Grants for Dissertation Awards for Doctoral Candidates for Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research in Minority Communities; Notice of Availability of Funds

A. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

This program is authorized under section 301(a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)] of the Public Health Service Act and section 391 (a) [42 U.S.C. 280b(a)] of the Public Service Health Act, as amended. The catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.136.

B. Purpose

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2003 funds for a grant program for Dissertation Awards for Doctoral Candidates for Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research in Minority Communities. This program addresses the “Healthy People 2010” focus area of Injury and Violence Prevention.

The purposes of the program are to:

1. Solicit research applications that address the priorities reflected under the “Programmatic Requirements.”

2. Build the scientific base for the prevention and control of injuries, disabilities, and deaths disproportionately experienced in minority communities.

3. Encourage doctoral candidates from a wide spectrum of disciplines, including, epidemiology, medicine, biostatistics, public health, law and criminal justice, behavioral and social sciences, to perform research in order to prevent and control injuries more effectively.

4. Assist students in the completion of their dissertation research on a violence-related topic.

5. Encourage investigators to build research careers related to the prevention of violence-related injuries, disabilities, and deaths in minority communities.

A dissertation represents the most extensive research experience formulated and carried out by a doctoral candidate, with the advice and guidance of a mentor (the chair or another member of the dissertation committee). Dissertation research involves a major investment of the doctoral student's time, energy, and interest and its substance is often the basis for launching a research career. This research initiative is aimed at providing students with assistance to complete their dissertation research on a violence-related topic and, thereby, increasing representation of junior investigators in violence-related injury research.

Deaths and injuries associated with interpersonal violence and suicidal behavior are a major public health problem in the United States and around the world. In 1999, more than 46,000 people died from homicide and suicide in the United States. Among 15 to 24 year olds, homicide ranked as the second and the third leading causes of death. Violent deaths are the most visible consequence of violent behavior in our society. Morbidity associated with physical and emotional injuries and disabilities resulting from violence, however, also constitutes an enormous public health problem. For every homicide that occurs each year there are more than 100 non-fatal injuries resulting from interpersonal violence. For every completed suicide it is estimated that there are 20 to 25 suicide attempts. The mortality and morbidity associated with violence are associated with a variety of types of violence including child mistreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, elder abuse, and self-directed violence or suicidal behavior.

Violence has a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minorities. In 1999, homicide was the leading cause of death for African Americans and the second leading cause of death for Hispanics between the ages of 15 and 34. Suicide was the second leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaskan Natives and Asian and Pacific islanders 15 to 34 years of age. It is important to note that existing research indicates that race or ethnicity, per se, is not a risk factor for violent victimization or a cause of violent behavior. Rather, racial or ethnic status is associated with many other factors that do influence the risk of becoming a victim or behaving violently. Nevertheless, racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are at high risk for both violent victimization and perpetration. A better understanding of the factors that contribute to this vulnerability or protection from such risk is important to furthering effective violence prevention programs that address racial and ethnic minorities.

There is a critical need for highly qualified scientists to carry out research on violence that can help in the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective violence prevention programs. In particular, scientists are needed who bring an understanding and sensitivity to the problems of violence as they affect minority communities. The purpose of this extramural research training grant program is to attract young scientists to the field of violence prevention by encouraging doctoral candidates from a variety of disciplines to conduct violence prevention research and hopefully carry this focus on throughout their careers. The number of individuals who are members of minority groups and who are engaged in violence-related injury prevention research is currently small. This research program should also attract young minority scientists to the field of violence research.

Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the following performance goal for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC): Develop new or improved approaches for preventing and controlling death and disability due to injuries.

C. Eligible Applicants

Assistance will be provided to any United States public or private institution. The institution must support an accredited doctoral level training program. The performance site must be domestic.

Applicants must be students in good standing enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program. The applicant must have the authority and responsibility to carry out the proposed project. Applicants must be conducting or intending to conduct research in one of the areas described under the “Research Objectives” in the Program Requirement's section of this announcement. To receive this funding, applicants must have successfully defended their dissertation proposal. This must be verified in a letter of certification from the mentor (the chair or another member of the dissertation committee). CDC requests that, if available, the letter of certification be submitted with the grant application, or before the negotiation and award.

Applications that are incomplete or non-responsive to the below requirements will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. The following are applicant requirements:

1. A principal investigator who has the skill and academic training to conduct the proposed research, and the specific authority to carry out the proposed project.

2. Effective and well-defined working relationships within the performing organization and with outside entities, which will ensure implementation of the proposed activities.

3. The ability to carry out injury-control research projects as defined under Attachment 2 (1.a-c) as posted on the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov.

4. The overall match between the applicant's proposed theme and research objectives and the program priorities as described under the heading, “Program Requirements”.

