U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Supporting the Implementation of Malaria Prevention and Control Strategies and Relevant Ancillary Activities in the Republic of Uganda as part of the President’s Malaria Initiative

 

Announcement Type: New – Type 1

Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-CK08-801

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.283

Key Dates:

Application Deadline: May 27, 2008

 

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Authority: This program is authorized under sections 307 and 317(k)(2) of the Public Health Service Act, [42 U.S.C. sections 242l and 247b(k)(2)], as amended.

 

Background: On June 30, 2005, President Bush pledged to increase U.S. Government funding for malaria prevention and treatment by more than $1 billion over five years.  The President made this commitment through the G-8 process as the U.S. contribution to a larger international effort needed to reduce malaria deaths, and called on other donors, foundations, private, public, and voluntary organizations to match U.S. commitments by providing $1.2 billion annually in additional funding by 2008. 

 

The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) will more than triple the current U.S. funding of programs to prevent and treat malaria in Africa, and is in addition to the $200 million each year the United States spends today on malaria prevention, treatment, and research.  It will increase U.S. funding for malaria to more than $500 million annually. 

 

The U.S. Government is also currently supporting malaria control and prevention through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund has invested over $1 billion over two years in activities to prevent and control malaria, roughly one-third underwritten by the Unites States.  Additional resources through the President’s Malaria Initiative will complement those of the Global Fund, the World Bank's malaria program, and national and international malaria-control efforts.

 

The President’s Malaria Initiative began in three countries in 2006: Angola, Tanzania, and Uganda. The program expanded to four new countries in 2007: Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Senegal, and to another eight new countries in 2008: Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, and Zambia, which brought the total number of PMI countries to fifteen.  A U.S. Government inter-agency group selected the PMI countries according to an agreed-upon set of criteria, including significant burden of malaria; national policies and practices for malaria control consistent with international guidelines; country capacity to achieve large-scale impact; the involvement of other public and private donors; U.S. Government on-ground presence; performance in other malaria programs, including grants awarded by the Global Fund; and demonstrated political will by national Government leadership to mount a comprehensive effort to control malaria.  

 

The goal of the President’s Malaria Initiative is to accomplish the following after three years of full program implementation:

·        Reduce malaria deaths in each of the target countries by 50 percent; 

·        Achieve 85-percent coverage of proven malaria prevention, control and treatment interventions among groups at particularly high risk of malaria,  including children, pregnant women, refugee and internally displaced populations, and people living with HIV/AIDS;

·        Procure directly drugs and other commodities and provide training and technical assistance needed to achieve these objectives. 

 

Specific interventions are to include the following:

  • Expanding access to long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor household residual spraying with approved insecticides to greatly reduce the transmission of malaria;
  • Providing effective treatment of malaria through the prompt use of artemisinin-containing combination therapies, supported by information and education campaigns in local languages to improve access and delivery of care;
  • Providing effective, internationally agreed-upon priority interventions for addressing malaria in pregnancy, which contributes to low birth weight and deaths among infants.  Key interventions include intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp), and the provision of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs).

 

Please see http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050630-8.html for more information on the President’s announcement, and http://www.fightingmalaria.gov for the website of the President’s Malaria Initiative.

 

Purpose: The purpose of the program is to support the implementation of strategies to prevent and control malaria, and relevant ancillary activities (e.g., baseline evaluation, training, ongoing monitoring and program evaluation) in the Republic of Uganda with the possibility of expansion to other countries included in the PMI.  This program addresses the “Healthy People 2010” focus area of Immunization and Infectious Diseases.

 

 

Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the numerical goals of the President’s Malaria Initiative and the following performance goal for the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED) within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Protect Americans from infectious diseases.

