§ 57.2506 - Evaluation and grant awards.

(a) Evaluation. Within the limits of funds available for this purpose, the Secretary, after consultation with the Council, may award grants to those applicants whose projects will, in his or her judgment, best promote the purposes of section 821 of the Act, taking into consideration among other pertinent factors:

(1) The need for the proposed project including, with respect to projects to provide education in professional nursing specialties determined by the Secretary to require advanced education:

(i) The current or anticipated need for professional nurses educated in the specialty; and

(ii) The relative number of programs offering advanced education in the specialty;

(2) The need for nurses in the specialty in which education is to be provided in the State in which the education program is located, as compared with the need for these nurses in other States;

(3) The degree to which the applicant proposes to recruit students from States in need of nurses in the specialty in which education is to be provided, and to promote their return to these States following education;

(4) The degree to which the applicant proposes to encourage graduates to practice in States in need of nurses in the specialty in which education is to be provided;

(5) The potential effectiveness of the proposed project in carrying out the educational purposes of section 821 of the Act and this subpart;

(6) The capability of the applicant to carry out the proposed project;

(7) The soundness of the fiscal plan for assuring effective utilization of grant funds; and

(8) The potential of the project to continue on a self-sustaining basis after the period of grant support; and

(9) The degree to which the applicant proposes to attract, retain and graduate minority and financially needy students.

(b) Funding preference. In determining the funding of applications approved under paragraph (a) of this section, the Secretary may from time to time announce in the Federal Register special factors relating to national needs.

(c) Grant awards. (1) The Secretary will determine the amount of any award on the basis of his or her estimate on the sum necessary for the cost (including both direct and indirect costs) of the project.

(2) All grant awards shall be in writing and shall set forth the amount of funds granted and the period for which the funds will be available for obligation by the grantee.

(3) Neither the approval of any project nor the award of any grant shall commit or obligate the United States in any way to make any additional, supplemental, continuation, or other award with respect to any approved project or portion thereof. For continuation support, grantees must make separate application annually in a form and at the time that the Secretary may require.

(d) Noncompeting continuation awards. Within the limits of funds available for this purpose, the Secretary may make a grant award for an additional budget period for any previously approved project on the basis of an application and those progress and accounting records which may be required. If the Secretary finds that the project's activities during the current budget period justify continued support of the project for an additional budget period, and the Secretary decides to continue support, the amount of the grant award will be determined in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this section. If the Secretary decides not to continue support for an additional budget period, he or she will notify the grantee in writing before the end of the current budget period. The Secretary may provide financial support for the orderly phase-out of the supported project, if he or she determines that this support is necessary.