16244 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 20, 2012 / Notices 

WorkshopsConferences/

ucm292860.htm. 

6. Further information can be found 

on FDA’s Web site at http://www.fda.

gov/MedicalDevices/NewsEvents/

WorkshopsConferences/

ucm292860.htm. 

V. Transcripts 

Please be advised that as soon as a 

transcript is available, it will be 

accessible at http://www.regulations.gov 

and at http://www.fda.gov/Medical

Devices/NewsEvents/Workshops

Conferences/ucm292860.htm. It may be 

viewed at the Division of Dockets 

Management (see Comments). A 

transcript will also be available in either 

hard copy or on CD–ROM, after 

submission of a Freedom of Information 

request. Written requests are to be sent 

to the Division of Freedom of 

Information (ELEM–1029), Food and 

Drug Administration, 12420 Parklawn 

Dr., Element Bldg., Rockville, MD 

20857. Transcripts of the meeting will 

be available for review at the Division 

of Dockets Management and on the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov 

approximately 30 days after the public 

meeting. 

Dated: March 15, 2012. 

Leslie Kux, 

Acting Assistant Commissioner for Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6707 Filed 3–15–12; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4160–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Health Resources and Services 

Administration 

Request for Comments on the Update 

of the Scholarships for Disadvantaged 

Students Program 

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services 

Administration, HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Health Resources and 

Services Administration (HRSA) 

updates and clarifies the 

implementation of the Scholarships for 

Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program 

under authority of Section 737 of the 

Public Health Service Act (PHS Act). 

The publication of the final notice will 

supersede all previous notices regarding 

the SDS program. 

DATES: Effective Date: The program 

clarifications described in this notice 

will be implemented in fiscal year (FY) 

2012 and beyond and will become 

effective for SDS funds awarded to 

schools in FY 2012 and beyond. 

Purpose: HRSA is updating the SDS 

program to increase the impact of the 

program in the areas addressed in the 

program’s authorizing statute. 

Specifically, the authorizing statute 

allows the Secretary to make grants to 

eligible entities that are carrying out a 

program for recruiting and retaining 

students from disadvantaged 

backgrounds, including students who 

are members of racial and ethnic 

minority groups. (PHS Act, Sec. 

737(d)(1)(B)). In addition, grantees 

provide scholarships to individuals who 

meet the following requirements: (1) are 

from disadvantaged backgrounds; (2) 

have a financial need for a scholarship; 

and (3) are enrolled (or accepted for 

enrollment) at an eligible health 

professions or nursing school as a fulltime student in a program leading to a 

degree in nursing or a health profession. 

(PHS Act, Sec. 737(d)(2)(A–C)). Under 

the statute, priority is given to eligible 

entities based on the proportion of 

graduating students going into primary 

care, the proportion of underrepresented 

minority students, and the proportion of 

graduates working in medically 

underserved communities. (PHS Act, 

Sec. 737(c)). 

Current Program: To be eligible, at 

least 10 percent of a school’s enrollment 

and graduates must be disadvantaged 

individuals, and eligible entities must 

be carrying out a recruitment and 

retention program for students from 

disadvantaged backgrounds. For the 

purposes of the SDS program, an 

individual from a disadvantaged 

background is defined as one who: (1) 

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 profession or nursing school, or 

from a program providing education or 

training in allied health professions; or 

(2) comes from a family with an annual 

income below the established Census 

Bureau low-income thresholds, adjusted 

by the Secretary for health professions 

and nursing programs eligibility. 

Eligible entities are: schools of 

allopathic and osteopathic medicine; 

dentistry; optometry; pharmacy; 

podiatric medicine; veterinary 

medicine; nursing (associate, diploma, 

baccalaureate, and graduate degree); 

public health; chiropractic; allied health 

(baccalaureate and graduate degree 

programs of dental hygiene, medical 

laboratory technology, radiology 

technology, speech pathology, 

audiology, registered dieticians, and 

occupational therapy and physical 

therapy); mental and behavioral health 

(graduate degree programs in clinical 

psychology, clinical social work, 

professional counseling, marriage and 

family therapy); and physician assistant 

training. (PHS Act, Sec. 737(d)(1)(A)). 

