Part I Overview Information

Department of Health and Human Services

Participating Organizations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (http://www.cdc.gov/)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html)


Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html)

Title: NIOSH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (R13/U13)

Note: The policies, guidelines, terms, and conditions stated in this announcement may differ from those used by the NIH.

Announcement Type
This is an amendment to PAR-05-005 which was previously released October 18, 2004

Update: The following update relating to this announacement has been issued:

NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 (R&R forms and Application Instruction Guide.

APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.

This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply)

A registration process is necessary before submission and should be started at least two weeks in advance of the planned submission.

Two steps are required for on time submission:

1) The application must be submitted to grants.gov by the submission date (see Key Dates below)

2) Applicants must complete a verification step in the eRA Commons within two business days of notification from NIH. Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically check the Commons.

Program Announcement (PA) Number: PAR-06-014

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.262

Key Dates
Release Date: November 17, 2005
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): March 1, July 1, and November 1 annually
Application Submission Dates(s): April 15, August 15, and December 15, annually
Peer Review Date(s): June, October, February annually
Council Review Date(s): October, January, May annually
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: December, April, July annually
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: December 16, 2007

Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

Part I Overview Information

Part II Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives

Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
2. Funds Available

Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2.Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria

Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Submission Review and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Sending an Application to the NIOSH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements

Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
1. Principal Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
2. NIOSH Responsibilities
3. Reporting

Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)

Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations

Part II - Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Research Objectives

The NIOSH recognizes the value of supporting high quality scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to the public health. A scientific meeting is defined as a gathering, symposium, seminar, conference, workshop or any other organized, formal meeting where persons assemble to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information or to explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge. Support of such meetings is contingent on the fiscal and programmatic interests and priorities of NIOSH, which are linked to the website, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html.

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information

1. Mechanism(s) of Support

This Program Announcement will use the conference grant (R13) and conference cooperative agreement (U13) award mechanisms. Under the R13 mechanism, the applicant will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. Multiple year awards may be made to a permanently sponsoring organization for conferences held annually or biennially on a recurring topic. The total project period for an application requesting support may not exceed five years.

The NIOSH (U13) is a cooperative agreement award mechanism. In the cooperative agreement mechanism, the Principal Investigator retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project, with NIH staff being substantially involved as a partner with the Principal Investigator, as described under the Section VI. 2. Administrative Requirements, "Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award".

2. Funds Available

Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of NIOSH provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

1.A. Eligible Institutions

You may submit an application if your institution has any of the following characteristics:

NOTE: Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply for the conference grant support. An international conference can be supported through the U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society or institution.

1.B. Eligible Individuals

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to conduct the proposed scientific meeting is invited to work with that individual's institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/nihgps_Part2.htm#matching_or_cost_sharing.

3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria

NIOSH may accept applications for up to five years when a series of annual or biennial meetings is proposed by a sponsoring organization. Support for meetings held on a less frequent schedule must be applied for individually. For multiple year awards, the progress report (Form PHS 2590, available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm, must be submitted two months prior to the next budget period start date. It should include a report on the previous meeting supported by the current grant, as well as a full description of the next planned meeting. A critical part of the application for NIOSH support of scientific meetings is documentation of appropriate representation of women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and other individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in science. These individuals must be included in all aspects of planning, organization and implementation of NIOSH-sponsored and/or supported meetings. "Appropriate representation" means representation based on the availability of scientists from these groups known to be working in a particular field of biomedical or behavioral research. If appropriate representation is not apparent, no award will be issued until NIOSH program staff are assured of concerted recruitment efforts. Organizers of scientific meetings must document compliance with the GUIDELINES FOR INCLUSION OF WOMEN, MINORITIES, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS SUPPORTED BY THE NIH (included at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm).

An applicant may request up to $30,000 in direct costs, any applicant exceeding that amount must contact Susan Board at (404) 498-2512 prior to submission.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

Registration and Instructions for Submission via Grants.gov

To download an Application Package and Instructions for completing the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) Forms for this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that site.

Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant can submit an application through Grants.gov. See "Preparing for Electronic Receipt" at http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm.

Several of the steps of the registration process could take up to two weeks. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their institution to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons.

1. Request Application Information

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and instructions for this FOA through the Grants.gov Apply http://www.grants.gov/Apply Web site.

Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.

For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Prepare all applications using the using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and instructions in accordance with the Application Guidance.

