NIOSH EXPLORATORY/DEVELOPMENTAL GRANT (R21) PROGRAM

Release Date:  February 28, 2000

RFA:  OH-00-006

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention

Letter of Intent:          April 14, 2000
Application Receipt Date:  May 15, 2000

THIS PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT (PA) USES THE "MODULAR GRANT" AND "JUST-
IN-TIME" CONCEPTS. IT INCLUDES DETAILED MODIFICATIONS TO STANDARD 
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS THAT MUST BE USED WHEN PREPARING 
APPLICATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THIS RFA.

PURPOSE			

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 
invites applications for Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21) in 
research areas that are relevant to the research goals described 
in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).  The overall 
purpose of NORA is to provide a framework for research programs 
that provide the critical knowledge that can be used in preventing 
occupational diseases and injuries and foster our understanding of 
their underlying pathophysiology.  For this RFA,  research 
projects must address one of the following areas: Allergic and 
Irritant Dermatitis, Social and Economic Consequences of Workplace 
Illness and Injury, Health Services Research, and Fertility and 
Pregnancy Abnormalities.  Applications for other NORA areas should 
be submitted to the regular grants program of NIOSH. 

The objective of the exploratory/developmental mechanism (R21) is 
to encourage applications from institutions that are interested in 
testing innovative or conceptually creative ideas that are 
scientifically sound and may advance our understanding of safety 
and occupational health.  Another objective is to encourage 
necessary initial development to provide a basis for important 
future research. 

These are short-term awards (up to two years) with limited funding 
(up to $75,000 per year for direct costs).  Applicants are 
encouraged to use this mechanism to explore the feasibility of an 
innovative research question or approach, which may not be 
justifiable through extant research, or competitive as a standard 
research project grant (R01). 

See INQUIRIES Section of this announcement for internet site for 
other open announcement.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

CDC is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease 
prevention objectives of AHealthy People 2010,@ a national 
activity to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality 
of life.  This announcement is related to the focus area of 
occupational safety and health.  For information on the conference 
on AHealthy People 2010,@  visit the internet site: 
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.                         

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by public and private nonprofit and 
for-profit organizations and by governments and their agencies; 
that is, universities, colleges, research institutions, hospitals, 
other public and private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, 
including small, minority, and/or women-owned businesses, State 
and local governments or their bona fide agents, and federally 
recognized Indian tribal governments, Indian tribes, or Indian 
tribal organizations.  Applications from minority and women 
investigators are encouraged.

For foreign organizations, special review criteria apply.  Refer 
to the following internet site: 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/gps/app4.htm

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

Applicants may request up to $75,000 in direct costs per year for 
up to two years through the NIOSH Exploratory/Developmental Grant 
(R21) mechanism.  Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs will 
be awarded based on the negotiated rate at the time of the award. 
These awards are not renewable; however, a no-cost extension of up 
to one year may be granted to the grantee institution prior to 
expiration of the project period.  Investigators are encouraged to 
seek continued support for their research projects through a 
research project grant (R01).  

This RFA is a one-time announcement.  NIOSH will not accept 
unsolicited R21 applications.  

Specific application instructions have been modified to reflect 
"MODULAR GRANT" and "JUST-IN-TIME" streamlining efforts being 
examined by the NIH. Complete and detailed instructions and 
information on Modular Grant applications can be found at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm. 

AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS

Approximately $ 1,000,000 will be committed by NIOSH to fund 
applications submitted in response to this RFA.  The expected 
number of awards is 10.  The maximum amount that may be requested 
for an award is $75,000 direct cost.  It is expected that the 
awards will begin on or about September 1, 2000 and will be made 
for a 12-month budget period within a project period of up to 2 
years. Continuation awards within an approved project period will 
be made on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by 
required reports and the availability of funds.

