Participating Organization(s)	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC The policies, guidelines, terms, and conditions of the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) might differ from those used by the HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH). If written guidance for completing this application is not available on the CDC website, then CDC will direct applicants elsewhere for that information.
Components of Participating Organizations	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Funding Opportunity Title	Miner Safety and Health Training Program - Western United States (U60)
Activity Code	U60 Research Cooperative Agreement
Announcement Type	Reissue of RFA-OH-10-001
Related Notices	December 15, 2016 - This RFA has been reissued as RFA-OH-17-001. March 18, 2014 - See Notice NOT-OH-14-005. Notice of Clarification for Section IV - 5. Funding Restrictions.
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number	RFA-OH-14-004
Companion Funding Opportunity	Not Applicable
Number of Applications	Only one application per institution is allowed. See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)	93.262
Funding Opportunity Purpose	The purpose of this FOA is to enhance the quality and availability of health and safety training for mine workers in the Western United States. As a result, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) invites applications for cooperative agreements to support the development of training and education programs. A major objective of this solicitation is to establish a training program that 1) addresses the training needs of miners in the Western United States, 2) develops and delivers training to miners in the Western United States, 3) provides qualified instructors and faculty to conduct the training, 4) evaluates the effectiveness and impact of the training program on reducing injuries and illnesses to miners, and 5) coordinates with existing training programs, such as those offered by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). NIOSH intends that the training provided by this program will be consistent with recommendations and guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and MSHA and that the training provided does not overlap with existing MSHA or OSHA training programs.

Posted Date	February 11, 2014
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)	February 28, 2014
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)	February 28, 2014
Application Due Date(s)	March 31, 2014), by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
AIDS Application Due Date(s)	Not Applicable
Scientific Merit Review	May - June, 2014
Advisory Council Review	July - August, 2014
Earliest Start Date	September 1, 2014
Expiration Date	April 1, 2014
Due Dates for E.O. 12372	Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

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 the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 20(a) and 21(a) (29 USC 669(a) and 29 USC 670); Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, Section 501(a), 30 USC 1 (Note), and 30 USC 951(a); Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement

Despite many technological and work environment advances, mining remains one of the most challenging and demanding occupations in the United States. The fatality rate in mining is six times higher than the national average for other industries. In 2012, there were 36 occupational mining fatalities and the industry average over the last three years has been 48 annual fatalities. Additionally, the severity of injuries for mining exceeds all other industries with the highest percentage of lost work days per incident. There were 5,623 nonfatal lost-time injuries reported to the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in 2010. These injuries occurred at an overall rate of 2.0 per 100 FTE workers. The underground nonfatal lost-time injury rate was greater than the surface injury rate (3.6 vs. 1.6 per 100 FTE workers). Respiratory disease and hearing loss are two critical health concerns within the mining industry. In the last decade, death certificates list coal workers' pneumoconiosis, commonly called black lung disease, as a cause in more than 10,000 deaths. In addition, more than 65 percent of miners experience occupational hearing loss by the time they retire (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/default.html). As a result of the many challenges in the mining industry, the focus areas for mining training must encompass a wide range of hazards and risks.

In 1969, the Coal Mine Safety and Health Act provided funding for state health and safety training through grants by MSHA. The mining community in the Eastern United States is served by the MSHA Training Academy in Beckley, West Virginia (http://www.msha.gov/Programs/MineAcademy/Academy.asp). MSHA, under the Department of Labor, provides training to federal mine inspectors and mining professionals from other governmental agencies, the mining industries, and labor. MSHA also provides Part 46 Training Assistance for new employees, refresher training, new task training, and training on Site-specific Hazards. States use MSHA grant funds to provide federally mandated training to miners working at coal, metal, and nonmetal mines, both on the surface and underground. In 2009, 47 states and the Navajo Nation were funded by this MSHA grant program.

Since 1999, NIOSH has supported the safety and health training of miners in the Western United States, when the authorities of the Bureau of Mines were transferred to NIOSH. NIOSH support for miner training has been provided through various projects, contracts, and grants, including the Western Mining Training Centers which have included the Colorado School of Mines, the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri at Rolla) and the University of Arizona.

The purpose of this FOA is to enhance the quality and availability of health and safety training for mine workers in the Western United States. As a result, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) invites applications for cooperative agreements to support the development of training and education programs.

A major objective of this solicitation is to establish a training program that 1) addresses the training needs of miners in the Western United States, 2) develops and delivers training to miners in the Western United States, 3) provides qualified instructors and faculty to conduct the training, 4) evaluates the effectiveness and impact of the training program on reducing injuries and illnesses to miners, and 5) coordinates with existing training programs, such as those offered by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). NIOSH intends that the training provided by this program will be consistent with recommendations and guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and MSHA and that the training provided does not overlap with existing MSHA or OSHA training programs.

