U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Collaboration for improving and promoting standardized cancer staging using the collaborative staging system
Announcement Type: New
Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-DP08-808
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.068
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: August 11, 2008
This announcement contains the following information:
Authority: This program is authorized under section 317(k)(2) of the Public Health Service Act, [42 U.S.C. section (247b (k)(2)).
Purpose: The purpose of the program is to promote the development of standardized staging for use in cancer surveillance and to support the evaluation, maintenance, and updating of cancer staging applications.
Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one (or more) of the following performance goal(s) for the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion:
This announcement is only for non-research activities supported by CDC. If research is proposed, the application will not be reviewed. For the definition of research, please see the CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/regs/hrpp/researchDefinition.htm
Activities:
Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
Recipient Activities
In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.
CDC activities for this program are as follows:
a. Participate in a post-award meeting to share information, clarify expectations, and establish routine meetings to discuss issues and report progress.
b. Participate in collaborative staging steering committee activities related to the accuracy and completeness of the intellectual content of the collaborative staging system, the codes and descriptions, the mappings, the general instructions, and the behavior of the algorithm.
c. Provide programmatic consultation and guidelines for monitoring activities, including providing support for collecting literature and other relevant materials.
d. Monitor and attend educational conferences, meetings, and workshops where collaborative staging is promoted.
e. Provide technical support to maintain and update the collaborative staging computer algorithm to support the ability of the collaborative staging system to classify data in the most current staging schemas.
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement.
CDC’s involvement in this program is listed in the Activities Section above.
Award Mechanism: U-58 Chronic Disease Control Cooperative Agreement
Fiscal Year Funds: 2008
Approximate Current Fiscal Year Funding: $299,000 (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes direct and indirect costs.)
Approximate Total Project Period Funding: $1,495,000 (This amount is an estimate, is subject to availability of funds. and includes direct and indirect costs.
Approximate Number of Awards: One
Approximate Average Award: $299,000 (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: 9/14/2008
Budget Period Length: 12 months
Project Period Length: 5 years
Throughout the project period, CDC’s commitment to continuation of awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports), and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.
Competition for this award/announcement is limited to eligible entities described below.
· Applicants must have prior experience in developing, updating and maintaining the Collaborative Staging (CS) system.
· The purpose of the program is to promote the development of standardized staging for use in cancer surveillance nationally and to support the evaluation, maintenance, and updating of cancer staging applications. Successful accomplishment of these goals requires applicant organizations providing overall management and coordination of these CS activities to have a nationwide organizational infrastructure.
· Applicants with a nationwide organizational infrastructure will be in a unique position to demonstrate the capacity to partner with and bring together organizations from across the country in order to satisfy required activities, including developing a national CS committee comprised of all cancer surveillance standard setting agencies, and others with expert-level knowledge of current and past cancer staging systems, and of cancer registry operations and standards.
· Applicants with a nationwide organizational infrastructure will be in a unique position to satisfy required activities including disseminating current information related to changes in the CS system to all constituents and users.
III.1. Eligible Applicants:
· Nonprofit with 501C3 IRS status (other than institution of higher education)
· Nonprofit without 501C3 IRS status (other than institution of higher education)
· Universities or Colleges
· Research institutions
Cancer data collected by state cancer registries enable public health professionals to understand and address the cancer burden more effectively. CDC provides support for states to maintain population-based cancer registries that provide high-quality data. Cancer staging is part of the data collected by state cancer registries. Cancer staging is defined as the classification of patients into prognostically similar groups according to the extent of disease. For surveillance purposes, this information is required to determine survival by stage, evaluate interventions such as treatment, screening, and concordance with treatment guidelines, and to compare information across populations and over time, as well as to support program planning and administration. The Collaborative Staging System is a set of data items that describe how far a cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis. Using a computer algorithm this data is classified into multiple staging systems including the AJCC T-N-M and SEER Summary Stage groupings which is required by the National Program of Cancer Registries.
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing or matching funds are not required for this program.
III.3. Other
CDC will accept and review applications with budgets greater than the ceiling of the award range.
