[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 232 (Monday, December 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62097-62103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29421]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration


Program Announcement for Grant and Cooperative Agreement Programs 
Administered by the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of 
Health Professions for Fiscal Year 1996

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
that applications will be accepted for three grant programs for fiscal 
year (FY) 1996 under the authority of title VII of the Public Health 
Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Health Professions Education 
Extension Amendments of 1992, Pub. L. 102-408, dated October 13, 1992. 
These programs include:

Grants for Centers of Excellence (COE) in Minority Health Professions 
Education (section 739, PHS Act)
Grants for Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) (section 740, PHS 
Act)
Grants for the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP) (section 
738(b), PHS Act)

    This program announcement is subject to reauthorization of the 
legislative authority and to the appropriation of funds. Applicants are 
advised that this program announcement is a contingency action being 
taken to assure that should authority and funds become available for 
this purpose, they can be awarded in a timely fashion consistent with 
the needs of the program as well as to provide for even distribution of 
funds throughout the fiscal year. At this time, given a continuing 
resolution and the absence of FY 1996 appropriations for title VII 
programs, the amount of available funding for these specific grant 
programs cannot be estimated.
    Funding factors will be applied in determining funding of approved 
applications for some of these programs. 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. A funding priority is defined as the favorable adjustment 
of aggregate review scores of individual approved applications when 
applications meet specified criteria. 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.

Definitions

    The following definitions were established after public comment at 
56 FR 22440, dated May 15, 1991.
    ``A significant number of minority individuals enrolled in the 
school'' means that to be eligible to apply for a Hispanic COE, a 
medical, osteopathic medicine, or dental school must have at least 25 
enrolled Hispanic students. Schools of pharmacy must have at least 20 
enrolled Hispanic students. To apply as a Native American COE, an 
eligible medical or dental school must have at least eight enrolled 
Native American students and a school of pharmacy or osteopathic 
medicine must have at least five enrolled Native American students. To 
be eligible to apply for an ``Other'' Minority Health Professions 
Education COE, an eligible school must have above the national average 
of underrepresented minorities (medicine 13%, osteopathic medicine 8%, 
dentistry 15%, pharmacy 11%) enrolled in the school. Applicants must 
evidence that any particular subgroup of Asian individuals is 
underrepresented in a specific discipline. These numbers represent the 
critical mass necessary for a viable program. A viable program is one 
in which there is a sufficient number of students to warrant a Center 
of Excellence level educational program. Stated numerical levels are 
just above the median for schools reporting a critical mass necessary 
for a viable program. The requirement that schools applying for Other 
Minority Health Professions Education Centers have an enrollment of 
underrepresented students that is above the national average for that 
discipline is statutory.
    ``Effectiveness in Providing Financial Assistance'' will be 
evaluated by examining the data on scholarships and other financial aid 
provided to the targeted group in relation to the scholarships and 
financial aid provided to the total school population.
    ``Effectiveness in Recruitment'' will be evaluated by examining the 
first-year and total enrollments of targeted students in relation to 
the first-year and total enrollments for the entire school.
    ``Effectiveness in Retaining Students'' will be determined by 
retention rates for the targeted group and academic and non-academic 
support systems operative for the target group of students at the 
school.
    ``Minority'' means an individual whose race/ethnicity is classified 
as American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, 
or Hispanic.
    ``Underrepresented Minority'' means, with respect to a health 
profession, 