NIOSH is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2020" http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/default.aspx. Healthy People 2020 objectives related to occupational safety and health (OSH) are primarily addressed through the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA, established by NIOSH and its partners to stimulate research and improve workplace practices, provides a framework to guide OSH research. The goal of the NIOSH research program is to support research that is relevant, of high quality, and that demonstrates impact in reducing occupational disease and injury. Emphasis is placed on research projects that address needs outlined in NORA. NIOSH has created a Program Portfolio to broadly guide activities by categorizing programs into ten (10) major NORA Sector Programs that represent groups of industrial sectors, and twenty-four (24) cross-sector programs organized around adverse health outcomes, statutory programs and global efforts. Detailed information about the Program Portfolio can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/

Applicants must provide a statement about which industry sector(s) and which cross-sectors are being addressed and a rationale for how the proposal will contribute to the specified priority area (this information must be placed in the Project Description/Abstract).

In addition to NORA, NIOSH has initiated a Research to Practice (r2P) initiative to reduce or eliminate occupational illness and injury by increasing the transfer and translation of knowledge, interventions, and technologies into highly effective prevention practices and products into the workplace. R2p is an interactive process in which the occupational safety and health community including researchers, communicators, decision-makers, and employer/employee groups work collaboratively to

• Identify research needs;
• Design, plan, and conduct studies;
• Translate and disseminate existing knowledge, interventions, and technologies to relevant users for
• implementation in the workplace ; and to
• Evaluate results to determine the impact on occupational safety and health.

Additional information about r2p can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/r2p.

This training program will expand the mission of NIOSH in protecting and promoting the health of mine workers. The training will improve work practices, will reduce work related injury and illness and will increase the understanding of safety and health practices in Western mine worksites.

Safety and health trainings for miners provide workers with relevant knowledge regarding hazards encountered in the mining environment, and with practical tools for reducing risks for injuries and illness. The training program will assist workers in becoming active participants in determining and improving the health and safety conditions under which they work, and in establishing collaborative employer-employee relationships for creating safe workplaces. Protecting the health and safety of mine workers by preventing diseases, injuries, and fatalities is a NIOSH priority, and to make certain workers are qualified, trained, and properly equipped.

NIOSH conducts research to find ways to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, supports training programs, and provides technical assistance to and partners with CDC Institutes, Federal, State, national and international partners, including mining companies, industry associations, enforcement agencies, labor unions, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and academic institutions. NIOSH provides guidance during an emergency response incident, on the use of respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE); assistance with exposure assessment and monitoring, including the development of environmental sampling methods, strategies, and sample collection; observes specific work activities for exposures and other physical hazards; and assesses and gives guidance on engineering (ventilation assessments) and administrative workplace controls. NIOSH also designs and provides worker information sheets for specific hazards and provides guidance and assistance for establishing worker registries and rosters. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/topics/EmergencyManagement.html http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/topics/index.html#EmergencyManagementResponsehttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/mining/

This cooperative agreement is intended to improve the availability and quality of mineworker training in the western U.S., where MSHA’s programs at the Mine Safety Academy in Beckley, WV, may not be as accessible to some western miners. Moreover it provides an opportunity to address gaps that exist in current training materials, particularly related to western mining operations.

An immediate goal of safety and health training for miners is to provide workers with relevant knowledge regarding hazards encountered in the mining environment, and with practical tools for reducing risks for injuries and illness. Another goal of the training program is to assist workers in becoming active participants in determining and improving the health and safety conditions under which they work, and in establishing collaborative employer-employee relationships for creating safe workplaces.

The objectives of the miner training program focus on outcomes. Since primary prevention of illness and injury among miners depends in large part on the appropriate use and maintenance of engineering controls, training that includes these is appropriate. The proposed program should:

• Address the training needs of mining personnel,
• Increase the number of qualified mine safety and health trainers in the western U.S., developing/offering train-the-trainer courses,
• Develop and deliver miner training to mine workers working in the mining industry of the Western United States,
• Provide qualified instructors and faculty to achieve the goals of this project,
• Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the training program on reducing injuries to mining personnel, and
• Coordinate with existing training programs (such as MSHA and OSHA).

This cooperative agreement is intended to support training of miners working in the Western United States. The training program may include a combination of trainee targets including miners, with a major emphasis placed on train-the-trainer programs. The application should identify and provide credentials for the instructors and faculty who will provide the training.

