FEDERAL AGENCY:

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AUTHORIZATION:

Public Health Service Act, Sections 301, 311 and 327, Public Law 78-410, 42 U.S.C. 241d and 241g, as amended; Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 21, Public Law 91- 596, 29 U.S.C. 670a.

To develop specialized professional and paraprofessional personnel in the occupational safety and health field with training in occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, industrial hygiene, and occupational safety.

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Funds may be used for long-term training and education and research centers. Support is provided for direct costs of the program, plus certain indirect costs of the institution or agency, determined by Public Health Service policy on training programs. Amounts of stipends and other details are in accordance with Public Health Service policy.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Any public or private educational institution or agency that has demonstrated competency in occupational safety and health training at the technical, professional, or graduate level.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Trainees must be admissible to the grantee institution and must be enrolled in occupational safety and health training programs.

Credentials/Documentation:   Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments. For other grantees, costs will be determined by HHS Regulations 45 CFR, Part 74, Subpart Q.

Pre-application Coordination:   Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   Submit applications (CDC Form 2.145A) to the Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Mailstop P05, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. The standard application forms (CDC Form 2.145A), as furnished by CDC and required by 45 CFR 92 for State and local governments, must be used for this program. This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR 92 for State and local governments and OMB Circular No. A-110 for nonprofit organizations, as appropriate.

Award Procedure:   Approved grants are funded based on priority score and program priorities. Initial award provides funds for first budget period (usually 12 months); and a Notice of Grant Award (Form PHS 5152-1) indicates support recommended for remainder of project period, allocations of Federal funds by budget categories, and special conditions, if any.

Deadlines:   New applications: July 1. Competitive continuations: July 1. Noncompeting continuations: November 15.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   From 9 to 10 months.

Appeals:   No appeals procedure as such. Resubmit application according to above schedule.

Renewals:   Applications for competing continuations (CDC 2.145A) will be reviewed in the same manner as a new application and will compete for available funds with other applications. Applications for noncompeting continuations (CDC 2.145B) do not require competitive review.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   From 1 to 5 years (renewable).

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Appointment statements for each trainee, annual financial status reports, interim progress report (annual), terminal progress report (3 months after end of each project period).

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In addition, grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspection and audits by DHHS and other Federal government officials.

Records:   Financial records, including documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate charges to each grant, must be kept readily available for review by personnel authorized to examine PHS grant accounts. Records must be maintained for 3 years after end of each budget period. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   75-0943-0-1-550.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $16,372,340; FY 02 est $18,379,866; and FY 03 est $18,379,866.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:   ERC Grants: $400,000 to $800,000; Average: $600,000. Other: $20,000 to $500,000; Average: $58,000.

There were 13 new or competing renewal awards and 40 non-competing continuation awards made in fiscal year 2001. It is anticipated that 13 new or competing renewal awards and 40 non-competing continuation awards will be made in fiscal year 2002 and 12 new or competing renewal awards and 41 non-competing continuation awards will be made in fiscal year 2003.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

42 CFR 86, "Grants for Education Programs in Occupational Safety and Health"; PHS Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 94-50,000 (Rev.) April 1, 1994.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:   Program Contact: Dr. Bernadine Kuchinski, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, E-74, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333. Telephone: (404) 498-2537, E Mail: bbk1@cdc.gov FAX: (404) 498-2571, Grants Management Contact: Joseph A. Gilcrist, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Mailstop P05, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Telephone (412) 386-6428.

Web Site Address:   http//www.cdc.gov.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Training grants are available in two forms. EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTERS (ERC): Projects are funded in support of establishing and operating an Education and Research Center. The ERC's are designed to provide multidisciplinary training for students in the core program areas of occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, industrial hygiene, and occupational safety, primarily at the graduate level and in related disciplines such as occupational injury prevention, occupational epidemiology, ergonomics, etc.. The ERC program also is intended to afford opportunity for full- and part-time academic career training, for cross training of occupational safety and health practitioners, for mid-career training in the field of occupational health and safety, and access to many different and relevant courses for students pursuing various degrees. An example is the existence of one ERC which provides academic and research training for nurses, physicians, industrial hygienists, epidemiologists, injury prevention specialists and also provides continuing education for practitioners and outreach programs in the region through a visiting scholars program. LONG-TERM TRAINING PROJECT GRANTS: Support is available for the establishment, strengthening, or expansion of graduate, undergraduate, and special training programs in the occupational safety and health fields. The types of training currently eligible for support are: graduate training for practice, teaching, and research careers in occupational safety and health; undergraduate training providing trainees with capabilities for positions in occupational safety and health professions; and special technical or other programs for training of occupational safety and health paraprofessionals or specialists. Four example programs are currently funded which provide the following: a graduate industrial hygiene program; an undergraduate program to train paraprofessionals in occupational health and safety; a graduate nursing program to train nurse practitioners; and, an occupational medicine program which provides residency training through an alternate pathway of distance learning.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

The following are representative of some of the criteria used: (1) Overall potential contribution of the project toward meeting program objectives; (2) the need for training in the areas outlined in the application; (3) curriculum content and design; (4) previous record of training; (5) evaluation methods; (6) experience and training of project director and staff; (7) institutional commitment; (8) academic and physical environment; (9) past performance, and (10) appropriateness of budget.