[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28619-28621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13424]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
RIN 0905-ZA89


Program Announcement and Proposed Review Criteria for Grants for 
the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program for Fiscal Year 1995

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
that applications will be accepted for fiscal year (FY) 1995 Grants for 
the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP) under the authority of 
section 738(b), 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. Comments are invited on the 
proposed review criteria.
    Approximately $210,000 will be available in FY 1995 for this 
program. It is anticipated that $210,000 will be available to support 
about five competing awards to schools and other eligible entities 
averaging $42,000 which will cover the cost of the following: stipend 
in an amount not exceeding 50 percent of the regular salary of a 
similar faculty member or $30,000, which ever is less, and tuition, 
fees and travel, where appropriate.

Purpose

    The purpose of the MFFP is to increase the number of 
underrepresented minority faculty members in health professions 
schools, i.e., schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, 
veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public 
health, health administration, clinical psychology, and other public or 
private nonprofit health or educational entities.
    Specifically, these grant awards are intended to allow institutions 
an opportunity to provide a fellowship to individuals who have the 
potential for teaching, administering programs, or conducting research 
as faculty members. Institutions must demonstrate a commitment and 
ability to identify, recruit, and select underrepresented minorities in 
health professions. The institutions' training programs provide the 
fellows with the techniques and skills needed to secure an academic 
career including competence in: pedagogical skills, research 
methodology, development of research [[Page 28620]] grant proposals, 
writing and publication skills, and the ability to work with minority 
populations and provide health services to medically underserved 
communities. In addition, the fellows must work under the direct 
supervision of a senior level faculty member engaged in the disciplines 
mentioned above, and upon successful completion of the program would be 
assured a teaching position at the institution.

Period of Support

    The period of Federal support will not exceed one year for each 
fellowship award to an applicant institution. However, a fellowship 
award to an individual recipient must be for a minimum of two years. 
The program does not contribute to the support of the fellow in the 
second year. The applicant institution (school) will be required to 
support the fellow for the second year at a level not less than the 
total of federal and institutional funds awarded for the first year.

Eligibility Requirements for the Applicant Institution

    Eligible applicants for this program are schools of allopathic 
medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, 
optometry, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public health, health 
administration, clinical psychology, and other public or private 
nonprofit health or educational entities.
    In addition, to receive a fellowship award, an applicant 
institution must demonstrate to the Secretary that it has the 
commitment and ability to:
    * Identify, recruit and select individuals from underrepresented 
minorities in health professions who have the potential for teaching, 
administering programs, or conducting research at a health professions 
institution;
    * Provide such individuals with the skills necessary to enable them 
to secure an academic career. Training may include: pedagogical skills, 
program administration, the design and conduct of research, grant 
writing, and the preparation of articles suitable for publication in 
peer reviewed journals;
    * Provide services designed to assist such individuals in their 
preparation for an academic career, including the provision of mentors; 
and
    * Provide health services to rural or medically underserved 
populations.

In Addition, the Applicant Institution Shall Agree to the Following 
Assurances

    * Provide an assurance that the applicant institution will make 
available (directly through cash donations) $1 for every $1 of Federal 
funds received under the fellowship (Each fellowship must include a 
stipend in an amount not exceeding 50 percent of the regular salary of 
a similar faculty member, or $30,000, whichever is less);
    * Provide an assurance that institutional support will be provided 
for the individual for a second year at a level not less than the total 
amount of Federal and institutional funds provided in the year in which 
the grant was awarded;
    * Provide an assurance that the fellowship recipient is from an 
underrepresented minority in the health professions; has at a minimum, 
appropriate advanced preparation (such as a master's or doctoral degree 
in a health profession) and special skills necessary to enable that 
individual to teach and practice;
    * Provide an assurance that the recipient of the fellowship will be 
a member of the faculty of the applicant institution; and
    * Provide an assurance that the recipient of the fellowship has not 
been a member of the faculty of any school at any time during the 18-
month period preceding the date on which the individual submits a 
request for the fellowship.