Partnerships are integral to the NIOSH Mining Program; they facilitate advances in the safety and health of U.S. mine workers. Input from customers and stakeholder groups, which have inherent knowledge and concern about the safety and health of miners, helps in setting research priorities. The partners often add expertise or specialized experience to the research team, which is beneficial to the research experiments and analysis and interpretation of the results. Applicants will institute collaborative partnerships with local and state organizations, universities, manufacturers, and government agencies, community organizations, health care institutions, business groups, and labor organizations to carry out research activities, conduct outreach programs, promote awareness, and disseminate information. Partnerships are critical to translate research into practice and are encouraged by the NIOSH Research-to-Practice Program (r2p). Interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaborations among investigators and institutions to utilize and share existing expertise is essential in advancing the science of the occupational health and safety field in combination with the health promotion of workers in the work environment.

The training program must include an evaluation process that will be performed by those trained in this program. An evaluation plan that addresses the impact of the training on the safety and health of miners must be included in the application.

An evaluation plan is required; the applicant should describe how they will measure progress toward achieving the aims and goals of the proposed project. Also, it will enable the assessment of their impact on worker illness and injury. They may include a logic model that describes the inputs, activities, outputs, intermediate outcomes and expected long-term outcomes.

The training and educational needs specific to miners in the Western United States are to be defined in the application along with supporting data from industry, unions, and miners. These data are to be used to justify the proposed training and education of miners. In addition to identifying training needs, the application must provide information regarding the location of the training. Ideally, training will be provided not only at centralized facilities, but also occur at mining worksites. The application should provide justification for the choice of location in terms of impact, accessibility, feasibility, and cost.

Funding from a NIOSH cooperative agreement award made under this announcement is not intended to overlap training currently available to Western miners. To maximize the impact of miner training and to avoid overlap with existing training programs provided by MSHA and OSHA (both those based out of their academy locations and through grants to states), all existing programs should be identified and considered when the training program is developed. Further, the training provided by any NIOSH-funded training program for miners should be consistent with current recommendations and guidelines of both OSHA and MSHA. Information on MSHA training is provided http://www.msha.gov/Education&Training.HTM, and for OSHA at https://www.osha.gov/dte/index.html.

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

Funding Instrument	Cooperative Agreement: A support mechanism used when there will be substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement. Substantial involvement means that, after award, NIH scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities.
Application Types Allowed	New Renewal The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types.
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards	NIOSH intends to commit a total of approximately $1 million in FY2014 to fund 1-3 cooperative agreements in response to this FOA for a period of up to 3 years. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Award Budget	The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 3 years. An applicant may request a budget for direct costs of up to $500,000 per year.
Award Project Period	The project period will run from 09/01/2014 to 08/30/2017

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Regional Organizations
• Bona Fide Agents: a Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by the state as eligible to submit an application under the state eligibility in lieu of a state application. If applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government, a legal, binding agreement from the state or local government as documentation of the status is required. Attach with "Other Attachment Forms" when submitting via www.grants.gov

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account and should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate an existing account with the applicant organization’s eRA Commons account. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization 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 support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIOSH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the "Contact PI, who will be responsible for all communication between the PDs/PIs and the NIOSH, for assembling the application materials outlined below, and for coordinating progress reports for the project. The contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other PDs/PIs. For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi).

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the

HHS Grants Policy Statement

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

NIOSH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one currently in review or one reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:

• To an RFA of an application that was submitted previously as an investigator-initiated application but not paid;
• Of an investigator-initiated application that was originally submitted to an RFA but not paid; or
• Of an application with a changed grant activity code.

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov

If access to the Internet is not available or if the applicant encounters difficulty accessing the forms on-line, contact the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section (PGO TIMS) staff at (770) 488-2700 or pgotim@cdc.gov for further instructions. Hours: Monday - Friday, 7am 4:30pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time. CDC Telecommunications for the hearing impaired or disabled is available at: TTY 1-888-232-6348.

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

In conjunction with the SF424 (R&R) components, CDC grants applicants should also complete and submit additional components titled PHS398. Note the PHS398 should include assurances and certifications, additional data required by the agency for a complete application. While these are not identical to the PHS398 application form pages, the PHS398 reference is used to distinguish these additional data requirements from the data collected in the SF424 (R&R) components. A complete application to CDC will include SF424 (R&R) and PHS398 components. These forms can be downloaded and uploaded as Attachment A from the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/foamain.shtm

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 IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed activity
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
• Names of other key personnel
• Participating institution(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Price Connor, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Officer
Office of Extramural Programs
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Mailstop E74
Atlanta, GA 30333
Telephone: 404-498-2511
FAX: 404-498-2571
Email: PConnor@cdc.gov

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed, with the following exceptions or additional requirements:

• For this specific FOA, the Research Strategy section of the Research Plan narrative is limited to 25 pages.
• Supporting materials for the Research Plan narrative included as appendices may not exceed 10 PDF files with a maximum of 100 pages for all appendices.

