HAZARDOUS MATERIALS WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING

RELEASE DATE:  July 13, 2004

RFA Number:  RFA-ES-04-005  

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

July 9, 2009 - This RFA has been reissued as (RFA-ES-09-004).

EXPIRATION DATE:  November 23, 2004

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
 (http://www.nih.gov)

COMPONENT OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION:
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
 (http://www.niehs.nih.gov)

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER: 93.142

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  October 22, 2004
Application Receipt Date:  November 22, 2004  

THIS RFA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

o Purpose of this RFA
o Research Objectives
o Mechanism(s) of Support 
o Funds Available
o Eligible Institutions
o Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators
o Special Requirements 
o Where to Send Inquiries
o Letter of Intent
o Submitting an Application
o Supplementary Instructions
o Peer Review Process
o Review Criteria
o Receipt and Review Schedule
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations

PURPOSE OF THIS RFA

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) invites 
applications for cooperative agreements to support the development of model 
programs for the training and education of workers engaged in activities 
related to hazardous materials and waste generation, removal, containment, 
transportation and emergency response.

The major objective of this solicitation is to prevent work related harm by 
assisting in the training of workers in how best to protect themselves and 
their communities from exposure to hazardous materials encountered during 
hazardous waste operations, hazardous materials transportation, environmental 
restoration of contaminated facilities or chemical emergency response.  A 
variety of sites, such as those involved with chemical waste clean up and 
remedial action and transportation related chemical emergency response may 
pose severe health and safety concerns to workers and the surrounding 
communities.  These sites are often characterized by the multiplicity of 
substances present, the presence of unknown substances, and the general 
uncontrolled condition of the site.  A major goal of this program is to 
provide assistance to organizations in developing their institutional 
competency to provide appropriate model training and education programs to 
hazardous materials and waste workers.  

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Background

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Section 
126(g), authorizes an assistance program for training and education of 
workers engaged in activities related to hazardous waste generation, removal, 
containment or emergency response and hazardous materials transportation and 
emergency response.  The Congress assigned responsibility for administering 
this program to the NIEHS, an Institute of the National Institutes of Health 
(NIH) within the Public Health Service (PHS) of the US Department of Health 
and Human Services (DHHS).

This RFA lists 4 distinct program areas: Hazardous Waste Worker Training 
Program, Minority Worker Training Program, Brownfields Minority Worker 
Training Program, and the Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training Program.  A 
website has been created at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/rfaguidelines.html  
which provides important supplementary instructions needed for the 
preparation of an application in addition to background reports and other 
information about the four program areas.

Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP)

Hazardous material and waste workers include workers engaged in: active and 
inactive waste treatment, storage and disposal, hazardous waste generation, 
clean up and remedial action, emergency response, and workers engaged in 
hazardous materials transportation including the safe loading, unloading, 
handling, and storage

Target populations for this training include those covered by requirements of 
Federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (Code of Federal 
Regulations, Title 29, Part 1910) and Environmental Protection Agency (CFR, 
Title 40, Part 311) standards for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency 
Response, regulations governing the NIEHS Hazardous Waste Worker Training 
Program (CFR, Title 42, Part 65), as well as hazardous materials 
transportation workers regulated by the US Department of Transportation (49 
CFR 171-177). 

In completing the sixteenth year of the Superfund WETP (FY 1987-2003), the 
HWWTP has supported twenty primary awardees.  These represent over one 
hundred different institutions that have trained more than 1 million workers 
across the country and presented over 61,000 classroom and hands-on training 
courses, which have accounted for more than 16 million contact hours of 
actual training.  More information about the awardees and descriptions of all 
NIEHS WETP programs can be found at: 
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/program/description.htm.

Minority Worker Training Program (MWTP)

The Minority Worker Training Program was established in 1995 to provide a 
series of national pilot programs to test a range of strategies for the 
recruitment and training of young persons.  These are individuals who live 
near hazardous waste sites or in a community at risk of exposure from 
contaminated properties who wish to obtain work in the environmental field. 
The programs represent a broad geographic spread and reach several urban 
populations in high-risk contaminated areas.  

These programs promote long lasting and effective partnerships in minority 
communities that help reinforce occupational health and worker education.  
The different programs provide pre-employment job training, including 
literacy, life skills, environmental preparation and other related courses, 
construction skills training, environmental worker training including 
hazardous waste, asbestos and lead abatement training; and safety and health 
training. Some training also includes enrollment in apprenticeship programs 
for construction and environmental remediation worker training.  In addition, 
particular focus is placed on establishing a program of mentoring.  This 
program helps to enhance the participants  problem solving skills, 
understanding of individual self-esteem and team work in the application of 
technical knowledge to environmental and related problems. 

The MWTP promotes partnerships or sub-agreements with academic and other 
institutions, with a particular focus on historically black colleges and 
universities, and public schools and community-based organizations located in 
or nearby the impacted area to provide pre-math, science or other related 
education to program participants prior to or concurrent with entry into the 
training program. 

Since the inception of the program, 2,628 young minority adults have been 
successfully trained in worker health and safety for construction and 
environmental cleanup work.  1,686 of these trainees are employed, 
representing an overall job placement rate of 64 percent. 

Brownfields Minority Worker Training Program (BMWTP)

As part of the DHHS commitment to the Brownfields National Partnership 
Agenda, the NIEHS has provided support for the establishment of the BMWTP 
targeting the Brownfields Communities.  The strategy of this initiative is to 
broaden the NIEHS MWTP to include a new component on Brownfields Worker 
Training, addressing the need for a more comprehensive training program to 
foster economic and environmental restoration of the identified Brownfield 
sites.  The BMWTP also educates new workers in life skills training, remedial 
science and math, and specific health and safety training that will 
ultimately assist them with entry into careers in the construction and 
environmental remediation and technology workforce.   

As defined by the EPA, Brownfield sites are "abandoned, idled, or under-used 
industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is 
complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination." 

