[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33506-33507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13916]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Grants for Policy-Oriented Rural Health Services Research; Grant 
Announcement Number HRSA-03-091

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) announces that 
approximately $900,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 funds are available for 
competitive grants for policy-oriented rural health services research. 
Individual research projects that address rural health services will be 
funded under this announcement. This program is authorized by Section 
301 of the Public Health Service Act. Eligibility is open to public, 
private, and non-profit--including faith-based and community-based--
organizations. Further information is provided in the Eligibility 
Requirements section. Grant awards will be limited to $150,000 per 
grantee. It is anticipated that six (6) awards will be made. The 
project period is twelve months.

APPLICATION DEADLINES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. Eastern 
Time on July 7, 2003. Completed applications must be sent to HRSA 
Grants Application Center (GAC), 901 Russell Avenue, Suite 450, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20879.
    Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they 
are either (1) received on or before the deadline date; or (2) 
postmarked on or before the deadline date and received in time for 
orderly processing. Applicants must obtain a legibly dated receipt from 
a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service in lieu of a postmark. 
Private metered postmarks are not acceptable as proof of timely 
mailing. Late applications will not be reviewed. Applicants will 
receive a confirmation of receipt notice from the HRSA Grants 
Application Center.
    The standard application form and general instructions for 
completing applications (Form PHS 398) have been approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget. To receive an application kit, contact the 
HRSA Grants Application Center toll-free at 1-877-477-2123 or write 
them at HRSA Grants Application Center, 901 Russell Avenue, Suite 450, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20879. To order an application kit for this program, 
you must identify the program citing the following program name, 
catalogue of federal domestic assistance number, and announcement 
number: Grant Program for Policy-Oriented Rural Health Services 
Research, Catalogue Of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.155, 
Grant Announcement Number: HRSA-03-091.
    On-line grant application: Applicants should note that HRSA 
anticipates accepting grant applications online in the last quarter of 
the Fiscal Year (July through September). Please refer to the HRSA 
grants schedule at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.htm for more information.
    Letter of intent: In order to allow the ORHP to plan for the 
objective review process, applicants are requested to notify the ORHP 
in writing of their intent to apply. This notification is not binding, 
but serves to inform the ORHP of anticipated numbers of applications 
that may be submitted. Do not fax notification. Notification is 
requested no later than June 11, 2003. The address for notification is: 
Emily Costich, Policy-Oriented Rural Health Services Research Program, 
Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Room 9A-55, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information or technical assistance 
regarding business, budget, or financial issues should be directed to 
the Division of Grants Management Operations, Health Resources and 
Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7-89, Rockville, 
Maryland 20857, 301-443-2280. Specific contacts are:

Janice M. Gordon, Grants Management Officer, Division of Grants 
Management Operations, Telephone: 301-443-2385, E-mail: 
[email protected].
Darren S. Buckner, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Grants 
Management Operations, Telephone: 301-443-1913, E-mail: 
[email protected].

    Requests for technical or programmatic information on this 
announcement should be directed to Emily Costich, Office of Rural 
Health Policy, Room 9A-55, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-0502, E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Policy-oriented rural health services 
research is useful because it informs policy-makers concerned with 
rural health issues and it enhances knowledge about rural health and 
rural health services. In addition, rural health services research 
addresses critical concerns facing rural communities in their quest to 
secure adequate, affordable, high quality health services. Research 
findings are useful to inform a wide audience of national, state, and 
local decision-makers about rural health issues. Research findings have 
been instrumental in bridging gaps between policy and program needs.
    Research Priorities: These grants are designed to provide support 
both for entities established in the rural health services research 
field as well as those entering this field. These grants are also 
intended to advance specific areas of rural health services research in 
which a limited amount of research exists. To determine what specific 
rural health services research is in progress in the areas of applicant 
interest, query the Database for Rural Health Research in Progress at: 
http://www.rural-health.org. This grant program will support individual 
research projects and excludes clinical/biomedical research and the 
expenditure of funds for delivery of services.

Research Areas

    Applications are sought for the research areas specified below, 
either singly or in combination. These areas are not listed in any 
priority order. Applications falling outside these research areas may 
be returned at the discretion of the Office of Rural Health Policy as 
being non-responsive.