Use of Funds

Recipient should allocate funds for travel for the principal 
investigator to attend an annual meeting held during each project 
year.  This meeting will be held in Washington, DC. 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

In 1996, NIOSH and its partners in the public and private sectors 
developed the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) to 
provide a framework to guide occupational safety and health 
research into the next decade not only for NIOSH, but also for the 
entire occupational safety and health community.  Approximately 
500 organizations and individuals outside NIOSH provided input 
into the development of NORA.  This attempt to guide and 
coordinate research nationally is responsive to a broadly 
perceived need to address systematically those topics that are 
most pressing and most likely to yield gains to the worker and the 
nation.  Fiscal constraints on occupational safety and health 
research are increasing, making even more compelling the need for 
a coordinated and focused research agenda. 

Potential applicants may obtain a copy of the "National 
Occupational Research Agenda" (HHS, CDC, NIOSH Publication 
No.96-115) from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, telephone (800) 356-4674.  It is also available on the 
internet at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora.html.

While applications may involve a wide variety of biomedical, 
behavioral, clinical, socio-culture, or other disciplines, 
relevance to the mission of NIOSH must be clear.  The Institute's 
mission statement, extramural research program descriptions, and 
list of special emphasis areas may be found at NIOSH's Internet 
web site: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html.   

The NIOSH Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) Program provides 
limited financial support for exploring the feasibility of 
innovative or creative research questions within the research 
interests NORA.  The overall purpose of this RFA is to stimulate 
investigations in four NORA topic areas (see below) that either 
have received few applications or have limited grant support from 
NIOSH.

The NORA Areas for this RFA are:

1.  Allergic and Irritant Dermatitis.  In 1993, the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics (BLS) data estimated an incidence of 76 cases of 
occupational skin disorders (OSDs) per 100,000 U.S. workers, 
making OSDs the most common non-trauma-related occupational 
disease affecting workers in many different occupations.  Irritant 
contact dermatitis (ICD) is the most common form of dermatitis, 
usually resulting from reactions to chemical irritants such as 
solvents and cutting fluids.  The goal of the Healthy People 2010 
is to reduce OSDs significantly.  To aid in achieving this 
national health objective, further research in ICD is needed.

Types of research applications that are appropriate for this topic 
include, but are not limited to, the following areas:  (1) methods 
for identifying irritants prior to introduction into the 
workplace; (2) pathophysiology of ICD; (3) the genetic basis of 
susceptibility; (4) the influence of environmental factors on ICD; 
(5) the relationship of ICD to allergic contact dermatitis; (6) 
methods to identify skin changes that precede overt clinical 
disease; (7) risk factors for initiation and/or chronicity of ICD; 
(8) methods for measuring skin exposure and skin deposition; (9) 
methods for assessing percutaneous penetration and evaluating skin 
barrier function; (10) intervention design and evaluation; (11) 
enhanced membrane/film development for skin protection; (12) 
improved procedures for testing chemical protective clothing (CPC) 
field performance; and, (13) the effectiveness of CPC and/or 
barrier creams.  The ultimate goal is the primary, secondary, and 
tertiary prevention of ICD. 

2.  Social and Economic Consequences of Workplace Illness and 
Injury.  Occupational injuries and illnesses remain a leading 
cause of morbidity, mortality, and economic loss in the United 
States.  The annual costs to employers for workers= compensation 
increased from $2.1 billion in 1960 to $60 billion by 1992.  In 
addition to the direct costs such as those for health care, 
employers also incur numerous indirect costs including those for 
additional hiring and training and disruption of work processes.  
Other costs are borne by injured workers and their families 
through reduced income, depletion of savings and increased 
expenditures and by the community through increased use of social 
services and cost shifting between health and social service 
agencies. Leigh, et al. (Leigh, J.P. et al., Occupational Injury 
and Illnesses in the United States, Arch. Intern. Med., 157, 1557-
68, 1997) estimated that, for 1992, the total direct and indirect 
costs associated with occupational injuries and diseases were $171 
billion annually, but noted that these estimates were likely to be 
low in part due to the lack of data for a number of the associated 
indirect costs.