[[Page 62098]]
racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the health 
profession relative to the number of individuals who are members of the 
population involved. This definition encompasses Blacks, Hispanics, 
Native Americans, and, potentially, various subpopulations of Asian 
individuals. Applicants must evidence that any particular subgroup of 
Asian individuals is underrepresented in a specific discipline.
    The following definitions were established in OMB Directive No. 15.
    ``American Indian or Alaskan Native'' means a person having origins 
in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintains 
cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community 
recognition. This definition applies to the Health Careers Opportunity 
Program.
    ``Asian or Pacific Islander'' means a person having origins in any 
of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian 
subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, 
China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
    ``Black'' means a person having origins in any of the black racial 
groups of Africa.
    ``Hispanic'' means a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, 
Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, 
regardless of race.
    Following are additional definitions.
    As defined in section 799, ``accredited,'' when applied to a school 
of medicine, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, public health or 
chiropractic, or a graduate program in health administration, clinical 
psychology, clinical social work, or marriage and family therapy, means 
a school or program that is accredited by a recognized body or bodies 
approved for such purpose by the Secretary of Education, except that a 
new school or program that, by reason of an insufficient period of 
operation, is not, at the time of application for a grant or contract 
under this title, eligible for accreditation by such a recognized body 
or bodies, shall be deemed accredited for purposes of this title, if 
the Secretary of Education finds, after consultation with the 
appropriate accreditation body or bodies, that there is reasonable 
assurance that the school or program will meet the accreditation 
standards of such body or bodies prior to the beginning of the academic 
year following the normal graduation date of the first entering class 
in such school or program.
    ``Community-based Program'' means a program with organizational 
headquarters located in and which primarily serves: a Metropolitan 
Statistical Area, as designated by the Office of Management and Budget; 
a Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce designated 
nonmetropolitan economic area or a county; or Indian tribe(s) as 
defined in 42 CFR 36.102(c), i.e., an Indian tribe, band, nation, 
rancheria, Pueblo, colony or community, including an Alaska Native 
Village or regional or village corporation.
    As defined in section 799, ``graduate program in health 
administration'' and ``graduate program in clinical psychology'' mean 
an accredited graduate program in a public or nonprofit private 
institution in a State that provides training leading, respectively, to 
a graduate degree in health administration or an equivalent degree and 
a doctoral degree in clinical psychology or an equivalent degree.
    For the Health Careers Opportunity Program, ``health professions 
schools'' means schools of allopathic medicine, dentistry, osteopathic 
medicine, pharmacy, optometry, podiatric medicine, veterinary medicine, 
public health, chiropractic, or graduate programs in clinical 
psychology and health administration, as defined in sections 799 (l)(A) 
and (l)(B) of the Public Health Service Act and as accredited in 
section 799(l)(E) of the Act.
    For the Centers of Excellence Program, ``health professions 
schools'' means schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry 
and pharmacy, as defined in section 739(h), which are accredited as 
defined in section 799(l)(E) of the Act. For purposes of the 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), this definition 
means those schools described in section 799(l)(A) of the Act and which 
have received a contract under section 788B of the Act (Advanced 
Financial Distress Assistance) for fiscal year 1987.
    As defined in 42 CFR 57.1804(b)(2), an ``individual from a 
disadvantaged background'' means an individual who: (a) Comes from an 
environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the 
knowledge, skills and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from 
a health professions school or from a program providing education or 
training in an allied health profession or; (b) comes from a family 
with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds 
according to family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 
adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index and adjusted 
by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs.
    The following income figures determine what constitutes a low-
income family for purposes of these Health Careers Opportunity Program 
grants for fiscal year 1996:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Income 
                 Size of parents' family \1\                   level \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................................................    $10,000
2............................................................     12,900
3............................................................     15,400
4............................................................     19,700
5............................................................     23,200
6 or more....................................................    26,100 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ includes only dependents listed on Federal income tax forms.        
\2\ adjusted gross income for calendar year 1994, rounded to nearest    
  $100.                                                                 

    As defined in section 739, the term ``Native Americans'' means 
American Indians, Alaskan Native, Aleuts, and Native Hawaiians. This 
definition applies to the Centers of Excellence Program.
    For the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program, ``minority'' means an 
individual from a racial or ethnic group that is underrepresented in 
the health professions, as defined in section 738.
    ``Program of Excellence'' means any programs carried out by a 
health professions school with funding under section 739 Grants for 
Centers of Excellence in Minority Health Professions Education.
    As defined in section 799, the term ``school of allied health'' 
means a public or nonprofit private college, junior college, or 
university or hospital-based educational entity that: a) provides, or 
can provide, programs of education to enable individuals to become 
allied health professionals or to provide additional training for 
allied health professionals; b) provides training for not less than a 
total of 20 persons in the allied health curricula (except that this 
subparagraph shall not apply to any hospital-based educational entity); 
c) includes or is affiliated with a teaching hospital; and d) is 
accredited by a recognized body or bodies approved for such purposes by 
the Secretary of Education or which provides to the Secretary 
satisfactory assurance by such accrediting body or bodies that 
reasonable progress is being made toward accreditation.
    As defined in section 799, ``school of medicine,'' ``school of 
dentistry,'' ``school of osteopathic medicine,'' ``school of 
pharmacy,'' ``school of optometry,'' ``school of podiatric medicine,'' 
``school of veterinary medicine,'' ``school of public health,'' and 
``school of chiropractic'' mean an accredited public or nonprofit 
private school in a State that provides training 