Grant awards are determined by formula 

with the three priority areas based on 

the proportion of graduating students 

going into primary care, the proportion 

of underrepresented minority students, 

and the proportion of graduates working 

in medically underserved communities. 

There is also a requirement to award at 

least 16 percent of the available funds 

to nursing students (PHS Act Section 

740(a)). The amount of the scholarship 

may not exceed a recipient’s cost of 

tuition expenses, other reasonable 

educational expenses and reasonable 

living expenses incurred in attendance 

at such a school. The scholarship may 

be expended by the student only for 

such expenses. The average annual 

student award is $2,300. 

Issues: First, the SDS program grantee 

population has grown from 401 schools 

in FY 2000 to almost 700 health 

profession schools in FY 2011. Since all 

SDS eligible schools receive grant 

awards, the funding has been divided 

into ever decreasing amounts per school 

over the years. Many of the schools, in 

an effort to provide funding to each of 

their disadvantaged students, spread the 

award equally among the disadvantaged 

students and the smaller school award 

amounts result in smaller student 

scholarship amounts. While the student 

scholarship amounts have been 

decreasing, the tuition rates have been 

increasing. For many students with 

insufficient financial resources, the 

small award size is unlikely to provide 

enough funds to continue in school. 

Second, the primary care and 

underrepresented minority student 

priority weights currently used are too 

small to adequately incentivize and 

reward schools that are successful in 

graduating primary care 

underrepresented minority students or 

have excellent plans to improve their 

programs to recruit and retain students 

from disadvantaged backgrounds, 

including students who are members of 

racial and ethnic minority groups. Also, 

the primary care weights are not enough 

to incentivize schools to increase the 

proportion of graduating students going 

into primary care. Third, the practice of 

awarding grants for one year at a time 

does not allow the schools to select 

financially disadvantaged applicants 

with the assurance that a student will 

receive SDS financial aid for the entire 

time the student is enrolled. 

Proposed Changes: 

To provide larger award amounts to 

schools and to increase the retention 

and graduation of underrepresented 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 20, 2012 / Notices 16245 

minority and disadvantaged students, 

HRSA’s Bureau of Health Professions 

(BHPr) proposes the following changes 

to the SDS program: 

(1) Convert the currently formulabased SDS program to a competitive 

peer-reviewed grant program. 

(2) Convert the grant award from a 

current 1-year project period to a project 

period of 4-years. A successful applicant 

would be awarded a 4-year project 

period with funding provided annually 

subject to appropriations, the 

availability of funds and successful 

progress. 

(3) Add a new requirement that 

individual student awards must be at 

least 50 percent of the student’s annual 

tuition costs for tuition $30,000 or less, 

but no student can be awarded over 

$15,000 SDS funds per year. Individual 

student awards must be $15,000 for 

students whose tuitions are over 

$30,000 per year. 

(4) Increase the weight and provide a 

range of points for primary care and 

underrepresented minority priorities. 

(5) Expand the disciplines eligible for 

the primary care priority (allopathic and 

osteopathic medicine, dentistry, 

graduate nurse practitioners, and 

physician assistants) to also include 

dental hygiene and behavioral and 

mental health. 

(6) Use the Institute of Medicine’s 

primary care definition to identify 

primary care service for the primary 

care priority within the eligible primary 

care disciplines: 

Primary Care is the provision of integrated, 

accessible health care services by clinicians 

who are accountable for addressing a large 

majority of personal health care needs, 

developing a sustained partnership with 

patients, and practicing in the context of 

family and community. (Institute of 

Medicine. Primary Care: America’s Health in 

a New Era. Washington, DC: National 

Academy Press, 1996). 

(7) Increase the school eligibility 

requirement for disadvantaged students 

enrolled and disadvantaged students 

graduated to 20 percent each. 

Eligibility Requirements: There are 

five requirements a school must meet in 

order to be eligible for the SDS grant 

program. The requirements, starting in 

FY 2012, are as follows: 

(1) Twenty (20) percent of enrolled 

students must be disadvantaged. 

(2) Twenty (20) percent of graduates 

must be disadvantaged. 

(3) Schools must have a recruitment 

program for disadvantaged students. 

(4) Schools must have a retention 

program for disadvantaged students. 