Types of research applications that are appropriate for this topic 
include, but are not limited to, the following areas:   (1) 
measures of total economic costs (direct and indirect) and non-
economic costs borne by injured workers and their families, by 
employers; and by non-occupational community, State and local 
government services; and (2) evaluation of the economic benefit of 
interventions (e.g., ergonomic work system and task redesign) 
including occupational health service interventions, and 
assessment of their contribution to the cost of work-related 
illness and injury at both the service system level (e.g., managed 
care in compensation services) and service component level (e.g., 
cost-effectiveness of different clinical treatments for back 
pain).  

3.  Health Services Research.  Despite the large burden and cost 
of work-related morbidity and mortality, relatively little is 
known about the structure and functioning of occupational health 
services.  Occupational health services (OHS) research includes 
evaluation of both service components and delivery systems, 
including distribution and coverage, access, appropriateness, 
acceptability, utilization, equity, quality, organization, policy 
and planning, management, financing, productivity, effectiveness 
and efficiency, and impacts on health needs, health status and 
occupational hazards.

Types of research applications that are appropriate for this topic 
include but are not limited to the following areas:  (1) research 
to define the status of OHS, the distribution of types, and the 
prevailing trends in the provision of OHS for the prevention, 
treatment and rehabilitation of work-related illness and injury, 
and the interactions of OHS with other parts of the health care 
system; (2) development of methods for the evaluation, in terms of 
health and vocational outcomes (e.g., return to work), of 
different occupational health services and systems (e.g., managed 
care versus fee-for-service compensation services), and service 
interventions (e.g., different treatments for back pain); and (3) 
development of methods for the evaluation of the effectiveness 
(through clinical trials, observational research, and clinical 
trials) of the effectiveness and efficiency of clinical 
therapeutic interventions and rehabilitation modalities for 
occupational diseases and injuries.  

4.  Fertility and Pregnancy Abnormalities.  While more than 1,000 
workplace chemicals have shown reproductive effects in animals, 
for the vast majority, nothing is known about the effects in 
humans. In addition, most of the 4 million other chemical mixtures 
in commercial use remain untested.  Although the total number of 
workers exposed to potential reproductive hazards is difficult to 
estimate, three-quarters of employed women and an even greater 
proportion of employed men are of reproductive age.  More than 
half of U.S. children are born to working mothers. The vast number 
of workers of reproductive age, together with the substantial 
number of workplace chemical, physical, and biological agents, 
suggest that a considerable number of workers are potentially at 
risk for adverse reproductive outcomes. The inadequacy of current 
knowledge, coupled with the ever-growing variety of workplace 
exposures, poses a potentially serious public health problem.

Types of research applications that are appropriate for this topic 
include but are not limited to the following areas:  (1) Reduced 
fertility in male and females or other indications of altered 
reproductive function such as changes in hormone levels or poor 
semen quality; (2) Pregnancy outcomes, pre- and postnatal 
development of offspring and; (3) Evidence of effects on male 
reproduction such as  testicular cancer, hypospadias and 
cryptorchidism.

HUMAN SUBJECTS REQUIREMENTS

If a project involves research on human subjects, assurance (in 
accordance with Department of Health and Human Services 
Regulations, 45 CFR Part 46) of the protection of human subjects 
is required.  In addition to other applicable committees, Indian 
Health Service (IHS) institutional review committees also must 
review the project if any component of IHS will be involved with 
or will support the research.  If any American Indian community is 
involved, its tribal government must also approve that portion of 
the project applicable to it.  Unless the grantee holds a Multiple 
Project Assurance, a Single Project Assurance is required, as well 
as an assurance for each subcontractor or cooperating institution 
that has immediate responsibility for human subjects.  The Office 
for Protection from Research Risks (OPRR) at the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) negotiates assurances for all 
activities involving human subjects that are supported by the 
Department of Health and Human Services.

