13892 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices

Dated: March 18, 1997.

LaVerne Y. Stringfield,

Committee Management Officer, NIH.

[FR Doc. 97–7267 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

National Institutes of Health

Division of Research Grants; Notice of

Meeting of the Division of Research

Grants Advisory Committee

Pursuant to Public Law 92–463,

notice is hereby given of the meeting of

the Division of Research Grants

Advisory Committee, April 28–29, 1997,

Building 31C, Conference Room 10,

National Institutes of Heath, Bethesda,

Maryland 20892. The entire meeting will be open to the

public from 8:30 a.m. on April 28 to

adjournment on April 29. The meeting

will include, among other topics, a

discussion of some recent experiences

and experiments in streamlining the

peer review system. Attendance by the

public will be limited to space available. The Office of Committee

Management, Division of Research

Grants, Rockledge 2 Building, Suite

3016, National Institutes of Health,

Bethesda, Maryland 20892–7778,

telephone (301) 435–1124, will furnish

a summary of the meeting and a roster

of the committee members.

Dr. Samuel Joseloff, Executive

Secretary of the Committee, Rockledge 2

Building, Suite 3176, National Institutes

of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892–

7762, phone (301) 435–0691, will

provide substantive program

information upon request. Individuals who plan to attend and

need special assistance, such as sign

language interpretation or other

reasonable accommodations, should

contact the Executive Secretary at least

two weeks in advance of the meeting.

Dated: March 18, 1997.

LaVerne Y. Stringfield,

Committee Management Officer, NIH.

[FR Doc. 97–7268 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

Public Health Service

National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development Contraception

and Infertility Research Loan

Repayment Program

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health,

Public Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Center for Population

Research (CPR) of the National Institute

of Child Health and Human

Development (NICHD), the National

Institutes of Health (NIH), announces

the availability of educational loan

repayment under the NICHD

Contraception and Infertility Research

Loan Repayment Program (CIR–LRP or

the Program). The CIR–LRP, which is

authorized by Section 487B of the

Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42

U.S.C. 288–2) as added by the NIH

Revitalization Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103–

43), provides for the repayment of the

educational loan debt of qualified health

professionals (including graduate

students) who agreed to commit to a

period of obligated service of not less

than two years conducting research with

respect to contraception and/or

infertility. The CIR–LRP will pay up to

$20,000 of the principal and interest of

such individual’s educational loans for

each year of obligated service. In

addition to the loan repayments, the

CIR–LRP will pay participants an

amount equal to 39 percent of the total

amount of the loan repayments made for

the taxable year in order to provide

reimbursement for tax liability caused

by the Program’s loan repayments. The

purpose of the CIR–LRP is the

recruitment and retention of highly

qualified health professionals

conducting contraception and/or

infertility research. Through this notice,

the NICHD, NIH, invites health

professionals who meet the prescribed

eligibility criteria to apply for

participation in the CIR–LRP.

DATES: Interested persons who meet the

eligibility requirements may request

information about the CIR–LRP

beginning on March 1, 1997.

Applications for participation in the

CIR–LRP can be submitted at any time

after April 1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Information regarding the

CIR–LRP may be obtained by contacting:

Dr. Louis V. DePaolo, Health Scientist

Administrator, Contraception and

Infertility Research Loan Repayment

Program, Center for Population

Research, National Institute of Child

Health and Human Development, NIH,

Building 61E, Rm. 8B01, Bethesda,

Maryland 20892–7510 (Voice: 301/496–

6515); FAX: 301/496–0962; E-Mail:

depaolol@hd01.nichd.nih.gov). Applications can be submitted at any

time after April 1, 1997 to:

Contraception and Infertility Research

Loan Repayment Program, Center for

Population Research, National Institute

of Child Health and Human

Development, NIH, Building 61E, Room

8B01, Bethesda, Maryland 20892–7510.

