Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program

 

To develop a health care workforce with the knowledge, skills, abilities and core competencies to: (1) recognize indications of a terrorist event; (2) meet the acute care needs of patients, including pediatric and other vulnerable populations, in a safe and appropriate manner; (3) participate in a coordinated, multidisciplinary response to terrorist events and other public health emergencies, and include consideration of surge capacity issues; and (4) rapidly and effectively alert the public health system of such an event at the community, State, and national level. Emergency preparedness and response issues include other forms of terrorism (such as the use of chemical, explosive, incendiary or nuclear agents against civilian populations), natural disasters and catastrophic accidents. Effective responses to public health emergencies require close collaboration among all types of health professionals involved in patient care including allied health professionals, medical and dental specialists, nurses, pharmacists, mental health and other professionals, the public health system, and the emergency response system. To achieve such a collaborative environment, it will be necessary to implement new and enhanced models of undergraduate/graduate curricula and continuing education and training for health professionals. The Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program (BTCDP) consists of two discrete foci of activity: 1) Provision of Continuing Education for Practicing Providers (CE); and 2) Curriculum Development in Health Professions Schools (CD). Each of the categories above must have a distinct and separate application.

Deleted 10/11/2010 (Archived.) 93.996 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Office of the Secretary Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements) None. Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, Public Law 107-188, Section 105, Education of Health Care Personnel; Training Regarding Pediatric Issues, Section 319F(g) of the Public Health Service Act as re-designated by Section 104(a)(2) of this Act. Eligible Applicants For Continuing Education: The entities eligible to apply for this program are academic health centers; other public or private nonprofit accredited or licensed health professions schools; other educational entities such as professional organizations and societies; private accrediting organizations; other nonprofit institutions or entities including faith-based organizations and community-based organizations; and multi-state or multi-institutional consortia of various combinations of these eligible entities. Eligible Applicants For Curricular Enhancement or Curriculum Development: The entities eligible to apply for this program are public or private nonprofit accredited or licensed health professions schools; other educational entities such as professional organizations and societies; and other nonprofit institutions or entities including faith-based organizations and community-based organizations. To apply for funding for Curriculum Development, an entity that is not a health professions school must provide a written agreement with a health professions school demonstrating that the health professions school will participate in carrying out the project and will implement the newly developed or the modified/enhanced curriculum. This agreement must describe the roles of the entity and collaborating health professions school. The entities eligible to apply for the Continuing Education focus are academic health centers; other public or private nonprofit accredited or licensed health professions schools; other educational entities such as professional organizations and societies; private accrediting organizations; other nonprofit institutions or entities including faith-based organizations and community-based organizations; and multi-state or multi-institutional consortia of various combinations of these eligible entities. The entities eligible to apply for the Curriculum Enhancement or Curriculum Development focus are public or private nonprofit accredited or licensed health professions schools; other educational entities such as professional organizations and societies; and other nonprofit institutions or entities including faith-based organizations and community-based organizations. Applicants should review the individual HRSA Guidance documents issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Grant applications and required forms for this program can be obtained from Grants.gov. Please visit the Grants.gov Web site at www.grants.gov to both find and apply for all Federal grant opportunities. All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee which will make funding recommendations to the Associate Administrator for the Bureau of Health Professions. The Associate Administrator has the authority to make final selections for awards. None. www.hrsa.gov . From 3 to 4 months after submission deadline. None. Competing continuation applications may be submitted during the final budget year of the approved project. Applications will be reviewed by nonfederal consultants who make recommendations to the Secretary of the Department. The Secretary will approve projects that promote the purposes of the Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program. Review criteria: the following review criteria apply to the Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program. The review of applications will take into consideration the following criteria: (1) NEED The level of preparedness among the current or anticipated health workforce to respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies in the target area (e.g., the state); how the program will fill or address the identified health personnel training gaps/needs in a state; how the program will improve the health workforce, practice and education; how the program will affect the state or region's (target area) bioterrorism and other public health emergency preparation and response; the extent to which the program identifies the competencies for bioterrorism preparedness already developed for the specific professions proposed to be trained; evidence of an enrollee/program participant pool, which may include underrepresented minorities/disadvantaged; and how the project identifies the geographical area that will be covered, as illustrated by a map to be included in the Appendices; (2) RESPONSE The purpose is consistent with the legislative purpose and is clearly described; the extent to which the proposed project responds to the "Need" included in the program description; the clarity of the proposed goals and objectives and their relationship to the identified project; the extent to which the activities (scientific or other) described in the application addresses the problem and is focused on attaining the project objectives; and the extent to which the project addresses existing discipline-specific competencies on bioterrorism preparedness; (3) EVALUATIVE MEASURES The effectiveness of the method proposed to monitor and evaluate the project results. Evaluative measures must be able to assess: 1) to what extent the program objectives have been met, and 2) to what extent these can be attributed to the project; (4) IMPACT The extent and effectiveness of plans for dissemination of project results and/or the extent to which project results may be national in scope and/or degree to which the project activities are replicable, the potential effectiveness and usefulness of the data-sharing plan, and/or the sustainability of the program beyond the Federal funding; (5) RESOURCES/CAPABILITIES The extent to which project personnel are qualified by training and/or experience to implement and carry out the projects. The capabilities of the applicant organization, and quality and availability of facilities and personnel to fulfill the needs and requirements of the proposed project; (6) SUPPORT REQUESTED Effective use of funds and resources to carry out the project; a reasonable budget aligned with the objectives and the scope of the project and numbers of disciplines and trainees involved; and specific information that describes the extent and means by which the project plans to become self-sufficient including other sources of income, the nature of income, future funding initiatives and strategies; (7) SPECIFIC PROGRAM CRITERIA Related to the focus selected for the application; the degree to which the applicant describes a comprehensive, coordinated multidisciplinary approach to the training of health professionals; and a clear relationship between the program purpose and project objectives must be demonstrated throughout the application. Applicants shall demonstrate linkages and relationships with entities such as the CDC Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism Program awardees, the HRSA National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program awardees and others that provide emergency preparedness and response training. Proposals shall indicate that the training supported with these funds will not only focus on the discipline specific knowledge, skills abilities and competencies needed to recognize, treat and efficiently report instances of a terrorist event, but will also prepare the learners to participate in a multidisciplinary terrorist response reflecting a two-tiered approach. Each course of study shall include both discipline-appropriate clinically oriented material and team coordination to respond to terrorist events. These activities will outline the integrated professional roles and responsibilities inherent in a community response and will include participation in drills, exercises and/or simulations occurring in the state or regions. Proposals addressing the continuing education component of this program shall involve at least three disciplines and shall establish and maintain a programmatic advisory board with members including representatives of the CDC Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism Program, the HRSA National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, an academic health center, other health professions schools and both service providers and consumers from the area served by the program. Proposals addressing the curriculum development component of this program shall show that funds awarded will be utilized in conjunction with no less than three health care disciplines. Whereas one school, the applicant, will be held responsible for implementing the curriculum, training must be used by no less than three disciplines. Applicants shall demonstrate collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Response Plan, December 2004. Drills/exercises in which BTCDP awardees participate shall be compliant with the DHS National Incident Management System (NIMS). Grantees must submit an annual Uniform Progress Report to describe progress in meeting the objectives stated in the application. A financial status report is required within 90 days of the end of each grant year. The report is an accounting of expenditures under the project that year. Final progress and financial reports must be submitted within 90 days after the end of the project period. Awardees shall report a list and brief description of all training courses conducted by this program to include course title and description, objectives, target audience by discipline, contact hours, evaluation results, lessons learned and delivery mechanism every 6 months. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Grantees are required to maintain grant accounting records for a minimum of 3 years after the end of a grant period. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the record has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. More detailed information regarding retention requirements are provided in Title 45, CFR, Parts 74 and 92. None. Project periods are limited up to three years. Terri Spear, Branch Chief, Emergency Training Branch, Division of Healthcare Preparedness, Healthcare Systems Bureau, HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13-103, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-4912 (voice), (301) 443-4922 (fax), Email: tspear@hrsa.gov. Grants Management Office: Oscar Tanner, Director, Division of Grants Management, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 11A-16. Health Services Branch. Telephone: (301) 443-2385; Research and Training Branch. Telephone: (301) 443-3099; Government and Special Focus Branch. Telephone: (301) 443-3288. www.hrsa.gov . 75-0350-0-1-550. FY 07 $21,000,000; FY 08 est not available; and FY 09 not reported. Range of Awards For FY 05: Continuing Education (CE): $684,510 to $1,500,000; Average CE Award: $1,271,460. Curriculum Development: $77,130 to $200,000; Average CD Award: $152,526. This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR Part 92 for State, local and tribal governments and 45 CFR Part 74 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofit organizations and commercial organizations. A listing and descriptions of funded programs is available at: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/publichealth/03abstracts/biocd.htm.