Proposed Special Factors for Grants for Residency Training and Advanced Education in the General Practice of Dentistry Programs for Fiscal Year 1998

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Proposed Special Factors for Grants for Residency Training and

Advanced Education in the General Practice of Dentistry Programs for

Fiscal Year 1998

Grants for Residency Training and Advanced Education in the General

Practice of Dentistry Programs are authorized under section 749, 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.

Proposed Special Factors

The following Special Factors are proposed:

Special Factors

In determining the funding of approved applications, the Secretary

will consider the following Special Factors:

Community linkages--This special factor may be addressed by the

establishment of academic-community linkages, in particular linkages

between the training program and underserved populations or

communities. Documentation of such linkages should include verification

that at least 20% of residents' training time occurs in one or more

underserved settings. Memoranda of agreement and letters of support

from the community settings involved should be included in the

appropriate appendix of the application.

Establishment of new PGY-1 training positions--To address the

recommendations of expert panels such as the Institute of Medicine and

Pew Commission on Health that a year of post-doctoral training be

available for all dental graduates, and that the majority of these

positions be in general dentistry programs, this special factor may be

addressed by the establishment of new postgraduate year-one (PGY-1)

training positions, either through the establishment of a new program

or the expansion of an existing program. An increase in the number of

PGY-2 positions does not address the intent of this special factor.

Innovative training methods--Examples of ways in which applicants

address this special factor might include new sponsor/co-sponsor

arrangements; different organizational and administrative structures;

expanded private/public sector affiliations and setting linkages; and

creative applications for current instructional telecommunications and

computer technologies.

Peer reviewers will take into consideration the extent to which

proposals address these Special Factors and adjust their individual

technical review scores accordingly.

An announcement will be made in the HRSA Preview for grant programs

which will conduct competitive cycles in FY 1998.

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

December 24, 1997 will be considered before the final review criteria

are established. Written comments should be addressed to: Bernice

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

Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services

Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8-101, 5600 Fishers Lane,

Rockville, Maryland 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-6853; FAX: (301) 443-

1164.

All comments received will be available for public inspection and

copying at the Division of Associated, Dental and Public Health

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

between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Dated: November 14, 1997.

Claude Earl Fox,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97-30781 Filed 11-21-97; 8:45 am]

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