The BMWTP has reached 1,860 minority adults since it began.  1,225 of these 
trainees are employed, representing an overall job placement rate of 66 
percent. 

Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training Program (HDPTP) 

NIEHS has developed a Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training initiative in 
response to the experiences and lessons learned in recent national disasters 
including terrorist attacks. Background resources describing this initiative 
include technical Workshop reports which are available at the NIEHS 
Clearinghouse web site: 1) Learning from Disasters: Weapons of Mass 
Destruction (WMD) Preparedness Through Worker Training 
(http://www.wetp.org/wetp/docs/awardee_mtgs/spring02/WMDreport.pdf) 2) Worker 
Training in a New Era: Responding to New Threats 
(http://www.wetp.org/wetp/docs/awardee_mtgs/fall02/WrkTraining-NewEra-FINAL.pdf).
This initiative is intended to foster the development of WMD-
specific training programs as an extension to the HWWTP for the purpose of 
preparing a cadre of experienced workers for prevention and response to 
future terrorist incidents in a wide variety of facilities and high-risk 
operations.  The purpose of the NIEHS HDPTP is to complement the Department 
of Homeland Security’s (DHS) various preparedness training programs by 
enhancing the safety and health training capacity of hazmat workers and 
emergency responders to prevent, deter, or respond to terrorist incidents 
involving weapons of mass destruction. 

Training developed under this program should reference the National Incident 
Management System (NIMS) standardized incident management processes, 
protocols, and procedures that all responders -- Federal, state, tribal, and 
local -- will use to coordinate and conduct response actions.

GENERAL TRAINING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The immediate goal of worker health and safety training is educational in 
nature, designed to provide students with relevant information, program-
solving skills, and the confidence needed to use these tools.  Long-term 
goals of the model training programs should be to assure that workers become 
and remain active participants in determining and improving the health and 
safety conditions under which they work and that avenues for collaborative 
employer-employee relationships in creating safe workplaces are established. 
Primary prevention of disease and injury among hazardous waste workers 
requires heavy reliance on the use of engineering control methods, 
appropriate work practices and the use of personal protective equipment such 
as respirators and protective clothing.  These approaches are highly 
dependent on individual workers being knowledgeable in the use and 
application of these approaches and understanding their limitations.  

Worker safety and health training is adult-based, action-oriented, and 
result-centered. The goals and objectives of worker training focus on 
outcomes rather than on learning for its own sake.  Workers come to training 
with a great volume of experience, and are, in many ways, the richest 
resources of a training class. Experience shows that successful adult 
education often emphasizes peer-sharing activities, such as problem-solving 
and simulation exercises, that tap the experience of the learner.  Successful 
worker training often mirrors the way people learn at work from each other.  
After training, workers should be able to bring what they have learned in the 
classroom or work-site training back to their jobs.

These training goals and objectives apply to all programs; however, there are 
specific goals and objectives restricted to the MWTP, BMWTP and the HDPTP. 
Applications which are responsive to this solicitation must clearly delineate 
the training populations being targeted by specifying a discrete training 
plan, program resources and a segregated program budget which responds to a 
combination or all of the authorized NIEHS assistance programs through HWWTP, 
MWTP, BMWTP and the HDPTP.  An applicant can apply for each of the following 
programs, the HWWTP, MWTP, and the BMWTP.  Only the HWWTP applicants may 
apply for the HDPTP.  

HWWTP Specific Goals and Objectives

Applicants should refer to SARA Section 126 requirements for training. 
Coverage of all hazardous waste and emergency response workers is based on 
potential exposure and health risk.  The language of section 126 (d) (1) and 
(g) is clear that training scope be broad.  Section 126 states that the 
training be required for personnel engaged in hazardous substance removal or 
other activities, such as those involved in transportation, which expose or 
potentially expose such workers to hazardous substances.  The same section 
later requires that special training be provided to workers who may be 
exposed to unique or special hazards.  Section (g) (1) authorizes this 
training assistance program for the training of workers who are or may be 
engaged in activities related to hazardous waste removal or containment or 
emergency response.

A minimum level of training for hazardous materials and waste workers and 
supervisors is also specified in SARA Section 126(d).  General site workers 
are required to receive a minimum of 40 hours of initial instruction off site 
and a minimum of three days of actual field experience under the direction of 
a trained, experienced supervisor at the time of assignment.  Supervisors are 
required to receive the same training as general workers and a minimum of 
eight hours of specialized training in managing hazardous waste operations.

Important background information for this RFA is available from the National 
Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training.  This organization, 
which is a support contractor to NIEHS, is the primary communications channel 
through which the WETP distributes technical reports, news updates, and 
training information to its awardees, interested members of the hazardous 
waste worker-training community, and the public.
 
A list of curricula developed by current NIEHS awardees is available from the 
National Clearinghouse on the web at 
http://www.wetp.org/wetp/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.

The Minimum Criteria for Worker Health and Safety Training for Hazardous 
Waste Operations and Emergency Response is also available at 
http://www.wetp.org/wetp/public/hasl_get_blob.cfm?ID=569 .   

There is no limiting language regarding training coverage.  Thus, the scope 
covers worker health protection from hazardous waste work and exposure to 
hazardous substances in the broadest sense.

An applicant may join with one or more nonprofit organizations in a single 
application and share resources in order to maximize worker group coverage, 
enhance the effectiveness of training, and bring together appropriate 
academic disciplines and talents.  Such arrangements are strongly encouraged.  
The application must have specific plans to implement the cooperative 
arrangements necessary for program integration and to insure effectiveness.  
Detailed plans of this collaboration and budgets must be described only in 
the lead organization’s application.  Specific expertise, facilities or 
services to be provided by each participating member must be identified.  
Awardees submitting competing continuation applications should also describe 
how they have met special cooperative agreement terms and conditions of their 
awards, including their interaction with other investigators and NIEHS 
program staff.

