Program Announcement and Grant Orientation Conferences for the Health Careers Opportunity Program

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Program Announcement and Grant Orientation Conferences for the

Health Careers Opportunity Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces

that applications for fiscal year (FY) 1995 Health Careers Opportunity

Program (HCOP) grants will be accepted under the authority of Section

740 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by Pub. L. 102-408,

dated October 13, 1992.

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 the 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.

The Administration's FY 1995 budget request for this program is

$30.7 million. The statute requires that, of the amount appropriated

for any fiscal year, 20 percent ($6.1 million) must be obligated for

stipends to disadvantaged individuals of exceptional financial need who

are students at schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine,

or dentistry. Of the remaining balance, $20.8 million will be used to

continue support of 107 multi-year projects previously approved and

funded. It is estimated that $3.7 million will be available to fund

approximately 22 competing projects averaging $168,000 each.

In addition, the statute requires that, of the amounts appropriated

for any fiscal year, 10 percent must be obligated to community-based

programs and 70 percent must be obligated for grants or contracts to

institutions of higher education. Not more than 5 percent of such funds

may be obligated for grants and contracts having the primary purpose of

informing individuals about the existence and general nature of health

careers.

The legislative authority for this program was extended through FY

1994. This program announcement is subject to the extension of this

authority and to the appropriation of funds. Applicants are advised

that this application announcement is a contingency action being taken

to assure that should the authority be extended 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 an

even distribution of funds throughout the fiscal year.

Previous Funding Experience

Previous funding experience information is provided to assist

potential applicants to make better informed decisions regarding

submission of an application for this program. In FY 1994, HRSA

reviewed 200 applications for HCOP Grants. Of those applications, 88

percent were approved and 12 percent were disapproved. Thirty-five

projects, or 20 percent of the approved applications, were funded. In

FY 1993, HRSA reviewed 248 applications for HCOP Grants. Of those

applications, 86 percent were approved and 14 percent were disapproved.

Seventy-two projects, or 35 percent of the approved applications, were

funded.

To receive support, applicants must meet the requirements of the

program regulations which are located at 42 CFR part 57, subpart S. The

period of Federal support will not exceed 3 years.

National Health Objectives for the Year 2000

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the

health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People

2000, a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. The

Health Careers Opportunity Program is related to the priority area of

Educational and Community-Based programs. 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 strengthening 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 promote the non-use of all

tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect

and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.

Review Criteria

The review of applications will take into consideration the

following criteria:

(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; and

(f) The potential of the project to continue without further

support under this program.

In addition, the following factor will be applied in determining

the funding of applications:

A funding priority is defined as the favorable adjustment of

aggregate review scores when applications meet specified objective

criteria.

The following funding priorities will be used in the distribution

of grant awards in FY 1995.

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 1995, 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 assisting, respiratory therapy,

medical technology or occupational therapy that have a disadvantaged

student enrollment of 35 percent or more among those programs.

The applicant must indicate on the upper right-hand corner of the

face page of the application the funding priority for which the

applicant wishes consideration. However, the final determination of the

category of funding priority will be based on a staff assessment of the

contents of the proposal. An applicant may only be given credit for one

funding priority. Applicants which do not request consideration of a

funding priority will be reviewed and given full consideration for

funding in the peer review process.

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.

Definitions

As used in this notice:

``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.

``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 (1)(A) and (1)(B) of the Public Health

Service Act and as accredited in section 799(1)(E) of the Act.

``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, 42 CFR 57.1804(b)(2).

The following income figures determine what constitutes a low-

income family for purposes of these Health Careers Opportunity Program

grants for fiscal year 1995:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Income

Size of parents' family\1\ level\2\

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1............................................................ $9,700

2............................................................ 12,600

3............................................................ 15,000

4............................................................ 19,200

5............................................................ 22,600

6 or more.................................................... 25,400

------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\Includes only dependents listed on Federal income tax forms.

\2\Adjusted gross income for calendar year 1993, rounded to nearest

$100.

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.

Additional Information

Requests for grant application materials and questions regarding

grants policy and business management issues should be directed to: Ms.

Diane Murray, Grants Management Specialist (D18), Bureau of Health

Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn

Building, Room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857,

Telephone: (301) 443-6857, Fax: (301) 443-6343.

Completed applications should be returned to the Grants Management

Office at the above address.

The standard application form PHS 6025-1, HRSA Competing Training

Grant Application, General Instructions and supplement for this program

have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under

the Paperwork Reduction Act. The OMB clearance number is 0915-0060.

The application deadline date is October 21, 1994. 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 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.

Grant Orientation Conferences

Program information for the Health Careers Opportunity Program will

also be provided through two program technical assistance conferences.

Technical assistance will be provided on the program content, policies,

procedures and application preparation.

The two conferences are scheduled for September 8-9 and 12-13,

1994, and will be held in the: Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, 1750 Rockville

Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, Telephone: (301) 468-1100, (800) 638-

5963.

Attendees must make their own lodging arrangements. Expenses

incurred by the attendees will not be supported by the Federal

Government.

Participation in the technical assistance meetings does not assure

approval and funding of applications submitted for competitive review.

To obtain specific information regarding the conferences and

programmatic aspects of this grant program, direct inquiries to: Mario

A. Manecci, M.P.H., Chief, Health Careers Opportunity Program, Program

Coordination Branch, Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of

Health Professions, HRSA, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-09, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-4493, Fax: (301)

443-5242.

This program is listed at 93.822 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance. It 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 not subject to the Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

Dated: July 6, 1994.

Ciro V. Sumaya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-18052 Filed 7-22-94; 8:45 am]

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