For courier deliveries, the following

address should be used: Contraception

and Infertility Research Loan

Repayment Program, Center for

Population Research, National Institute

of Child Health and Human

Development, NIH, 6100 Executive

Boulevard, Room 8B01, Rockville,

Maryland 20851

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NIH

Revitalization Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103–

43) was enacted on June 10, 1993,

adding section 487B of the PHS Act (42

U.S.C. 288–2). Section 487B authorizes

the Secretary of Health and Human

Services in consultation with the

Director of NICHD to establish a

program of entering into contracts with

qualified professionals under which

such health professionals agree to

conduct contraception and/or infertility

research in consideration of the Federal

Government agreeing to repay, for each

year of such service, not more than

$20,000 of the principal and interest of

their outstanding graduate and/or

undergraduate educational loans. The

Secretary, in consultation with the

Director of NICHD, has established a

program to provide such loan

repayments. This program is known as

the Contraception and Infertility

Research Loan Repayment Program

(CIR–LRP). In return for these loan

repayments, applicants must agree to

participate in contraception and/or

infertility research for a period of

obligated service of not less than two

years. Selected applicants become

participants in the CIR–LRP only upon

the signing of a written contract by the

Director, NICHD, the Secretary’s

designate. While the statute authorizes

repayment of the educational loans of

qualified health professionals agreeing

to participate in contraception and/or

infertility research, the initial

implementation of the program will be

limited to employees of the three

NICHD Contraception Research Centers

and two NICHD Infertility Research

Centers due to limited availability of

funds.

Eligibility Criteria

Qualified health and allied health

professionals including, but not limited

to, physicians, Ph.D.-level scientists,

nurses and physician assistants, as well

as graduate students and postgraduate

research fellows training in the health

professions are eligible to apply

provided that they will be or are

engaged, at the time of participation in

the CIR–LRP, in employment/training at

one of five Cooperative Specialized

Contraception or Infertility Research

Centers (‘‘CIR Center’’) funded by

NICHD as authorized by Section 452A

of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 285g–5) and

as mandated in the NIH Revitalization
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices 13893

Act of 1993 (Title X, NICHD, Subtitle A,

Research Centers With Respect to

Contraception and Research Centers

With Respect to Infertility, Section

1001, Grants and Contracts for Research

Centers). As such, applicants will be

expected to participate in research

relating to infertility and/or

contraception. For purposes of the CIR–

LRP, infertility research is defined as

research whose long-range objective is

to evaluate, treat or ameliorate

conditions which result in the failure of

couples to either conceive or bear

young, and contraception research is

defined as research whose ultimate goal

is to provide new or improved methods

of preventing pregnancy.

In order to be considered for selection

into the CIR–LRP, an applicant meeting

the above eligibility requirements must

submit a completed and signed

application form. In addition, the

individual must: (1) Sign and submit a

CIR–LRP contract by which he/she

agrees to serve the obligated minimum

period of two years conducting

contraception or infertility research at

the CIR Center approved by the Director,

NICHD; (2) have completely satisfied

any other service obligation for health

professional service which is owed

under an agreement with the Federal

Government, State Government or other

entity prior to beginning the period of

service under the CIR–LRP, and (3)

certify that he/she is not delinquent on

any amounts which are owed to the

Federal Government.

Participants must be U.S. citizens,

nationals or permanent residents.

Individuals who are fulfilling

internship, residency or other advanced

primary-care training requirements are

not eligible to participate.

Application Procedure and Selection

Process

Submission of applicants for

participation in the CIR–LRP by eligible

individuals will be made to NICHD on

behalf of the applicant by the CIR

Center. The application will include: (1)

Institutional assurance of future

employment/affiliation with the CIR

Center (e.g., contract between individual

and institution) of not less than two

years from the anticipated effective date

of the CIR–LRP contract between the

individual and NICHD; (2) a description

of the applicant’s proposed role in the

scientific research on contraception

and/or infertility being conducted in the

CIR Center, and (3) a brief statement

addressing the applicant’s long-range

career plan for engaging in

contraception or infertility research. The

application will be reviewed by the

CIR–LRP Panel (Panel), chaired by the

Deputy Director, NICHD, and comprised

of representatives of the NICHD’s Office

of Administrative Management, the

respective Program Officers of the

Center for Population Research, and

special consultants as required. The

Panel will review and select

applications for approval based upon

the credentials of the applicant and

other criteria the Secretary deems

appropriate such as the scientific merit

of the research and the nature of the

applicant’s career plan focus. Priority

will be given to applicants with a clear

career focus in the specialized areas of

contraceptive and/or infertility research

over those engaging in general

reproductive sciences research. In

addition to this review, the CIR–LRP

will determine whether the educational

loan debt qualifies for loan repayment

assistance under this Program (see

below). All selections are subject to final

approval by the Director, NICHD. The

NICHD will notify the applicant of the

outcome of the review. It is anticipated

that the selection process will take

approximately six to eight weeks

following receipt of the application.