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, required and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide includes instructions for applicants to complete a PHS 398 Research Plan that consists of 16 components. Not all 16 components of the Research Plan apply to all Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). Specifically, some of the following 16 components are for Resubmissions or Revisions only. See Part I, Section 5.5 of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=12000) for additional information. Please attach applicable sections of the following Research Plan components as directed in Part 2, Section 1 (Funding Opportunity Announcement Description).

While each section of the Research Strategy/Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. All attachments must be provided to HHS/CDC in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a PDF extension must be used. Do not include any information in a header or footer of the attachments. A header will be system-generated that references the PD/PI. Page numbers for the footer will be system-generated in the complete application, with all pages sequentially numbered; therefore, do not number the pages of your attachments. Your research strategy/plan must not exceed 25 pages. If your research plan exceeds the page limitation, your application may be considered unresponsive and ineligible for review.

Follow the page limits stated in the SF 424 unless otherwise specified in the FOA. As applicable to and specified in the FOA, the application should include the bolded headers in this section and should address activities to be conducted over the course of the entire project, including but not limited to:

1. Introduction to Application (for Resubmission and Revision ONLY) is limited to 1 page - provide a clear description about the purpose of the proposed research and how it addresses the specific requirements of the FOA.

2. Specific Aims is limited to 1 page. state the problem the proposed research addresses and how it will result in public health impact and improvements in population health.

3. Research Strategy is limited to 25 pages the research strategy should be organized under 3 headings: Significance, Innovation and Approach. Describe the proposed research plan, including staffing and timeline.

4. Inclusion Enrollment Report (Renewal and Revision applications ONLY)

5. Progress Report Publication List (for Continuation ONLY)

Human Subjects Section

6. Protection of Human Subjects

7. Inclusion of Women and Minorities

8. Targeted/Planned Enrollment Table (for New Application ONLY)

9. Inclusion of Children

Other Research Plan Sections

10. Vertebrate Animals

11. Select Agent Research

12. Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan.

13. Consortium/Contractual Arrangements

14. Letters of Support

15. Resource Sharing Plan(s)

16. Appendix

Component 4 (Inclusion Enrollment Report) applies only to Renewal and Revision applications for clinical research. Clinical research is that which is conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human subjects. Excluded from this definition are in vitro studies that utilize human tissues that cannot be linked to a living individual. Patient-oriented research includes: (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b) therapeutic interventions, (c) clinical trials, and (d) development of new technologies). Follow the page limits in the SF 424 unless otherwise specified in the FOA.

Format for Attachments

Designed to maximize system-conducted validations, multiple separate attachments are required for a complete application. When the application is received by the agency, all submitted forms and all separate attachments are combined into a single document that is used by peer reviewers and agency staff. Applicants should ensure that all attachments are uploaded to the system.

CDC requires all text attachments to the Adobe application forms be submitted as PDFs and that all text attachments conform to the agency-specific formatting requirements noted in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (Part I, Section 2) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=12000)

Unsuccessful Submissions:

If an application submission was unsuccessful, the applicant must:

1.Track his/her submission and verify the submission status (tracking should be done initially regardless of rejection or success).

a. If the status states rejected, do #2a or #2b.

2.Check his/her emails from both Grants.gov and eRA Commons for rejection notices.

a. If the deadline has passed, he/she should email the Grant Management Specialist listed in the FOA (pgotim@cdc.gov) explaining why the submission failed.

b. If there is time before the deadline, he/she should correct the problem(s) and resubmit as soon as possible.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_General_Adobe_VerB.pdf )

must be followed along with any additional instructions provided in the FOA.

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:

HHS/CDC policy requires that recipients of grant awards make research resources and data readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication. Please see: http://www.cdc.gov/od/foia/ investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan on sharing research resources and data.

A formal resource sharing plan is not required.

• All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, should address a Data Sharing Plan.
• Program staff will be responsible for the administrative review of the plan for sharing research resources and data. The adequacy of the resources sharing plan will be considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report (HHS/PHS 2590

Appendix: Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits. A maximum of 10 PDF documents are allowed in the appendix. Additionally, up to 3 publications may be included that are not publically available. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

The following materials should be included in the Appendix:

• Publications in press: Include only a publication list with a link to the publicly available on-line journal article or the NIH Pub Med Central (PMC) submission identification number. Do not include the entire article.
• Manuscripts published but a publicly available online journal link is not available: The entire article may be submitted electronically as a PDF attachment.
• Curriculum material.
• Surveys, questionnaires, data collection instruments.