The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this announcement in Grants.gov APPLY will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this announcement will include the following components:

Required Components:

SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Research & Related Budget

PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist

Optional Components:

PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Form

In your Description, Performance Site(s) & Key Personnel information, include a very brief description of the proposed meeting, including the dates, location, types of participants, goals, and topics to be covered. Enter the site of the meeting or workshop as the Performance Site. Key Personnel are defined as the Principal Investigator and those individuals responsible for the scientific planning, and organization of the meeting.

The NIOSH conference award contact should be consulted for guidance regarding any specific budget requirements. Enter the direct costs requested. Provide a narrative justification for each proposed personnel position, including role and proposed level of effort. Include information regarding efforts to obtain funding for this conference/meeting from other sources.

Allowable Costs: Salaries in proportion to the time or effort spent directly on the meeting; rental of necessary equipment; travel and per diem or subsistence allowances; supplies needed for conduct of the meeting, only if received for use during the budget period; conference services; publication costs; registration fees; speakers' fees.

Non-allowable Costs: Purchase of equipment; transportation costs exceeding coach class fares; visas; passports; entertainment; tips; bar charges; personal telephone calls; laundry charges; organization dues; honoraria or other payments for the purpose of conferring distinction or communicating respect, esteem or admiration; patient care; alterations or renovations; facilities and administrative costs.

The Research Plan may not exceed 10 pages. Letters of agreement from participants should be included. Human Subjects requirements do not apply to conference grants.

Use the research plan section of the application to describe the objectives, specific program, and logistical arrangements for the meeting. Describe the format and agenda, including the principal topics to be covered, problems to be addressed, and developments or contributions the meeting might stimulate. Provide a detailed justification for the meeting, including the scientific need, timeliness, and usefulness of the meeting to the scientific community.

Describe the composition and role of the organizing committee, and provide the names and credentials of key participants in the meeting, including the basis for their selection and documentation of their agreement to participate.

Describe plans for the appropriate involvement of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the planning and implementation of the proposed meeting. Estimate the expected size and composition of the audience, as well as the method of selection. Describe plans for publicizing the meeting and publication of proceedings. Identify related meetings held on the subject during the past three years. If this is one of a series of periodic meetings held by a permanent sponsoring organization, briefly describe and evaluate the last meeting in the series.

Applications requesting multiple years of support must provide the following additional information for each future year requested, in as much detail as possible: meeting topic(s); tentative dates, locations, and participants; and contingency plans for future meetings dependent on, for example, the outcome of the first year's meeting or developments in the field.

Appendices are limited to announcements and reports of previous meetings under the same sponsorship.

3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A for details.

3.A. Submission, Review and Anticipated Start Dates

Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): March 1, July 1, and November 1 annually
Application Submission Dates(s): April 15, August 15, and December 15, annually
Peer Review Date(s): June, October, February annually
Council Review Date(s): October, January, May annually.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: December, April, July

3.A.1. Letter of Intent

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows NIOSH staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed at the beginning of this document.

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Susan B. Board, M.S.
Scientific Program Administrator
Office of Extramural Programs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
1600 Clifton Road, N.E.
Building 24, Room 1415, MS E-74
Atlanta, GA 30333
Telephone: (404) 498-2512
FAX: (404) 498-2571
Email: sboard@cdc.gov
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

3.B. Sending an Application to the NIOSH

To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically
PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

3.C. Application Processing
Applicants are reminded to follow the submission dates cited in this FOA. Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application submission date(s) described above (Section IV.3.A.) If an application is received after that date, it will not be reviewed.

Upon receipt applications will be transferred from Grants.gov to the NIH Electronic Research Administration process for validation. Both the Principal Investigator and the Signing Official for the organization must verify the submission via Commons within 2 business days of notification of the NIH validation.

There will be immediate acknowledgement of receipt of applications via both Grants.gov and the Commons. Information related to the assignment of an application to the Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons.

Upon receipt applications will be evaluated for completeness by CSR. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The NIOSH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIOSH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial changes, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique. Note such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF 424 R&R.

4. Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

5. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm).

Allowable Costs: Salaries in proportion to the time or effort spent directly on the meeting; rental of necessary equipment; travel and per diem or subsistence allowances; supplies needed for conduct of the meeting, only if received for use during the budget period; conference services; publication costs; registration fees; speakers' fees.

