[Federal Register: June 20, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 119)]
[Notices]
[Page 36992-36995]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jn03-76]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Announcement of Availability of Funds for Adolescent Family Life
Research Grants
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the
Secretary, Office of Public Health and Science, Office of Population
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
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AUTHORITY: Section 2008 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) requests
applications for grants for applied research addressing Adolescent
Family Life (AFL) program goals related to adolescent sexual relations,
pregnancy, and parenthood: Helping adolescents avoid health risk
behaviors; ensuring that adolescents have the supports necessary to
pursue healthy and productive lives; and strengthening families. Grant
awards will be made to investigate one or more of the following seven
areas: (1) Parent involvement and communication; (2) youth development/
developmental assets; (3) pro-social risk behaviors; (4) adoption; (5)
adolescent parents; (6) long term impact of adolescent childbearing on
family structure; and (7) influences on adolescent premarital sexual
behavior.
DATES: To receive consideration, a package containing a signed
typewritten application, including the checklist, and two photocopies
of the application must be received at the address below no later than
July 22, 2003.
ADDRESSES: The application package described above must be submitted
to: Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701
Rockledge Drive, Room 1040-MSC 7710, Bethesda, MD 29892-7710 (20817 for
express/courier service).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title XX of the Public Health Service Act,
in section 2008 (42 U.S.C. 300z-7), authorizes research concerning the
societal causes and consequences of adolescent premarital sexual
relations, pregnancy and child rearing. The statute also provides
authority for research to identify effective services which alleviate,
eliminate, or resolve any negative consequences of adolescent
premarital sexual relations and adolescent childbearing for the
parents, the child, and their families. Regulations pertaining to
grants for research projects are set out at 42 CFR part 52.
CFDA: A description of the Title XX Adolescent Family Life Research
Grant Program can be found at OMB Catalogue of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.111.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
This announcement seeks proposals for grants for applied research
addressing AFL program goals related to adolescent premarital sexual
relations, pregnancy, and parenthood: Helping adolescents avoid health
risk behaviors; ensuring that adolescents have the supports necessary
to pursue healthy and productive lives; and strengthening families.
Background
The Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Program was enacted in 1981 as
title XX of the Public Health Service Act. The program supports two
types of demonstration projects: (1) Prevention demonstration projects
to develop, implement, and evaluate programs that provide sexuality
education designed to prevent adolescent premarital sexual relations
and other health risk behaviors; and (2) care demonstration projects to
develop, implement and evaluate interventions (including presenting
adoption as an option) with pregnant and parenting adolescents
including fathers, their infants, and other family members in an effort
to alleviate the negative consequences of adolescent childbearing. The
program is also authorized to conduct both basic and applied research
on the causes and consequences of adolescent premarital sexual
relations, adolescent pregnancy and parenting.
Purposes of the Grant
The purpose of this grant is to expand the research base in a
number of areas that are directly applicable to prevention and care
program interventions for adolescents. To that end, this announcement
invites applications in one or more of the following areas:
[[Page 36993]]
1. Parent Involvement and Communication. Research has shown the
importance of parents' involvement with their children and open
communication between parent and child in the prevention of adolescent
premarital sexual activity, pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infection, as well as other adolescent risk behaviors. Many
interventions designed to reduce these risks have thus added specific
components for parents. Unfortunately, efforts to enroll and retain
parents in these programs have too often been unsuccessful. Careful
examination of recruitment strategies, and the interventions
themselves, should provide insights on how to more effectively
implement these program components. Research questions of interest
include, but are not limited to:
[sbull] Factors that affect recruitment and retention of parents in
prevention programs for adolescents.
[sbull] Evaluations of strategies or interventions designed to
assist parents in effectively communicating with their children about
sexuality issues.
[sbull] Mechanisms and/or venues for educating parents on
adolescent development, the importance of parental expectations and
boundary setting, and sexuality issues.
2. Youth Development/Developmental Assets. The Youth Development or
Developmental Assets approach, either by itself or in combination with
sexuality education, is increasingly used in programs designed to
prevent adolescent sexual activity, pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infection or other risk behaviors and negative outcomes. Strategies
encompass strengthening families, fostering lasting relationships with
adult mentors, involving youth in community service, promoting
connectedness with school, providing opportunities to engage in sports
and cultural activities, building confidence and self-efficacy; all are
designed to strengthen supports, either internal or external, for youth
as they transition to adulthood. Research questions of interest
include, but are not limited to:
[sbull] Incorporating youth development concepts into risk
avoidance interventions for adolescents.
[sbull] Impact of youth development strategies on adolescent
premarital sexual relations and other health risk behaviors.
[sbull] Impact of youth development strategies (e.g., education,
vocational training, employment) on transition to self-sufficiency and
other positive outcomes for adolescent parents.