Awards will be made for direct student and worker trainer training, technical 
support of training, and training program evaluation.  It is believed that 
adequate curricula and training materials exist for worker training that can 
be adapted with minimal effort.  Means of multiplying training are also 
encouraged to meet the need; thus, programs such as effective train the 
trainer programs are encouraged.  Programs targeted to multi-state and 
nationwide coverage to reach wider worker populations will be given 
preference in funding.  Applications will not be considered that cover 
municipalities or other jurisdictions covering fewer than two states.  
Applicants are also encouraged to develop plans for independently continuing 
the program.

Applications should include plans for reaching underserved workers in the 
proposed target populations especially those disadvantaged in education, 
language skills or limited in literacy.  The inclusion of institutions and 
organizations that have historical involvement and expertise in responding to 
environmental justice issues is also strongly encouraged.

Participation of minority institutions and community-based organizations from 
people of color communities may include the:
o Adaptation of curricula to address health disparities and environmental 
justice concerns;
o Development of training programs that outreach to environmentally 
disadvantaged groups and non-English speaking populations; and
o Delivery of high quality training that can augment efforts to promote toxic 
use reduction, emergency preparedness in the community, chemical process 
safety and pollution prevention.

Due to the complexity and the number of new emerging training innovations and 
technologies occurring in the worker health and safety arena, NIEHS 
identified several training opportunities in the previous RFA (ES-99-009) 
that were specifically related to the advancement of the WETP.  It was 
important that these new emerging training technologies and approaches be 
woven and integrated into the framework of the program. NIEHS had learned 
that successful examples of training partnerships involve the creation of 
clear mechanisms for assuring avenues for input and collaboration by labor, 
management, local government officials and other stakeholders, as well as a 
vision for integrating training into other workplace programs and 
initiatives.  In addition, it was clear that the context and technical 
approaches to safety and health training had undergone a rapid transition 
since the 1990 s, as computer and telecommunications technology have 
unleashed a wealth of technical information resources and established 
innovative modes of training development, delivery and evaluation.  
Applicants should refer to http://www.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/rfaguidelines.html  
for a list of these important ongoing program initiatives. 

MWTP Specific Goals and Objectives

The MWTP will maintain its focus on building strong training collaborative 
programs between worker training organizations, such as labor-based 
organizations, community-based organizations, and historically black 
universities and colleges.  Special attention will be directed at programs 
that successfully integrate job skills training with worker health and safety 
training to reach multiple urban locations for training.  Utilization of 
existing curricula is the preferred method for development of specific 
training under this program.

Major program goals are:

o Recruit target populations that are members of minority groups who live in 
urban areas near hazardous waste sites or in communities at risk of exposure 
to contaminated properties.  We strongly encourage that priority for 
recruitment is given to young adult persons of color.  These individuals must 
be unemployed or underemployed.

o Develop a training plan for a five-year period for training at urban areas 
across the country.  Training must be provided for two to five locations 
during the five-year period for this program. 
 
o Train students in the skills and knowledge required for different career 
opportunities in environmental restoration and construction.  This experience 
should include the ability to:
- conduct pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship programs for construction and 
environmental remediation worker training, and other emerging environmental 
fields;
- conduct mentoring programs aimed at assisting trainees in completing the 
training course;
- conduct basic construction skills training as well as specialized training 
related to environmental clean-up;
- conduct environmental worker training including hazardous waste, asbestos, 
lead abatement, and technician/sampling level training; and
- conduct basic worker health and safety training.

o Develop partnerships with local community-based organizations (as defined 
in the review criteria) to provide services such as:
- literacy training and related academic courses in reading writing, and 
math; life skills and or job readiness training, problem solving skills, 
understanding of self-esteem and team work in the application of technical 
knowledge to environmental and related problems; and environmental 
preparation and other related training.

o Develop formal arrangements with environmental clean-up contractors and 
hazardous materials employers for placing and keeping participants in 
environmental clean-up jobs.

o Develop strategies for increasing retention of participants throughout the 
various phases of the program.

o Provide evaluation of the retention of participants in the training 
program, effectiveness of the training program and stability.

o Develop a tracking program that describes the longevity of post-training 
employment of graduating training program participants, type of jobs, and 
specific types of sites where participants work.

BMWTP Specific Goals and Objectives

The BMWTP will focus on the development of specialized Minority Worker 
Training Programs that provide training to disadvantaged residents 
surrounding the over 400 Brownfields Assessment Grants as listed by the US 
Environmental Protection Agency.  Every effort should be made to reduce 
duplication of efforts or overlap in training at the locations selected under 
this program as related to similar job training programs.  NIEHS will not 
support the development of two programs such as the MWTP, BMWTP and the EPA 
Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Grants in the same 
pilot community.  More information about the Brownfields Job Training Grants 
can be found at http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/job.htm

Major program goals are:

o Use the MWTP as a model to train and recruit community members for 
environmental job training opportunities associated with Brownfield sites 
across the country.

o Establish collaborative programs in the form of partnerships and sub- 
agreements with the Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Grants to promote 
this initiative on the local level.  There must be evidence of partnership 
with organizations specifically the Brownfields Grant Communities.  A 
complete listing of eligibility Brownfields Assessment Grants with 
descriptions of each program can be found at 
http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/pilotlst.htm.

o Provide training for two to five Brownfields communities under one 
application. 

o Recruit minority program adult participants from all age groups. 
 
o Ensure that actual training activity occurs in a close proximity of the 
Brownfields Grant Community such that extensive travel funds are not incurred 
for the purposes of administering the program.

Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training Program (HDPTP) Goals and Objectives

The goal of future NIEHS program support under HDPTP will be to enhance the 
safety and health training of current hazardous materials workers and 
chemical responders, to train skilled response personnel, to create materials 
and deliver training to weapons of mass destruction response workers and to 
augment prevention and preparedness efforts in a wide variety of high risk 
settings.  Creation of materials and delivery of proposed training to 
potential WMD response workers must be closely coordinated with the 
activities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), related agencies in 
the DHHS and other involved local, state and federal entities.

