[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 120 (Thursday, June 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32531-32533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15279]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
RIN 0905-ZA90


Program Announcement and Proposed Project Requirements, Review 
Criteria, and Funding Preference for Cooperative Agreement for a Model 
Hispanic Health Careers Opportunity Program for Fiscal Year 1995

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
that applications will be accepted for a fiscal year (FY) 1995 
Cooperative Agreement for a Model Hispanic Health Careers Opportunity 
Program (HCOP) under the authority of section 740, 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 project requirements, 
review criteria and funding preference.
    Approximately $300,000 will be available in FY 1995 for this 
program. It is anticipated that one competing award will be made at a 
level of $300,000 per year over a three year period.

Purpose and Eligibility

    Section 740 authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter 
into contracts with schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic 
medicine, public health, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, 
pharmacy, allied health, chiropractic and podiatric medicine and public 
and nonprofit private schools which offer graduate programs in clinical 
psychology and other public or private nonprofit health or educational 
entities to carry out programs which assist individuals from 
disadvantaged backgrounds to enter and graduate from such schools. 
Assistance may be used for the following five legislative purposes:
    1. Recruitment--activities designed to identify, recruit and select 
individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds for education in the health 
or allied health professions, e.g., motivational activities, 
distribution of information, exposure to role models, and counseling.
    2. Preliminary Education--education designed to expand the academic 
ability and otherwise prepare student participants from disadvantaged 
backgrounds during their preprofessional training that they may 
subsequently complete the regular course of education in a health 
professions school or school of allied health. This education must be 
offered prior to entry in a health professions or allied health 
professions school and may not include courses already taught as part 
of the regular course of education leading to a degree.
    3. Facilitating Entry--activities designed to enhance the 
competitiveness of student participants from disadvantaged backgrounds 
for admission to health professions schools or schools of allied 
health, such as improving performance on admissions tests, counseling 
concerning the application process, and assisting admissions committees 
in the evaluation of disadvantaged applicants.
    4. Retention--activities designed to help student participants from 
disadvantaged backgrounds, who have been accepted to or are enrolled in 
health professions schools or schools of allied health, to complete 
their education. These activities may include tutorial assistance, 
counseling, and assistance in adjusting to the environment of the 
school. Activities may not include courses already taught as part of 
the school's curriculum.
    5. Financial Aid Information Dissemination--the distribution of 
information to student participants from disadvantaged backgrounds 
about financial aid available in health professions schools, schools of 
allied health or schools and entities which provide training necessary 
to qualify for enrollment in health professions schools or schools of 
allied health.
    Applicants may request support for up to three years.
    The Model Hispanic HCOP cooperative agreement is being proposed in 
an effort to achieve the following goals: (1) To establish and test a 
comprehensive Model Hispanic HCOP (addressing all of the HCOP purposes) 
in a metropolitan area with a high concentration of Hispanic citizens. 
No such model currently exists. In addition to the formulation of 
academic-community educational partnerships, this model provides for 
community infrastructure building. The proposed model encompasses 
strong linkages throughout the community involving community 
organizations, official agencies, educational institutions at all 
levels and health professionals throughout the community, and (2) To 
increase the number of Hispanic participants in HCOP programs.
    This cooperative agreement also addresses section 740(c) of the 
HCOP legislation which requires ``the Secretary to ensure that services 
and activities under HCOP awards are equitably allocated among the 
various racial and ethnic populations.''

Proposed Project Requirements

    I. The Model Hispanic HCOP will establish an educational continuum 
from high school graduation through graduation from a health or allied 
health professions school through development and implementation of 
activities related to all five of the legislative purposes.
    II. A plan for selecting students including criteria for selection 
must be developed and implemented.
    III. Activities related to all of the five legislative purposes 
undertaken must be evaluated. Modifications must be made in activities 
based on evaluation.
    IV. Activities and experiences related to the establishment of the 
Model Hispanic HCOP must be documented in a format that would allow for 
future replication by HCOP applicants.

