[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 63 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16265-16267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8567]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Nursing Recruitment Program for Indians

AGENCY: Indian Health Service (IHS), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of competitive grant applications for the nursing 
recruitment program for Indians.

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SUMMARY: The IHS announces that competitive grant applications are now 
being accepted for the Nursing Education Program for Indians authorized 
by section 112 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Pub. L. 94-
437, as amended. There will be only one funding cycle during fiscal 
year (FY) 1998. This program is described at 93.970 in the Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance. Cost will be determined in accordance with 
applicable OMB Circulars and 45 CFR part 74 or 45 CFR part 92 (as 
applicable). Executive Order 12372 requiring intergovernmental review 
does not apply to this program. This program is not subject to the 
Public Health System Reporting Requirements.
    The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the 
health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 
2000 a PHS-led activity for setting priority areas. This program 
announcement is related to the priority area of Educational and 
Community-based programs. Healthy People 2000, the full report, is 
currently out of print. You may obtain the objectives from the latest 
Healthy People 2000 Review. A copy may be obtained by calling the 
National Center for Health Statistics, telephone (301) 436-8500.

Smoke Free Workplace

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

DATES: An original and two copies of the completed grant application 
must be submitted, with all required documents to the Grants Management 
Branch, Division of Acquisitions and Grants Operations, Twinbrook Metro 
Plaza, Suite 100, 12300 Twinbrook Pkwy., Rockville, MD 20852, by close 
of business June 19, 1998. C.O.B. means 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight 
Time.
    Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they 
are either: (1) received on or before the deadline with hand carried 
applications received by close of business 5:00 p.m.; or (2) postmarked 
on or before the deadline date and received in time to be reviewed 
along with all other timely applications. A legibly dated receipt from 
a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service will be accepted in 
lieu of postmark. Private metered postmarks will not be accepted as 
proof of timely mailing.
    Applications received after the announced closing date will be 
returned to the applicant and will not be considered for funding.

Additional Dates

    A. Application Deadline: June 19, 1998.
    B. Application Review: July 7, 1998.
    C. Applicants Notified of Results (approved, approved unfunded, or 
disapproved): July 21, 1998.
    D. Anticipated Start Date: August 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For program information, contact Ms. Carol Gowett, Senior Nurse 
Consultant, Division, of Nursing, Office of Public Health, Indian 
Health Service, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 6A-44, 
Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-1840. For grants information, contact 
Mrs. M. Kay Carpentier, Grants Management Officer, Grants Management 
Branch, Division of Acquisition and Grants Management, Indian Health 
Service, Twinbrook Metro Plaza, Suite 100, 12300 Twinbrook, Pkwy., 
Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 443-5204. (The telephone numbers are not 
toll-free numbers.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This announcement provides information on 
the general program purpose and objectives, programmatic priorities, 
eligibility requirements, funding availability, and application 
procedures for the Nursing Program for FY 1998.

A. General Program Purpose

    To increase the number of nurses, nurse midwives, nurse 
anesthetists, and nurse practitioners who deliver health care service 
to Indians.

B. Eligibility and Preference

    The following organizations are eligible: (1) public or private 
schools of nursing, (2) tribally controlled community colleges; and (3) 
nurse (ADN, BSN), nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, and nurse 
practitioner (MSN) programs that are provided by any public or private 
institution.
    Preference will be given to programs which (1) provide a preference 
to Indians; (2) train nurses (ADN, BSN), nurse midwives, nurse 
anesthetists or nurse practitioners (MSN); (3) are interdisciplinary, 
and (4) are conducted in cooperation with a center for gifted and 
talented Indian Students established under section 5324(a) of the 
Indian Education Act of 1988.

[[Page 16266]]

    If an eligible organization claims preference in order to be given 
priority, the organization must submit verifying documentation.

C. Programmatic Priorities

    To carry out the provisions of section 112 of Pub. L. 94-437, as 
amended, priority will be given to the following programs:
    1. At least one project to a public or a private school of nursing, 
which provides BSN or MSN degrees, not to exceed $450,000 per year, up 
to a project period not to exceed 5 years.
    2. At least one project to a tribally controlled community college, 
not to exceed $150,000 per year, up to a project period not to exceed 5 
years.
    3. At least one project to a School of Nursing which trains nurse 
midwives, not to exceed $150,000 per year, up to a project period not 
to exceed 5 years.

D. Program Objectives

    A grant awarded under this announcement shall support a program to: 
(1) recruit individuals for programs which train individuals to be 
nurses (ADN, BSN), nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, or nurse 
practitioners (MSN); (2) provide scholarships to individuals enrolled 
in such programs that may pay the tuition charged for such program and 
other expenses incurred in connection with such program, including 
books, fees, room and board, and stipends for living expenses; (3) 
provide a program that encourages nurses (ADN, BSN), nurse midwives, 
nurse anesthetists, and nurse practitioners (MSN) to provide, or 
continue to provide, health care services to Indians; (4) to provide a 
program that increases the skills of and provides continuing education 
to nurses (ADN, BSN), nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and nurse 
practitioners (MSN); and (5) to provide any program that is designed to 
achieve the purpose of increasing the number of nurses (ADN, BSN), 
nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and nurse practitioners (MSN) who 
deliver health care services to Indians.
    Each proposal must respond to at least one of the above five 
objectives.
    Although section 112 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 
Pub. L. 94-437, as amended, provides that scholarships for individuals 
may be funded, only an organization that has been operating an IHS 
Nurse Recruitment Grant Program may apply for scholarship support in 
the first year of the project.