One of the key lessons of the World Trade Center cleanup is the importance 
that skilled construction support personnel and hazardous materials response 
workers will play in any future disaster of national significance.  Only the 
HWWTP applicants may apply for the HDPTP; therefore, NIEHS funds may be used 
to alter and revamp the basic HAZWOPER courses to customize them to known 
disaster response issues and scenarios and the incorporation of relevant post 
9/11 lessons learned.  Additionally, existing remediation and cleanup worker 
training courses must deal with construction safety issues that arose at the 
Pentagon and the WTC recovery site and provide guidance on how to work safely 
and effectively under disaster site conditions. 

Areas of program response may include:

o Enhanced training for current hazardous material workers and chemical 
responders who protect the nation's infrastructure from other potential 
terrorist attacks on chemical-intensive operations is a continuing high 
priority national need.
 
o Training for skilled response personnel to assure appropriate response and 
remediation actions to the current bio-terrorist attacks using weaponized 
microbials is a high priority area for training program response.  The OSHA 
designation of anthrax response coverage by 1910.120 regulations 
(http://www.osha.gov/dep/anthrax/hasp/index.html) identifies a clear target 
training population.

o Training initiatives should support the development of a nation-wide cadre 
of well-trained environmental response workers and emergency responders to 
ensure that the nation is prepared to respond to future disasters of national 
significance.  This training should be patterned after the successful 
Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program that provides worker certification to 
workers who work safely on existing or new hazardous waste sites.  

o A proposed disaster response-training program should focus on health and 
safety and environmental issues and should include at a minimum a review of 
emergency response protocols, hazard communication, personal protection 
equipment and respiratory protection, Incident Command System orientation, 
and first aid training.

o NIEHS encourages the development of training modules on various different 
biological, radiological, and chemical agents that can be incorporated into 
Hazardous Waste Refresher courses or can stand alone as part of a larger WMD 
training program as an important step toward creating a cadre of WMD 
remediation and response workers.  NIEHS resources can be used to support the 
development of trained and pre-certified skilled construction support 
personnel in relevant crafts for immediate response to national disasters or 
possible catastrophic attacks. 

o Specifically for workers in high hazard facilities like the oil, nuclear 
and petrochemical industry, which have been cited as a likely targets for 
terrorist attack, NIEHS will support development of awareness and operations 
level training programs that will prepare in-plant workers to react quickly 
to interface with the emergency response system, to prevent the release of 
hazardous materials during normal operations and to limit damage at the plant 
and to protect themselves, their fellow workers and the general public.

o Workers both in the private health care sector and in the public health 
arena in state and local agencies have been given significant new 
responsibilities for preparedness and response to disasters of national 
significance.  Health and safety training may be appropriate and necessary 
for potential private and public health response workers. 

o NIEHS will support the development of training course materials for 
transportation employers and transportation workers that addresses security, 
safety and emergency response issues related to the transportation of 
hazardous and radiological materials.  

o Preparation and delivery of training for workers with the capability of 
remediating buildings contaminated with biohazards such as anthrax, small 
pox, and bio-toxic agents continues to be a national priority.  The training 
must prepare these workers for environments that will be extremely hazardous 
and teach them appropriate work practices, use of personal protection 
equipment, and effective decontamination procedures.  

o Many remediation workers and other workers in high-risk facilities do not 
speak English as their native language and some do not speak English at all.  
Health and Safety training materials and curricula must be understandable for 
workers at risk and need to be translated into the workers  native languages. 
Trainers may need to be trained and courses may need to be conducted in other 
appropriate languages.  

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This RFA will use NIH cooperative agreement (U45) award mechanism for a 
period of up to five-years from FY 2005 through 2009.  In the cooperative 
agreement mechanism, the Principal Investigator retains the primary 
responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the 
proposed project, with NIEHS staff being substantially involved as a partner 
with the Principal Investigator, as described under the section "Cooperative 
Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award."  The type and degree of this 
substantial programmatic involvement is specified in the terms and 
conditions.  The awardee will have lead responsibilities in all aspects of 
the program, including any technical modifications to the curriculum, conduct 
of the training, and quality control.

Annual renewal will be based on availability of funds, sufficient progress 
toward achieving training objectives, and compliance with the terms and 
conditions of awards.  The awards will include funding for targeted training 
to specific populations that have been identified in the respective 
authorizing statutes for this program.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

Projected funding of $32 million at the currently appropriated levels for FY 
2005 will be awarded to support model programs for targeted training.  During 
FY 2005, NIEHS plans to fund between 15 and 20 cooperative agreements in 
response to this RFA for a period of five years.  An applicant must request a 
project period of five years.  The anticipated starting date for the initial 
annual period will be September 1, 2005. Funds for these awards in FY 2005 
are anticipated to be approximately $23 million for the hazardous waste 
operations and emergency response program, $3 million for the hazmat disaster 
preparedness training program, $3 million for minority worker training and $3 
million for Brownfields training.  Because the funding level of this Program 
may vary from year to year, actual award levels for approved and funded 
applications will be based on Program balance and the availability of funds, 
in addition to the scientific merit considerations of the review process.

ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS

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

o Non-profit organizations providing worker health and safety education and 
training.  This includes universities, faith-based or community-based 
organizations and historically black colleges and universities (HBCU s).  

For-profit, public or private institutions, such as hospitals, laboratories, 
units of State and local governments, agencies of the Federal government, 
foreign organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.

INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS   

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry 
out the proposed training is invited to work with their institution to 
develop an application for support.  Individuals from underrepresented racial 
and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always 
encouraged to apply for NIH programs.   