 

This announcement is only for non-research activities supported by HHS/CDC as part of the President’s Malaria Initiative. If an applicant proposes research, HHS/CDC will not review the application.  For the definition of “research”, please see the HHS/CDC Web site, at the following Internet address:  http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/regs/hrpp/researchDefinition.htm

 

Activities:

Awardee activities for this program are as follows:

  • In collaboration with the National Drug Administration (NDA), develop and maintain a viable pharmacovigilance system for anti-malarial drugs in Uganda.  This can include, but is not limited to the following: training staff, health-care workers and key community leaders; supervision, the collection and analysis of data; and community sensitization in local languages.
  • Improve case management of febrile illness in Uganda. This can include, but is not limited to the following: developing diagnostic capacity for malaria by supporting comprehensive training in malaria microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests for health-care workers at health centers.
  • In collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program, strengthen malaria surveillance activities in Uganda. This can include, but is not limited to the following: establishment and maintenance of a sentinel site surveillance network for the provision of quality data on malaria morbidity and mortality.
  • Evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of anti-malarial drugs to provide timely, relevant, reliable, and understandable information to help guide Ugandan Government policy concerning those drugs.

 

When proposing and implementing the requested activities, the applicant agrees to follow the following framework:

  • Applicants, in collaboration with appropriate non-governmental partners, including faith-based organizations, must base their activities on the one-year work plans and five-year strategies developed in partnership with the U.S. Government interagency teams for Uganda (and those in any other targeted countries of the President’s Malaria Initiative, if the work under this announcement expands beyond Uganda), and plan to implement, in collaboration with appropriate partner organizations in Uganda, the priority malaria-prevention activities identified through the PMI planning process.
  • The applicants should not duplicate existing efforts.  For each proposed activity, the grantee will give priority to evidence-based, yet culturally adapted, innovative approaches.
  • The applicants should implement all activities in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and other PMI in-country partners and in accordance with current NMCP policies.

 

Administration

The awardee must comply with all HHS management requirements for meeting participation and progress and financial reporting for this cooperative agreement.  (See HHS Activities and Reporting sections below for details.) 

 

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

 

HHS/CDC activities for this program are as follows:

  • Coordinate the involvement of PMI and other partners in the implementation and review of the grantee’s activities.
  • Organize an orientation meeting with the grantee to brief it on applicable U.S. Government, PMI, and HHS expectations, regulations and key management requirements, as well as report formats and contents.  The orientation could include meetings with staff from HHS agencies and PMI leadership and technical staff.
  • Review and approve the process used by the grantee to select key personnel and/or post-award subcontractors and/or subgrantees to be involved in the activities performed under this agreement.
  • Review and approve the grantee’s annual work plan and detailed budget.
  • Review and approve the grantee’s monitoring and evaluation plan. 
  • Meet on a monthly basis with the grantee to assess monthly expenditures in relation to approved work plan and modify plans, as necessary.
  • Meet on a quarterly basis with the grantee to assess quarterly technical and financial progress reports and modify plans as necessary.
  • Meet on an annual basis with the grantee to review annual progress report for each U.S. Government Fiscal Year, and to review annual work plans and budgets for subsequent year.
  • Provide technical assistance, as mutually agreed upon, and revise annually during validation of the first and subsequent annual work plans.  This could include expert technical assistance and targeted training activities in specialized areas, such as strategic information and project management.
  • Assist with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data generated by the project.
  • Assist with the development and implementation of training components of the project.
  • Provide in-country administrative support to help the grantee meet U.S. Government financial and reporting requirements.

 

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. 

HHS/CDC’s involvement in this program is listed in the Activities Section above.

Award Mechanism: U51 – Infectious Disease Assessments of Prevention, Control, and Elimination

Fiscal Year Funds: 2008

Approximate Current Fiscal Year Funding: $850,000

Approximate Total Project Period Funding: $ 4,500,000 (This amount is an estimate, and is subject to availability of funds). This amount includes both direct and indirect costs. 

Approximate Number of Awards: One.

Approximate Average Award: $ 850,000 (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes both direct and indirect costs)

Floor of Individual Award Range: None.

Ceiling of Individual Award Range: None. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 01, 2008

Budget Period Length: 12 months.