ANIMAL SUBJECTS REQUIREMENTS

If the proposed project involves research on animal subjects, 
compliance with the "PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of 
Laboratory Animals by Awardee Institutions" is required.  An 
applicant (as well as each subcontractor or cooperating 
institution that has immediate responsibility for animal subjects) 
proposing to use vertebrate animals in CDC-supported activities 
must file (or have on file) the Animal Welfare Assurance with the 
Office for the Protection from Research Risks (OPRR) at the 
National Institutes of Health.  The applicant must provide in the 
application the assurance of compliance number and evidence of 
review and approval (including the date of the most recent 
approval) by the Institutional Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN 
SUBJECTS

It is the policy of the CDC to ensure that individuals of both 
sexes and the various racial and ethnic groups will be included in 
CDC-supported research projects involving human subjects, whenever 
feasible and appropriate. Racial and ethnic groups are those 
defined in OMB Directive No. 15 and include American Indian or 
Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or 
Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.  Applicants 
shall ensure that women, racial and ethnic minority populations 
are appropriately represented in applications for research 
involving human subjects.  Where clear and compelling rationale 
exist that inclusion is inappropriate or not feasible, this 
situation must be explained as part of the application.  This 
policy does not apply to research studies when the investigator 
cannot control the race, ethnicity, and/or sex of subjects.  
Further guidance to this policy is contained in the Federal 
Register, Vol. 60, No. 179, pages 47947-47951, and dated Friday, 
September 15, 1995.  

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN 
SUBJECTS

It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the 
age of 21) must be included in all human subjects research, 
conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and 
ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all 
initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates after 
October 1, 1998.  This policy will be followed by NIOSH for this 
announcement. 

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects 
should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of 
Children as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects" 
that was published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, 
March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL address: 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html. 

Investigators also may obtain copies of these policies from the 
program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also 
provide additional relevant information concerning the policy.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by April 14, 2000, a 
letter of intent that includes the number and title of the RFA, a 
descriptive title of the proposed research, the name, address, and 
telephone number of the Principal Investigator, and the identities 
of other key personnel and participating institutions.  Although a 
letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and it not used 
in the review of an application, the information that it contains 
is used to estimate the potential review workload and avoid 
conflict of interest in the review.

The letter of intent is to be submitted to: 

Ms. Ann Cronin
Office of Extramural Programs
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
1600 Clifton Road, N.E.
Building 1, Room 3070B, MS D-40
Atlanta, GA  30333
Telephone 404-639-2376; Fax 404-639-0035
Email: axc2@cdc.gov

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program staff 
listed under INQUIRIES with any questions regarding their proposed 
project and the goals of this announcement.

The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) is to be 
used in applying for these grants. The standard application 
deadlines as indicated in the application kit should be followed. 
 Application kits are available at most institutional offices of 
sponsored research and from the Division of Extramural Outreach 
and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 
Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 
(301) 710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov. Applications are also 
available on the World Wide Web at: 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.

The modular grant concept establishes specific modules in which 
direct costs may be requested as well as a maximum level for 
requested budgets. Only limited budgetary information is required 
under this approach. The just-in-time concept allows applicants to 
submit certain information only when there is a possibility for an 
award. It is anticipated that these changes will reduce the 
administrative burden for the applicants, reviewers and Institute 
staff. The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) is 
to be used in applying for these grants, with the modifications 
noted below. 

BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS

Modular Grant applications will request direct costs in $25,000 
modules, up to a direct cost request of $75,000 per year. The 
direct costs must be requested in accordance with the program 
guidelines and the modifications made to the standard PHS 398 
application instructions described below: 

PHS 398

o FACE PAGE: Items 7a and 7b should be completed, indicating 
Direct Costs (in $25,000 increments up to a maximum of $75,000) 
and Total Costs [Modular Total Direct plus Facilities and 
Administrative (F&A) costs] for the initial budget period Items 8a 
and 8b should be completed indicating the Direct and Total Costs 
for the entire proposed period of support.