Note:

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

D. Funds

Availability of Funds

Approximately $100,000 is expected to be available in FY 2003 to five fund approximately five dissertation awards for doctoral candidates. It is expected that the average awards will begin on or about September 1, 2003, and will be made for a 12-month budget and project period. The project period may be extended without additional funds for up to a total of 24 months. The maximum funding level will not exceed $20,000 (including both direct and indirect costs). Applications that exceed the funding caps noted above will be excluded from the competition and returned to the applicant. The availability of Federal funding may vary and is subject to change.

Use of Funds

Training grant funds will not be made available to support the provision of direct patient care including medical and/or psychiatric care. Eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia agreements, as necessary to meet the requirements of the program and strengthen the overall application.

Allowable costs include direct research project expenses, such as interviewer expenses, data processing, participant incentives, statistical consultant services, supplies, dissertation printing costs, and travel to one scientific meeting, if adequately justified. Applicants should include travel costs for one two-day trip to CDC in Atlanta to present research findings. No tuition support is allowed.

Recipient Financial Participation

Matching funds are not required for this program.

E. Program Requirements

In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, the recipient will be responsible for the following activities:

1. Evaluating strategies for disseminating and implementing evidence-based interventions or policies for the prevention of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, youth violence, suicide, and child maltreatment.

2. Evaluating the efficacy, effectiveness, and cost effectiveness of interventions, programs, and policies to prevent intimate partner violence, sexual violence, youth violence, suicide, and child maltreatment.

3. Identifying shared and unique risk and protective factors for the perpetration of intimate partner violence and sexual violence and examine the relationships among these forms of violence and others such as child maltreatment, youth violence, or suicidal behavior.

Other Special Conditions for Dissertation Research Grants

1. The doctoral candidate must be the designated principal investigator. The principal investigator will be responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project with the advice and consultation of the mentor and dissertation committee.

2. The responsible program official for CDC must be informed if there is a change of a mentor. A biographical sketch of the new mentor must be provided for approval by the CDC program official.

3. A dissertation research training grant may not be transferred to another institution, except under unusual and compelling circumstances (such as if the mentor moves to a new institution and both the mentor and the applicant wish to move together).

4. Two copies of the completed dissertation, including abstract, must be submitted to the CDC program official and will constitute the final report of the grant. The dissertation must be officially accepted by the dissertation committee or university official responsible for the candidate's dissertation and must be signed by the responsible university official.

5. Any publications directly resulting from the grant should be reported to the CDC program official. The grantee also should cite receiving support from the NCIPC and CDC, both in the dissertation and any publications directly resulting from the dissertation training grant.

F. Content

Letter of Intent (LOI)

A LOI is optional for this program. The Program Announcement title and number must appear in the LOI. The narrative should be no more than two pages, single-spaced, printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced 12-point font. Your letter of intent will be used to enable CDC to plan the review more effectively and efficiently, and should include the following information: A brief description of the scope and intent of the proposed research work.

Applications

The Program Announcement title and number must appear in the application. Use the information in the Program Requirements, Other Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections to develop the application content. The application will be evaluated on the criteria listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out your program plan. The narrative should be no more than 15 pages, single-spaced, printed on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced 12-point font.

Applications should follow the PHS-398 (Rev. 5/2001) application and Errata sheet (See attachment 3 of this announcement as posted on the CDC Web site). The narrative should consist of the following information:

1. The project's focus that justifies the research needs and describes the scientific basis for the research, the expected outcome, and the relevance of the findings to reduce injury morbidity, mortality, disability, and economic losses. This focus should be based on recommendations in “Healthy People 2010” and the “CDC Injury Research Agenda” and should seek creative approaches that will contribute to a national program for injury control.

2. Specific, measurable, and time-framed objectives.

3. A detailed plan describing the methods by which the objectives will be achieved, including their sequence. A comprehensive evaluation plan is an essential component of the application.

4. A description of the principal investigator's role and responsibilities.

5. A description of all the project staff regardless of their funding source. It should include their title, qualifications, experience, percentage of time each will devote to the project, as well as that portion of their salary to be paid by the grant.

6. A description of those activities related to, but not supported by the grant.

7. A description of the involvement of other entities that will relate to the proposed project, if applicable. It should include commitments of support and a clear statement of their roles.

8. A detailed budget for the grant.

9. An explanation of how the research findings will contribute to the national effort to reduce the morbidity, mortality and disability caused by violence-related injuries within three-five years from project start-up.