When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Planned Enrollment Reports as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Cumulative Inclusion Enrollment Report as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

All HHS/CDC awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other requirements described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement. Pre-award costs may be allowable as an expanded authority, but only if authorized by CDC.

For more information on expanded authority and pre-award costs, go to http://intranet.hhs.gov/abouthhs/administrative/grantsinfo/awarding_agency/

and speak to your GMS.

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.

Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH, and NIOSH/CDC Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-13-030.

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the CDC mission (http://www.cdc.gov/about/organization/mission.htm), all applications submitted to the CDC in support of public health research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the CDC peer review system.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Significance

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to training miners in the Western United States? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will miner training be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, and services associated with miner training?

Investigator(s)

Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project? Is evidence of experienced and technically qualified key personnel included and it is appropriate for this type of miner safety and health training? Does the Principal Investigator strongly demonstrate the capacity for providing leadership and assuring productivity of appropriate miner safety and health training and education programs and for overall management of the training programs including quality assurance and program evaluation? Is there sufficient evidence that the applicant’s organizational structure provides adequate knowledge support to facilitate the program? Is there evidence of lines of responsibility and accountability and is it clearly delineated when two or more organizations are collaborating on an activity?

Innovation

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Approach

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? ? How adequate are the organization's, or consortia's, performance and effectiveness in planning, implementing, and operating appropriate miner safety and health training and education programs? Does the applicant demonstrate past experience in development and implementation of miner safety and health training and education programs and application of appropriate adult education techniques? Are the methods and techniques to be used for identifying, describing, and accessing target specific worker populations for miner safety and health training and anticipated impact of the proposed program sufficient? Is the detailed program plan adequate for miner safety and health training in adapting existing curricula, training of instructors, distributing course materials, directing worker training, and conducting program evaluations? Is there evidence of appropriate combinations of classroom or worksite instruction and hands on demonstration and instruction that simulates site activities and conditions? Does the applicant have the ability to immediately initiate direct miner safety and health training, program evaluation, and related support activities? Are their procedures for assuring the long-term viability of the program convincing? Is the training plan adequate for reaching underserved miner populations especially those disadvantaged in education, culture, or language or limited in literacy and access to training?

If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Environment

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Are there appropriate facilities and equipment to support the described miner safety and health training and education activities including hands-on instruction? Is there evidence that the operation of training facilities assures the protection of prospective trainees during program delivery? Are there appropriate policies and procedures for assuring fitness for training and medical clearance?

Evaluation

Does the applicant include a comprehensive training evaluation plan that reflects appropriate evaluation questions, purposes, and methods for data collection, analysis and reporting? Does the evaluation plan reflect the proposed projects goals and objectives and utilize the most appropriate process and outcomes measures to assess projects outputs and impacts? Does the application describe an evaluation plan to review and determine the quality and effectiveness of the training program? Are the plans for obtaining feedback from current and former trainees and monitoring trainees career development and progressions adequate to measure the quality and effectiveness of the training program?

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of children to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmissions

Not applicable

Renewals

For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.

Revisions

Not applicable

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

NORA sectors and cross sectors

Does the applicant provide a statement about which NORA sector(s) and cross-sector(s) are being addressed and a rationale for how the proposal will contribute to the specified priority area?

r2p

Does the applicant provide information about how their proposal addresses r2P?l

Does the applicant provide information about the expected outcomes and outputs and how this

research will impact the field of occupational health and safety?

Applications from Foreign Organizations

Not Applicable

Select Agent Research

Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Resource Sharing Plans

HHS/CDC policy requires that recipients of grant awards make research resources and data readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication. Please see: http://www.cdc.gov/od/foia/ investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan on sharing research resources and data.

A formal resource sharing plan is not required.

Budget and Period of Support

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group, in accordance with CDC peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria.

Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to mining training priorities.
• Coverage of target populations
  
  As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
  • Will undergo a selection process in which all responsive applications will be discussed and assigned an overall impact/priority score.
  • Will receive a written critique.

Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the

HHS Grants Policy Statement.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIOSH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee’s business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

All HHS/CDC grant and cooperative agreement awards include the HHS Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the HHS Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of Award (http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/hhsgrantspolicy.pdf).

Awardees must comply with the administrative requirements (AR) outlined in 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 74 or Part 92, as appropriate, as well as any additional requirements included in the FOA.

