The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the principal United States (U.S.) government agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services to those in need. As one of the largest federal departments, the nation's largest health insurer, and the largest grant-making agency, HHS represents almost a quarter of all federal outlays and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined. HHS manages an array of grant programs in basic and applied science, public health, income support, child development, and health and social services. Collectively these programs are the Department’s primary means to achieve its strategic goals and objectives, described in the FY 2007-2012 HHS Strategic Plan (see Appendix A). The top 50 programs by award amount are identified in Appendix B.
To realize these goals HHS forms partnerships with other federal departments; state, local, and tribal governments; academic institutions; hospitals; the business community; nonprofit and volunteer organizations including faith-based and community-based organizations; and foreign countries and international organizations. The primary vehicle used in these partnerships is a grant. Grants are financial assistance awards that provide support or stimulation to accomplish a public purpose authorized by federal statute. The primary beneficiary under a grant or cooperative agreement is the public, as opposed to the government. Unique to the HHS Indian Health Service (IHS) are Public Law 93-638 Title V Compact and Title I Contract awards, which are self-determination funding agreements. Compacts are explained further in the IHS portfolio section of this report.
This report is the annual summary of grants HHS awarded during Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008). The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the Department’s grant programs, which are described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Web site at http://www.cfda.gov. The source of the grant data is the Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS), the Department’s central grant funding information database. Annual grants reports for fiscal years 1997 through 2007 are located at the TAGGS Web site Annual Reports page at http://taggs.hhs.gov/AnnualReports.cfm.
This report does not include technical assistance, which provides services instead of money; other assistance in the form of loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, or insurance; direct payments of any kind to individuals; or contracts which are required to be entered into and administered under procurement laws and regulations.
By aggregating this grant information into this single report, we hope to provide a more complete and useful understanding of the Department’s grant awards. This report provides grant award information in four sections: Overview, Mandatory Grant Awards, Discretionary Grant Awards and Operating Division (OPDIV) Grant Programs.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology
Office of Grants