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Terms and Conditions of Award

NIEHS will provide appropriate assistance, advice and guidance described 
below.  The role of the NIEHS Program Coordinators will be to facilitate, not 
to direct, the development of a high quality national worker training 
resource.  These 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, and other HHS, PHS, and NIH Grant 
Administration policy statements.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program is a 
cooperative agreement U45, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an 
"acquisition" mechanism) in which substantial NIH scientific and/or 
programmatic involvement with the awardee is anticipated during performance 
of the activity.  Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to 
support and/or stimulate the recipient's activity by involvement in and 
otherwise working jointly with the award recipient in a partner role, but it 
is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the 
activity.  Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime 
responsibility for the activity resides with the awardee(s) for the project 
as a whole, although specific tasks and activities in carrying out training 
activities will be shared among the awardees and the NIEHS Program 
Coordinator.

1. Awardee 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 their studies and training activities.  
It is the responsibility of each awardee to develop the details of the 
training plan, which will be required to describe the technical approaches, 
target population access and recruitment, curricula modification, training 
methodology, and program evaluation procedures.

o Each awardee is required to meet at least twice annually to review 
progress, share information, and to coordinate training activities.  
Principal Investigators and business officials are required to meet at least 
annually.

o Before use, awardees must submit draft copies of training manuals, 
instructor guides, course curricula and other materials developed for use in 
training activities supported by NIEHS to the Program Coordinator at NIEHS, 
in order to receive technical comments and suggestions regarding the 
adequacy, technical accuracy and suitability of materials to be used for 
worker safety and health training.  Final copies of all materials developed 
with support from NIEHS will be transmitted by the awardees to the National 
Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training for Hazardous Materials, 
Waste Operations and Emergency Response and made available to the general 
public, subject to any specific legal caveats on use or copyright protection.

o Each awardee is required to submit an annual progress report to the NIEHS 
Program Administrator, which describes the number, location and nature of all 
training activities and the characteristics of the trainees reached during a 
particular fiscal year.  Results and findings from training program 
evaluations will be summarized by each awardee and submitted to the NIEHS 
Program Administrator on an annual basis.  Program evaluation reports shall 
quantitatively describe the current status of instructor effectiveness, 
trainee retention of knowledge and skills, and positive impacts of training 
activities on work practices, workplace safety and health conditions, and 
overall worker protection from on the job hazards.

o Each awardee is required to participate annually in two technical 
workshops, which coincide with the two annual awardee meetings, to be 
sponsored and planned by the NIEHS Program Coordinator.  The technical 
workshops will present relevant and topical information to assure the 
continued high quality of worker safety and health training activities 
carried out by the awardees and encourage the exchange of significant 
information regarding effective training techniques and approaches.

o Each awardee is required to convene a Board of Advisors representing user 
populations, labor, industry, governmental agencies, academic institutions or 
professional associations with interest and expertise in worker health and 
safety training related to hazardous materials and waste operations and 
emergency response.  The Board of Advisors must meet annually to evaluate 
training activities and provide advice to the Principal Investigator.

o Each awardee is required to have one individual assigned the responsibility 
for information technology transfer and dissemination as the point of contact 
for the NIEHS Program Coordinator.  This person would ensure the effective 
communication and transfer of important training and administrative 
information to NIEHS and other appropriate audiences, including trainee 
tracking activities, computation and submittal of training data, coordination 
of special meetings/conferences, submission of curricula, and other training 
activities conducted by the program.

o Each awardee will retain custody of and primary rights to the data and the 
curricula materials developed under these awards, subject to appropriate 
Government rights of access consistent with current HHS and NIH policies.

2. NIEHS Staff Responsibilities

Specifically, the substantial programmatic involvement above and beyond 
normal program stewardship by the NIEHS Program Coordinator will include the 
following activities:

o The NIEHS Program Coordinator will coordinate activities of mutual interest 
and benefit to awardees and the Institute.  The primary objective of the 
Worker Education and Training Program will be to stimulate collaborative work 
between NIEHS and the awardees in the creation of model worker safety and 
health training programs.  Substantial programmatic involvement by the NIEHS 
Program Coordinator will assure that there is not duplication of efforts or 
overlap in worker safety and health training delivery and program development 
by the awardees.

o In order to provide consistent use and delivery of existing curricula for 
high quality worker safety and health training, the NIEHS Program Coordinator 
will ensure that there will be close coordination among awardees, other state 
and federal governmental agencies, and other training providers.  Such 
program coordination between NIEHS and the awardees will make maximum use of 
worker safety and health training materials and curricula that have already 
been developed, evaluated, and used.  Training materials developed by the 
awardees will be submitted for review by the NIEHS Program Coordinator for 
consistency, appropriateness and technical accuracy before the initiation of 
worker safety and health training activities.

o The NIEHS Program Coordinator will convene a working meeting at least twice 
annually to review progress, share information, and discuss technical issues 
and to coordinate training activities.

o The NIEHS Program Coordinator will provide ongoing technical assistance to 
the awardees through arrangement of technical workshops related to the 
substantive technical issues that affect the program.  Technical workshops 
will bring together Principal Investigators from each awardee with the 
relevant technical experts from a number of scientific fields involved in 
hazardous waste, occupational health, environmental health sciences, and 
adult education.  Examination of training technologies and technical issues 
which are specific to the program will be developed and coordinated through 
technical workshops, which will be held at least twice per fiscal year.

o To assure that training programs which, developed with assistance from 
NIEHS, will comply with all applicable federal safety and health regulations, 
the NIEHS Program Coordinator will assist the awardees through continual 
involvement with other federal regulatory agencies.  Operational monitoring 
by the NIEHS Program Coordinator will assist the awardees in complying with 
general federal statutory requirements regulating worker safety and health 
training activities.

o The NIEHS Program Coordinator will coordinate overall program evaluations 
to show the impact of the training on improving work practices, reducing work 
related injury and illness and to document the increased understanding of 
relevant environmental health sciences by workers involved in environmental 
cleanups, hazardous waste management and emergency response to chemical 
releases.  While each awardee must have its own evaluation program, the NIEHS 
Program Coordinator will strive to assess the overall effectiveness of the 
training programs supported under the cooperative agreements in terms of the 
nation's needs and in relation to the target populations identified by 
Congress in SARA Section 126 and related statutes which are referenced above.

o NIEHS maintains a National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health
Training for Hazardous Materials, Waste Operations and Emergency Response to 
assist awardees by providing information and technical support services to 
the Principal Investigators of NIEHS funded hazardous materials, waste 
operations, and emergency response worker training programs.  The 
Clearinghouse will also function as a national resource for the dissemination 
to the general public of program related information and curricular materials 
that have been developed by the awardees.

o An NIEHS Program Official will be responsible for normal program 
stewardship of the award.  The NIEHS Program Official may also serve as the 
NIEHS Program Coordinator.