o DETAILED BUDGET FOR THE INITIAL BUDGET PERIOD - Do not complete 
Form Page 4 of the PHS 398. It is not required and will not be 
accepted with the application.

o BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE PROPOSED PERIOD OF SUPPORT - Do not 
complete the categorical budget table on Form Page 5 of the PHS 
398. It is not required and will not be accepted with the 
application.

o NARRATIVE BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - Prepare a Modular Grant Budget 
Narrative page. (See 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm for 
sample pages.)  At the top of the page, enter the total direct 
costs requested for each year. This is not a Form page.

o Under Personnel, list key project personnel, including their 
names, percent of effort, and roles on the project. No individual 
salary information should be provided. 

For Consortium/Contractual costs, provide an estimate of total 
costs (direct plus facilities and administrative) for each year, 
each rounded to the nearest $1,000.  List the 
individuals/organizations with whom consortium or contractual 
arrangements have been made, the percent effort of key personnel, 
and the role on the project. Indicate whether the collaborating 
institution is foreign or domestic. The total cost for a 
consortium/contractual arrangement is included in the overall 
requested modular direct cost amount. Include the Letter of Intent 
to establish a consortium.

Provide an additional narrative budget justification for any 
variation in the number of modules requested.

o BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH - The Biographical Sketch provides 
information used by reviewers in the assessment of each 
individual's qualifications for a specific role in the proposed 
project, as well as to evaluate the overall qualifications of the 
research team. A biographical sketch is required for all key 
personnel, following the instructions below. No more than three 
pages may be used for each person. A sample biographical sketch 
may be viewed at: 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.

- Complete the educational block at the top of the form page;
- List position(s) and any honors;
- Provide information, including overall goals and 
responsibilities, on research projects  ongoing or completed 
during the last three years;
- List selected peer-reviewed publications, with full citations;

o CHECKLIST - This page should be completed and submitted with the 
application. If the F&A rate agreement has been established, 
indicate the type of agreement and the date. All appropriate 
exclusions must be applied in the calculation of the F&A  costs 
for the initial budget period and all future budget years.

o The applicant should provide the name and phone number of the 
individual to contact concerning fiscal and administrative issues 
if additional information is necessary following the initial 
review.

Applications not conforming to these guidelines will be considered 
unresponsive to this PA and will be returned without further 
review. 

The RFA label found in the PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) application form 
must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the application 
and must display the number of this RFA (OH-00-006).  A sample RFA 
label is available at:
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf.
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 (NIOSH 
Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) Program) and number (OH-00-
006) must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application 
form and the YES box must be marked.

If the proposed project involves organizations or persons other 
than those affiliated with the applicant organization, letters of 
support and/or cooperation must be included.

Submit a signed, typewritten original, including the checklist, 
and three signed, clear, and single sided 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)

At the time of submission, two additional copies of the 
application must also be sent to Ms. Ann Cronin at the address 
under LETTER OF INTENT.

Applications must be received by May 15, 2000.  If an application 
is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant 
without review.  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.  The CSR will not 
accept any application that is essentially the same as one already 
reviewed.  This does not preclude the submission of substantial 
revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications 
must include an introduction addressing the previous critique.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness and 
responsiveness (applicants should clearly indicate which priority 
area of this RFA is being addressed by their proposal).  
Applications determined to be incomplete or unresponsive to this 
RFA will be returned to the applicant without further 
consideration.  If the proposed project involves organizations or 
persons other than those affiliated with the applicant 
organization, letters of support and/or cooperation must be 
included.

Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific 
and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened 
in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. As 
part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a 
written critique and undergo a process in which only those 
applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, 
generally the top half of applications under review, will be 
discussed and assigned a priority score and receive a secondary 
review by NIOSH.  