3. Pro-Social Risk Behaviors. It is well established that some
amount of risk taking in adolescence is normative in that it helps
define and develop identity. While risk taking is part of the normal
developmental spectrum for adolescents, risk behaviors fall into two
broad categories: Those that are associated with negative consequences
such as drug, tobacco and alcohol use, sexual activity and violence as
opposed to those that are associated with more positive outcomes--pro-
social risk behaviors such as athletics, academic endeavors, or
community service. Research questions of interest include, but are not
limited to:
[sbull] The impact on adolescent sexual behavior of programs
offering pro-social risk behavior activities.
[sbull] Whether adolescents actively reject taking negative health
risks when offered appealing pro-social risk behavior activities.
[sbull] Whether offering pro-social risk behavior activities can
reverse established negative risk behaviors.
4. Adoption. Adoption is a positive option for unmarried pregnant
adolescents who are unable to care for their infants, yet available
data indicate this option is seldom chosen. Prior research suggests
that attitudes about adoption--by family members, the father of the
infant, the pregnant adolescent herself, or the professional providing
counseling--can often have great influence on the young mother's
decision-making. Other factors of importance include the costs and
benefits of the adoption decision for all involved, as well as the
implications of the various types of adoption that are available. Areas
of inquiry include, but are not limited to:
[sbull] Social, psychological, legal and service dimensions of
adoption decision-making.
[sbull] Social, economic, and/or psychological effects of adoption
on the adolescent mother, the child, and/or the adoptive family.
[sbull] Usage and differential outcomes for the adolescent mother,
the child, and/or the adoptive family among formal, informal, closed
and open adoption arrangements.
5. Adolescent Parents. The consequences of adolescent pregnancy and
parenthood are well documented. Adolescent parents are less likely to
complete their schooling, their employment prospects and income are
concomitantly reduced, and they are more likely to be single parents.
In addition, their children are more likely to have poor health status,
poor educational outcomes, behavior problems, and to become adolescent
parents themselves than are children born to older parents. Appropriate
and adequate services for these adolescent parents and their children,
however, do hold some promise for ameliorating these disadvantages.
Research questions of interest include, but are not limited to:
[sbull] Preparation for building committed adult relationships and
strong marriages.
[sbull] Evaluation of strategies or interventions to provide
necessary support services (e.g., health, education, social) to
adolescent parents and their children.
[sbull] Factors influencing continuation of schooling for
adolescent parents and/or evaluation of strategies to promote school
retention or return for adolescent parents.
[sbull] Factors influencing successful parenting by adolescents
and/or evaluation of strategies to promote successful parenting by
adolescents.
6. Long Term Impact of Adolescent Childbearing on Family Structure.
The negative impact of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing on
schooling, employment, income and health are well documented in the
research literature. Another important area of inquiry, not as well
studied, is the effect of adolescent parenthood on the structure and
function of the young families created by this early, and most often,
out-of-wedlock childbearing. Research topics of interest include, but
are not limited to:
[sbull] The impact of adolescent out-of-wedlock childbearing on the
likelihood of marriage and the stability of marriage.
[sbull] Types of support systems and their viability, other than
marriage, for adolescent parents.
[sbull] The level of satisfaction with parenting, over time,
experienced by adolescent parents.
7. Influences on Adolescent Premarital Sexual Behavior. An
important component in developing effective interventions to prevent
adolescent premarital sexual activity, pregnancy and sexually
transmitted infection is an understanding of the factors that influence
adolescent sexual behavior. While research over the past few decades
has contributed substantially to this understanding, the complexity and
variability of these factors--and the interplay among them--still
warrants continued study. For the purposes of this announcement, such
factors include, but are not limited to:
[sbull] Demographic, economic, social and psychological
characteristics of the adolescent.
[sbull] Family, peers, media, and other social factors.
[[Page 36994]]
[sbull] An older sibling who is an adolescent parent.
[sbull] Community, neighborhood, school, faith-based organizations
and other social institutions.
II. Award Information
The OPA intends to make available approximately $750,000 in Fiscal
Year (FY) 2003 to support an estimated 3 to 4 new research grants, up
to a maximum of $250,000 each--including both direct and indirect
costs. Section 2008(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act stipulates
that a grant for any one year period may not exceed $100,000 for the
direct costs of conducting research activities. However, this
limitation may be waived if we determine that exceptional circumstances
warrant such waiver and that the project will have national impact.
(Although section 2008(a)(3) also allows for waiver of this limitation
where limited demonstration projects are conducted in order to provide
data for research, the OPA does not intend to fund such projects under
this announcement.) OPA intends to fund research under this
announcement only if it will have national impact. Therefore,
applications will be reviewed for research that will have national
impact and, in cases where direct costs exceed the $100,000 limit,
whether the applicant has established that those costs constitute an
exceptional circumstance because they are necessary to carry out the
research project.
