To
recruit and retain health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds
to conduct clinical research at the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) by providing for the repayment of educational loans for participants
with substantial amounts of educational debt relative to income,
who agree by written contract to engage in clinical research as
employees of the NIH for a minimum two-year period.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
To provide repayment of
extant educational loans incurred by health professionals engaged,
as employees of the NIH, in clinical research. Recipients must agree
by written contract to engage in such research, initially, for a
minimum of 2 years; individuals who have conflicting service obligations
may not participate in this program until those obligations are
satisfied or have been deferred during the period of program service.
One-year continuation contracts are available, dependent upon the
level of debt and continued involvement in clinical research. Maximum
program benefit is $35,000 per year in loan repayments and $13,650
per year in Federal tax reimbursements. Recipients must have qualified
educational debt in excess of 20 percent of their annual salary,
which is referred to as their "debt threshold." An amount equal
to half of this "debt threshold" will not be repaid by NIH and must
be paid by the Program participants.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility:
Eligible applicants must: (1) Be a citizen, national, or permanent
resident of the United States; (2) possess a M.D., Ph.D., D.O.,
D.D.S., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.P.M., A.D.N., B.S.N., or equivalent degree;
(3) come from a disadvantaged background as determined by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services; (4) have qualified educational debt,
which results from governmental or commercial loans obtained to
support their undergraduate and/or graduate education, in excess
of 20 percent of their annual NIH salary on the program eligibility
date; (5) be appointed under any temporary or permanent employment
mechanism, so long as their employment has the potential to last
a minimum of 2 years; (6) are not eligible to participate in the
CR-LRP if they have an existing service obligation to Federal, State,
or other entities, until such obligation is discharged or unless
it is deferred during the period of program service; (7) submit
an application to participate in the CR-LRP; and (8) sign and submit
to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, at the time of agreeing
to accept repayment of educational loans, a contract agreeing to
engage in clinical research as an employee of the NIH for a minimum
of 2 years.
Beneficiary Eligibility:
Clinical researchers from disadvantaged backgrounds who have unpaid
educational loans will benefit from this program.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applicants must submit documentation of the following, as appropriate:
(1) Copies of loan applications and agreements from governmental
or commercial educational loans which are being submitted for
repayment; (2) copies of the standard student budget from each
school attended during period when debt was incurred; (3) copies
of recommendations, special skills, certifications, or other copies
of loan documentation; (4) certification from the school(s) attended
that the applicant qualified for participation in an educational
assistance program for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds
which are sponsored by the Secretary of Health and Human Services
or self-certification describing circumstances which qualify him/her
under the Secretary's definition of an individual from a disadvantaged
background; and (5) other documentation as may be required by
law.
Pre-application
Coordination: None. This program is excluded
from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure:
Applicants must access and submit the Loan Repayment Program application
electronically via the website www.lrp.nih.gov; seek qualified
employment with a sponsoring Institute or Center (IC) of the NIH.
Once an application has been submitted, the Loan Repayment Committee
reviews it at a regularly scheduled review meeting and a determination
of loan repayment recipients is made.
Award Procedure:
The NIH Loan Repayment Committee (LRC) will review, rank, and
approve or disapprove applications recommended for program participation
by each Institute or Center (IC). Applications approved for program
participation by the LRC will be notified by the Program Director.
The Secretary, or his designee, will sign the service contract
of program participants, provide a copy to the participant, and
notice of the amount of approved loan repayment.
Deadlines:
Review the Loan Repayment Program website www.lrp.nih.gov, or
contact the Headquarters Office listed below for the application
deadlines.
Range of Approval/Disapproval
Time: The approximate time for approval/disapproval
is 3 months.
Appeals:
Employees of the NIH who are not approved as a result of this
process may ask for reconsideration through the standard appeal
procedures available to employees.
Renewals:
At the conclusion of the initial 2-year contract, participants
may apply and be recommended for subsequent 1-year continuation
contracts under the application and approval procedures specified
above.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching
Requirements: This program has no statutory
formula or matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing
of Assistance: Assistance is available for
a minimum 2-year period. One-year, continuation contracts are
available for individuals whose educational debt exceeds the maximum
repayable amount for 2 years and whose renewal ranking scores
within the funding range. Payments are made directly to lenders,
following each quarter of the participant's satisfactory service,
unless otherwise agreed upon by the participant and Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Program participants must be certified periodically to have satisfactorily
performed the duties of their positions.
Audits:
None.
Records:
The NIH will maintain applicant records for 3 years after rejection
and participant records for 6 years after completion of final
service obligation.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification:
75-0846-0-1-552.
Obligations:
(Loan Repayments) FY 01 $1,255,341; FY 02 est $1,332,000; and
FY 03 est $1,332,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
Loan Repayments from $13,525 to $70,000; Average: $55,705.
Tax reimbursements from $5,275 to $27,300; Average: $21,725.
Twenty contracts were
awarded in fiscal year 2001. It is anticipated that 24 awards will
be made in fiscal year 2002, and 24 awards are anticipated in fiscal
year 2003.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND
LITERATURE:
Pertinent information
is contained in Public Law 103-43, Section 1631; Section 487E of
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288-5); Public Law 105-392;
Federal Register, Volume 59, No. 201, October 19, 1994; 42 CFR Part
68a Federal Register, Volume 63, No. 210, October 30, 1998.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local
Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters Office:
Program and Business Contact: Marc S. Horowitz, J.D., Office of
Loan Repayment and Scholarship, National Institutes of Health,
2 Center Drive, Room 2E24, Bethesda, MD 20892-0230. LRP Helpline:
866-849-4047. Facsimile: 866-849-4046.
Web Site Address: www.lrp.nih.gov
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Clinical and basic research
to evaluate the use of a PET imaging agent, Tc-94m sestamibi, which
will allow greater resolution and quantitation and thereby make
direct quantitative comparisons of tumor uptake before and after
treatment with antagonists possible. Clinical and basic research
designed to develop better methods for detection, prevention and
therapy for patients with kidney cancer. Research on the molecular
genetics and protein chemistry of tumor suppressor genes and in
particular, the VHL gene; and studies into the treatment of adult
solid tumors, and laboratory research projects in tumor immunology
and morphology.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Applicants are approved
for participation in the NIH Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program
after the LRC determines that the applicant will conduct qualified
clinical research and qualifies as being from a disadvantaged background.
LRC approval, in part, is based upon the scientific merit of the
research and the credentials of the applicant as they relate to
performing qualified clinical research.
