[Federal Register: July 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 133)]
[Notices]
[Page 42061-42064]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jy04-69]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
[CFDA 93.145, HRSA 04-076]
Cooperative Agreement for a Twinning Center (CATC)
AGENCIES: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds for a
Cooperative Agreement for the establishment of a Twinning Center (TC)
to support twinning and volunteer activities as part of the
implementation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (the
President's Emergency Plan). The Cooperative Agreement will be awarded
for a 5-year project period.
Program Purpose: The purpose of this funding is to support the
President's Emergency Plan by strengthening human and organizational
capacity through twinning and use of health care volunteers to rapidly
expand the pool of trained providers, managers, and allied health staff
delivering quality HIV/AIDS services to people with HIV/AIDS. Fourteen
countries including 12 in African and two in the Caribbean (Botswana,
C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia),
are the focus of the initiative, based on high HIV burden and limited
country resources. A fifteenth country, outside of Africa and the
Caribbean, will soon
[[Page 42062]]
be added to the initiative. The President's Emergency Plan is intended
to complement other bilateral and international support efforts,
including support through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis,
and Malaria.
Two of the strategies outlined in the President's Emergency Plan
for human and institutional capacity building are twinning and
volunteer activities, which will be implemented through a TC and a
Volunteer Health-Care Corps (VHC), although other strategies, including
other forms of training, will be employed. The volunteer activities
under this program will exist within the twinning partnerships,
although the TC will also coordinate with the activities of target
country volunteers outside of the twinning activities. The guiding
principle for the TC and VHC is that the implementation of this program
will be based on the needs of the targeted country as identified by the
U.S. Government country teams, including Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) field offices and United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) missions.
The definition of ``twinning'' for the purposes of this Notice of
Availability of Funds (NOAF) for a Cooperative Agreement for a Twinning
Center (CATC) is the definition developed by the Canadian Interagency
Coalition on AIDS and Development in its publication Beyond Our
Borders: A Guide to Twinning for HIV/AIDS Organizations: a formal,
substantive collaboration between two similar organizations. ``Formal''
means there is an agreement or contract, verbal or written.
``Substantive'' means the interaction between the twinning partners is
significant and lasts for a period of time. ``Collaboration'' means
that the partner organizations work together on a specific project or
exchange information and skills.
Additionally, the European ESTHER program (Ensemble pour une
Solidarit[eacute] Th[eacute]rapeutique Hospitali[egrave]re en
R[eacute]seau) is a source of a hospital-to-hospital twinning model.
ESTHER is a twinning initiative among hospitals in Western Europe and
developing countries, created in 2002 to encourage the use of anti-
retroviral therapy for people with HIV infection through developing the
capacity of African and Latin American countries to provide treatment
for people living with HIV/AIDS. The basis for this model is an
exchange of expertise and experience in treating HIV/AIDS consisting of
promoting partnerships between hospitals in France, Spain, Italy,
Luxembourg, Belgium and health care facilities in developing countries
with the close involvement of teams among those countries. The winner
of the TC award will be expected to coordinate closely with ESTHER
projects in C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire, Haiti, Mozambique, Tanzania and
Rwanda. Information on the ESTHER program may be found on ``http://www.esther.fr
''.
A centrally-funded TC will broker and facilitate relationships
between twinning partners, plan and fund logistics for the VHC, and
fund in-country twinning partners. The twinning plan will build upon
existing relationships between U.S. and target country institutions as
well as initiate new twinning partnerships.
Eligible Applicants: Public or non-profit private entities,
including schools of medicine, nursing, public health, management and
public administration and academic health sciences centers, community-
based organizations, and faith-based organizations, are eligible to
apply for the TC. All applicants must have substantive experience (for
at least five years) in establishing and monitoring an official
twinning relationship anywhere in the world and providing or
facilitating technical assistance and support on issues related to the
prevention and treatment of HIV, including community outreach, social
support programs, and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission,
and must have substantiated experience with twinning of programs and
institutions in the United States with counterparts overseas.
Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze
data for program monitoring and conduct program evaluation.
Authorizing Legislation: Department of Health and Human Services:
Section 307 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, 42 U.S.C. 242l.
Availability of Funds: Funds are available under the appropriation
included in Pub. L. 108-7 for International HIV/AIDS activities.
Additional funds may be available from funds appropriated to support
the President's Emergency Plan. It is estimated that up to $150,000,000
for up to 5 years may be available to support the TC and twinning
activities in the focus countries. Initially, the TC will receive an
award of up to $1,786,000, of which $893,000 will be for TC operational
activities and $893,000 will be for focus country twinning activities.