E. Program Activities Considered for Support

    The grant program must be developed to locate and recruit students 
with potential for nursing; and to provide support services to students 
who are recruited. Support services may include providing career 
counseling and academic advice; assisting students to identify academic 
deficiencies and to develop plans to correct those deficiencies; 
assisting students to locate financial aid; monitoring students to 
identify possible problems; assisting with the determination of need 
for and location of tutorial services; and other related activities 
which will help to retain students in school.

F. Required Affiliation

    The applicant must submit documentation showing that it is an 
accredited school of nursing, or a tribally controlled community 
college, or a nurse anesthetist program or nurse midwife program which 
has an affiliation with an accredited school of nursing, as defined at 
42 CFR 36.302(o). The term ``accredited'' when applied to any program 
of nurse education means a program accredited or assured accreditation 
by a recognized body or bodies, or by a State agency, approved for such 
purpose by the Secretary of Education and when applied to a school, 
college or university (or a unit thereof) which is accredited by a 
recognized body or bodies, or by a State agency, approved for such 
purpose by the Secretary of Education.
    The applicant must submit written documentation showing affiliation 
with a health care facility that primarily serves Indians.
    When the target population of a proposed project includes a 
particular Indian tribe or tribes, an official document, i.e., a letter 
of support or tribal resolution, must be submitted indicating that the 
tribe or tribes will cooperate with the applicant.

G. Fund Availability and Period of Support

    Approximately $1,600,000 is available during this cycle. The 
anticipated start date for selected projects will be August 1, 1998. 
Projects will be awarded for a term of up to 5 years, with funding for 
succeeding years based on the FY 1998 level; satisfactory level of 
performance; the availability of appropriation in future years; and the 
continuing need of IHS for the project.

H. Application Process

    1. In IHS Recruitment Grant Application Kit may be obtained from 
the Grants Management Branch, Division of Acquisition and Grants 
Management, Indian Health Service, Twinbrook Metro Plaza, Suite 100, 
12300 Twinbrook Pkwy., Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 443-5204. This kit 
includes Standard Form PHS 5161-1 (Rev. 5/96) (OMB Approval No. 0937-
0189 expires 07/31/98); Standard Forms 424, 424A, and 424B (Rev. 4/88); 
Application Receipt Card--PHS 3038-1 (Rev. 4/90); instructions for 
preparing the program narrative; and IHS Application Checklist.
    2. The application must be signed and submitted by an individual 
authorized to act for the applicant and to assume on behalf of the 
applicant the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of any 
award.
    3. The available funding level is inclusive of both direct and 
indirect costs. Because this project is for a training grant, the 
Department of Health and Human Services' policy limiting reimbursement 
of indirect cost to the lesser of the applicant's actual indirect costs 
or 8 percent of total direct costs (exclusive of trainee costs and 
expenditures for equipment) is applicable. This limitation applies to 
all institutions of higher education other than agencies of State and 
local government.
    4. Each application will be reviewed at the Grants Management 
Branch for eligibility, compliance with the announcement, and 
completeness. All acceptable applications will be subject to a 
competitive objective review and evaluation. An unacceptable 
application will be returned to the applicant without further 
consideration.
    5. Applicants will be notified by July 21, 1998, of their status as 
approved, approved unfunded, or disapproved.
    6. The project period may not exceed 5 years. Applications must 
include Narrative and Budget information for the entire anticipated 
project period.

I. Criteria for Review and Evaluation

    Conforming applications will be evaluated against the following 
criteria:
     The potential effectiveness of the proposed project in 
carrying out the purposes of section 112, with special emphasis on the 
objectives and methodology portion of the application. This includes 
relevance of project objectives to grant program objectives; 
appropriateness and soundness of the procedures for identifying 
recruiting, and retaining target population(s); and feasibility of 
project within proposed resources and time frames.
     The demonstrated capability of the applicant to 
successfully conduct the project, including organizational and 
scholarly commitment to the

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recruitment, education, and retention of students.
     The submission of verifying documentation when an 
applicant claims preference in order to be given priority.
Preference is given for programs which (1) provide a preference to 
Indians; (2) train nurses (ADN, BSN), nurse midwives, nurse 
anesthetists, or nurse practitioners (MSN); (3) are interdisciplinary; 
and (4) are conducted in cooperation with a center for gifted and 
talented Indian students established under section 5324(a) of the 
Indian Education Act of 1988.
     The accessibility of the applicant to target Indian 
communities or tribes, including evidence of past or potential 
cooperation between the applicant and such communities or tribes. 
Evidence must be supported by official documentation from the tribe in 
the form of a letter of support or tribal resolution.
     The relationship of project objectives to Indian Health 
manpower's deficiencies, indicating the number of potential Indian 
students to be contacted and recruited as well as potential cost per 
student recruited. Those projects that have the potential to serve a 
greater number of Indians will be given first consideration.
     The soundness of the fiscal plan for assuring effective 
utilization of grant funds.
     The completeness and responsiveness of the application.

    Dated: March 26, 1998.
Michael H. Trujillo,
Assistant Surgeon General, Director.
[FR Doc. 98-8567 Filed 4-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-16-M