Program Announcement for Grant and Cooperative Agreement Programs Administered by the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions for Fiscal Year 1996

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Program Announcement for Grant and Cooperative Agreement Programs

Administered by the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of

Health Professions for Fiscal Year 1996

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces

that applications will be accepted for three grant programs for fiscal

year (FY) 1996 under the authority of title VII of the Public Health

Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Health Professions Education

Extension Amendments of 1992, Pub. L. 102-408, dated October 13, 1992.

These programs include:

Grants for Centers of Excellence (COE) in Minority Health Professions

Education (section 739, PHS Act)

Grants for Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) (section 740, PHS

Act)

Grants for the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP) (section

738(b), PHS Act)

This program announcement is subject to reauthorization of the

legislative authority and to the appropriation of funds. Applicants are

advised that this program announcement is a contingency action being

taken to assure that should authority 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 even distribution of

funds throughout the fiscal year. At this time, given a continuing

resolution and the absence of FY 1996 appropriations for title VII

programs, the amount of available funding for these specific grant

programs cannot be estimated.

Funding factors will be applied in determining funding of approved

applications for some of these programs. 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. A funding priority is defined as the favorable adjustment

of aggregate review scores of individual approved applications when

applications meet specified criteria. 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.

Definitions

The following definitions were established after public comment at

56 FR 22440, dated May 15, 1991.

``A significant number of minority individuals enrolled in the

school'' means that to be eligible to apply for a Hispanic COE, a

medical, osteopathic medicine, or dental school must have at least 25

enrolled Hispanic students. Schools of pharmacy must have at least 20

enrolled Hispanic students. To apply as a Native American COE, an

eligible medical or dental school must have at least eight enrolled

Native American students and a school of pharmacy or osteopathic

medicine must have at least five enrolled Native American students. To

be eligible to apply for an ``Other'' Minority Health Professions

Education COE, an eligible school must have above the national average

of underrepresented minorities (medicine 13%, osteopathic medicine 8%,

dentistry 15%, pharmacy 11%) enrolled in the school. Applicants must

evidence that any particular subgroup of Asian individuals is

underrepresented in a specific discipline. These numbers represent the

critical mass necessary for a viable program. A viable program is one

in which there is a sufficient number of students to warrant a Center

of Excellence level educational program. Stated numerical levels are

just above the median for schools reporting a critical mass necessary

for a viable program. The requirement that schools applying for Other

Minority Health Professions Education Centers have an enrollment of

underrepresented students that is above the national average for that

discipline is statutory.

``Effectiveness in Providing Financial Assistance'' will be

evaluated by examining the data on scholarships and other financial aid

provided to the targeted group in relation to the scholarships and

financial aid provided to the total school population.

``Effectiveness in Recruitment'' will be evaluated by examining the

first-year and total enrollments of targeted students in relation to

the first-year and total enrollments for the entire school.

``Effectiveness in Retaining Students'' will be determined by

retention rates for the targeted group and academic and non-academic

support systems operative for the target group of students at the

school.

``Minority'' means an individual whose race/ethnicity is classified

as American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black,

or Hispanic.

``Underrepresented Minority'' means, with respect to a health

profession,

[[Page 62098]]

racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the health

profession relative to the number of individuals who are members of the

population involved. This definition encompasses Blacks, Hispanics,

Native Americans, and, potentially, various subpopulations of Asian

individuals. Applicants must evidence that any particular subgroup of

Asian individuals is underrepresented in a specific discipline.

The following definitions were established in OMB Directive No. 15.

``American Indian or Alaskan Native'' means a person having origins

in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintains

cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community

recognition. This definition applies to the Health Careers Opportunity

Program.

``Asian or Pacific Islander'' means a person having origins in any

of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian

subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example,

China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.

``Black'' means a person having origins in any of the black racial

groups of Africa.

``Hispanic'' means a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban,

Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin,

regardless of race.

Following are additional definitions.

As defined in section 799, ``accredited,'' when applied to a school

of medicine, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, public health or

chiropractic, or a graduate program in health administration, clinical

psychology, clinical social work, or marriage and family therapy, means

a school or program that is accredited by a recognized body or bodies

approved for such purpose by the Secretary of Education, except that a

new school or program that, by reason of an insufficient period of

operation, is not, at the time of application for a grant or contract

under this title, eligible for accreditation by such a recognized body

or bodies, shall be deemed accredited for purposes of this title, if

the Secretary of Education finds, after consultation with the

appropriate accreditation body or bodies, that there is reasonable

assurance that the school or program will meet the accreditation

standards of such body or bodies prior to the beginning of the academic

year following the normal graduation date of the first entering class

in such school or program.