3. Arbitration

o When mutually acceptable agreement regarding program activities cannot be 
reached between the awardee and the NIEHS Program Coordinator, an arbitration 
panel composed of one member nominated by the awardee recipient group, one 
NIEHS nominee, and a third member with appropriate expertise chosen by the 
other two members will be convened.  The ad hoc panel will receive written 
explanations of the disagreement from all parties, review relevant documents, 
interview representatives of the parties and render an opinion regarding 
resolution of the dispute.  These special arbitration procedures in no way 
effect the awardee's right to appeal an adverse action in accordance with PHS 
regulations at 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D, and HHS regulations at 45 CFR Part 
16.

WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES

We encourage inquiries concerning this RFA and welcome the opportunity to 
answer questions from potential applicants.  Inquiries may fall into two 
areas:  scientific/training and financial or grants management issues:

o Direct your questions about scientific/training issues to:

Joseph Hughes, Director
Worker Education and Training Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, MD EC-25
Research Triangle Park, NC  27709-2233
Telephone: 919-541-0217
Fax: 919-541-0462
Email: [email protected]

Sharon Beard, Industrial Hygienist
Worker Education and Training Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, MD EC-25
Research Triangle Park, NC  27709-2233
Telephone: 919-541-1863
Fax: 301-451-5595
Email: [email protected]

Ted Outwater, Public Health Educator
Worker Education and Training Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, MD EC-25
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 
Phone:  919-541-2972
Fax: 919-541-0462
E-mail:  [email protected]

o Direct your questions about peer review issues to:
Sally Eckert-Tilotta, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, EC-30
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Telephone: 919-541-1446
Fax: 919-541-2503
E-mail: [email protected] 

o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to:

Carolyn Mason, Deputy Grants Management Officer
Grants Management Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, MD EC-22
Research Triangle Park, NC  27709-2233
Telephone:  919-541-1373
Fax: 919-541-2860
Email: [email protected] 

INFORMATIONAL MEETING

A briefing for applicants will be held at NIEHS on Thursday, September 2, 
2004 from 1-5 PM in Nottingham Hall Building, Conference Rooms 204A&B at 4505 
Emperor Boulevard, Durham, NC USA 27703.  NIEHS staff will use this 
"Applicant Information Meeting" (AIM) to explain the purpose of the Program, 
provide instructions about the application process, and answer questions.  A 
summary of responses from the briefing, all relevant information for 
potential applicants and Supplementary Instructions will be available upon 
request from NIEHS ([email protected]) and will be posted on the NIEHS 
Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) home page at: 
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/wetp.

LETTER OF INTENT

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

o Descriptive title of the proposed training
o Name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator
o Names of other key personnel
o Participating institutions
o Number and title of this RFA 

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 NIEHS 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:

Sally E. Eckert-Tilotta, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Administrator
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, EC-30
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709

Courier address:

79 T.W. Alexander Drive
Building 4401, Room 3173
Research Triangle Park, NC  27709

Telephone: 919-541-1446
Fax: 919-541-2503
E-mail: [email protected] 

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application 
instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001). Applications must have a DUN and 
Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the 
Universal Identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative 
agreements.  The DUNS number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or 
through the web site at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/. The DUNS number 
should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398 form. The PHS 
398 document is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive 
format.  For further assistance contact Grants Info, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: [email protected].
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS 

As the PHS 398 is used primarily for the traditional research project grant 
applications, several sections of the PHS 398 must be modified and expanded 
to provide the additional information needed for the Worker Education and 
Training Program applications.  Detailed guidelines to supplement the PHS 
instructions are provided in the "Application Guidelines for the Hazardous 
Materials Worker Health and Safety Training" and can be found on: 
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/rfaguidelines.html.  These guidelines also 
provide information on the limitations for Facilities and Administrative 
costs.  

USING THE RFA LABEL: The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001) 
application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the 
application.  Type the RFA number on the label.  Failure to use this label 
could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not 
reach the review committee in time for review.  In addition, the RFA title 
and number must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form 
and the YES box must be marked. The RFA label is also available at: 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/labels.pdf.
 
SENDING AN APPLICATION TO THE NIH: Submit a signed, typewritten original of 
the application, including the Checklist, and three signed, photocopies, in 
one package to:
 
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD  20892-7710
Bethesda, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)
 
No appendices should be submitted to the Center for Scientific Review.   At 
the time of submission, two additional signed copies of the application and 
all copies of the appendix material must be sent to:
 
Sally E. Eckert-Tilotta, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Administrator
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233, EC-30
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709

Courier address:

79 T.W. Alexander Drive
Building 4401, Room 3173
Research Triangle Park, NC  27709

Telephone: 919-541-1446
Fax: 919-541-2503
E-mail: [email protected] 

APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received on or before the 
application receipt date listed in the heading of this RFA.  If an 
application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant 
without review. 

Although there is no immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of an 
application, applicants are generally notified of the review and funding 
assignment within 8 weeks.
 