(5) Student award must be at least 50 

percent of the annual tuition cost with 

a $15,000 maximum award per year, 

when annual tuition is $30,000 or 

below—above $30,000 annual tuition 

equals $15,000 award. 

Student Eligibility Requirements: To 

qualify for the SDS program, a student 

must: 

(1) Meet the definition of an 

‘‘individual from a disadvantaged 

background’’ as defined above (PHS Act 

Sec. 737); 

(2) Have a financial need for a 

scholarship, in accordance with a need 

analysis procedure approved by the 

Department of Education (Pub. L. 105– 

244, Part F, The Higher Education Act 

of 1965 as amended). In addition, any 

student who is enrolled (or accepted for 

enrollment) in a health profession 

school or program must provide 

information on his or her parents’ 

financial situation or his or her own 

depending upon the tax status of the 

student, and 

(3) Be enrolled (or accepted for 

enrollment), as a full-time student, at an 

eligible health professions or nursing 

school in a program leading to a degree 

in nursing or a heath profession (PHS 

Act Sec. 737). 

Student Award Selection: The law 

requires that in providing SDS 

scholarships, the school or program 

must give awards first to students for 

whom the cost of attending an SDS 

school or program would constitute a 

severe financial hardship. Severe 

financial hardship is to be determined 

by the school or program in accordance 

with standard need analysis procedures 

prescribed by the Department of 

Education for its federal student aid 

programs. The school or program has 

discretion in deciding how to determine 

which students have ‘‘severe financial 

hardship,’’ as long as the standard is 

applied consistently to all eligible 

students. 

The law also requires that schools 

give awards to students who were 

former recipients of scholarships under 

PHS Act sections 736 (Exceptional 

Financial Need Scholarships) and 

740(d)(2)(B) (Financial Assistance for 

Disadvantaged Health Professions 

Students Scholarships), as such sections 

existed on November 13, 1998, if such 

recipients are still students in financial 

need. 

Elements Of Peer Review: Peer 

reviewers will assess a school’s 

allocations based on accomplishment of, 

or commitment to, the following 

criteria: 

(1) Degree to which applicant 

demonstrates its commitment to the 

education of disadvantaged students, 

especially underrepresented minorities 

(10 points). 

(2) Degree to which applicant 

demonstrates its commitment to 

increasing primary care practitioners (10 

points). 

(3) Degree to which applicant 

demonstrates its commitment to 

increasing graduates working in 

medically underserved communities 

(MUCs) (10 points). 

(4) Level of achievements and 

successes in educating disadvantaged 

students, including underrepresented 

minorities, in a way that eliminates 

barriers along the educational pipeline 

for disadvantaged students and assures 

graduates practice in primary care and 

serve in MUCs (30 points). 

(5) Level of adequacy of proposed 

plan to increase and educate 

disadvantaged students, including 

underrepresented minorities, and retain 

students in their academic programs, 

and encourage them to enter primary 

care and serve in MUCs (40 points). 

Priority Scoring: Additional points 

ranging from one through four will be 

given for having a high percentage of the 

following priorities: (1) 

Underrepresented minority students, (2) 

graduates entering primary care service, 

or (3) graduates serving in medically 

underserved communities. The number 

of points awarded to each applicant for 

meeting the priorities will be 

determined by the applicant’s 

percentage in meeting those priorities. A 

higher number of points for each 

priority will be assigned to applicants 

with a higher percentage of meeting that 

priority. There will be no institutional 

or discipline preferences. 

Expected Outcomes: The stronger 

eligibility requirements, and the change 

from the existing formula-based 

program to a competitive-application 

review process, will allow selection of 

schools that have the strongest 

commitment to disadvantaged students 

and the greatest likelihood for achieving 

results to be funded at amounts high 

enough for schools to offer significant 

scholarships to students. Requirements 

to provide each student with 50 percent 

of tuition costs up to $15,000 will 

further ensure significant scholarship 

amounts. With the increased weights for 

primary care, disadvantaged and 

underrepresented minority students, the 

result will be an increase in 

disadvantaged students going into 

primary care. The change from a 1-year 

project period to a 4-year project period 

will provide grantees the information 

they need to develop a funding plan for 

the more disadvantaged student 

applicants and provide increased 

matriculation. 

