HEALTH
RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
AUTHORIZATION:
Public
Health Service Act, Title VIII, Section 821, 42 U.S.C. 296m, as
amended; Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998,
Public Law 105-392.
To
increase nursing education opportunities for individuals who are
from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities
under-represented among registered nurses) by providing student
stipends, pre-entry preparation and retention activities.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Funds may be used for salaries
of personnel specifically employed for the project; consultant fees;
supplies and equipment necessary to conduct the project; essential
travel expenses and student stipends; and other expenses related
to the project. Restricted Uses: Indirect costs are allowed for
administrative costs incurred as a result of the project, limited
to 8 percent of direct costs exclusive of equipment and tuition
and fees. Stipends may only be paid during full-time academic periods
of study and is $250 per month to eligible full-time project students.
Funds may not be used for dependents allowance and/or tuition and
fees.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility:
Eligible applicants include schools of nursing, nursing centers,
academic health centers, State and local governments and other public
or private nonprofit entities including faith based organizations.
Grantees that report rates of annual admission, retention, and graduate
rates of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and ethic and
racial minorities below the average of the two previous years must
provide a plan for immediately improving such rates. If the plan
of the grantee fails to improve the rates within the 1-year beginning
on the date of such plan, the grantee shall be ineligible for continued
funding.
Beneficiary Eligibility:
Public and nonprofit private schools of nursing and other public
or nonprofit private entities and individuals from disadvantaged
backgrounds including racial and ethnic minorities under-represented
among registered nurses.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applicant/grantee must provide data on annual admission, retention,
and graduation rates for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds,
ethnic and racial minorities in the schools involved in the project.
Program must be accredited by a recognized body or bodies, or
by a State agency approved for such purposes by the Secretary
of Education. Program participants must be U.S. Citizen's, non-citizen
national, or foreign national who possess a visa permitting permanent
residence in the U.S. Participants must be educationally or economically
disadvantaged and express an interest in pursing a professional
nursing career.
Pre-application
Coordination: Not applicable. This program is
excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure:
The new URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the Bureau of Health
Professions (BHPr) Grants Page is www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/grants. This
year BHPr has decided to use Adobe Acrobat and Word to publish
its grant documents on the Web page. In order to download, view
and print Adobe Acrobat documents, you will need a copy of Adobe
Acrobat Reader. This can be obtained without charge from the Internet
by going to the Adobe Web page www.adobe.com and downloading the
version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is appropriate for your
operating system, i.e., Windows, Unix, Macintosh, etc. A set of
more detailed instructions on how to download and use the Adobe
Acrobat Reader can be found on the BHPr Grants Web page under
"Notes on this WWW Page."
Award Procedure:
Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Grant Award issued
from the Headquarters Office.
Deadlines:
Application deadlines can be obtained via the Internet at: http://www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/grants.
Range of Approval/Disapproval
Time: Final decisions are made within 4 to
6 months after receipt of applications.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
Grantees may submit a competing continuation application during
the final budget period of the approved project period.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching
Requirements: This program has no statutory
formula or matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing
of Assistance: Project periods are for 3 years.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
A Uniform Summary Progress Report must be submitted for the second
or subsequent budget period within an approved project period. Annual
Financial status reports are required 90 days after the end of each
budget period. A final progress report and final financial status
report must be submitted within 90 days after the end to the project
period.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit
Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year.
Records:
Financial records must be kept for 3 years after submission of
an expenditure report, and 3 years after final disposition of
non-expendable property. If questions remain, such as those raised
as a result of audit, records must be retained until the matter
is resolved.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification:
75-0350-0-1-550.
Obligations:
FY 01 $4,673,000; FY 02 est $6,173,000; and FY 03 est $6,172,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
From $97,242 to $294,595; Average: $225,000.
(Formally Nursing Education
Opportunities for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds) Projects
have assisted nursing schools to meet the costs of recruitment and
retention of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and facilitated
their completion of nursing education programs. In fiscal year 2001,
39 continuations and 20 new awards were issued. It is estimated
that 13 noncompeting continuations and 14 new awards will be issued
in fiscal year 2002; and 23 noncompeting continuations and 7 new
awards will be issued in fiscal year 2003.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND
LITERATURE:
HRSA Preview Fact Sheet
for Grants for Nursing Workforce Diversity Programs; PHS Grants
Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 94-50,000, Rev. April
1, 1994.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local
Office: None.
Headquarters Office:
Program Contact: Ms. Ernell Spratley, Division of Nursing, Bureau
of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services, Room 9-35, Parklawn Building,
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Grants Management Contact:
Mr. Mark Wheeler, Grants Management Officer, Bureau of Health
Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department
of Health and Human Services, Room 8C-26, Parklawn Building, 5600
Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-6960.
Web Site Address: http://www.hrsa.gov/bhpr
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
None.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
The purpose of the project
must be consistent with and promote the activities identified in
the law. Need must be documented, and the capability achieving project
goals must be described. In making awards of grants under this section,
preference will be given to any qualified applicant with a project
that will substantially benefit rural or underserved populations,
or help meet public health nursing needs in State in local health
departments. This preference will only be applied to applications
that rank above the 20th percentile of applications recommended
for approval.