Substantial Federal Programmatic Involvement

    It is anticipated that the federal government will have substantial 
programmatic involvement with the planning, development and 
administration of the Model Hispanic HCOP and its outputs by:
    1. Providing technical assistance and reviewing changes needed in 
the approved application.
    2. Reviewing and advising regarding training content and 
methodologies.
    3. Participating in the review and advising regarding formal 
linkage arrangements which have been established for the purpose of 
conducting the Model Hispanic HCOP.
    4. Reviewing the validity of and assisting in the modification of 
student participant selection criteria and processes.
    5. Providing information relative to proven evaluation methods, 
including data collection methods, data analysis techniques and 
participant tracking systems.
    6. Reviewing and advising regarding program evaluation methods, 
including data collection activities, data analysis techniques and 
participant tracking systems.
    7. Reviewing and advising regarding the documentation of the 
activities and experiences related to establishment of the Model 
Hispanic HCOP.
    8. Providing data and information about federal programs that may 
impact the Model Hispanic HCOP.
    9. Participating in the review of sub-contracts awarded under the 
Cooperative Agreement. [[Page 32532]] 

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 Pub. L. 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. Compliance with the Standard Application Instructions for Form 
6025-1, and the Supplement to Instructions for Form 6025-1.
    2. The relationship of the proposed project to the purposes stated 
in the legislative authorization, the stated problem, the particular 
needs to be addressed, and the relevance of proposed objectives to the 
identified needs.
    3. The extent and outcomes of past efforts and activities of the 
institution in conduct of disadvantaged student programs particularly 
for Hispanics and enrollment data on the target population (current and 
past three years) and the extent to which these data indicate trends.
    4. The relevance of objectives to the stated problem and need, and 
to Model Hispanic HCOP purposes; their measurability and attainability 
within a specific time frame; and the extent to which they represent 
outcome measures.
    5. The number of Hispanic individuals who can be expected to 
benefit from the project, types of participants by gender, metropolitan 
area, and educational level; the appropriateness of the proposed 
participant eligibility requirements and student selection criteria and 
process.
    6. The specific activities and their scope and relevance to the 
stated objectives and project outcomes, and the appropriateness of 
these activities for Model Hispanic HCOP support along with the extent 
and nature of the academic content and non-academic services and their 
suitability to the needs of the target group.
    7. The logic and sequencing of the planned approaches, soundness 
for delivery of academic content and non-academic services and 
appropriateness of scheduling and time allocation.
    8. The administrative and managerial capability of the applicant to 
carry out the project in a cost effective manner considering the extent 
of past efforts and institutional commitment to disadvantaged students.
    9. The adequacy of the staff and faculty to carry out the program; 
the academic and experiential background, and time commitment of key 
staff and faculty, the nature and level of their involvement, and their 
experience in working with the proposed target group.
    10. The soundness of the budget for assuring effective utilization 
of cooperative agreement funds and the cost effectiveness of the 
proposed project; the compatibility of budget requests with program 
objectives and activities, the adequacy of the line item 
justifications, and the extent of the applicant's in-kind 
contributions.
    11. Institutional or organizational plan for phasing-in income from 
other sources; developing self-sufficiency funding initiatives and 
strategies (after the end of the current federally funded project 
period); and achieving self-sufficiency based on a timetable and the 
level of financial support needed.
    12. Extent to which project plans are transferable to other 
institutions.

Other Considerations

    In addition, the following funding factor will be applied in 
determining funding of approved applications.
    A funding preference is defined as the funding of a specific 
category or group of approved applications ahead of other categories or 
groups of approved applications.
    It is not required that applicants request consideration for a 
funding factor. Applications which do not request consideration for 
funding factors will be reviewed and given full consideration for 
funding.

Proposed Funding Preference

    A funding preference will be given to a nonprofit, accredited four-
year undergraduate college or university:
    1. Where Hispanic students constitute a minimum of 25 percent of 
the total enrollment at either the graduate or undergraduate level;
    2. Which is located in a geographic area with a high concentration 
of Hispanic residents (approximately 20 percent of the area's total 
population) such as the following: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Riverside, San 
Diego and San Jose, California; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; 
Northern New Jersey; Long Island and New York City, New York; El Paso, 
Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas; and
    3. Which is able to establish and document formal linkage 
arrangements with local community colleges, community health 
organizations and health professions and/or allied health professions 
schools.
    ``Hispanic'' means a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, 
Central or South American, or other Spanish origin. The 25 percent 
minimum enrollment has been established through public notice and 
comment in the Centers of Excellence Program, authorized under section 
739 of the PHS Act as representing a significant number of minority 
students.
Additional Information

    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed project 
requirements, review criteria, and funding preference. The comment 
period is 30 days. All comments received on or before July 24, 1995, 
will be considered before the final project requirements, review 
criteria, and funding preference 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 [[Page 32533]] 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. Darl Stephens, Chief, Program Development 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-
3843 FAX: (301) 443-5242.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The standard application form PHS 6025-1, HRSA Competing Training 
Grant Application and General Instructions have been approved by the 
Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The 
OMB Clearance Number is 0915-0060.
    The deadline date for receipt of applications is August 7, 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, Model Hispanic HCOP, 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 23, 1995.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-15279 Filed 6-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P