Non-allowable Costs: Purchase of equipment; transportation costs exceeding coach class fares; visas; passports; entertainment; tips; bar charges; personal telephone calls; laundry charges; organization dues; honoraria or other payments for the purpose of conferring distinction or communicating respect, esteem or admiration; patient care; alterations or renovations; facilities and administrative costs.

An applicant may request up to $30,000 in direct costs, any applicant exceeding that amount must contact Susan Board at (404) 498-2512 prior to submission.

6. Other Submission Requirements
The Conference must support the mission of CDC and NIOSH.

Plan for Sharing Research Data

The precise content of the data-sharing plan will vary, depending on the data being collected and how the investigator is planning to share the data. Applicants who are planning to share data may wish to describe briefly the expected schedule for data sharing, the format of the final dataset, the documentation to be provided, whether or not any analytic tools also will be provided, whether or not a data-sharing agreement will be required and, if so, a brief description of such an agreement (including the criteria for deciding who can receive the data and whether or not any conditions will be placed on their use), and the mode of data sharing (e.g., under their own auspices by mailing a disk or posting data on their institutional or personal website, through a data archive or enclave). Investigators choosing to share under their own auspices may wish to enter into a data-sharing agreement. References to data sharing may also be appropriate in other sections of the application.

The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data may be assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score. For more information on data sharing see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/.

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review group convened by (NIOSH) in accordance with the review criteria stated below.

As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:

The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

NIOSH research programs support priority areas identified in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) and other significant programs related to occupational safety and health. In the written comments, reviewers will be asked to discuss the following aspects of the application in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. The scientific review group will address and consider each of these criteria in assigning the application's overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application. The application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For example, an applicant may propose to host a conference that by its nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward.

Significance: Does this scientific meeting 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 endeavors on the concepts or methods that drive this field?

Approach: Is the format and agenda for the meeting appropriate for achieving the goals of the conference? Is the meeting timely for the subject matter? How well do the plans for inclusion of women, minorities and persons with disabilities provide for their appropriate representation in the planning, organization, and implementation of the proposed meeting? Multi-year applications should address these issues for the length of the proposed grant period.

Innovation: Does the meeting employ novel approaches or methods to fulfill its purpose?

Investigator: Is the PI well suited for organizing this conference? Are the qualifications of the PI appropriate and past performance adequate? Are the key personnel and selected speakers appropriate and well suited for their described roles in the conference?

Environment: How appropriate is the meeting site? Does the applicant organization have the ability to contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed meetings, exhibits, interactions, etc., take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?

2.B. Additional Review Considerations

Budget: Is the proposed budget and the requested period of support reasonable in relationship to the proposed plan?

Period of Support: The appropriateness of the requested period of support in relation to the proposed research.

2.C. Sharing Research Data

The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data may be assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score. The funding organization will be responsible for monitoring the data sharing policy. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not applicable

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.

Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Also Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm) and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).

The following Terms and Conditions will be incorporated into the NoA and will be provided to the Principal Investigator and the appropriate institutional official at the time of award.

2.A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable OMB administrative guidelines, HHS grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92 (Part 92 is applicable when State and local Governments are eligible to apply), and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the grant and/or cooperative agreement (R13/U13), an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism such as a contract), in which the Principal investigator (PI) retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing and executing the proposed project. If a U13 mechanism is used NIOSH staff will be substantially involved as a partner with the PI, although specific tasks and activities in carrying out the project will be shared among the awardee and NIOSH designated staff, as described below.

2.A.1. Principal Investigator Rights and Responsibilities

Awardees have primary authorities and responsibilities to define objectives and approaches, and to plan, conduct, analyze, and publish results, interpretations, and conclusions of the conferences.

The Principal Investigator will retain custody of, and have primary rights to, information developed under the cooperative agreement, subject to Government rights of access, consistent with current Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), PHS, and CDC policies. Publication and copyright agreements and the requirements for financial status reports; retention of records; and terminal progress reports will be as stated in the CDC Policies.

Awardees are responsible for identifying specific milestones for conferences that will be supported during the project period, when multi-year conferences are supported.

2.A.2. NIOSH Responsibilities

A NIOSH Project Scientist will have substantial scientific-programmatic involvement during conduct of this activity, through technical assistance, advice, and coordination above and beyond normal program stewardship for grants. Substantial involvement as a partner would include, for example, assisting in planning the agenda, selecting speakers, organizing a symposium, determining the content of the meeting, or determining the acceptability of submitted papers. Substantial involvement would not include serving as an invited speaker or providing limited advice.