Special Requirements:
If the application is incomplete or non-responsive to the special requirements listed in this section, it will not be entered into the review process. The applicant will be notified the application did not meet submission requirements.
IV.1. Address to Request Application Package
To apply for this funding opportunity use the application forms package posted in Grants.gov.
Electronic Submission:
CDC strongly encourages the applicant to submit the application electronically by utilizing 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 are permitted to 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 is located in the “Get Registered” screen of www.Grants.gov. While application 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 Registered,” the one-time registration process will take three to five days to complete; however, as part of the Grants.gov registration process, registering your organization with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) annually, could take an additional one to two days to complete. We suggest submitting electronic applications prior to the closing date so if difficulties are encountered, you can submit a hard copy of the application prior to the deadline.
Paper Submission:
Application forms and instructions are available on the 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 there is difficulty accessing the forms on-line, contact the CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section (PGO-TIMS) staff at 770-488-2700 and the application forms can be mailed.
IV.2. Content and Form of Submission
Letter of Intent (LOI):
A letter of intent is not applicable to this funding opportunity announcement.
Application:
A Project Abstract must be submitted with the application forms. All electronic project abstracts must be uploaded in a PDF file format when submitting via Grants.gov. The abstract must be submitted in the following format, if submitting a paper application:
The Project Abstract must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable for dissemination to the public. It should be a self-contained description of the project and should contain a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and insofar as possible understandable to a technically literate lay reader. This Abstract must not include any proprietary/confidential information.
A project narrative must be submitted with the application forms. All electronic narratives must be uploaded in a PDF file format when submitting via Grants.gov. The narrative must be submitted in the following format, if submitting a paper application:
If your narrative exceeds the page limit, only the first pages which are within the page limit will be reviewed.
The narrative should address activities to be conducted over the entire project period and must include the following items in the order listed:
Executive Summary:
Provide a clear, concise, and objectively written statement outlining major objectives and components of the proposed activities.
Existing Resources:
Describe the current activities, networks, communication mechanisms, infrastructure, and relevant databases related to each of the recipient activities.
Collaborative Relationships:
Describe collaborative relationships with other agencies and organizations relative to each of the recipient activities.
Operational Plan:
Describe specific process and outcome objectives, major steps required to accomplish them, and a projected timetable for completion.
Management and Staffing Plan:
Describe how the program will be effectively managed including
Performance Measures:
Describe how the process and outcome objectives will be measured and how discrepancies will be managed.
Budget Justification:
Provide a detailed budget request and line item justification of all proposed operating expenses. The budget justification will not be counted as part of the page limit for the narrative.
Additional information may be included in the application appendices. The appendices will not be counted toward the narrative page limit. This additional information includes:
Additional information submitted via Grants.gov should be uploaded in a PDF file format, and should be named:
· Other Attachments
The agency or organization is required to 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, which 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 may request submission of additional documentation with the application are listed in section “VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.”
Application Deadline Date: August 11, 2008
Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be received in the CDC Procurement and Grants Office by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
Applications must be submitted 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.
When submission of the application is done 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.
This announcement is the definitive guide on LOI and application content, 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. The applicant will be notified the application did not meet the submission requirements.
IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.
IV.5. Funding Restrictions
Restrictions, which must be taken into account while writing the budget, are as follows:
· Funds may be spent for reasonable program purposes, including personnel, travel, supplies, and services. Equipment may be purchased if deemed necessary to accomplish program objectives, however, prior approval by CDC officials must be requested in writing.
· 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 for which funds are required.)
· A fiscal Recipient Capability Assessment may be required, prior to or post award, in order to review the applicant’s business management and fiscal capabilities regarding the handling of U.S. Federal funds.
If requesting indirect costs in the budget, a copy of the indirect cost rate agreement is required. If the indirect cost rate is a provisional rate, the agreement should be less than 12 months of age. The indirect cost rate agreement should be uploaded as a PDF file with “Other Attachment Forms” when submitting via Grants.gov.
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
A letter of intent is not applicable to this funding opportunity announcement.