``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.

As defined in section 799, ``graduate program in health

administration'' and ``graduate program in clinical psychology'' mean

an accredited graduate program in a public or nonprofit private

institution in a State that provides training leading, respectively, to

a graduate degree in health administration or an equivalent degree and

a doctoral degree in clinical psychology or an equivalent degree.

For the Health Careers Opportunity Program, ``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 (l)(A)

and (l)(B) of the Public Health Service Act and as accredited in

section 799(l)(E) of the Act.

For the Centers of Excellence Program, ``health professions

schools'' means schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry

and pharmacy, as defined in section 739(h), which are accredited as

defined in section 799(l)(E) of the Act. For purposes of the

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), this definition

means those schools described in section 799(l)(A) of the Act and which

have received a contract under section 788B of the Act (Advanced

Financial Distress Assistance) for fiscal year 1987.

As defined in 42 CFR 57.1804(b)(2), an ``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.

The following income figures determine what constitutes a low-

income family for purposes of these Health Careers Opportunity Program

grants for fiscal year 1996:

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

Income

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

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

1............................................................ $10,000

2............................................................ 12,900

3............................................................ 15,400

4............................................................ 19,700

5............................................................ 23,200

6 or more.................................................... 26,100

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

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

\2\ adjusted gross income for calendar year 1994, rounded to nearest

$100.

As defined in section 739, the term ``Native Americans'' means

American Indians, Alaskan Native, Aleuts, and Native Hawaiians. This

definition applies to the Centers of Excellence Program.

For the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program, ``minority'' means an

individual from a racial or ethnic group that is underrepresented in

the health professions, as defined in section 738.

``Program of Excellence'' means any programs carried out by a

health professions school with funding under section 739 Grants for

Centers of Excellence in Minority Health Professions Education.

As defined in section 799, 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.

As defined in section 799, ``school of medicine,'' ``school of

dentistry,'' ``school of osteopathic medicine,'' ``school of

pharmacy,'' ``school of optometry,'' ``school of podiatric medicine,''

``school of veterinary medicine,'' ``school of public health,'' and

``school of chiropractic'' mean an accredited public or nonprofit

private school in a State that provides training

[[Page 62099]]

leading, respectively, to a degree of doctor of medicine, a degree of

doctor of dentistry or an equivalent degree, a degree of doctor of

osteopathy, a degree of bachelor of science in pharmacy or an

equivalent degree or a degree of doctor of pharmacy or an equivalent

degree, a degree of doctor of optometry or an equivalent degree, a

degree of doctor of podiatric medicine or an equivalent degree, a

degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or an equivalent degree, a

graduate degree in public health or an equivalent degree, and a degree

of doctor of chiropractic or an equivalent degree, and including

advanced training related to such training provided by any such school.

As defined in section 799, ``State'' includes the 50 states, the

District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth

of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of

the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Virgin

Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

Centers of Excellence (COE) in Minority Health Professions Education

Purposes: Grants for eligible Historically Black Colleges and

Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic, Native American and Other Centers of

Excellence must be used by the schools for the following purposes:

1. To establish, strengthen, or expand programs to enhance the

academic performance of minority students attending the school;

2. To establish, strengthen, or expand programs to increase the

number and quality of minority applicants to the school;

3. To improve the capacity of such schools to train, recruit, and

retain minority faculty;

4. With respect to minority health issues, to carry out activities

to improve the information resources and curricula of the school and

clinical education at the school; and

5. To facilitate faculty and student research on minority health

issues.

Applicants must address all five legislative purposes. In addition,

grants for eligible HBCUs as described in section 799(l)(A) and which

have received a contract under section 788B of the Act (Advanced

Financial Distress Assistance) for FY 1987 may also be used to develop

a plan to achieve institutional improvements, including financial

independence, to enable the school to support programs of excellence in

health professions education for minority individuals, and to provide

improved access to the library and informational resources of the

school.

Other Requirements: For Hispanic Centers of Excellence, the health

professions schools must agree to give priority to carrying out the

duties with respect to Hispanic individuals.