A NIOSH Program Director will be responsible for normal stewardship of the award, and may also serve as a Project Scientist. The Program Director will be responsible for assessing the progress of multi-year conferences toward the accomplishment of specified milestones, and for recommending if further funds should be released to the project.

3. Reporting

After the conclusion of the conference awardees are required to submit a copy of the conference proceedings.

For multiple year awards, the progress report (Form PHS 2590, available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm, must be submitted two months prior to the next budget period start date. It should include a report on the previous meeting supported by the current grant, as well as a full description of the next planned meeting.

Awardees will be required to submit financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management issues:

1. Scientific/Research Contacts:

Susan B. Board, M.S.
Scientific Program Administrator
Office of Extramural Programs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
1600 Clifton Road, N.E.
Building 24, Room 1415, MS E-74
Atlanta, GA 30333
Telephone: (404) 498-2512
FAX: (404) 498-2571
Email: sboard@cdc.gov
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

2. Peer Review Contacts:

Charles Rafferty, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Review and Policy
Office of Extramural Programs/NIOSH
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd., NE, MS E-74
Atlanta GA 30333
Telephone: (404) 498-2582
FAX: (404) 498-2571
Email: cor9@cdc.gov

3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:

Peter Grandillo
Acquisition and Assistance Field Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Announcement Number RFA PAR-05-005
626 Cochrans Mill Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0070
Telephone: 412/386-6834
Email: pgrandillo@cdc.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

Required Federal Citations

URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIOSH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIOSH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites. Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their anonymity may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.

Healthy People 2010:
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA is related to the priority area of occupational safety and health. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.

Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.

The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.

Lobbying Restrictions:
Applicants should be aware of restrictions on the use of Health and Human Services (DHHS) funds for lobbying of Federal or State legislative bodies. Under the provisions of 31 U.S.C. Section 1352, recipients (and their sub-tier contractors) are prohibited from using appropriated Federal funds (other than profits from a Federal contract) for lobbying congress or any Federal agency in connection with the award of a particular contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or loan. This includes grants/cooperative agreements that, in whole or in part, involve conferences for which Federal funds cannot be used directly or indirectly to encourage participants to lobby or to instruct participants on how to lobby.

In addition, no part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appropriated funds shall be used, other than for normal and recognized executive-legislative relationships, for publicity or propaganda purposes, for the preparation, distribution, or use of any kit, pamphlet, booklet, publication, radio, television, or video presentation designed to support or defeat legislation pending before the Congress or any State or local legislature, except in presentation to the Congress or any State or local legislature itself. No part of the appropriated funds shall be used to pay the salary or expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent acting for such recipient, related to any activity designed to influence legislation or appropriations pending before the Congress or any State or local legislature.

Any activity designed to influence action in regard to a particular piece of pending legislation would be considered lobbying. That is lobbying for or against pending legislation, as well as indirect or grass roots: lobbying efforts by award recipients that are directed at inducing members of the public to contact their elected representatives at the Federal or State levels to urge support of, or opposition to, pending legislative proposals is prohibited. As a matter of policy, CDC extends the prohibitions to lobbying with respect to local legislation and local legislative bodies.

The provisions are not intended to prohibit all interaction with the legislative branch, or to prohibit educational efforts pertaining to public health. Clearly there are circumstances when it is advisable and permissible to provide information to the legislative branch in order to foster implementation of prevention strategies to promote public health. However, it would not be permissible to influence, directly or indirectly, a specific piece of pending legislation.

It remains permissible to use CDC funds to engage in activity to enhance prevention; collect and analyze data; publish and disseminate results of research and surveillance data; implement prevention strategies; conduct community outreach services; provide leadership and training; and foster safe and healthy environments.

Recipients of CDC grants and cooperative agreements need to be careful to prevent CDC funds from being used to influence or promote pending legislation. With respect to conferences, public events, publication, and grassroots activities that relate to specific legislation, recipients of CDC funds should give attention to isolating and separating the appropriate use of CDC funds from non-CDC funds. CDC also cautions recipients of CDC funds to be careful not to give the appearance that CDC funds are being used to carry out activities in a manner that is prohibited under Federal law.


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