Project Period Length: Five years.

Throughout the project period, HHS/CDC’s commitment to continuation of awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient toward the numerical goals of the President’s Malaria Initiative (as documented in required reports), and the determination continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government.

 

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible applicants

Eligible applicants that can apply for this funding opportunity appear 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 and minority-and women-owned businesses;

·        Universities;

·        Colleges;

·        Research institutions;

·        Hospitals;

·        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;

·        U.S. 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); and

·        Political subdivisions of U.S. States (in consultation with U.S. States)

A Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by a U.S. State as eligible to submit an application under the State eligibility in lieu of a State application.  If an organization applies as a bona fide agent of a U.S. State or local Government, it must have a letter from the State or local Government as documentation of the status.  Applicants should attach this documentation with “Other Attachment Forms” when submitting via www.grants.gov.   

 

III.2. Cost-Sharing or Matching

Matching funds are not required for this program. Although matching funds are not required, leveraging of additional funds to contribute to achieving the numerical goals of the President’s Malaria Initiative is highly desirable.  If applicants receive funding from other sources to underwrite the same or similar activities, or anticipate receiving such funding in the next 12 months, they must detail how the disparate streams of financing complement each other.  

 

III.3. Other

If applicants request funding amount greater than the ceiling of the award range, HHS/CDC will consider the application non-responsive, and it will not enter into the review process.  HHS/CDC will notify the applicant that the application did not meet the submission requirements.

 

Special Requirements:

If the application is incomplete or non-responsive to the special requirements listed in this section, it will not enter into the review process.  HHS/CDC staff will notify the applicant the application did not meet the submission requirements.

·           HHS/CDC will consider late applications non-responsive.  See section “IV.3. Submission Dates and Times” for more information on deadlines.

·           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.

 

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

To apply for this funding opportunity, use application form PHS 5161-1.

 

Electronic Submission:

HHS/CDC strongly encourages the applicant to submit the application electronically by using the forms and instructions posted for this announcement on www.grants.gov, the official Federal agency-wide E-grant Web site.  Only applicants who apply on-line may forego paper-copy submission of all application forms.

 

Registering your organization through www.grants.gov is the first step in submitting applications online. Registration information appears in the “Get Started” screen of www.grants.gov.  While submission through www.grants.gov is optional, we strongly encourage you to use this online tool.

 

Please visit www.grants.gov at least 30 days prior to filing your application to familiarize yourself with the registration and submission processes. Under “Get Started”, the one-time registration process will take three to five days to complete. We suggest submitting electronic applications prior to the closing date so if you encounter difficulties, you can submit a hard copy of the application prior to the deadline.

 

Paper Submission:

Application forms and instructions are available on the HHS/CDC Web site, at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/app_and_forms.shtm

 

If access to the Internet is not available, or if you have difficulty in accessing the forms on-line, contact the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section (PGO-TIMS) staff at 1-770-488-2700, who can mail the application forms to you.

 

IV.2. Content and Form of Submission

Abstract:

Applicants must submit a Project Abstract with the application forms, in the following format:

  • Maximum of one page;
  • Font size: 12-point, unreduced, Times New Roman;
  • Single-spaced;
  • Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches; and
  • Page-margin size: One inch.

 

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 the applicant intends to employ.  It should be informative to other persons who are 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. 

 

Application: Applicants must submit a project narrative with the application forms, in the following format:

  • Maximum number of pages: 25. If your narrative exceeds the page limit, HHS/CDC will only review the first pages within the page limit;
  • Font size: 12-point, unreduced;
  • Single-spaced;
  • Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches;
  • Page margin size: One inch;
  • Number all pages of the application sequentially from page one (Application Face Page) to the end of the application, including charts, figures, tables, and appendices;
  • Printed only on one side of page; and
  • Held together only by rubber bands or metal clips; not bound in any other way.

