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[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 83 (Monday, April 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18750-18753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10483]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration

Program Announcement and Proposed Project Requirements and Review 
Criteria for Cooperative Agreements for Partnerships for Health 
Professions Education for Fiscal Year 1996

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
that applications will be accepted for fiscal year (FY) 1996 
Cooperative Agreements for Partnerships for Health Professions 
Education. This model/demonstration program will be jointly funded 
under sections 738(b) (Minority Faculty Fellowship Program), 739 
(Centers of Excellence in Minority Health Professions Education), and 
740 (Health Careers Opportunity Program) 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. The goal 
of this program is to establish and test a comprehensive model program 
in a geographically defined area (e.g., region, state, metropolitan or 
rural area), that incorporates a variety of educational and community-
based entities in a formal continuum of activities to increase the 
number and quality of: (1) Minority and disadvantaged health 
professionals to provide health services to underserved populations and 
(2) minority faculty serving in health professions schools. No 
comprehensive model currently exists.

Rationale

    The rationale for conducting this model project is to:
    1. Test the feasibility and effectiveness of executing a 
comprehensive program in a defined geographic area, which encompasses a 
dynamic coordinated educational continuum designed to increase the 
number and quality of minority/disadvantaged health professionals and 
minority faculty for health professions schools. This program includes 
formal linkages among several community-based entities and educational 
institutions.
    2. Compare performance outputs of a comprehensive approach versus 
the output of several independent projects operating in a defined 
geographic area as is currently practiced.
    3. Assess the cost effectiveness of a comprehensive model versus a 
multiple independent projects approach (testing the hypothesis that 
approximately one third of the costs for personnel and overhead 
expenditures would be saved through a comprehensive administrative 
infrastructure).
    4. Determine the potential for several community and educational 
entities forming a unified, effective, multi-dimensional, comprehensive 
educational continuum under the umbrella of a single lead institution.
    5. Test the relative soundness of a cooperative comprehensive 
approach versus that of several projects acting independently. This 
would facilitate tracking, monitoring and retaining targeted 
individuals through the educational pathway to become health 
professionals and/or faculty in health professions schools.
    This program announcement is subject to reauthorization of the 
legislative authorities and to the appropriation of funds. Applicants 
are advised that this program announcement is a contingency action 
being taken to assure that should authority and funds become available 
for this purpose, they can be awarded in a timely fashion consistent 
with the needs of the program as well as to provide for even 
distribution of funds throughout the fiscal year. At this time, given a 
continuing resolution and the absence of FY 1996 appropriations for 
title VII programs, the amount of available funding for this specific 
cooperative agreement cannot be estimated.

Purpose

    The purposes of this program are to: (1) Assist schools in 
supporting programs of excellence in health

[[Page 18751]]

professions education for minority students, (2) assist individuals 
from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake education to enter and 
graduate from a health professions school and (3) to assist schools in 
increasing the number of underrepresented minority faculty members at 
such schools. Applicants are required to meet the statutory 
requirements identified in sections 738(b), 739, and 740. Definitions 
regarding each of these programs have been published at 60 FR 62097, 
dated December 4, 1995. In addition, applicants must meet the 
requirements of regulations as set forth in 42 CFR part 57, subparts S 
and V. Applicants may request funding for up to three years. In making 
awards, consideration will be given to an equitable geographic 
distribution of projects.

Eligibility

    Applicants eligible to apply for this model/demonstration program 
are accredited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, 
dentistry, pharmacy, public health, veterinary medicine, optometry, 
allied health, chiropractic, podiatric medicine, clinical psychology, 
health administration and other public or private nonprofit health or 
education entities located in a State as defined in section 799.