The TC will be funded for a six month budget period and a five year
project period. Funding will be made toward the end of September 2004
to cover the six month period through March 2005. During March 2005, an
additional award will be made of up to $4 million for an additional
budget period of one year. This funding will also be for TC operations
activities and focus country twinning activities. Continuation awards
for the TC after the first budget award will be made based upon
satisfactory performance and the availability of Federal funds. Funding
for in-country twinning activities will occur on a specific project
basis, with funding for up to six months and a project period of up to
five years. Continuation funding for specific twinning activities will
be based upon satisfactory performance of existing twinning
partnerships, initiation of new twinning partnerships, and availability
of Federal funds.
Application Deadline: Applications for this cooperative agreement
must be received in the HRSA Grants Application Center (GAC) by close
of business August 12, 2004. Applications shall be considered as
meeting the deadline if they are RECEIVED on or before the deadline
date. One original and two copies of an application will be required.
Applicants are responsible for mailing applications well in advance,
when using all mail services, to ensure that the applications are
received on or before the deadline time and date. Mailed or handcarried
applications received after 5:30 p.m. on the closing date will be
classified as late. Grant applications received after the deadline will
be returned.
Late applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria
above are considered late applications. Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) shall notify each late applicant that its
application will not be considered in the current competition.
The Chief Grants Management Officer (CGMO) or a higher level
designee may authorize an extension of published deadlines when
justified by circumstances such as acts of God (e.g. floods or
hurricanes), widespread disruptions of mail service, or other
disruptions of services, such as a prolonged blackout. The authorizing
official will determine the affected geographical area(s).
Electronic Submission: HRSA encourages applicants to submit
applications on-line. To register and/or log-in to prepare your
application, go to https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/login.asp. For
assistance in using the on-line application system, call 877-GO4-HRSA
(877-464-4772) between 8:30 am to 5:30 pm ET or e-mail
callcenter@hrsa.gov.
Application narratives and spreadsheets will need to be created
separately and submitted as attachments to the application. You will be
prompted to ``upload'' your attachments
[[Page 42063]]
at strategic points within the application interface. The following
document types will be accepted as attachments: WordPerfect (.wpd),
Microsoft Word (.doc), Microsoft Excel (.xls), Rich Text Format (.rtf),
Portable Document Format (.pdf).
To look for funding opportunities, go to http://www.hrsa.gov/grants
and follow the links.
DUNS Number: All applicants are now required to have a Dun and
Bradstreet (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement
from the Federal Government. To obtain a DUNS number, access
http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please include the
DUNS number next to OMB Approval Number on the application face page.
Applications will not be reviewed without a DUNS number.
Additionally, the applicant organization will be required to
register with the Federal Government's Central Contractor Registry
(CCR) in order to do business with the Federal Government, including
electronic. Information about registering with the CCR can be found at
http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.htm.
Where to Request and Send an Application: To prepare and submit an
application, organizations must obtain: (1) the CATC Program Guidance
and (2) the official Federal grant application kit required for these
cooperative agreements, PHS Form 5161-1. The Program Guidance is
available on the HIV/AIDS Bureau Web site at the following Internet
address: http://www.hab.hrsa.gov/grant.htm The PHS Form 5161-1 is available at the following Internet address: http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/forms.htm.
The SF 424 is available at the following Internet
addresses: http://forms99.psc.gov/Forms/sf-424_2.htm. For those
organizations who do not have access to the Internet, hard copies of
the Program Guidance, PHS Form 5161-1 and SF 424 may be obtained from
the HRSA GAC. You can reach the HRSA GAC toll-free at (877) 477-2123,
fax (877) 477-2345, or email: hrsagac@hrsa.gov. Please request the
Office of Management and Budget Catalogue of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number 93.145, HRSA 04-076 and Program Code CATC.
Notification of Letter of Intent: Letters of intent to apply are
not required.
ADDRESSES: All Cooperative Agreement applications should be mailed or
delivered to: HRSA Grant Application Center, 901 Russell Avenue, Suite
450, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879. Applications sent to any other
address will be returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information on the TC and
the HRSA/DHHS technical assistance portion of the Cooperative Agreement
may be obtained from Thurma Goldman, MD, MPH, HIV/AIDS Bureau, at (301)
443-1993; fax (301) 443-9645; e-mail: tgoldman@hrsa.gov; mail HIV/AIDS
Bureau, HRSA 5600 Fishers Lane, Parklawn Building, Room 7-13,
Rockville, Maryland 20857 or Mr. Robert Soliz, (301) 443-0349, at the
same address.