Specific requirements that apply to this FOA are the following:

Generally applicable ARs:

AR-1: Human Subjects Requirements

AR-2: Inclusion of Women and Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Research

AR-3: Animal Subjects Requirements

AR-9: Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements

AR-10: Smoke-Free Workplace Requirements

AR-11: Healthy People 2010

AR-12: Lobbying Restrictions

AR-13: Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control Activities

AR-14: Accounting System Requirements

AR-16: Security Clearance Requirement

AR-21: Small, Minority, And Women-owned Business

AR-22: Research Integrity

AR-24: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Requirements

AR-25: Release and Sharing of Data

AR-26: National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

AR-28: Inclusion of Persons Under the Age of 21 in Research

AR-29: Compliance with EO13513, Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging while Driving , October 1, 2009

AR-30: Information Letter 10-006, - Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

AR 31 - Distinguishing Public Health Research and Public Health Nonresearch

AR 32 FY 2012 Enacted General Provisions

For more information on the Code of Federal Regulations, visit the National Archives and Records Administration at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html

To view brief descriptions of relevant CDC requirements visit: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/additional_req.shtm

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) administrative guidelines, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92 (Part 92 is applicable when State and local Governments are eligible to apply), and other HHS, PHS, and CDC grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial CDC programmatic involvement with the awardees is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the HHS/CDC purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; CDC Project Officer are not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the awardees for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the awardees and HHS/CDC as defined below.

The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:

• Awardees will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current DHHS, PHS, and CDC policies.
• The Principal Investigator will have the primary authorities and responsibilities to define objectives and approaches, and to plan, conduct, analyze, and evaluate and awardees training activities. Each awardee is responsible for developing 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.
• Each awardee is required to meet annually to review progress, share information, and to coordinate training activities.
• 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 NIOSH to the Program Coordinator at NIOSH, in order to receive technical comments and suggestions regarding the adequacy, technical accuracy and suitability of materials to be used for miner training and education. Final copies of all materials developed with support from NIOSH will be transmitted by the awardees in approved electronic format to NIOSH and made available to the general public, subject to any specific legal caveats on use or copyright protection.
• Each awardee is required to have one individual assigned the responsibility for information technology transfer and dissemination as the point of contact for the NIOSH Program Coordinator. This person would ensure the effective communication and transfer of important training and administrative information to NIOSH 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.

NIOSH staff will have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:

The NIOSH Program Official will have the primary responsibility for:

• The NIOSH Program Official will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the cooperative agreement award including evaluation of non-competing applications, supplemental requests, etc. and will be named in the award notice.
• When the Program Official also serves as the Program Coordinator, the Program Official will not publish with awardees on activities specifically associated with the cooperative agreement unless it is an introduction or editorial regarding the basic information on the NIOSH role in managing the technical and administrative aspects of the program.

The NIOSH Program Coordinator will have the following primary responsibilities:

• Facilitating, not directing, the development of a high-quality miner training resource in the Western United States.
• Providing technical assistance as needed to the Western Mining Training Centers in support of their leadership and responsibility for Western mine workers health.
• Coordinating activities of mutual interest and benefit to awardees and the Institute. The primary objective will be to stimulate collaborative work between NIOSH and the awardees in the creation of miner safety and health programs. Substantial programmatic involvement by the NIOSH Program Coordinator will assure that there is not duplication of efforts in miner safety and health training delivery and program development by the awardees.
• Providing consistent use and delivery of existing curricula for miner safety and health training, the NIOSH Program Coordinator will assist in ensuring that there will be close coordination among awardees, other state and federal governmental agencies, and other training providers. Such program coordination between NIOSH and the awardees will make maximum use of miner safety and health training materials and curricula that have already been developed, evaluated, and used. Training materials developed by the awardees will be reviewed by the NIOSH Program Coordinator for consistency, appropriateness, and technical accuracy before the initiation of miner safety and health training activities.
• Convening a working meeting annually to review progress, share information, discuss technical issues, and to coordinate training activities.
• Assisting awardees in 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 safety and health practices in the mining environment. While each awardee must have its own evaluation program, the NIOSH Program Coordinator will work to assess the overall effectiveness of the miner training programs supported under the cooperative agreements.

Areas of Joint Responsibility include:

• Participate in a conference/meeting to be held in conjunction with CDC Centers and Partners to disseminate research findings and outcomes to the public health community and stakeholders.

Awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the HHS Grants Policy

A final progress report, invention statement, equipment inventory list and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Although the financial plans of the HHS/CDC CIO(s) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity depend upon the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports) and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later.

Compliance with this law is primarily the responsibility of the Federal agency. However, two elements of the law require information to be collected and reported by recipients: 1) information on executive compensation when not already reported through the Central Contractor Registry; and 2) similar information on all sub-awards/subcontracts/consortiums over $25,000. It is a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable CDC grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting

1. Yearly Non-Competing Grant Progress Report, (use form PHS 2590, posted on the HHS/CDC website, http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/forms.htm and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm, is due 90 to 120 days prior to the end of the current budget period. The progress report will serve as the non-competing continuation application. Although the financial plans of the HHS/CDC CIO(s) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports) and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.

