[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 180 (Monday, September 19, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23094]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 19, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration

 

Final Program Requirements and Review Criteria for Cooperative 
Agreements for Centers for Medical Education Research for Fiscal Year 
1994

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
the final program requirements and review criteria for fiscal year (FY) 
1994 Cooperative Agreements for Centers for Medical Education Research. 
These cooperative agreements are funded under the authority of section 
781, title VII of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the 
Health Professions Education Extension Amendments of 1992, Pub. L. 102-
408, dated October 13, 1992.
    Section 781 authorizes research on certain health professions 
issues. For this cooperative agreement program, research focuses on the 
medical education aspects of this legislation and ``medical education'' 
is defined as education provided to individuals working toward the M.D. 
or D.O. degree, or as post-graduate M.D./D.O. education in an 
accredited residency or fellowship program.

Purpose

    The purpose of the Cooperative Agreements for Centers for Medical 
Education Research is to support research in medical education, 
especially regarding existing or proposed federal policies and programs 
and regarding the impact of Federal initiatives aimed at improving the 
training of health professionals and at meeting national workforce 
goals.
    Section 781 of the Public Health Service Act authorizes the 
Secretary to award cooperative agreements for the purpose of:
    (a) conducting research on the extent to which the debt incurred by 
medical students for attendance at educational institutions has had a 
detrimental effect on the decisions made by the students on entering 
primary care specialties;
    (b) conducting research on the effects that federally-funded 
educational programs or policies for minority or disadvantaged 
individuals have on:
    (A) the number of such individuals attending health professions 
schools;
    (B) the number of such individuals completing the programs of 
education involved; and
    (C) the decisions made by such individuals on which of the health 
professions specialties to enter;
    (c) conducting research on the effectiveness of the States in 
protecting the public health through:
    (1) identifying health care providers with respect to whom 
investigations of professional qualifications are warranted;
    (2) conducting such investigations; and
    (3) taking disciplinary actions against health care providers 
determined through such investigations to have engaged in conduct 
inconsistent with protecting the public health;
    (d) conducting research:
    (A) to determine the extent to which Federal programs and related 
financial incentives influence the percentage of medical school 
graduates selecting a primary care career;
    (B) to determine the extent to which Federal programs and related 
financial incentives adequately support the training of mid-level 
primary care providers relative to other health professions education 
receiving Federal assistance;
    (C) to assess the impact that direct and indirect payments for 
graduate medical education (including the appropriateness of payments 
for independent, ambulatory training sites) have on increasing the 
percentage of physicians graduating from medical school who enter 
primary care careers;
    (D) to assess the impact of medical school admissions policies on 
specialty selection and recommend ways admission policies can better 
facilitate and promote the selection of primary care as a medical 
career;
    (E) to assess the impact of Federal funding for biomedical research 
on the design of medical school curriculum and the availability of 
primary care educational opportunities;
    (F) to assess the impact of medical school curriculum, including 
the availability of clinical training in ambulatory care settings, on 
the percentage of physicians selecting primary care residencies and 
selecting primary care as a medical career; and
    (G) to assess the extent to which current physician payment 
policies under resource based relative value scale are sufficient to 
encourage physicians graduating from medical school to enter and remain 
in primary care careers.
    In conducting research relative to effect of programs for minority 
and disadvantaged individuals, the applicant will make findings 
specific to the following categories of health professions schools:

(A) Health professions schools of historically black colleges and 
universities.
(B) Other health professions schools attended by a substantial number 
of minority individuals.
(C) Health professions schools generally.

Eligibility

    Eligible applicants include public and non-profit private entities.
    This program was announced in the Federal Register at 59 FR 32444, 
dated June 23, 1994. The program requirements and review criteria were 
proposed for public comment. No comments were received during the 30 
day comment period. Therefore, the program requirements and review 
criteria remain as proposed.

Final Program Requirements

    The award recipient shall participate in the cost of the program as 
follows: For each year funds are awarded under this program, the 
matching contribution shall be at least one-third of the amount of the 
Federal award for that year. Up to 50% of the recipient's matching 
contribution may be in the form of in-kind donations of faculty time, 
staff time, use of computers or other shared resources.
    In addition, each applicant shall evidence that training related to 
medical education research is occurring or is planned by the 
organization.

Final Review Criteria

    The review of applications will take into consideration the 
following criteria:
    (1) The qualifications and achievements of the proposed center's 
principal investigator and senior researchers, including level of 
productivity and quality of research in medical education;
    (2) Demonstration of an understanding of the particular subject 
areas of medical education research that are relevant to Federal 
policies and evidence of ability to manage research in such areas;
    (3) The appropriateness of the time commitments of the principal 
investigator and senior researchers;
    (4) The strength of the applicant's plan to actively promote 
dissemination of research findings to all health professionals involved 
in education and training--including those whom are primarily 
practitioners, and to relevant policy makers;
    (5) The appropriateness of the proposed budget;
    (6) The planned level of commitment to the center from the 
applicant institution, as evidenced by specific plans for the type of 
financial support that will be offered, and for support of the 
organizational structure of the center. Evidence of a prior 
institutional commitment to generalizable research in medical education 
will also be sought;
    (7) The past success and future potential of the proposed center's 
researchers in receiving funding from other sources; and
    (8) The likely effectiveness of the organizational and management 
arrangements to operate the proposed center.

Additional Information:

    If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact: 
Dr. Brian Goldstein, Office of Health Professions Analysis and 
Research, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8-47, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-6936, FAX: (301) 443-
0463.
    This program, Cooperative Agreements for Centers for Medical 
Education Research, is listed at 93.222 in the Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance. It is not subject to the provisions of Executive 
Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as 
implemented through 45 CFR part 100). This program is not subject to 
the Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

    Dated: September 13, 1994.
James A. Walsh,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-23094 Filed 9-16-94; 8:45 am]
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