program could be amended during the project period if necessary to respond to changes in HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB morbidity, advances in HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB prevention, detection, and treatment; changes in the health care system that affect the delivery of HIV, viral hepatitis, STD and TB care, changes in the HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB training needs of health care professionals and prevention specialists; or changes in the NCHHSTP performance goals.

This announcement is only for non-research activities supported by CDC/NCHHSTP. 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/integrity/docs/cdc-policy-distinguishing-public-health-research-nonresearch.pdf.

Program Implementation Recipient Activities All Grantees are required to implement activities and develop Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Phased (SMART) objectives and timelines.

Recipient (grantee) activities for this program are as follows:

· 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/NCHHSTP for approval. CDC/NCHHSTP will initially restrict up to ninety percent of the total funds awarded for the proposed conference pending its approval of a full, final agenda. After CDC/NCHHSTP approves the full, final agenda, it will release the total amount that was restricted via a Notice of Grant Award to the grantee. CDC/NCHHSTP may restrict up to 25 percent of the remaining funds to ensure that the grantee complies with the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement. Because conference support by CDC/NCHHSTP creates the appearance of CDC/NCHHSTP co-sponsorship, there will be active participation by CDC/NCHHSTP in the development and approval of those portions of the agenda supported by CDC funds. CDC/NCHHSTP 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. CDC/NCHHSTP reserves the right to terminate co-sponsorship and the cooperative agreement if it does not concur with the final agenda.

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

· 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 the content and manage the activities of the conference.

· 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 and disseminated to conference participants to determine whether participants benefited from attending the conference, enhanced their knowledge of the 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 objective 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-workers’ daily activities. The assessment plan should be provided to CDC/NCHHSTP along with the application and required evaluation plan as described in section V.1.Criteria.

· Administer the assessment instrument to participants during their attendance at the conference, compile and analyze the information collected, and include the conference participant evaluation report as part of the reporting requirements described in section VI.3. Reporting.

· Collaborate with CDC staff in reporting and disseminating conference results, recommendations, and relevant HIV prevention information. This information should be made available to appropriate federal, state, and local agencies, healthcare providers, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB prevention and service organizations, and the general public.

In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.

CDC Activities

· Provide technical assistance through telephone calls, correspondence, and site visits in the areas of program agenda development, implementation, and priority-setting related to the cooperative agreement.

· Provide scientific collaboration for appropriate aspects of the program, including selection of speakers, pertinent scientific information on HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB preventive measures, and program strategies for the prevention of these infections.

· Review draft agendas. The Grants Management Officer will approve or disapprove the final agenda and proposed related activities prior to release of restricted funds.

· Assist applicant in reporting and disseminating results, recommendations, and relevant HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB prevention information.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. “CDC substantial involvement in this program appears in the Activities Section above.”

Award Mechanism: U13 Conferences – Cooperative Agreements Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2012 $300,000

Approximate Current Fiscal Year Funding: $300,000 Approximate Total Project Period Funding: $300,000 (This amount is an estimate, and is subject to availability of funds.) This amount includes direct and indirect costs.

Approximate Number of Awards: up to 11 Approximate Average Award: $50,000 (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes both direct and indirect costs.)

Floor of Individual Award Range: $25,000 Ceiling of Individual Award Range: $200,000 (This ceiling is for the first 12-month budget period.) (This amount includes total costs.)

Anticipated Award Date: May 2012 Budget Period Length: 12 months Project Period Length: Not to exceed 1 year 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 institution of higher education)

· Nonprofit without 501C3 IRS status (other than institution of higher education)

· For-profit organizations (other than small business)

· 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 4 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 subaward 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 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.

· Applicants must propose conferences that match one or more of the “Focus Areas of Programmatic Interest” (HIV, AIDS, STD, viral hepatitis and TB Prevention). Applications that do not comply with this requirement will be determined to be non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

· The title of the focus area of programmatic interest must be listed on the application to be considered. Provide this information in Block 15, “Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project” of the SF-424. Applications that do not comply with this requirement will be determined to be non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

· Late applications will be considered non-responsive. See section “IV.4. Submission Dates and Times” for more information on deadlines.

