Program Announcement for Allied Health Project Grants for Fiscal Year 1995

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Program Announcement for Allied Health Project Grants for Fiscal

Year 1995

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces

that applications will be accepted for fiscal year (FY) 1995 Allied

Health Project Grants under the authority of section 767, title VII of

the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Health Professions

Education Extension Amendments of 1992, Public Law 102-408, dated

October 13, 1992.

This program announcement is subject to the appropriation of funds.

Applicants are advised that this program announcement is a contingency

action being taken to assure that should 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. The Administration's budget request

for FY 1995 includes $2,300,000 for this program. Total continuation

support recommended is $2,073,000. Under the Administration's budget

request, it is anticipated that $227,000 will be available to support 2

competing awards averaging $100,000.

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 72 applications for Allied Health Project Grants. Of those

applications, 51 percent were approved and 49 percent were disapproved.

Eleven projects, or 15 percent of the applications received, were

funded. In FY 1993, HRSA reviewed 83 applications for Allied Health

Project Grants. Of those applications, 59 percent were approved and 41

percent were disapproved. Eight projects, or 10 percent of the

applications received, were funded.

Purposes

Section 767 authorizes the award of grants to assist in meeting the

costs associated with expanding or establishing programs that will

increase the number of individuals trained in allied health

professions. Programs and activities funded under this section may

include:

(1) Those that expand enrollments in allied health professions with

the greatest shortages or whose services are most needed by the

elderly;

(2) Those that provide rapid transition training programs in allied

health fields to individuals who have baccalaureate degrees in health-

related sciences;

(3) Those that establish community-based allied health training

programs that link academic centers to rural clinical settings;

(4) Those that provide career advancement training for practicing

allied health professionals;

(5) Those that expand or establish clinical training sites for

allied health professionals in medically underserved or rural

communities in order to increase the number of individuals trained;

(6) Those that develop curriculum that will emphasize knowledge and

practice in the areas of prevention and health promotion, geriatrics,

long-term care, home health and hospice care, and ethics;

(7) Those that expand or establish interdisciplinary training

programs that promote the effectiveness of allied health practitioners

in geriatric assessment and the rehabilitation of the elderly;

(8) Those that expand or establish demonstration centers to

emphasize innovative models to link allied health clinical practice,

education, and research; and

(9) Those that provide financial assistance (in the form of

traineeships) to students who are participants in any such program; and

(A) Who plan to pursue a career in an allied health field that has

a demonstrated personnel shortage; and

(B) Who agree upon completion of the training program to practice

in a medically underserved community;

that shall be utilized to assist in the payment of all or part of the

costs associated with tuition, fees and such other stipends as the

Secretary may consider necessary.

To maximize program benefit, programs that provide financial

assistance in the form of traineeships to students will not be

considered for funding in FY 1995. The period of Federal support will

not exceed 3 years.

Eligibility

Eligible entities for the purpose of this grant are:

(1) Schools, universities, or other educational entities which

provide for allied health personnel education and training and which

meet such standards as the Secretary may prescribe; or

(2) Other public or nonprofit private entities capable, as

determined by the Secretary, of carrying out the purpose of the Allied

Health Project Grants program; and

(3) Located in a State.

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 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 criteria, stated below, which were established in FY

1990 (55 FR 12424, dated 4/3/90) after public comment, will remain

unchanged in FY 1995.

The extent to which the proposed project meets the legislative

purpose;

The background and rationale for the proposed project;

The extent to which the project contains clearly stated realistic

and achievable objectives;

The extent to which the project contains a methodology

which is integrated and compatible with project objectives, including

collaborative arrangements and feasible workplans;

The evaluation plans and procedures for program and

trainees, if involved;

The administrative and management capability of the

applicant to carry out the proposed project, including institutional

infrastructure and resources;

The extent to which the budget justification is complete,

cost-effective and includes cost-sharing, when applicable; and

Whether there is an institutional plan and commitment for

self-sufficiency when Federal support ends.

Other Considerations

In addition, the following funding factor will be applied in

determining funding of approved applications. 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 in a discretionary program, or favorable adjustment of the

formula which determines the grant award in a formula grant program.

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.

Funding Preference

The statutory preference identified in section 767(b)(2) and the

statutory preference identified in section 791(a) of the PHS Act have

been combined in the following preference which will be applied to

Allied Health Project Grants for fiscal year 1995: Preference shall be

given to qualified applicants that--

(A) Expand and maintain first-year enrollment by not less than 10

percent over enrollments in base year 1992; or

(B) Demonstrate that not less than 20 percent of the graduates of

such training programs during the preceding 2-year period are working

in medically underserved communities (high rate for placing graduates

in practice settings having the principal focus of serving residents of

medically underserved communities); or

(C) During the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which

such an award is sought, has achieved a significant increase in the

rate of placing graduates in such settings.

Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant Increase in

the Rate''

The minimum percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant

increase in the rate'' were established in FY 1994 after public comment

(59 FR 23889, dated May 9, 1994). The Administration is extending these

minimum percentages in FY 1995.

``High rate'' is defined as a minimum of 20 percent of graduates in

academic year 1992-93 or academic year 1993-94, whichever is greater,

who spend at least 50 percent of their worktime in clinical practice in

the specified settings. Graduates who are providing care in a medically

underserved community as part of a fellowship or other educational

experience can be counted.

``Significant increase in the rate'' means that, between academic

years 1992-93 and 1993-94, the rate of placing graduates in the

specified settings has increased by a minimum of 50 percent and that

not less than 15 percent of graduates from the most recent year are

working in these settings.

Additional information concerning the implementation of this

preference has been published in the Federal Register at 59 FR 15741,

dated April 4, 1994.

Information Requirements Provision

Under section 791(b) of the Act, the Secretary may make an award

under the Allied Health Project Grants only if the applicant for the

award submits to the Secretary the following information:

1. A description of rotations or preceptorships for students, or

clinical training programs for residents, that have the principal focus

of providing health care to medically underserved communities.

2. The number of faculty on admissions committees who have a

clinical practice in community-based ambulatory settings in medically

underserved communities.

3. With respect to individuals who are from disadvantaged

backgrounds or from medically underserved communities, the number of

such individuals who are recruited for academic programs of the

applicant, the number of such individuals who are admitted to such

programs, and the number of such individuals who graduate from such

programs.

4. If applicable, the number of recent graduates who have chosen

careers in primary health care.

5. The number of recent graduates whose practices are serving

medically underserved communities.

6. A description of whether and to what extent the applicant is

able to operate without Federal assistance under this title.

Additional details concerning the implementation of this

information requirement have been published in the Federal Register at

58 FR 43642, dated 8/17/93, and will be provided in the application

materials.

Paperwork Reduction Act

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 under the

Paperwork Reduction Act. This approval includes the burden for

collection of information for the statutory general preference and for

the information requirement provision. (OMB #0915-0060, expiration date

7/31/95)

Application Requests

Application forms will be sent to FY 1994 applicants and to those

who request kits. Requests for application materials and questions

regarding grants policy and business management issues should be

directed to: Ms. Jacquelyn Whitaker (D37), Grants Management

Specialist, 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 Branch at the above address.

If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact:

Dr. Norman Clark, Program Officer, Associated Health Professions

Branch, Division of Associated, Dental, and Public Health Professions,

Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services

Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8C-02, 5600 Fishers Lane,

Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone (301) 443-6763.

The deadline date for receipt of applications is January 27, 1995.

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.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program

is 93.191. 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 not subject to

the Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

Dated: August 25, 1994.

Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D.,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-21478 Filed 8-30-94; 8:45 am]

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