Grants will be funded in annual increments (budget periods) and may
be funded for a project period of up to three years. A match of non-
Federal funds will not be required. Funding for all approved budget
periods beyond the first year is contingent upon the availability of
funds, satisfactory progress on the project, and adequate stewardship
of Federal funds.
The OPA, subject to the availability of funds, intends to convert
this Request for Applications (RFA) to a Standing Announcement, with
one annual application receipt date of January 15, beginning in FY
2004.
III. Eligibility Information
Any public agency or private non-profit or for-profit organization
or institution of higher education which may be located in any State,
the District of Columbia, or any United States territory, commonwealth,
or possession, is eligible to apply for a grant under this
announcement. Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for these
Adolescent Family Life research grants.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Applications must be submitted on the research application form PHS
398 (revised 5/01) available in the business or grants and contracts
office at most academic and research institutions; this form is also
available online at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm.
Applicants are encouraged to read all PHS Form 398 instructions
prior to preparing an application in response to this announcement.
As explained in the form PHS 398 instructions, the RFA label,
available in the PHS 398 application form, must be stapled to the
bottom of the face page of the application and must display the RFA
title. In addition, the RFA title must be typed on line 2 of the face
page of the application form and the YES box must be marked.
To receive consideration, applications must be received by the
Center for Scientific Review, NIH, by the deadline listed in the Dates
section of this announcement, July 22, 2003. Applications will be
considered as meeting the deadline if they are postmarked on or before
the deadline date and are received in time for orderly processing. A
legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service
will be accepted in lieu of a postmark. Private metered postmarks will
not be accepted as proof of timely mailing. Applications meeting the
eligibility criteria, application content criteria and deadline will be
notified via the PHS-3038-1, Application Receipt Record. Applications
that do not meet the deadline will not be accepted for review, and will
be returned. Applications sent via facsimile or by electronic mail will
not be accepted for review.
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that
includes a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name,
address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, and the
title of this RFA. 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 OPA staff to
estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
The letter of intent should be sent to Eugenia Eckard, at the
address listed under the ``Agency Contacts'' section below, by June 23,
2003.
Review Under Executive Order 12372
This program is not subject to the review requirements of Executive
Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
Program Requirements/Application Content
This notice seeks applications for applied research addressing
Adolescent Family Life program goals. Applications should include the
following:
(1) A well-organized statement of the problem to be addressed;
(2) A detailed description of the research design;
(3) The conceptual framework within which the design has been
developed;
(4) The methodology to be employed;
(5) The evidence upon which the analysis will rely; and
(6) The manner in which the evidence will be analyzed.
Applications should also clearly address how findings from the
proposed study will have direct application for programs designed to
prevent premarital adolescent sexual activity and promote adolescent
and family health and well being.
V. Application Review Information
Eligible applications in response to this announcement will be
reviewed, in competition with other submitted applications, by a panel
of independent peer reviewers and assessed according to the following
criteria:
(1) Scientific Merit. Are the conceptual framework, design,
methods, and analyses adequately developed and appropriate to the goals
of the project? (25 points)
(2) Significance. Will a scientific advance result if the project
is carried out? Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches, or
methods? (25 points)
(3) Feasibility and Likelihood of Producing Meaningful Results. Are
the plans for organizing and carrying out the project, including the
responsibilities of key staff, the time line, and the proposed project
period, adequately specified and appropriate? (20 points)
(4) Competency of Staff. Are the principal investigator, and other
key research staff, appropriately trained and well suited to carry out
this project? (10 points)
(5) Adequacy of Facilities and Resources. Are the facilities and
resources of the applicant institution and other study sites adequate?
(10 points)
(6) Adequacy of Budget. Is the budget reasonable and adequate in
relation to the proposed project? (10 points)
Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered by the
reviewers in assigning the overall score. Final grant award decisions
will be made by the Deputy Assistant Secretary
[[Page 36995]]
for Population Affairs on the basis of priority score, program
relevance, and availability of funds.
VI. Award Administration Information
OPA does not release information about individual applications
during the review process until final funding decisions have been made.
When these decisions have been made, applicants will be notified by
letter regarding the outcome of their applications. The official
document notifying an applicant that an application has been approved
and granted funding is the Notice of Grant Award, which specifies to
the grantee the amount of money awarded, the purpose of the grant, and
the terms and conditions of the grant award.
VII. Agency Contacts
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Eugenia Eckard,
Office of Population Affairs, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 700,
Rockville, MD 20852; (301) 594-4001; or via Email at
eeckard@osophs.dhhs.gov. Direct inquiries regarding fiscal and administrative matters to:
Karen Campbell, Office of Grants Management, Office of Public Health
and Science, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20852;
(301) 594-0758; or via Email at kcampbell@osophs.dhhs.gov.
Dated: June 16, 2003.
Alma L. Golden,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-15579 Filed 6-19-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-30-P