· 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.

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

· Applications submitted for a series of conferences are not permitted under this announcement. The application proposal must be for a single conference. Applications that do not comply with this requirement will be determined to be non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

· CDC will not fund 100% of any conference proposed under this announcement. At least 50% of the cost of the conference must be supported with funds other than Federal funds. 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. The budget narrative should clearly indicate total conference costs, total supported by applicant, total supported by other sources, and total requested from CDC. Applications that do not comply with this requirement will be determined to be non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

· 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.

Maintenance of Effort

Maintenance of Effort is not required for this program 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 9, 2012, 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time Application Deadline Date: February 10, 2012, 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time 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

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):

Submission of a LOI is optional and not required for this Program Announcement. The optional LOI is not binding and does not enter into the review of the subsequent application. The LOI is used to gauge the level of interest in this program and allow CDC/NCHHSTP staff to plan the application review.

If the optional LOI is submitted, it must be written in the following format:

· Maximum number of pages: One (1) to two(2) typewritten pages

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

· Doubled 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:

· title of the focus area of programmatic interest (HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB)

· Name of the organization

· Primary contact person’s name

· Mailing address

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

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

· Date(s) of conference-inclusive dates of the conference

· Location of conference

· Total conference cost and total requested from CDC (total requested from CDC must be no more than 50% of the total conference cost)

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

· Brief overview of the proposed conference content

Submit the optional LOI by express mail or delivery service, fax, or E-mail to:

Debra Byrd, Project Officer

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road

MS E-07

Atlanta, GA 30333

Fax Number: 404-639-8600

E-mail: dbyrd1@cdc.gov 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.

LOIs should be provided not later than by the date indicated in the Section I entitled “Authorization and Intent”.

Note: Limit file names to 50 characters and do not use special characters (example: &, -,*,%,/,#) including periods (.), blank spaces and accent marks, within application form fields and file attachment names. An underscore (_) may be used to separate a file name. Also, do not attach multiple documents with the same file name. Please do not cut-&-paste information into any fields within the application package; all information must be typed.

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: 12 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

· 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 information on the following as described in section V. 1. Criteria:

· Proposed Program and Technical Approach

· Conference Objectives

· Applicant’s Capability

· Evaluation Methods

· Qualifications of Program Personnel

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, previous experience related to the proposed conference topic, and information on the applicant’s previous 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

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

· Date(s) of conference-inclusive dates of the conference

· Location of conference

· Specify the conference objectives and target audience. Include a list of the principle areas or topics to be addressed.

· A proposed or final agenda

· 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; the benefits of conference attendance by the participants; enhanced knowledge of the conference subject matter; skills learned; attitude shifts created; whether the conference information would be used by attendees to more effectively accomplish the public health objectives of their respective organizational programs; etc. 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. Provide detail of the planned analyses of the data obtained by the administration of the test instruments/questionnaires. Relate how the test instruments are to be used: pre- post-tests, six months after the conference, immediately after presentation, and/or end of conference, etc. Include discussion of what the collected data is expected to show. (Include in Appendices a sample of the evaluation instrument(s) to be used.)

· Staffing plan and staff experience in conference planning

· 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 FY 2012.

The budget narrative should clearly indicate total conference costs, total supported by applicant, total supported by other sources, and total requested from CDC. The amount requested from CDC must be no more than 50% of the total conference cost. Include the share requested from this cooperative agreement 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).

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(s) Evaluation Instrument(s).

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

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

· Name of the applicant and “Other Attachments”

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

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.

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

· The government retains unlimited usage of all products and may authorize others to reproduce and distribute these products.

· CDC funds will not be expended for non-approved portions of meetings. In addition, CDC will reserve the right to approve or reject the content of the full agenda, press events, promotional materials (including press releases), speaker and site selection. CDC reserves the right to terminate funding if it does not concur with the final agenda.