Regarding Native American Centers of Excellence, the health

professions school must agree to:

l. Give priority to carrying out the duties with respect to Native

Americans;

2. Establish a linkage with one or more public or nonprofit private

institutions of higher education whose enrollment of students has

traditionally included a significant number of Native Americans for

purposes of identifying potential Native American health professions

students of the institution who are interested in a health professions

career and facilitating their educational preparation for entry into

the health professions school; and

3. Make efforts to recruit Native American students, including

those who have participated in the undergraduate program of the linkage

school, and assist them in completing the educational requirements for

a degree from the health professions school.

With respect to meeting these requirements, a grant for a Native

American Center of Excellence may be made not only to a school of

medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy that

individually meets eligibility conditions but also to such school that

has formed a consortium of schools that collectively meet conditions,

without regard to whether the schools of the consortium individually

meet the conditions. The consortium would be required to consist of the

school seeking the grant and one or more schools of medicine,

osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, allied health, or

public health. The schools of the consortium must have entered into an

agreement for the allocation of the grant among the schools. Each of

the schools must have agreed to expend the grant in accordance with

requirements of this program. Each of the schools of the consortium

must be part of the same parent institution of higher education as the

school seeking the grant or be located not more than 50 miles from the

school (the applicant).

To qualify as an ``Other'' Minority Health Professions Education

Center of Excellence, a health professions school (i.e., a school of

medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy) must have an

enrollment of underrepresented minorities above the national average

for such enrollments of health professions schools. (See definition for

``A significant number of minority individuals enrolled in the

school.'')

Eligibility: Section 739 authorizes the Secretary to make grants to

schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry and pharmacy for

the purpose of assisting the schools in supporting programs of

excellence in health professions education for Black, Hispanic and

Native American individuals, as well as for HBCUs as described in

section 799(l)(A) and which have received a contract under section 788B

of the Act (Advanced Financial Distress Assistance) for FY 1987.

To qualify as a COE, a school is required to:

1. Have a significant number of minority individuals enrolled in

the school, including individuals accepted for enrollment in the school

(see definition for ``A significant number of minority individuals

enrolled in the school'');

2. Demonstrate that it has been effective in assisting minority

students of the school to complete the program of education and receive

the degree involved;

3. Show that it has been effective in recruiting minority

individuals to attend the school, including providing scholarships and

other financial assistance to such individuals, and encouraging

minority students of secondary educational institutions to attend the

health professions school; and

4. Demonstrate that it has made significant recruitment efforts to

increase the number of minority individuals serving in faculty or

administrative positions at the school.

These entities must be located in a State.

Payments under grants for Centers of Excellence may not exceed 3

years, subject to annual approval by the Secretary, the availability of

appropriations, and acceptable progress toward meeting originally

stated objectives.

Review Criteria: The review of applications will take into

consideration the following criteria:

1. The degree to which the applicant can arrange to continue the

proposed project beyond the Federally-funded project period;

2. The degree to which the proposed project meets the purposes

described in the legislation;

3. The relationship of the objectives of the proposed project to

the goals of the plan that will be developed;

[[Page 62100]]

4. The administrative and managerial ability of the applicant to

carry out the project in a cost effective manner;

5. The adequacy of the staff and faculty to carry out the program;

6. The soundness of the budget for assuring effective utilization

of grant funds, and the proportion of total program funds which come

from non-Federal sources and the degree to which they are projected to

increase over the grant period;

7. The number of individuals who can be expected to benefit from

the project; and

8. The overall impact the project will have on strengthening the

school's capacity to train the targeted minority health professionals

and increase the supply of minority health professionals available to

serve minority populations in underserved areas.

Established Funding Preference: A funding preference will be given

to competing continuation (renewal) applications for Centers of

Excellence programs whose current project periods end in fiscal year

1996 and which score at or above the 50th percentile of all

applications which are recommended for approval. The purpose of this

preference is to maximize Federal and non-Federal investments in

accomplishing the nature and scope of the legislative purposes of the

Centers of Excellence Program. To realize the intended impact of the

COE program more than one grant period is required. This funding

preference is intended to direct assistance to quality COE programs

that have documented sustained or increased accomplishments under this

program.

This funding preference was established in FY 1995, following

public comment (60 FR 6719, dated February 3, 1995) and is continued in

FY 1996 with the addition of the requirement to score at or above the

50th percentile.