Proposed Project Requirements

    The following project requirements are proposed:
    1. The Partnerships for Health Professions Education cooperative 
agreement is to include efforts to increase the numbers and quality of:
    (a) Minority and disadvantaged health professionals who provide 
health services to underserved populations and
    (b) Minority faculty serving in health professions schools.
    This would be accomplished through comprehensive geographically 
defined cooperative initiatives involving several educational and 
community-based institutions and organizations. Specifically, the 
project is to establish and test a model comprehensive program in a 
defined geographic area (e.g. region, state, metropolitan or rural 
area). The project would bring together a variety of educational and 
community entities into a formal educational continuum that addresses:
    (a) The needs of minority and disadvantaged students through 
graduation from a health professions school, and
    (b) Junior minority faculty aspiring to senior faculty positions in 
health professions schools.
    2. The proposed model must encompass formulation of academic-
community educational partnerships including:
    (a) Formal linkages among health profession and prehealth 
profession schools, where both have strong histories and established 
administrative infrastructures for addressing the types of purposes 
proposed in this model program;
    (b) Linkages among health professions schools and community based 
health care entities serving underserved populations. This would allow 
targeted health professions school students to be offered experiences 
in the delivery of health services in community-based facilities 
located at sites remote from the institution; and
    c. Consortium arrangements (where appropriate) among participating 
health professions schools.
    4. The Partnerships for Health Professions Education Programs 
shall, for a geographically prescribed area establish:
    (a) An educational and non-educational support system designed to 
improve the quality of the minority applicant pool involving 
preliminary education, facilitating entry (including post baccalaureate 
projects where appropriate) and retention activities at the health 
professions school level. There should be an uninterrupted continuum to 
assist students through graduation from a health professions school. 
This would be accomplished through development and implementation of 
activities related to all the purposes identified in sections 738(b), 
739, and 740 of the PHS Act.
    (b) Minority faculty development initiatives designed to recruit 
and provide a formal structured program of preparation in such areas as 
pedagogical skills, program administration, grant writing and 
publication skills, research methodology, development of research 
proposals and community service abilities under a senior faculty 
mentor. It should involve pre-faculty appointment, faculty fellowship 
opportunities and retention for junior minority faculty in health 
professions schools;
    (c) Information resources and curricula addressing minority health 
issues and clinical education at community based sites remote from the 
health professions school that predominantly serve underserved 
populations; and
    (d) Faculty and student research on health issues particularly 
affecting minority groups.
    5. Measurable, outcome oriented and time framed performance outcome 
standards will be used to evaluate the project.
    6. All award recipients must agree to maintain institutional 
expenditures of non-Federal funds in an amount not less than the 
previous fiscal year.
    7. Program activities and experiences related to the establishment 
of the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program must be 
documented in a format that would allow for future duplication by other 
institutional organizations.

Substantial Federal Programmatic Involvement

    It is anticipated that the Federal government will have substantial 
programmatic involvement with the planning, development and 
administration of the Partnerships for Health Professions Education 
Program and its outputs by:
    1. Providing technical assistance, guidance and reviewing changes 
needed to conduct the project.
    2. Reviewing and advising regarding training content and 
methodologies and formal faculty development regimens.
    3. Providing advice regarding formal linkage and consortium 
arrangements which have been established for the purpose of conducting 
the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program.
    4. 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 on program evaluation methods, including 
data collection activities, data analysis techniques and participant 
tracking systems.
    7. Reviewing and advising on the documentation of the activities 
and experiences related to establishment of the Partnerships for Health 
Professions Education Program.
    8. Providing data and information about Federal programs that may 
impact the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program.
    9. Participating in the review of subcontracts awarded under the 
Cooperative Agreement.

Proposed Review Criteria

    The following criteria are proposed for review of applications for 
this program:
    1. The relationship of the applicants proposal to the purposes 
stated for the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program, 
the

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comprehensiveness and geographic base of the proposed project, the 
extent to which linkages with community entities and institutions are 
documented, and the degree to which the proposed project plans are 
transferable to other institutions.
    2. The extent, institutional commitment and outcomes of past 
efforts and activities of the institution in conducting minority/
disadvantaged programs, the extent to which applicant data indicate 
trends, the numbers and type (race/ethnicity, gender) of individuals 
that can be expected to benefit from the project, and suitability of 
participant eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and process.
    3. The relevance of objective(s) to the stated problem and need, 
and to model purposes; their measurability and attainability within a 
specific time frame; and the extent to which they represent outcome 
measures.
    4. The scope of specific activities and their relevance to the 
stated objectives and projected outcomes; their appropriateness for a 
Partnership for Health Professions Education Program; their soundness 
in terms of the extent and nature of the academic content and non-
academic services; and their validity as to the methodologies, logic 
and sequencing proposed.
    5. The administrative and managerial capability of the applicant to 
conduct the project, qualifications of the staff and faculty, their 
academic and experiential background and time commitment, the nature 
and degree of their involvement, and their experience in working with 
the proposed target group.
    6. The appropriateness of the budget for assuring effective 
utilization of cooperative agreement funds and the institutional or 
organizational plan for phasing-in income from other sources and 
developing self-sufficiency for continuing the program after Federal 
funding.
    7. The degree to which the applicant has made significant efforts 
to increase the number of minority individuals serving in faculty or 
administrative positions at the health professions school.
    8. Techniques and methods to be employed in evaluating the project.

