Program Announcement and Proposed Review Criteria for Grants for the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program for Fiscal Year 1995

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

RIN 0905-ZA89

Program Announcement and Proposed Review Criteria for Grants for

the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program for Fiscal Year 1995

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces

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

the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP) under the authority of

section 738(b), title VII 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. Comments are invited on the

proposed review criteria.

Approximately $210,000 will be available in FY 1995 for this

program. It is anticipated that $210,000 will be available to support

about five competing awards to schools and other eligible entities

averaging $42,000 which will cover the cost of the following: stipend

in an amount not exceeding 50 percent of the regular salary of a

similar faculty member or $30,000, which ever is less, and tuition,

fees and travel, where appropriate.

Purpose

The purpose of the MFFP is to increase the number of

underrepresented minority faculty members in health professions

schools, i.e., schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry,

veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public

health, health administration, clinical psychology, and other public or

private nonprofit health or educational entities.

Specifically, these grant awards are intended to allow institutions

an opportunity to provide a fellowship to individuals who have the

potential for teaching, administering programs, or conducting research

as faculty members. Institutions must demonstrate a commitment and

ability to identify, recruit, and select underrepresented minorities in

health professions. The institutions' training programs provide the

fellows with the techniques and skills needed to secure an academic

career including competence in: pedagogical skills, research

methodology, development of research [[Page 28620]] grant proposals,

writing and publication skills, and the ability to work with minority

populations and provide health services to medically underserved

communities. In addition, the fellows must work under the direct

supervision of a senior level faculty member engaged in the disciplines

mentioned above, and upon successful completion of the program would be

assured a teaching position at the institution.

Period of Support

The period of Federal support will not exceed one year for each

fellowship award to an applicant institution. However, a fellowship

award to an individual recipient must be for a minimum of two years.

The program does not contribute to the support of the fellow in the

second year. The applicant institution (school) will be required to

support the fellow for the second year at a level not less than the

total of federal and institutional funds awarded for the first year.

Eligibility Requirements for the Applicant Institution

Eligible applicants for this program are schools of allopathic

medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine,

optometry, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public health, health

administration, clinical psychology, and other public or private

nonprofit health or educational entities.

In addition, to receive a fellowship award, an applicant

institution must demonstrate to the Secretary that it has the

commitment and ability to:

* Identify, recruit and select individuals from underrepresented

minorities in health professions who have the potential for teaching,

administering programs, or conducting research at a health professions

institution;

* Provide such individuals with the skills necessary to enable them

to secure an academic career. Training may include: pedagogical skills,

program administration, the design and conduct of research, grant

writing, and the preparation of articles suitable for publication in

peer reviewed journals;

* Provide services designed to assist such individuals in their

preparation for an academic career, including the provision of mentors;

and

* Provide health services to rural or medically underserved

populations.

In Addition, the Applicant Institution Shall Agree to the Following

Assurances

* Provide an assurance that the applicant institution will make

available (directly through cash donations) $1 for every $1 of Federal

funds received under the fellowship (Each fellowship must include a

stipend in an amount not exceeding 50 percent of the regular salary of

a similar faculty member, or $30,000, whichever is less);

* Provide an assurance that institutional support will be provided

for the individual for a second year at a level not less than the total

amount of Federal and institutional funds provided in the year in which

the grant was awarded;

* Provide an assurance that the fellowship recipient is from an

underrepresented minority in the health professions; has at a minimum,

appropriate advanced preparation (such as a master's or doctoral degree

in a health profession) and special skills necessary to enable that

individual to teach and practice;

* Provide an assurance that the recipient of the fellowship will be

a member of the faculty of the applicant institution; and

* Provide an assurance that the recipient of the fellowship has not

been a member of the faculty of any school at any time during the 18-

month period preceding the date on which the individual submits a

request for the fellowship.

Eligibility Requirements for the Fellows

Fellowship awards must be for two years, and are provided for an

individual who meets the following criteria:

* Individual must be from an underrepresented minority in the

health professions;

* Individual must have appropriate advanced preparation (such as a

master's or doctoral degree in a health profession) and special skills

necessary to enable that individual to teach and practice;

* Individual must not have been a member of the faculty of any

school at any time during the 18-month period preceding the date on

which the individual submits a request for the fellowship;

* Individual must have completely satisfied any other obligation

for health professional service which is owed under an agreement with

the Federal Government, State Government, or other entity prior to

beginning the period of service under this program;

* Individual must be a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, or

foreign national who possesses a visa permitting permanent residence in

the United States.

Breach of Fellowship Funds

The school will be required to return fellowship funds received if

it fails to honor the terms of the fellowship award. Such sums must be

paid within 1 year from the day the Secretary determines that the

breach occurred. If payment is not received by the payment date,

additional interest, penalties and administrative charges will be

assessed in accordance with Federal Law (45 CFR 30.13).

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, DC 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, and Public Law 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.

Proposed Review Criteria

The following criteria are proposed for review of applications for

this program:

1. The extent to which the institution demonstrates that it has the

commitment and ability to identify, recruit, and select

underrepresented minority faculty, and its ability to provide health

services to rural or medically underserved populations;

2. The extent to which the institution's training program will

provide the fellow with the preparation, training and skills needed to

secure an academic career. Training may include: pedagogical skills,

program administration, grant writing and publication skills, research

methodology [[Page 28621]] and development of research grant proposals,

and community service abilities;

3. The degree to which the institution's senior faculty are

involved in the training and preparation of fellows pursuing an

academic career, and the potential of the institution to continue the

program without Federal support beyond the approved project period; and

4. The extent to which the institution meets the eligibility

requirements set forth in section 738(b) of the Public Health Service

Act.

In determining awards, the Secretary will also take into

consideration equitable distribution among health disciplines and

geographic areas.

Additional Information

Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed review

criteria. The comment period is 30 days. All comments received on or

before July 3, 1995 will be considered before the final review criteria

are established. Written comments should be addressed to: Mr. William

J. Holland, Acting 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.

All comments received will be available for public inspection and

copying at the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health

Professions, at the above address, weekdays (Federal holidays excepted)

between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Application Requests

Requests for application materials and questions regarding grants

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

Murray, 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:

Mr. Lafayette Gilchrist, Analysis and Evaluation Branch, Division of

Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions, Health

Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-09,

5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-3680

FAX: (301) 443-5242.

Paperwork Reduction Act

The application form for this program has been approved by the

Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The

OMB Clearance Number is 0915-0150.

Deadline Date

The deadline date for receipt of applications is July 14, 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.

This program, Grants for the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program,

is listed at 93.923 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: May 26, 1995.

Ciro V. Sumaya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 95-13424 Filed 5-31-95; 8:45 am]

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