Maintenance of Effort: A health professions school receiving a

grant will be required to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts

for such activities at a level that is not less than the level of such

expenditures maintained by the school for the fiscal year preceding the

fiscal year for which the school receives such a grant. In addition,

the school agrees that before expending grant funds, the school will

expend amounts obtained from sources other than the grant.

Funding: The statute requires that, of the amount appropriated for

any fiscal year, the first $12 million will be allocated to certain

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) described in

section 799(1)(A) of the Act and which received a contract under

section 788B of the Act (Advanced Financial Distress Assistance) for

the fiscal year 1987. Of the remaining balance, sixty (60) percent must

be allocated to Hispanic and Native American Centers of Excellence, and

forty (40) percent must be allocated to the ``Other'' Centers of

Excellence. A grant made for a fiscal year may not be made in an amount

that is less than $500,000 for each Center.

Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP)

Purpose and Eligibility: 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 this 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. Applicants must address

at least 2 purposes. The period of Federal support will not exceed 3

years.

Project Requirements for Postbaccalaureate Programs: The following

project requirements for postbaccalaureate programs were established as

a preference after public comment at 55 FR 11264, dated March 27, 1990.

Postbaccalaureate programs may also combine the following requirements

with other HCOP activities as defined in the statutory purposes

described above.

A. A health professions school will meet the requirements for a

postbaccalaureate program if:

1. Either the applicant health professions school or an

undergraduate school with which it has a formal arrangement:

a. Identifies and selects a cohort of seven or more disadvantaged

students that have completed an undergraduate prehealth professions

program and applied but were not accepted into a health professions

school, or made a late decision to enter a new health professions

school for participation in the program; and

b. Provides the selected student cohort with one calendar year

(including the initial 6 to 8 week summer program) of rigorous

postbaccalaureate (undergraduate and/or professional) level science and

other appropriate educational experiences to prepare the students for

entry into the applicant health professions school; and

2. The applicant health professions school:

a. Accepts for enrollment in the first year of its health

professions school class, upon entry into the post-baccalaureate

program, members of the cohort who successfully complete the program;

or assures enrollment, at the election of the student at another health

professions school; and

b. Provides members of the cohort and other disadvantaged enrollees

retention services including a 6 to 8 week prematriculation summer

program to ease their transition into the health professions school

curriculum.

Stipends would be available through the grant for the targeted

students during their summer programs and undergraduate academic year

participation.

B. A school of allied health will meet the requirements for a

postbaccalaureate program if:

1. Either the applicant allied health school or an undergraduate

school offering pre-allied health preparation with which the school has

a formal arrangement:

a. Identifies and selects a cohort of five or more disadvantaged

students for participation in the program who have completed an

undergraduate degree with a significant science focus and made a late

decision to enter an allied health professions school and are in

pursuit of a baccalaureate level degree in physical therapy, physician

assistant, respiratory therapy, medical technology, or occupational

therapy; and

b. Provides the selected student cohort with one calendar year

(including an initial 6 to 8 week summer program) of rigorous science

and other education experiences (e.g., allied health basic science, and

quantitative and reading skills), to prepare them for entry at the end

of that year into one of the above-named

[[Page 62101]]

baccalaureate level training programs of the applicant allied health

school; and

2. The applicant allied health school:

a. Accepts for enrollment in the first-year class of one of the

specified baccalaureate level training programs of the applicant allied

health school under entry into the preprofessional phase, members of

the cohort who complete the program, or assures enrollment, at the

election of the student at another health professions school; and

b. Provides members of the cohort and other disadvantaged enrollees

with retention services including a 6 to 8 week prematriculation summer

program to ease the transition into the specified allied health

professions school curriculum.

Review Criteria: The review of applications will take into

consideration the following:

(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;

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

support under this program.

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 1996, 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 assistant, respiratory therapy,

medical technology or occupational therapy that have a disadvantaged

student enrollment of 35 percent or more among those programs.