[[Page 62099]]
leading, respectively, to a degree of doctor of medicine, a degree of 
doctor of dentistry or an equivalent degree, a degree of doctor of 
osteopathy, a degree of bachelor of science in pharmacy or an 
equivalent degree or a degree of doctor of pharmacy or an equivalent 
degree, a degree of doctor of optometry or an equivalent degree, a 
degree of doctor of podiatric medicine or an equivalent degree, a 
degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or an equivalent degree, a 
graduate degree in public health or an equivalent degree, and a degree 
of doctor of chiropractic or an equivalent degree, and including 
advanced training related to such training provided by any such school.
    As defined in section 799, ``State'' includes the 50 states, the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Virgin 
Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

Centers of Excellence (COE) in Minority Health Professions Education

    Purposes: Grants for eligible Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic, Native American and Other Centers of 
Excellence must be used by the schools for the following purposes:
    1. To establish, strengthen, or expand programs to enhance the 
academic performance of minority students attending the school;
    2. To establish, strengthen, or expand programs to increase the 
number and quality of minority applicants to the school;
    3. To improve the capacity of such schools to train, recruit, and 
retain minority faculty;
    4. With respect to minority health issues, to carry out activities 
to improve the information resources and curricula of the school and 
clinical education at the school; and
    5. To facilitate faculty and student research on minority health 
issues.
    Applicants must address all five legislative purposes. In addition, 
grants for eligible HBCUs as described in section 799(l)(A) and which 
have received a contract under section 788B of the Act (Advanced 
Financial Distress Assistance) for FY 1987 may also be used to develop 
a plan to achieve institutional improvements, including financial 
independence, to enable the school to support programs of excellence in 
health professions education for minority individuals, and to provide 
improved access to the library and informational resources of the 
school.
    Other Requirements: For Hispanic Centers of Excellence, the health 
professions schools must agree to give priority to carrying out the 
duties with respect to Hispanic individuals.
    Regarding Native American Centers of Excellence, the health 
professions school must agree to:
    l. Give priority to carrying out the duties with respect to Native 
Americans;
    2. Establish a linkage with one or more public or nonprofit private 
institutions of higher education whose enrollment of students has 
traditionally included a significant number of Native Americans for 
purposes of identifying potential Native American health professions 
students of the institution who are interested in a health professions 
career and facilitating their educational preparation for entry into 
the health professions school; and
    3. Make efforts to recruit Native American students, including 
those who have participated in the undergraduate program of the linkage 
school, and assist them in completing the educational requirements for 
a degree from the health professions school.
    With respect to meeting these requirements, a grant for a Native 
American Center of Excellence may be made not only to a school of 
medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy that 
individually meets eligibility conditions but also to such school that 
has formed a consortium of schools that collectively meet conditions, 
without regard to whether the schools of the consortium individually 
meet the conditions. The consortium would be required to consist of the 
school seeking the grant and one or more schools of medicine, 
osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, allied health, or 
public health. The schools of the consortium must have entered into an 
agreement for the allocation of the grant among the schools. Each of 
the schools must have agreed to expend the grant in accordance with 
requirements of this program. Each of the schools of the consortium 
must be part of the same parent institution of higher education as the 
school seeking the grant or be located not more than 50 miles from the 
school (the applicant).
    To qualify as an ``Other'' Minority Health Professions Education 
Center of Excellence, a health professions school (i.e., a school of 
medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy) must have an 
enrollment of underrepresented minorities above the national average 
for such enrollments of health professions schools. (See definition for 
``A significant number of minority individuals enrolled in the 
school.'')
    Eligibility: Section 739 authorizes the Secretary to make grants to 
schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry and pharmacy for 
the purpose of assisting the schools in supporting programs of 
excellence in health professions education for Black, Hispanic and 
Native American individuals, as well as for HBCUs as described in 
section 799(l)(A) and which have received a contract under section 788B 
of the Act (Advanced Financial Distress Assistance) for FY 1987.
    To qualify as a COE, a school is required to:
    1. Have a significant number of minority individuals enrolled in 
the school, including individuals accepted for enrollment in the school 
(see definition for ``A significant number of minority individuals 
enrolled in the school'');
    2. Demonstrate that it has been effective in assisting minority 
students of the school to complete the program of education and receive 
the degree involved;
    3. Show that it has been effective in recruiting minority 
individuals to attend the school, including providing scholarships and 
other financial assistance to such individuals, and encouraging 
minority students of secondary educational institutions to attend the 
health professions school; and
    4. Demonstrate that it has made significant recruitment efforts to 
increase the number of minority individuals serving in faculty or 
administrative positions at the school.
    These entities must be located in a State.
    Payments under grants for Centers of Excellence may not exceed 3 
years, subject to annual approval by the Secretary, the availability of 
appropriations, and acceptable progress toward meeting originally 
stated objectives.
    Review Criteria: The review of applications will take into 
consideration the following criteria:
    1. The degree to which the applicant can arrange to continue the 
proposed project beyond the Federally-funded project period;
    2. The degree to which the proposed project meets the purposes 
described in the legislation;
    3. The relationship of the objectives of the proposed project to 
the goals of the plan that will be developed;