(1) Mental Health
(2) Substance Abuse
(3) Oral Health
(4) American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawai'ian Health Issues
(5) Integration of Native and Non-Native Health Care
(6) Special Populations--Children, Women, Homeless, Elderly
(7) Chronic Disease (e.g., Asthma and Diabetes)
(8) Bioterrorism Preparedness
(9) Frontier Issues
(10) Medicaid
(11) S-CHIP
(12) End of Life Care
(13) Continuum of Care
(14) Public Health Issues

[[Page 33507]]

(15) Quality of Life
(16) Uninsured
(17) Disabled/Disability
(18) Low Income Populations
(19) Quality of Care
(20) EMS (for all populations, with a special interest in children)
(21) Dual Eligibles

Geographic Coverage

    Applications are sought for research products that are national in 
scope or generalizable to the nation. Research covering a single 
community, multiple communities, a single state, or a single region are 
not acceptable and will not be reviewed.
    Criteria and Maximum Points: Applications will be evaluated on the 
basis of the following criteria:
    [sbull] Principal Investigator and Support Personnel (25 Points) 
[This criterion includes evaluation of qualifications and achievements 
of principal investigator and support personnel, as well as 
multidisciplinary mix of personnel.]
    [sbull] Organizational, Physical and Institutional Arrangements and 
Institutional Commitment to Rural Research (10 points) [This criterion 
includes evaluation of administrative capabilities to manage research 
activities and accounting capabilities to manage grant funds.]
    [sbull] Project Proposal (30 points).
    [sbull] Budget (5 points).
    [sbull] Demonstrated Commitment and Experience in Rural Health 
Research, Policy or Service (15 points).
    [sbull] Research Applicability to National Issues, Policy Relevance 
and Breadth of Scope (e.g., geographic coverage) (15 points).
    Eligibility Requirements: Eligibility is open to public, private, 
and non-profit--including faith-based and community-based--
organizations. Institutions that received a Rural Health Research 
Center Award covering September 1, 2000-August 31, 2004 and those with 
Fiscal Year 2000-2003 ORHP awards under special congressional 
initiatives are ineligible for this grant program. Although multiple 
applications may be submitted, only one award will be made to the same 
entity. Receipt of a grant will not disqualify the recipient from the 
Rural Health Research Center competition in 2004.
    In addition to the above criteria, applicants must be capable of 
receiving the grant funds directly and must have the capability to 
manage the project. Applicants must be able to exercise administrative 
and program direction over the grant project; must have the 
administrative and accounting capabilities to manage the grant funds; 
and must have some permanent research staff at the time the application 
is submitted.
    Matching Requirements: Applicant will not be required to match or 
share the project cost if an award is made.
    Funding Preferences: A funding preference will be awarded to any 
qualified applicant that demonstrates substantial inclusion of the 
following in the project proposal: The applicant is, or is located 
within, an institution of higher learning or a department or agency 
within a State or local government. Institutions of higher learning are 
preferred because they bring academic knowledge and expertise to the 
application of new scientific techniques to solve the complex problems 
of rural communities. It is essential that research conclusions are 
based on the knowledgeable application of scientific research 
techniques that an institution of higher learning can provide. 
Departments or agencies within a State or local government are 
preferred because of their expertise in assessing the impacts of 
national policies on state governance and rural communities. This 
expertise provides their research with a unique policy-oriented 
perspective about rural communities and their members. Approved 
applications that receive a funding preference will be ranked ahead of 
those that receive no preference. Applications recommended for approval 
that do not receive a preference will be given full and equitable 
consideration but will not be funded until all applications recommended 
for approval that do receive the preference and fall within the funding 
line are funded. The funding line is the threshold score that 
determines the cut-off point for funding in a given fiscal year as 
determined by available funds. Applicants who are eligible for a 
preference and wish to receive it, must request a preference by 
following the instructions described in the application kit.
    Special considerations: HRSA wants to fund a variety of research 
areas in making new awards under this announcement. Therefore, HRSA 
will consider the variety of research areas when selecting which 
applications to fund or those recommended for approval. See the list of 
21 research areas in the Research Areas section above.
    HRSA wants to achieve a geographic balance among awardees in making 
new awards under this announcement. Therefore, HRSA will consider 
geographic distribution when selecting which applications to fund of 
those recommended for approval.

Executive Order 12372

    This grant program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 
12372 concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs by 
appropriate health planning agencies as implemented by 45 CFR part 100. 
Executive Order 12372 allows States the option of setting up a system 
for reviewing applications from within their States for assistance 
under certain Federal programs. Applicants (other than Federally-
recognized Indian tribal governments) should contact their State Single 
Point of Contact (SPOC), a list of which will be included in the 
application kit, as early as possible to alert them to the prospective 
applications and receive any necessary instructions on the State 
process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, the 
applicant is advised to contact the SPOC of each affected State.
    The due date for State process recommendations is 60 days after the 
application deadline for new applications. The granting agency does not 
guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' State process recommendations 
it receives after that date. (See part 148 of the PHS Grants 
Administration Manual, Intergovernmental Review of PHS Programs under 
Executive Order 12372, and 45 CFR part 100 for a description of the 
review process and requirements).

    Dated: May 15, 2003.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-13916 Filed 6-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P