 

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

  • Understanding of Requirements and Needs;
  • Applicant’s Experience;
  • Collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and understanding of NMCP policies;
  • Objectives;
  • Plan of Operations;
  • Evaluation Plan, including Performance Methods;

·        Timeline;

  • Staff; and
  • Budget Justification (the budget justification count in the stated page limit).

 

Applicants may include additional information in the application appendices, which will not count toward the page limit.  This additional information includes the following:

·        Curricula Vitae;

·        Résumés;

·        Organizational charts;

·        Letters of support;

·        Existing malaria-related training curriculum or plans; and

·        Synopsis of malaria-related work or project.

 

An agency or organization must have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the Federal government.  The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities.  Obtaining a DUNS number is easy, and there is no charge. 

To obtain a DUNS number, access the Dun and Bradstreet website or call 1-866-705-5711. 

 

Additional requirements that could require submittal of additional documentation with the application appear in section “VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.”

 

IV.3. Submission Dates and Times

Application Deadline Date: May 27, 2008

 

Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be received in the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office must receive applications by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date. 

 

Applicants may submit their proposals electronically at www.grants.gov.  Applications completed on-line through Grants.gov are considered formally submitted when the applicant organization’s Authorizing Organization Representative (AOR) electronically submits the application to www.grants.gov.  Electronic applications will be considered as having met the deadline if the application has been successfully submitted electronically by the applicant organization’s AOR to Grants.gov on or before the deadline date and time.

 

If an applicant submits electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), the application will be electronically time/date stamped and a tracking number will be assigned, which will serve as receipt of submission.  The AOR will receive an e-mail notice of receipt when HHS/CDC receives the application.

 

If an applicant submits by the United States Postal Service or commercial delivery service, the applicant must ensure that the carrier will be able to guarantee delivery by the closing date and time.  The applicant will be given the opportunity to submit documentation of the carrier’s guarantee, if HHS/CDC receives the submission after the closing date 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.  If the documentation verifies a carrier problem, HHS/CDC will consider the submission as having been received by the deadline. 

 

If an applicant submits a hard copy application, HHS/CDC will not notify the applicant upon receipt of the submission.  If questions arise on the receipt of the application, the applicant should first contact the carrier.  If the applicant still has questions, contact the PGOTIMS staff, at 1-770-488-2700.  The applicant should wait two to three days after the submission deadline before calling; to allow time for HHS/CDC to process and log submissions.

 

This announcement is the definitive guide on the content of project abstracts and applications, submission address, and deadline.  It supersedes information provided in the application instructions.  If the application submission does not meet the deadline above, it will not be eligible for review.  The application face page will be returned by HHS/CDC with a written explanation of the reason for non-acceptance.  HHS/CDC will notify the applicant the application did not meet the submission requirements. 

 

IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications

The application is subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, as governed by Executive Order (EO) 12372.  This order sets up a system for U.S. State and local governmental review of proposed Federal assistance applications.  Contact your U.S. State Single Point-of-Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert the SPOC to prospective applications, and to receive instructions on your State’s process.  Visit the following Web address to get the current SPOC list:   http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html

 

IV.5. Funding restrictions

Restrictions, which applicants must take into account while writing the budget, are as follows:

  • Recipients may not use funds for research.
  • Recipients may not use funds for clinical care.
  • Recipients may only expend funds for reasonable program purposes, including personnel, travel, supplies, and services, such as contractual. 
  • Awardees may not generally use HHS/CDC/ATSDR funding for the purchase of furniture or equipment.  Any such proposed spending must be identified in the budget.
  • The direct and primary recipient in a cooperative agreement program must perform a substantial role in carrying out project objectives, and not merely serve as a conduit for an award to another party or provider who is ineligible.
  • Reimbursement of pre-award costs is not allowed.
  • The costs generally allowable in grants to domestic organizations are allowable to foreign institutions and international organizations, with the exception of the American University of Beirut, the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and the World Health Organization.  HHS/CDC will not pay indirect costs (either directly or through sub-award) to organizations located outside the territorial limits of the United States, or to international organizations, regardless of their location.