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in 
response to this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending 
initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application.  
However, when a previously unfunded application, originally submitted as an 
investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in response to an RFA, 
it is to be prepared as a NEW application.  That is, the application for the 
RFA must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements 
made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from the 
previous unfunded version of the application.  

PEER REVIEW PROCESS  
 
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and 
responsiveness by the NIEHS.  Incomplete and/or nonresponsive applications 
will not be reviewed.    

If the application is not responsive to the RFA, NIH staff may contact the 
applicant to determine whether to return the application to the applicant or 
submit it for review in competition with unsolicited applications at the next 
appropriate NIH review cycle.

Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated 
for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group 
convened by the NIEHS in accordance with the review criteria stated below.  
As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:

o Undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the 
highest scientific merit, generally the top half of the applications under 
review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score.
o Receive a written critique.
o Receive a second level review by the NIEHS National Advisory Environmental 
Health Sciences (NAEHS) Council.
 
REVIEW CRITERIA

The following factors shall be considered for review of all applications:
1) Evaluation of the methods and techniques to be used for identifying, 
describing, and accessing target specific worker populations for worker 
health and safety training and anticipated impact of the proposed program.  
o Applicants must identify, describe, and fully document access to specific 
target worker populations, whether organized or not, that are engaged in 
hazardous materials and waste operations and transportation and related 
emergency response.
o This information must include size of the target population, worker 
profiles, trades and job categories to be trained, geographic locations of 
workers and degree of worker health and safety training already received.
o Applicants must provide assurances of access to these workers for training 
and identify the target populations requiring training according to EPA, 
OSHA, and/or DOT statutory authority.

2) Evaluation of the organization's or consortia's performance and 
effectiveness in planning, implementing and operating appropriate worker 
health and safety training and education programs.
o Evidence should include demonstrated past experience in development and 
implementation of worker health and safety training and education programs 
and application of appropriate adult education techniques.
o Evidence should include documentation of the program's achievement of 
compliance with the requirements of the NIEHS Minimum Criteria for Worker 
Health and Safety Training for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency 
Response found at http://www.wetp.org/wetp/public/hasl_get_blob.cfm?ID=569 .  

3) Adequacy of the detailed program plan for worker health and safety 
training in adapting existing curricula, training of instructors, 
distributing course materials, direct worker training, and conducting program 
evaluations.  
o The plan must include information on the number of students to be trained, 
number of training classes to be held, and duration of training. 
o The plan must include the appropriate adult education techniques to be 
employed, identify the course content and clearly describe the curriculum to 
be used including hands on demonstration and instruction, and the strategy 
for monitoring student's progress and performance.
o The plan must include involvement of appropriate health and safety 
disciplines.
o The plan must describe a system for tracking trainee employment in hazmat-
related jobs.
o The plan must provide evidence of methods proposed for evaluating 
appropriateness, quality, impact and effectiveness of worker health and 
safety training.
o The plan must include information on the training of instructors, including 
worker trainers, and on-going trainer development and support activities.

4) Evidence of appropriate combinations of classroom instruction and hands on 
demonstration and instruction that simulates site activities and conditions.
o It is intended that offsite instruction funded by the NIEHS assistance 
program will be supplemented with onsite training under the direct 
supervision of trained, experienced personnel at the time of initial job 
assignment.
o Appropriate adult education techniques must be applied and advanced 
training technologies, such as e-learning, if used, should be part of a 
blended learning approach that combines these new technologies with hands-on, 
small group and other learning activities.
o Both initial and appropriate refresher training will be covered.

5) Ability to immediately initiate direct worker health and safety training, 
program evaluation, and related support activities.

6) Evidence of experienced and technically qualified key personnel.
o The Principal Investigator must demonstrate the capacity for providing 
leadership and assuring productivity of appropriate worker health and safety 
training and education programs and for overall management of the training 
programs including quality assurance and program evaluation.
o Evidence of the technical, managerial and professional expertise of present 
or proposed key personnel. Such expertise will be evaluated by resumes, 
minimum position qualifications and position descriptions.
o Evidence that the administrative official has experience or knowledge in 
the management of federal programs and will participate in program decisions 
should be contained in the application.
o Evidence of sufficient program staff with demonstrated training experience 
using appropriate adult education techniques to assure effective direct 
training, and quality assurance.
o Continuing access to appropriate technical expertise must be maintained 
including but not limited to expertise in adult education for workers, 
toxicology, and industrial hygiene. 

7) Evaluation of an applicant’s organizational structure or consortium, if 
applicable, that provides adequate knowledge and oversight of resources and 
administrative management of the program.  The applicant must provide: 
o Details on how the proposed program fits into existing organizational 
and/or consortia structure of the non-profit, if applicable.
o Organization chart of the proposed program.
o Details of an external board of advisors that represents user populations, 
labor, industry, governmental agencies, academic institutions or professional 
associations with interest and expertise in worker health and safety training 
related to hazardous materials and waste operations and emergency response.
o Proposed and/or confirmed membership of the external board, detailed plans 
on when the board will meet, how the board will evaluate training activities, 
and what formal procedures the board will follow to provide advice to the 
Principal Investigator.  The advice should include at a minimum incorporation 
of student feedback mechanisms; review of course critiques and Board of 
Advisors evaluations and other appropriate evaluations and quality assurance 
procedures. 

8) Availability of appropriate facilities and equipment to support the 
described worker health and safety training and education activities 
including hands on instruction.
o Operation of training facilities must assure the protection of prospective 
trainees during program delivery.
o Appropriate policies and procedures for assuring fitness for training and 
medical clearance, assuring the provision of first aid and emergency medical 
services and the implementation of high quality site safety and health plans 
must be included.

9) Evidence of lines of responsibility and accountability must be clearly 
delineated when two or more organizations are collaborating on an activity in 
that:  
o Detailed plans of this collaboration and budgets must only be described in 
the lead organizations application.  