· CDC will initially restrict ninety percent of the total funds awarded for the proposed conference pending its approval of a full, final agenda. After approval of the final agenda, it will release the total amount that was restricted via a letter to the grantee.

· CDC will not fund 100 % of any conference proposed under this announcement. A portion of the cost must be supported with funds other than Federal funds. The budget narrative should clearly indicate total conference costs, total supported by applicant, total supported by other sources, and total requested from CDC.

· The recommended guidance for completing a detailed justified budget can be found on the CDC Web site, at the following Internet address:

http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/budgetguide.htm.

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

Additional Submission Requirements Electronic Submission 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 to 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 the GMO/GMS [See Section VII “Agency Contacts”], 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 prevented 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 Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

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 CDC-RFA-PS12-1204. 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.

Criteria

Eligible applications will be evaluated against the following criteria:

Proposed Program and Technical Approach (20 points):

· The extent to which the applicant shows the need for the conference.

· The degree to which conference activities relate to the focus area(s).

· The public health significance of the proposed conference, including the degree to which the conference can be expected to influence the prevention of HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and/or TB.

· The relevance and effectiveness of the proposed agenda in addressing the conference topic(s).

· The extent to which the applicant shows that participants and presenters will have the opportunity to interact during the conference, share information on successful and unsuccessful program experiences, and develop collaborative working relationships.

Conference Objectives (20 points):

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

· The extent to which the operational plan will facilitate achievement of the conference objectives.

· The likelihood of accomplishing conference objectives as they relate to disease prevention and health promotion goals, and the feasibility of the project in terms of the operational plan.

· The degree to which the conference objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-phased. The extent to which evaluation of the conference assesses achievement of the conference objectives including increased knowledge of the conference participants.

Evaluation Methods (20 points):

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

Applicant Capability and Experience (20 points):

· The adequacy of existing resources to administer the program for the proposed conference.

· The adequacy of existing and proposed facilities for conducting conference activities.

· The degree to which the applicant has established relationships with related government agencies and relevant community groups and organizations. Include letters of support (no more than three) from such entities addressing the applicant’s capability, experience and if applicable, how the entity will work with the applicant to plan the proposed conference.

· The extent the applicant demonstrates a history of managing conferences Qualifications of Program Personnel (20 points):

· The qualifications and experience of the principal staff person, and his or her ability to devote adequate time to provide effective leadership.

· Program personnel’s ability to accomplish conference objectives.

· Key personnel’s (including associate staff persons, discussion leaders, and speakers) education and expertise relative to the conference objectives.

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?

If the applicants requests indirect costs in the budget, a copy of the indirect cost rate agreement is required. If the indirect cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement should be less than 12 months of age. The indirect cost rate agreement should be uploaded as a PDF file with “Other Attachment Forms” when submitting via Grants.gov. [If the announcement is only open to international applicants, delete the above paragraph - indirect cost language is not included in the international use of funds language.]

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 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 that 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 “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

Preference for funding will be given to ensure the following:

· a balance of funded agencies that target the widest audiences (e.g., international, national, and regional).

· a balance of funded agencies that serve populations in special settings (e.g., correctional institutions, shelters for runaway youth).

· a balance of funded agencies that target underserved geographic areas and high risk populations (e.g., migrant and rural populations, racial/ethnic minorities, men who have sex with men)

· a balance of funded agencies that target each of NCHHSTP’s focus areas (e.g., HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB)

· a balance of funded agencies such that the United States regions and territories are represented

No preference will be given to organizations that have received CDC funding in past years.

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

· Availability of funds

· Relevance to program priorities.

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

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-4

HIV/AIDS Confidentiality Provisions

· AR-5

HIV Program Review Panel Requirements

· 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-13

Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control

Activities

· 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-25

Release and Sharing of Data

· 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/grants/additional_req.shtm 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 .

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

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.

For programmatic technical assistance, contact:

Debra Byrd, Project Officer

Centers for Disease…