Peer Review Criteria

The goals of NIOSH-supported research are to advance our 
understanding of biological systems, improve the control of 
disease, and enhance health.  In the written review, comments on 
the following aspects of the application will be made in order to 
judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a 
substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these 
criteria will be addressed and considered by the reviewers in 
assigning the overall score weighting them as appropriate for each 
application. Note that the application does not need to be strong 
in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific 
impact and thus deserve a high priority score.  For example, an 
investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its 
nature is not innovative, but is essential to move a field 
forward.

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

2.  Approach.  Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and 
analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to 
the aims of the project?  Does the applicant acknowledge potential 
problem areas and consider alternative tactics?

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

4.  Investigator.  Is the investigator appropriately trained and 
well-suited to carry out the work?  Is the work proposed 
appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator 
and other researchers (if any)?

5.  Environment.  Does the scientific environment in which the 
work will be done contribute to the probability of success?  Do 
the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the 
scientific environment or employ useful collaborative 
arrangements?  Is there evidence of institutional support?

The initial review group will also examine the appropriateness of 
proposed project budget and duration; the adequacy of plans to 
include both genders, minorities and their subgroups, and children 
as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research and plans 
for the recruitment and retention of subjects; the provisions for 
the protection of human and animal subjects; and the safety of the 
research environment.

Additional consideration pertinent to the review of 
Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) applications:

Pilot/feasibility studies may contain little or no preliminary 
data.  Review will focus on whether the rationale for the study is 
well developed and whether the proposed research is likely to 
generate data that will lead to a regular research project grant 
or full-scale clinical trial. Adequate justification for the 
proposed work may be provided through literature citations, data 
from other sources, or investigator-generated data.

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications will compete for available funds with all other 
recommended applications.  The following will be considered in 
making funding decisions:

-  quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review;
-  program balance and priorities; and
-  availability of funds.

SCHEDULE

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: April 14, 2000
Application Receipt Date:      May 15, 2000 
Anticipated Award Date:        September 1, 2000

INQUIRIES

Inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged.  The opportunity to 
clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is 
welcome.  This RFA and other CDC/NIOSH Announcements can be found 
on the CDC HomePage (http://www.cdc.gov) under the "Funding" section (see 
AGrants and Cooperative Agreements@ scroll down to AOccupational 
Safety and Health@).  This RFA can also be found on the NIOSH 
HomePage (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh) under "Extramural Programs", "Current 
Funding Opportunities".

Applications responding to this RFA will be reviewed for their 
responsiveness to the following program interests and their 
potential for developing knowledge that can be used in preventing 
occupational diseases and injuries.  Applicants should provide a 
statement about which NORA area is being addressed and a rationale 
for how the proposal will contribute to the specified priority 
area (this information should be placed in the "Background and 
Significance" section of the "Research Plan" of the application).

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:

Roy M. Fleming, Sc.D.
Director, Research Grants Program
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, N.E.
Building 1, Room 3053, MS D-30
Atlanta, GA  30333
Telephone: 404/639-3343
FAX: 404/639-4616
Email:  rmf2@cdc.gov

Direct inquiries regarding grants management matters to:

Joanne Wojcik
Grants Management Branch
Procurement and Grants Office
CDC Announcement Number 00050
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2920 Brandywine Road, Suite 3000
Atlanta, GA 30341-4146
Telephone: 770/488-2717
FAX: 770/488-2777
Email: jcw6@cdc.gov

LOBBYING RESTRICTIONS

Applicants should be aware of restrictions on the use of HHS funds 
for lobbying of Federal or State legislative bodies.  Under the 
provisions of 31 U.S.C. Section 1352, recipients (and their 
subtier 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 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.

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is: 93.262 for 
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 
 This program is authorized under the Public Health Service Act, 
as amended, Section 301(a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)], and the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 20(a) [29 
U.S.C. 669(a)].  The applicable program regulation is 42 CFR Part 
52. 

SMOKE-FREE WORKPLACE

CDC strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a 
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco 
products.  Public Law 103- 227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, 
prohibits smoking in certain facilities that receive Federal funds 
in which education, library, day care, health care, and early 
childhood development services are provided to children.

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