[[Page 62100]]

    4. The administrative and managerial ability of the applicant to 
carry out the project in a cost effective manner;
    5. The adequacy of the staff and faculty to carry out the program;
    6. The soundness of the budget for assuring effective utilization 
of grant funds, and the proportion of total program funds which come 
from non-Federal sources and the degree to which they are projected to 
increase over the grant period;
    7. The number of individuals who can be expected to benefit from 
the project; and
    8. The overall impact the project will have on strengthening the 
school's capacity to train the targeted minority health professionals 
and increase the supply of minority health professionals available to 
serve minority populations in underserved areas.
    Established Funding Preference: A funding preference will be given 
to competing continuation (renewal) applications for Centers of 
Excellence programs whose current project periods end in fiscal year 
1996 and which score at or above the 50th percentile of all 
applications which are recommended for approval. The purpose of this 
preference is to maximize Federal and non-Federal investments in 
accomplishing the nature and scope of the legislative purposes of the 
Centers of Excellence Program. To realize the intended impact of the 
COE program more than one grant period is required. This funding 
preference is intended to direct assistance to quality COE programs 
that have documented sustained or increased accomplishments under this 
program.
    This funding preference was established in FY 1995, following 
public comment (60 FR 6719, dated February 3, 1995) and is continued in 
FY 1996 with the addition of the requirement to score at or above the 
50th percentile.
    Maintenance of Effort: A health professions school receiving a 
grant will be required to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts 
for such activities at a level that is not less than the level of such 
expenditures maintained by the school for the fiscal year preceding the 
fiscal year for which the school receives such a grant. In addition, 
the school agrees that before expending grant funds, the school will 
expend amounts obtained from sources other than the grant.
    Funding: The statute requires that, of the amount appropriated for 
any fiscal year, the first $12 million will be allocated to certain 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) described in 
section 799(1)(A) of the Act and which received a contract under 
section 788B of the Act (Advanced Financial Distress Assistance) for 
the fiscal year 1987. Of the remaining balance, sixty (60) percent must 
be allocated to Hispanic and Native American Centers of Excellence, and 
forty (40) percent must be allocated to the ``Other'' Centers of 
Excellence. A grant made for a fiscal year may not be made in an amount 
that is less than $500,000 for each Center.

Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP)

    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. The assistance authorized by this section may be 
used to: (1) Identify, recruit, and select individuals from 
disadvantaged backgrounds for education and training in a health 
profession; (2) provide for a period prior to the entry of such 
individuals into the regular course of education of such a school, 
preliminary education designed to assist them to complete successfully 
such regular course of education at such a school or referring such 
individuals to institutions providing such preliminary education; (3) 
facilitate the entry and retention of such individuals in health and 
allied health professions schools; and (4) provide counseling and 
advice on financial aid to assist such individuals to complete 
successfully their education at such schools. Applicants must address 
at least 2 purposes. The period of Federal support will not exceed 3 
years.
    Project Requirements for Postbaccalaureate Programs: The following 
project requirements for postbaccalaureate programs were established as 
a preference after public comment at 55 FR 11264, dated March 27, 1990. 
Postbaccalaureate programs may also combine the following requirements 
with other HCOP activities as defined in the statutory purposes 
described above.
    A. A health professions school will meet the requirements for a 
postbaccalaureate program if:
    1. Either the applicant health professions school or an 
undergraduate school with which it has a formal arrangement:
    a. Identifies and selects a cohort of seven or more disadvantaged 
students that have completed an undergraduate prehealth professions 
program and applied but were not accepted into a health professions 
school, or made a late decision to enter a new health professions 
school for participation in the program; and
    b. Provides the selected student cohort with one calendar year 
(including the initial 6 to 8 week summer program) of rigorous 
postbaccalaureate (undergraduate and/or professional) level science and 
other appropriate educational experiences to prepare the students for 
entry into the applicant health professions school; and
    2. The applicant health professions school:
    a. Accepts for enrollment in the first year of its health 
professions school class, upon entry into the post-baccalaureate 
program, members of the cohort who successfully complete the program; 
or assures enrollment, at the election of the student at another health 
professions school; and
    b. Provides members of the cohort and other disadvantaged enrollees 
retention services including a 6 to 8 week prematriculation summer 
program to ease their transition into the health professions school 
curriculum.
    Stipends would be available through the grant for the targeted 
students during their summer programs and undergraduate academic year 
participation.
    B. A school of allied health will meet the requirements for a 
postbaccalaureate program if:
    1. Either the applicant allied health school or an undergraduate 
school offering pre-allied health preparation with which the school has 
a formal arrangement:
    a. Identifies and selects a cohort of five or more disadvantaged 
students for participation in the program who have completed an 
undergraduate degree with a significant science focus and made a late 
decision to enter an allied health professions school and are in 
pursuit of a baccalaureate level degree in physical therapy, physician 
assistant, respiratory therapy, medical technology, or occupational 
therapy; and
    b. Provides the selected student cohort with one calendar year 
(including an initial 6 to 8 week summer program) of rigorous science 
and other education experiences (e.g., allied health basic science, and 
quantitative and reading skills), to prepare them for entry at the end 
of that year into one of the above-named 