Comments: The comment period will 

close April 19, 2012. All comments 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
16246 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 20, 2012 / Notices 

received before the deadline date will be 

considered before the implementation of 

these procedures for FY 2012 awards 

and beyond. 

Written comments should be 

addressed to: Anita Rhawn, Public 

Health Analyst, Bureau of Health 

Professions, Health Resources and 

Services Administration, Parklawn 

Building, Room 9–105, 5600 Fishers 

Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857; 

telephone (301) 443–5331. 

Dated: March 14, 2012. 

Mary K. Wakefield, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6658 Filed 3–19–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4165–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute; Notice of Closed Meeting 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is 

hereby given of the following meeting. 

The meeting will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., 

as amended. The contract proposals and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable material, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the contract 

proposals, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Heart, Lung, 

and Blood Institute Special Emphasis Panel; 

Omics and Genetic Analysis. 

Date: April 6, 2012. 

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate contract 

proposals. 

Place: Hyatt Regency Bethesda, One 

Bethesda Metro Center, 7400 Wisconsin 

Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. 

Contact Person: Tony L Creazzo, Ph.D., 

Scientific Review Officer, Office of Scientific 

Review/DERA, National Heart, Lung, and 

Blood Institute, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 

7180, Bethesda, MD 20892–7924, 301–435– 

0725, creazzotl@mail.nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.233, National Center for 

Sleep Disorders Research; 93.837, Heart and 

Vascular Diseases Research; 93.838, Lung 

Diseases Research; 93.839, Blood Diseases 

and Resources Research, National Institutes 

of Health, HHS) 

Dated: March 13, 2012. 

Jennifer S. Spaeth, 

Director, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6714 Filed 3–19–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; 

Notice of Closed Meeting 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is 

hereby given of a meeting of the Board 

of Scientific Counselors, NIAMS. The 

meeting will be closed to the public as 

indicated below in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in section 

552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., as amended 

for the review, discussion, and 

evaluation of individual intramural 

programs and projects conducted by the 

National Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 

including consideration of personnel 

qualifications and performance, and the 

competence of individual investigators, 

the disclosure of which would 

constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: Board of Scientific 

Counselors, NIAMS. 

Date: April 10–11, 2012. 

Time: 5:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate personal 

qualifications and performance, and 

competence of individual investigators. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, 

Building 31, 31 Center Drive, Conference 

Room 4C32, Bethesda, MD 20892. 

Contact Person: John J. O’Shea, M.D., 

Ph.D., Scientific Director, National Institute 

of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal and Skin 

Diseases, Building 10, Room 9N228, MSC 

1820, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 496–2612, 

osheaj@arb.niams.nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.846, Arthritis, 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research, 

National Institutes of Health, HHS) 

Dated: March 13, 2012. 

Jennifer S. Spaeth, 

Director, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6710 Filed 3–19–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse 

and Alcoholism; Notice of Closed 

Meeting 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is 

hereby given of the following meeting. 

The meeting will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., 

as amended. The grant applications and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable material, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the grant 

applications the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Institute on 

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Special 

Emphasis Panel; Longitudinal Studies on the 

Impact of Adolescent Drinking on the 

Adolescent Brain. 

Date: April 16–17, 2012 

Time: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate 

cooperative agreement applications. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, 6001 

Executive Boulevard, B1/B2 Conference 

Room, Bethesda, MD 20852. 

Contact Person: Beata Buzas, Ph.D., 

Scientific Review Officer, National Institute 

on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National 

Institutes of Health, 5635 Fishers Lane, Rm 

2081, Rockville, MD 20852, 301–443–0800, 

bbuzas@mail.nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.271, Alcohol Research 

Career Development Awards for Scientists 

and Clinicians; 93.272, Alcohol National 

Research Service Awards for Research 

Training; 93.273, Alcohol Research Programs; 

93.891, Alcohol Research Center Grants; 

93.701, ARRA Related Biomedical Research 

and Research Support Awards, National 

Institutes of Health, HHS) 

Dated: March 13, 2012. 

Jennifer S. Spaeth, 

Director, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6706 Filed 3–19–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

Center for Scientific Review; Notice of 

Closed Meetings 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES