Texas Department of State Health Services 
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The Texas Department of State Health Services Funding Alert is published weekly. If you wish to subscribe to the Funding Information Center Funding Alert and other services, please call (512) 776-7684 or fill out our online subscription form which can be found at: https://webds.dshs.state.tx.us/fic/subscribe.htm. Information in the Funding Alert is not copyrighted and may be reproduced. The Texas Department of State Health Services Funding Information Center would appreciate credit for the material used and a copy of the reprint. For information on viewing Adobe Acrobat .pdf and other files, see file viewing information.
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Funding News and Grant Tips
Comment Now on Proposed OMB Reforms to Federal Grant Circulars
In a development that would impact current and future recipients of federal grants, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently provided advance notice of its intention to make major reforms to its grant-related circulars.
If the OMB’s proposed guidance is adopted as detailed in the Federal Register in late February, the current practices for grants management and single audits will change drastically, affecting nearly every entity that receives federal grant funding.
The OMB is housed within the Executive Office of the President and is responsible for implementing and enforcing presidential policy across the federal government. OMB circulars are instructions or information issued to federal agencies regarding major categories in OMB’s purview, including state and local governments, educational and nonprofit institutions and federal financial management.
The OMB circulars that are critical for federal grantees address administrative requirements, cost principles and audits.
Respectively, they establish:
* consistent standards for the management of federal awards;
* principles for cost regulation – notably, specifying the types of costs that are allowable for coverage by a federal grant; and
* standards for consistent and uniform audits of nonfederal entities that receive and spend federal funds, including grants.
The revised guidance proposed by the OMB would consolidate the cost principle circulars (Circular A-21 for institutions of higher education, Circular A-87 for state and local governments and Circular A-122 for nonprofits) into a single document, with limited variations by type of entity. The proposed revision would also require the use of flat rates instead of negotiated rates for indirect costs, which are sometimes known as facilities and administrative costs.
Another significant change would be the establishment of a three-tiered structure for single audits, with the requirement for obtaining a single audit varying according to the amount of federal dollars a given entity expends in a fiscal year. Under the OMB proposal, grantees that spend:
* Under $1 million (raised from the current threshold of $500,000) would not be required to obtain a single audit;
* $1 million to $3 million would be required to obtain a small-scale single audit that only covers two compliance requirements, including allowable and unallowable costs; and
* $3 million and up would be required to obtain a full-scale single audit.
Fewer grantees would be required to undergo a single audit, but single audits would continue to cover the vast majority of federal funding. Every federal grantee, regardless of how much funding it spends, must be aware of the single audit requirements and the responsibilities related to receiving a federal grant, since all federal grantees eventually receive an evaluation or review such as a desk review, site visit or performance audit.
In addition, small grantees that receive a sizable one-time federal award (e.g., in response to a federally declared disaster) may be pushed over a single audit threshold even if they’ve never reached it before.
Comments on the proposal are due no later than March 29, which is 30 days after the notice was published in the Federal Register. OMB will subsequently review the comments before issuing its final guidance. Any changes that result from the final guidance will likely begin to be implemented in late spring or summer.
Organizations representing state and local governments, the professional grants industry, and audit/accounting firms are already preparing formal responses to the proposed reforms, which emerged from a presidential workgroup on the subject.
Entities that apply for and/or already receive federal grants are strongly encouraged to submit comments on the proposal, either directly to OMB at http://www.regulations.gov or via the National Grants Management Association at info@ngma.org, which will be partnering with other professional organizations to synthesize and submit comments from across the grants community.
Need More Information? The OMB notice on the proposed reforms is available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-28/pdf/2012-4521.pdf.
From Local/State Funding Report, 3/2/12
Hepatitis C Death Rate Creeps Past AIDS
More people in the United States now die from hepatitis C each year than from AIDS, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 3.2 million people are currently infected with hepatitis C.
Using data on more than 22 million deaths and their causes, researchers found that hepatitis C death rates increased to almost 5 per 100,000 people in 2007 from fewer than 3 per 100,000 in 1999. Over the same period, the H.I.V. death rate declined to a little more than 4 per 100,000 from more than 6 per 100,000.
There were 15,106 deaths due to hepatitis C in 2007, almost 75 percent of them among people ages 45 to 64. The report appears in the Feb. 21 issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dr. John W. Ward, director of the Division of Viral Hepatitis at the C.D.C. and an author of the study, said that there was now a treatment that was about 70 percent effective at clearing the virus from the body. But, he said, most infected people are unaware of their condition and do not receive treatment.
“The declines in H.I.V. reflect the accomplishments in building a public health response to the epidemic that improved screening and provided means of access to effective treatment,” he said, adding that having a similar program for hepatitis C would help achieve similar results.
From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation News Digest: Public Health e-mail, 2/29/12
Public Funding Opportunities
Enhancing Engagement and Retention in Quality HIV Care for Transgender Women of Color – Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center: HRSA-12-101
SOURCE: Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 4/16/12.
$ AVAILABLE: $550,000 for one award.
ELIGIBILITY: Public/state/private controlled institutions of higher education; nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; public and nonprofit entities, including faith-based and community-based organizations.
PURPOSE: Under this funding opportunity announcement, a cooperative agreement will be issued to support one organization for up to five years to evaluate and provide technical assistance and capacity building for up to eight demonstration projects funded under a separate announcement, Enhancing Engagement and Retention in Quality HIV Care for Transgender Women of Color - Demonstration Sites (HRSA-12-099).
CFDA: 93.928
CONTACT: Adan Cajina, (301) 443-3180, e-mail: acajina@hrsa.gov. For more information see https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/FundingOppDetails.asp?FundingCycleId=5C2F2401-1296-4985-88D0-D12FD3DABC1B&ViewMode=EU&GoBack=&PrintMode=&OnlineAvailabilityFlag=&pageNumber=&version=&NC=&Popup=
From HRSA Web site, accessed 3/1/12
Subject(s) HIV/AIDS services, minority health
Eradication of HIV-1 from CNS Reservoirs: Implications for Therapeutics (R01): RFA-MH-13-030
SOURCE: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Letter of Intent: 8/12/12. Application: 9/12/12.
$ AVAILABLE: NIMH intends to commit approximately $2 million in FY 2013 to fund three to five awards in response to this announcement and the companion R21 announcement.
NINDS intends to commit approximately $1.5 million in FY 2013 to fund three to four awards in response to this announcement and the companion R21 announcement.
NIAID intends to commit approximately $250,000 in FY 2013 to contribute funding towards awards made in response to this FOA.
ELIGIBILITY: Public/state/private controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education), small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), state governments, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal government (federally recognized and other than federally recognized), Indian/Native American tribally designated organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska native and native Hawaiian serving institutions, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
PURPOSE: This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support innovative research in five areas: (1) basic research to identify and characterize CNS-based cellular reservoirs of HIV-1 for individuals on HAART; (2) basic research to determine the mechanisms involved in the temporal establishment, maintenance, and resurgence of CNS-based HIV-1 reservoirs in relationship to the effects and timing of HAART, viral expression, and viral evolution within the brain; (3) development of physiologically relevant animal models and CNS-based cellular assays that recapitulate HIV-1 persistence and latency in the presence of effective HAART; (4) drug screening of potential agents which traverse the blood-brain barrier and eliminate latent or other sources of residual virus in the CNS; and (5) design of therapeutic strategies aimed at eradication of HIV-1 from the CNS. Applications ranging from basic to translational research in domestic and international settings are of interest. Multidisciplinary research teams are encouraged but not required.
CFDA: 93.242, 93.853, 93.856, 93.855
CONTACT: Please see URL for multiple contacts. For more information see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-13-030.html
From NIH Web site, accessed 3/2/12
Subject(s) HIV/AIDS research
Eradication of HIV-1 from CNS Reservoirs: Implications for Therapeutics (R21): RFA-MH-13-031
SOURCE: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Letter of Intent: 8/12/12. Application: 9/12/12.
$ AVAILABLE: NIMH intends to commit approximately $2 million in FY 2013 to fund three to five awards in response to this announcement and the companion R21 announcement.
NINDS intends to commit approximately $1.5 million in FY 2013 to fund three to four awards in response to this announcement and the companion R21 announcement.
ELIGIBILITY: Public/state/private controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education), small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), state governments, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal government (federally recognized and other than federally recognized), Indian/Native American tribally designated organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska native and native Hawaiian serving institutions, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
PURPOSE: This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support innovative research in five areas: (1) basic research to identify and characterize CNS-based cellular reservoirs of HIV-1 for individuals on HAART; (2) basic research to determine the mechanisms involved in the temporal establishment, maintenance, and resurgence of CNS-based HIV-1 reservoirs in relationship to the effects and timing of HAART, viral expression, and viral evolution within the brain; (3) development of physiologically relevant animal models and CNS-based cellular assays that recapitulate HIV-1 persistence and latency in the presence of effective HAART; (4) drug screening of potential agents which traverse the blood-brain barrier and eliminate latent or other sources of residual virus in the CNS; and (5) design of therapeutic strategies aimed at eradication of HIV-1 from the CNS. Applications ranging from basic to translational research in domestic and international settings are of interest. Multidisciplinary research teams are encouraged but not required.
CFDA: 93.242, 93.853
CONTACT: Please see URL for multiple contacts. For more information see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-13-031.html
From NIH Web site, accessed 3/2/12
Subject(s) HIV/AIDS research
Fiscal Year 2012 Request for Proposal for Clinical Systems Improvement Training: HPCDP/CST-0506.1
SOURCE: Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 3/27/12.
$ AVAILABLE: In Fiscal Year 2012, approximately $300,000 is expected to be available to fund one contract. The specific dollar amount awarded to the successful respondent depends upon the merit and scope of the proposal and other best value considerations and is at the sole discretion of DSHS.
ELIGIBILITY: Eligible respondents include public or private nonprofits, governmental entities, or businesses or for-profit entities that can meet all requirements of the RFP and must comply with the criteria listed in the URL.
PURPOSE: The Department of State Health Services Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Section (HPCDPS) announces the expected availability of Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) funding to provide a clinical systems training curriculum and technical clinical assistance for chronic diseases to the selected Transforming Texas: Healthy People in Healthy Communities contractors for the purpose of improving services to underserved populations and ethnic minorities. This Request for Proposal (RFP) is not limited to this source of funding if other sources become available for this project.
CFDA: none
CONTACT: Vonda White, (512) 776-7470, e-mail: vonda.white@dshs.state.tx.us. For more information see http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=99055
From DSHS Client Services Contracting Unit e-mail, 2/28/12
Subject(s) chronic diseases, minority health
NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) Genetic Research Centers (GRCs) (U01): RFA-DK-11-032
SOURCE: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Letter of Intent: 3/30/12. Application: 4/30/12.
$ AVAILABLE: NIDDK intends to commit up to $2,250,000 in FY 2012 to fund up to six awards.
ELIGIBILITY: Public/state/private controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education), small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), state governments, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal government (federally recognized and other than federally recognized), Indian/Native American tribally designated organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska native and native Hawaiian serving institutions, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this announcement is to renew the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) to continue the discovery of susceptibility variants, and to integrate genomic with epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and other -omic methodologies to elucidate the effects of genetic risk variants on the pathophysiology of IBD. The GRCs will serve as sites of enrollment of IBD patients, relatives, and healthy controls for these studies, and for laboratory-based studies on biological samples taken from these subjects.
CFDA: 93.847
CONTACT: Please see URL for multiple contacts. For more information see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-11-032.html
From NIH Web site, accessed 3/2/12
Subject(s) health care facilities, medical research
NIMHD Basic and Applied Biomedical Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01): RFA-MD-12-004
SOURCE: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Letter of Intent: 5/11/12. Application: 6/11/12.
$ AVAILABLE: NIMHD intends to commit an estimated $2.0 million in FY 2013 for an unnamed number of awards.
ELIGIBILITY: Public/state/private controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education), small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), state governments, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal government (federally recognized and other than federally recognized), Indian/Native American tribally designated organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska native and native Hawaiian serving institutions, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
PURPOSE: This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is issued by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) to solicit innovative grant applications on:
1. Biological and genetic research to explore disease mechanisms or pathways that influence health outcomes in minority and health disparity populations.
2. Clinical and translational research linking basic science discovery with effective treatment or clinical practice.
The overall goal of this initiative is to enhance our understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms involved in disease conditions and develop therapies or interventions that can directly or demonstrably contribute to the elimination of health disparities.
CFDA: 93.307
CONTACT: Please see URL for multiple contacts. For more information see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-12-004.html
From NIH Web site, accessed 3/2/12
Subject(s) health disparities, minority health, medical research
NIMHD Social, Behavioral, Health Services, and Policy Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01): RFA-MD-12-003
SOURCE: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Letter of Intent: 5/4/12. Application: 6/4/12.
$ AVAILABLE: NIMHD intends to commit an estimated $4.0 million in FY 2013 for an unnamed number of awards.
ELIGIBILITY: Public/state/private controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education), small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), state governments, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal government (federally
recognized and other than federally recognized), Indian/Native American tribally designated organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska native and native Hawaiian serving institutions, regional organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to solicit innovative social, behavioral, health services, and policy research that can directly and demonstrably contribute to the elimination of health disparities. Projects may involve primary data collection or secondary analysis of existing datasets. Projects that examine understudied health conditions; examine the effectiveness of interventions, services, or policies for multiple health disparity populations; and/or directly measure the impact of project activities on levels of health disparities are particularly encouraged.
CFDA: 93.307
CONTACT: Please see URL for multiple contacts. For more information see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-12-003.html
From NIH Web site, accessed 3/2/12
Subject(s) health disparities, minority health, health policy research, technology
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research -- Dissemination by Health Professionals Associations (PCOR-DHPA) (R18): RFA-HS-12-006
SOURCE: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Letter of Intent: 4/2/12. Application: 4/25/12.
$ AVAILABLE: AHRQ anticipates allocating up to $2.5 million annually for three years to this announcement. AHRQ anticipates funding 25 to 50 awards, depending on their approved budgets.
ELIGIBILITY: Please see URL for complete eligibility requirements.
PURPOSE: This funding opportunity announcement solicits Research Demonstration and Dissemination Projects (R18) grant applications from health professionals associations to disseminate patient-centered outcomes research using innovative educational methods.
CFDA: 93.226
CONTACT: Please see URL for multiple contacts. For more information see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HS-12-006.html
From AHRQ e-mail, 2/28/12
Subject(s) medical research
Private Funding Opportunities
Roadmaps to Health: Community Grants
SOURCE: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 5/2/12.
$ AVAILABLE: Up to 20 grants will be awarded in this solicitation. Grantees will receive awards of up to $200,000 each for up to 24 months to implement their proposed policy or system change strategy.
ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible, an applicant organization must be located in the United States or its territories and be a:
* nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
* tribal group recognized by the U.S. federal government; or
* state or local agency.
Complete selection material can be found in the URL.
PURPOSE: The Roadmaps to Health Community Grants program (Community Grants) will support communities to implement policy or system changes to address one of the social or economic factors that, as defined by the County Health Rankings, most strongly influence health outcomes in their community. These include: education; employment and income; family and social support; and community safety. Grantees will be organizations that participate in established coalitions or networks that span multiple sectors and perspectives and may include representatives from business; education; public health; health care; community organizations; community members; policy advocates; foundations; and policy-makers. Applicants must engage community members in the planning and implementation of projects, and must collaborate with organizations having expertise in improving the health of the public. Applicants must secure 100 percent matching support, including a cash match of at least 50 percent with the balance as in-kind support.
CONTACT: Alexis Brimage-Major, (617) 275-2865, e-mail: roadmaps@communitycatalyst.org. For more information see http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21390&cid=XEM_A5734
From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation e-mail: 2/28/12
Subject(s) community health, health policy research
Events
Beyond Hepatitis C 101 – Advanced Hepatitis C Training
SPONSOR: DSHS TB/HIV/STD Unit, Hepatitis C Support Project (HCSP)
WHEN: April 17, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
WHERE: Red/Blue/Yellow Room Training Room, Resource Center Dallas, 2701 Reagan Street, (Dallas, TX).
DESCRIPTION: The training will cover:
* HCV Testing Technologies.
* Pre and Post -Test Counseling Messages.
* New: FDA Approved HCV Combination HCV Protease Inhibitor Therapy.
Attendees must have a basic understanding of hepatitis C. Registration is limited to 40 so please register early as registration openings will fill up quickly. The deadline to register is April 10. To register for this event, complete and submit the event registration form at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/news/default.shtm.
COST: Coffee, mid-morning snacks, and training materials are provided at no cost.
CONTACT: To learn more, e-mail Larry Cuellar at larry.cuellar@dshs.state.tx.us or call him at (512) 533-3124.
From DSHS TB/HIV/STD Unit HIV STD Insider e-mail, 3/1/12
NAPWA 2012 Healthy Living Summit
SPONSOR: National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA)
WHEN: April 10-14.
WHERE: American Airlines Training & Conference Center, DFW Airport, (Fort Worth, TX)
DESCRIPTION: This summit promotes healthy living for people living with HIV. The new National Healthy Living Expo continues the work of NAPWA’s popular Staying Alive national conferences in a new environment of not just surviving with HIV but living productive and fulfilling lives. People living with HIV/AIDS are encouraged to attend the event to learn how to become involved in advocacy work in their respective regions and receive useful information about government subsidized housing and medication.
COST: Registration fee is $575 through March 15.
CONTACT: Stephen Bailous at e-mail: sbailous@napwa.org.
From CDC National Prevention Information Network's (NPIN) Conference Weekly Update e-mail, 3/1/12
Awards in Texas
The Institute for Public Health and Education Research (TIPHER) was awarded the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Transforming Texas: Healthy People in Healthy Communities grant. The five-year, $1.75 million grant was awarded to TIPHER to fund the Central Texas Community Health Consortium (CTCHC), which aims to implement health initiatives to improve the quality of life in Central Texas. The consortium includes Comal ISD and Resolute Health.
From DSHS News Clips, 2/7/12
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