Additional Required Materials

The applicant must also submit the following materials, attached to the application as appendices:

1. A letter from the applicant's mentor which:

a. Fully identifies the members of the dissertation committee.

b. Certifies that the mentor has read the application and believes that it reflects the work to be completed in the dissertation. (Letters certifying approval of the dissertation proposal must be received before negotiation and award of the grant.)

c. Certification that the institution's facilities and general environment are adequate to conduct the proposed research.

2. A tentative time line for completion of the research, the dissertation, and the dissertation defense.

3. An official transcript of the applicant's graduate school record showing that the applicant has completed all required course work for the degree with the exception of the dissertation.

4. A statement of the applicant's career goals and intended career trajectory.

5. A biography of the mentor, limited to two pages (use the Biographical Sketch page in application form PHS 398).

G. Submission and Deadline

Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission

The LOI must be received by March 4, 2003. Submit the LOI to the Grants Management Specialist identified in the “Where to Obtain Additional Information” section of this announcement.

Application Forms

Submit the signed original and two copies of PHS 398 (OMB Number 0925-0001)(adhere to the instructions on the Errata Instruction Sheet for PHS 398). Forms are available at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm .

If you do not have access to the Internet, or if you have difficulty accessing the forms on-line, you may contact the CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section (PGO-TIM) at: 770-488-2700. Application forms can be mailed to you.

Submission, Date, Time and Address

The application must be received by 4 p.m. Eastern Time May 8, 2003. Submit the application to: Technical Information Management—PA # 03036, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146.

Applications may not be sent electronically.

CDC Acknowledgment of Application Receipt

A postcard will be mailed by PGO-TIM, notifying you that CDC has received your application.

Deadline

Letters of intent and applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they are received before 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date. Any applicant who sends their application by the United States Postal Service or commercial delivery services must ensure that the carrier will be able to guarantee delivery of the application by the closing date and time. If an application is received after closing due to (1) carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a guarantee for delivery by the closing date and time, or (2) significant weather delays or natural disasters, CDC will upon receipt of proper documentation, consider the application as having been received by the deadline.

Any application that does not meet the above criteria will not be eligible for competition, and will be discarded. The applicant will be notified of their failure to meet the submission requirements.

H. Evaluation Criteria

Application

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by CDC staff for completeness and responsiveness as outlined under the “Eligible Applicants” Section (Items one through four). Incomplete applications and applications that are not responsive will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. It is especially important that the applicant's narrative reflects the project's focus, because the narrative will be used to help determine the responsiveness of the application.

Applications which are complete and responsive may be subjected to a preliminary evaluation (streamline review) by a peer review committee, the Injury Research Grant Review Committee (IRGRC), to determine if the application is of sufficient technical and scientific merit to warrant further review by the IRGRC; CDC will withdraw from further consideration applications judged to be noncompetitive and promptly notify the principal investigator/program director and the official signing for the applicant organization. Those applications judged to be competitive will be further evaluated by a dual review process.

Competing supplemental grant awards may be made, when funds are available, to support research work or activities not previously approved by the IRGRC. Applications should be clearly labeled to denote their status as requesting supplemental funding support. These applications will be reviewed by the IRGRC and the secondary review group.

All awards will be determined by the Director of the NCIPC based on priority scores assigned to applications by the primary review committee IRGRC, recommendations by the secondary review committee of the Science and Program Review Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and Control (ACIPC), consultation with NCIPC senior staff, and the availability of funds. All categories are of equal importance, however, the application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific impact.

1. The primary review will be a peer review conducted by the IRGRC. All applications will be reviewed for scientific merit using current National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria (a scoring system of 100-500 points) to evaluate the methods and scientific quality of the application. Factors to be considered will include:

a. Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field?

b. Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? Does the project include plans to measure progress toward achieving the stated objectives? Is there an appropriate work plan included?

c. Innovation. Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge or advance existing paradigms, or develop new methodologies or technologies?

d. Investigator. Is the principal investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the proposed work appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other significant investigator participants? Is there a prior history of conducting violence-related research?

e. Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Does the proposed research take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support? Is there an appropriate degree of commitment and cooperation of other interested parties as evidenced by letters detailing the nature and extent of the involvement?

f. Ethical Issues. What provisions have been made for the protection of human subjects and the safety of the research environments? How does the applicant plan to handle issues of confidentiality and compliance with mandated reporting requirements, e.g., suspected child abuse? Does the application adequately address the requirements of 45 CFR part 46 for the protection of human subjects? (An application can be disapproved if the research risks are sufficiently serious and protection against risks is so inadequate as to make the entire application unacceptable.) The degree to which the applicant has met the CDC Policy requirements regarding the inclusion of women, ethnic, and racial groups in the proposed research (See Attachment 1, AR-2).

This includes:

(1) The proposed plan for the inclusion of both sexes and racial and ethnic minority populations for appropriate representation.

