AUTHORIZATION:

Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 288-2, Title IV (National Research Institutes), Part G (Awards and Training), Section 487B (Loan Repayment Program for Research with Respect to Contraception and Infertility), as amended by Public Law 105-392.

OBJECTIVES:

The CIR-LRP is designed to provide an incentive for health professionals to work in areas of reproductive research directly related to contraceptive development and/or infertility diagnosis and treatment by providing assistance in repaying educational loans for individuals. The CIR-LRP will pay up to $35,000 of the principal and interest of a participant's educational loans for each year of commitment not to exceed one-half of the remaining loan balance. In addition to the loan repayments, the CIR-LRP may pay participants up to 39 percent of the amount paid to lenders as partial payments on the increased income tax liability caused by the Program's loan repayments. In return for these loan repayments, applicants must agree to commit to a period of obligated service of not less than 2 years conducting research with respect to contraception and/or infertility. The long- range objective of the CIR-LRP is to stimulate the commitment of researchers to sustaining a career focus on contraception and/or infertility research.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Direct Payments for Specified Use Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

The assistance provided by the CIR-LRP is entirely of a financial nature in the form of loan repayments. The monies provided by this program are restricted to the repayment of pre-existing, qualified loans procured by the participant for educational expenses incurred in the pursuit of undergraduate or graduate degrees.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Applicants must be a U.S. citizen (or U.S. national or permanent resident) and a physician, Ph.D.-level scientist, nurse, physician's assistant, graduate student, or postgraduate research fellow training in the health professions. You must commit to conduct contraception and infertility research for 50% of your time (at least 20 hours weekly based on a 40 hour week) for two years and it must be funded by a domestic nonprofit or U.S. Government (Federal, state or local) entity. Also, the research must not be prohibited by Federal law or NIH policy. Complete eligibility information is available at http://www.lrp.nih.gov/about/lrp-contra.htm.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Assistance in the form of loan repayments will be made to qualified health professionals (including graduate students) who are participants in the CIR-LRP.

Credentials/Documentation:   In order to be considered for selection into the CIR-LRP, eligible applicants must complete and submit the electronic application materials located at www.lrp.nih.gov, which include:

(1) a Loan Verification Form for each loan to be considered for repayment;

(2) an institutional statement providing assurance that the applicant will be engaged in employment/training at an NICHD intramural laboratory or in a qualified domestic nonprofit institution (tax-exempt under 26 USC 501), for not less than two years from the anticipated effective date of the NIH Loan Repayment Program Contract between the individual and NICHD (this assurance is conducted electronically); and

(3) a signed NIH Loan Repayment Program Contract by which the applicant agrees to serve the obligated minimum period of two years conducting contraception and/or infertility research at an NICHD intramural laboratory or in a qualified domestic nonprofit institution (tax-exempt under 26 USC 501). OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Pre-application Coordination:   Information regarding the CIR-LRP and the preparation of forms for application to the CIR-LRP can be obtained by contacting the CIR-LRP headquarters office at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, or via the World Wide Web at www.lrp.nih.gov. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Qualified individuals interested in participating in the CIR-LRP should visit the NIH Loan Repayment Program Website at www.lrp.nih.gov for all application forms and requirements. The application will be evaluated by a Review Committee, convened for this purpose by the Division of Scientific Review, NICHD, NIH, HHS. In selecting applicants for participation in the CIR-LRP, the panel will consider eligibility status, quality of the applicant, and applicant's career plan focus. All selections are subject to final approval by the Director, NICHD. The NICHD will notify the sponsoring grantee institution and the applicant of the outcome of the review.

Award Procedure:   Once the applicant is selected to participate in the CIR-LRP, the applicant and the Director, NICHD, as a designate of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, will sign a written binding contract stating the terms and conditions for participating in the CIR- LRP. The effective date of the contract will be the date it is signed by the Director, NICHD, or the date employment/training begins at an NICHD-funded Specialized Contraception or Infertility Research Center, whichever is later.

Deadlines:   Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   

> 180 Days. The selection process takes from 6 to 8 months following receipt of application.

Appeals:   

Not Applicable.

Renewals:   

> 180 Days. A CIR-LRP participant completing the initial 2-year period of obligated service conducting research with respect to contraception and/or infertility has an option to extend the obligatory period of service on an annual basis.

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ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   

This program has no statutory formula.
This program has no matching requirements.
This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   

The CIR-LRP will pay equal quarterly payments to the lenders. Each payment will be made shortly after the end of each full quarter of satisfactory service. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: quarterly.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Audits:   No audits are required for this program.

Records:   None.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:  

75-0897-0-1-552.

Obligations:   (Direct Payments for Specified Use) FY 08 $1,000,000; FY 09 est $1,000,000; FY 10 est $1,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  

In FY 06 the range of financial assistance was between $4,461 and $103,138. The average contract cost was $45,619.

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