Program Administration

The applicant is required to submit:

(1) A completed and signed CIR–LRP

contract, and (2) a copy of an

institutional assurance of employment/

affiliation with a CIR Center for no less

than a two-year period from the

anticipated effective date of the CIR–

LRP contract. Neither the applicant nor

the Federal Government is bound by

this contract until: (1) The applicant has

submitted and had approved by the

Director, NICHD, a complete, accurate

application as required by this program

announcement, (2) the contract is signed

by the Director, NICHD, and (3)

authorized funds are agreement to the

NICHD to carry out the contract.

The effective date of the contract will

be the date it is signed by the Director

or the date employment/training begins

at the CIR Center, whichever is later.

Initial contracts will be executed to

cover a two-year service period.

Following conclusion of this initial

contract, participants may be considered

for one-year renewal contracts, subject

to approval of the Panel, for up to two

additional years. Graduate students

must maintain full-time enrollment (as

determined by the academic institution

of study), and be in good academic

standing (as determined by the

academic institution of study) while

participating in the CIR–LRP.

Program Benefits for Participants

The CIR–LRP will pay up to $20,000

of the principal and interest of a

participant’s preexisting, nondelinquent

qualified (see below) educational

(graduate and/or undergraduate) loan

balance for each year of obligated

service that is fulfilled by the applicant.

The CIR–LRP’s payments to lenders

on behalf of the participants represent

taxable income to the participant. The

CIR–LRP reports each year to the

Internal Revenue Service the payments

it makes to all participants. Section

338B of the Public Health Service Act

(42 U.S.C. 2541–1), incorporated by

reference in section 487B, provides,

however, that in addition to the loan

payments made to lenders, the CIR–LRP

will also pay to the participants an

amount equal to 39 percent of the total

amount of the loan repayments made for

the taxable year. Participants should

note that this payment is also

considered taxable income by the

Internal Revenue Service and many

State and local taxing authorities.

The CIR–LRP will make quarterly

payments to the lenders. Payment is

made by a U.S. Treasury check shortly

after the end of each full quarter of

satisfactory service. Since the first

payment to lenders will not be made

until after the end of the first quarter of

obligated service, participants should

continue to make monthly loan

payments for the first three months of

his/her service to avoid defaulting on

his/her loans and affecting his/her

credit ratings.

Loan Documentation and Qualification

A copy of the promissory note for

each outstanding loan must be

submitted with the application. (This

usually may be obtained upon request to

the lenders.) The CIR–LRP will

determine if the loans were reasonably

necessary to meet the costs of education,

in terms of each individual loan and in

terms of each applicant’s total

educational loan debts. Loans qualifying

for repayment include preexisting loans

obtained by the participant for:

(1) Undergraduate and graduate

tuition expenses;

(2) All other reasonable educational

expenses including fees, books,

supplies, educational equipment and

materials required by the school, and

laboratory expenses; and

(3) Reasonable living expenses

including the costs of room and board,

transportation, commuting and other

costs incurred during an individual’s

attendance at school as determined by

the Secretary.

Applicants must complete a lender

verification form for each loan. The

most current balance of each loan—

principal plus interest plus loan

expenses (such as the required
13894 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices

insurance premiums on the unpaid

balances of some loans)—should be

determined as accurately as possible

and reported by the applicant on each

form. This enables the CIR–LRP to

reserve adequate funds for loan

repayments under the contract should

the applicant become a CIR–LRP

participant. The CIR–LRP will send the

loan verification forms to each lender

for verification. If the CIR–LRP is unable

to obtain adequate loan verification

from the lender, the applicant may be

asked to submit other documentation,

such as copies of the original loan

application, to document that the loan

(or a stated portion of the loan) was

obtained for the educational purposes

stated previously.