[[Page 62101]]
baccalaureate level training programs of the applicant allied health 
school; and
    2. The applicant allied health school:
    a. Accepts for enrollment in the first-year class of one of the 
specified baccalaureate level training programs of the applicant allied 
health school under entry into the preprofessional phase, members of 
the cohort who complete the program, or assures enrollment, at the 
election of the student at another health professions school; and
    b. Provides members of the cohort and other disadvantaged enrollees 
with retention services including a 6 to 8 week prematriculation summer 
program to ease the transition into the specified allied health 
professions school curriculum.
    Review Criteria: The review of applications will take into 
consideration the following:
    (a) The degree to which the proposed project adequately provides 
for the requirements in the program regulations;
    (b) The number and types of individuals who can be expected to 
benefit from the project;
    (c) The administrative and management ability of the applicant to 
carry out the proposed project in a cost effective manner;
    (d) The adequacy of the staff and faculty;
    (e) The soundness of the budget;
    (f) The potential of the project to continue without further 
support under this program.
    Statutory Funding Priority: Public Law 102-408 requires the 
Secretary to give priority in funding to the following schools:
    1. A school which previously received an HCOP grant and increased 
its first-year enrollment of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds 
by at least 20 percent over that enrollment in the base year 1987 (for 
which the applicant must supply data) by the end of 3 years from the 
date of the award of the HCOP grant; and
    2. A school which had not previously received an HCOP grant that 
increased its first-year enrollment of individuals from disadvantaged 
backgrounds by at least 20 percent over that enrollment in the base 
year 1987 (for which the applicant must supply data) over any period of 
time (3 consecutive years).
    Established Funding Priority: The following funding priority was 
established in fiscal year 1990 after public comment at 55 FR 11264, 
dated March 27, 1990, and is being continued in FY 1996, with the 
exception that wording related to alternative means of documenting 
enrollment in terms of increases and retention rates for disadvantaged 
students has been deleted. Progress in these areas is considered as a 
part of the merit review process for this program and applicants will 
be informed of relevant benchmarks in application materials.
    A funding priority will be given to HCOP applications from health 
professions schools that have a disadvantaged student enrollment of 35 
percent or more. Traditionally, disadvantaged students have been 
disproportionally underrepresented in the health profession schools and 
the health professions. A funding priority will also be given to 
schools of allied health offering baccalaureate or higher level 
programs in physical therapy, physician assistant, respiratory therapy, 
medical technology or occupational therapy that have a disadvantaged 
student enrollment of 35 percent or more among those programs.
    Funding Preference: The following preference was established 
following public comment at 57 FR 61914, dated December 29, 1992 and 
will be applied in FY 1996. Preference be given to competing 
continuation applications (renewals) for postbaccalaureate programs 
funded under the fiscal year 1990 HCOP Funding Preference (as defined 
in the Federal Register notice of March 27, 1990, 55 FR 11264) which 
score at or above the 50th percentile of all applications which are 
recommended for approval, and which can evidence the following: (1) 
disadvantaged students were recruited into the postbaccalaureate 
program at a level at least equal to the number of students originally 
projected in FY 1990, and (2) the cohort of first year disadvantaged 
students entering the health or allied health professions school in 
September 1996 exceeds the number of disadvantaged students enrolled in 
the first year class in September 1995 by a number equal to 50 percent 
of the postbaccalaureate participants projected for enrollment in 1996.
    In addition, consideration will be given to an equitable geographic 
distribution of projects, and the assurance that a combination of all 
funded projects represents a reasonable proportion of the health 
professions specified in the legislation.
    Funding: The statute requires that, of the amount appropriated for 
any fiscal year, 20 percent must be obligated for stipends to 
disadvantaged individuals of exceptional financial need who are 
students at schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, or 
dentistry.

