[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 164 (Thursday, August 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43375-43376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21400]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Final Project Requirements and Review Criteria for Cooperative 
Agreements for Partnerships for Health Professions Education for Fiscal 
Year 1996

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
the final project requirements and review criteria for cooperative 
agreements for Partnerships for Health Professions Education. This 
model/demonstration program will be jointly funded under sections 
738(b) (Minority Faculty Fellowship Program), 739 (Centers of 
Excellence in Minority Health Professions Education), and 740 (Health 
Careers Opportunity Program) 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.

Purpose

    The purposes of this program are to: (1) Assist schools in 
supporting programs of excellence in health professions education for 
minority students, (2) assist individuals from disadvantaged 
backgrounds to undertake education to enter and graduate from a health 
professions school and (3) to assist schools in increasing the number 
of underrepresented minority faculty members at such schools.
    A proposed notice was published in the Federal Register on April 
29, 1996 at 61 FR 18750 for public comment. No comments were received 
during the 30-day comment period. Therefore, the proposed project 
requirements and review criteria will be retained as follows:

Final Project Requirements

    The following project requirements are final:
    1. The Partnerships for Health Professions Education cooperative 
agreement is to include efforts to increase the numbers and quality of:
    (a) Minority and disadvantaged health professionals who provide 
health services to underserved populations and
    (b) Minority faculty serving in health professions schools. This 
would be accomplished through comprehensive geographically defined 
cooperative initiatives involving several educational and community-
based institutions and organizations. Specifically, the project is to 
establish and test a model comprehensive program in a defined 
geographic area (e.g., region, state, metropolitan or rural area). The 
project would bring together a variety of educational and community 
entities into a formal educational continuum that addresses:
    (a) The needs of minority and disadvantaged students through 
graduation from a health professions school, and
    (b) Junior minority faculty aspiring to senior faculty positions in 
health professions schools.
    2. The proposed model must encompass formulation of academic-
community educational partnerships including:
    (a) Formal linkages among health profession and prehealth 
profession schools, where both have strong histories and established 
administrative infrastructures for addressing the types of purposes 
proposed in this model program;
    (b) Linkages among health professions schools and community based 
health care entities serving underserved populations. This would allow 
targeted health professions school students to be offered experiences 
in the delivery of health services in community-based facilities 
located at sites remote from the institution; and
    c. Consortium arrangements (where appropriate) among participating 
health professions schools.
    4. The Partnerships for Health Professions Education Programs 
shall, for a geographically prescribed area establish:
    (a) An educational and non-educational support system designed to 
improve the quality of the minority applicant pool involving 
preliminary education, facilitating entry (including post baccalaureate 
projects where appropriate) and retention activities at the health 
professions school level. There should be an uninterrupted continuum to 
assist students through graduation from a health professions school. 
This would be accomplished through development and implementation of 
activities related to all the purposes identified in sections 738(b), 
739, and 740 of the PHS Act.
    (b) Minority faculty development initiatives designed to recruit 
and provide a formal structured program of preparation in such areas as 
pedagogical skills, program administration, grant writing and 
publication skills, research methodology, development of research 
proposals and community service abilities under a senior faculty 
mentor. It should involve pre-faculty appointment, faculty fellowship 
opportunities and retention for junior minority faculty in health 
professions schools;
    (c) Information resources and curricula addressing minority health 
issues and clinical education at community based sites remote from the 
health professions school that predominantly serve underserved 
populations; and
    (d) Faculty and student research on health issues particularly 
affecting minority groups.
    5. Measurable, outcome oriented and time framed performance outcome 
standards will be used to evaluate the project.
    6. All award recipients must agree to maintain institutional 
expenditures of non-Federal funds in an amount not less than the 
previous fiscal year.
    7. Program activities and experiences related to the establishment 
of the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program must be 
documented in a format that would allow for future duplication by other 
institutional organizations.

Final Review Criteria

    The following criteria are final:
    1. The relationship of the applicants proposal to the purposes 
stated for the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program, 
the comprehensiveness and geographic base of the proposed project, the 
extent to which linkages with community entities and institutions are 
documented, and the degree to which the proposed project plans are 
transferable to other institutions.
    2. The extent, institutional commitment and outcomes of past 
efforts and activities of the institution in conducting minority/
disadvantaged programs, the extent to which applicant data indicate 
trends, the numbers and type (race/ethnicity, gender) of individuals 
that can be expected to benefit from the project, and suitability

[[Page 43376]]

of participant eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and 
process.
    3. The relevance of objective(s) to the stated problem and need, 
and to model purposes; their measurability and attainability within a 
specific time frame; and the extent to which they represent outcome 
measures.
    4. The scope of specific activities and their relevance to the 
stated objectives and projected outcomes; their appropriateness for a 
Partnership for Health Professions Education Program; their soundness 
in terms of the extent and nature of the academic content and non-
academic services; and their validity as to the methodologies, logic 
and sequencing proposed.
    5. The administrative and managerial capability of the applicant to 
conduct the project, qualifications of the staff and faculty, their 
academic and experiential background and time commitment, the nature 
and degree of their involvement, and their experience in working with 
the proposed target group.
    6. The appropriateness of the budget for assuring effective 
utilization of cooperative agreement funds and the institutional or 
organizational plan for phasing-in income from other sources and 
developing self-sufficiency for continuing the program after Federal 
funding.
    7. The degree to which the applicant has made significant efforts 
to increase the number of minority individuals serving in faculty or 
administrative positions at the health professions school.
    8. Techniques and methods to be employed in evaluating the project.

Additional Information

    Requests for technical or programmatic information should be 
directed to: Dr. Ciriaco Q. Gonzales, 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.
    This program 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 also not subject to the 
Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

    Dated: August 16, 1996.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-21400 Filed 8-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4l60-15-P