Each awardee is required to submit an Annual Report to the NIOSH Program Official/Coordinator, which describes the number, location and nature of all training activities and the characteristics of the trainees reached during a particular budget period. Results and findings from training program evaluations will be summarized by each awardee and submitted to the NIOSH Program Official/Coordinator 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. The report must be submitted electronically.

2.Annual Federal Financial Report (FFR) SF 425 is required and must be submitted through eRA Commons within 90 days after the end of each budget period.

3. A final progress report, invention statement, equipment/inventory report , and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report (FFR) Standard Form ( SF ) 425 Form are required within 90 days of the end of the project period.

B.Content of Reports

1. Yearly Non-Competing Grant Progress Report: The grantee s continuation application/progress report should include:

- Description of Progress during Annual Budget Period: Current Budget Period Progress reported on the PHS 2590 (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm: Detailed narrative report for the current budget period that directly addresses progress towards the Measures of Effectiveness included in the current budget period proposal.

• Research Aims: list each research aim/project

a) Research Aim/Project: purpose, status (met, ongoing, and unmet), challenges, successes, and lessons learned

b) Leadership/Partnership: list project collaborations and describe the role of external partners.

- Translation of Research (1 page maximum). When relevant to the goals of the research project, the PI should describe how the significant findings may be used to promote, enhance, or advance translation of the research to policy or practice. This section should be understandable to a variety of audiences, including policy makers, practitioners, public health programs, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, community groups, researchers, and other potential users. The PI should identify the research findings that were translated into public health policy or practice and how the findings have been or may be adopted in public health settings. Or, if they cannot be applied yet, this section should address which research findings may be translated, how these findings can guide future research or related activities, and recommendations for translation. If relevant, describe how the results of this project could be generalized to populations and communities outside of the study. Questions to consider in preparing this section include:

• How will the scientific findings be translated into public health policy or practice?
• How will the project improve or effect the translation of research findings into policy or practice?
• How will the research findings help promote or accelerate the dissemination, implementation, or diffusion of improvements in public health programs or practices?
• How will the findings advance or guide future research efforts or related activities?
• Public Health Relevance and Impact (1 page maximum). This section should address improvements in public health as measured by documented or anticipated outcomes from the project. The PI should consider how the findings of the project relate beyond the immediate study to improved practices, prevention or intervention techniques, policy, or use of technology in public health. Questions to consider in preparing this section include:

How will this project lead to improvements in public health?

• How will the findings, results, or recommendations been used to influence practices, procedures, methodologies, etc.?
• How will the findings, results, or recommendations contributed to documented or projected reductions in morbidity, mortality, injury, disability, or disease?
• Current Budget Period Financial Progress: Status of obligation of current budget period funds and an estimate of unobligated funds projected provided on an estimated FFR.
• New Budget Period Proposal:
• Detailed operational plan for continuing activities in the upcoming budget period, including updated Measures of Effectiveness for evaluating progress during the upcoming budget period. Report listed by Research Aim/Project.
• Project Timeline: Include planned milestones for the upcoming year (be specific and provide deadlines).
• New Budget Period Budget: Detailed line-item budget and budget justification for the new budget period. Use the CDC budget guideline format.
• Publications/Presentations: Include publications/presentations resulting from this CDC grant only during this budget period. If no publication or presentations have been made at this stage in the project, simply indicate Not applicable: No publications or presentations have been made.
• IRB Approval Certification: Include all current IRB approvals to avoid a funding restriction on your award. If the research does not involve human subjects, then please state so. Please provide a copy of the most recent local IRB and CDC IRB, if applicable. If any approval is still pending at time of APR due date, indicate the status in your narrative.
• This report will be made available on the NIOSH web page and will be used to provide information on mining training activities to the Congress, the public, and others.

2. Annual Federal Financial Reporting

The Annual Federal Financial Report (FFR) SF 425 is required and must be submitted through eRA Commons within 90 days after the end of each budget period. The FFR should only include those funds authorized and disbursed during the timeframe covered by the report. The final FFR must indicate the exact balance of unobligated funds and may not reflect any unliquidated obligations. There must be no discrepancies between the final FFR expenditure data and the Payment Management System's (PMS) cash transaction data.

Failure to submit the required information in a timely manner may adversely affect the future funding of this project. If the information cannot be provided by the due date, you are required to submit a letter explaining the reason and date by which the Grants Officer will receive the information. All CDC Financial Expenditure data due on/after October 1, 2012 must be submitted using the FFR via the eFSR/FFR system in the eRA Commons. All Federal Reporting in the Payment Management System is unchanged. All new submissions should be prepared and submitted as FFRs.