10) Feasibility of plans for independently continuing the program.
o Plans for generation of program income, if applicable.
o Plans for institutionalization of the program.
o Other applicable procedures for assuring the long-term viability of the 
program.

11) Evaluation of plans for reaching underserved worker populations 
especially those disadvantaged in education, culture, or language or limited 
in literacy and access to training.
o Evidence of arrangements to assure the inclusion of institutions and 
organizations, which have historical involvement and expertise in responding 
to health disparities and environmental justice issues.
o A community outreach and involvement component which can augment the 
delivery of high quality training in order to promote toxic use reduction, 
emergency preparedness in the community, and community awareness of chemical 
process safety and pollution prevention.

12)  The reasonableness of all direct cost categories requested in the budget 
and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed program 
activities for worker health and safety training. 

13) Prior awardees demonstration of:  
o Meeting established terms and conditions of prior awards;
o Attainment of program goals and objectives of prior awards; and 
o Ability to manage and expend funds in a timely manner in prior budget 
periods.

14) Evidence of inclusion of worker training initiatives and innovations.
o The plan must integrate an appropriate mix of On-Going Program Initiatives 
as listed in solicitation that meets the needs of each applicants target 
populations. 

The MWTP - In addition to the RFA review criteria 1-14 for all programs, the 
following review criteria are applicable to the MWT program:

1.  Demonstration of applicants' ability to recruit workers from the target 
population for environmental clean-up jobs.

2.  Experience in conducting effective jobs skills training and worker health 
and safety training programs for environmental clean up.

3.  Demonstration of partnerships or sub-agreements with local community 
groups, labor unions with apprenticeship programs, academic and other 
institutions, with a particular focus on historically black colleges and 
universities, and public schools located in or nearby an environmentally-
impacted urban area to provide pre-math, science or other related education 
to program participants prior to, or concurrent with, entry into the training 
program.

4.  Evidence of formal arrangements with environmental clean-up contractors 
and hazardous materials employers for placing and keeping participants in 
environmental clean-up jobs.

5.  Evaluation of the retention of participants in the training program, 
effectiveness of the training program and stability and longevity of post-
training employment of graduating training program participants.

6. Evidence of the applicant’s ability to track program participants for up 
to one year after completion of the program.

7. Evidence of ability to conduct training in more than one geographically 
discrete location during the program year. 

BMWTP- In addition to the criteria 1-14 and the MWTP criteria, additional 
review criteria applicable to the BMWTP only are:

1.  Demonstrate the sharing of resources with the MWTP, if applicable, in 
order to maximize worker group coverage, enhance the effectiveness of 
training, and bring together appropriate academic disciplines and talents. 
Such arrangements are strongly encouraged.

2.  Evaluation of the specific plans and mechanisms to implement the 
cooperative arrangements necessary for program integration and to insure 
effectiveness such as identifying specific expertise, facilities or services 
to be provided by each participating member.

3.  Evaluation of the plans to identify the training populations being 
targeted by specifying discrete training plan and program resources.

4.  Evaluate the plan to develop partnerships with EPA Brownfields Assessment 
Demonstration Grants.

5.  Evidence of connections with other Federal, state and local job training 
and economic development programs.

6.  Evidence to specifically target cleanup contractors involved with
Brownfields, state voluntary clean-up sites, and other contaminated urban 
sites.

7.  Demonstrate that actual training activity occurs in close proximity of 
the Brownfields Grant Community such that extensive travel funds are not 
incurred for the purposes of administrating the program.

HDPTP - In addition to the RFA review criteria 1-14 for all programs, 
additional review criteria applicable to the HDPTP only are:
  
o Demonstration of applicants' past experience in development and delivery of 
training for populations in high-risk facilities and for potential responders 
to disasters of national significance.

o Demonstration of partnerships or sub-agreements for training development 
and delivery with local responder groups at potentially impacted high risk 
facilities and local, state and federal entities with emergency response 
capacity.

o Evidence of appropriate technical and professional expertise of present or 
proposed key personnel for the development and delivery of hazmat disaster 
preparedness training.

RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: October 22, 2004
Application Receipt Date: November 22, 2004
Peer Review Date:  February 2005
Council Review:  May 2005
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 2005

AWARD CRITERIA

Award criteria that will be used to make award decisions include:

o Scientific merit (as determined by peer review)
o Availability of funds
o Programmatic priorities.
 
Because the funding level of this program may vary from that appropriated, 
actual award levels for approved and funded applications will be based on 
program balance, coverage of target populations and the availability of 
funds, in addition to the technical merit considerations of the review 
process.

REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS 

PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT: The 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been revised to 
provide public access to research data through the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA) under some circumstances.  Data that are (1) first produced in a 
project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2) 
cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an action 
that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed 
through FOIA.  It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope 
of this amendment.  NIH has provided guidance at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.

Applicants may wish to place data collected under this RFA in a public 
archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the 
distribution for an indefinite period of time.  If so, the application should 
include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include 
information about this in the budget justification section of the 
application.  In addition, applicants should think about how to structure 
informed consent statements and other human subjects procedures given the 
potential for wider use of data collected under this award.

STANDARDS FOR PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION:  (if 
applicable) The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final 
modification to the  Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable 
Health Information , the  Privacy Rule,  on August 14, 2002.  The Privacy 
Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and 
Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of 
individually identifiable health information, and is administered and 
enforced by the DHHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR). 

Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside 
with the researcher and his/her institution.  The OCR website 
(http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, including 
a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on  Am I a covered 
entity?   Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH 
processes involving the review, funding, and progress monitoring of grants, 
cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be found at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.

URLs IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES: All applications and proposals 
for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. 
Unless otherwise specified in an NIH 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 
RFA is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential applicants may 
obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.healthypeople.gov/.

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 the authorization of Sections 
301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) 
and the (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, No. 93.142, Superfund Worker 
Training Grants) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 
and 92 (and Section 126(g) of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization 
Act of 1986).  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.

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