·        The applicant may contract with other organizations under this program; however the applicant must perform a substantial portion of the activities (including program management and operations, and delivery of prevention interventions for which funds are required).

  • Applicants shall state all requests for funds contained in the budget in U.S. dollars.  After making an award, HHS/CDC will not compensate foreign grantees for currency-exchange fluctuations through the issuance of supplemental awards.
  • You must obtain annual audit of these HHS/CDC funds (program-specific audit) by a U.S.-based audit firm with international branches and current licensure/authority in-country, and in accordance with International Accounting Standards or equivalent standard(s) approved in writing by HHS/CDC.
  • Foreign recipients are subject to audit requirements specified in 45 CFR 74.26(d). A non-Federal audit is required, if during the recipients fiscal year, the recipient expended a total of $500,000.00 or more under one or more HHS awards (as a direct recipient and/or as a subrecipient). The recipient either may have (1) A financial related audit (as defined in the Government Auditing Standards, GPO stock#020-000-00-265-4) of a particular award in accordance with Government Auditing Standards, in those cases where the recipient receives awards under only one HHS program; or, if awards are received under multiple HHS programs, a financial related audit of all HHS awards in accordance with Government Auditing Standards; or (2) An audit that meets the requirements contained in OMB Circular A-133. Please forward a completed audit to the following address:

Procurement and Grants Office
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Attn: Grants Management Officer
2920 Brandywine Road, MS: K-75
Atlanta, GA 30341

If your audit was completed in accordance with number (2) above, in addition to the address above, you are required to send a copy of the audit report to:

Department of Health & Human Services
National External Audit Review Center
Lucas Place, Room 514
323 West 8th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105

  • HHS/CDC can require a fiscal Recipient Capability Assessment, prior to or post award, to review the applicant’s business management and fiscal capabilities regarding the handling of U.S. Federal funds.

 

If an applicant requests indirect costs in the budget, it must submit a copy of the indirect-cost-rate agreement.  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. 

 

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.

 

IV.6. Other Submission Requirements

Application Submission Address:

Electronic Submission:

HHS/CDC strongly encourages applicants to submit applications electronically at www.grants.gov.  The application package can be downloaded from www.grants.gov.  Applicants are able to complete it off-line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov Web site.  HHS/CDC will not accept e-mail submissions.  If the applicant has technical difficulties in Grants.gov, customer service can be reached by e-mail at support@grants.gov or by phone at 1-800-518-4726 (1-800-518-GRANTS).  The Customer Support Center is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. 

 

HHS/CDC recommends that submittal of the application to Grants.gov should be early to resolve any unanticipated difficulties prior to the deadline.  Applicants may also submit a back-up paper submission of the application.  HHS/CDC must receive any such paper submission in accordance with the requirements for timely submission detailed in Section IV.3. of this grant announcement.  Applicants must clearly mark the paper submission as follows:  “BACK-UP FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION.”  The paper submission must conform to all requirements for non-electronic submissions.  If HHS/CDC receives both electronic and back-up paper submissions by the deadline, HHS/CDC will consider the electronic version as the official submission.

 

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 could make the file being unreadable for our staff.

 

Paper Submission:

Applicants may submit the original and two hard copies of the application by mail or express delivery service to:

     Technical Information Management – CDC-CK08-801

     Department of Health and Human Services   

CDC Procurement and Grants Office

2920 Brandywine Road, MS E-14

     Atlanta, GA 30341

 

 

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

Applicants must provide measures of effectiveness that will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified objectives of the cooperative agreement.  Measures of effectiveness must relate to the numerical performance goals of the President’s Malaria Initiative stated in the “Purpose” section of this announcement.  Measures must be objective and quantitative, and must measure the intended outcome.  Applicants must submit the measures of effectiveness with the application, and they will be an element of evaluation.

