[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 120 (Thursday, June 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32531-32533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15279]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
RIN 0905-ZA90
Program Announcement and Proposed Project Requirements, Review
Criteria, and Funding Preference for Cooperative Agreement for a Model
Hispanic Health Careers Opportunity Program for Fiscal Year 1995
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces
that applications will be accepted for a fiscal year (FY) 1995
Cooperative Agreement for a Model Hispanic Health Careers Opportunity
Program (HCOP) under the authority of section 740, 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 project requirements,
review criteria and funding preference.
Approximately $300,000 will be available in FY 1995 for this
program. It is anticipated that one competing award will be made at a
level of $300,000 per year over a three year period.
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.
Assistance may be used for the following five legislative purposes:
1. Recruitment--activities designed to identify, recruit and select
individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds for education in the health
or allied health professions, e.g., motivational activities,
distribution of information, exposure to role models, and counseling.
2. Preliminary Education--education designed to expand the academic
ability and otherwise prepare student participants from disadvantaged
backgrounds during their preprofessional training that they may
subsequently complete the regular course of education in a health
professions school or school of allied health. This education must be
offered prior to entry in a health professions or allied health
professions school and may not include courses already taught as part
of the regular course of education leading to a degree.
3. Facilitating Entry--activities designed to enhance the
competitiveness of student participants from disadvantaged backgrounds
for admission to health professions schools or schools of allied
health, such as improving performance on admissions tests, counseling
concerning the application process, and assisting admissions committees
in the evaluation of disadvantaged applicants.
4. Retention--activities designed to help student participants from
disadvantaged backgrounds, who have been accepted to or are enrolled in
health professions schools or schools of allied health, to complete
their education. These activities may include tutorial assistance,
counseling, and assistance in adjusting to the environment of the
school. Activities may not include courses already taught as part of
the school's curriculum.
5. Financial Aid Information Dissemination--the distribution of
information to student participants from disadvantaged backgrounds
about financial aid available in health professions schools, schools of
allied health or schools and entities which provide training necessary
to qualify for enrollment in health professions schools or schools of
allied health.
Applicants may request support for up to three years.
The Model Hispanic HCOP cooperative agreement is being proposed in
an effort to achieve the following goals: (1) To establish and test a
comprehensive Model Hispanic HCOP (addressing all of the HCOP purposes)
in a metropolitan area with a high concentration of Hispanic citizens.
No such model currently exists. In addition to the formulation of
academic-community educational partnerships, this model provides for
community infrastructure building. The proposed model encompasses
strong linkages throughout the community involving community
organizations, official agencies, educational institutions at all
levels and health professionals throughout the community, and (2) To
increase the number of Hispanic participants in HCOP programs.
This cooperative agreement also addresses section 740(c) of the
HCOP legislation which requires ``the Secretary to ensure that services
and activities under HCOP awards are equitably allocated among the
various racial and ethnic populations.''
Proposed Project Requirements
I. The Model Hispanic HCOP will establish an educational continuum
from high school graduation through graduation from a health or allied
health professions school through development and implementation of
activities related to all five of the legislative purposes.
II. A plan for selecting students including criteria for selection
must be developed and implemented.
III. Activities related to all of the five legislative purposes
undertaken must be evaluated. Modifications must be made in activities
based on evaluation.
IV. Activities and experiences related to the establishment of the
Model Hispanic HCOP must be documented in a format that would allow for
future replication by HCOP applicants.
Substantial Federal Programmatic Involvement
It is anticipated that the federal government will have substantial
programmatic involvement with the planning, development and
administration of the Model Hispanic HCOP and its outputs by:
1. Providing technical assistance and reviewing changes needed in
the approved application.
2. Reviewing and advising regarding training content and
methodologies.
3. Participating in the review and advising regarding formal
linkage arrangements which have been established for the purpose of
conducting the Model Hispanic HCOP.
4. Reviewing the validity of and assisting in the modification of
student participant selection criteria and processes.