Funding Preference: The following preference was established

following public comment at 57 FR 61914, dated December 29, 1992 and

will be applied in FY 1996. Preference be given to competing

continuation applications (renewals) for postbaccalaureate programs

funded under the fiscal year 1990 HCOP Funding Preference (as defined

in the Federal Register notice of March 27, 1990, 55 FR 11264) which

score at or above the 50th percentile of all applications which are

recommended for approval, and which can evidence the following: (1)

disadvantaged students were recruited into the postbaccalaureate

program at a level at least equal to the number of students originally

projected in FY 1990, and (2) the cohort of first year disadvantaged

students entering the health or allied health professions school in

September 1996 exceeds the number of disadvantaged students enrolled in

the first year class in September 1995 by a number equal to 50 percent

of the postbaccalaureate participants projected for enrollment in 1996.

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.

Funding: The statute requires that, of the amount appropriated for

any fiscal year, 20 percent must be obligated for stipends to

disadvantaged individuals of exceptional financial need who are

students at schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, or

dentistry.

Grants for the Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP)

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 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.

Section 738(b) authorizes the Secretary to provide a one-year

fellowship award to an eligible health professions school which

includes a stipend in an amount not exceeding 50 percent of the regular

salary of a similar faculty member, or $30,000, whichever is less.

Grant funds are available to support fellow costs only and are limited

to stipend, tuition and fees, and travel. Stipends must be paid by the

grantee institution in accordance with its usual institutional payment

policy, schedule and procedures. Stipend funds may be supplemented

through other resources. Direct financial assistance to fellows may not

be received concurrently with any other Federal education award

(fellowship, traineeship, etc.), except for educational assistance

under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (``GI Bill''). Loans from

Federal funds are not considered Federal awards. Any fellow who

continues to receive full institutional salary is not eligible for

stipend support from these grant funds.

[[Page 62102]]

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

a minority group underrepresented 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 a minority group underrepresented

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).

Review Criteria: The review of applications will take into

consideration the following review criteria:

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 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.

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 strengthen 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 to 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, heath care, and early childhood

development services are provided to children.

[[Page 62103]]

Application Availability

Application materials are available on the World Wide Web at

address: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/hrsa/. Click on the file name you want

to download to your computer. It will be saved as a self-extracting

WordPerfect 5.1 file. Once the file is downloaded to the applicant's

PC, it will still be in a compressed state. To decompress the file, go

to the directory where the file has been downloaded and type in the

file name followed by a . The file will expand into a

WordPerfect 5.1 file. Applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain

application materials from the World Wide Web via the Internet.

Questions regarding grants policy and business management issues

should be directed to Ms. Wilma Johnson, Acting Chief, Centers and

Formula Grants Section ([email protected]), Grants Management

Branch, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services

Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane,

Rockville, Maryland 20857. Completed applications should be returned to

the Grants Management Branch at the above address.

If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact

Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions,

Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room

8A-17, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. The table below

provides specific names, phone numbers and deadline dates for each

program. If you are unable to obtain the application materials

electronically, you may obtain application materials in the mail by

sending a written request to the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance

at the address above. Written requests may also be sent via FAX (301)

443-5242 or via the Internet (e-mail address:

[email protected]).

Table 1

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

Grants management contact

PHS section No., title, CFDA No., e-mail: wjohnson Programmatic contact e-mail: Deadline

regulation @hrsa.ssw.dhhs.gov FAX: bbrooks @hrsa.ssw.dhhs.gov FAX: date

(301) 443-6343 (301) 443-5242

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

739, Centers of Excellence, 93.157, Wilma Johnson, (301) 443- A. Roland Garcia, Ph.D. (301) 443- 2/9/96

42 CFR part 57 subpart V. 6880. 4493.

740, Health Careers Opportunity Wilma Johnson (301) 443- Mario A. Manecci, MPH (301) 443- 2/9/96

Program, 93.822, 42 CFR part 57 6880. 4493.

subpart S.

738(b), Minority Faculty Fellowship Wilma Johnson (301) 443- Lafayette Gilchrist (301) 443-3680. 2/9/96

Program. 6880.

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

Paperwork Reduction Act

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

Grant Application, and General Instructions have been approved by the

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

OMB Clearance Number is 0915-0060.

The deadline dates for receipt of applications for each of these

programs are shown in Table 1. 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. In addition, applications which exceed the page

limitation and/or do not follow format instructions will not be

accepted for processing and will be returned to the applicant.

These programs are not subject to the provisions of Executive Order

12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as implemented

through 45 CFR part 100). These programs are also not subject to the

Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

Dated: November 28, 1995.

John D. Mahoney,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 95-29421 Filed 12-1-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-15-P