 

HHS/CDC will review applications against the following criteria:

1.   Plan of Operation (40 points)

a.   Does the applicant key’s personnel have the ability and program skills to develop and carry out the proposed activities, including by undertaking those activities in the appropriate local languages?  Does the applicant show a proven track record in conducting the proposed activities in Africa?

b.   Do the proposed objectives match the priority issues and interventions of the President’s Malaria Initiative, and do they conform to the PMI annual work plan for Uganda?

c.   Are the proposed methods reasonable?  Will they accomplish the project and program goals?  Is the proposed plan reasonable?  Does the timetable incorporate the major numerical milestones of the President’s Malaria Initiative, and have a coherent plan to meet those targets?

d.   Is the plan consistent with best practices in malaria prevention, and with the announced priorities of the President’s Malaria Initiative?

 

2.   Evaluation Plan (20 points)

a.   Does the application include a reasonable and detailed plan for monitoring the implementation of the activities, and for evaluating the extent to which the proposed activities strengthen local and national capacity for malaria prevention and control and the progress towards objectives and numerical targets of the President’s Malaria Initiative in Uganda?

b.   Does the monitoring-and-evaluation plan build on existing monitoring-and-evaluation systems in the project area?  Will it be able to demonstrate progress towards the objectives and numerical targets of the President’s Malaria Initiative in Uganda?

 

3.   Understanding of Requirements and Needs (15 points)

Does the applicant provide a detailed and comprehensive statement of the scope and purpose of the project that demonstrates a complete understanding of the intent and requirements of the cooperative agreement and any potential problems that it might encounter? 

 

4.   Applicant’s Experience (15 points)

Does the applicant have previous experience in working, collaborating, or supporting the Ugandan National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) or the President’s Malaria Initiative?  In what manner and extent?  Does the applicant have existing on-going collaborations with these programs?  Applicants should include letters of support from these programs as appendices to respond to this criterion.

 

5.   Collaboration with the NMCP and understanding of NMCP policies (10 points)

     Are proposed activities involving the NMCP and are in compliance with current NMCP policies?  Does the applicant demonstrate an understanding of current NMCP policies?

 

6.   Budget (not scored)

Is the budget detailed, clear, justified, and does it describe either in-kind or other project support?  Is it consistent with the proposed project activities and the President’s Malaria Initiative?

 

V.2. Review and Selection Process

HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) staff will review applications for completeness and HHS/CDC’s National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED) will review applications for responsiveness.  Incomplete applications and applications that are non-responsive to the eligibility criteria will not advance through the review process, and HHS/CDC staff will notify applicants the applications did not meet submission requirements.

 

An objective review panel will evaluate complete and responsive applications according to the criteria listed in the “V.1.  Criteria” section above.  The objective review panel will be composed of HHS/CDC employees outside of the funding division, and employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and could include both Federal and non-Federal participants.

 

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

September 30, 2008

 

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1. Award Notices

Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA) from the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office.  The NoA shall be the only binding, authorizing document between the recipient and HHS/CDC.  An authorized Grants Management Officer will sign the NoA, and mail it to the recipient fiscal officer identified in the application.

 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review by mail.

 

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Successful applicants must comply with the administrative requirements outlined in 45 CFR Part 74 and Part 92, as appropriate.  The following additional requirements apply to this project:

  • AR-7      Executive Order 12372;
  • AR-8      Public Health System Reporting Requirement;
  • AR-9      Paperwork-Reduction Act Requirements;
  • AR-10     Smoke-Free-Workplace Requirements;
  • AR-11     Healthy People 2010;
  • AR-12     Lobbying Restrictions;
  • AR-14     Accounting-System Requirements;
  • AR-15     Proof of Non-Profit Status;
  • AR-23     States and Faith-Based Organizations;

 

Additional information on the requirements can be found on the HHS/CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/Addtl_Reqmnts.htm

 

CDC Assurances and Certifications can be found on the CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/foamain.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

 

VI.3. Reporting Requirements

The applicant must provide HHS/CDC with an annual interim report via www.grants.gov:

1.  The interim progress report, due no less than 90 days before the end of the budget period. The progress report will serve as the non-competing continuation application, and must contain the following elements:

a.  Standard Form (“SF”) 424S Form.

b.  SF-424A Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs.

c.  Budget Narrative.

d.  Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

e.  Project Narrative.