5. Providing information relative to proven evaluation methods,
including data collection methods, data analysis techniques and
participant tracking systems.
6. Reviewing and advising regarding program evaluation methods,
including data collection activities, data analysis techniques and
participant tracking systems.
7. Reviewing and advising regarding the documentation of the
activities and experiences related to establishment of the Model
Hispanic HCOP.
8. Providing data and information about federal programs that may
impact the Model Hispanic HCOP.
9. Participating in the review of sub-contracts awarded under the
Cooperative Agreement. [[Page 32532]]
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 Pub. L. 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. Compliance with the Standard Application Instructions for Form
6025-1, and the Supplement to Instructions for Form 6025-1.
2. The relationship of the proposed project to the purposes stated
in the legislative authorization, the stated problem, the particular
needs to be addressed, and the relevance of proposed objectives to the
identified needs.
3. The extent and outcomes of past efforts and activities of the
institution in conduct of disadvantaged student programs particularly
for Hispanics and enrollment data on the target population (current and
past three years) and the extent to which these data indicate trends.
4. The relevance of objectives to the stated problem and need, and
to Model Hispanic HCOP purposes; their measurability and attainability
within a specific time frame; and the extent to which they represent
outcome measures.
5. The number of Hispanic individuals who can be expected to
benefit from the project, types of participants by gender, metropolitan
area, and educational level; the appropriateness of the proposed
participant eligibility requirements and student selection criteria and
process.
6. The specific activities and their scope and relevance to the
stated objectives and project outcomes, and the appropriateness of
these activities for Model Hispanic HCOP support along with the extent
and nature of the academic content and non-academic services and their
suitability to the needs of the target group.
7. The logic and sequencing of the planned approaches, soundness
for delivery of academic content and non-academic services and
appropriateness of scheduling and time allocation.
8. The administrative and managerial capability of the applicant to
carry out the project in a cost effective manner considering the extent
of past efforts and institutional commitment to disadvantaged students.
9. The adequacy of the staff and faculty to carry out the program;
the academic and experiential background, and time commitment of key
staff and faculty, the nature and level of their involvement, and their
experience in working with the proposed target group.
10. The soundness of the budget for assuring effective utilization
of cooperative agreement funds and the cost effectiveness of the
proposed project; the compatibility of budget requests with program
objectives and activities, the adequacy of the line item
justifications, and the extent of the applicant's in-kind
contributions.
11. Institutional or organizational plan for phasing-in income from
other sources; developing self-sufficiency funding initiatives and
strategies (after the end of the current federally funded project
period); and achieving self-sufficiency based on a timetable and the
level of financial support needed.
12. Extent to which project plans are transferable to other
institutions.
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.
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.
Proposed Funding Preference
A funding preference will be given to a nonprofit, accredited four-
year undergraduate college or university:
1. Where Hispanic students constitute a minimum of 25 percent of
the total enrollment at either the graduate or undergraduate level;
2. Which is located in a geographic area with a high concentration
of Hispanic residents (approximately 20 percent of the area's total
population) such as the following: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Riverside, San
Diego and San Jose, California; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois;
Northern New Jersey; Long Island and New York City, New York; El Paso,
Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas; and
3. Which is able to establish and document formal linkage
arrangements with local community colleges, community health
organizations and health professions and/or allied health professions
schools.
``Hispanic'' means a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban,
Central or South American, or other Spanish origin. The 25 percent
minimum enrollment has been established through public notice and
comment in the Centers of Excellence Program, authorized under section
739 of the PHS Act as representing a significant number of minority
students.
Additional Information
Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed project
requirements, review criteria, and funding preference. The comment
period is 30 days. All comments received on or before July 24, 1995,
will be considered before the final project requirements, review
criteria, and funding preference 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 [[Page 32533]] 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. Darl Stephens, Chief, Program Development 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-
3843 FAX: (301) 443-5242.
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 date for receipt of applications is August 7, 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, Model Hispanic HCOP, 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 23, 1995.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-15279 Filed 6-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P