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. E-mail submissions will not be accepted. 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 7:00a.m. to 9:00p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
HHS/CDC recommends that submittal of the application to Grants.gov should be prior to the closing date to resolve any unanticipated difficulties prior to the deadline. Applicants may also submit a back-up paper submission of the application. Any such paper submission must be received in accordance with the requirements for timely submission detailed in Section IV.3. of the grant announcement. The paper submission must be clearly marked: “BACK-UP FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION.” The paper submission must conform to all requirements for non-electronic submissions. If both electronic and back-up paper submissions are received by the deadline, the electronic version will be considered 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 may result in the file being unreadable by staff.
V.1. Criteria
Applicants are required to 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 performance goals stated in the “Purpose” section of this announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative and must measure the intended outcome. The measures of effectiveness must be submitted with the application and will be an element of evaluation.
The application will be evaluated against the following criteria:
1 Plan (25 points) Is the plan adequate to carry out the proposed activities? How complete and comprehensive is the plan for the entire project period? Does the plan include all project activities and milestones that are specific, measurable, and realistic?
2 Methods (25 points) Does the applicant adequately describe the methods that will be used to accomplish the objectives of the project? Are the methods feasible?
3. Program Need (30 points total)
a. Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to facilitate the enhancement and use of the collaborative staging system?.
b. Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to develop a steering committee consisting of all of the cancer surveillance standard setting agencies and others with an expert-level knowledge of current and past cancer staging systems, and expert-level knowledge of cancer registry operations and standards?
c. Does the applicant target appropriate cancer registry meetings to provide technical assistance in the use of collaborative staging?
d. Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to develop and present educational tools in the use collaborative staging to the cancer registry community?
e. Does the applicant provide a mechanism to support the ability of the collaborative staging system to classify data in the most current staging schemas
f. Does the applicant provide a mechanism to monitor and address issues and concerns arising from the use of the collaborative staging system?
4. Personnel (20 points) Is the proposed staffing and management appropriate as defined
by:
a. Job descriptions for existing and proposed positions.
b. Descriptions of background, experience and qualification for the proposed responsibilities; education, experience and licensure requirements, and curriculum vita for each staff member.
c. An organizational chart that identifies lines of communication, accountability, and reporting authority.
V.2. Review and Selection Process
The application will be reviewed for completeness by the Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) staff, and for responsiveness jointly by Division of Cancer Prevention and Control and PGO. Incomplete applications and applications that are non-responsive to the eligibility criteria will not advance through the review process. Applicants will be notified the application 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.
Applications will be funded in order by score and rank determined by the review panel.
CDC will provide justification for any decision to fund out of rank order.
VI.1. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA) from the CDC Procurement and Grants Office. The NoA shall be the only binding, authorizing document between the recipient and CDC. The NoA will be signed by an authorized Grants Management Officer and emailed to the program director and a hard copy mailed 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:
Additional information on the requirements can be found on the CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/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 CDC with an annual interim progress report via www.grants.gov:
1. The interim progress report is 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 CDC with an original, plus two hard copies of the following reports:
2. Financial status reports and annual progress report, no more than 90 days after the end of the budget period.
These reports must be submitted to the attention of the Grants Management Specialist listed in the “VII. Agency Contacts” section of this announcement.
CDC encourages inquiries concerning this announcement.
For general questions, contact:
CDC Procurement and Grants Office
2920 Brandywine Road, MS E-14
Atlanta, GA 30341
Telephone: 770-488-2700
For program technical assistance, contact:
Susan Sabatino, Project Officer
4770 Buford Highway NE, Mailstop K-53
Atlanta, GA 30341
Telephone: 770-488-8372
E-mail: SSabatino@cdc.gov
For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact:
Hector Buitrago, Grants Management Specialist
CDC Procurement and Grants Office
2920 Brandywine Road,MS E-14
Atlanta, GA 30341
Telephone: 770-488-2921
E-mail: gmf2@cdc.gov
CDC Telecommunications for the hearing impaired or disabled is available at: TTY 770-488-2783.
VIII. Other Information
Other CDC funding opportunity announcements can be found on the CDC Web site, Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/FOAs.htm.
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.
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