Financial obligations not qualifying

for repayment include:

(1) Physician Storage Area

Scholarship Program;

(2) Public Health Service and National

Health Service Corps Scholarship

Programs;

(3) Armed Forces (Army, Navy or Air

Force) Health Professions Scholarship

Programs;

(4) Indian Health Service Scholarship

Program;

(5) National Research Service Award

Program;

(6) Loans for which contemporaneous

documentation is not available;

(7) Loans or ‘‘scholarship’’

arrangements which impose financial

obligations upon the applicant if service

is not performed;

(8) Loans without a promissory note

made when the loan was given;

(9) Loans that are delinquent;

(10) Loans, or those parts of loans,

obtained for educational or living

expenses while at school, which exceed

the ‘‘reasonable’’ level, as determined by

a review of the school’s standard school

budget or additional contemporaneous

documentation for the year in which the

loan was made, as determined by the

CIR–LRP;

(11) Loans which have been paid in

full;

(12) Loans not obtained from a

Government entity or commercial or

other charter lending institution, such

as loans from friends and relatives or

other private individuals;

(13) Loans for graduate studies

obtained following entry into the CIR–

LRP.

Breach of the Loan Repayment

Agreement

In the event that the participant fails

to begin or complete the two-year

minimum period of obligatory

participation in contraception or

infertility research at a CIR Center as set

forth in the contract, and payments have

been rendered to the lenders on behalf

of the individual, he/she is in breach of

the contractual agreement, and is liable

to pay monetary damages to the United

States Government. Participants who

leave during the first year of the initial

contract are liable for amounts already

paid by the Program plus an amount

equal to $1,000 multiplied by the

number of months of the original

obligation. Participants who leave

during the second year of the contract

are liable for (a) the total of the amounts

the Program paid the lenders, plus (b)

an ‘‘unserved obligation penalty’’ of

$1,000 for each month unserved. If a

participant completed the two-year

minimum obligatory period, but cannot

complete additional obligatory periods,

no obligation penalties will be levied,

but the participant will owe the United

States for any payments the CIR–LRP

made to the lenders for which service by

the participant was not performed

unless, in the opinion of the CIR–LRP

Panel, they continue to participate in

contraception and/or infertility research

during the additional obligatory periods.

If a participant must terminate

employment/training at a CIR Center for

reasons beyond his/her control, and

transfers to a site other than a CIR

Center, payments will cease upon

transfer. He/she may not be liable for

monetary damages as described above,

if, in the judgment of the CIR–LRP

Panel, he/she continues to participate in

contraception and/or infertility

research. However, if he/she transfers to

another CIR Center with the approval of

the Director, NICHD, the contract will

be amended and the participant will

still be considered bound by the

ongoing contract obligations, and the

lenders will continue to receive

payments on behalf of the participant

according to schedule.

Additional Program Information

This Program is not subject to the

provisions of Executive Order 12372,

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.

This Program is subject to OMB

clearance under the requirements of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The

information collection and

recordkeeping associated with the

Program have been approved by OMB

under OMB No. 0925–0440 (expires

December 31, 1999).

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

number for the CIR–LRP is 93.209.

Dated: March 12, 1997.

Ruth L. Kirschstein,

Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.

[FR Doc. 97–7269 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR–4120–N–04]

Assessment of the Reasonable

Revitalization Potential of Certain

Public Housing Required By Law;

Further Amendment to Timeframes

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Public and Indian

Housing, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: On September 26, 1996, the

Department published a notice which

implements section 202 of the Omnibus

Consolidated Rescissions and

Appropriations Act of 1996. Section 202

requires PHAs to identify certain

distressed public housing developments

that will be required to be replaced with

tenant-based assistance if they cannot be

revitalized by any reasonable means. In

that eventuality, households in

occupancy would be offered tenantbased or project-based assistance and

would be relocated—if sufficient

housing will not be maintained,

rehabilitated, or replaced on the current

site—to other decent, safe, sanitary, and

affordable housing which is, to the

maximum extent practicable, housing of

their choice.

On December 26, 1996, at 61 FR

68048, the Department issued a notice

which amended the timeframes that the

Department set in the September 26,

1996 notice for accomplishing the

standards necessary for compliance

with section 202. This notice makes a

further amendment to the timeframes by

extending the March 31, 1997 deadline

for accomplishing Standard D until June

30, 1997.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 24, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rod

Solomon, Senior Director for Policy and

Legislation, Public and Indian Housing,

Room 4116, Department of Housing and

Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202)

708–0713. For hearing or speech

impaired persons, this number may be

accessed via TTY by contacting the

Federal Information Relay Service at 1–

800–877–8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

202 of the Omnibus Consolidated

Rescissions and Appropriations Act of

1996 (Pub. L. 104–134, 110 Stat. 1321–