 

Additionally, the applicant must provide HHS/CDC with an original, plus two hard copies of the following reports:

2.  Quarterly and annual progress report.  Quarterly activity reports will be due 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter (i.e., January 30, April 30, etc ...) and annual activity report will be due no later than 90 days after the end of the budget period.  These reports should contain at least the following elements:

 

Project Description/Summary:

This is a brief description of the project and the goals to be achieved over the life of the project, which could ideally be taken from the original proposal.

Activities/Tasks Completed:

This is a discussion of the activities accomplished during the period. This is not intended to be an itemized list of all the tasks achieved, but should be something that directly relates back to the activities in the work plan.

Results/Accomplishments:

This should reflect the real results or impact of the project achieved over the past year, and how these results contribute to achieving the long-term goals or strategy of the project and the President’s Malaria Initiative.   

Challenges/Issues/Obstacles:

This section should discuss any problems/issues that are facing the project, how the awardee will address them, and if there is any role for HHS/CDC in addressing them. This is a good place to explain why the awardee has not achieved the tasks/activities defined in the work plan, if this is the case.

3.  Final Status Report, due no later than 90 days after the end of the budget period.

4.  Final performance reports, due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.

 

The awardee must mail these reports to the attention of the HHS/CDC Grants Management Specialist listed in the “VII. Agency Contacts” section of this announcement.

 

VII. Agency Contacts

HHS/CDC encourages inquiries concerning this announcement.

For general questions, contact the following:

     Technical Information Management Section

     Procurement and Grants Office

     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

     U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

     2920 Brandywine Road, Mail Stop E-14

     Atlanta, GA 30341

     Telephone: 1-770-488-2700

 

For program technical assistance, contact the following:

        Richard Kahn, Project Officer

National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

        4770 Buford Highway, Mail Stop F-22

Atlanta, GA 30341

        Telephone: 1-770-488-7452

        E-mail:   RKahn@cdc.gov

 

For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact the following:

Steward Nichols, Grants Management Specialist

Procurement and Grants Office

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

2920 Brandywine Road, Mail Stop K-75

Atlanta, GA 30341

        Telephone: 1-770-488-2788

        E-mail: Snichols1@cdc.gov

 

CDC Telecommunications for the hearing impaired or disabled is available at: TTY 1-770-488-2783.

 

VIII. Other Information

Other HHS/CDC funding opportunity announcements are available on the HHS/CDC Web site, at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/FOAs.htm.  They are also available on www.globalhealth.gov.

 

Applicants may access the application process and other awarding documents using the Electronic Research Administration System (eRA Commons).  A one-time registration is required for interested institutions/organizations at http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the eRA Commons.

1.  Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons

2.  Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.

  • The individual designated as the PD/PI on the application must also be registered in the eRA Commons. It is not necessary for PDs/PIs to register with Grants.gov.
  • The PD/PI must hold a PD/PI account in the eRA Commons and must be affiliated with the applicant organization. This account cannot have any other role attached to it other than the PD/PI.
  • This registration/affiliation must be done by the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) or their designee who is already registered in the eRA Commons.
  • Both the PD/PI and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the eRA Commons since both hold different roles for authorization and to view the application process.

Note that if a PD/PI is also an HHS peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.

Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered in the eRA Commons.  HHS/CDC strongly encourages applicants to register to utilize these helpful on-line tools when applying for funding opportunities.

 

CDC Home Page: http://www.cdc.gov

CDC Funding Web Page: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/FOAs.htm  

CDC Forms Web Page: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/app_and_forms.shtm