CDC’s implementation of the FFR retains a financial reporting period that coincides with the budget period of a particular project. However, the due date for annual FFRs will be 90 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the budget period ends. Note that this is a change in due dates of annual FFRs and may provide up to 60 additional days to report, depending upon when the budget period end date falls within a calendar quarter. For example, if the budget period ends 1/30/2012, the annual FFR is due 6/30/2012 (90 days after the end of the calendar quarter of 3/31/2012). Due dates of final reports will remain unchanged. The due date for final FFRs will continue to be 90 days after the project period end date.

Grantees must submit closeout reports in a timely manner. Unless the Grants Management Officer (GMO) of the awarding Institute or Center approves an extension, grantees must submit a final FFR, final progress report, and Final Invention Statement and Certification within 90 days of the end of grant period. Failure to submit timely and accurate final reports may affect future funding to the organization or awards under the direction of the same Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI).

FFR (SF 425) instructions for CDC grantees are now available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. For further information, contact mailto:oer@od.nih.gov. Additional resources concerning the eFSR/FFR system, including a User Guide and an on-line demonstration, can be found on the eRA Commons Support Page: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/eramain.shtm.

FFR Submission: The submission of FFRs to CDC will require organizations to register with eRA Commons (Commons) (https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/). CDC recommends that this one time registration process be completed at least 2 weeks prior to the submittal date of a FFR submission.

Organizations may verify their current registration status by running the List of Commons Registered Organizations query found at: http://era.nih.gov/commons/. Organizations not yet registered can go to https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/registration/registrationInstructions.jsp for instructions. It generally takes several days to complete this registration process. This registration is independent of Grants.gov and may be done at any time.

The individual designated as the PI on the application must also be registered in the Commons. The PI must hold a PI account and be affiliated with the applicant organization. This registration must be done by an organizational official or their delegate who is already registered in the Commons. To register PIs in the Commons, refer to the eRA Commons User Guide found at: http://era.nih.gov/commons/index.cfm.

3. Final Reports: Final reports should provide sufficient detail for CDC to determine if the stated outcomes for the funded research have been achieved and if the research findings resulted in public health impact based on the investment. The grantee’s final report should include:

• Research Aim/Project Overview: The PI should describe the purpose and approach to the project, including the outcomes, methodology and related analyses. Include a discussion of the challenges, successes and lessons learned. Describe the collaborations/partnerships and the role of each external partner.
• Translation of Research Findings: The PI should describe how the findings will be translated and how they will be used to promote, enhance or advance the research findings and the impact on public health policy and practice. This section should be understandable to a variety of audiences, including policy makers, practitioners, public health programs, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, community groups, researchers and other potential end users. The PI should also provide a discussion of any research findings that influenced policy or practice during the course of the project period. If applicable, describe how the findings could be generalized and scaled to populations and communities outside of the funded project.
• Public Health Relevance and Impact: This section should address improvements in public health as measured by documented or anticipated outcomes from the project. The PI should consider how the findings of the project related beyond the immediate study to improved practices, prevention or intervention techniques, policy, technology or systems improvement in public health.
• Publications; Presentations; Media Coverage: Include information regarding all publications, presentations or media coverage resulting from this CDC funded activity. Please include any additional dissemination efforts that did or will result from the project.

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Commons Help Desk (Questions regarding eRA Commons registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, post submission issues)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

Web ticketing system: https://public.era.nih.gov/commonshelp
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: commons@od.nih.gov

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and application packages)
Contact CenterTelephone: 800-518-4726

Web ticketing system: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/ContactUs.aspx
Email: support@grants.gov

CDC Technical Information Management Section (TIMS)
Procurement and Grants Office
Telephone: 770-488-2700
Email: PGOTIM@cdc.gov

Hours: Monday - Friday, 7am 4:30pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time

Maria Lioce, MD, Program Official
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC/NIOSH/OEP
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E74
Atlanta, GA 30329-4018
Telephone: 404-498-2575
E-mail: cru6@cdc.gov

Price Conner, Ph.D.
CDC/NIOSH/OEP
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E74
Atlanta, GA 30329-4018
Telephone: 404-498-2511
Fax: 404-498-2571
Email: spc3@cdc.gov

Mary Pat Shanahan
Acquisition and Assistance Field Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
626 Cochrans Mill Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0070
Telephone: 412-386-4453
Fax: 412-386- 6429
Email: MShanahan@cdc.gov

All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections of the Public Health Service Act as amended and under the Code Federal Regulations. This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 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 the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 20(a) and 21(a) (29 USC 669(a) and 29 USC 670), Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, Section 501(a), 30 USC 951 (a); Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.