Eligibility Requirements for the Fellows

    Fellowship awards must be for two years, and are provided for an 
individual who meets the following criteria:
    * Individual must be from an underrepresented minority in the 
health professions;
    * Individual must have appropriate advanced preparation (such as a 
master's or doctoral degree in a health profession) and special skills 
necessary to enable that individual to teach and practice;
    * Individual must not have been a member of the faculty of any 
school at any time during the 18-month period preceding the date on 
which the individual submits a request for the fellowship;
    * Individual must have completely satisfied any other obligation 
for health professional service which is owed under an agreement with 
the Federal Government, State Government, or other entity prior to 
beginning the period of service under this program;
    * Individual must be a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, or 
foreign national who possesses a visa permitting permanent residence in 
the United States.

Breach of Fellowship Funds

    The school will be required to return fellowship funds received if 
it fails to honor the terms of the fellowship award. Such sums must be 
paid within 1 year from the day the Secretary determines that the 
breach occurred. If payment is not received by the payment date, 
additional interest, penalties and administrative charges will be 
assessed in accordance with Federal Law (45 CFR 30.13).

National Health Objectives for the Year 2000

    The Public Health Service urges applicants to submit work plans 
that address specific objectives of Healthy People 2000. Potential 
applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report; Stock 
No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report; Stock No. 
017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (Telephone 202-783-3238).

Education and Service Linkage

    As part of its long-range planning, HRSA will be targeting its 
efforts to strengthening linkages between U.S. Public Health Service 
education programs and programs which provide comprehensive primary 
care services to the underserved.

Smoke-Free Workplace

    The Public Health Service strongly encourages all grant recipients 
to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all 
tobacco products, and Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, 
prohibits smoking in certain facilities that receive Federal funds in 
which education, library, day care, health care, and early childhood 
development services are provided to children.

Proposed Review Criteria

    The following criteria are proposed for review of applications for 
this program:
    1. The extent to which the institution demonstrates that it has the 
commitment and ability to identify, recruit, and select 
underrepresented minority faculty, and its ability to provide health 
services to rural or medically underserved populations;
    2. The extent to which the institution's training program will 
provide the fellow with the preparation, training and skills needed to 
secure an academic career. Training may include: pedagogical skills, 
program administration, grant writing and publication skills, research 
methodology [[Page 28621]] and development of research grant proposals, 
and community service abilities;
    3. The degree to which the institution's senior faculty are 
involved in the training and preparation of fellows pursuing an 
academic career, and the potential of the institution to continue the 
program without Federal support beyond the approved project period; and
    4. The extent to which the institution meets the eligibility 
requirements set forth in section 738(b) of the Public Health Service 
Act.
    In determining awards, the Secretary will also take into 
consideration equitable distribution among health disciplines and 
geographic areas.

Additional Information

    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed review 
criteria. The comment period is 30 days. All comments received on or 
before July 3, 1995 will be considered before the final review criteria 
are established. Written comments should be addressed to: Mr. William 
J. Holland, Acting Director, Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, 
Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-09, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857.
    All comments received will be available for public inspection and 
copying at the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health 
Professions, at the above address, weekdays (Federal holidays excepted) 
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Application Requests

    Requests for application materials and questions regarding grants 
policy and business management issues should be directed to: Ms. Diane 
Murray, Grants Management Specialist, Bureau of Health Professions, 
Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 
8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Telephone: (301) 
443-6857 FAX: (301) 443-6343.
    Completed applications should be returned to the Grants Management 
Branch at the above address.
    If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact: 
Mr. Lafayette Gilchrist, Analysis and Evaluation Branch, Division of 
Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions, Health 
Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-09, 
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-3680 
FAX: (301) 443-5242.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The application form for this program has been approved by the 
Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The 
OMB Clearance Number is 0915-0150.

Deadline Date

    The deadline date for receipt of applications is July 14, 1995. 
Applications will be considered to be ``on time'' if they are either:
    (1) Received on or before the established deadline date, or
    (2) Sent on or before the established deadline date and received in 
time for orderly processing. (Applicants should request a legibly dated 
U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a 
commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks 
shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
    Late applications not accepted for processing will be returned to 
the applicant.
    This program, Grants for the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program, 
is listed at 93.923 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: May 26, 1995.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-13424 Filed 5-31-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P