(2) The proposed justification when representation is limited or absent.

(3) A statement as to whether the design of the study is adequate to measure differences if the proposed research is an intervention study.

(4) A statement as to whether the plans for recruitment and outreach for study participants include the process of establishing partnerships with community(ies) and recognition of mutual benefits.

g. Study Samples. Are the samples sufficiently rigorously defined to permit complete independent replication at another site? Have the referral sources been described, including the definitions and criteria? What plans have been made to include women and minorities and their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research? How will the applicant deal with recruitment and retention of subjects?

h. Dissemination. What plans have been articulated for disseminating findings?

i. Measures of Effectiveness. The Peer Review Panel shall assure that measures set forth in the application are in accordance with CDC's performance plans. How adequately has the applicant addressed these measures?

The IRGRC will also examine the appropriateness of the proposed project budget and duration in relation to the proposed research and the availability of data required for the project.

2. The secondary review will be conducted by the Science and Program Review Subcommittee (SPRS)of the ACIPC. The ACIPC Federal agency experts will be invited to attend the secondary review, and will receive modified briefing books (i.e., project narratives, strengths and weaknesses from summary statements, and project officer's briefing materials). The ACIPC Federal agency experts will be encouraged to participate in deliberations when applications address overlapping areas of research interest so that unwarranted duplication in federally-funded research can be avoided and special subject area expertise can be shared. The NCIPC Division Associate Directors for Science (ADS) or their designees will attend the secondary review in a similar capacity as the ACIPC Federal agency experts to assure that research priorities of the announcement are understood and to provide background regarding current research activities. Only SPRS members will vote on funding recommendations, and their recommendations will be carried to the entire ACIPC for voting by the ACIPC members in closed session. If any further review is needed by the ACIPC, regarding the recommendations of the SPRS, the factors considered will be the same as those considered by the SPRS.

The committee's responsibility is to develop funding recommendations for the NCIPC Director based on the results of the primary review, the relevance and balance of proposed research relative to the NCIPC programs and priorities, and to assure that unwarranted duplication of federally-funded research does not occur. The secondary review committee has the latitude to recommend to the NCIPC Director, to reach over better ranked proposals in order to assure maximal impact and balance of proposed research. The factors to be considered will include:

a. The results of the primary review including the application's priority score as the primary factor in the selection process.

b. The relevance and balance of proposed research relative to the NCIPC programs and priorities.

c. The significance of the proposed activities in relation to the priorities and objectives stated in “Healthy People 2010,” the Institute of Medicine report, “Reducing the Burden of Injury,” and the “CDC Injury Research Agenda.”

d. Budgetary considerations.

I. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

Provide CDC with original plus two copies of:

1. The dissertation, including abstract that will constitute the final Interim Progress Report of the grant.

2. A financial status report, no more than 90 days after the end of the budget period.

3. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days after the end of the project period.

4. At the completion of the project, the grant recipient will submit a short (2,500 to 4,000 words written in non-scientific [laymen's] terms) summary highlighting the findings and their implications for injury prevention programs, policies, environmental changes, etc. The grant recipient will also include a description of the dissemination plan for research findings. This plan will include publications in peer-reviewed journals and ways in which research findings will be made available to stakeholders outside of academia, (e.g., state injury prevention program staff, community groups, public health injury prevention practitioners, and others). CDC will place the summary report and each grant recipient's final report with the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to further the agency's efforts to make the information more available and accessible to the public.

Send all reports to the Grants Management Specialist identified in the Where To Obtain Additional Information section of this announcement.

Additional Requirements:

The following additional requirements are applicable to this program. For a complete description of each, see Attachment 1 of this announcement as posted on the CDC web site.

AR-1 Human Subjects Certification

AR-2 Requirements for inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Research

AR-3 Animal Subjects Requirement

AR-9 Paperwork Reduction Requirements

AR-10 Smoke-Free Workplace Requirement

AR-11 Healthy People 2010

AR-12 Lobbying Restrictions

AR-13 Prohibition on Use of CDC funds for Certain Gun Control Activities

AR-21 Small, Minority, and Women-owned Business

AR-22 Research Integrity

Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

This and other CDC announcements, the necessary applications, and associated forms can be found on the CDC home page Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov. Click on “Funding,” then “Grants and Cooperative Agreements''.

For general questions about this announcement, contact: Technical Information Management, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: 770-488-2700.

For business management assistance, contact: Nancy Pillar, Grants Management Specialist, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2721, E-mail address: nfp6@cdc.gov.

For program technical assistance, contact: Tom Voglesonger, Program Manager, Office of the Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford Highway, NE., Mail Stop K-02, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, Telephone: (770) 488-4823, E-mail address: TVoglesonger@cdc.gov.