Pre-Application Technical Assistance Conference Call: There will be
a pre-application technical assistance conference call with potential
applicants approximately 10 days after publication of the Notice of
Availability of Funds (NOAF) for the CATC. The conference call will be
with HRSA and USAID officials familiar with the NOAF requirements. The
purpose of the call will be to answer questions which potential
applicants may have about the application guidance or questions about
completing the application. All questions to be discussed at the
conference call must be submitted in advance of the call to HRSA, by
fax, e-mail, or regular mail. Questions should be submitted to: Thurma
Goldman, M.D., M.P.H., Program Director, Global HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS
Bureau, HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7-13, Rockville, MD 20857, at
(301-443-1993; fax: 301-443-9645; e-mail: TGoldman@hrsa.gov. To find
out the exact date and time of the technical assistance conference
call, and timeframe for submission of questions, please call the HRSA's
HIV/AIDS Bureau main office on (301) 443-1993.
Technical Oversight of the Cooperative Agreement: The HHS/HRSA
Project Officer, with assistance from the U.S. Government country
teams, including USAID missions and HHS/CDC field staff, will provide
technical oversight of this cooperative agreement. This will include
(1) oversight and management of the cooperative agreement activities
associated with the operation and management of the TC and VHC and (2)
oversight of the activities associated with the award and monitoring of
funds for in-country twinning partners and volunteer activities. HHS/
HRSA will receive strategic direction for this cooperative agreement
from the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator. This guidance will
provide overall direction for the TC's goals and objectives in the
development and implementation of partnerships.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cooperative Agreements are a type of Federal
assistance that involves a substantial level of government
participation in funded activities. Under the cooperative agreement,
HRSA requires that certain activities be planned jointly and include
approval from HRSA. HRSA responsibilities will be in the following
areas:
a. Provide consultation and technical assistance in planning,
operation, and evaluation activities, including the identification and
selection of in-country partners;
b. Facilitate the coordination and collaboration among program
partners, such as USAID, HHS and U.S. Government country teams;
c. Facilitate efforts in the provision of technical assistance and
training in twinning to specified individuals and organizations;
d. Participate, as appropriate, in the planning and implementation
of any meetings, training activities, or workgroups conducted during
the period of the cooperative agreement;
e. Provide technical assistance to the TC to increase its capacity
to succeed in this international collaboration;
f. Maintain an ongoing dialogue with the TC concerning program
plans, policies, and other issues which have major implications for any
activities undertaken by the applicants under the cooperative
agreement;
g. Review, provide comments, recommendations, and approvals for
documents, curricula, program plans, budgets, work to be contracted
out, key personnel (including consultants and contractors), workplan
revisions, etc., prior to printing, dissemination or implementation;
and
h. Provide feedback to the TC on quarterly and other reports; and
i. Serve as the official interface between the Federal Agencies
involved in the Twinning Center activities.
Detailed information on grantee responsibilities is provided in the
application guidance.
The applicant receiving the award will be required to submit
quarterly reports, a mid-term report during the 30th month of the
project, and a final report at the end of the project. Additionally,
the TC must provide information to the country U.S. Government focus
country teams, including the HHS field offices and USAID missions, to
enable them to provide six month reports on the President's Emergency
Plan indicators.
The applicant receiving the award will not be required to match or
share in project costs. Any matching or cost sharing will not be
considered as part of the selection decision.
[[Page 42064]]
This program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372,
as implemented by 45 CFR 100. Executive Order 12372 allows States the
option of setting up a system for reviewing applications from within
their States for assistance under certain Federal programs. Application
packages made available under this Guidance will contain a listing of
States which have chosen to set up such a review system and will
provide a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for the State's review.
Information on states affected by this program and State Points of
Contact may also be obtained from the Grants Management Specialist
cited in the application guidance, as well as at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. All applicants other
than federally recognized American Indian tribes should contact their
SPOCs as early as possible to alert them to prospective applications
and receive any necessary instruction on the State process used under
this Executive Order.
The activities proposed to be implemented through this award are
not considered to be research activities.
Non-Federal reviewers will participate in the review of submitted
applications. Applicants have the option of omitting from the
application copies (but not from the original) specific salary rates or
amounts for individuals specified in the application budget and Social
Security Numbers, if otherwise required for individuals. The copies may
include summary salary information.
Review Process: Applications submitted in response to this NOAF
will be reviewed for threshold criteria and technical merit by an
Objective Review Committee. Each application must address and apply for
both aspects of the TC: (a) Brokering, facilitation, and management of
twinning partners; and (b) funding of in-country twinning and volunteer
activity. The threshold criteria are: (1) Need (10 points); (2)
Response (30 points); (3) Evaluative Measures (10 points); (4) Impact
(10 points); (5) Resources/Capabilities (30 points); and (6) Support
Requested (10 points). Technical Merit criteria are more completely
defined in the Application Kit.
Paperwork Reduction Act: Should there be any data collection
activities associated with this Cooperative Agreement that fall under
the purview of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, then OMB clearance
will be sought.
Dated: June 25, 2004.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 04-15758 Filed 7-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P