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, D.C. 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 to promote the non-use of all 
tobacco products and Public Law 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.

Additional Information

    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed project 
requirements and review criteria. The comment period is 30 days. All 
comments received on or before May 29, 1996 will be considered before 
the final project requirements and review criteria are established. 
Written comments should be addressed to Dr. Ciriaco Q. Gonzales, 
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 holiday excepted) 
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Application Availability

    Application materials are available on the World Wide Web at 
address:   http://www.os.dhhs.gov/hrsa/bhpr. Click on the file name you 
want to download to your computer. It will be saved as a self-
extracting WordPerfect 5.1 file. Once the file is downloaded to the 
applicant's PC, it will still be in a compressed state. To decompress 
the file, go to the directory where the file has been downloaded and 
type in the file name followed by a . The file will expand into 
a WordPerfect 5.1 file. Applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain 
application materials from the World Wide Web via the Internet.
    However, for applicants who do not have Internet capability, 
application materials are also available on the Bureau of Health 
Professions (BHPr) Bulletin Board. Use your computer and modem to call 
(301) 443-5913. Set your modem parameters to 2400 baud, parity to none, 
data bits to 8, and stop bits to 1. Set your terminal emulation to ANSI 
or VT-100.
    Once you have accessed the BHPr Bulletin Board, you will be asked 
for your first and last name. It will also ask you to choose a 
password. Remember Your Password! The first time you logon you 
``register'' by answering a number of other questions. The next time 
you logon, BHPr's Bulletin Board will know you.
    Press (F) for the (F)iles Menu and (L) to (L)ist Files. Press (L) 
again to see a list of numbered file areas. To see a list of files in 
any area, type the number corresponding to that area. Competitive 
application materials for grant programs administered by the Bureau of 
Health Professions are located in the File Area item ``B'' titled 
Grants Announcements.
    To (R)ead a file or (D)ownload a file, you need to know its exact 
name as listed on BHPr's Bulletin Board. Press (R) to (R)ead a file and 
type the name of the file. Press (D) to (D)ownload a file to your 
computer. You need to know how your communications software 
accomplishes downloading.
    When you have completed your tour of BHPr's Bulletin Board for this 
session, press (G) for (G)oodbye and press .
    If you have difficulty accessing the BHPr Bulletin Board, please 
try the Internet address listed above. If you do not have Internet 
capability and need assistance in accessing the BHPr Bulletin Board or 
technical assistance with any aspect of the BHPr Bulletin Board, please 
call Mr. Larry DiGiulio, Systems Operator for the BHPr Bulletin Board 
at (301) 443-2850 or ``[email protected]''.
    Questions regarding grants policy and business management issues 
should be directed to Ms. Wilma Johnson, Acting Chief, Centers and 
Formula Grants Section ([email protected]), Grants Management 
Branch, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857. If you are unable to obtain the application 
materials electronically, you may obtain application materials in the 
mail by sending a written request to the Grants Management Branch at 
the address above. Written requests may also be sent via FAX (301) 443-
6343 or via the Internet listed above. Completed

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applications should be returned to the Grants Management Branch at the 
above address.
    If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact 
Dr. Ciriaco Q. Gonzales, Director, Division of Disadvantaged 
Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-17, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857.

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 July 12, 1996. 
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. In addition, applications which exceed the page 
limitation and/or do not follow format instructions will not be 
accepted for processing and will be returned to the applicant.
    This program 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 also not subject to the 
Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

    Dated: April 17, 1996.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-10483 Filed 4-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P
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