Grants for the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP)

    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 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.
    Section 738(b) authorizes the Secretary to provide a one-year 
fellowship award to an eligible health professions school which 
includes a stipend in an amount not exceeding 50 percent of the regular 
salary of a similar faculty member, or $30,000, whichever is less. 
Grant funds are available to support fellow costs only and are limited 
to stipend, tuition and fees, and travel. Stipends must be paid by the 
grantee institution in accordance with its usual institutional payment 
policy, schedule and procedures. Stipend funds may be supplemented 
through other resources. Direct financial assistance to fellows may not 
be received concurrently with any other Federal education award 
(fellowship, traineeship, etc.), except for educational assistance 
under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (``GI Bill''). Loans from 
Federal funds are not considered Federal awards. Any fellow who 
continues to receive full institutional salary is not eligible for 
stipend support from these grant funds.

[[Page 62102]]

    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 
a minority group underrepresented 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 a minority group underrepresented 
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).
    Review Criteria: The review of applications will take into 
consideration the following review criteria:
    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 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.

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, D.C. 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238).

Education and Service Linkage

    As part of its long-range planning, HRSA will be targeting its 
efforts to strengthen 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 to 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, heath care, and early childhood 
development services are provided to children.

[[Page 62103]]


Application Availability

    Application materials are available on the World Wide Web at 
address: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/hrsa/. Click on the file name you want 
to download to your computer. It will be saved as a self-extracting 
WordPerfect 5.1 file. Once the file is downloaded to the applicant's 
PC, it will still be in a compressed state. To decompress the file, go 
to the directory where the file has been downloaded and type in the 
file name followed by a . The file will expand into a 
WordPerfect 5.1 file. Applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain 
application materials from the World Wide Web via the Internet.
    Questions regarding grants policy and business management issues 
should be directed to Ms. Wilma Johnson, Acting Chief, Centers and 
Formula Grants Section ([email protected]), Grants Management 
Branch, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857. Completed applications should be returned to 
the Grants Management Branch at the above address.
    If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact 
Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions, 
Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 
8A-17, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. The table below 
provides specific names, phone numbers and deadline dates for each 
program. If you are unable to obtain the application materials 
electronically, you may obtain application materials in the mail by 
sending a written request to the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance 
at the address above. Written requests may also be sent via FAX (301) 
443-5242 or via the Internet (e-mail address: 
[email protected]).

                                                     Table 1                                                    
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Grants management contact                                                  
 PHS section No., title, CFDA No.,        e-mail: wjohnson         Programmatic contact  e-mail:       Deadline 
             regulation               @hrsa.ssw.dhhs.gov  FAX:    bbrooks @hrsa.ssw.dhhs.gov  FAX:       date   
                                           (301) 443-6343                  (301) 443-5242                       
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
739, Centers of Excellence, 93.157,  Wilma Johnson, (301) 443-  A. Roland Garcia, Ph.D. (301) 443-        2/9/96
 42 CFR part 57 subpart V.            6880.                      4493.                                          
740, Health Careers Opportunity      Wilma Johnson (301) 443-   Mario A. Manecci, MPH (301) 443-          2/9/96
 Program, 93.822, 42 CFR part 57      6880.                      4493.                                          
 subpart S.                                                                                                     
738(b), Minority Faculty Fellowship  Wilma Johnson (301) 443-   Lafayette Gilchrist (301) 443-3680.       2/9/96
 Program.                             6880.                                                                     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 dates for receipt of applications for each of these 
programs are shown in Table 1. 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. In addition, applications which exceed the page 
limitation and/or do not follow format instructions will not be 
accepted for processing and will be returned to the applicant.
    These programs are not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 
12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as implemented 
through 45 CFR part 100). These programs are also not subject to the 
Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

    Dated: November 28, 1995.
John D. Mahoney,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-29421 Filed 12-1-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P