[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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