[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 180 (Monday, September 19, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23094]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 19, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Final Program Requirements and Review Criteria for Cooperative
Agreements for Centers for Medical Education Research for Fiscal Year
1994
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces
the final program requirements and review criteria for fiscal year (FY)
1994 Cooperative Agreements for Centers for Medical Education Research.
These cooperative agreements are funded under the authority of section
781, 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.
Section 781 authorizes research on certain health professions
issues. For this cooperative agreement program, research focuses on the
medical education aspects of this legislation and ``medical education''
is defined as education provided to individuals working toward the M.D.
or D.O. degree, or as post-graduate M.D./D.O. education in an
accredited residency or fellowship program.
Purpose
The purpose of the Cooperative Agreements for Centers for Medical
Education Research is to support research in medical education,
especially regarding existing or proposed federal policies and programs
and regarding the impact of Federal initiatives aimed at improving the
training of health professionals and at meeting national workforce
goals.
Section 781 of the Public Health Service Act authorizes the
Secretary to award cooperative agreements for the purpose of:
(a) conducting research on the extent to which the debt incurred by
medical students for attendance at educational institutions has had a
detrimental effect on the decisions made by the students on entering
primary care specialties;
(b) conducting research on the effects that federally-funded
educational programs or policies for minority or disadvantaged
individuals have on:
(A) the number of such individuals attending health professions
schools;
(B) the number of such individuals completing the programs of
education involved; and
(C) the decisions made by such individuals on which of the health
professions specialties to enter;
(c) conducting research on the effectiveness of the States in
protecting the public health through:
(1) identifying health care providers with respect to whom
investigations of professional qualifications are warranted;
(2) conducting such investigations; and
(3) taking disciplinary actions against health care providers
determined through such investigations to have engaged in conduct
inconsistent with protecting the public health;
(d) conducting research:
(A) to determine the extent to which Federal programs and related
financial incentives influence the percentage of medical school
graduates selecting a primary care career;
(B) to determine the extent to which Federal programs and related
financial incentives adequately support the training of mid-level
primary care providers relative to other health professions education
receiving Federal assistance;
(C) to assess the impact that direct and indirect payments for
graduate medical education (including the appropriateness of payments
for independent, ambulatory training sites) have on increasing the
percentage of physicians graduating from medical school who enter
primary care careers;
(D) to assess the impact of medical school admissions policies on
specialty selection and recommend ways admission policies can better
facilitate and promote the selection of primary care as a medical
career;
(E) to assess the impact of Federal funding for biomedical research
on the design of medical school curriculum and the availability of
primary care educational opportunities;
(F) to assess the impact of medical school curriculum, including
the availability of clinical training in ambulatory care settings, on
the percentage of physicians selecting primary care residencies and
selecting primary care as a medical career; and
(G) to assess the extent to which current physician payment
policies under resource based relative value scale are sufficient to
encourage physicians graduating from medical school to enter and remain
in primary care careers.
In conducting research relative to effect of programs for minority
and disadvantaged individuals, the applicant will make findings
specific to the following categories of health professions schools:
(A) Health professions schools of historically black colleges and
universities.
(B) Other health professions schools attended by a substantial number
of minority individuals.
(C) Health professions schools generally.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include public and non-profit private entities.
This program was announced in the Federal Register at 59 FR 32444,
dated June 23, 1994. The program requirements and review criteria were
proposed for public comment. No comments were received during the 30
day comment period. Therefore, the program requirements and review
criteria remain as proposed.
Final Program Requirements
The award recipient shall participate in the cost of the program as
follows: For each year funds are awarded under this program, the
matching contribution shall be at least one-third of the amount of the
Federal award for that year. Up to 50% of the recipient's matching
contribution may be in the form of in-kind donations of faculty time,
staff time, use of computers or other shared resources.
In addition, each applicant shall evidence that training related to
medical education research is occurring or is planned by the
organization.
Final Review Criteria
The review of applications will take into consideration the
following criteria:
(1) The qualifications and achievements of the proposed center's
principal investigator and senior researchers, including level of
productivity and quality of research in medical education;
(2) Demonstration of an understanding of the particular subject
areas of medical education research that are relevant to Federal
policies and evidence of ability to manage research in such areas;
(3) The appropriateness of the time commitments of the principal
investigator and senior researchers;
(4) The strength of the applicant's plan to actively promote
dissemination of research findings to all health professionals involved
in education and training--including those whom are primarily
practitioners, and to relevant policy makers;
(5) The appropriateness of the proposed budget;
(6) The planned level of commitment to the center from the
applicant institution, as evidenced by specific plans for the type of
financial support that will be offered, and for support of the
organizational structure of the center. Evidence of a prior
institutional commitment to generalizable research in medical education
will also be sought;
(7) The past success and future potential of the proposed center's
researchers in receiving funding from other sources; and
(8) The likely effectiveness of the organizational and management
arrangements to operate the proposed center.
Additional Information:
If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact:
Dr. Brian Goldstein, Office of Health Professions Analysis and
Research, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8-47, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-6936, FAX: (301) 443-
0463.
This program, Cooperative Agreements for Centers for Medical
Education Research, is listed at 93.222 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: September 13, 1994.
James A. Walsh,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-23094 Filed 9-16-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P
